American airlines credit cards

  Citibank Credit Cards, Airline Credit Cards

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Annual Fee

$95-99, waived first year

Current Offer

Aviator Cards: 60,000 miles on initial purchase

Citibank Personal: 60,000 miles, with $3,000 initial spend, via offer link. An other option is to use this link to get 40,000 points, with $2,000 initial spend, plus a $200 statement credit for an American Airlines purchase (during the initial year). You may then be able to call in and match to 60, 70, or even 75,000 miles.

Citibank Business: 70,000 miles with $4,000 initial spend.

Typical Signup Offer

Aviator cards: 40,000 AA miles, on initial purchase.

Citibank Personal: 30,000 AA miles, with $1,000 initial spend.

Citibank Business: 50,000 AA miles, with $3,000 initial spend.

Signup Bonus Chart

Bonus Categories

2x American Airline Purchases

2x on Additional categories with some cards

1x Everywhere Else

No Foreign Transaction Fee

If you frequently travel on American Airlines, you should get the Citibank Platinum (or Barclay Aviator card) to take advantage of free checked bags, and other American Airlines benefits. Even if you don't, you're likely to eventually sign up for several different American Airlines cards, just to collect the signup bonuses.

Jump to

• American Airlines Card Options
• Signup Bonuses
• Notable Benefits
• Additional Benefits of the Aviator Silver
• Which Card to Get?
• Bonus Categories

American Airlines Credit Card Options

American Airlines has several different co-branded credit cards, from two different banks. Four of these cards have very similar benefits and costs.

	Citibank AAdvantage Platinum. $99 annual fee, waived first year. This card comes in both a personal (Citibank Webpage, AA Webpage) and business (Citibank Webpage, AA Webpage) version.
	Barclays Aviator Red Card. $95 annual fee. The fee isn't waived the first year, but the normal signup bonus for this card is better than for the Citibank version. This card comes in both a personal (Barclays Webpage) and business {Barclays Webpage) version.

In addition, there are three other American Airlines cards:

	Barclays Aviator Silver Card. $195 annual fee. You can't apply for this card directly. Instead, you apply for the regular Aviator card, and then upgrade to the Silver card, which provides some additional benefits (covered in more detail below). Barclays Webpage.
	Citibank MileUp Card. No annual fee. Replaces the older AAdvantage Gold card. Like that card, it doesn't come with useful benefits, and getting the card interferes with earning higher signup bonuses from the Citi Platinum or Executive cards. Citibank webpage.
	Citibank AAdvantage Executive Card. $450 annual fee. Includes some valuable additional benefits, such as an Admiral Club Membership, and is discussed in its own guide. American Airlines Executive Card

Collecting American Airlines Signup Bonuses

• It is worth signing up for these cards, just to collect the signup bonuses. For example, a typical signup bonus of 50,000 American Airlines miles, is valued at $600. And somewhat better offers are sometimes available.
• You can take advantage of signup bonuses from multiple different American Airlines cards. You can collect a bonus from both the Aviator card and the Citibank card. And, if you have any type of small business, you can collect bonuses for the Citibank and Barclay business cards as well. Unlock Extra Reward Points with Business Credit Cards
• Citibank limits your ability to collect another signup bonus within 24 months of signing up for, or cancelling, any of the personal versions of the Citibank American Airlines cards. For example, if you collect the signup bonus on the AAdvanage Executive card, you won't be eligible for the signup bonus on the AAdvantage Platinum card, until two years later. And if you cancel the Executive card during that time, the clock resets.

As a result, you'll need to settle on just one Citibank card to start off with. The Platinum version is usually your best bet. If you want to hold onto the Platinum Card, you can get the Gold card two years later, and earn an additional signup bonus. Then, a few months later, you can cancel the Gold card, and reset the clock for your next bonus.

From a signup bonus perspective, the Gold card is a better option than the Executive card. You'll receive 25,000 miles without having to pay an annual fee (the first year), rather than 50,000 miles with a $450 annual fee. The extra 25,000 miles is not worth the extra $450.

If you are holding onto an Aviator card instead, or aren't interested in keeping any of these cards, you are best off signing up for the AAdvantage Platinum card, holding onto it for a few months, and then re-applying two years after you cancel.

• Barclays doesn't have a specific signup bonus limit, but it is hard to get more than one or two cards per year. This limits your ability to cancel and apply for the Aviator cards over and over again. If you are holding onto one of the Citibank cards, or aren't interested in holding onto any American Airlines cards, we'd sign-up for the card, hold onto it until your first year anniversary, cancel it before paying your second annual fee, and re-apply a few months later.
• The business versions of the cards are handled separately. You can qualify for the signup bonus for the Citibank version, even if you've recently opened or closed a personal Citibank American Airlines card.

Notable Benefits

Benefit List

The personal and business versions of the AAdvantage Platinum and Aviator Red card have the following benefits.

• Free checked bags. The first checked bag is free for the primary cardholder and up to four companion. Get Free Checked Bags with Airline Credit Cards.
• 10% rebate on AA miles used for award tickets (some cards). For example, if you redeem 50,000 miles for an award ticket to Europe, you'll get 5,000 miles back. Your rebate is capped at 10,000 miles each year. This benefit is only available on the personal version of the cards. The Aviator Business card gives you a 5% bonus on miles earned, instead of the 10% rebate on miles used; and the AAdvantage Business card doesn't have either benefit.
• Priority boarding.
• Access to reduced mileage awards. Cardholders can book a rotating set of awards for 7,500 fewer miles than normal. This is in addition to the rebate you'll receive. Current set of reduced mileage awards.
• 25% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases.
• Elite car rental status. As with all World Elite MasterCards, you get free National Emerald Club Executive and Sixt Platinum status. Instant Car Rental Elite Status.
• Access to Mastercard's luxury hotel program. Another benefit of high-end MasterCards is access to MasterCard's luxury hotel program. When you use the program to book one of the participating hotels, you'll get a number of valuable benefits, like free breakfast, a $100 hotel credit, a room upgrade, and late checkout.Take Advantage of Luxury Hotel Programs for Valuable Extra Perks.
• Free ShopRunner membership. Like all World Elite MasterCards, your card entitles you to a complimentary ShopRunner membership, which provides free two-day and return shipping from around 150 of the largest online retailers. ShopRunner.
• DoorDash and Hello Fresh discounts. Cardmembers who have a DoorDash membership get $5 off their first two orders each month when paid for by their Mastercard. If you don't have a free membership from Chase, you can get your first three months membership for free through Mastercard. You also get a 5% credit back on each HelloFresh purchase.
• Some additional discounts. If you pay for at least 3 Lyft rides each calendar month with your Mastercard, you'll receive a $5 Lyft credit good for the following month (once you enroll in the Lyft app). You also receive double Fandango points, a 5% reward rebate at Boxed, and $5 off every Postmates order of $25 or more.
• An annual $99 companion certificate (with a $30,000 spending requirement, business cards only). You can only use the certificate on American-operated flights within the continental United States. Your companion will only need to pay $20-40 in additional taxes and fees. Using one of these cards for $30,000 worth of spending, translates to about $300 in lost rewards you could have earned from the best general-purpose reward cards. So, the effective cost of the companion ticket is about $400. The certificate from the Aviator Silver card can be used by up to two companions, so can be a better deal. Spending for the Citibank card is based on each 12 month period, starting from when you opened the credit card. Spending for the Barclay card is based on each 12 month period including your anniversary month.
• Primary Rental Car Insurance (Business Platinum Card only). The Business Platinum card comes with primary rental car insurance. Unlike the secondary insurance that comes with most other credit cards, if you get in an accident, you won't need to involve your personal auto insurance company. The personal version of the Premier card does not come with this benefit. Credit Cards That Provide “Primary” Rental Car Coverage.
• Annual $100 flight discount coupon (with $20,000 spend, Citibank personal card only}. You'll miss out on around $200 worth of rewards, by using this card instead of your general-purpose reward card, for $20,000 in spending. So, unless you can take advantage of bonus reward rates for much of this spending, it isn't worthwhile to try to earn the discount. Spending is based on each 12 month period, starting when you received your card.

The Gold version of the card doesn't provide the key benefits that make getting one of the other cards worthwhile. However, it does come with the Elite Mastercard benefits (rental car elite status and luxury hotel access), a smaller discount on reduced mileage awards, and the 25% inflight food and beverage credit.

Comparison Table

Benefit	Platinum	Platinum Business	Aviator	Aviator Business	Gold
Free checked bag (total passengers)	5	5	5	5
10% point rebate	yes		yes		yes
5% point earning bonus				yes
Priority boarding	yes	yes	yes	yes
Reduced mileage award discount	7,500	7,500	7,500	7,500	5,000
Inflight purchase discount	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Elite car rental status	yes		yes
Luxury hotel program	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Can earn $99 companion certificate		yes		yes
$100 flight discount (with $20,000 spend)	yes
Bonus rewards on other purchases		yes		yes

Additional Benefits of the Aviator Silver

Once you've had your Aviator Red card for 90 days, you can call to upgrade it to the Aviator Silver card. Your annual fee will increase to $19, but you'll get a number of additional benefits. Aviator Silver webpage.

• Earn up to 10,000 qualifying miles per year. You'll receive 5,000 qualifying miles, for each $25,000 you spend, up to a maximum of 10,000 miles. You can combine these with qualifying miles from the premium AAdvantage Executive card, to earn up to 20,000 miles per year (by spending a total of $90,000).
• Earn additional qualifying dollars. If you spend $50,000 with the card, you'll earn $3,000 qualifying dollars. For 2018, you earn 3,000 miles for each $25,000 of spending (up to 6,000 miles total).
• Access to the $99 companion certificate. Like the American Airlines business cards, you'll earn a companion certificate, if you spend $30,000 per year on the card.
• Earn 3x AA miles on AA purchases. This makes the card a much more competitive option for your American Airline purchases, compared to cards that generally earn good rewards on general airfare purchases. If you are a big American Airlines fan, this can be a reason to get this card.
• The free baggage benefits applies to nine, instead of five passengers.

Which Card to Get?

Assuming that you want to get one of these cards, to take advantage of the American Airlines benefits, which is your best option?

• The optimum strategy is usually to switch back and forth between the AAdvantage Platinum card and the Aviator Card. You'd start with the AAdvantage Platinum card. Then just before you needed to pay the annual fee at the end of your first year, apply for the Aviator card, and cancel the Platinum card. Two years later, apply for the Platinum card again, and cancel the Aviator card. Then, a year later, switch back again. This maximizing the amount of miles you can earn from the signup bonuses, while continuously holding onto your American Airline benefits.

Cancelling just before your annual fee is due, minimizes the fees you'll pay. Waiting to cancel, until after you've been approved for the next card, gives you the option of keeping your existing card, if for some reason, you don't get approved.

• If you want to keep things simpler, there isn't much reason to prefer one card to the other. Just get whichever card currently has the highest signup bonus, factoring in that Citibank waives the annual fee the first year you have the card.
• Some people may be interested in the business version—if so, you are better off with the Aviator Business card. If you have any type of side business, even if you haven't made any money yet, you are eligible for a small business card. To learn more read Unlock Extra Reward Points with Business Credit Cards. The Aviator version has a 5% point earning bonus on your points, and earns bonus rewards on Office Supplies (which is less common from other cards), rather than gas (which is more common). That usually makes it a better option, despite the need to spend the extra $95 during the first year.

The business versions of both cards gives you access to the $99 companion certificate (and bonus rewards in some additional categories), but give up the 10% rebate on points used for awards, and the World Elite Mastercard benefits. Given the opportunity cost of earning rewards with any of these cards, compared to a good general-purpose reward card, the limitation of the companion certificate to domestic flights, and the loss of up to $150 in value from the points rebate, we don't usually recommend getting the business card, just to earn the companion certificate. If you really want the certificate, it is usually better to get the Aviator silver card instead.

• If you are an American Airlines frequent flyer, you may want to get the AAdvantage Executive or Aviator Silver card instead. The Executive card costs $250, but you are likely to be able to get good use from the Admiral Club membership. The Silver card gives you the added benefit of getting the companion certificate and qualifying dollars, at the same time that you are using the card to earn qualifying miles. In addition, you'll get increased rewards on any American Airlines purchases. Most people aren't going to want to spend the extra money every year to unlock the extra benefits, but it can easily be worth it, if you are flying on American a lot.

Bonus Categories

• You are better off making your American Airlines purchases with a card that earns a high reward rate on all your airfare spending, rather than with one of the American Airlines cards (other than the Aviator Silver). 2x American Airlines miles are better than what you'd earn from most general-purpose reward cards, but not as good as what you'd earn from a card that earns high bonus rewards on airfare purchases. However, the 3x rewards you can earn from the Aviator Silver card (if you have it), is more compelling, and better than what you can earn from most other cards. Best Credit Cards for Travel Spending.
• The business versions of the cards earn 2x miles on some additional categories. The Citibank card earns bonuses on telecommunications, car rentals, and gas stations. The Barclays card earns bonuses on telecommunications, car rentals, and office supplies. But, if you are applying for business cards, you've got access to other cards which earn higher rewards for these categories. Credit Cards that Offer Bonus Rewards on Less Common Categories.
• The Citi Platinum card earns 2x miles on Restaurants and Gas. That's better than what you would earn from a general-purpose reward card, but not as good as you could earn from cards that earn good bonus rewards for these categories. Best Credit Cards for Restaurant Spending. Best Credit Cards for Gas Spending.
• You don't want to use these cards for your everyday spending. You'll earn higher rewards from a good general-purpose reward card. Get a Great General Purpose Reward Card and Use It for All of Your Spending.

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