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The AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® is one of the few rewards cards offering a big welcome bonus after making your first purchase. With most bonus offers, you'll need to spend between $1,000 and $4,000 during the first few months of card membership. But with the Aviator Red, you can pick up 50,000 bonus miles after paying the modest $99 annual fee and making your first purchase within 90 days.
This card can provide solid value for the occasional American Airlines flyer, with perks like early boarding, a free checked bag, and discounts on inflight purchases. Here's a quick overview of why you should pick up the Aviator Red during this elevated offer.
- Get $25 back as statement credits on inflight WiFi on American Airlines operated flights.
- Receive 25% inflight savings when you use your card for food and beverages on American Airlines operated flights.
- Earn a companion certificate each anniversary year, good for 1 guest at $99 (plus taxes and fees) if you spend $20,000 on purchases and your account remains open for 45 days after your anniversary date.
- Earn 2X miles on American Airlines purchases
- Earn 1X miles on all other purchases
Aviator Red Card Key Features
- Earn 50,000 bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Group 5 boarding for domestic travel.
- The first checked bag is free for domestic travel on American Airlines-operated flights.
- Get up to $25 back each year as statement credits on inflight Wi-Fi purchases.
- 25% off in-flight purchases, including beverages, food, and more.
- 2X miles on AA purchases.
- 1X on all other purchases.
- $99 annual fee.
The Aviator Red stacks up similarly to American Airlines' other co-branded credit cards. However, the biggest draw of the Aviator Red is the welcome bonus; this is the only AA card where you'll earn a sizable sum of bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the annual fee.
- Earn 2X miles on American Airlines purchases
- Earn 1X miles on all other purchases
- Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent at restaurants
- Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent at gas stations
- Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
- Earn 1X mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases
- Earn 10X miles for every $1 spent on eligible hotels booked at aa.com/hotels and eligible rental cars booked through aa.com/cars
- Earn 4X miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases (increased to 5X miles through the end of the calendar year after you pass $150,000 in purchases annually)
- Earn 1X mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases
Who Is Eligible To Earn the Aviator Red Welcome Bonus?
The Aviator Red is issued by Barclays, which has an informal (and inconsistently applied) 6/24 rule for new applicants. In other words, if you've opened more than six accounts in the past two years, your approval odds are lower than if you've opened less than six.
One of the unique aspects of Barclays credit cards is that you can earn a welcome offer more than once. If you've had the Aviator Red in the past, canceled it, and waited at least 24 months, you are likely eligible to earn the welcome bonus again.
Our Take
American AAdvantage® is one of our favorite frequent-flyer programs. With an extensive selection of top-tier partner airlines, competitive award pricing with several sweet spots, and a route network that can take you almost anywhere, it's wise to add some American miles to your portfolio.
The Aviator Red offers similar benefits to the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, so the choice of which American credit card to get will likely come down to the welcome bonus.
Like other co-branded American cards, the Aviator Red has lost several benefits that used to make it a no-brainer. Among these are the 10% rebate on AAdvantage miles redeemed each year (up to 10,000 miles back) and access to Reduced Mileage Awards, phased out as of October 1, 2021.
Still, if you're looking for an easy-to-acquire bonus to set you up for your next AA award ticket, it's hard to go wrong with the Aviator Red. Take advantage of this offer before it flies away!
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