Editorial take: Bank of America Premium Rewards
Only a standout if you're a BoA Preferred Rewards member, that boost can push earnings to 2.625x on everything, 3.5x on travel and dining. Without it, Venture and Sapphire both beat it.
Free during beta. Plus launches at $12/mo or $99/yr on July 1. Annual is locked for 12 months during beta.
Both are well-respected travel cards. The Bank of America Premium Rewards comes from Bank of America at $95/yr; the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard from Citi at $595/yr. Below: side-by-side specs, an opinionated verdict, and the FAQs people actually ask before applying.
For most people the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard is the stronger pick today, the sign-up bonus is meaningfully larger ($980 more in estimated value) than the Bank of America Premium Rewards's. Get the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard first; revisit the Bank of America Premium Rewards after you've earned that bonus.
| Feature | Bank of America Premium Rewards | Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95 | $595 |
| Sign-up bonus | Not advertised | 70,000 miles |
| Bonus value (est.) | - | $980 |
| Min spend to unlock bonus | - | $7,000 in 3 mo |
| Issuer | Bank of America | Citi |
| Card category | travel | airline |
| Transfer partners | None | None |
| Headline benefits |
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Only a standout if you're a BoA Preferred Rewards member, that boost can push earnings to 2.625x on everything, 3.5x on travel and dining. Without it, Venture and Sapphire both beat it.
Pure Admirals Club access card. If you spend more than ~$850/year on lounge passes or visit AA hubs frequently, the $595 fee is a layup. The 2024 refresh added ~$360/year in Lyft/Grubhub/Avis credits that often go unclaimed, plus the free checked bag for 9 travelers is undersold for family travelers.
Card details on this page reflect the most recent data we've verified against the issuer's own site. Sign-up bonuses and fees can change at any time, confirm the current offer on the issuer's page before applying.