American Airlines and Citi are updating their flagship premium credit card with new travel benefits, additional ways to earn miles and loyalty points—and, as expected, a higher annual fee. The card is also being upgraded to World Legend Mastercard status, the premium tier Mastercard introduced last year.
Beginning August 23, the Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard will carry a $695 annual fee for new cardmembers, up from $595. In return, it adds more American Airlines Vacations and Admirals Club credits, increases earnings on AAdvantage purchases to 12 miles per dollar (from 10), and introduces several other enhanced benefits.
The changes come less than a year after Citi and American the Citi/AAdvantage Globe Mastercard, a mid-tier card with a $350 annual fee.
World Legend, Still Taking Shape
Unlike World Elite, which developed a recognizable set of benefits over time, World Legend remains a relatively small club of cards with few perks that are consistently available across issuers. Citi Strata Elite was the first World Legend card when it launched in May 2025, followed by HSBC Hong Kong’s Privé card.
Mastercard has positioned The Mastercard Collection—a portfolio of dining, entertainment, and travel experiences—as the signature benefit of the tier. Beyond that, many of the headline perks have been issuer-specific. Citi Strata, for example, introduced 6x points on restaurant purchases made on Fridays and Saturdays, a $200 annual “splurge credit” for merchants including Best Buy and Live Nation.
“Similar to Visa’s Infinite Privilege class of cards, Mastercard’s World Legend product targets high-net-worth cardholders who require luxury benefits and experiences,” said Brian Riley, Director of Credit at Javelin Strategy & Research. “Cardholders will see an array of merchant-funded benefits and an ultra-premium tier of card features. In some markets, issuers receive enhanced merchant interchange, which is justified by a lower-risk, higher-spend cardholder.”
Rising Fees at Airport Lounges
For American, the move reinforces Citi’s long-time relationship with the airline, with a card product that targets a loyal card contingent. A key feature of the updated American Airlines card is that it remains the only credit card offering unlimited access to Admirals Club airport lounges. That benefit stands out because American Airlines also announced that the base price of a standard Admirals Club membership will increase from $850 to $1,400. The airline is also introducing a new single membership, without guest access, priced at $750.
Both the membership price changes and the updated credit card will take effect on August 23. As a result, the card’s $100 annual fee increase comes alongside a substantially larger increase in the cost of a standalone Admirals Club membership.
