{"id":190097,"date":"2026-01-31T14:03:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T14:03:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=190097\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T14:33:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T14:33:07","slug":"citi-sole-issuer-aadvantage-cards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/credit-cards\/citi-sole-issuer-aadvantage-cards\/","title":{"rendered":"Barclays Aviator Cards Are About to Convert to Citi AAdvantage Cards \u2014 Here\u2019s What to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Way back in 2024, Citi announced a piece of news that seemed kind of inevitable: it had <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.citigroup.com\/global\/news\/press-release\/2024\/american-airlines-and-citi-extend-and-expand-co-branded-card-partnership-paving-the-way-for-more-customer-benefits\" rel=\"noopener\">acquired the Barclays American Airlines co-branded card portfolio<\/a> and would become the sole issuer of AAdvantage credit cards. This also marked the beginning of the end for the Aviator cards, as the bank shared plans to transition cardholders to Citi-issued products sometime in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Now that 2026 is here, we finally have a clearer picture of what that process will look like, including a defined timeline and more detailed information about what should (hopefully) be a smooth conversion. And it\u2019s about to officially kick off.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re a Barclays Aviator AAdvantage cardholder, read on for everything you need to know about how your account will soon transfer over to Citi.<\/p>\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"toc_light_blue no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Page Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#Citi_Is_Becoming_the_Sole_Issuer_of_American_Airlines_AAdvantage_Cards\">Citi Is Becoming the Sole Issuer of American Airlines AAdvantage Cards<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Logistics_of_the_Citi_AAdvantage_Card_Conversion_Process\">Logistics of the Citi AAdvantage Card Conversion Process<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Card_shipping\">Card shipping<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Accessing_your_new_Citi_online_account\">Accessing your new Citi online account<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Authorized_users\">Authorized users<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Carried_over_benefits\">Carried over benefits<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Balances_and_preferences\">Balances and preferences<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Account_settings_and_preferences\">Account settings and preferences<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Already_closed_Barclays_accounts\">Already closed Barclays accounts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#Should_You_Keep_Your_Barclays_Card_Through_the_Transition\">Should You Keep Your Barclays Card Through the Transition?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Final_Thoughts\">Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n<h2><span id=\"Citi_Is_Becoming_the_Sole_Issuer_of_American_Airlines_AAdvantage_Cards\">Citi Is Becoming the Sole Issuer of American Airlines AAdvantage Cards<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s official. On <strong>April 24, 2026<\/strong>, eligible AAdvantage Aviator credit card accounts will begin transferring to Citibank. Around this date,\u00a0Citi will start mailing replacement cards to Barclays Aviator cardholders whose accounts are moving over. There\u2019s no need to opt in, apply for a new card, or take any action.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, you\u2019ll simply wait for your new Citi card to arrive, which should happen within 6 to 8 weeks of late April. In the meantime, you can continue using your Barclays card until you activate your new Citi card.<\/p>\n<p>So, if you\u2019ve got one (or more) Aviator cards in your wallet, which Citi card will you end up with? We\u2019re glad you asked. Here\u2019s a simple breakdown of how the Aviator lineup maps to Citi\u2019s products.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-1200\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-1200 tablepress-responsive\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">This Barclays-issued card...<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Converts to this Citi-issued card.<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">AAdvantage<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Aviator<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Mastercard<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><a data-ccid=\"4048125\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/american-aadvantage\/mileup-card\/\">American Airlines AAdvantage<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> MileUp<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Card<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">AAdvantage<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Aviator<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Blue Mastercard<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><strong>Citi<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> \/ AAdvantage<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Gold World Elite\u2122 MasterCard<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">AAdvantage<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Aviator<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Red World Elite Mastercard<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><a data-ccid=\"3004018\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/american-aadvantage\/citi-aadvantage-platinum-select\/\">Citi<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> \/ AAdvantage<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Platinum Select<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> World Elite Mastercard<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">AAdvantage<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Aviator<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Silver Mastercard<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/american-aadvantage\/citi-aadvantage-globe-card-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Citi<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> \/ AAdvantage<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Globe\u2122 Mastercard<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">AAdvantage<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Aviator<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> World Elite Business Mastercard<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><a data-ccid=\"3004019\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/american-aadvantage\/american-airlines-business-credit-card\/\">Citi<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> \/ AAdvantage Business\u2122 World Elite Mastercard<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<p>Outside of the new physical card you\u2019ll be receiving, your card number, and a few benefits here and there, almost everything about your new account will remain the same as your old Aviator account. This includes your cardmember anniversary date, your credit limit, and any existing PINs you may have.<\/p>\n<p>Now, let\u2019s get into the logistical details of the conversion process.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Logistics_of_the_Citi_AAdvantage_Card_Conversion_Process\">Logistics of the Citi AAdvantage Card Conversion Process<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If we\u2019re being honest, the logistics of the Barclays-to-Citi AAdvantage card conversion are fairly straightforward. But that said, there are a couple of elements worth drawing your attention to so you know what to expect.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Card_shipping\">Card shipping<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>According to Citi, new cards will start shipping on <strong>April 27, 2026<\/strong>, and should arrive within 6 to 8 weeks. Your replacement card will be mailed to the address currently on file with Barclays, so it\u2019s worth double-checking that your info is up to date before Barclays officially passes the torch over to Citi on April 24.<\/p>\n<p>If your new Citi card still hasn\u2019t shown up by the end of that window (around June 26), give the number on the back of your Barclays card a call. Just keep in mind that your Barclays card will keep working right up until you activate your new Citi card.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_231328\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"600\/480\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-231328 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/American-Airlines-Cards-Featured.png\" alt=\"American Airlines card lineup.\" width=\"600\" height=\"480\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/American-Airlines-Cards-Featured.png 1000w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/American-Airlines-Cards-Featured-300x240.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/American-Airlines-Cards-Featured-768x614.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/American-Airlines-Cards-Featured-325x260.png 325w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><center><em>Credit: American Airlines<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<h3><span id=\"Accessing_your_new_Citi_online_account\">Accessing your new Citi online account<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you don\u2019t already have a Citi online account, you\u2019ll be able to set one up starting <strong>April 27, 2026<\/strong>. And you won\u2019t even need to wait for your new card to arrive. Citi will let you <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/online.citi.com\/US\/ag\/bank\/registration\/set-up-online-access\" rel=\"noopener\">register for online access using your existing Barclays card number<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you already have a Citi account, you\u2019ll be able to link your Barclays Aviator card to it after logging in, also starting April 27.<\/p>\n<p>Things work a little differently if you have the AAdvantage<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Aviator<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> World Elite Business Mastercard<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>. Citi requires business cards to be managed under a separate login from personal cards. But starting April 27, you\u2019ll still be able to link your Barclays business account or set up online access for the first time.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Authorized_users\">Authorized users<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Citi will automatically mail authorized user cards to the primary account holder\u2019s address on file. There\u2019s no need to take any action to re-add authorized users on your new Citi account.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Carried_over_benefits\">Carried over benefits<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019ve earned benefits on your Barclays-issued AAdvantage card, they\u2019ll still appear in your AAdvantage account (with the same expiration dates, if applicable) and won\u2019t disappear. And if you\u2019ve already made progress toward a benefit or credit, like a statement credit on inflight purchases, that progress will carry over to Citi as well.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_231331\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"600\/480\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-231331 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/American-Airlines-Globe-Card-Featured-2.png\" alt=\"American Airlines Globe Card lifestyle photo.\" width=\"600\" height=\"480\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/American-Airlines-Globe-Card-Featured-2.png 1000w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/American-Airlines-Globe-Card-Featured-2-300x240.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/American-Airlines-Globe-Card-Featured-2-768x614.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/American-Airlines-Globe-Card-Featured-2-325x260.png 325w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><center><em>Credit: American Airlines<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<h3><span id=\"Balances_and_preferences\">Balances and preferences<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Any existing balances, including Easy Pay balances, on your Barclays-issued card will automatically transfer to your new Citi account. Once the switch happens, you\u2019ll make payments through Citi going forward.<\/p>\n<p>One important thing to know is that if you have autopay set up with Barclays, any payments scheduled on or after <strong>April 24, 2026<\/strong>, will be canceled. Citi will begin accepting payments starting April 27, so you\u2019ll want to set up online access or link your transferred card to your existing Citi account as soon as you\u2019re able.<\/p>\n<p>Also, Barclays Easy Pay will show up under a different name at Citi. Citi calls these Citi Flex Plans. The balance will transfer over automatically, but the new label can be a little confusing if you\u2019re not expecting it.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Account_settings_and_preferences\">Account settings and preferences<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One thing that won\u2019t transfer from Barclays to Citi is your account settings and preferences. That includes autopay, transaction alerts, electronic statement delivery, and more. So, once your new Citi card arrives, you\u2019ll want to log in and set those preferences up again the way you like.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Already_closed_Barclays_accounts\">Already closed Barclays accounts<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019ve already closed your Barclays account, or close it between now and <strong>April 24, 2026<\/strong>, it\u2019s still possible that your account will transfer over to Citi, though you won\u2019t receive a new card. However, any existing balance will move to Citi, and you\u2019ll be able to make payments online, over the phone, or by mail.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_238244\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"600\/480\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-238244 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/American-Airlines-Featured-Jake-Hough-Unsplash.png\" alt=\"Aerial view of an American A321neo at PHX.\" width=\"600\" height=\"480\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/American-Airlines-Featured-Jake-Hough-Unsplash.png 1000w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/American-Airlines-Featured-Jake-Hough-Unsplash-750x600.png 750w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/American-Airlines-Featured-Jake-Hough-Unsplash-900x720.png 900w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/American-Airlines-Featured-Jake-Hough-Unsplash-768x614.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/American-Airlines-Featured-Jake-Hough-Unsplash-325x260.png 325w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><center><em>Credit: Jake Hough \/ Unsplash<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<h2><span id=\"Should_You_Keep_Your_Barclays_Card_Through_the_Transition\">Should You Keep Your Barclays Card Through the Transition?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Unlike some recent card transitions, this Barclays-to-Citi conversion doesn\u2019t require any action on your part. If you have a Barclays Aviator card, Citi will automatically send you a comparable AAdvantage card.<\/p>\n<p>That does raise an important question though. Should you just let the conversion happen, or should you close your Barclays account before April 24, 2026? The answer mostly comes down to two things.<\/p>\n<p>First, do you already have the Citi card you\u2019ll be receiving? For example, if you currently have both the <strong>Aviator Red<\/strong> and the <strong>AA Platinum Select<\/strong>, the conversion would leave you with two <strong>AA Platinum Select<\/strong> cards. If you don\u2019t need duplicates, you might consider product changing one after the transition, or closing your Barclays account ahead of time.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_181397\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"600\/480\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-181397 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/American-Airlines-Featured-Takashi-Miyazaki-Unsplash.png\" alt=\"American Airlines 787 parked at a gate in ICN.\" width=\"600\" height=\"480\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/American-Airlines-Featured-Takashi-Miyazaki-Unsplash.png 1000w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/American-Airlines-Featured-Takashi-Miyazaki-Unsplash-300x240.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/American-Airlines-Featured-Takashi-Miyazaki-Unsplash-768x614.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/American-Airlines-Featured-Takashi-Miyazaki-Unsplash-325x260.png 325w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><center><em>Credit: Takashi Miyazaki\/Unsplash<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>Second, could this conversion affect your ability to earn a welcome bonus on a Citi card you want to apply for later? It\u2019s still a bit unclear how Citi will treat these converted accounts, so it\u2019s worth checking the application rules on any card you\u2019re considering to make sure the transition won\u2019t get in the way of a future bonus.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, if you\u2019re thinking about closing your Barclays card, just be sure to make that decision before <strong>April 24, 2026<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Final_Thoughts\">Final Thoughts<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Citi is officially about to take over as the sole issuer of AAdvantage credit cards for U.S. applicants, which also means the end of the Barclays Aviator cards.<\/p>\n<p>Starting <strong>April 27, 2026<\/strong>, Citi will begin shipping replacement AAdvantage cards, and you can keep using your Barclays card right up until you activate the new one.<\/p>\n<p>But before your new card shows up, it\u2019s worth taking a moment on or after April 27 to set up online account access with Citi, or link your transferred card to an existing Citi login. Citi will let you do this even before the new card arrives, and staying on top of things will help make sure you don\u2019t miss a payment during the transition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s official. On April 24, 2026, eligible AAdvantage Aviator credit card accounts will begin transferring to Citibank. If you\u2019re a Barclays Aviator AAdvantage cardholder, read on for everything you need to know about how your account will soon transfer over to Citi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":190098,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[12069],"tags":[12776,12788,12785,12036],"coauthors":[36432],"class_list":["post-190097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-american-aadvantage","tag-barclays","tag-citibank","tag-major-updates"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/80"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=190097"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190097\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":257480,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190097\/revisions\/257480"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/190098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=190097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=190097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=190097"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=190097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}