Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant vs Citi AAdvantage Executive: Which Is Better In 2025?

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® Breakdown

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Why We Like It

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Here’s a closer look at why we recommend the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®.

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• It is the only American Airlines co-branded card that includes a complimentary Admirals Club membership for the primary cardholder.
• Cardholders and up to eight companions on the same reservation benefit from a free first checked bag and priority airport services.
• While the card carries an annual fee, it provides multiple annual statement credits for car rentals, dining, and rideshares that can help offset the cost.

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Pros

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• Spending on the card earns AAdvantage® Loyalty Points, offering a direct pathway to elite status with the airline.
• Includes a full Admirals Club membership, providing access to American Airlines and select partner lounges worldwide.
• Cardholders receive a suite of priority travel benefits, including a first checked bag free, priority boarding, and a statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

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Cons

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• The card comes with a significant annual fee, and adding authorized users to share lounge access incurs an additional cost.
• Its benefits are heavily focused on American Airlines, making it less valuable for travelers who are not loyal to the airline or its partners.
• Several key perks, such as free checked bags and priority boarding, are redundant for cardholders who already have AAdvantage® elite status.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® vs Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express®

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Categories

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Deciding which is better, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant or Citi AAdvantage Executive, comes down to your specific travel habits and brand loyalties.

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• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: This card is best for frequent travelers, especially those loyal to the Marriott brand who value luxury hotel perks and automatic elite status benefits.
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: As a premium airline credit card, this option is tailored for frequent flyers of American Airlines and its partners who prioritize benefits like airport lounge access.

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Redemption

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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Points earned with this card are primarily redeemed for stays at Marriott Bonvoy properties worldwide, but can also be transferred to various airline partners.

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Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: AAdvantage® miles earned with this card are used for booking award flights on American Airlines and its extensive network of oneworld® partners.

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Travel Perks

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• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: This card’s ecosystem is built around luxury hotel stays and the broader American Express Travel network. Cardholders receive a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, which unlocks access to a global network of airport lounges. The card carries no foreign transaction fees, making it suitable for international travel. Key benefits are deeply integrated with the Marriott brand, including an annual Free Night Award and statement credits for use at participating hotels.
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: In contrast, this card is tailored for the frequent flyer, with its ecosystem centered on American Airlines and its oneworld® partners. The card’s signature perk is a full Admirals Club® membership, providing access to American Airlines' lounges for the primary cardholder and their guests. Like its competitor, it has no foreign transaction fees. Additional benefits enhance the airport experience, offering a free first checked bag on domestic flights, priority boarding, and a statement credit to cover the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®.

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Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos

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Kudos is a financial companion that helps you compare nearly 3,000 credit cards with its data-driven card explorer tool, ensuring you make confident decisions based on your actual spending.

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• Test Drive feature: Simulate potential earnings with any card using your real spending data—before you apply.
• Approval odds: Get a detailed analysis of your approval chances based on your credit report.
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Who Should Choose the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express®?

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The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is tailor-made for frequent travelers who are loyal to the Marriott portfolio of hotels and resorts. These cardholders typically stay at Marriott properties multiple times a year, dine out regularly enough to maximize the monthly dining credits, and highly value the automatic Platinum Elite status for its perks like room upgrades and late checkout. Ultimately, the ideal user is someone whose lifestyle and travel habits allow them to extract significant value from the card's benefits, easily offsetting its annual fee, as detailed in our comprehensive review.

Who Should Choose the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®?

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The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is designed for frequent travelers who regularly fly with American Airlines and its Oneworld partners. Its main draw is the complimentary Admirals Club membership, but it also provides significant value through benefits like a free first checked bag and priority airport services. The card is also ideal for individuals who can take full advantage of the various statement credits, such as up to $120 back annually on eligible car rentals, Grubhub purchases, and Lyft rides.

Alternatives to Consider

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If the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant vs Citi AAdvantage Executive comparison has you feeling like neither the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card nor the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is the perfect fit, several other premium travel cards are worth a look. Each offers a unique value proposition that could be better suited to your specific travel patterns and loyalty preferences.

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_{Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company}

Tips for Application Success

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Before You Apply

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• Check your credit score - Most premium travel cards require good to excellent credit for approval.
• Review issuer-specific rules - Issuers like Amex and Citi have unique restrictions on welcome offer eligibility.
• Assess your lifestyle - Ensure the card’s core benefits, like hotel status or lounge access, align with your habits.

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Application Strategy

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• Time your application - Align it with a large planned purchase to help meet any spending requirements for a welcome offer.
• Use application tools - Some platforms can help find the best available offer and assess your approval odds before you apply.
• Be persistent - If you don't see the highest offer, try searching again in a private browser or using a referral link.

Our Methodology

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We evaluate nearly 3,000 credit cards across the U.S. market — far more than the ~150 cards commonly featured on sites that focus only on products tied to affiliate commissions. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, unbiased view of the credit card landscape so you can make confident, data-driven decisions.

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Our editorial team combines deep industry experience with rigorous verification standards. While our experts surface the most relevant recommendations in our guides, you can also explore the full dataset yourself through our card explorer tool, which includes thousands of cards — more than 95% of which do not provide us with commissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Which card is better for lounge access?

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The Citi AAdvantage Executive card provides an Admirals Club membership for access to American Airlines lounges. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card offers a Priority Pass Select membership, which grants access to a wider network of over 1,300 lounges worldwide.

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Can I transfer points between Marriott Bonvoy and American Airlines AAdvantage?

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While you cannot transfer AAdvantage miles to Marriott Bonvoy, you can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to American Airlines AAdvantage. The transfer ratio is typically 3:1, and Marriott often provides a bonus for transferring larger blocks of points.

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Which card is better if I'm not loyal to one airline or hotel?

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The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card may offer more flexibility, as its points can be used at thousands of properties across Marriott's portfolio or transferred to numerous airline partners. The Citi AAdvantage Executive card's benefits are primarily centered around flying with American Airlines and its Oneworld partners.

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