Citi - AA - Looking for some data points ?

[PointsBonus]

I was wanting to see if anyone can share their experience with Citi - approval or denial.
Trying to figure out what they like and don’t like.

Thank you all in advance.

[redpat]

Give us your stats and it would be a lot easier.

High 700s, a lot of income and not a whole lotta cards when I apped for citi exec.

[Cred4All]

Hey Viper,

I received my AAdvantage card through Citi in October, 2015.  At the time I only focused on American Airlines hence the decision, but my score and history that year were most likely not pretty due to utilization.  I can't recall exactly, but I want to say I was between a 660 and 680, had only 2 other credit cards at the time, and upon approval I was granted a 2,800 SL.  Only after finding this forum in August this year did I realize, oh, gee, I can go in and request an increase.  At that point I got the $1,500 (Pretty customary) increase from Citi. 

Currently this sits at $4,300 but they also, through online chat, reduced my APR by %5.  No complaints on the card really, but I hope that provides a focus on my data #'s during approval.

[_NERD]

DW applied for the CDP in 2016 with a thin file, one TL of her own for years, she was an AU on some of my TLs, mid 700’s across the board, high income. Instant approval. I think her SL was 5-6k and she got an instant CL immediately to 10k. I think she hit the luv button to do that.

I remember her DPs because we were almost debt free and none of the balances were showing on her credit profiles. I was optimizing our profiles for an app spree and it paid off.

[Anonymous]

When I applied for the AA Platinum Select a month ago, they pulled EQ+EX. I had:

• 7 credit cards with total credit line of $70,500
• Already have two accounts with Citi (TY Preferred $6,500 + Premier $7,000)
• No other types of loan accounts except for credit cards
• Total utilization < 2%, max utilization on one card 14%
• Number of accounts with balance: 5
• Latest account was opened 8 months ago
• Earliest account opened Oct 2012, just over 6 years
• AAoA 3 years, 7 months
• Inquiries: EQ=0, EX=1 (11 months old)
• FICO: EQ = 768 (model is Bankcard Enhanced, 250-900)

Applied online for the 60k points offer and instantly approved with $6,500 credit line. I also have checking and savings accounts with Citi since 2012.

[OhMyCredit]

I’ve been meaning to post this. I took a two year hiatus from myFico but I’m back.
I was just approved for this card last week.
They pulled EX which was sitting at 771 with 2 inquiries. Utilization was at 19%. Income in low sixes. Automatic approval for $16.3k. Hope this helps.

[PointsBonus]

Thank you all for your input ! It helps a lot. I believe I need to garden for about a year before I can apply and get approved. I believe the recent inquires and new account will hurt me at the current moment - not the score 670 Experian, 690 Equifax ,720 TU and my utilization is 2 or 3 % ..... but inquires .... another story !

Thank you all once again

[Anonymous]

If you have at 6 or more inquiries within the last 6 months, there is very good chance Citi denies the application. So getting the inquiries to age off as well as increasing AAoA should be a good choice.

[Anonymous]

OP,

I know you have decided to garden, and I fully support that decision.  Just to add DP to the conversation, this is what I had when I applied for Citi AA in October 2017:

• 11 TL, 82K revolving and a new personal loan
• 1 existing CC with Citi that was 5.5 years old
• Mortgage reporting, 9 closed accounts in good standing still reporting
• Total utilization < 1%, AZEO
• 6/12, 3 opened one month prior, 1 loan opened 4 months prior
• AAoA over 8 years
• Inquiries at time of application (less than 6 months old): EQ=2, EX=8. Both bureaus pulled and added one inquiry each with this approval.
• FICO 08 at time of application: EQ = 840, EX = 776

I was approved for SL 10,500.  I applied at the tail-end of a spree then gardened for 1 year.  I've received 2 CLIs in that time, just hovering before 6 months from the last.

---

[Anonymous]

Hello, 

I recieved mailer a few days before christmas. I entered the code and saw a rage for apr instead of single digit. Going against everything I believe I apped and was an instant approval for 13,700. They only pulled EX for me and was at 742. ( My others are lower so I am glad they did not pull them). Income is just shy of 95000. Uti is always single digits I think around 1% when I applied. I had 18 inquries on EX with 5 about to fall off and about 7 of them from car rate shopping which I guess counts as 1 inq but still shows a lot of pulls. Dont know if this helps or not but this is where I was when approved. Not sure if being a AAdvantage member for a while helped, but, have heard rumors that with some airline cards and invitation or long history with airline helps.