Citi Prestige Loses Admirals Club Access
Last week news broke that unknown changes would be coming to the Citi Prestige card beginning tomorrow 7/19/2016. Specifically some blogs indicated that the bonus would be changing. While we don’t know everything yet, today we have learned of at least a few of the changes we should expect tomorrow.
The Loss of Admira’s Club Access
One of the best benefits of the Citi Prestige card is Admiral’s Club access when flying on American Airlines. Unfortunately, that access seems like it will become a thing of the past. (HT: Amol) On the Citi website when logged in to a Prestige account, the following language is now present:
You will have access to the American Airlines Admirals Club® lounges until June 20th, 2017. After that, you’ll no longer have complimentary access with your Prestige card.
This is a big loss for AAdvantage fliers and my guess is it may have something to do with the new credit card contract recently negotiated between Citi and American Airlines. Specifically, this could be a way to make the AAdvantage Executive Mastercard more attractive since that card also comes with Admiral’s Club access. Previously the only distinction between the two, was the Premier required you to fly American Airlines whereas the Executive card didn’t.
While the above language indicates that the Admiral’s Club access goes away in 2017 for current cardholders, it is possible that new applications going forward will not include access. We will need to wait and see what happens tomorrow, but I wouldn’t be surprised either way.
Loss of Dining 2X & Higher Spend Requirement
In addition to the Admiral’s Club changes, Doctor of Credit is reporting two additional changes that have shown up on in-branch advertisements:
- The 50,000 bonus will remain the same, however the spend requirement will increase from $3K to $5K.
- The 2X Dining Category bonus will be discontinued.
I don’t see either of these changes as a big deal in the scope of things given the fact that there are better cards for dining and that the bonus amount stays the same. Sure, a higher spend requirement isn’t positive, but there are far worse things.
Other Changes?
As of now these changes are being noticed by customers and thus haven’t been formally announced. This means that it is entirely possible that more negative changes are to come. As of now I think it is probably a good idea to get the card today to lock in the current spend, dining bonus and Admiral’s Club access if you are interested in it. If not, then the changes don’t seem catastrophic, unless you are a frequent American flyer in which case they are actually fairly drastic.
What are your thoughts?
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[…] news for pumping bloggers. Looks like the Citi Prestige card will lose AA lounge access along with a few other small benefits while the minimum spend goes up to $5k from $3k. Actually there have been some clicks of it from my […]
As many people on different blogs are crying like spoiled babies about the loss of the Admiral’s club, I am laughing, especially at the ones who claimed the only reason they had the card was for the Admiral’s club. Why would anyone cough up $450 a year for access to one lounge? This card is meant to compete with the Amex platinum, and it is useful only if you travel at least two times a year. If you do that, the card more than pays for itself. So why all the bellyaching?
[…] Right now, as you can see from the back of my card and on the application landing page, the card not only gets you Priority Pass (with two guests free unlike most other cards) but also when you are flying AA you get into AA lounges. The latter really is meh. AA lounges are not “that” great and if you are a frequent AA flyer you should have the AAdvantage Executive card anyway. The loss of this next year is really not “that” big of a downgrade folks! (HT to M2M) […]
I was killing time at Boston Logan last night waiting for a delayed flight. I picked up my iPad and applied. I wasn’t approved but after a short phone call I got the thumbs up. Talk about 11th hour apps! I’m excited to finally have this card.
FYI to anyone who cares to remember all the related posts about how this CC was WAY too generous and the doom was coming… sooo.. now you see what happens…
Well if we lose the 2x for dining you can always get the Preferred card for domestic dining spend and transfer your points to your Prestige account.
Applied today. Fine if they change admirals club benefits for new signees after today, but charging me $450 and only giving me a promised benefit for 11 months? I dont think so. Likely illegal to change terms like that. Lawsuit will be inevitable if they dont pudh that out to a full year from now.
i like your funny comment WR. everything in the USA is about lawsuits huh? this is why we have the electoral college and not popular vote like the Brexit. USA is broken. so anyway, you should read the CFPB regulation on changing CC terms and all legal timelines since you will be filing a lawsuit right? good luck.
As a Citigold member, can I apply online and reduce the annual fee to 350 a year?
I do not live close to a branch.
Yes. The accounts should be linked automatically. If not, a phone call will take care of it.
Maybe something will be added as what happened with the Amex platinum card . So time will tell .
[…] 7/18/16 7:25 PM: It’s now being reported that The Prestige card will no longer have Admiral’s Club access. Current card holders will […]
It also says in the #2 footnote that the $250 air credit is for incidentals and not actual airfare.
When I login and check my account it still says, “Airline Fees are defined as purchases made directly with airlines including Air fares, baggage fees, lounge access and some in-flight purchases.”
shawn. i just want to blame you for all the negative changes. its all your fault. haha…
Haha. Yup!
I bought an American Airways ticket and was credited $250 same statement period. I can happily report that airfare purchases most definitely count towards this incentive.
It always has had that language about the Air Travel Credit.