Barclays American Airlines Aadvantage Aviator Mastercard Will Disappear Soon
Frank McBride • September 22, 2025
An easy way to add miles for those who fly American
UPDATE: As of 9/30/25, Barclays has stopped offering this card. I hope that those of you who were interested were able to pick up this card.
Barclays offers several co-branded travel cards, but will soon stop offering its American Airlines card as an agreement between American and Citi gives Citi exclusivity in offering a co-branded American Airlines credit card. Although the Aadvantage Aviator’s days are numbered, it is still available and offers an excellent opportunity to pick up a quick signup bonus.
Barclays offers several co-branded travel cards, but will soon stop offering its American Airlines card as an agreement between American and Citi gives Citi exclusivity in offering a co-branded American Airlines credit card. Although the Aadvantage Aviator’s days are numbered, it is still available and offers an excellent opportunity to pick up a quick signup bonus.
Barclays American Aadvantage Aviator MasterCard
This card has been part of an American Airlines “double play” that both Ms. Optimizer and I have used. It is also a quick and inexpensive way to add Aadvantage miles to your account.
The current sign-up bonus offer is 50,000 miles after you have paid the $99 annual fee and made your first purchase on the card in any amount. In other words, you could get 50,000 miles added to your Aadvantage account in just one billing cycle and with a minimal spend. Our estimate is that these miles are worth perhaps $700.
Like many airline cards, the Aviator offers a free checked bag as well as earlier boarding when flying American.
The bonus structure for spending is not particularly exciting as you get a 2X mile bonus for American Airlines purchases and one mile per dollar for all other purchases.
Once Barclays gets dropped as American’s partner, my understanding is that this product will get converted to a Citi product. Any American miles you earn will, of course, remain in your account.
Risks of Applying for This “Short Termer” Card
From what I understand, there is little risk to the 50,000 mile sign-up bonus assuming you complete the minimum spending in a timely fashion. American miles stay in your Aadvantage account whether coming from a Barclays product, a Citi product, flying American, or other activities.
One risk is the temptation to “earn and churn” with this card. I like to think of the points and miles game as a long term and sustainable hobby and counsel clients to “play nice” with issuers rather than grabbing bonuses and cancelling the card after one year. Potential applicants should determine if they want to build a relationship with Barclays, especially as Barclays offers other co-branded travel cards you might want in the future including JetBlue, Emirates, Frontier, Lufthansa, Breeze, Wyndham, and Carnival.
Another consideration is that any new credit card can have an impact on your ability to get approved for future credit cards (i.e., the Chase 5/24 rule). You do not want to hinder future opportunities just to pick up some easy miles.
But, if this card makes sense for you and can fit into your future travel plans, it is better to apply sooner rather than later.
Because credit cards like this one can play a significant role in your points and miles pursuit, it is important to develop a comprehensive program to make sure you are getting the most free travel from your routine credit card spending. When we design a custom Travel Rewards Optimizer plan for you, we take your travel goals, travel habits, spending patterns, and preferences into account. We want to ensure that the cards we recommend for you can quickly generate free travel and provide relevant benefits while keeping your annual card fees under control.
We are ready to help you turn your routine credit card spending into the travel of your dreams.
Chase is about to devalue Chase UR point to World of Hyatt point transfers
In case you missed them, here is your "one-stop shopping" for posts from the past week. For some, recent changes with the Resy restaurant reservation platform might limit dining options when using the credit. Learn more here . Perhaps your next US domestic award flight should be booked through . . . Air France. Check out why . The Amex Platinum card might have the highest annual fee for mass marketed cards. Find out if the benefits are worth it for my household here . Hope you have a great Labor Day weekend!! We are ready to help you turn your routine credit card spending into the travel of your dreams.
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