Rewards Plan
Welcome Bonus
Credit Rating
0% Intro
Annual Fee
APR
- Free Checked Bags
- Preferred Boarding
- No Lounge Access
- High Spend Requirements
Rewards Plan
Welcome Bonus
0% Intro
PROS
- Free Checked Bags
- Preferred Boarding
CONS
- No Lounge Access
- High Spend Requirements
APR
20.49% - 29.49%
Annual Fee
$95
Balance Transfer Fee
$5 or 3%, whichever is greater
Credit Requirements
Good - Excellent
If you’re a business owner who is brand loyal to American Airlines, the AAdvantage Aviator could be a good way to boost your miles balance. However, you do need to be prepared for rewards that are a little lackluster. The annual fee is modest, but you won’t be able to receive the miles that premium co-branded cards offer, particularly if the majority of your business spending is outside of the top tier spending categories.
Since this card does have a modest annual fee, it does offer some nice benefits, including a companion pass, but there are spending requirements to qualify. This includes $30k spending throughout the year to receive a companion pass the following year, which may be a barrier for some users. Since the companion pass is arguably the best perk of this card, you need to ensure that you will qualify for it, year on year.
- Mileage Bonus
- Free Checked Bags
- Preferred Boarding
- Companion Certificate
- Complimentary Employee Cards
- Inflight Savings
- World Elite Mastercard Offers
- No Lounge Access
- Lackluster Rewards
- High Spend Requirements
Can I get pre-approved?
Barclays does not offer pre approval on its website for its cards, including the AAdvantage Aviator. However, Barclays may send out mailers or other promotional material offering select customers pre approval for this or other credit cards.
How do I redeem rewards?
When you want to redeem your AAdvantage miles, you’ll need to log into your AAdvantage account. You can then search for flights and see a miles cost for each itinerary. You can also explore the other redemption options.
How hard is it to get an AAdvantage Aviator card?
You do need to have good to excellent credit to qualify for the AAdvantage Aviator card, but there are no other specific requirements. So, if you’re a business owner with decent credit, you should not have any particular problems getting this card.
In this Review
Simulation: How Much Rewards You Can Earn?
Take a look at the table below to see how many points you can get by using the AAdvantage Aviator Business Mastercard. The table shows an estimate of the points you could earn based on your usual spending in different categories.
Remember that this table is just an approximation, and the points you actually earn may be different due to your spending habits and other factors. However, it gives you a good idea of the potential advantages of this card.
| |
|---|---|
Spend Per Category | AAdvantage Aviator World Elite Business Mastercard
|
$10,000 – U.S Supermarkets | 10,000 miles |
$3,000 – Restaurants
| 3,000 miles |
$5,000 – Airline | 10,000 miles |
$4,000 – Hotels | 4,000 miles |
$4,000 – Gas | 4,000 miles |
Estimated Annual Miles | 31,000 Miles |
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Pros and Cons
Just like any other credit card, the AAdvantage World Elite Business Mastercard has some advantages and disadvantages:
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Mileage Bonus | No Lounge Access |
Free Checked Bags | Lackluster Rewards |
Preferred Boarding | High Spend Requirements |
Companion Certificate | |
Complimentary Employee Cards | |
Inflight Savings |
- Mileage Bonus
After your account anniversary date, you’ll receive a 5% mileage bonus based on the number of miles you’ve earned in total using your card throughout the year. So, if you earn 10,000 miles, you’ll receive a 500 mile bonus.
- Free Checked Bags
On domestic American Airlines itineraries, you and up to four travel companions can enjoy first checked bags free. However, you and your companions need to be traveling on the same reservation to qualify.
- Preferred Boarding
You and up to four travel companions can enjoy preferred boarding on American Airlines operated flights. Again, you need to all be on the same reservation to qualify.
- Companion Certificate
Every anniversary year, you’ll receive a companion certificate if you spend $30,000 on your account during the year. This certificate is good for one guest to travel at $99 plus taxes and fees.
To receive your certificate, your account must remain open for at least 45 days after the anniversary date.
- World Elite Mastercard Offers
As the AAdvantage Aviator is a World Elite Mastercard, as a cardholder you can access a variety of offers.
This includes deals from popular brands for services such as food delivery, online shopping and ride sharing. You can also access Priceless experiences and events.00
- No Lounge Access
Although complimentary lounge access is usually reserved for premium lounge aceess credit cards, it is unusual for a co-branded card to not offer any form of lounge access.
This card does not even offer discounted access.
- Lackluster Rewards
While it is nice to receive two miles in some spending categories, there are other cards that offer as many as five miles per dollar.
Additionally, there are limited categories included in the top tier, with everything else, just getting one mile per dollar.
- High Spend Requirements
The introductory bonus and companion pass have fairly high spending requirements to qualify. If you’re a modest spender, you may struggle to qualify for these perks.
- Complimentary Employee Cards
Unlike some business credit cards, you can request cards for your employees without any additional fee. This makes it easier to accumulate miles faster, but it also makes it simpler to control your business spending, as you don’t need to worry about reimbursing your team members for business purchases.
- Inflight Savings
When you use your card to pay for food and beverages during your American Airlines operated flight, you can receive 25% savings.
Who May Consider The AAdvantage Aviator Business?
Since this is a business card, it is obviously designed for business owners or managers, particularly those who are brand loyal to American Airlines. If your business activities require regular flights with American Airlines, this could be a good card to carry.
The card could also be a good pick if the majority of your business spending is on American Airlines flights, rental cars, telecom and office supplies, since these are the top tier reward categories. If your spending is typically outside these categories, you are not likely to get the most value from this card.
If you would like to check other airline cards in the same category, here are some alternatives:
Card | Rewards | Annual Fee |
| 1X – 3X
3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets and 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases
| $350 (Rates & Fees)
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 1X – 2X
Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases. Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.
| $99 (waived for the first 12 months)
| |
| 1X – 3X
3 Avios for every dollar on Aer Lingus, Iberia and British Airways, 2 Avios per dollar on direct hotel accommodations and 1 Avios for all other purchases
| $95 | |
| 1X – 3X
3X points on Southwest purchases, 2X points on Southwest’s Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, local transit and commuting (including rideshares) and internet, cable phone and select streaming services; 1X points on all other purchases
| $149 | |
| 1X – 6X
6X points on JetBlue purchases, 2X points at restaurants and grocery stores and 1X points on all other purchases
| $99 | |
 | 1X – 2X
2x per $1 spent on United purchases, hotel accommodations, restaurants & eligible delivery services and 1x per $1 spent on all other purchases
| $95 ($0 first year) | |
| 1x – 5x
5x miles per dollar on purchases at flyfrontier.com, 3x miles per dollar at restaurants and 1x miles on all other purchases
| $89 |
Tips for Using the Aviator World Elite Business Card
Here are two options that can help you maximizing the card:
-
Book Travel On The Same Reservation
If you’re flying with up to four others, be sure to book your American Airlines travel on the same reservation. This will ensure that all of you can enjoy free first checked bags and preferred boarding.
-
Request Employee Cards
Unlike many other business cards, you’ll not incur a fee if you request additional cards for your employees.
If your employees have a card, it will not only help you to earn miles more quickly, but it can make managing your business spending easier, since you’ll have an itemized statement each month.
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FAQs
When it may not be a good idea?
This card is not the best idea if you tend to have very varied business spending. Since there are limited categories offering the top tier two miles per dollar, you may find it challenging to accumulate a large miles balance.
The card is also not the best choice if you’re a fairly modest spender, since you do need to meet some significant spending requirements to qualify for the welcome bonus and companion certificate.
Does the card provide travel insurance?
Unfortunately, while card holders can access a global services helpline while you’re away, there is no travel insurance coverage offered with the AAdvantage Aviator.
What are card income requirements?
There are no official income requirements published by Barclays for this card, but you do need to have good to excellent credit to qualify. While your income will be assessed, it is not the only factor that will be considered when an approval decision is being made.
