I admittedly hemmed and hawed when news of the 100,000 bonus mile Citi Executive AAdvantage offer first hit the scene. I really wasn’t interested in applying for any new cards at the moment, and I felt my AA/US balance was high enough. Then, a travel need to Europe appeared, but I still didn’t move. It wasn’t until the 100K offer appeared in an email from AAdvantage that I finally accepted that I needed to apply. I took it as a sign.

Today, I received my monthly AAdvantage eSummary, and what do you know….the offer is still there.

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The terms are the same as you’ve seen widely published – $10,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of card membership. The annual fee is a hefty $450, but you’ll receive a $200 statement credit. Click here for more details on this including terms and conditions as well as to apply.

Of course, this isn’t the only new offer out there. American Express has finally upped the Membership Rewards bonus a bit (40,000 points after $3K in spend in the first 3 months) for the consumer Platinum charge card. Again, the annual fee is $450, but you do get access to Delta Sky Clubs, a Priority Pass Select membership, SPG Gold status, and more. This card has taken a few hits lately, the most recent of which is the loss of AA and US lounge access in just a few days. That said, I think it’s still a solid product for many travelers. I continue to carry it. Keep in mind that there is a Mercedes Benz version of this card offering 50,000 Membership Rewards points after $3K in spend in the first 3 months. However, the annual fee is slightly higher at $475.

Finally, there’s a new card product on the scene, The Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite MasterCard® (affiliate link). The new card offers 35,000 bonus miles when you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days, a complimentary first checked bag for the primary cardmember, and a one-time 50% off companion discount on roundtrip travel between Hawaii and North America. A couple of interesting things about the card. Hawaiian allows you to share miles, so you can pool your resources. The other, in addition to no foreign transaction fees, this is the first Barclaycard U.S. product that I’ve seen that features an EMV chip. Makes me wonder if this is a feature that will soon be available for my “go-to” Arrival Card?

Some good deals out there, but in the end, as much as I hesitated at first, that 100,000 AAdvantage mile Citi Executive card should be a priority for many. Wonder what other card product innovations/bonuses we’ll see this year?

-MJ, March 12, 2014

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this post will provide MJ on Travel with a commission if you apply for and receive a card product.