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AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® review
Last updated:
Great signup bonus and attractive perks for American Airlines regulars.
- Get this card if you fly with American Airlines often.
- Pick something else if you want an intro APR period on purchases.
- Apply with good to excellent credit score of 670 to 850.
60,000
Miles as welcome offer
Up to 2x
Miles
$99
Annual fee
17.49%, 21.49% or 26.49%
Purchase APR (variable)
Details
| Product Name | AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® |
|---|---|
| Card type | Mastercard |
| Annual fee | $99 |
| Purchase APR | 17.49%, 21.49% or 26.49% variable |
| Balance transfer APR | 0% intro for the first 15 months (then 17.49%, 21.49% or 26.49% variable) |
| Balance transfer fee | $5 or 3% of the transaction, whichever is greater |
| Cash advance rate | 26.74% variable |
| Cash advance fee | $10 or 5% of the cash advance amount, whichever is greater |
| Foreign transaction fee | None |
| Interest free period | Up to 23 days |
| Late payment fee | Up to $39 |
| Returned payment fee | Up to $39 |
| Additional cardholder fee | $0 |
Expert review
Review by
Kliment Dukovski
kliment.dukovski@findercrew.comKliment Dukovski is a credit cards writer. He's written over 600 articles to help readers find and compare the best credit cards. Kliment has also written on money transfers, home loans and more. Previously, he ghostwrote guides and articles on foreign exchange, stock market trading and cryptocurrencies.
Expert review
Consider this card if you’re a frequent American Airlines traveler, and want perks associated with the airline. You’ll get one free checked bag, preferred boarding, in-flight savings on food and beverages and double miles earned on purchases made with the carrier.
However, you’ll have to pay an annual fee for the card.
The perks
- Signup bonus.
Make a single purchase with your card within 90 days of account opening and earn 60,000 bonus miles and a companion certificate for one guest up to $99 plus taxes and fees. This is one of the easiest-to-earn signup bonuses you can get with an airline credit card.
- AAdvantage miles.
Earn 2x miles on American Airlines purchases and 1x miles on everything else you buy.
- Intro APR period on balance transfers.
Use 15 months of 0% intro APR period on balance transfers. After that, a variable APR of 17.49% to 26.49% applies.
Is the annual fee worth it?
If you often fly with American Airlines and their partners, you can make the annual fee worthwhile if you:
- Make at least three one-way trips annually on American Airlines to save $90 on your first checked bag.
- Earn the signup bonus, which is enough for four MileSAAver flights within the continental US. If you fly less than 500 miles, the signup bonus is enough for eight flights within the US.
- Spend at least $3,000 on American Airlines purchases at the 2x rate to earn 6,000 miles. That’s worth around $90 according to the AAdvantage website at the time of this writing.
You’ll also like …
- First checked bag free.
Save $240 on first checked bags for a family of four on a round-trip flight with American Airlines. Everyone else pays $30 for the first checked bag for a one-way trip.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Use your card abroad without incurring fees.
- Preferred boarding.
You and up to four companions traveling on your reservation can board the plane sooner.
- In-flight savings.
Save 25% on eligible in-flight food and beverage purchases. The savings will appear as a statement credit to your account.
- Travel benefits.
Mastercard concierge service offers help planning travel, insurance for auto rental, trip cancellation, trip interruption and more.
Want to earn more AAdvantage miles?
Add the American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card by Citi to your credit card collection.
There’s no annual fee and you’ll earn 2x AAdvantage miles on grocery store purchases.
How to earn American Airlines miles
What to watch out for
- Annual fee.
Expect to pay $99 annually to own the card.
- Balance transfer limitations.
The intro APR period only applies to balances transferred in the first 45 days of account opening. Any balance transferred after that will incur the standard APR of 17.49% to 26.49% variable.
- No intro APR period on purchases.
You only get an intro APR period on balance transfers, not on purchases. If you’re looking to make a large purchase and carry your balance interest-free for months, try a 0% intro APR credit card.
- Welcome offer eligibility.
If you already own this card, or if you owned it and closed your account in the past 24 months, you may not be eligible for the signup bonus.
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What should I know before I apply?
You must be at least 18 years old and a US resident to apply. Residents of Puerto Rico and US territories are not eligible.
Information you’ll need:
- Full name and contact information
- Residential status
- Annual income and employment information
- Social Security number, date of birth and mother’s maiden name
What credit score do I need?
You’ll have a better chance of approval if you apply with a good to an excellent credit score of 670 or higher.
How to apply for the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
- Go to the Barclaycard AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® website and click Apply now.
- Complete the application.
- Review your application and click Apply to submit.
I got the card. Now what?
- Download the Barclays US mobile app. Use the app to access your free FICO score, monitor your account, pay your bills and more.
- Download the American Airlines mobile app. Use the app as a mobile boarding pass, to get flight updates, to select or upgrade your seat and more.
- Avoid interest. After the close of each billing cycle, you have a grace period of 23 days to pay your balance to avoid interest on your purchases.
- Avoid fees. Late and returned payments come with hefty fees of up to $39. Balance transfers and cash advances also come with fees.
- Customer service. Contact Barclaycard customer service at 866-928-8598 if you have questions.
How do I redeem miles from AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®?
Log in to your American Airlines AAdvantage online account and choose one of the following redemption options:
- Award flights
- Seat upgrades
- Car rentals
- Hotels stays
- Vacations
- Admirals Club membership
- Gift cards
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Charitable donations
How to redeem American Airlines miles
Bottom line
If you’re a frequent American Airlines flyer, you’ll enjoy having the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®. You qualify for an impressive signup bonus, plus you’ll also score attractive American Airlines perks, including one checked bag free, preferred boarding and in-flight savings on food and beverages.
If you fly other airlines, or if you’re looking for a general travel credit card, check out other cards with travel benefits.