Popular airline hits customers with steep fee hike for first time in 8 years

American Airlines will raise the annual fee on its Citi/AAdvantage Platinum Select and Business Mastercard from $99 to $150 from 24 January 2027. The nearly 52% increase is the first rise for the consumer Platinum Select card since 2018 and reflects a wider move by airlines towards more expensive rewards cards.

New benefits include up to $120 towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fees every four years, a $100 annual credit for in-flight purchases and more ways to earn miles on everyday spending. Existing perks such as preferred boarding, no foreign transaction fees and a free first checked bag on domestic American itineraries remain. The value of the changes will depend on how often cardholders fly American and use the credits; similar fee increases have been made by Delta, Southwest and United.