‘Tis the Season…Two Citi AA Cards Finally Approved!!!

by Adam

The last time I successfully received a sign-up bonus for a Citibank AAdvantage personal card it was February 2010, about 34 months ago! I must have been on Citi’s unofficial deny list, as FlyerTalk and MilePoint members generally report receiving approval 18-20 months after their last successful application. I applied at the 20 month mark with no luck and then again at the 26 month mark, also with no success and the dreaded step 3 application acknowledgment page. Well, I decided to give it another shot a few weeks ago as it sort of became an unofficial churn day.

I used the two browser trick and applied simultaneously for the 50k Visa and AMEX cards. Holiday season success! Immediate approvals on both applications. Update – The two browser trick has officially died 🙁  However, you can still earn 50K per card and another 50K for the business edition. 

a close up of a card

a close-up of a card

Some data points:

  • Time since last successful Citi AA personal application – Approximately 34 months.
  • Credit Score – Just shy of 800
  • Links Used – I used the unofficial links which provide better offers than the public links. AAdvantage Visa Signature – 50K miles after $2,500 spend in 4 months and AAdvantage American Express – 50k miles and two Admiral’s Club passes after $2,500 spend in 4 months. Both cards waive the annual fee for the first year. UPDATE – AMEX link is dead, but consider the Business Visa edition for 50K more miles. Additionally, the FT link above has another AMEX offer for 45k miles after $5,000 in purchases within the first 4 months
  • Browsers Used – One Chrome window (in private mode) and one Firefox window (in private mode).
  • Remember personal cards generally require 18-20 months and business cards 90 days since your last successful application. You will be denied if you apply for 3 or more cards in 60 days or 2 or more business cards in 90 days. If using the two browser trick for 2 personal cards, wait at least 60 days before applying for the business card.

One other interesting bit of news, I had a friend apply at the same time and both the VISA and AMEX applications got stuck at step 3 – application acknowledged. However, a chat box popped up asking if we wanted to discuss the application with a Citi representative. The representative asked us to confirm the home address and income and without any other questions immediately approved the application (they can only do one application per chat session).  The same chat box popped up for the other application and after confirming the security questions, that one was approved as well. I’m not sure if the representatives are actually empowered to make decisions and approve applications (like the Chase reconsideration lines), however it certainly was easier than having to call Citi to discuss the applications.

a screenshot of a chat

The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

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24 comments

‘Tis the Season…A Second Ink Bold & Chase Sapphire Received with Sign-Up Bonuses! - Point Me To The Plane December 17, 2012 - 3:14 pm

[…] ‘Tis the Season…Two Citi AA Cards Finally Approved!!! […]

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‘Tis the Season…A Second Ink Bold & Chase Sapphire Received with Sign-Up Bonuses! - Point Me To The Plane December 17, 2012 - 3:14 pm

[…] ‘Tis the Season…Two Citi AA Cards Finally Approved!!! […]

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SEABrad December 17, 2012 - 3:32 pm

Very nice! I may have to try this as I just status matched to AA Exp Plat and need to start racking up the miles in accounts besides United and Hilton

Reply
Jason December 17, 2012 - 3:39 pm

Just used the “unofficial” links also last week. Both cards arrived Saturday and I confirmed the 50K bonus on both. I’ve never applied for the AA cards before and I also have a credit score of about 800. Long term goal: business class round trip ATL-SYD. This will get me a good chunk of the miles!

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adam December 17, 2012 - 3:45 pm

@Jason – Congrats, yes just add a AA business card in a few months and you’ll have enough! Next step, finding availability!

Reply
romsdeals December 17, 2012 - 4:42 pm

Congrats, I was approved for 2 Citi AA cards 16 months ago. They were the same exact card. I’m wondering if I can apply for the Citi AMEX card soon…

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adam December 17, 2012 - 5:46 pm

@romsdeals – Nice congrats to you too! You should be able to if a few more months. I’d wait to 20-21 mos to be safe.

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Perryplatypus December 17, 2012 - 5:10 pm

Congrats, I just did the same cards for my wife last week. She got approved instantly and we used safari broswer on both. Got the cards in just a few days. Can’t wait to hit the spend on the cards and get the 100000 miles 🙂

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adam December 17, 2012 - 5:48 pm

@Perryplatypus – Congrats, yes I love spending my AA miles too…though usually not on American hah!!!

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Perryplatypus December 17, 2012 - 6:42 pm

@adam Us too! We hope to use on CX instead 🙂

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Ethan December 17, 2012 - 5:12 pm

Is the relevant interval concerned with date of approval or membership? I.e. If I currently have a Citi AA Amex card received over 4 years ago, can I apply for a different Citi AA product now and reasonably expect to get approved?

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adam December 17, 2012 - 5:50 pm

@Ethan – the relevant date should be your approval date. My dad loves his original AA card from 10+ years ago and has never gotten rid of it. He has still successfully applied for the other AA cards without a problem.

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Peter Tang December 17, 2012 - 10:15 pm

I have almost the same question, I already have a Citi AAdvantage world master card, which was approved 6 months ago, can I apply for these new citi aadvantage cards now and get the bonus?

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adam December 17, 2012 - 10:36 pm

@Peter Tang – Unfortunately you can’t. That one AA MC that you received 6 months ago means that you are unable to apply for any other personal Citi AA cards for at least 18-20 months. You can however apply for the Citi AA Business card. The limitation is a reason why many apply for 2 personal cards on the same day.

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Peter Tang December 17, 2012 - 10:37 pm

Thanks, Adam!

adam December 17, 2012 - 10:41 pm

@Peter Tang- No problem, you can check out the business card here. It gives you 50k miles after $3,000 in purchases within the first 4 months, 2 AC passes, and a $150 statement credit for the first eligible AA purchase made within 12 months.

Amit December 17, 2012 - 6:51 pm

Do you still have the earlier cards (approved 34 months ago) or you had them closed?

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adam December 17, 2012 - 7:00 pm

@Amit – They were closed, though there are reports of approvals regardless of current cards as long as the last application date was no earlier than 18-20 months AND there is still enough available credit for Citi to approve the application.

Reply
Rapid Travel Chai December 22, 2012 - 8:53 pm

That chat feature worked for me, too, last week for 2 ThankYou Preferred, it is a nice new tool, last year when I did 2 AA I lost out on the Amex because could not get anyone on the phone to process it same-day.

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