AAdvantage MileUp Review: Downgrade or Pay the New $150 Fee?

The AAdvantage MileUp costs $0 a year and earns 2 miles per dollar at grocery stores and on American Airlines purchases. It doesn't include checked bags. It's a good card to hold and a weak card to spend on, and its main use is keeping an AAdvantage card open at no annual cost.

The Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select rises from $99 to $150 on January 24, 2027. Keep it if you check bags on at least two person-round-trips a year on American with the primary cardmember on the reservation (you flying twice, or you and a companion flying once). Below that, plan to switch to the MileUp when your next annual fee posts, which is when a refund is most likely.

Run your bag fees through the calculator →

What the MileUp Earns and What It Lacks

The grocery rate has gaps. Citi's terms exclude general merchandise and discount superstores, wholesale and warehouse clubs, cafes, bars, and fast food restaurants from the 2X rate. Expect 1X at places like Sam's Club and Walmart.

The 3% foreign transaction fee rules it out for purchases abroad. The Platinum Select charges none. Citi says the welcome offer can vary by where you apply.

What Changes on January 24, 2027

American and Citi announced the changes on October 27. New benefits begin January 24 for existing cardholders, and the higher fee arrives at the first renewal after that date, according to The Points Guy.

The Turo credit stays at $30 per trip, up to $180 a year. The release also adds trip delay, trip cancellation, car rental, and lost baggage coverage. New accounts still get the fee waived for the first 12 months.

The Break-Even: Count Your Checked Bags

The free bag is what separates these two cards. American charges $45 each way for a first checked bag in Main Cabin when you prepay online, and $50 at the airport.

The threshold is two person-round-trips at either fee. The $51 increase cuts the margin at that level from $81 to $30, and it leaves a solo traveler with one trip further behind.

Count only bags you would otherwise pay for. AAdvantage Gold members and above, passengers in premium cabins, and active-duty military already check bags free, and the card's terms say the benefit can't be combined with status or premium-cabin allowances.

Those terms are narrower than the marketing. Every flight must be domestic, marketed by American, and operated by American or American Eagle, so codeshares don't count. The primary cardmember's AAdvantage number has to be on the reservation, and companions must be on that same reservation. Authorized users don't get the benefit on their own. The terms don't say the ticket must be bought with the card.

For more carriers and family sizes, see which airline card pays for itself on bag fees. The bag fee calculator uses today's $99 fee until January 24.

What the New Credits Are Worth

Value each credit at what you would have spent anyway. Our points valuation guide uses the same rule.

Walmart+ is listed at $98. It's worth $98 if you would pay for it regardless and $0 if you wouldn't. Like the Global Entry credit, it doesn't depend on flying American. For an existing subscriber, it cuts the $150 fee to $52, and one checked-bag round trip ($90) then clears it.

The inflight credit covers food, drinks, and paid Wi-Fi where free Wi-Fi isn't available, up to $100 per calendar year, as reported by The Points Guy. If you spend $20 a year onboard, count it as $15, since you would reportedly lose the $5 the 25% discount gives you today.

The $150 flight discount requires $20,000 of purchases in a cardmembership year. At 1X and 1.3¢ per mile, that spending earns $260. A 2% card earns $400 on the same spending, so the discount nets about $10 after a $140 opportunity cost.

The Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit averages $30 a year, and nothing if another card already covers it.

See which cards in your wallet earn their fee →

Spending: The MileUp Is Rarely the Best Card

On the everyday profile our comparison page uses ($24,000 a year), the MileUp earns 31,200 miles and the Platinum Select 30,000, about $16 apart at 1.3¢. Groceries favor the MileUp while dining and gas favor the Platinum Select, so earnings barely separate these cards. The fee and the free bag decide it.

We value AAdvantage miles at 1.3¢, which makes the grocery rate worth 2.6%. Published valuations run from 1.0¢ at Bankrate to 1.7¢ at NerdWallet, with Frequent Miler at 1.4¢ and The Points Guy at 1.45¢.

No valuation we found reaches 2.0¢. Several no-fee grocery cards pay 3%, including Blue Cash Everyday on the first $6,000 a year.

If you want American miles specifically, Citi ThankYou points can earn more of them. American is a Citi transfer partner. The Citi Strata Premier transfers at 1:1 and earns 3 points per dollar at supermarkets, while no-fee cards like the Double Cash transfer at 1:0.7. Transferred miles earn no Loyalty Points.

Card spending also earns Loyalty Points. Only base miles count, so $1,000 of groceries on the MileUp earns 2,000 miles and 1,000 Loyalty Points. AAdvantage Gold takes 40,000 Loyalty Points. Reaching it through $40,000 of 1X spending costs about $280 compared with a 2% card, so price the status before chasing it.

MileUp vs. the Other Citi AAdvantage Cards

The MileUp's advantage over all of them is the $0 fee. If you are new to American cards and $2,500 of spending in 3 months fits your budget, the Platinum Select's first year pays more: 50,000 miles (about $650 at 1.3¢) with the fee waived for 12 months. The MileUp's offer is worth about $295 and needs only $500 of spending.

For other options with no annual fee, see our no-annual-fee card guide.

How to Downgrade, and What to Confirm

Citi doesn't publish a product-change policy, so cardholder reports are the best guide. AwardWallet reports the account needs to be open at least 12 months. Frequent Miler says holders are often offered only other American cards, which leaves the MileUp as the no-fee choice. You can call the number on your card, and Citi has allowed changes by chat since late 2025.

Ask about a retention offer first. Recent reports cluster around 10,000 miles after $1,000 of spending in 3 months, or $100 after $3,000. Discount any offer that pulls spending away from a better card.

Before you call, work out the smallest offer worth taking. The calculator compares keeping the Platinum Select with an offer against switching to the MileUp, and counts your checked bags and any credits you use. Our retention offer guide covers how to ask.

Before you accept a downgrade, confirm these:

• How much of the fee comes back. One Mile at a Time reports refunds for up to 37 days after the fee posts, says this isn't published policy, and found no prorated option after that. Two downgrades inside that window were prorated anyway: Frequent Miler reported $545.38 back on a $595 fee, and a One Mile at a Time reader reported $90.74 on $99. Citi kept about one-twelfth of the fee both times.
• Whether your card number changes. Update autopays if it does.
• What happens to booked trips. Citi's terms don't address this, so assume flights taken after the change have no free bag.

That same reader asked for the change 20 days before the fee posted, and the fee billed anyway. The reader was also told a change takes more than 50 days to finish, so check your statements for a few months afterward.

Federal Regulation Z requires a renewal fee to be reversed when you terminate an account in time. A refund on a downgrade depends on Citi.

Don't downgrade mid-year. You would give up bags you already paid for, likely with no refund. Wait until your next fee posts, then call within about 30 days.

Thrifty Traveler reports that renewals before January 24 still bill at $99. A cardholder in that group gets the new credits from January 24 until the next renewal for the old price. If you would use Walmart+ or the inflight credit, keeping the card for that year can beat a prorated refund. If you wouldn't, take the refund. Our cancel vs. downgrade guide covers the same decision on other cards.

Other Options

Asking for the Double Cash. Readers began reporting in March 2025 that Citi blocks changes from American cards to ThankYou cards, though the Costco Anywhere stayed available. Frequent Miler says some holders can still reach the Double Cash or Custom Cash, but we found no specific completed case in 2026. You can ask, but don't plan on it.

Closing the account. This is reasonable if you have plenty of other credit and no miles to protect. The CFPB says closing a card can raise your utilization and lower your score. Closed accounts can stay on your report for up to 10 years, so utilization is the main near-term effect. If you expect to apply for a mortgage soon, keeping the credit line open at $0 is the cheaper choice.

Miles Expiration and Welcome Bonus Rules

AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months without earning or redeeming. Primary cardmembers are exempt while their AAdvantage card account is open, and we found no spending requirement. That makes a $0 card a simple way to protect a balance.

Without a card, any earning or redemption with American or a partner resets the clock. After closing a card, American allows activity within 4 months of closing or 24 months of your last activity, whichever is later.

A downgrade doesn't earn a welcome bonus. Citi's MileUp offer also excludes anyone who received a MileUp bonus in the past 48 months, or who converted another Citi card into a MileUp after earning a new-account bonus on that card in the last 48 months. If you earned a Platinum Select bonus recently, a downgrade delays any chance at the MileUp offer.

Quick Decision Guide

• Two or more person-round-trips with checked bags on domestic American flights, primary cardmember on the reservation: keep the Platinum Select.
• One person-round-trip or fewer: switch to the MileUp when your next fee posts, unless you already pay for Walmart+ or a retention offer covers the fee.
• Free bags through status: downgrade, because the card's bag adds nothing.
• Already paying for Walmart+: one person-round-trip clears the $150 fee.
• Holding miles and rarely flying American: the MileUp protects them for $0.
• No miles and no American plans: ask about other Citi products, or close the account.
• New to American cards: take the Platinum Select's first year if $2,500 in 3 months fits your budget. Otherwise take the MileUp.

How We Checked This

Card terms come from Citi's MileUp page, which we captured November 9, 2026, Citi's MileUp and Platinum Select benefit terms, and Citi's October 27 announcement. Product changes, fee refunds, and retention offers come from cardholder reports at the sites linked above. Citi doesn't publish those practices, and results vary.

We couldn't confirm several points. Citi's release doesn't say the 25% inflight savings ends, though The Points Guy and Frequent Miler report the credit replaces it. The bag terms don't define "domestic" or mention Basic Economy. Trackers list extended warranty coverage on the MileUp, but Citi's card pages don't, so check your Guide to Benefits.

The 1.3¢ mile value is CardSavvy's estimate. Your redemptions may earn more or less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the AAdvantage MileUp worth it?

It is worth holding if you have AAdvantage miles to protect or want an American Airlines card for $0 a year. The current offer of 15,000 miles plus a $100 statement credit after $500 in 3 months is good for a no-fee card. It is weak for everyday spending, because a 3% grocery card beats its 2X rate unless your miles are worth at least 1.5 cents.

Can I downgrade Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select to MileUp?

Usually yes, by phone or chat, though Citi publishes no product-change policy. Cardholder reports say the account needs to be open at least 12 months. A downgrade does not come with a welcome bonus.

Will Citi refund my annual fee if I downgrade?

Reports vary. One Mile at a Time reports refunds for up to 37 days after the fee posts, says that is not a published policy, and found no prorated option after that. Cardholders have also reported prorated refunds inside the window, including $90.74 of $99. Call after the fee posts and confirm the amount before you accept the change.

Will I lose my AAdvantage miles if I downgrade?

No. Your miles sit in your AAdvantage account, and primary cardmembers of AAdvantage credit cards are exempt from the 24-month expiration rule while the account is open. If you close the account instead, you need qualifying activity within 4 months of closing or 24 months of your last activity, whichever is later.

Does the AAdvantage MileUp include a free checked bag?

No. The MileUp doesn't include checked bags, preferred boarding, or Admirals Club access. A first checked bag on American costs $45 each way in Main Cabin if you prepay online, or $50 at the airport.

Will downgrading hurt my credit score?

Cardholder reports say a product change avoids a new hard inquiry and keeps the account, its age, and its credit limit. Citi does not publish this, so confirm it on the call. Closing an account can raise your credit utilization and lower your score, according to the CFPB.

When does the Platinum Select annual fee go up?

The fee rises from $99 to $150 on January 24, 2027. Existing cardholders pay it at their first renewal after that date, according to The Points Guy, and get the new benefits starting January 24. The fee remains waived for the first 12 months on new accounts.