Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard Review

Introducing the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard

If you’re looking for American Airlines perks without spending a lot of money on affiliate credit card fees, the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard might be the solution you need. For a modest $99 a year, the card offers a slew of American Airlines-related perks, not the least of which is the relatively large 50,000-mile sign-up bonus that only requires one purchase to get started. trigger.

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Main characteristics

Although the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard offers a number of features and benefits, some of them rank higher than others. Here are the prominent features offered by the card:

Fleet size

As American Airlines is the largest airline in the world, there is no shortage of airplanes. Since you’ll want to maximize your chances of rewards with an airline-affiliated credit card, choosing the airline with the most aircraft is a good decision.

Foreign transaction fees

There are no foreign transaction fees with the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard. That might not seem like a big deal to some, but even if you’re not traveling overseas, other cards will earn you up to 3% even for making a purchase on a foreign website. But the biggest benefit of having no foreign transaction fees is usually for travelers, who are the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard’s biggest target market.

Registration rate

The ratio of the sign-up bonus you receive – 50,000 AAdvantage miles to the price you pay of $99 per year – is high with the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard. Many cards with such high sign-up bonuses charge higher annual fees.

Travel benefits

A high number of travel benefits increase the value of the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard, as you’ll enjoy benefits ranging from free baggage and discounted in-flight purchases to ancillary travel benefits with the map.

How the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard Stands Out

In addition to the relatively low cost for a feature-rich card, what’s unusual about the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard is that instead of requiring thousands of dollars in purchases to activate its bonus registration, new cardholders are rewarded with 50,000 AAdvantage Miles after making a single purchase.

But the card’s features are also remarkable for a card with an annual fee of less than $100 per year. Some of the biggest are:

• $99 annual companion certificate if you spend $20,000 on the card and your account remains open for 45 days after your birthday
• First checked bag free on American Airlines
• Priority boarding on AA
• 0% introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers
• No foreign transaction fees
• Travel accident insurance
• Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
• Baggage delay insurance
• Car Rental Collision Damage Waiver
• 25% off inflight purchases
• $25 annual onboard Wi-Fi credit
• 2x AAdvantage miles on all US purchases.

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Overall, it’s a relatively unique mix of features that seem more valuable than the $99 annual fee, especially if you’re flying on American Airlines. The only thing this package might be “missing” is some type of lounge access. While full Admirals Club or Priority Pass membership cannot be expected with a $99 annual fee card, some competing cards offer one-time passes at this price point.

Comparable Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard Options

When it comes to American Airlines affiliate credit cards, there are a number of choices in the space, offering various rewards for different annual fees. The Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard currently occupies the mid-tier of available options, with its decent range of benefits and a mid-tier fee of $99. But whether you’re willing to pay for more features or just want a free card that still offers benefits, there are competitive options that may interest you.

Here are some American Airlines-affiliated alternative cards that you might prefer more or less than the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard:

American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card

The American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card is an option for those looking for a no-fee airline credit card that still offers benefits. Although the benefits are much more minimal than the top tier cards in the space, you can still get 10,000 AAdvantage miles after spending $500 within the first three months of card ownership, plus a $50 credit. $ on the statement.

You’ll also get the same 25% discount on inflight purchases and 2 X miles on American Airlines as with the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard. While that’s the limit of the card’s main benefits, there’s also no annual fee, so features and benefits are essentially free.

Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

For frequent American Airlines flyers looking to maximize their benefits, the premier Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard may be an option. The first card has a hefty annual fee of $450, but it also comes with a high level of features and benefits. The most notable is Admirals Club Membership, which can cost up to $650 for a single membership and is therefore heavily discounted just by getting the card.

The sign-up bonus is 80,000 AAdvantage miles, although this also comes with a hefty minimum spend of $5,500 in the first three months. Beyond that, the card offers additional benefits ranging from 4X miles on American Airlines purchases to one free checked bag, $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit every five years, and check-in and boarding. priority over American.

Overall, the right American Airlines affiliate credit card will depend on your travel habits and preferences.

How to register

Applying for the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard is simple on the Barclays website. The site will ask for typical financial and personal information, such as:

• Your date of birth
• Name and address
• Social Security number
• Employment status
• Annual revenue.

Some applications are approved instantly online, while others require 7-10 business days for further verification.

Who is the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard for?

As with most brand name airline credit cards, the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard is best suited for frequent flyers of the airline attached to the card – in this case, American Airlines. But even some non-AA fliers could take advantage of some of the card’s short-term benefits, such as the 50,000-mile sign-up bonus, which is usually good for two domestic round trips, and the 15-month introduction to 0% APR on balance transfers. Beyond that, most of the card’s benefits primarily only benefit AA fliers.

Final take

If you’re an American Airlines fan, you could do a lot worse than pay a $99 annual fee for the benefits offered by the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard. But the card may also appeal to those looking for a promotional rate of 0% for 15 months on a balance transfer. The Companion Certificate, which provides a free flight to a travel partner every year for just $99, can be a huge perk for anyone, but it requires a hefty outlay of $20,000 per year.

Editorial note: This content is not provided by any entity covered by this article. Any opinions, analyses, criticisms, evaluations, or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.