The American Executive credit card offers many benefits including 70,000 bonus miles when you spend $7,000 in the first 3 months.
We rate cards based on value, cost, and perks.
Our ratings for this card are:
Annual fee considerations
There is a high annual fee of $595 which is not waived the first year. We value American miles at $0.01 each, so a 70,000 mile bonus is worth $700. That more than covers the first year's annual fee. Even if you did not make use of any of the other benefits, this card is worth having for a year. You need to cancel before the 1 year anniversary in order to avoid paying the $595 annual fee again. There are other American cards with 75,000 miles and 60,000 miles bonuses for a lower annual fee.
Lounge access & companion certificate
Beyond the miles bonus, the main reason for the high annual fee is the lounge access and various travel statement credits. You get an Admirals Club membership to use whenever you are traveling on American and you can bring a guest that is traveling with you. None of the other American credit cards give you an Admirals Club membership.
4x miles earned on American purchases
If you spend a lot on American flights, the 4x miles earned per dollar is a nice perk. That's like earning 4% back on American flights. The other American cards with a lower annual fee get only 2x earned per dollar on American.
Priority boarding & other savings
This card gives you priority boarding ahead of the other card levels. It has the same 25% in-flight purchase discount as all the other cards including the one with no annual fee. This card has a 10% savings on awards travel up to 10,000 miles per year. Other airlines are more generous in their awards travel savings.
Access to upgrade list
None of the American credit cards offer access to an upgrade list solely for having the credit card. You have to have a status level based on flights or significant credit card spend.
