AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® review

How to apply for the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®

You must be at least 18 years old and a US resident to apply. Residents of Puerto Rico and US territories are not eligible. Here’s how to apply:

1. Go to the Barclaycard AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® website and click Apply now.
2. Complete the application with information such as your full name and contact information, residential status, annual income and employment information, Social Security number, date of birth and mother’s maiden name.
3. Review your application and click Apply to submit.

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.

AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® benefits

• Signup bonus. Make a single purchase with your card within 90 days of account opening and earn 50,000 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 16.74% to 25.74% applies.
• 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.

AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® drawbacks

• 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 16.74% to 25.74% 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.

Make 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.

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 $40. Balance transfers and cash advances also come with fees.
• Customer service. Contact Barclaycard customer service at 866-928-8598 if you have questions.

How to earn American Airlines miles

How to redeem American Airlines miles

Compare airline credit cards

If this card isn’t right for you, compare other airline credit cards. Consider the airline you fly most with, the annual fee you’re willing to pay and other travel perks you’re looking for.

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Name	Product	Welcome Offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card		75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 in your first 3 months of account opening	2x miles on every purchase, every day, 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 10x miles when you book on Turo, the world’s largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023, 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel	$395		Capital One's premium luxury travel card, featuring airport lounge access at Capital One Lounge and 1,300+ Priority Pass lounges.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card		60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months	5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel	$95		Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. That's worth $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Sapphire Reserve®		New Offer: Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®	5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3x points on other travel after earning your $300 travel credit, 10x points on Lyft rides, 10x points on Chase Dining through Ultimate Rewards, 3x points on other dining and 1x points on all other purchases	$550		Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example $900 points are worth $900 toward travel	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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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.

Frequently asked questions

If I qualify for the signup bonus, when will I receive my miles?
You’ll receive the miles in your AAdvantage account in four to six weeks.

How many miles do I need to redeem for flights?
According to the American Airlines website as of February 2019, MileSAAver flights within the continental US cost 12,500 or 7,500 for flights of less than 500 miles.

Anytime flights start at 20,000 miles.

Do AAdvantage miles expire?
Yes, after 18 months of inactivity, your miles will expire. You can avoid this by earning/redeeming miles at least once a year.