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Within the next two years, American Airlines' credit card lineup will look very different. In a press release announced today, the world's largest airline shared plans to make Citi the exclusive issuer of all of its AAdvantage® credit cards. That will spell the end of its longstanding relationship with Barclays.
Here's what's about to change with the suite of American Airlines credit cards — and what you need to know if you have (or are considering applying for) a Barclays-issued product.
Citi To Issue All AAdvantage Credit Cards Starting in 2026
There are several American Airlines credit cards, which is a big deal if you prefer to earn AAdvantage miles. If you play the Loyalty Points game, these cards are all but necessary tools for earning AAdvantage elite status, too. Right now, Amerian Airlines credit cards available to U.S. applicants are split between two issuers — Citi and Barclays.
It's long been rumored that Citi would supplant Barclays and become the sole issuer of AA cards. And those rumors came to fruition today, as Citi agreed to acquire the entirety of the Barclays American Airlines credit card portfolio (here's Citi's celebratory press release). The integration will kick off in 2026.
We'll clarify that there's a lot we don't know yet. Speculation has already run rampant that AA cozying up to Citi could mean future ThankYou Points® transfer opportunities. While there's a case for that, it wasn't stated verbatim in the press release. But let's run through what we know to be true:
- Nothing is changing benefit-wise on the Barclays cards in your wallet — at least right now. Straight from the horse's mouth: “Barclays cardmembers will continue to experience the same benefits they do today.” Once the integration takes place, it's unclear what will change regarding benefits or what card you'll be transitioned to.
- Barclays-issued AA credit cards are still open to new applicants. If you want to apply for the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® right now, you can. You can also likely still upgrade or product change to other Aviator-branded cards. The press release did not state when application pages will be taken down.
Final Thoughts
Big changes with American Airlines' credit card lineup are on the horizon. Thankfully, there are no imminent impacts with this news. However, it's worth keeping your finger on the pulse if you hold a Barclays-issued AAdvantage credit card or plan to apply for one before the application pages disappear. Until we get more updates, consider it business as usual.
At the bottom of the press release, American Airlines noted that cardholders should stay tuned for additional details, which it plans to pass along in the coming months. We will update this post when we learn what those details are.
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