Should I just get a Citi Strata Premier/Elite if I live near an American Airlines hub?
I rarely traveled before but Id like to do more traveling in my 20s (would be a solo traveler). Im pretty much in between the autograph journey, venture/venture x, and the citi strata premier/elite. I already hold the active cash and the savor. I dont really…
I rarely traveled before but Id like to do more traveling in my 20s (would be a solo traveler). Im pretty much in between the autograph journey, venture/venture x, and the citi strata premier/elite. I already hold the active cash and the savor. I dont really have any preference for specific airlines or hotels. I do live in Miami and the closest airport (MIA) is an american airlines hub, so Im wondering if id get the most value/simplicity out of the citi cards. Or would it be best to stick to cashback?
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Depends on what hub, how many nonstops it offers to the destinations you desire, and if you like American. I personally switched away from the Chase ecosystem once Southwest made their changes and became like any other airline. So now I have a Citi Premier and hopefully will pair with an AA Platinum Select. I’m in DFW however which is obviously the mega hub so it made sense for me.
MIA is a megahub. Hows your experience with citi and american airlines?
I personally haven’t had any issues with American so knock on wood on that. But I switched because Lovefield is another 20-30 minutes drive from where I live so DFW made most sense for me before the southwest change. Citi is fine, little inquiry sensitive so just be cognizant of that. I would aim for the Premier over the Elite because the earning structures categories are better in my opinion. But that’s also dependent on your spending and how much travel you intend to do. Hopefully a refresh comes soon
Doesn’t the AA card have better returns on miles for purchases?
Depends on what you purchase and which Citi card you have
Get an AA card for the free bags and the Citi branded cards for the SUBs to build up your AA miles bankroll.
I would suggest Strata Premier then regular Autograph (not Journey), then Venture/VX. Strata Premier is due for refresh so may or may not be available for long and Citi gives little to no public notice. The Premier is a good card with downgrade options to other TY cards. Citi is inquiry sensitive so target the Citi ecosystem first under assumption OP wants more than one card possibly in short order. If not, get the WF Autograph if was a one and done. If just trying to build AA stash and basic benefits like free bags then be patient for Citi AA Plat or AA biz good SUB. Edit: forgot to add WF Autograph journey, good card with different, more/better travel specific multipliers than regular Journey. The $50 airline credit is easy to extract as GC if need so net $45 AF. Most other CC fall a little to much below to recoup the AF via "coupons" etc. I would not recommend Strata Elite based on lack of clear OP plan of use, no good PC options, and CC wide trend towards lower card ineligibility. Venture/VX is good but YMMV future as is transitioning towards Discover. Good 2x / 2% option but so there are other 2x / 2% cards (though w/FTF, which becomes less relevant if preceded by other cards i suggested priority). VX is good as Visa Infinite option while it lasts. Backwards eligibility is an issue and good reason to start with Venture before VX. VX is touted as net no-AF but MUST extract the travel credit thru C1 portal which isn't always the best/viable option given case by case travel plans. I have all cards mentioned.
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The citi cards are a great choice. Another option to consider once you have a few of those is the Alaska cards. You can purchase American flights through them at a similar price point I’m also in Florida and regularly fly from Miami or Gainesville to the west coast this way. It’s actually better for me because I already have status with Alaska and can gain progress towards elite status with them. With American booked flights you don’t make progress towards status at all.
do you like checking bags? That would be an argument for also getting an AA card
Citi AA Platinum Select + Citi Strata Elite would get you a grip of AA miles, free checked bags, priority pass access, AA lounge passes, a $300 hotel credit, and a $200 Splurge credit you can use to cover the fees on your award flights.