Barclays Aviator Companion Certificate Guide [2021]

A lot of credit cards offer a companion certificates or companion pass opportunities. Some of these are issued on an annual basis automatically but others require you to earn them with a bit of spend.

The Barclays Aviator companion certificate is one of those that you have to earn with your hard-earned spend. In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about this companion certificate, including whether or not it is worth it.

What is the Barclays Aviator companion certificate?

The Barclays Aviator companion certificate is a special perk you can earn by putting enough spend on a Barclays aviator credit card. The certificates come in different forms depending on the type of card that you have:

Card Name# of certificatesPriceSpend Requirement
AAdvantage Aviator Silver2$99$20,000
AAdvantage Aviator Business1$99$30,000
AAdvantage Aviator Red1$99$20,000

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Is the Aviator companion certificate worth it?

$20,000 is a lot and spend for many people so you want to make sure that you are putting your spend to good use for this perk.

Since this is a companion certificate, you obviously net more value by purchasing a more expensive fare.

A good way to analyze your value proposition is to consider the $99 fee plus the taxes and fees which may average around $130.

So to break even you basically want to purchase a ticket that is more expensive than $130 which should not be very difficult to do since you can use this for roundtrips.

For many card members, it’s not very difficult to get a couple of hundred dollars in value from this perk by purchasing a ticket between $300 and $500. For many domestic roundtrips in economy, that is probably a nice sweet spot to shoot for.

Note: the terms do exclude the most expensive economy fare classes.

Remember that the annual fee for the Aviator Red is $99 so if you were trying to offset that annual fee, you would need to purchase a ticket for at least ~$230. Again, that is not a very challenging task which is why this benefit allows these cards to be “keeper cards” for people who fly American Airlines.

Aviator companion certificate rules

Spend requirement

The $20,000 (or $30,000) in spend needs to be met during your account anniversary year (not calendar year) and the terms state that your account must remain open for at least 45 days after the anniversary date. As long as you meet those two requirements, you will be good to go.

Receiving the companion certificate

The terms also state to allow 8 to 10 weeks for the delivery of the certificate. This is on top of the 45 days you will be waiting after your anniversary date, so it could take a little while for your certificate to arrive after your anniversary date.

Don’t be surprised if it takes about two months from your account anniversary date for the perk to appear.

Your companion certificate should arrive in an email and the snail mail and it will provide you with directions on how to book.

Domestic routes in economy class

The companion certificate must be used on domestic routes only. Also, it is only valid for economy class fares. So if you want to experience American Airlines first class, this certificate won’t help you out there.

If you happen to be a resident of Alaska or Hawaii, the eligible travel is defined as a round-trip originating in either Alaska or Hawaii and continuing to the lower 48.

$99 minimum payment

When you use the companion certificate, you will have to pay $99 for the companion ticket plus any taxes and fees. Typically, these fees will range between $21 and $43 so be prepared to shell out a bit more cash for the ticket.

This is very similar to the Alaska Airlines companion certificate which also requires a similar payment.

Eligible routes and airlines

Eligible travel is defined as travel within the lower 48 (contiguous United States) but see the Hawaii and Alaska exception above.

The flights will need to be marketed and operated by American Airlines or marked it by American Airlines and operated by one of the following:

  • Compass Airlines
  • Envoy Air
  • Republic Airline
  • SkyWest Airlines
  • Mesa Airlines
  • PSA Airlines
  • Piedmont Airlines, Inc.

Note: the certificate is not available for travel on codeshare flights booked with an American Airlines flight number but operated by another airline.

Blackout dates

One drawback to this perk is that you may have to contend with black out dates when booking. You can check out the prior blackout dates below that were found (among other helpful details) via middleagemiles.

  • 2019: Jan 1-3; Feb 15-19; Mar 8-11; Mar 15-18; Mar 22-25; May 24-28; Jun 28-30; Jul 1-7; Nov 27-30; Dec 1-2; Dec 14-23; Dec 27-31
  • 2020: Jan 1-3; Feb 14-18; Mar 6-9; Mar 13-16; Mar 20-23; May 22-26; Jun 30; Jul 1-6; Nov 25-30; Dec 12-23; Dec 27-31

Upgrades

Upgrades are not allowed per the terms of the certificate. However, some have had success getting upgraded with elite status. This may not be the norm but you can certainly give it a try with the gate agent and you might have some luck.

14 days in advance

You will have to book your flights using your companion certificate at least 14 days prior to your departure.

You will also have to mail in forms which will need to be received seven days before your departure so slackers be warned, this is not a perk that you want to wait until the last minute to use.

Expiration

The companion certificate will be valid one year from the issue date. This means that you must make your booking and complete your travel by the expiration date. Once your companion certificate arrives, you should be able to view the travel expiration date.

Cancellations

One of the biggest drawbacks to this perk is that if you use the certificate and then cancel your flight, you will not be able to get your certificate replaced. So you need to be extremely careful when making a reservation.

How to book the companion certificate

When you receive your email, you will see the American Airlines meeting services phone number which is 800–433–1790.

You will need to have all of your reservation details on hand when you call this number including your flight details, AAdvantage number, and your companion certificate number.

As soon as you make a reservation, you need to mail in your companion certificate within the required time frame. American Airlines will need to receive this signed certificate within 14 days of your phone booking. If you fail to mail it in, your flight will not be ticketed.

(The agent on the phone should provide you with the address to send the certificate to.)

After you send off your certificate, be on the lookout in your email inbox for your eTicket.

FAQ

Do I have to use my American Airlines credit card to book?

Yes, you must pay for your tickets with the credit card that you earned the companion certificate with.

Will companions earn miles or elite credits on the flight?

The terms state that you will not earn miles or elite credits on the flight but in practice some people have earned both redeemable miles and elite qualifying miles.

Can I upgrade my ticket when using the certificate?

The terms and conditions state upgrades are prohibited but in practice some people have had success with obtaining upgrades. Your mileage may vary in this area.

When does the Aviator companion certificate expire?

The companion certificate will expire one year from issuance and the date of issuance will often be around two months from your anniversary date.

Can I use the companion certificate for basic economy fares?

No, basic economy fares are excluded.

Final word

This perk is a great way to offset the annual fee and to come out on top in terms of value. If you can book tickets of $200 or more, you can completely offset the annual fee and make up for the fees associated with this perk.

The major drawback to this perk is that it does require you to jump through some hoops for the booking and is a bit old-fashioned with forcing you to mail in a physical signed certificate.

But if you can deal with a little bit of legwork, this can be an awesome benefit to use every year.

Barclays Aviator Red Review [2021]

There are some co-branded airline credit cards that I believe everybody should seriously consider. The AAdvantage Aviator Red from Barclays is definitely one of these credit cards. The reason I am so big on this card is that it offers a lot of bang for buck and also it is perfect for people who may struggle to meet minimum spend requirements when stretching themselves thin.

In this review article, I will break down everything you need to know about the AAdvantage Aviator Red.

AAdvantage Aviator Red Overview

  • Lucrative welcome bonus usually offered
  • 2X on AA purchases
  • First checked bag free
  • Anniversary Companion Certificate
  • Flight Cents 
  • Preferred boarding
  • Reduced mileage awards
  • $25 back on wifi
  • 25% discount on in-flight purchases
  • $99 annual fee

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Welcome bonus

For several years, the Aviator Red has been a favorite travel credit card for people who don’t want to put a lot of spend on a credit card to achieve a bonus. Typically, you can earn the bonus for this card by simply making a single purchase on your card within 90 days of opening.

That’s pretty amazing considering that this card can come with some very lucrative bonuses such as 60,000 miles. 60K is the best standard public offer we’ve seen but I’d argue this card is worth it even at 50K, just because how easy it is to earn.

It’s almost like paying $99 (the annual fee) for 50,000 or 60,000 miles.

The other thing to think about when looking at this card is the potential to stack your bonuses. There are some other lucrative American Airlines credit cards out there like the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard and Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select.

If you were to time up the bonuses well, you could potentially score 120,000+ miles in one swoop. And because the welcome bonus is so easy to obtain for the Aviator Red, this is one of the easiest ways to net over 100,000 miles in quick fashion.

Stacking bonuses is a pretty strategic move because American Airlines is not currently a transfer partner of any of the major transfer programs associated with large banks such as American Express, Chase, or Citibank.

Qatar A350 business class seat
Qatar A350 business class booked with AA miles.

Bonus categories

  • 2X on AA purchases
  • 1X on all other purchases

The bonus categories on the Aviator Red are extremely vanilla.

Earning double the points on American Airlines is expected and nothing too special. If you value American Airlines miles at 1.37 cents per mile then 2X comes out to 2.74% back. I think they could definitely improve this card by adding some interesting new bonus categories.

Related:

American Airlines row of seats in airplane
2X on AA purchases is nice but that’s about as good as the bonus categories get.

Airline benefits

First checked bag free

You can get a free checked bag for you and up to four companions on domestic itineraries operated by American Airlines.

For this benefit to apply, the card must be open 7 days prior to air travel, and the reservation must include the primary cardmember’s AAdvantage Account number 7 days prior to air travel.

Something worth noting is that you do not have to use your card on your airfare in order to receive this benefit. So if you have a credit card with better trip insurance, you can still use that to cover your flight.

American Airlines charges $30 for the first checked bag, so you could easily save over $100 traveling with three other people on a one-way trip.

This perk alone will justify the annual fee for a lot of people who frequently fly American Airlines, as is often the case with co-branded airline credit cards.

The only drawback to this perk is that it does NOT cover international trips. Some international routes will actually give you a free checked bag so that is not a dealbreaker but it is something that is distinguished from competitor cards like the United Explorer Card.

Anniversary Companion Certificate

Every anniversary year you can earn a $99 domestic economy fare companion certificate if you spend $20,000 and keep your account open for at least 45 days after the anniversary date.

For many card members, it’s not very difficult to get a couple of hundred dollars in value from this perk by purchasing a ticket between $300 and $500. So that’s decent value but $20,000 in spend for a $99 companion certificate is a high amount of spend in my opinion.

I like to compare the spend bonuses to other cards to get a sense of the relative value you might be missing out on. You could spend $15,000 on a Hilton Surpass and earn a free night that could cover a property going for hundreds or even $1,000 a night. So that is less spend and likely more value potential. Just something to think about.

Flight Cents 

Flight Cents is a way to earn additional American Airlines miles by rounding up your Aviator credit card purchases to the nearest whole dollar. For each cent that is rounded up, you’ll automatically purchase half an AAdvantage mile up to a certain threshold. So basically you are purchasing miles for two cents per mile.

I think Flight Cents is an interesting benefit. It’s not the most lucrative way to earn AA miles but it can be significantly cheaper than purchasing them outright. The way the perk works is a little bit confusing so I would recommend reading my guide on Flight Cents here.

Preferred boarding

You can also get preferred boarding for you and up to four companions when flying on American Airlines operated flights.

I think the biggest thing to note here is that “preferred boarding” is not the same as “priority boarding.” Priority boarding includes groups one through four. Meanwhile, preferred boarding is in group 5.

Despite that, you will still be among the first to enter the aircraft in main cabin so it can be helpful when trying to secure your overhead storage bin space. You can find out more about the American Airlines boarding process here.

boarding sign at gate
Get preferred boarding with the Aviator Red.

Reduced mileage awards

Reduced mileage awards are special discounts on American Airlines MileSAAver awards to select destinations that are available to some American Airlines co-branded credit card holders.

These discounts allow you to save thousands of miles on redemptions, which can knock down the price of a flight from 12,500 miles to 8,750 miles. This can be a great way to save on miles but just be aware that sometimes “Web Specials” can be cheaper than the MileSAAver awards with the reduced mileage award discount.

$25 back on wifi

Every anniversary year you can get $25 back as statement credits on inflight Wi-Fi purchases. This is a great way to offset 25% of the annual fee.

25% Statement Credit

You can get a 25% savings as a statement credit on eligible inflight food and beverage purchases when purchased using your card. These savings do not apply to any other inflight purchases, such as wireless internet access or inflight entertainment. 

Aviator Red FAQ

What is the annual fee for the Aviator Red?

The annual fee is $99.

Is the annual fee waived for the Aviator Red?

No, the annual fee is not waived the first year.

Do you get free checked bags with the Aviator Red?

Yes, you can get a free checked bag for you and up to four companions on domestic itineraries.

Do you get Admiral’s Club access with the Aviator Red?

No, you do not get lounge access with the Aviator Red.

Final word

I’ve been a big fan of the Aviator Red card ever since it was introduced. I love how easy the bonus is to earn and that the bonus is also usually very lucrative.

The bonus categories are definitely nothing special on this card but there are some pretty decent perks that allow you to offset the annual fee. If you fly American Airlines on even a semi-regular basis this card could be worth holding on to for the long run.

New Barclays Aviator Companion Pass 60K Offer

The Aviator card from Barclays is one of the best travel cards for racking up miles in a hurry. That’s because it comes with a 60,000 miles bonus simply after making a single purchase within 90 days (although there is a $99 annual fee that’s not waived).

Even with the annual fee this is a great deal, but there’s also a companion pass perk that many aren’t aware of since it’s newer and not as highly publicized as the 60,000 point bonus. In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the companion pass offer here.

Barclays Aviator perks

  • 60K miles after single purchase within 90 days
  • 2X on AA purchases
  • Companion Pass after single purchase and annual spend
  • Free checked bag on domestic flights for up to four companions
  • Preferred Boarding for up to four companions (Group 5)
  • Anniversary $25 Wi-Fi Credit
  • Flight Cents
  • Reduced Mileage Awards
  • 25% Statement Credit for Inflight Purchases

Some of these perks can be very valuable like free checked bags for up to four companions and preferred boarding (which virtually guarantees you overhead storage bin space). But in this article, I’ll focus on the companion pass perk and tell you how to earn it and how much value you can expect to get. If you’re looking for ways to maximize your American miles (or perhaps the 60K bonus), then click here. 

Preferred boarding is a nice perk.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

What is the Aviator companion pass?

The Aviator companion pass is a special perk that allows a companion to fly with you on a roundtrip economy ticket after only paying $99 + taxes and fees. Government taxes and fees range between $21.60 and $43.20 so you’re usually looking at total fees of about $130 for the roundtrip companion ticket. That sounds high but if the air fare is round $400+, that’s some pretty good savings.  

You’ll get a companion pass certificate after you make a purchase within 90 days of signing up and then an additional companion pass each year if you meet the spending requirement. I’ll talk about each of these below.

Intro companion pass

You’ll earn the intro companion pass after making a single purchase within 90 days of opening up your card. This companion pass is in addition to the sign-up bonus, so it’s a pretty valuable deal considering the average value of the companion pass perk is around $300 (according to American Airlines flight attendants).

After you make the purchase Barclays states to allow 8-10 weeks for delivery of the Companion Certificate after the qualifying purchase has posted to your card account and the annual fee has been paid in full. In reality, this pass could hit your account much sooner so just be on the lookout for it.

Anniversary companion pass

The anniversary companion pass is much different from the intro offer because you’ll have to put down a good amount of spend to get it. To get the companion pass every year, you’ll need to spend $20,000 or more in eligible purchases during the cardmember year (each 12-month period through and including your Card Account anniversary month). Also, your account will need to be open for at least 45 days after the anniversary date.

I’m personally not a huge fan of spending $20K for a simple companion pass for a couple of reasons. First of all, I’d much rather put spend on a card like the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve to earn up to 3X on my travel/dining purchases and also put spend on something like the Gold Card or Blue Business Plus from Amex to rack up points on supermarkets (4x) and non-bonuses spend (2X).

Second, I’d rather pursue Hilton free nights for $15K worth of spend with cards like the Ascend, since I’d get more value from those (usually $400+). In the end, these types of bonuses are highly specific to your needs so I’m not saying it’s never worth it — just make sure you’re aware of the alternatives (especially if they include hitting other sign-up bonuses).

American Airlines Main Cabin Extra.

Companion Pass rules

The Companion Certificate will be valid one year from the issue date. Companion Certificate eligible travel is defined as travel on flights within the 48 contiguous United States, on flights marketed and operated by:

  • American Airlines,
  • or on flights marketed by American Airlines and operated by Compass Airlines, LLC
  • Envoy Air Inc.
  • Republic Airline Inc.
  • SkyWest Airlines, Inc.
  • Mesa Airlines, Inc.
  • PSA Airlines, Inc.
  • or Piedmont Airlines, Inc.

For residents of Alaska and Hawaii, Companion Certificate eligible travel is defined as round-trip travel originating in either of those two states and continuing to the 48 contiguous United States.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

Should you get the card now?

There are a couple of things to consider here. The first is that Citi also offers American Airlines cards (usually with the annual fee waived), so it’s often a good idea to stack these cards together (you can get both). Citi is moving to a 48 month rule so you’ll only be able to get a bonus for a card every four years (subject to exceptions like potential targeted offers), so you’ll want to account for that change with your credit card strategy.

5/24 and alternatives

Another thing to consider is your 5/24 status. If you are under 5/24 (you have NOT opened up five accounts in the past 24 months) then the smartest credit card strategy will likely be to first jump on some of the best Chase cards.

For many people, it would make much more sense to jump the 60,000 point offer for the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Or you might even go for a card like the Chase Ink Preferred with its ultra-high 80,000 point offer. The Sapphire Reserve and Chase Ink Cash could be great options as well. Aside from having great bonuses and bonus earning potential these cards are worth looking at because you can’t get approved for these cards if you’ve opened up five or more accounts in the past 24 months. 

6/24

The Aviator card will always be around and so there’s really no rush for this card, especially if you’re under 5/24. Barcalys has imposed their version of the 5/24 rule at times but it’s known as the “6/24 rule.” This is not enforced as stringently as the Chase rule though so it’s more of a soft rule. But still, if you’re really interested in the Aviator, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go for the Aviator right after hitting 5/24.

Final word

I’ve always loved the Aviator and I really like that it comes with the companion pass now along with the high bonus of 60K. The annual fee is not waived so you’ll have to consider that but the bigger factor is that you don’t want to fill in a 5/24 slot with this card in most cases since you can always pick up this card after your 5/24 slots are filled.

Aviator Red Sign-up Bonus Drops to 50K

As expected, Barclaycard just brought down the sign-up bonus of the AAdvantage® Aviator™ Red World Elite Mastercard® from 60,000 to 50,000. This is still one of the best sign-up bonuses available due to how easy it is to obtain because all you have to do is make a single purchase on your credit card. But if you don’t have a need to jump on the card right now it’s probably best to hold off until the higher offer returns. 

This article contains an expired offer. 

Note that the Citi cards just dropped from 60,000 to 30,000 but you can still find a 50,000 offer. Read more about that here.

AAdvantage Aviator offer

  • Earn 50,000 AAdvantage miles after your first purchase.
  • First checked bag free for the primary cardmember and up to 4 companions on eligible bags when traveling on domestic itineraries operated by American Airlines
  • Preferred boarding for the primary cardmember and up to 4 companions on their reservation
  • Earn $3,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars after spending $25,000 on purchases each calendar year
  • 25% inflight savings on food, beverages, and headsets on American Airlines-operated flights
  • 10% of your redeemed miles back on redemptions (up to 10,000 miles per calendar year)
  • $100 American Airlines Flight Discount after you spend $30,000 or more in Purchases on your Account during your card membership year
  • Reduced Mileage Awards — Fly to great destinations on American Airlines operated flights for up to 7,500 fewer AAdvantage® miles for flights in the US and to/from Canada
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Chip and Pin technology (great for Europe)
  • Annual fee $95 (not waived)

Sign-up bonus

Not many cards offer a sign-up bonus for simply making a purchase and for those that do, it’s rarer to find such a lucrative sign-up bonus at 50,000 miles. 

The Etihad First Class Apartment.

Annual fee

  • $95

This annual fee is not waived unlike the Citi Platinum Select which waives its $95 annual fee the first year. So you’re essentially paying $95 for 50,000 AAdvantage miles, which is a deal that I would take any day. 

Hard pull

  • Barclaycard sometimes only pulls from Transunion (although not always) so this is a great way to give your Experian and/or Equifax credit report (just remember YMMV). 

Barclaycard can combine inquiries but your second application may go to pending and you will probably have to recon on that app, so if you don’t want to deal with a reconsideration call then maybe consider waiting a few days to a week to apply for a second card and missing out on the combined hard pull. Otherwise, give it a shot. 

Final word

This is still a solid credit card offer for the Aviator Red. I would personally wait until I’m above 5/24 to apply since this offer will be around for a while and even if you miss it, it will likely be back. 

AA Credit Cards: Which American Airlines Credit Card is Best? [2018]

You might be surprised to find out that there are many American Airlines AAdvantage credit cards (“AA credit cards”). In fact, there are a total of 14 different types of AA credit cards out there. However, you can only apply for about a handful of them. This article will take a look at all of the different options you have for earning AA miles via credit cards.

To make things simple, I’m going to first cover the different AA credit cards that you can apply for and then discuss some of the alternative cards that you can downgrade, upgrade, or product change to. If you’re interested in learning how to use AA miles on special sweet spots then click here

Update: Some offers are no longer available — click here for the latest deals!

Application rules to note for AA credit cards

In this article, you will see AA cards issued by both Barclaycard and Citibank.

Pay special attention to which bank issues each card. You need to know that Citibank restricts you to one sign-up bonus per 24 months per brand. This means that once you get one AA Citi sign-up bonus, you can’t get another one from Citi for 24 months.

There are two exceptions to this.

  • You can still get the sign-up bonus from both the personal and the business credit card within 24 months.
  • You can find targeted offers that don’t restrict you to one bonus per 24 months.

You can read more about the Citi application rule restrictions here.

The Citi restrictions do not affect your eligibility for any Barclaycard AA cards. 

AA credit cards
Photo by Eric Salard.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®

AA Aviator Card.
AA Aviator Credit Card.
  • Earn 50,000 AAdvantage miles after your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days
  • Earn 2X on eligible American Airlines purchases
  • First checked bag free for the primary cardmember and up to 4 companions on eligible bags when traveling on domestic itineraries operated by American Airlines
  • Preferred boarding for the primary cardmember and up to 4 companions on their reservation
  • Earn $3,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars after spending $25,000 on purchases each calendar year
  • 25% inflight savings on food, beverages, and headsets on American Airlines-operated flights
  • 10% of your redeemed miles back on redemptions (up to 10,000 miles per calendar year)
  • $100 American Airlines Flight Discount after you spend $30,000 or more in Purchases on your Account during your cardmembership year
  • Reduced Mileage Awards — Fly to great destinations on American Airlines operated flights for up to 7,500 fewer AAdvantage® miles for flights in the US and to/from Canada
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Annual fee $99 (not waived)

The best AA credit card?

The Barclaycard Aviator Red it is the grandfathered version of the Barclaycard US Airways card but it’s also a new card you can apply for even if you never had the US Airways credit card. This card stands out because it offers you a lot of AA miles for just making a single purchase with your card. Sign-up bonuses don’t get much easier than this and that’s why I feel this might be the best AA credit card.

The Aviator Red does come with a $99 annual fee that’s not waived though. So you can think of this card as allowing you to pay $99 for 50,000 or 60,000 AA miles (whatever the bonus is set at when you apply). Either way, that’s a great deal and the additional perks like a free checked bag for up to 4 companions along with preferred boarding are additional reasons why I really like this card.

And finally, Barclaycard equips their credit cards with chip+pin technology so the Aviator Red can come in handy when you’re traveling and come across kiosks and other places where you need to enter a pin to process your transaction. These are common in certain parts of Europe.

  • You can find out more about this card HERE
 

AAdvantage® Aviator® Business Mastercard®

Aviator business credit card.
  • Earn 65,000 miles after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days
  • Earn an additional 10,000 miles when a purchase is made on an employee card
  • Earn 2X on eligible American Airlines purchases
  • Earn 2X on for every one dollar spent at eligible office supply, telecom, and car rental merchants
  • First checked bag free for the primary cardmember and up to 4 companions on eligible bags when traveling on domestic itineraries operated by American Airlines.
  • Preferred boarding for the primary cardmember and up to 4 companions on their reservation
  • 5% AAdvantage mileage bonus earned every year after your account anniversary date based on the total number of miles earned using your card
  • Companion Certificate good for 1 guest at $99, issued each year after your account anniversary when you spend $30,000 or more on eligible purchases
  • Earn $3,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars after spending $25,000 on purchases each calendar year
  • 25% inflight savings on food, beverages, and headsets on American Airlines-operated flights
  • Reduced Mileage Awards 
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Annual fee $95 (not waived)

Lower sign-up bonus and reports to personal credit report

The business version of the Aviator card was unofficially available to apply for a while but it’s now open to the public. This card is very similar to the Aviator Red but it offers some additional perks like: bonus earning potential for office supply, telecom, and car rental merchants, an opportunity to earn a companion certificate when you spend $30,000 or more, and a 5% annual bonus on miles earned with the card.

Those additional perks are nice but the sign-up bonus is lower than the personal card, so it’s not quite as good of a deal from that perspective. You also lose out on the 10% rebate on rewards. And although this card offers the companion pass option, spending $30,000 for that perk just isn’t worth it to me.  

With the additional perks, this is a decent business credit card but Barclaycard usually reports its business credit cards to your personal credit report so this card will likely affect your 5/24 status, which can be a bummer. Overall, I’d prefer the personal version to this card but earning 40,000 AA miles with a single purchase will always be an attractive option in my book.

  • You can find out more about this card HERE.

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

Citi AA Credit Card
Citi AA Credit Card.
  • 50,000 AAdvantage miles after spending $2,500 within the first 3 months of account opening
  • Earn 2 AAdvantage miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
  • Preferred boarding on American Airlines flights  for you and up to four companions traveling with you on the same reservation
  • First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to four companions traveling with you on the same reservation
  • Earn 10% of your redeemed AAdvantage miles back – up to 10, 000 AAdvantage miles each calendar year.
  • Receive a 25% savings on eligible in–flight food and beverage purchases when you use your card on American Airlines flights
  • Reduced Mileage Awards 
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $99 annual fee waived the first year

The most well-known AA credit card?

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite MasterCard® is probably the most well-known AA credit card. The sign-up bonus for this card can vary but when you find it at 60,000, it’s a fantastic deal, especially since the $99 annual fee is usually waived (unlike the Aviator card). This card also recently received an upgrade when preferred boarding was allowed for both domestic and international itineraries.

Overall, this card is very similar to the Aviator Red but doesn’t come with the ability to earn $3,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars. The Platinum Select used to stand out for its superior protections like trip delay coverage but Barclaycard recently introduced many of those benefits so they are on more equal footing. 

  • You can find out more about this card HERE
British Airways first class booked with AAdvantage miles.

Citi® / AAdvantage®Gold Mastercard

citi aa credit card.
Citi AA Gold Card.
  • 1 AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on purchases
  • Save 25% on inflight food and beverage purchases on American Airlines operated flights
  • Reduced Mileage Awards
  • $50 annual fee (waived the first year)

Might disqualify you for the Platinum Select bonus

This Citi AA credit card is one step down from the Citi Platinum Select. Since Citi implemented its 24 month rule on bonuses of the same brand, I don’t think that it makes sense to pursue this credit card in most instances since the Platinum Select will be so much more valuable.

Still, sometimes targeted offers for this AA credit card roll around and those might be worth jumping on, especially if there is no language restricting you to the 24 month rule.

  • You can learn more about this card HERE.

CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage®Platinum Select® World Mastercard®

citi aa card.
The Platinum Select.
  • 65,000 AAdvantage miles after spending $4,000 within the first 4 months of account opening
  • Earn 2 AAdvantage miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
  • Earn 2 AAdvantage miles for every $1 spent on select business categories including gas stations, telecommunications, and car rentals
  • Preferred boarding on American Airlines flights  for you and up to four companions traveling with you on the same reservation
  • First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to four companions traveling with you on the same reservation
  • Earn an American Airlines Companion Certificate each year after spending $30,000 or more
  • Receive a 25% savings on eligible in–flight food and beverage purchases when you use your card on American Airlines flights
  • Reduced Mileage Awards
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $99 annual fee waived the first year

The best AA business credit card?

As you can tell, this AA card is very similar to the business Aviator Red with the only major difference being that this AA credit card won’t earn you $3,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars after spending $25,000 on purchases. I still think this is the better AA business credit card for a few reasons, though.

First, this card usually comes with a higher sign-up bonus and the annual fee is waived, so you get more value right off the bat (though you have to hit a minimum spend). Second, this business card does not report to your personal credit report so you can get this credit card without it affecting your 5/24 status, which is huge for many people.

And finally, I like the 2X on gas better than the 2X on office supplies offered by the Barclaycard version.

  • You can find out more about this card HERE
Fly Qatar Airways with AA miles.
 

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite MasterCard®

AA credit card Executive
The premium AA credit card by Citi.
  • 50,000 miles sign-up bonus after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months
  • Earn 2 AAdvantage miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
  • Admirals Club access (free for authorized users)
  • Priority check-in, airport screening, and early boarding (where available) for you and up to eight travel companions.
  • First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to eight travel companions.
  • Earn 10,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) after spending $40,000 in eligible purchases that post to the cardmember’s account during a calendar year
  • Reduced mileage awards
  • TSA Pre-Check/Global Entry $100 credit
  • 2X on every American Airlines purchase
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $450 annual fee

Best AA card for lounge access

Sometimes the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite MasterCard® offers an even higher sign-up bonus of 75,000 miles making it one of the strongest contenders for best AA credit card. This card also offers the free checked bag and priority boarding perks to up to 8 travel companions versus the 4 that the other Citi cards offer the perk for. Also worth noting is that you receive priority boarding versus the preferred boarding offered by the other AA cards (Group 4 vs Group 5).

But since this card comes with a hefty $450 annual fee, this card is really made for those who value having Admirals Club access. Being able to add authorized users for free is also a huge perk of this credit card. Although they don’t get “full Admirals Club access” they still get lounge access which can prove to be extremely valuable if you end up adding multiple authorized users.

  • You can find out more about this card HERE
American N849NN
Photo by Andrew W. Sieber.

All of the cards below cannot be applied for directly. Instead, you”ll need to hold a card issued by that bank and then inquire into downgrading or upgrading it. Sometimes you’ll need to hold on to the card for one (with Citi) but Barclaycard is more lenient and will allow you change your card in as short as 60 days in some cases.

AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver World Elite Mastercard®

AA credit cards
AA Aviator Silver.
  • Earn 3 miles for every $1 you spend when you use your card on eligible American Airlines purchases
  • Earn 2 miles for every $1 you spend on select hotel and car rentals
  • Get 5,000 Elite Qualifying Miles for every $20,000 you spend annually (up to 10,000 miles each year)
  • Earn $6,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars when you spend $50,000 on purchases each calendar year. You’ll earn $3,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars after spending $25,000, and another $3,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars after spending $50,000.
  • Earn a companion certificate good for up to 2 guests at $99 each, issued annually after your account anniversary when you spend $30,000 or more in purchases (taxes and fees apply)
  • Get 10% of your redeemed miles back, up to 10,000 miles, each calendar year.
  • Reduced Mileage Awards
  • Your first eligible checked bag is free for you and up to 8 traveling companions on your reservation, when traveling on domestic itineraries operated by American Airlines.
  • You and up to 8 people traveling with you can board with preferred boarding on American Airlines flights.
  • $100 Global Entry application fee credit
  • Save 25% on inflight food and beverage purchases on American Airlines operated flights
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $199 annual fee

Great card for high AA spenders

The Aviator Silver card cannot be applied for directly. Instead, you’ll need to upgrade your Aviator Red to this card after holding it for at least 90 days (though some say 60 days). The Aviator Silver is an attractive option to people who want to earn additional AA miles with their spend since you earn 3X on American Airlines purchases and 2X on hotels and car rentals.

Something else that makes this card a popular option is that you can earn 5,000 Elite Qualifying Miles and $3,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars. If you like to chase after airline status with American but sometimes need a little extra push to move you beyond the line, the Aviator Silver is a fantastic option. You also get the companion pass benefit along with enhanced priority boarding and checked bag benefits that cover up to 8 traveling companions on your reservation.

If you spend a decent amount on AA flights and care about obtaining elite status with them, then this can be one of the most valuable AA credit cards for you (but note the higher annual fee).

  • You can find out more about this card HERE
Qatar Lounge in Paris (CDG).

AAdvantage® Aviator® Mastercard®

AA credit cards
No annual fee AA card.
  • Earn 1 mile for every $1 you spend when you use your card on eligible American Airlines purchases
  • Save 25% on inflight food and beverage purchases on American Airlines operated flights
  • No annual fee

Best no annual fee AA credit card

This card is also only available when you already hold an Aviator card. This is the no annual fee version of the Aviator Red which means that it comes with stripped down benefits. The earning rates and perks of this card are not very impressive but they are better than Citi’s no annual fee AA card. Since you still earn 1X on American purchases, this would be my preferred no annual fee card for American Airlines.

Citi® / AAdvantage®Bronze Mastercard

AA credit cards bronze Citi
No annual fee AA card.
  • Earn 1 mile for every $2 you spend on all purchases with no limit to the number of miles you can earn
  • Save 25% on inflight food and beverage purchases on American Airlines flights
  • No annual fee

Not the best no annual fee card for AA miles

This is one of the Citi AA credit cards that you can probably only downgrade to. (At certain times in the past, you could apply for it directly.)

This is only a card you should consider if you don’t want to pay an annual fee (much like the basic Aviator card). The bonus earning is poor at 1 mile for every $2 and it will offer you no benefits like preferred boarding or free checked bags. So in many cases, it will only make sense to hold on to this card if you want to age your accounts without worrying about paying an annual fee.

  • You can learn more about this card HERE.

AAdvantage® Aviator® Blue Mastercard®

AA credit cards.
Aviator Blue.
  • Earn 2 miles for every $1 you spend when you use your card on eligible American Airlines purchases
  • Earn 1 mile for every $1 you spend on every other purchase
  • Earn $3,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars when you spend $25,000 on purchases each calendar year
  • Save 25% on in-flight purchases
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $49 annual fee

AA card with a limited market

This card is only available as a downgrade or upgrade product from another Aviator credit card. It comes with almost all of the same perks as the Aviator Red except for the preferred boarding and free checked bag for up to four companions and the 10% rebate. With the loss of those benefits, however, you get the reduced annual fee.

I struggle to see where this card makes sense. I think a lot of people who spend money on American flights would want the perks of the Aviator Red. And if you weren’t going to spend money on American flights, then the no annual fee Aviator would earn you the same 1X on all other purchases. I’m sure some people could find this card useful but you’d need to seriously weigh your alternatives if you were thinking about applying for this card.

  • You can find out more about this card HERE.

CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Select Card

AA credit card.
Citi business AA card.
  • Earn 1 mile for every $1 you spend on all purchases
  • Save 25% on inflight food and beverage purchases on American Airlines flights
  • Reduced mileage rewards

A business card with little to offer

This is the stripped down version of the business Platinum Select that comes with no annual fee. There are not many perks to this AA credit card other than saving 25% on purchases and earning the basic 1X on all purchases. This really is only a card to downgrade to if you don’t want to pay the annual fee of the CitiBusiness Platinum Select.

Best use of AA points

The AA award charts are full of sweet spots as you will see below.

US to Europe

  • Economy: 22,500 (off-peak); 30,000
  • Business: 57,500
  • First: 85,000

The awards rates to Europe using AA miles are pretty decent all around. Fees on American Airlines to Europe in business class aren’t terrible as you can fly roundtrip to Paris for $135 total in fees. Availability can be difficult but sometimes American Airlines will dump inventory like they just did recently.

  • You can check out other ways to get to Europe on miles and points here.
British Airways First Class.

US to Middle East

  • Economy: 40,000
  • Business: 70,000
  • First: 115,000

The rates for economy and business class from the US to the Middle East with AA miles are great. And the fees o the first class Etihad Apartment can be very reasonable — I flew from AUH to JFK on the Etihad Apartment for only about $100 fees and it was one of the best flights of my life.

Etihad first class lounge at AUH.

US to India subcontinent

  • Economy: 40,000
  • Business: 70,000
  • First: 115,000

Both the economy rate and the business class rate are among the best for this route. It’s also nice that it’s the same price as the Middle East so you can utilize connection flights on Qatar and Etihad from the Middle East to get down to the Maldives for no additional cost.

The Conrad Maldives.

US to South Africa

  • Economy: 40,000
  • Business: 75,000
  • First: 120,000

If you can find availability on Qatar from the US to Africa this can be a great use of AA miles.

You can read about other ways to use miles and points to get to South Africa here

Helicopter ride over Cape Town, South Africa.

US to Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America

  • Economy: 12,500 (off-peak), 15,000
  • Business: 25,000
  • First: 50,000

The economy rates and business class rates to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America are among the best.

You can find more options for using miles and points to the Caribbean here

Whale shark diving off Holbox Island, Mexico.

Australia to Asia 2 (Hong Kong, China, SE Asia, etc.)

  • Economy: 30,000
  • Business: 40,000
  • First: 50,000

The business class and first class rates from Hong Kong to Sydney are some of the best and both Qantas and Cathay Pacific fly this route so you’ll have two two options to choose from.

Fly on Cathay Pacific first class.

Asia 2 (Hong Kong, China, SE Asia, etc.) to the Middle East

  • Economy: 22,500
  • Business: 40,000
  • First: 50,000

Using AA miles to fly from Hong Kong to the Middle East is one of the top sweet spots out of any redemption. The prices in all three classes: economy, business class, and first class are all the cheapest rates for this route.

The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong.

You can read more about these sweets spots in detail here.

Final word

As you can see there are many different options for choosing cards that earn American Airlines miles. AA credit cards come in all sorts of different varieties with many different tiers of annual fees and benefits. Personally, I like the Aviator Red the most followed by the Cit Platinum Select and Citibusiness Platinum Select. However, you might be inclined to go with other options depending on your spending habits and travel preferences.

Cover Photo by Clément Alloing via Flickr

Earn 3X on All AAdvantage® Aviator™ Red MasterCard® Purchases (Targeted)

Barclaycard is sending out what I believe are targeted offers for their AAdvantage® Aviator™ Red MasterCard® allowing cardmembers to earn 3X bonus points on ALL purchases from October 1, 2017 to April 30, 2017.

With the offer you can earn up to 10,000 total miles and these miles are in addition to the miles you already earn. This is a pretty great promotion if you are trying to earn American miles.

Here the official terms for the offer:

This bonus offer is for select cardmembers and is not transferable. If you close your account or switch to another product during the promotional period, you will no longer be eligible for this promotion or any miles that you may have accrued. Qualified cardmembers who activate by 11/30/17 will earn 3 bonus miles for every one dollar ($1) in new purchase(s) that are not later returned or rescinded with a transaction date that posts to their account between 10/1/17 and 4/30/18, up to a maximum of 10,000 bonus miles. To be eligible for this offer and to receive the bonus miles, the cardmember’s account must be open, active and in good standing. Purchases made during periods when the cardmember’s account is delinquent, their balance exceeds their credit line or their account is otherwise not in good standing do not qualify for this offer. The bonus miles will appear on the cardmember’s statement 6-8 weeks after the end of the promotion.

Keep in mind that you must activate this promotion by 11/30/17. The targeted email offers will have a link for you to follow and it takes all but two seconds to register for the offer.

This is one of the few times I’ll actually probably change my spend for a while to stock up on some American miles since 3X is a pretty solid earning rate, especially for non-bonused categories. The card also earns 2X on eligible American Airlines purchases, so you should be able to earn 5X on American purchases and 4X on normal purchases based on the terms of the promotion.

Aviator Red Sign-up Bonus Drops to 50K

As expected, Barclaycard just brought down the sign-up bonus of the AAdvantage® Aviator™ Red World Elite Mastercard® from 60,000 to 50,000. This is still one of the best sign-up bonuses available due to how easy it is to obtain because all you have to do is make a single purchase on your credit card. But if you don’t have a need to jump on the card right now it’s probably best to hold off until the higher offer returns. 

AAdvantage Aviator offer

  • Earn 50,000 AAdvantage miles after your first purchase.
  • First checked bag free for the primary cardmember and up to 4 companions on eligible bags when traveling on domestic itineraries operated by American Airlines
  • Preferred boarding for the primary cardmember and up to 4 companions on their reservation
  • Earn $3,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars after spending $25,000 on purchases each calendar year
  • 25% inflight savings on food, beverages, and headsets on American Airlines-operated flights
  • 10% of your redeemed miles back on redemptions (up to 10,000 miles per calendar year)
  • $100 American Airlines Flight Discount after you spend $30,000 or more in Purchases on your Account during your card membership year
  • Reduced Mileage Awards — Fly to great destinations on American Airlines operated flights for up to 7,500 fewer AAdvantage® miles for flights in the US and to/from Canada
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Chip and Pin technology (great for Europe)
  • Annual fee $95 (not waived)

Sign-up bonus

Not many cards offer a sign-up bonus for simply making a purchase and for those that do, it’s rarer to find such a lucrative sign-up bonus at 50,000 miles. 

The Etihad First Class Apartment.

Annual fee

  • $95

This annual fee is not waived unlike the Citi Platinum Select which waives its $95 annual fee the first year. So you’re essentially paying $95 for 50,000 AAdvantage miles, which is a deal that I would take any day. 

Hard pull

  • Barclaycard sometimes only pulls from Transunion (although not always) so this is a great way to give your Experian and/or Equifax credit report (just remember YMMV). 

Barclaycard can combine inquiries but your second application may go to pending and you will probably have to recon on that app, so if you don’t want to deal with a reconsideration call then maybe consider waiting a few days to a week to apply for a second card and missing out on the combined hard pull. Otherwise, give it a shot. 

Final word

This is still a solid credit card offer for the Aviator Red. I would personally wait until I’m above 5/24 to apply since this offer will be around for a while and even if you miss it, it will likely be back. 

Barclaycard Red Aviator 40,000 Offer: Worth it?

Update: Some offers are no longer available — click here for the latest deals!

Barclaycard is now offering another new bonus and this one’s a real catch. It’s the AAdvantage® AviatorTM Red World Elite MasterCard® and it’s offering a great (and easily obtainable) sign-up bonus along with the potential for some other nice perks down the road. Here’s a look at the offer. 

Sign-up bonus

  • Earn 40,000 AAdvantage miles after your first purchase

It’s not very often that you see bonuses offered for just making a single purchase. And, it’s even more rare to find an “instant bonus” with a high sign-up bonus of 40,000 miles!

Bonus category earning potential

  • 2X for every one dollar you spend on eligible American Airlines purchases
  • 1X on all other purchases

Bonus earning is pretty standard and on par with the Citi Platinum Select (personal card) and most other airline cards. 

Additional perks

  • First checked bag free for the primary cardmember and up to 4 companions on eligible bags when traveling on domestic itineraries operated by American Airlines.
  • Group 1 boarding for the primary cardmember on domestic flights operated by American
  • 25% inflight savings on food, beverages, and headsets on American Airlines-operated flights
  • 10% of your redeemed miles back on redemptions (up to 10,000 miles per calendar year)
  • No foreign transaction fees

These perks are very similar to the Citi Platinum Select and are nice additions if you fly American domestically. For the casual traveler who only takes a couple of international trips a year, these perks don’t do you too much good since they are limited to domestic flights. 

Tip: Many Barclaycards come equipped with true “chip and pin” technology making them very useful to have when traveling to places like Europe. 

Annual fee

  • $95

This annual fee is not waived unlike the Citi Platinum Select which waives its $95 annual fee the first year. So you’re essentially paying $95 for 40,000 AAdvantage miles (less than a quarter of cent per mile). 

Hard pull

  • Barclaycard sometimes only pulls from Transunion (although not always) so this is a great way to give your Experian and/or Equifax credit report (just remember YMMV). 

Barclaycard can combine inquiries but your second application may go to pending and you will probably have to recon on that app, so if you don’t want to deal with a reconsideration call then maybe consider waiting a few days to a week to apply for a second card and missing out on the combined hard pull. Otherwise, give it a shot. 

Getting approved for the card

Disclaimer: There is no way of guaranteeing you will be approved so take that into consideration!

There are already a lot of data points out on applications for this card but they appear to be all over the place.

The good news is that there are people getting approved for this card who have recently opened up other Barclaycards like the Wyndham and Arrival Plus. Some people (including myself) got approved for those cards as recent as a week prior and still got approved for the Aviator Red. Others have been denied for too many new accounts with seemingly identical credit reports, so YMMV.

I think it’s still somewhat of a luck of the draw, but considering the data points and how easy two of my reconsideration phone calls with them have been this week, I don’t think you should let some recent inquiries or even a recent account opened with Barclaycard hold you back from applying.  

Something else to consider brought up by Running with Miles is that if you converted a card within the past 24 months to the Aviator Red, then you might be excluded by the 24 month language, so it might be a good idea to wait it out.

For what it’s worth, the Arrival Plus also states it bonus is only valid for first-time Cardmembers with new accounts only” but many people have received bonuses multiple times even after being well past “first-time cardmembers.” Still, I’d probably wait for some data points to come in if this exclusion applied to me. 

Downgrading and upgrading

View from the Wing writes that you should be able to product change this card after 90 days to the more expensive Aviator Silver (which you can no longer directly apply for). That card usually comes with an annual fee of $195 but due to federal regulations, if you product change from the Red to the Silver, you can still retain the lower annual fee (at least for a year).

In addition, if you spend $50,000 spend in a year, you’ll get:

  • 10,000 elite qualifying miles (3,000 when you spend $25,000, and another 3,000 when you spend an additional $25,000)
  • 6,000 elite qualifying dollars (5,000 when you spend $20,000, and another 5,000when you spend an additional $20,000)
  • A companion ticket
  • You also can get 3X on American Airlines purchases 

If you’re interested in obtaining or maintaining status with American, those options might appeal to you, especially since the Citi Executive doesn’t offer the option of elite qualifying dollars. 

Redemption possibilities

Right now, this is a great time to cash in on American Airlines AAdvantage miles — I don’t think things have been this good for about a year. With the easily obtainable Aviator bonus you could get 40,000 miles in a hurry. 40,000 miles can get you roundtrip economy tickets around the US, to the Caribbean, Mexico, and even upper South America.

But what I really like to think about is combining these earnings with other cards out there on the market right now. Two other cards that you should consider for earning large bonuses of American AAdvantage miles are the:

Both of these cards just increased their public offers to 50,000 miles after spending $3,000. 

With just three cards (and one $95 annual fee due the first year) that’s enough to earn 140,000 American Airlines miles! If you’re interested in booking a top premium cabin then that’s enough to get you a round trip in business class to a lot of places and more than enough to book a top first class cabin on a long-haul one-way.

With those miles you could book:

  • Etihad First Class Apartment or Qatar first class for one way to or from the Middle East at 115,000 miles
  • Etihad or Qatar business class roundtrip to or from the Middle East at 140,000
  • Roundtrip business class to Europe at 115,000
  • Close to enough to book a roundtrip in business class to Africa at 150,000
  • Only 20,000 miles short of booking 2 roundtrip business class tickets to Hawaii

Etihad First Class Apartment
Earn enough miles to fly the Etihad First Class Apartment.

Business card coming, too?

In the article referenced above, VFTW also writes that a business version of this card is on its way in 2017! That means even more earning potential. 

If the Aviator Red proves to be like most other cards issued from Barclaycard, there’s real churning possibilities. Thus, the possibility to cash in on a nice chunk of AAdvantage miles every 3 to 6 months might be possible in 2017.

If you’re patient enough and were able to get the business version of the Aviator Red when it comes out and also snag the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select cards, you might be able stockpile over 200,000 AAdvantage miles over the next 3 to 6 months and have enough miles to book a roundtrip long-haul first class flight on some of the top airlines like Etihad. Qatar, or Cathay Pacific. 

Final word 

The only reasons why I wouldn’t jump on this card is if I were 1) still under 5/24 (probably never going to happen for me); 2) potentially excluded by the 24 month language; or 3) if I had just hit some cards that pulled my TransUnion report (Capital One and other Barclaycard) then I might wait out a month or two. But even then, this is such a great offer that I might even risk the rejection unless I had absolutely no need or potential use for AAdvantage miles.