American Airlines AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard

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Features

• Earn 30,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $750 in purchases within the first 4 months of cardmembership – more than enough for a round-trip domestic flight award
• Earn an additional 10,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after $5,000 in purchases during the first 6 months of cardmembership
• Receive a one-time $100 statement credit for the first eligible American Airlines purchase you make within the first 12 months of membership
• $85 annual fee waived for the first 12 months

Foreign Exchange Transaction Fee: 3%
Miles can be used for travel with: American Airilnes, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, LAN, Iberia, Finnair, Mexicana, Qantas, Japan Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and others.

Our review: Getting the job done longer than any other program

American Airlines invented the concept of the frequent flyer miles program in 1981.  Its program and mile credit card are straightforward. You earn one mile per dollar spent on the card and your miles can be used on American’s many flights and with several partners.

One special feature of American’s program is the ability to change dates on your award reservation with no fee — as long as you keep your destination and origin the same. This compares to a charge of $100 or more on other airlines and offers you peace of mind and flexibility with your vacation plans. Availability of awards is generally decent — a recent study found awards on desired dates about 57% of the time..

You can earn American miles with a credit card that has a lower fee though. The Starwood Preferred Guest American Express has a lower fee than the American AAdvantage MasterCard, and allows you to transfer the points you earn directly to American airlines miles at an even exchange or better.