Barclaycard AAdvantage® Aviator Red Mastercard® Review

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How the Red Aviator Came About

The AAdvantage Aviator Red Mastercard was introduced after American Airlines merged with US Airways. Prior to the merger, Citi was American Airline's credit card issuer and partner while Barclaycard was US Airways' partner. After their frequent flyer program was merged in 2015, existing US Airways Mastercard holders were switched to the new Aviator Red Mastercard. It is worth pointing out that aside from this card (the Red Aviator), there is also the Silver Aviator (which is the highest level), the Blue Aviator (which is a notch below the Red), and the Aviator Mastercard, the lowest level. Existing card members were converted to the Red version and they could upgrade or downgrade if they wanted to.

The Red Aviator (as with all AA cards) have been through some changes since its' introduction. Below is the current list of all their features and benefits.

Key Features

Earn 2X on AA purchases
First Free Checked Bags - Up to 4 customers who are booked on the same flight
Preferred Boarding - Zone 5 (After Priority Boarding)
25%/Day Statement Credit For Inflight Purchases
$25 Annual OnBoard Wifi Credit
Flight Cents Program
No Foreign Transaction Fee

Analysis of Features

Earnings Rate

In my opinion, there is nothing really special about their earning rate. You earn 2X on AA purchases. And that is pretty much standard for airline credit cards. But there are other AA cards that are better than what the Red Aviator has. For example, the Citi AA World Elite Mastercard allows you to earn 2X on AA purchases but also 2X at gas stations and restaurants (this card also has $99). The Silver Aviator has a better earning rate. You can earn 3X for AA purchases and 2X on hotels and car rentals.

First Free Checked Bags

The Red Aviator gives the main card member (and up to 4 companions) a free first checked bags. As the fee for first checked bag is $25, this could add up to quite a bit of savings. But also bear in mind that the Citi AA Platinum Select World Mastercard also has this feature.

Preferred Boarding

All AA cards that offer preferred boarding (including the Aviator Red) boards with zone 5 or group 5. If you have elite status, you will be in lower zones. For example, Gold Elite members are in group/zone 4, Platinum and Platinum Pro status board at zone 3. Executive Platinum members board at zone 2 (as well as business class ticket holders). First class ticket holders and International business class holders are in zone 1. Also in zone 1 are active duty military with military I.D. Link.

So this preferred boarding will be helpful to those who do not fly business class or do not have elite status. If you do have elite status or fly business class, then this feature is pretty much useless.

$99 Companion Ticket after $20,000 in spending

This is a feature that was introduced on 1st May 2019. The only other card that has the companion ticket feature is the Silver Aviator. In fact, Silver Aviator card members get TWO $99 companion ticket if they spend $20,000 a year. The most comparable card to the Red Aviator is the Citi AA World Elite Mastercard (same $99 annual fee). Instead of a companion ticket, the Citi AA will give card members a $150 discount on AA flights if they spend $20,000 a year on the card. I can see the case where some of you would prefer the companion ticket (if it saves you more money) and also the case where you would prefer the straight $150 discount (companion tickets are subject to availability, possible blackout dates etc).

$25/Day Statement Credit On Inflight Beverage Purchases

This feature was introduced on 1st May 2019 and is also a feature of the Silver Aviator. This feature will come in very handy if you are the sort of flyer that buys beverages on board airlines. Some folks simply do not do that. With a $25/Day credit, you will save a lot if you like to buy beverages on your flight.

$25 A Year Credit on OnBoard Wifi

The first thing to note is that this perk is also available on the Silver Aviator. To get a sense of the value of this perk, we have to first find out how much does it cost to purchase wifi access on American Airlines. AA flyers can purchase an all-day pass for $16 in advance. If you purchase on board, it may cost you $19 for a single flight or $12 for two hours. Frequent flyers also have the choice of a monthly subscription at $49.95. So I would say that $25 of wifi access gives you about four hours of access and maybe one and a half flight time worth of wifi.

Flight Cents Program

This feature is also available on the Silver Aviator. This is how it works. The amount you spend on the credit card will be rounded up when it comes to miles you earn. Here is an example. You spend $30.12 on the card for regular purchases. Under normal rules, you earn earn 30 miles. Under the flight cents program, $30.12 is rounded up to 31 miles for the purpose of earning miles. How much will that add to your miles account depends on how much and how many times you use the card. Having said that, I do not think it will have a huge impact on how many miles you earn.

Is the Red Aviator Card Worth It?

From our analysis, we can say that the Red Aviator Mastercard will suit AA flyers with the following characteristics:

Non-elite status flyers
Occasional flyers
Those who check-in baggages
Those who find value in companion tickets
Those looking to eventually get the Silver Aviator

The main attraction of this card is that you are entitled to a first free checked bag for you and up to 4 companions (if you use your card to book their tickets).

Bear in mind that if you have Gold Elite status, One World Ruby status or if you always fly either premium economy, business or first class, you also get the first checked bag for free. It is also important to know that if you do not qualify for free first checked bag, you have to pay $25 per bag.

Here's my quick take on the Red version of the Aviator card. Even if you just fly a couple of times a year with your family, it might just be worth getting this card or the first free checked bag. For example, let's say Philadelphia Airport is your closest airport and every year. You and your spouse and two kids fly at least twice a year (during summer and Thanksgiving) to see family or vacation with American Airlines (Philadelphia Airport is an AA hub). And you fly economy (obviously). On just one leg of the trip, first checked bags will cost you $100 ($25X4). That means when you add the fees with the return leg, it would have cost you $200 in checked bag fees. Simply having this card alone (with the $95 annual fee) will save you money on your check bag fees.

You also have to compare with the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Mastercard before you pull the trigger

Having said that, we still have to consider the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Mastercard. You also get perks like first free checked bag, priority boarding and 25% savings on inflight purchases. But the Citi version is slightly better in earning miles. You can earn 2X on AA tickets (same as Red Aviator) but also 2X at gas stations and restaurants. Rather than getting a $99 companion ticket, you will get a $120 AA flight discount if you spend $20,000 a year on the card instead. Depending on your preference or whether you can actually use the companion ticket, you might find the $120 discount to be a better fit.

So if you do not fly a lot with AA but perhaps have family trips a couple of times a year, then you might want to consider the Red Aviator simply for the free first checked bag. You should also compare it with the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Card because it is very similar.

Stepping Stone to the Silver Aviator

Another key reason why you might want to get the Red Aviator card is you have plans to get the Silver Aviator. Barclaycard only allow you to apply for the Red Aviator card even though they have many versions. To get the Silver version, you first have to get the Red Aviator, wait for at least 45 days and then request an upgrade.

Barclaycard AAdvantage® Aviator Red Mastercard® REVIEW