For many American Airlines loyalists, the top-tier Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is a go-to card because of its generous authorized user and lounge benefits.

But for months, there have been rumors that the benefits would change and the annual fee for the card would go up. Citi has made it official right now.

What new and existing cardholders can anticipate from the card when the changes take effect on July 23 is broken down in the following table.

Increase in annual fee The fee will go up from $450 to $595 annually.

Existing cardmembers will be told straightforwardly before long about their new yearly charge and when the increment will produce results. ( This should occur when your subsequent annual fee posts on or after July 23.)

The card will no longer permit cardholders to add up to ten authorized users to their account at no additional cost, but instead will charge:

An extra $175 yearly expense for the initial three approved clients
$175 for each approved client from there on
Existing cardholders with approved clients on their records will be charged the new expenses when their next yearly expense posts. If you have this card but don’t have any authorized users on your account, you should add them before July 23 to keep the free benefit for next year.

Increase in earning rates At the moment, American Express cardholders earn 2 miles for every dollar spent on eligible purchases. That will increase to four miles for every dollar spent. Then, at that point, assuming you burn through $150,000 on buys in a schedule year, you’ll procure a supported pace of 5 miles for every dollar spent on American buys until the end of the schedule year.

You’ll likewise have the option to acquire 10 miles for every dollar spent on qualified vehicle rentals and lodgings booked through American’s vehicle rental and inn booking locales, separately.

When a cardholder reaches 50,000 loyalty points in a status qualification year, they will receive a bonus of 10,000 loyalty points. When they reach 90,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year, they will receive a 10,000-point bonus.

Credits for new statements The three new credits for new statements will be:

Reintroduced travel protections Travel protections are returning to this card, and we’ll post the full details as soon as we receive them from Citi: Up to $120 back on eligible Avis or Budget car rentals every calendar year Up to $120 back on eligible Grubhub purchases (up to a $10 statement credit each monthly billing statement) Up to $120 in Lyft credits ($10 Lyft credit each month)

There will be a limited-time welcome offer of 100,000 AAdvantage miles after spending $10,000 within the first three months of account opening, as is typical with card “refreshes” or “enhancements.” Trip cancellation and interruption protection Trip delay protection Lost baggage protection Car rental insurance coverage This promotion will begin on July 23 and last until September 6.

For correlation, the ongoing proposition is 50,000 miles in the wake of making $5,000 in buys inside the initial three months of record opening. 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,500 within the first three months of opening an account is the highest offer we’ve seen on this card in recent years. In this way, the impending deal will be the best we’ve seen however will require practically twofold the spending.

It’s best to wait until July 23 to apply for this card if you can meet the $10,000 spending requirement in three months.

Other changes A positive change is that a credit of up to $100 on a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee will be available every four years instead of every five.

American says that a base-level AAdvantage member’s Admirals Club membership, which is included with this card, will cost $850 as part of the changes. Costs for renewals will also go up. Day passes will cost $79.20, up from $59 now. More details can be found on this page.

Over the next few months, the airline will update Admirals Clubs’ menus, drinks, and designs.

In conclusion, this card’s future has been in doubt for some time. In today’s highly competitive premium credit card market, the ability to pay a single $450 annual fee for a top-tier airline card with access to Admirals Club for the primary cardholder and up to ten authorized users was too good to last.

These changes, which will take effect on July 23, will be costly for those who would like to take full advantage of these advantages. If you want to keep the card, it’s worth asking Citi for a retention offer when your next annual fee and authorized user fees are due. In any case, paying the yearly charge on this card will keep on being less expensive than purchasing a Chiefs of naval operations Club participation by and large.

In the event that you are thinking about getting this card, it will merit holding off until the 100,000-mile extra comes around. The multiplying of miles presented for pursuing the card will support its worth from $885 to $1,770, per TPG’s focuses and miles valuations, immensely offsetting the $145 yearly expense increment.

More data: Review of the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

The best Mastercards for air terminal parlor access
A definitive manual for American Carriers Chief naval officers Club access
The 7 do’s and don’ts in an air terminal parlor
The best Visas to arrive at first class status
7 homegrown parlors that merit making a special effort for
Best Visas for American Aircrafts flyers

Travelers are being urged by cybersecurity experts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to be on the lookout for an increased risk of cyberattacks now that the summer travel season is in full swing. Swindlers are eager to take advantage of inexperienced travelers because millions of people plan and book travel online.

Ragib Hasan, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Computer Science at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, discusses the potential dangers and rip-offs that tourists might encounter while on vacation and offers suggestions on how to avoid them.

Hasan says that in order to enjoy your trip to the fullest while minimizing risks and protecting your privacy, it’s critical to be on the lookout for possible con artists. A portion of the tricks include:

Websites for fake travel: There are many phony travel sites that offer incredible arrangements to draw in individuals. They will give profound limits not accessible somewhere else. However, when users pay for a reservation, the websites take their money and do not offer any services.
Vacation rental scam: Scammers use photocopies of existing homes or condos and pretending to be the owners to post fake photos for vacation rentals.
Switching tactics: In these tricks, clients are baited in with an extraordinary markdown; yet, when they are all the way into the booking system, different expenses are attached.
Card cloning and skimming: Criminals use stolen credit card information to make fraudulent charges in these con schemes.
Hassan advises people to be cautious with their data to avoid scams. Since a great many people utilize their cell phones these days to get to banks or Visas, it makes them a significant objective of hoodlums.

When making a reservation, Hasan recommends sticking to well-known websites because third-party websites may not always be safe.

Hasan stated, “Not all third-party travel booking sites are safe.” While reserving a spot for an inn, get-away rental or travel, it is smarter to adhere to notable destinations. In the event that an outsider webpage is giving an astonishing rebate, confirm the site/merchant and its standing. A good place to check to see if a website has been the subject of any complaints is the Better Business Bureau. Try not to get any arrangements from irregular virtual entertainment pages that have been set up as of late.”

Tricksters can likewise make cloned variants of sites that seem to be notable travel sites which can send phishing messages. Always confirm the sender of emails and the URL of the webpage in order to protect yourself from these con artists.

Protect personal information Many people store bank or credit card information on their smartphones, making them a tempting target for criminals.

Hasan stated, “Criminals can install card skimming devices on ATMs or other payment terminals.” These devices have the ability to make fraudulent charges or copy credit card information. So consistently watch out for anything that looks surprising on the ATM or other installment terminals.”

Connecting to unprotected open Wi-Fi access points in close proximity while traveling is an additional data security risk.

When you use open Wi-Fi access points, your online activities, data, and passwords, among other things, are exposed. exposed to criminals, as stated by Hasan. In the event that you need to utilize such open public Wi-Fi, kindly utilize a VPN to safeguard your information.”

Try not to utilize public cellphone chargers
The Government Agency of Examination has cautioned shoppers against “juice jacking,” where agitators utilize public chargers to contaminate telephones and gadgets with malware. Hackers may be able to gain access to your smartphone, tablet, or computer if you use these free public chargers.

Hasan stated, “Cybercriminals have abused public phone chargers to install malware on smartphones or steal their data.” Therefore, using your own USB cables and charging plugs is recommended.

Try not to reveal area via online entertainment
While voyaging, individuals frequently openly post their area or exercises/photographs via online entertainment. As indicated by Hasan, this is like telling the entire world, including the hoodlums, that you are away from your home. Hasan advises putting photos on social media off until you return.

Taking control of another person’s social media account is another common criminal tactic that involves social media.

Hasan stated, “Scammers take control of social media and send messages to all connections that the victim is traveling, lost their wallet or passport, and needs money wired to them urgently.” At the point when you receive such a message via web-based entertainment, consistently reach them back through a call or different means to check the message.”

The State Department claims that it receives approximately 500,000 passport applications each week, which is at least 30% more than the previous year.

If you’re going to be traveling soon and need a passport, bring some patience. Every week, the State Department receives 500,000 applications.

The official processing time is now 13 weeks, which is one reason why the wait is getting longer.

According to Jay Zagorsky, an economist at the Questrom School of Business at Boston University, demand is also rising in Minnesota.

“220,000 people applied for passports in 2021. Last year, in 2022, 310,000 people applied, and what is my projection for this year? “There will be applications from four hundred thousand people in Minnesota,” stated Zagorsky.

That delay is also caused by a lack of government employees because so many temporary workers were fired during travel restrictions.

According to Zagorsky, “The passport agency has been trying to hire those people back, but it’s hard to find workers because unemployment is so low across the country.” Give yourself some additional time and be ready for perhaps a failure.”

Zagorsky missed a May trip to London because he waited four months for his passport. He said that one way to solve the problem is to let people back into the country even though their passports are expired.

“In the event that I have a lapsed visa and I haven’t changed my name or my location, they ought to permit me back in,” said Zagorsky.

He also suggests that you can continue to use your passport while you wait for it to be renewed—two policies that officials have previously tried.

He also suggests going to Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands because you don’t need a passport. Otherwise, pack your patience because, in terms of the number of passport applications, Minnesota ranks 13th in the nation, in part due to its proximity to Canada.