American Airlines’ AAdvantage loyalty program was the first major airline loyalty program, and it continues to be one of the best. It has stuck mainly to award charts for partner flights, and you can find good deals on American-operated flights, too. Plus, its Loyalty Points scheme makes it easy to earn elite status from your everyday spending.
American Airlines issues AAdvantage credit cards through two partner banks: Citi and Barclays. This will change in the coming years as the airline winds down its Barclays partnership, but for now, cards from both issuers are available.
But with over five AAdvantage credit cards available, which is right for you? Let’s take a look.
You can earn and redeem American Airlines AAdvantage miles when you fly with American and its partners, spend on its credit cards, or leverage non-air partnerships like the airline’s shopping portal, dining program, or hotel booking portal. You can also transfer points from Marriott Bonvoy to AAdvantage at a 3:1 transfer rate.
You’ll typically get the best deals when booking partner flights. You can read our full guide to AAdvantage for specific redemptions, but some of the best deals are on flights from the U.S. to Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
American-operated flights are dynamically priced, meaning prices change by day, route, and other factors, but there are still great deals. This is especially true on domestic tickets, where you can often find flights for under 9,000 miles each way.
You can earn elite American Airlines status by collecting loyalty points. You earn these whenever you earn a base mile with American and almost all its partners. Regarding credit cards, you earn one base mile per dollar spent, so you also earn a Loyalty Point. Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to category and welcome bonuses, so assume $1 spent on an AAdvantage credit card equals one Loyalty Point earned.
Again, please read our guide to American AAdvantage for a more detailed program breakdown.
Picking the right AAdvantage credit card depends on how often you fly American, the perks you’re looking for, and how high an annual fee you’re willing to pay. Each American credit card offers different benefits, mileage-earning structures, and annual fees.
For example, those flying American weekly are most likely to use benefits like lounge access, so they should pick a higher-end card if they can afford the higher annual fee (think $500+). Meanwhile, more casual flyers may want a lower-fee card that only includes basic benefits like priority boarding and checked bags.
We designed our recommendations with this in mind. Below are our recommendations for different use cases, like the best cards for free checked bags, lounge access, and even earning elite status.
The AAdvantage® MileUp® Card is the most basic credit card in American’s cobranded credit card portfolio. It doesn’t charge an annual fee — a big positive — but lacks in-flight benefits found on higher-end AAdvantage credit cards.
The AAdvantage® MileUp® Card is ideal for those just getting started with AAdvantage and for those newer to credit. It doesn’t have many benefits, but it lets you earn AAdvantage miles on your everyday purchases without paying an annual fee. We also like that it earns double miles on groceries.
Note that this card has a 3% foreign transaction fee, so avoid using it abroad or when paying in foreign currencies. Refer to our article on the best credit cards for international purchases for the best cards that do not charge foreign transaction fees.
American Airlines offers two mid-range cards that give you free checked bags: the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® and the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®.
Both cards have similar fees and benefits, but the Aviator Red from Barclays has a couple of interesting additions that give it a slight edge over the Citi card, like $25 per year in free American Airlines Wi-Fi credits and a welcome offer that’s easier to earn.
The AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® card is best for travelers who fly American a few times yearly and want to check their bags for free. Bag fees start at $35 per bag, so three trips would make you break even on the Aviator Red’s annual fee. Also, note that this benefit extends to up to four travel companions traveling together.
The welcome offer is a big perk, too. It’s more than enough miles for a one-way business class ticket to Europe on airlines like Iberia and Finnair.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is by far the most premium credit card in American’s portfolio. It offers many excellent benefits, including Admirals Club lounge access, free checked bags, and even the ability to earn bonus Loyalty Points, among others.
That said, the card has a high $595 annual fee. These are offset with $120 in annual statement credits from Avis, Lyft, and Grubhub, but it’s still a significant expense. Have a look at the list of features below and see if the benefits align with your travel patterns and credit card spending habits.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is best for those who fly American Airlines regularly and want to access the airline’s network of Admirals Club lounges.
These are found at many major U.S. airports and give you a place to relax before your flight, with most lounges offering free Wi-Fi, snacks, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The card’s $595 annual fee is less than buying an Admirals Club membership outright.
It’s also an excellent option for those chasing American elite status. Like most AAdvantage credit cards, you’ll earn 1 Loyalty Point per dollar you spend on the card. But this card also lets you earn up to 20,000 bonus Loyalty Points per year, which could quickly get you to a higher tier.
American Airlines offers one business credit card, the Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®. It’s similar to the Aviator Red card discussed earlier, but offers a different mileage-earning structure geared toward small business owners. The card also provides access to AAdvantage Business, which can help you manage employee travel.
The Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® is best for business owners who want to earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points on business expenses. This will separate your business and personal expenses, which can be a massive help during tax season.
One important thing to note: miles earned with this card are deposited into your AAdvantage Business account. From there, you can transfer them to your AAdvantage account or to an employee’s AAdvantage account.
As with any purchasing decision, there’s no one AAdvantage credit card that’s best for everyone. Look through the benefits offered by each card and assign a value to each of them based on your travel habits. Pick the card that gives you the best return for your annual fee.
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