Ah, I love when a post basically writes itself. I say that because this post simply fell into my lap today as I was checking my inbox. As I went through several unread emails from American Airlines I noticed on that caught my eye. The subject line of the email, although familiar, captivated me.
When I saw this in the subject line of my inbox I rolled my eyes as I assumed I knew exactly what was inside. I assumed the email detailed the discounted Admirals Club membership I was entitled to as I am currently an Executive Platinum elite member. Even though I figured I knew what was inside I just couldn’t help opening the email before discarding it. As I opened it I saw a completely unexpected message that makes me wonder what American Airlines is up to.
Sneaky Credit Card Pitch?
As I opened the email I found a familiar message reminding me about the American Airlines Admirals Club membership.
The email reminded me that with Admirals Club membership I could access 100 Admirals Club and Partner Lounges worldwide. None of this was out of the ordinary, but what was unusual is what followed. A little lower in the email were two options to obtain an Admirals Club membership. The first was of course by buying a membership for $650, but the second was through a credit card for $450.
Further down the page was a listing of all the benefits you receive from either option. The first point I found a bit misleading in that I’d hardly say a $450 annual fee is considered “Complimentary,” but I see their point. The next item was very clear. Then the comparison targets key credit card benefits offered by the Citi Executive World Elite MasterCard.
When you look at the above chart there is no doubt in my mind that one option is better than the other, but I’m just surprised that American is selling their premium credit card this way. My take is that American must be making more on the credit card then they are on selling individual memberships. Also, we already know that credit card sign-ups is one of the ways American hopes to boost its revenues so I’d bet this is yet another way American is trying to push credit cards on their customers.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking to signup for an Admirals Club membership, this card is definitely the way to go. The card only carries a $450 annual fee which is much less than the $650 membership rate. Even better, for the discounted cost you receive full Admirals Club membership opposed to a watered down version. Additionally, you can add up to 10 authorized users to the card which also provides them with full Admirals Club access. So, for just $450 you can essentially get 10 membership at a fraction fo the cost.
However, if you are going to take advantage of this offer there are two important items to note. First, after late 2019 American will restrict Admirals Club access to passengers with a same-day boarding pass on American or a partner airline. Additionally, Admirals Club membership does not permit access to Flagship Lounges.
All in all, even though I know this card is the better option, I’m surprised to see American take this approach. Either way, it seems as though American is going to push credit cards even harder in 2019.
