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AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® review: Accessible rewards and solid traveler benefits

“As American Airlines shifts to a ‘Loyalty Points’ system for earning status, the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard is now a very important tool for AA loyalists.” – Stephanie Zito

 /  13 min
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Snapshot

4.4

Bankrate rating
Info
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5

Bottom line

The AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elie Mastercard is a boon for American Airlines loyalists who may not fly enough to earn frequent flier status. The card lacks flexibility, but it touts a generous welcome bonus and solid benefits for travelers.

Image of AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®

AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®

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  • Rewards value
    Rating: 1.6 stars out of 5
    1.6 / 5
    APR
    Rating: 3 stars out of 5
    3 / 5
    Rewards flexibility
    Rating: 2 stars out of 5
    2 / 5
    Features
    Rating: 3 stars out of 5
    3 / 5
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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Recommended Credit

1x - 2x

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Intro offer

Info

Regular APR

AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard Card Overview

The AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard’s generous (and easy-to-earn) welcome bonus makes it an attractive card for just about anyone who travels with American Airlines. You’ll earn miles on all your spending, including 2X miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, so you can quickly put those miles toward flights to destinations around the globe. This American Airlines credit card also comes with handy perks that would benefit people who fly the airline at least a couple of times a year.

  • Credit Card Cash Back

    Rewards

    • 2X miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
    • 1X miles on all other purchases

    Expert Appraisal: 
    See our expert analysis

  • Rewards

    Welcome offer

    • 50,000 AAdvantage miles after making one purchase and paying the annual card fee in full within the first 90 days

    Expert Appraisal
    See our expert analysis

  • Credit Card Search

    Rates and fees

    • $99 annual fee
    • 0 percent for 15 billing cycles for transfers made in the first 45 days
    • No purchase intro APR offer
    • No foreign transaction fee
    • 20.74 percent, 24.74 percent or 29.74 percent ongoing APR (variable)

    Expert Appraisal
    See our expert analysis

  • Congrats

    Other cardholder perks

    • Flight cents
    • In-flight savings
    • Preferred boarding
    • First checked bag free
    • Protection and insurance coverage
    • Anniversary Companion Certificate
    • Boosted American Airlines status with your spending

    Expert Appraisal
    See our expert analysis

AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard pros and cons

Pros

  • Checkmark

    The generous welcome bonus is easy to obtain and has no minimum spending requirements.

  • Checkmark

    The Companion Certificate allows you to travel with a companion for just $99 (plus taxes and fees) if you spend $20,000 on purchases and your account remains open for 45 days after your anniversary date.

  • Checkmark

    Cardholders get access to a number of travel perks like an annual $25 statement credit on inflight Wi-Fi purchases and 25 percent savings on inflight food and drink purchases when using this card.

Cons

  • The $99 annual fee is high for a card that only earns 1X miles on everyday purchases.

  • The annual fee is not waived the first year nor is there an introductory $0 annual fee.

  • The only category that earns elevated AAdvantage miles is American Airlines purchases, making it difficult to boost earning potential.

Why you might want the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard Card

The AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard comes with a decent welcome offer, intro APR offer on balance transfers, a great rewards rate toward American Airline purchases as well as a nice suite of travel perks.

Welcome bonus: No minimum spending requirement besides annual fee

Earning 50,000 AAdvantage bonus miles couldn’t be easier — just pay your $99 annual fee in full and make a purchase on your AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard within the first 90 days of opening your account. This offer is incredibly generous since even the best airline credit cards on the market require a spending minimum (usually around $2,000) for a comparable number of bonus points or miles.

While there are certainly larger welcome offers around, this one is a top pick because it’s rather easy to earn. And keep in mind that a domestic round-trip award flight with American Airlines can cost as little as 25,000 miles — so this bonus could, in fact, be enough for two domestic round-trip flights if you’re flexible with your travel plans and smart about your redemptions.

Rewards: You can earn a generous amount of AAdvantage miles 

As with other co-branded airline credit cards, you’ll earn miles faster by traveling with the airline. Flying American Airlines Purchasing American Airlines tickets will get you 2X AAdvantage miles, but you’ll also earn 1X miles on all other purchases.

Frequent American flyers who spend at least $20,000 on the card each year will also earn an annual Anniversary Companion Certificate. With it, someone can travel with you for just $99 (plus taxes and fees) as long as your account remains open for 45 days after your anniversary date.

Intro APR: A fairly lengthy offer for balance transfers

Travel rewards credit cards don’t often come with introductory APR offers, which makes the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard even more appealing. You can take advantage of an intro 0 percent APR for 15 billing cycles on balance transfers made within the first 45 days. There’s a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3 percent of the transfer amount, whichever is greater. A variable APR will apply after the introductory period for balance transfers ends.

Cardholder perks: A decent range of travel benefits

American Airlines flyers will love the benefits this card offers, which will make traveling with the airline easier and less expensive when flying American Airlines.

  • First checked bag free: You and up to four companions on the same reservation can enjoy one checked bag for free on select domestic American Airlines flights.
  • Preferred boarding: You and up to four companions are also eligible to receive preferred boardings on all American Airlines flights.
  • In-flight savings: You can get $25 back in statement credits every year for in-flight Wi-Fi purchases on American Airlines, plus save 25 percent on food and beverage purchases on American Airlines flights.
  • No foreign transaction fees: You won’t have to pay the standard 3 percent charge on foreign transactions when making purchases overseas with this card.
  • Flight Cents: You can fast track your AAdvantage miles by rounding up purchases to the nearest dollar.
  • Protection and insurance: By paying for your trip with this card, you could enjoy a host of travel protections, such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, travel accident insurance and collision and theft insurance on rental cars.
  • Earn American Airlines status with your spending: American Airlines’ AAdvantage Program has moved to a new Loyalty Points system. Now it’s possible to earn elite status on American Airlines entirely with your credit card spending.
  • Anniversary Companion Certificate: If you spend at least $20,000 on your card and your account remains open for 45 days after your anniversary date, you can receive a Companion Certificate for $99 (plus taxes and fees), which you can use for a domestic economy fare.

Why you might want a different airline card

Even while the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard has many appealing features, it does have some drawbacks, such as an annual fee and reward restrictions.

Rates and fees: Has an annual fee

The AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard has no foreign transaction fees — a big plus for a travel rewards card — but it comes with an annual fee of $99. This isn’t unheard of when it comes to travel cards with elite perks, but if you don’t primarily use American Airlines or travel enough to justify paying an annual fee, then it may not be worth it. 

The American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card, on the other hand, has no annual fee, no intro APR offer, a foreign transaction fee and limited travel perks. Its rewards structure is similar to the AAdvantage Aviator. If you don't mind forgoing the perks of the AAdvantage Aviator for the opportunity to pay no annual fee, this may be a better choice.

Redemption: Rewards are limited and expire 

American Airlines is part of the oneworld®Alliance. The AAdvantage Program currently has 18 partner airlines, so you can redeem miles with a number of carriers. You can redeem your miles online or over the phone. You can also gift or transfer miles for a fee. However, if you don't want to strictly redeem miles toward airline travel, you'll have constraints on how you can benefit from your earnings.

You can earn unlimited AAdvantage miles, but be aware that they will expire if you don’t keep your account active. You’d have to make a purchase with your AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard at least once every 18 months or fly with American Airlines to keep your miles. If you can guarantee that you’ll be able to keep up with your account’s status, then it may not be a good choice to apply for this card.

How much are miles worth?

According to Bankrate's most recent points and miles valuations, an AAdvantage mile is worth around 1 cent as of December 2022. Depending on how you redeem your welcome offer, those 50,000 AAdvantage miles (when you pay your $99 annual fee in full and make a purchase on your card within the first 90 days) could be worth approximately $500.

We tried it: Here’s what our experts say

If you’re in an American Airlines hub, you can get significant value from the AAdvantage Aviator Red Mastercard. Nick Ewen, a credit card expert at The Points Guy, opened the card for the sign-up bonus, and he leverages the perks for his American flights.

I love that this card awards the sign-up bonus after just a single purchase (and paying the $99 annual fee), but I also enjoy the AA perks it offers. From a free checked bag to preferred boarding and $25 back every year on inflight Wi-Fi, this is a great option for even casual American travelers.

—  Nick Ewan, Director Of Content, The Points Guy

How the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard compares to other airline credit cards

Compared to other co-branded airline cards, the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard’s rewards earning potential is fairly limited. For example, both the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card and Citi® AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® allow you to earn bonus miles on everyday spending in addition to airline purchases.

Image of AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®

AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®

Annual fee

$99

Intro offer

50,000 miles
Info

Rewards rate

1x - 2x
Info

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Image of Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Bankrate Score
See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Apply now Lock
on American Express's secure site

Annual fee

$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.

Intro offer

Earn 40,000 Miles
Info

Rewards rate

1X - 2X
Info

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Image of Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®

Annual fee

$99, waived for first 12 months

Intro offer

50,000 miles
Info

Rewards rate

2X - 2X
Info

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info

Best cards to pair with the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard

To build AAdvantage miles rewards faster, you could pair this card with another travel rewards card or airline credit card. 

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

Depending on your specific needs and travel habits, the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard could or could not be the best option.

Bankrate’s Take — Is the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard worth it?

If you love flying with American Airlines and travel at least a couple of times a year, then this card could be a great fit. Although there’s a $99 annual fee, you can easily get this back with the checked-bag benefit. Plus, the ability to earn a Companion Certificate each year is excellent for couples or family members who often travel together.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, please click here.

All information about the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®, Citi® AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.

How we rated this card

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We rate credit cards using a proprietary card scoring system that ranks each card’s estimated average rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more against those of other cards in its primary category.

Each card feature is assigned a weighting based on how important it is to people looking for a card in a given category. These features are then scored based on how they rank relative to the features on other cards in the category. Based on these calculations, each card receives an overall rating of 1-5 stars (with 5 being the highest possible score and 1 being the lowest). 

We analyzed over 150 of the most popular rewards and cash back cards to determine where each stacked up based on their value, cost, benefits and more. Here are some of the key factors that influenced this card’s overall score and how the score influenced our review:

Written by
Re'Dreyona Walker
Associate Editor, Credit Cards

Re’Dreyona Walker is an editor for Bankrate and CreditCards.com, focusing on product guides and reviews. As a personal finance expert, she is dedicated to providing honest product reviews as well as in-depth, comprehensive guides to assist readers in building credit and finding the best credit cards for their needs.

Edited by Senior Editor, Credit Cards

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