Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

For $99 a year, waived for the first 12 months, the Platinum Select buys the two American Airlines perks most travelers actually want: a free first checked bag on domestic itineraries and preferred boarding. Earning is simple at 2x on American Airlines purchases, dining and gas, with 1x on everything else, enough to keep miles accruing without any category management. The signup bonus is 50,000 miles after $2,500 in three months, down from the 80,000 Citi ran through the summer before reverting in late August, so this is not the strongest moment to apply. Our Best Airline Credit Cards list ranks it #6 with the Best Overall badge, largely because a checked bag on a couple of round trips covers the fee. If you fly American even occasionally the case is easy, but if you do not, the 2x categories are not reason enough on their own.