Barclays Credit Card Application Status: (How to Check, Reconsideration) [2021]

Are you trying to check your Barclays credit card application status?

Well, you’re in luck as Barclays makes it easy to check your status with a simple application status checker.

In this article, I will show you how to check your Barclays credit card application status online or over the phone. Then I will give you some handy reconsideration tips that have worked for me when Barclays has denied me.

Interested in finding out the top travel credit cards for this month? Click here to check them out! 

How to check your Barclays credit card application status

You can check your application status by accessing Barclay’s application status checker or by calling Barclays customer support. I prefer checking online as it’s less cumbersome than calling.

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

Check your Barclays credit card application status online

The type of credit card you are applying for will determine which application status checker you can choose to check your Barclays credit card application status. 

  • For personal Barclay credit cards: click here 
  • For business Barclay credit cards: click here

You won’t need an application number, but you will need the following to check the status:

  • Last name
  • Last four digits of your Social Security Number (SSN)
  • ZIP code
  • E-mail address

(Remember, it must match the information you gave during the application process.)

After filling the blanks with your information, you’ll be able to view the status of your credit card application.

You will only see the most recent credit card application status dating up to 90 days from the application submission. It’s not like Amex application status checker which allows you to look at all past applications.

You will see three messages when checking the status of your Barclays credit card.

  • Denied
  • Reviewing (pending)
  • Approved

Application status: “denied”

If your status says that you’re denied, then you’ll probably want to call the reconsideration line phone number found below. 

Reasons for your denial will usually be related to the number of inquiries, the number of new accounts, debt-to-income ratio, or not following the Barclays credit card rules.

Application status: “reviewing” or “pending”

If your application is being reviewed, then you may just need to wait a few days because Barclays is processing your app. Sometimes calling into the reconsideration line will expedite this but other times you must simply wait it out.

An application being reviewed will usually be because someone has to review your credit report and determine if you are too risky or not profitable.

Application status: “approved”

Congratulations, you have been approved! You won’t need to do anything else besides waiting up to 10 business days for your credit card to arrive at the billing address.

Check your Barclays credit card application status by phone

You can check your Barclays credit card application status via phone by calling the following numbers:

  • +1-877-523-0478
  • +1-888-232-0780

Stay on the line until you can say or select the option to “check on an application.” Make sure you have your information ready.

If you need, they can also direct you to a credit analyst for reconsideration.

What Barclays credit cards can I check my application status for?

You should be able to check your status for any Barclay personal or business credit card including:

  • AAdvantage® Aviator® Business Mastercard®
  • Diamond Resorts World Mastercard®
  • Choice Privileges® Visa Signature® Card
  • Carnival® World Mastercard®
  • Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®
  • AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
  • Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card
  • JetBlue Plus Card
  • Barnes & Noble Mastercard®
  • Hawaiian Airlines® Business Mastercard®
  • FRONTIER Airlines World Mastercard®
  • Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®
  • JetBlue Business Card
  • JetBlue Card
  • NFL Extra Points Credit Card
  • Priceline Rewards™ Visa® Card
  • Princess Cruises Rewards Visa® Card
  • RCI® Elite Rewards® Mastercard®
  • Uber Visa Card
  • Upromise® Mastercard®
  • Wyndham Rewards® Visa® Card

How long does approval take?

If your credit card approval is not instant, it could take up to 10 business days to process the application manually.

If you suspect things are lingering too long then check with the reconsideration line number below.

On another note, Barclays is known to make applications go into review. Don’t worry too much if your application is being reviewed as it’s common with people that have high or low credit scores.

How long does it take to receive a Barclays credit card?

Barclays claims you will receive your credit card within 10 business days of your application being approved. At the time of approval, Barclays will also quote the number of days it will take for you to receive your card, usually up to 10 business days. 

In my experience, it usually took no longer than seven business days to receive my new Barclays credit card. Barclays will expedite cards for a fee.

Can I check for credit limit increase approval?

Barclays doesn’t have a tool to check the status for your credit line increase online. 

So, the only way for you to check is to call Barclays and talk to a credit analyst. They will give you the status and might request more information from you or perhaps give you reasons why you were denied a credit line increase.

You can call a Barclays credit analyst for personal cards with this phone number:

  • +1-866-408-4064

For business cards:

  • +1-866-710-2688

Barclays credit card rules

Barclays has a few rules for new applicants restricting credit card sign-ups. These rules aren’t exclusive to Barclays as other bank issuers will also have rules.

No limit to the number of cards

Barclays doesn’t have a limit to the number of Barclays credit cards you hold. That means you can hold as many cards you want with Barclays, but only if you get approved. Still, it might be a good idea to keep it to a reasonable number. 

90 days for minimum spend

You have 90 days from when you applied for your Barclays card to meet your minimum spend. Therefore, you start counting the 90 days once you applied for the card, not when you received it.

Barclays doesn’t have any hard rules

Surprisingly, Barclays doesn’t have many hard rules across all their cards. While some claim they have rules regarding the number of cards you can apply within 24 months (6/24), Barclays doesn’t put anything in writing and doesn’t always enforce these rules. 

Some soft rules like waiting 6 months to apply for a new Barclays credit card are true for some people. Yet, there are data points out there showing how it’s not the same for every person.

Barclays actually focuses on the credit report more than anything else. So, if your score is not above 700, you will have a harder time getting a Barclays credit card approved.

Barclays credit card reconsideration line

If you’re not approved, or even having an application under review, you will want to call up a Barclays credit analyst. They will be able to review your application and give you feedback or request more information from you and perhaps get you approved for a credit card. 

Barclays reconsideration phone number and hours for personal cards

The phone number for personal card applications is:

  • +1-866-408-4064

You can also try:

  • +1-800-308-6008

And the operating hours:

  • 8am to 12am EST (midnight) seven days a week

Barclays reconsideration phone number and hours for business cards

The phone number for personal card applications is:

  • +1-866-710-2688

And the operating hours:

  • 8am to 8pm EST seven days a week

What to say in a reconsideration call

Handling a reconsideration call isn’t very difficult, but there are a few things you should consider.

The first is that you need to have a good reason for why you’re seeking a card.

Here are some excellent reasons for seeking new credit cards:

  • You need the credit card(s) to help segregate your expenses for some purpose (e.g., starting multiple businesses)
  • You’re switching or trying to build up a relationship with a specific airline like American Airlines (only works if you’re getting that particular co-branded card)
  • You don’t want to pay foreign transaction fees, or you are attracted to some other benefit (e.g., primary rental car insurance)
  • You prefer one interest rate (APR) over another (especially when dealing with balance transfers)
  • Prefer pin and chip over sign and chip
  • You want to utilize the benefits and gain awards by using the card for everyday spend (everyday spend shows profitability towards Barclays)

Generally, it’s not a good idea to tell the phone reps that you’re just going after a card because you think it has a “great sign-up bonus.” That will make you look like an unprofitable customer, or even worse, a “gamer” which any bank has come to despise.

Don’t be nervous when calling Barclays. The credit analysts have the power to change your application denial to an approval. Plus, if you are calm and cool and not trying to game the agent, they will be more willing to help you out.

Barclays credit pulls

Barclays is known to pull from the TransUnion credit bureau.

This is great as TransUnion is pulled from the least compared to the other credit bureaus, so you can give your credit report a rest in many cases. 

If you got denied by Barclays, you would still have a hard pull on your credit report. Hard pulls will stay on your credit report for two years but should lose their effect for FICO scores after one year. 

Barclays referrals

While Barclays doesn’t have an official refer-a-friend program like Amex, it does sometimes target current cardholders giving targeted cardholders referrals to hand out.

Unfortunately, the targeted referrals from Barclays aren’t frequent and come in waves lasting a limited amount of time. So, if you can take advantage of referring someone to get some kickback, you should do it and call yourself lucky.

Final word

Don’t be worried if your application is pending as Barclays is known to take their time to review applications. If you did end up getting denied, call that retention line as those credit analysts do have the power to approve you.

I hope you found this article helpful. Remember we aren’t Barclays, so we cannot guarantee anything, but if you have any questions, drop them down in the comments below.

This article was originally published by Steve Smith.

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.

AAdvantage Aviator Flight Cents Guide [2021]

One of the benefits of the AAdvantage Aviator Red (and Silver) is a program called Flight Cents.

It’s a nifty little way to rack up more American Airlines AAdvantage miles without even thinking about doing so but is it really worth it?

In this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about Flight Cents.

What is 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.

It’s a little confusing so let’s walk through an example.

Let’s say that you make a purchase of $3.01.

Flight Cents would round up the purchase to $4 (the nearest whole dollar) which means that the rounded up amount would equate to $.99.

Half of $.99 is 49.5 which means that you would earn 50 miles (rounded up to the nearest whole mile) from Flight Cents.

You would also earn an additional 3 miles from your purchase which means that you would earn a total of 53 miles.

Getting about 50 miles this route is not bad but the rounding up process can require a very high volume of transactions to max out (or to even come close to maxing out).

If you were somehow to get a $.99 round up from every transaction, that would require ~500 transactions per month.

With normal spend, you are obviously going to get much less than that so it will take a very high volume of transactions to get enough round ups to $500 which is the monthly maximum amount you can get.

I would also advise against trying to game this benefit by making a lot of unnatural small purchases because Barclays is known to crack down on so-called “gamers.”

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

How does Flight Cents work

To take advantage of Flight Cents you will need to first set the threshold to the maximum amount that you would like to round up to each statement.

You can set your threshold amount anywhere ranging from $1 to $500.

Once you hit your threshold, you will get a half a mile for every one cent that is rounded up to the nearest whole dollar for each purchase.

And if you don’t hit your threshold, you will simply earn miles based on the amount rounded up at the end of your statement.

So let’s say that you maxed out your $500 threshold.

That would mean that you had 50,000 total cents rounded up from transactions. That will come out to a total of 25,000 miles for that statement period.

You can always view the Flight Cents summary page at AviatorMastercard.com/FlightCents to see an itemized list of rounded up purchases.

Related: Barclays Aviator Companion Certificate Guide 

How to enroll

In order to trigger the benefit, you need to set your threshold above $0 which you can do at AviatorMastercard.com/FlightCents. Click on “adjust your threshold” to set your threshold and get started with the program.

Keep in mind that you can always change your threshold at any time to the default of zero dollars.

Whatever your threshold is set at as of 11:59 PM Eastern time on the end of the day before your billing cycle, that will be used as a threshold for your next billing cycle.

Is Flight Cents worth it?

The big debatable question with Flight Cents is whether or not it is worth it to participate.

You are essentially buying one AAdvantage mile for two cents.

A lot of people will probably feel that this is not an amazing deal.

For one, a lot of people value American Airlines miles at somewhere around 1.6 cents per mile.

So you are purchasing them above their valued price.

But there are a few things to say about that.

The first is that this is still significantly cheaper than purchasing AA miles at normal rates.

I checked the price for 5,000 AA miles and that would’ve cost $188.13. This comes out to 3.7 cents per mile. So two cents per mile is still a bargain compared to this.

Even if I chose to purchase more miles, the rates are still not as good as two cents per mile.

For example, for purchasing 25,000 miles I would receive a 15% discount and the total price would be $799.54.

This would come out to 3.1 cents per mile so once again getting miles for two cents per mile is still better than purchasing them out right.

Just note that on some occasions you can find special promotions where you can purchase miles at a much better rate.

The other thing about getting miles at two cents per mile is that if you regularly use your miles for business class and first class redemptions, you know that your miles can be worth much more than 2 cents per mile.

In those cases, picking up miles at two cents per mile could work out to be a bargain.

I think what a lot of people also like about this route is that it is a passive way to continuously build up your American Airlines balance without having to really think about it.

So there’s sort of a convenience factor here.

Ultimately, I would prefer not to use it because I don’t really like the idea of paying two cents per mile but if I was coming up on a redemption and I needed miles, this could potentially be a cheaper way to get them, so I would be okay to give it a shot.

Final word

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.

If you know you are going to get outsized value from your miles well above two cents per mile then I think it definitely makes sense to go all in on this program and try to earn as many miles as you can.

Barclays Wyndham Rewards Visa Review [2020]

The Barclays Wyndham Rewards Visa is a hotel credit card that any serious traveler should at least consider. If you catch this card at the right time, you can cover some quality free nights at Wyndham properties.

In this review article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about this card including things like the bonuses offered, the value of the bonus spend categories, and elite status benefits.

Wyndham Rewards Visa overview

  • Decent welcome bonus (varies 30,000 to 45,000 after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days)
  • 5 points per $1 spent on Wyndham 
  • 2 points per $1 spent on gas, utility, and grocery store purchases
  • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
  • Platinum status
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $75 annual fee

I would not say that this is the best hotel credit card out there, but it’s one of the more underrated hotel credit cards in my opinion when you can catch the bonus at its high point.

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

Wyndham Rewards Visa welcome bonus

The Wyndham Rewards Visa offers a welcome bonus that tends to fluctuate between 30,000 and 45,000 points.

Typically, the minimum spend requirement is very obtainable asking for only $1,000 in spend in the first 90 days after account opening.

Wyndham offers a very simplified reward structure.

A standard award which is called a Go Free award will cost you one of three prices: 7,500, 15,000, or 30,000 points per bedroom.

You can also book a Go Fast award that offers even cheaper award prices which come in three forms as well: 1,500, 3,000, or 6,000 points per bedroom. The catch is that you’ll be paying a cash co-payment along with that.

So on one extreme end, the 30,000 point bonus would only get you one night at a top property. Meanwhile, you could stretch 30,000 points into 20 nights at the cheapest rate if you are willing to cough up a lot of cash payments.

Personally, I would plan on going for the bonus when it’s at 45,000 points and expect to use that on about three nights priced at 15,000 points per night.

If you want to check out some of the top properties to use your points at check out our detailed breakdown of the 37 best Wyndham properties.

You can also search for hotel properties here.

Screenshot of the Wyndham Rewards Visa
The Wyndham Rewards Visa can cover multiple free nights at a solid property.

Wyndham Rewards Visa eligibility

Barclays, like many other banks, has its own unique set of credit card approval rules. Many of these are “soft rules” meaning that they are not always enforced. Still, it’s a good idea to be aware of what these rules are.

So to keep tabs on all of these rules, I would recommend that you check out the free app WalletFlo so that you can automate your eligibility for all of these terms and conditions. It will also help you optimize your cards by keeping track of what cards earn you the most points, annual fees, etc.

Wyndham Rewards Visa bonus categories

  • 5 points per $1 spent on Wyndham 
  • 2 points per $1 spent on gas, utility, and grocery store purchases
  • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases

5X on Wyndham

Using a WalletFlo valuation of .87, 5X comes out to 4.3% back.

Since you will also have at least Platinum status, you’ll be earning an additional 11.5 points per dollar spent for a total of 16.5 points. So your total return on Wyndham spend would be at least 14.3% back. That’s actually very competitive and it’s definitely a strong point of this credit card.

The drawback is that unlike other hotel cards like the World of Hyatt Card, you can’t transfer points earned from a major flexible points program to your loyalty account. This makes it tougher to build up a high balance of Wyndham points so it’s definitely something to consider.

2X on gas, utility, and grocery store purchases

2X comes out to 1.74% back on gas, utility, and grocery stores. This is not a good return on these categories. If you are trying to maximize points for travel on these categories, there are much better cards out there.

For example, you could be earning 4X on US supermarkets with the American Express Gold Card — a card that I use for most of my everyday spending. And if you want to earn hotel points on something like gas, the Hilton Surpass is a great option, as it earns 6X on U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.

1X on all other purchases

Earning 1X on all purchases means you’ll be getting about .87% back. Again, this is not a good return and you will be way better off utilizing a card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited which earns 1.5X on all purchases.

Photo of a grocery store aisle
If you want to maximize travel points on your everyday spend, you may want to go with a different card.

Wyndham Rewards Visa Benefits

Platinum status

One of the major perks of the Wyndham Rewards Visa is automatic Platinum status.

While Platinum status is technically a mid-tier status for Wyndham, it functions more like a lower tier hotel elite status.

That’s because it’s pretty light on the upgrade benefits and doesn’t offer free breakfast or lounge access. It does have some unique perks like rollover nights, a discount on activities in the city you’re staying in, free wifi, and a few others.

Here’s a quick rundown of the Platinum perks:

  • Discounted room rate
  • 10 points per dollar (or 1,000 points) plus a 15% bonus
  • Rollover nights
  • Free wifi
  • Go Free PLUS
  • Go Fast PLUS
  • Dedicated Member services
  • Preferred Room Choice
  • Late Check-out
  • Early Check-in 
  • Avis and Budget upgrades

Tip: To check out the credit cards with the best elite status click here.

Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection

If you are approved for the Visa Signature version of this card you’ll have access to the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection.  That’s a special network of luxury properties located all around the world and you can receive elite like benefits at those which include perks like:

  • Best available rate guarantee
  • Automatic room upgrade when available
  • Complementary in room Wi-Fi when available
  • Complementary breakfast for two
  • $25 food and beverage credit
  • VIP guest status
  • Late checkout upon request when available

Visa signature benefits

Additional visa signature benefits that you might have via this card include:

Extended warranty protection

Extended warranty protection will double the term of your eligible U.S. manufacturer’s warranty up to 1 additional year on eligible warranties of 3 years or less.

This means that if your warranty is six months, it will be extended to one year. And if your warranty is two years, it will be extended one additional year.

Roadside Dispatch

Roadside dispatch is a pay-per use roadside assistance program that is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. When you are in need of assistance, you simply call them and provide your location and they will arrange for whatever help you need such as a tow truck or locksmith.

Travel and Emergency Assistance Services

As part of your travel protection, you’ll have travel and emergency assistance services. Basically, you can get assistance finding the right doctor or arranging emergency transportation or even getting assistance finding the right prescription.

This coverage applies to you, your spouse, and dependent children under 22 who are traveling.

Auto Rental Coverage

When you use the Wyndham Rewards Visa to pay for your rental vehicle, you’ll get built-in rental coverage. You’ll be covered for things like physical damage, theft, and certain other loss of use charges. This coverage is not primary so if you want the best rental car coverage from a credit card you should look to a card like the Chase Sapphirre Preferred.

Balance transfer perks

Finally, you’ll also get 0% introductory APR for the first fifteen billing cycles following each balance transfer. It’s not very common for co-branded hotel credit cards to offer 0% APR on balance transfers so this is a unique perk.

Wyndham Rewards Visa FAQ

Does the Wyndham Rewards Visa have foreign transaction fees?

No, there are no foreign transaction fees.

Can I check my application status online?

Yes, you can check your application status for this card or any other Barclays card you apply for. To find out how to do that check out the article here.

How many points does the Wyndham Rewards Visa earn on Wyndham purchases?

The Wyndham Rewards Visa earns 5X on all Wyndham purchases.

What is the annual fee for the the Wyndham Rewards Visa?

The annual fee is $75 and sometimes it is waived the first year. Check your offer for details.

Can I downgrade the Wyndham Rewards Visa?

Yes, you can downgrade the Wyndham Rewards Visa to the no annual fee version.

How many points are needed for a free night?

A standard award which is called a Go Free award will cost you one of three prices: 7,500, 15,000, or 30,000 points per bedroom.

But you can also book a Go Fast award which will cost you one of three prices: 1,500, 3,000, or 6,000 points per bedroom. The catch is that you’ll be paying a cash co-payment along with that.

Does the Wyndham Rewards Visa come with elite status?

Yes, the Wyndham Rewards Visa comes with Platinum elite status which is the mid-tier status for Wyndham. Benefits include free Wi-Fi, upgrades to preferred rooms, elite roll-over nights, and discounts on activities near the location of your stay. It does not provide free breakfast or lounge access.

Does the Wyndham Rewards Visa come with a free anniversary night?

No, the Wyndham Rewards Visa does not come with a free anniversary night. This is unlike other co-branded hotel credit cards like those issued from Marriott, IHG, and Hyatt that offer free anniversary nights. Click here to see which credit cards come with the best free anniversary nights.

Final word

If you catch this card at the higher bonus of 45,000 points, you can score multiple free nights and that is what I would be shooting for. I think the bonus earning for Wyndham properties is great especially when you consider the bonus you get for having Platinum status, but I would not use his card for every day spending on categories like gas and groceries. There are better alternatives for that.

How to Get A Barclays Credit Line Increase [2020]

Sometimes you just need a little bit more spending power on your credit cards and a credit line increase is a perfect way to get that.

The thing is, it’s not always clear how much to ask for with a credit line increase and sometimes you don’t know if your request will result in a hard inquiry or soft inquiry on your credit profile.

In this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about getting a credit line increase with Barclays.

Barclays credit line increase rules

Before requesting a credit line increase, you likely want to wait six months from the date of account opening.

This is because Barclays, just like most other banks, likes to get a sense of your spending and payment habits before issuing a credit line increase.

However, there are data points out there showing people waiting only one month and successfully getting a credit line increase.

If you requested a credit limit increase but were rejected, you can request one again in as soon as one month although it might be better to wait until your credit score has improved.

If your credit line was decreased you may have to wait six months from that time to request an increase.

Tip: Use the app WalletFlo to give you auto-reminders of when to request credit limit increases!

How to request a Barclays credit line increase

There are three ways to request a credit line increase with Barclays:

  • Online
  • Phone
  • Chat

I’ll detail how to request an increase online below but if you want to request a credit line increase via phone, the customer service phone number is 1-866-928-3075.

If you can’t get through immediately, you may also try: 1-866-603-7217 or just simply called the number on the back of your card.

The benefit of requesting a credit line increase over the phone is that you might be able to speak to a supervisor and convince them to perform a soft pull on your credit for the increase.

If you want to request a credit line increase via chat, simply log into your account and then click on “contact us” located at the top of the screen. Then just simply click on “chat” and that will prompt the chat box.

You can enter “I would like to request a credit line increase” and an agent should respond shortly to help you with your request.

You can also pull up the chat feature via the Barclays mobile app.

Barclays website chat feature
You can request a credit line increase via chat.

To request a credit limit increase online, simply log into your account and then click on “Services.” A drop-down menu will appear and simply click on “Request credit line increase.”

How to request a credit line increase online.

Once you click on that, you will need to click on one more button to access the online application form. The page should automatically re-position and you just need to click on “Request a credit line increase” one more time.

After that, you will have access to the online application form where you can finalize your request.

Barclays credit line increase online application 

The credit line application form will ask you to fill out the following information:

  • Occupation
  • Residence Status
  • Additional credit line amount requested
  • Total annual gross income
Barclays online credit limit increase form.
Barclays online credit limit increase form.

Occupation

You simply need to select an occupation that fits you best from the drop-down menu.

There is an “other/not listed” option if you can’t find your occupation or are not sure what to select.

Residence Status

You will need to select whether you rent, own, or have a different type of set up. Unlike some other applications, they do not ask you to input the amount of monthly rent or mortgage payments.

Additional credit limit requested

This is where you will input the additional line of credit you are interested in. If your current credit limit is $2,000 and you want to be increased to a total credit limit of $3,000, then you would input $1,000 here.

Income

It’s very important to remember that you can include accessible income if you are 21 years or older.

Accessible income is basically income that is reasonably available to you such as income from your parents that is regularly used to help you with bills or that goes into your account.

Gross annual income may include wages, retirement income, investments, etc. If you are under 21 include only your independent sources of income.

You don’t need to include alimony, child support, or separate maintenance income if you don’t want Barclays to consider it a basis for repayment.

After you submit your details, you might instantly receive a credit line increase or your request might go under review. If it goes under review, it could take several business days for you to get a response.

Generally, I would follow up by calling one of the customer service phone numbers above if I did not hear anything in one week.

Hard pull or soft pull?

The standard seems to be that if you request a credit limit increase, that will result in a hard pull. But if you receive an automatic credit limit increase that will come from a soft pull.

The language on the credit line application form seems to suggest that you should be prepared for a hard inquiry:

To request a credit line increase, please complete this form and click ‘Continue’. This authorizes us to obtain a current credit report to review your credit information, employment history and any other information necessary to process this application. By obtaining your credit report in this way an inquiry will appear on your credit report which will be available by other creditors. This inquiry may have an impact on your credit score.

However, there are mixed data points out there regarding whether or not a credit limit increase will be a hard pull or a soft pull.

For example, here is someone reporting that they requested a credit line increase and after their limit was increased (from $2,500 to $3,500) they did not receive a hard pull.

Sometimes banks will not do hard pulls for credit limit increases in lower amounts such as $500 or $1,000. But if you wanted a significant increase such as $5,000 that could result in a hard pull.

Again, if you are very concerned with avoiding a hard inquiry, consider calling customer service and asking about soft inquiry credit limit increases.

How much of a credit line increase to request?

The million dollar question is always how much of a credit limit increase should I go for?

I think requesting a ~25% increase is generally a conservative approach. If you want to be more aggressive you can shoot for something closer to 50%.

Here are some self reported data points of prior credit line increases with Barclays:

Many people feel like Barclays is stingy with credit limit increases. Therefore, you may want to lower your expectations, especially when it comes to your first credit limit increase request.

Credit line increases with other issuers 

You might also be interested in reading about getting credit limit increases with other issuers. 

Barclays Credit Line Increase FAQ

Can you be instantly approved for a credit line increase?

Yes, you can be instantly approved for a credit limit increase.

What cards can I get a credit line increase for?

You can request a credit line increase for any card issued from Barclays including popular cards like the Aviator Red, Wyndham Rewards Visa, Uber Credit Card, etc.

Can I get an automatic credit line increase with Barclays?

Yes, it is possible that sometimes Barclays will automatically increase your credit line after you have had the account open for a while.

Final word

As you can see, it’s pretty easy to get a credit line increase with Barclays. You can do this in a matter of minutes online, over the phone, or via chat.

If you are requesting a credit limit just be prepared for a potential hard inquiry on your credit report. Also, be mindful of the minimum waiting time periods so that you are eligible for an increase.

Frontier Airlines World Mastercard Review [2020]

If you are interested in flying Frontier Airlines, the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard deserves a serious look. That’s because you can find a pretty decent welcome bonus on this card and some perks that are pretty competitive when compared to what other airline cards offer.

In this review article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard.

Frontier Airlines World Mastercard overview

Card art of the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard.
  • Welcome bonus (ranges)
  • 5X on Frontier purchases
  • 3X on restaurants
  • 1X on all other purchases
  • Earn toward Elite Status
  • Earn a $100 Flight Voucher
  • Unlock Family Pooling
  • Priority boarding
  • Award redemption fee waiver
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $79 annual fee (not waived)

Tip: If you are interested in finding out the current top travel credit cards, be sure to check out our list here!

Welcome bonus 

The welcome bonus for the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard changes and we have seen offers as high as 50,000 bonus miles. The standard offer you may encounter may look like the following:

“40,000 bonus miles after spending $500 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.”

I do feel obligated to point out that Frontier miles are not worth a whole lot compared to other airline miles.

Many airline miles can be valued at around 1.5 cents per point but the valuation for Frontier miles is going to be closer to one cent per point.

Here’s a look at some example redemption prices in cash prices so you can get a sense of how far your miles can take you. (Some prices were depressed due to coronavirus so the cents per point is extra low currently.)

RouteMiles PriceCash PriceCPP
Philadelphia, PA (PHL) to Miami, FL (MIA)10,000$28.10.28
Denver, CO (DEN) to Las Vegas, NV (LAS)10,000$23.10.23
Denver, CO (DEN) to Los Angeles, CA (LAX)10,000$24.10.24
Trenton, NJ (TTN) to Orlando, FL (MCO)10,000$28.10.28
Philadelphia, PA (PHL) to Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ)15,000$182.101.21
St. Louis, MO (STL) to Cancun, Mexico (CUN)15,000$146.48.98
Cincinnati, OH (CVG) to Las Vegas, NV (LAS)10,000$164.201.64
Frontier Airlines redemptions.

Bonus categories

  • 5X on Frontier purchases
  • 3X on restaurants
  • 1X on all other purchases

5X on Frontier purchases

Using a WalletFlo valuation of 1.03 cents per point, 5X comes out to 5.15% back which is pretty good for return spend on your airline purchases.

So if you plan on spending a decent amount on Frontier, this card can be quite rewarding.

Keep in mind that earning 5X on flights in the form of Frontier miles is not the same as earning 5X on flights in the form of something like Amex Membership Rewards.

For example, the Platinum Card earns 5X on flights and that 5X amount comes out to much more than 5% back. The card has a significantly higher annual fee but it also comes with a host of additional benefits as well.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to easily find which cards earn the most points for different categories.

3X at restaurants

Bonus earnings for dining include: restaurants, bars, and fast food restaurants and are based on merchant category codes.

3X at restaurants would come out to about 3.1% back. Getting 3% back for dining spend is pretty good although you might want to look at cards like the American Express Gold Card which earns 4X on dining and offer much more than 3% back.

1X on all other purchases

1X on all of the purchases is going to come out to around one percent back which is not very competitive.

You will be much better off utilizing other credit cards to capitalize on better earnings for your points on every day spend.

Related: Is Frontier Airlines Safe?

Dinner table at an outdooor restaurant.
Earn 3X on dining with the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard.

Frontier Airline benefits

  • Earn toward Elite Status
  • Earn a $100 Flight Voucher
  • Unlock Family Pooling
  • Priority boarding
  • Award redemption fee waiver

Earn miles toward elite status

There are not a lot of airline credit cards that allow you to earn miles toward elite status like this card does. You will earn 1 Qualifying Mile (QM) with every $1 spent on purchases.

Frontier has an elite loyalty program (full review here) that’s broken down into the following tiers:

  • Elite 20k: Earn 20,000 Status Qualifying Miles or 25 Segments
  • Elite 50k: Earn 50,000 Status Qualifying Miles or 50 Segments
  • Elite 100k: Earn 100,000 Status Qualifying Miles or 100 Segments

Here are some of the benefits for elite 20K members:

  1. Waived Award ticket fees.
  2. Option for Family Pooling.
  3. Advance Seat Assignment for the Member only.
  4. Carry-on bag for the Member only.
  5. Last seat available Award ticket option. Can be applied to any traveler using an Elite Member’s Miles.
  6. Stretch Seats upon check-in, for the Member only.

You’ll notice that some of the benefits like with the waived award ticket fees and family pooling are the same benefits you get for being a cardmember.

So you need to consider that spending $20,000 to get 20K may not move the needle too much although it is nice that you get advanced seat assignments, a free carry-on bag, and the last seat available option.

You also even get some of the benefits at the 50K level. For example, one of the new benefits you get when you jump from 25K to 50K is priority boarding but that is already included with the card (though it’s not quite the same).

However, there are other benefits like a 50% discount on the Discount Den membership and a 25% redeemable mileage bonus on all eligible Frontier flights

At the 100K level, the benefits expand so that you can receive a free carry-on for yourself and for eight other passengers, Free Discount Den Membership, and free checked luggage (more about baggage fees here).

Whether or not it is worth it to put your spend on this card to earn elite status would just depend on your travel preferences. (For me personally, I would rather put a huge amount to spend on other cards.)

It is worth noting that purchases made by authorized users through additional cards will earn QMs and count toward the primary cardmember’s qualifying spend.

Earn a $100 Flight Voucher

If you spend $2,500 or more in a cardmembership year, you will receive a $100 flight voucher.

You can expect to receive your voucher about 6 to 8 weeks after the account anniversary date and it should be delivered via email.

The flight voucher expires 180 days from date of issue. The flight must be booked before the voucher expiration date but the flight may take place after the expiration date.

The spend requirement of $2,500 in a card membership year is very low and pretty reasonable.

$100 is not a huge discount but considering your spend, it’s like getting 4% back when your spend. So that’s a pretty good return if you ask me.

Unlock Family Pooling

Family pooling is going to allow you to consolidate the miles between multiple related parties. This allows you to build up a higher balance and can increase your ability to redeem rewards.

Card members will be able to pool with one primary card number and up to eight friends and family members known as “pool contributors.”

This just makes using points more convenient and makes it easy to keep everybody on the same reservation which can be helpful when trying to utilize benefits like free baggage.

As a reminder this is a benefit for elite 20K members.

Priority boarding

As a cardmember, you’ll also get priority boarding which means that you will board in “Zone 2.”

Zone two boarding will begin after military passengers, elite status members, “Meet and Assist”, passengers with disabilities, or passengers with children under the age of 5.

If you have multiple carry-ons and need to utilize the overhead storage bin space this perk can save you some stress because you will be boarding before most other individuals and should be able to easily store your bag in the overhead storage bin.

Something to note about this benefit is that only the primary cardmember is eligible.

Award redemption fee waiver

Cardmembers who use their card to pay the award fees on redemptions will have the fees waived.

These fees can be very low on domestic flights and may start at $5.60 for a one-way ticket so sometimes the savings will be minimal but it still feels very good to be able to travel completely for free.

Balance transfer perks

With this card you can get a 0% intro APR on balance transfers made within a certain window, such as 45 days. So if you need to hit the reset button on some credit card debt this could be a decent option.

The balance transfer fee is 3% which is pretty standard and not as high as other cards that may charge as much as 5%.

Free FICO score

Barclays is great about offering free FICO scores and they will show you your FICO score from TransUnion.

Frontier Airlines World Mastercard FAQ

Does the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard offer free checked baggage?

No, the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard does not offer free checked baggage. However, you can spend your way into elite status and receive free checked baggage perks.

What are the airline benefits of the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard?

Earn toward Elite Status
$100 Flight Voucher
Family Pooling
Priority boarding
Award redemption fee waiver

How does the priority boarding work?

The primary cardmember will be able to board with zone two which boards the plane after pre-boarding and elite members.

How many bonus points do I earn on Frontier flights?

You will earn 5X on Frontier flights and qualifying purchases.

What is the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard annual fee?

The annual fee is $79 and it is not waived.

Does the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard have foreign transaction fees?

No, the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard does not have foreign transaction fees.

How many miles toward elite status do I earn?

You will earn one qualifying mile per one dollar spent on your card.

How do I get the $100 flight voucher?

You will need to spend $2,500 in your cardmember year to receive the $100 flight voucher.

Final word

If you fly Frontier Airlines, the Frontier Airlines world MasterCard is actually a pretty decent option.

You can find an okay welcome bonus that can get you some free flights and perks like the $100 voucher and priority boarding aren’t bad. It’s also pretty cool that you can spend your way into elite status which is something that not many airline credit cards offer, especially with such a low annual fee.

AAdvantage Aviator Business Card Review [2020]

If you’re trying to get far with your American Airlines miles, you should really consider picking up the AAdvantage Aviator Business Card — one of the top travel credit cards.

It’s a great addition to other AA cards like the Citi Platinum Select and can help build you up a big balance of AAdvantage miles pretty quick.

In this article, I’ll cover everything you need to know about the AAdvantage Aviator Business Card.

AAdvantage Aviator Business Card Overview

AAdvantage Aviator Business Card card art
  • 2X on AA purchases
  • 2X on office supply, telecom, and car rental merchants
  • First checked bag free for the primary cardmember and up to 4 companions
  • Preferred boarding
  • $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
  • Companion certificate good for 1 guest at $99 
  • 5% AAdvantage mileage bonus
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Chip and Pin technology (great for Europe)
  • Annual fee $95 (not waived)

Eligibility

Barclays imposes something known as “6/24.” This is a soft rule that means that if you’ve opened six or more cards in the past 24 months, you might not get approved for their cards. 

This is not always enforced so you don’t always have to worry about, but there are other eligibility rules at play with this card as well.

Tip: Check out the free app WalletFlo so that you can optimize your credit card spend by seeing the best card to use! You can also track credits, annual fees, and get notifications when you’re eligible for the best cards!

Welcome bonus

The welcome bonus for this card has ranged from 40,000 miles all the way up to 75,000 miles although the spend requirements have been a bit different.

Here’s one of the most recent offers we’ve seen:

  • Earn 65,000 miles after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days. Earn 10,000 miles when a purchase is made on an employee card.

50,000 miles can put you in great position to start redeeming for some excellent products. If you stack this with other AA credit cards you can quickly be on your way to some great redemptions on partners like Qatar.

If you combined this offer with another AA sign-up bonus of 60,000 miles or got matched to 75,000 miles, you’d be a step closer to making some great redemptions such as:

  • One way in the first class Etihad Apartment
  • Roundtrip business class to Europe
  • Etihad or Qatar business class roundtrip to or from the Middle East
  • Cathay Pacific business class roundtrip to Asia
  • Roundtrip in business class to Africa
  • Two roundtrip business class tickets to Hawaii
American Airlines First Class.

Bonus categories

  • 2X on AA purchases
  • 2X on office supply, telecom, and car rental merchants
  • 5% bonus on annual earnings

2X on AA

Earning 2X on American Airlines purchases is pretty standard for a co-branded airline credit card.

Using a WalletFlo valuation of 1.37 cents per point, 2X comes out to 2.74% back.

Personally, I like to put my travel expenses like airfare on a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve that has a better earning rate of 3X and more importantly more robust travel protections.

Tip: If you want a business card that earns 3X on travel, consider the Chase Ink Preferred.

2X on office supplies, telecom, and car rentals

You will also earn two times the points on office supplies, telecom, and car rentals.

These are okay earning rates for these categories but if you really want to maximize points for office supplies and telecom, you might want to look into a card like the Chase Ink Business Cash.

Chase Ink Business Cash earns 5X on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories each account anniversary year:

  • Office supplies stores
  • Internet, cable and phone services

Tip: You could transfer your Chase points to a program like British Airways Avios and still use your points for American Airlines.

5% bonus

At the end of every year, you will receive a 5% bonus on all of the miles that you earned.

You will need to renew your card which means that you will need to pay the annual fee to get this benefit. In fact, your card will have to remain open for at least 45 days after the anniversary date.

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.

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.

The one drawback to this perk is that it only applies to domestic flights unlike the United Explorer Card which offers a free bag on international flights.

Related reading: The ultimate guide to checked baggage.

Preferred boarding

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

Preferred boarding is not the same as priority boarding but you will be among the first to enter the aircraft in main cabin so it can be helpful when trying to secure our overhead storage bin space.

You can find out more about the American Airlines boarding process here.

Get preferred boarding with the Business Aviator.

$3,000 elite qualifying dollars

Each year, after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your card, you can earn $3,000 of elite qualifying dollars (EQDs).

In order to achieve American Airlines Gold status, you will have to earn $3,000 in EQDs, so this benefit allows you to instantly achieve that qualification.

The EQD requirements are:

Elite status levelSpend requirement
Gold$3,000
Platinum$6,000
Platinum Pro$9,000
Executive Platinum$15,000
American Airlines EQD requirements.

So this benefit can really help you achieve higher levels of elite status if the spend requirement is generally something that you struggle to achieve.

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

25% discount

You can receive a 25% discount as a statement credit on food and beverages when you fly on American Airlines operated flights.

This is a pretty standard discount for a co-branded airline credit card but it’s not quite as good as the 50% savings that the JetBlue Plus offers.

Get a 25% discount on American Airlines in-flight purchases.

Companion certificate

If you spend $30,000 or more on your card, you will be issued one companion certificate that is good for one guest at $99.

This allows a companion to fly with you on many different types of qualifying her outs for only $99.

You will still need to pay taxes and fees which may range from $21.60 to $43.20.

AAdvantage Aviator Business Card (FAQ)

Does the Aviator Business Card come with lounge access?

No, the Aviator Business Card does not come with Admirals Club access. To find out more about how to get Admirals Club access click here.

Can I get the Citi Business Platinum Select and the Aviator Business Card?

Yes, it is possible to get both American Airlines business cards.

Does the Aviator Business Card have foreign transaction fees?

No, the Aviator Business Card does not have foreign transaction fees.

What is the Aviator Business Card annual fee?

The annual fee is $95 and it is not waived.

Final word

As you can see there are a lot of benefits you can take advantage of with this card such as free checked baggage and preferred boarding.

If you fly with AA even a couple of times a year, those perks can more than justify paying the annual fee!

Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Mastercard Review [2020]

Have you ever wanted to fly on Emirates, one of the top airlines in the world?

If you have, you might want to consider the new Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Mastercard. It is issued by Barclays and it is one of the most interesting airline credit cards out there in my opinion.

In this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about the card including things like the bonuses and perks.

Emirates Skywards Rewards Overview

  • 3X on Emirates flights
  • 2X on airfare
  • 2X on hotels
  • 2X on car rentals
  • 1X everywhere else
  • Elite status
  • Lounge access
  • Priority perks
  • $99 annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees

Welcome bonus

The first bonus that we saw offered with this card was for 30,000 bonus Skywards Miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.

30,000 miles (by itself) may not be very useful for someone located in the US looking to fly abroad on Emirates. However, as you can see below there are some redemptions that you can get close to.

Below, I researched a handful of different routes and pricing for economy, business class, and first class to give you an idea of what prices would look like. (Emirates does not publish an award chart and the prices for awards vary.)

Notice how low many of the fees are now as well.

Economy

  • New York (JFK) – Milan (MXP): 38,750 + 21 USD
  • Dubia (DXB) – Chicago (ORD): 62,500 + 109.25 USD
  • Dubia (DXB) – Los Angeles (LAX): 71,250 + 109.25 USD
  • Dubia (DXB) – Hong Kong (HKG): 45,000 + 61.63 USD

Business

  • New York (JFK) – Milan (MXP): 62,500 + 41 USD
  • Dubia (DXB) – Chicago (ORD): 100,000 + 212.90 USD
  • Dubia (DXB) – Los Angeles (LAX): 113,750 + 212.90 USD
  • Dubia (DXB) – Hong Kong (HKG): 72,500 + 112.05 USD

First Class

  • New York (JFK) – Milan (MXP): 85,000 + 41 USD
  • Dubia (DXB) – Chicago (ORD): 136,250 + 212.90 USD
  • Dubia (DXB) – Los Angeles (LAX): 155,000 + 212.90 USD
  • Dubia (DXB) – Hong Kong (HKG): 98, 750 + 112.05 USD

As you can see the cheapest flight that I found was from New York to Italy and went for 38,750 miles.

So if you want to fly on most of these routes you are going to need many more miles. But given the quality of the product, especially the first class experience, you’ll often find it worth it to save up some miles on Emirates!

Just remember that Emirates is a transfer partner of major programs like a Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards. This means that you can transfer your points out to Emirates and build up your balance rather quickly.

Emirates A380 First Class.

Eligibility 

Barclays imposes something known as “6/24.” This is a soft rule that means that if you’ve opened six or more cards in the past 24 months, you might not get approved for their cards. This is not always enforced so you don’t always have to worry about it. 

And there are other eligibility rules at play with this card as well. Personally, I would just recommend that you check out the free app WalletFlo so that you can automate your eligibility for all of these terms and conditions.

Bonus categories

  • 3X on Skywards Miles for every USD 1 spent on emirates.com or at the Emirates Sales office
  • 2X on airfare
  • 2X on hotels
  • 2X on car rentals
  • 1X everywhere else

3X on Skywards Miles

You’ll earn 3X on Skywards Miles for every USD 1 spent on emirates.com or at the Emirates Sales office, which is pretty impressive. Most co-branded airline credit cards only offer 2X on their respective airline.

However, Emirates miles are not worth that much and the value may only be around 1.2 cents per mile. But given the high multiplier of 3X, that still comes out to a pretty respectable earning rate of about 3.6 cents per dollar spent.

For that reason I think this is a pretty solid airline credit card.

Tip: Keep in mind that you can earn 5X on airfare with the American Express Platinum Card and then transfer those points over to Emirates so it is possible to earn more miles on your Emirates flights.

2X on airfare, hotels, car rentals

Earning 2X on airfare, hotels, and car rentals is not terribly attractive to me. You’re looking at around 2.5% back on those categories which just is not very competitive considering how easy it is to get at least 3X on travel.

For example, you could use a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and earn 3X on travel. And as mentioned when it comes to airfare there are different ways to earn much more points like the American Express Platinum Card which offers 5X on airfare.

1X on all purchases

1X on all purchases is the standard default earning rate for co-branded airline cards. I would rather use a card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited and earn 1.5X and then transfer points out to Emirates.

So the strong point for the bonus categories is definitely for spend on Emirates. However, it’s worth considering that you can earn higher earning rates with other cards that still allow you to transfer your points over to Emirates.

Tip: Check out the free app WalletFlo so that you can optimize your credit card spend by seeing the best card to use! You can also track credits, annual fees, and get notifications when you’re eligible for the best cards!

Earn double the points on hotel stays.

Perks

25% savings

As a cardmember you can get a 25% savings when you buy or gift miles.

Emirates Skywards Silver

During your first year you can enjoy complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver.

It’s not very common for an airline credit card to give you airline status so this is a pretty interesting and innovative perk.

You can maintain this elite status by spending $20,000 on your card each year. $20,000 in a given year is not a terribly difficult challenge so this will be an attractive option for many frequent fliers/high spenders.

The main benefits of silver status are explained below.

Lounge access

One elite status perk is complimentary lounge access to Emirates Business Class lounges.

You will only get access to lounges in Dubai and it will only be for the cardmember. Emirates has some really nice lounges and you will not find better quality larges from many other airlines.

The only drawback to this benefit is that you don’t get access to the lounges located outside of Dubai and some of those could be great. For example we visited the business first lounge in Milan, Italy and it was a pretty solid experience.

Seat election

You will be able to select your economy class seat free of charge. The amount you will have to pay to select your economy class seat will depend on the duration of your flight.

You could be looking at paying anywhere from $15-$40 so this could be a nice little savings on economy fights.

Priority check-in, boarding, and baggage delivery

You’ll get priority check-in and priority boarding although you will not get priority baggage delivery.

Priority check-in will allow you to get access to exclusive check-in counters at business class or first class check-in areas when flying economy class.

25% bonus

You will receive a 25% bonus on your Skyward miles when flying on Emirates.

Final word

The Emirates card is a very interesting airline credit card my opinion.

I really like that it offers you elite status for one year and gives you the opportunity to retain that status with a pretty reasonable annual spend requirement.

The bonus categories are not the best I’ve seen but that is mostly just because there are other cards out there that can earn miles with Emirates at more competitive earning rates.

If you have any interest in flying Emirates, I would seriously consider this card.

Related: Etihad vs Emirates First Class on the A380

Barclays Credit Card Application Rules Guide [2020]

Barclays has an interesting set of credit card application rules. They do not have any hard and fast rules but a series of different rules that may or may not apply in certain scenarios. Below, I will go into detail about all of these application rules.

By the way, if you want to automate the calculations for all of these credit card application rules be sure to check out the new app WalletFlo, which will break down all of the known credit card approval rules and show you whether or not you are eligible for certain cards.

Barclays 6/24

Barclays has something known as the “6/24 rule.”

This rule works the same as the Chase 5/24 rule in that it takes into account all of the cards that you have opened in the past 24 months across all credit card issuers.

Presumably, cards that do not report to your personal credit report also do not count for 6/24 although I am awaiting data points to verify that.

The big difference between the two rules is that the 6/24 rule is not a hard rule. In the past, some have speculated that the 6/24 rule only applies to specific cards such as the Arrival Plus card (that is no longer available to new applicants).

It’s not clear to me what specific cards the 6/24 rule applies to or when it is applied but it is clear that it is not always applied.

There are plenty of data points of people out there getting approved for Barclays cards when they have opened up many (10+) cards in the past 24 months so just because you are over 6/24, that does not mean that you will be denied.

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

Barclays 6 Month Close Rule

It is recommended that you wait six months until after closing a Barclays card before applying for that card again. Once again, this may not be a hard and fast rule but it is a guideline that I would follow in order to increase my approval odds. 

You also do not want to apply for a Barclays card while you are still a current cardmember of that card.

So if you were interested in the Aviator card but you were currently a card holder, you should not apply for another Aviator card. Instead, you should close your Aviator card and then wait at least six months until you reapply for that same card.

It’s worth noting that some have reported a minimum wait time of 24 months. Again, Barclays is a very “your mileage may vary” bank when it comes to its application rules so you just have to use your own judgment in a lot of cases.

Barclays 6 Month Application Rule

The Barclays six month application rule states that you should wait six months since opening any Barclays card to open a new Barclays card.

This is definitely not a hard and fast rule as some people have been able to get approved for multiple Barclays cards at one time.

However, again a lot of these rules or guidelines are here to help you increase your approval odds. So just because some people got approved for multiple cards at once, that does not mean that is the optimal way to pursue Barclays credit cards.

So personally, I would recommend waiting six months until after you have been approved for a Barclays card before applying for another one.

Also, you want to make sure that you have put spend on your other Barclays cards as Barclays really dislikes when you have dormant cards with no spend put on them. (Ideally, you would put spend on the card after meeting the welcome bonus requirements.)

If you have your notifications set up for spend reminders in WalletFlo, this will not be a problem for you, as it can remind you to put spend on your cards every six months. 

Current or Previous Cardholder Rule

Some Barclays cards will come with the following language in their terms and conditions:

“You may not be eligible for this offer if you currently have or previously had this card.”

This rule can be broken down into two parts.

The first has to deal with you being a current cardholder. As already mentioned, it is not a good idea to be a current card member when applying for a Barclays card. And in those cases you should cancel your card before applying because you will likely be denied.

Then there is the rule about if you have previously had the card. This essentially mirrors the American Express oncer per lifetime credit card application rule, which states that once you open a card you will not be eligible for that bonus ever again subject to certain exceptions.

The tricky thing here is that this rule is not always enforced. But the fact that the rule is in writing means that if they wanted to enforce it they could easily deny you a bonus so you should always proceed with that in the back of your mind.

New Cardmember Rule

Some Barclays cards will also come with the following language in their terms and conditions:

“This offer is available to new cardmembers only. This rule may not be enforced.” 

Once again, this language is very similar to the rule above which prevents you from being eligible for the offer if you are not a new cardmember. But as you might expect by now, this rule is also not always enforced. So again, you should just proceed with this rule in mind if it attaches to any of your cards.

TransUnion

Something else to keep in mind is that Barclays loves to pull from the credit bureau TransUnion. This is great because it means that you can give your other credit reports like Experian and Equifax a break. If you have a lot of recent hard inquiries on those latter reports then this could help you recover your credit score as you await for the negative impact of those hard inquiries to drop off. Read more about credit pulls here. 

Final word

Many of the Barclays rules are soft rules which will not always be enforced. This makes things more of a guessing game when applying for their cards but because the rules are frequently not enforced, generally you can expect them to not prevent you from being eligible. However, when it comes to the waiting period of six months I would always try to abide by those to maximize your approval odds. 

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