Is the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Legend Mastercard worth it?

If you fly American Airlines frequently, you may want to consider getting one of its cobranded Citi cards.At the top of the hierarchy is the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Legend Mastercard® (see rates and fees), which offers the most AA-specific perks of any credit card.The card recently underwent a significant refresh in August, which raised the annual fee to $695 but also added substantial new benefits. Doing the math on this card is now more important than ever — but there's also more value to potentially unlock if you maximize each of the new perks.So, is it worth the annual fee — both in year one and beyond? Let's do the math.Welcome bonusNew Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Legend Mastercard cardholders can currently earn a limited time offer of 125,000 bonus miles after spending $15,000 on purchases in the first five months from account opening.This bonus is worth about $1,813, based on TPG's September 2026 valuations, and is the highest we've seen on the card, so now is the best time to apply.This bonus accounts for a significant portion of the card's overall value, so earning it and redeeming the miles wisely are crucial to offsetting the card's high annual fee.Rela...