Citi becomes the exclusive issuer of AAdvantage® co-branded cards in a 10-year partnership with American Airlines.
Quiver AI Summary
American Airlines and Citi have announced a 10-year extension of their co-branded partnership, making Citi the exclusive issuer of the AAdvantage® card portfolio in the U.S. starting in 2026. This collaboration aims to enhance loyalty and rewards offerings for both AAdvantage® members and Citi cardholders. As part of the agreement, Citi will also acquire the Barclays American Airlines Co-branded Card portfolio, transitioning current Barclays cardmembers to a new Citi lineup while maintaining their existing benefits. The partnership is expected to create significant value, expand customer engagement, and offer innovative loyalty programs, positioning the Citi®/AAdvantage® cards competitively in the market.
Potential Positives
- Citi will become the exclusive issuer of the AAdvantage® co-branded card portfolio, strengthening its long-term partnership with American Airlines.
- The 10-year agreement is expected to enhance the loyalty and rewards offerings for both AAdvantage® members and Citi-branded cardmembers.
- The consolidation of the card portfolio is projected to drive incremental value for Citi’s Branded Cards business and its overall U.S. Personal Banking business.
- The partnership aims to create innovative rewards programs and increase opportunities for customer acquisition and retention.
Potential Negatives
- The transition of cardmembers from Barclays to Citi may lead to customer retention challenges and potentially disrupt existing benefits for some cardholders.
- The exclusivity of the agreement could create vulnerabilities, as any issues with customer satisfaction or engagement may have a broader impact due to the lack of alternative partnerships.
- The press release acknowledges several risks associated with co-branded partnerships, including competition and changes in consumer behavior, indicating a challenging environment moving forward.
FAQ
What is the new agreement between Citi and American Airlines?
Citi will become the exclusive issuer of the AAdvantage® co-branded card portfolio in the U.S. under a 10-year agreement.
When will the transition to Citi's AAdvantage® card portfolio begin?
The transition for cardmembers to the Citi portfolio will start in 2026.
What benefits will AAdvantage® members gain from this partnership?
The expanded partnership will offer new loyalty and rewards benefits for both AAdvantage® and Citi-branded cardmembers.
Which credit cards are included in the Citi®/AAdvantage® portfolio?
The portfolio includes the AAdvantage® MileUp® Card, Platinum Select®, Executive World Elite Mastercard®, and AAdvantage Business™ card.
How does this partnership impact customer value?
The combined portfolio is expected to create significant value through enhanced rewards, customer service, and growth opportunities for both companies.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.
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Full Release
- Citi to become the exclusive issuer of the AAdvantage ® co-branded card portfolio in the U.S.
- 10-year agreement expected to expand loyalty and rewards offering for AAdvantage ® members and Citi-branded cardmembers in the future
-
Combined Citi
®
/AAdvantage
®
card portfolio projected to drive incremental value for both companies
FORT WORTH, Texas and NEW YORK, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Airlines and Citi today announced the extension of their more than 37-year co-branded partnership for the next decade, taking the relationship to new heights, with Citi becoming the exclusive issuer of the AAdvantage ® co-branded card portfolio in the U.S. in 2026. Working more closely together, Citi and American can create significant value for both AAdvantage ® co-branded and Citi-branded cardmembers.
“American is proud to have launched the first airline loyalty program, and with Citi, the travel industry’s first co-branded credit card,” said Robert Isom, American Airlines CEO. “The strength of our relationship with Citi has enabled us to deliver first-class products and customer service to millions of AAdvantage cardmembers. This expanded partnership will unlock even more value and exciting new benefits for all of our customers in the future.”
Citi reached an agreement to acquire the Barclays American Airlines Co-branded Card portfolio and will begin transitioning cardmembers to the Citi portfolio in 2026. Barclays cardmembers will continue to experience the same benefits they do today. More information about the transition will be made available in the coming months. The attractive cardmember base, size and strength of the combined portfolio are poised to help accelerate growth for Citi’s Branded Cards business and overarching U.S. Personal Banking business.
In addition, the agreement creates an innovative alignment between the Citi ThankYou and AAdvantage ® card programs and is designed to drive incremental value for both companies and produce a significantly expanded loyalty and rewards offering for AAdvantage ® members and Citi-branded cardmembers. As exclusive issuer, Citi will take on all American Airlines acquisition channels, including inflight and at airports.
“American Airlines and Citi have built something truly special together — a partnership rooted in delivering excellence to our customers,” said Jane Fraser, Citi CEO. “We’re now excited to take this relationship to greater heights through an expanded customer base and a series of new loyalty and reward offerings. Together, we’re creating more opportunities to welcome new cardmembers, deepen our connection with our existing ones and make our co-branded card the clear favorite in everyone’s wallets.”
The Citi ® /AAdvantage ® card portfolio currently offers products within the no-annual fee, mid-fee and high-fee space, including: the American Airlines AAdvantage ® MileUp ® Card, the Citi ® /AAdvantage ® Platinum Select ® World Elite Mastercard ® and the Citi ® /AAdvantage ® Executive World Elite Mastercard ® . The Citi ® /AAdvantage ® portfolio also offers the Citi ® /AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard ® for business owners.
For more information about the Citi ® /AAdvantage ® card portfolio, visit: creditcards.aa.com .
About American Airlines Group
As a leading global airline, American Airlines offers thousands of flights per day to more than 350 destinations in more than 60 countries. The airline is a founding member of the
one
world
®
alliance, whose members serve more than 900 destinations around the globe. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL. Learn more about what's happening at American by visiting
news.aa.com
and connect with American
@AmericanAir
and at
Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines
. To Care for People on Life's Journey
®
.
About Citi
Citi is a preeminent banking partner for institutions with cross-border needs, a global leader in wealth management and a valued personal bank in its home market of the United States. Citi does business in more than 180 countries and jurisdictions, providing corporations, governments, investors, institutions and individuals with a broad range of financial products and services.
Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | X: @Citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi
Forward-looking statements
Certain statements in this release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on each management's current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. These statements are not guarantees of future results or occurrences. Actual results and other financial condition may differ materially from those included in these statements due to a variety of factors. These factors include, among others: risk associated with co-branded partnership arrangements, including customer retention and onboarding of new customers, increasing competition among other credit card partnerships and issuers and carriers, unemployment levels, the interest rate environment, changes in consumer sentiment, spending and payment patterns and credit card usage behaviors; the impact of various geopolitical, macroeconomic and regulatory challenges and uncertainties, including those related to economic conditions in the U.S. and globally and potential policy and other changes resulting from the incoming U.S. administration and Congress; and the precautionary statements included in this release. These factors also consist of those contained in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings of: (i) American Airlines Group Inc. (AAG) and American Airlines, Inc. (American) and (ii) Citigroup Inc. (Citigroup), including without limitation the respective “Risk Factors” sections of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 of AAG and American and the 2023 Form 10-K of Citigroup. Any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of each company speak only as to the date they are made, and such company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statements were made.
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