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AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard Review: Valuable Perks for American Airlines Fliers and Easy-to-Earn Bonus Miles

Review Updated
Natasha Etzel
Author: Natasha Etzel
Natasha Etzel
Natasha Etzel
Writer

Natasha has been a freelance writer since 2015. She specializes in credit card and credit card rewards content. When not busy writing, she's either dreaming up her next credit card rewards redemption or traveling the globe. Her goal is to encourage more people to experience the world around them while making smart financial choices.

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Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures that our product ratings are not influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

Offer status

The information for this offer was collected independently by Motley Fool Money and has not been reviewed by the issuer. Some items may be out of date.

The AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard is an affordable credit card option with perks that frequent American Airlines flyers may find attractive. This card has a generous bonus miles offer with no minimum spend, making it simple to earn. Other perks include a free first checked bag for the cardholder and up to four companions, priority boarding, and an anniversary companion certificate available to big spenders. Read our review to learn more and decide if this is the right airline credit card for you.

Ratings Methodology

AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard

AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APR

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular APR

17.49% - 26.49%, variable

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. 2X miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1X miles on all other purchases

1X - 2X miles

Annual Fee

$99

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Earn 60,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full within the first 90 days

60,000 AAdvantage miles

  • The sign-up bonus and companion certificates are nice perks that make up for what is otherwise a middle-of-the-road rewards program.

    • Bonus miles with no spend requirement
    • Free checked bag
    • Early boarding
    • Anniversary companion certificate
    • 0% intro APR on balance transfers
    • No foreign transaction fees
    • Earn 25% statement credit on in-flight purchases
    • $25 annual wifi credit
    • Annual fee
    • 0% intro APR offer not valid on purchases
    • Earn 60,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full within the first 90 days
    • Anniversary Companion Certificate each anniversary year, earn a Companion Certificate good for 1 guest at $99 (plus taxes and fees) after spending $20,000 on purchases and your account remains open for 45 days after your anniversary date
    • Get up to $25 back as statement credits on inflight Wi-Fi purchases every anniversary year on American Airlines operated flights
    • Inflight savings receive 25% inflight savings as statement credits on food and beverages when you use your card on American Airlines operated flights.
    • Earn 2X miles for every one dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
    • Earn 1X AAdvantage® miles for every one dollar spent on all other purchases
AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard is unavailable on Motley Fool Money. All information was collected independently from the issuer. Some items may be out of date.

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024.

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash rewards on everyday spending 		$200 cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. 2% cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular: 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for unlimited rewards on purchases 		25,000 points Circle with letter I in it. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases 1.5 points per dollar Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.49% - 28.49% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular: 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable)

Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

On Bank of America's Secure Website.

Full AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard review

This credit card is a good fit for: Frequent American Airlines fliers who want to earn rewards on their spending and get access to perks that improve their flying experience.

Top perks

These are some of the top perks that are included with the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard:

Generous bonus miles offer with no minimum spend

The AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard has a generous 60,000 bonus miles offer for new cardmembers. Unlike many other travel and airline cards, there's no minimum spend required to earn the bonus miles. Instead, new cardmembers are eligible after making a purchase and paying the $99 annual fee within 90 days of account opening. This makes earning the bonus miles extremely easy after qualifying for the card.

Free checked bag on domestic flights

When flying domestic routes with American Airlines, the cardmember and up to four companions traveling on the same reservation can each check one free bag without paying a checked bag fee. American Airlines normally charges $30 each way per passenger for the first checked bag on domestic flights, so this credit card perk can result in significant savings.

Early boarding

Cardmembers will be able to board early. This perk is not only available to you but also to up to four companions. This is a nice benefit if you like to have extra time to get seated and claim overhead bin space.

Earn two miles per $1 on American Airlines purchases

You'll earn two miles per $1 on all qualifying American Airlines purchases. If you fly American Airlines regularly, this is an easy way to get rewarded for your spending. The card terms state that American Airlines purchases include eligible tickets, goods, and services purchased directly from the airline.

Anniversary companion certificate

For big spenders, the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard's anniversary companion certificate is attractive. If you spend $20,000 in an anniversary year and keep the card open for 45 days after the anniversary date, you'll earn a companion certificate. This certificate will allow you to bring a companion along with you for $99 plus taxes and fees.

0% intro APR on balance transfers

If you're looking to transfer a balance from another card, this card offers a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers, valid for 15 billing cycles. You must make the balance transfer within 45 days of account opening to qualify for this promotion. After the introductory period ends, a variable APR will apply. It's worth noting that you will be charged a fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

No foreign transaction fees

There are no foreign transaction fees when using this credit card for international purchases. Credit cards that charge for international purchases charge a fee of around 3%. If you plan to travel internationally, you'll want to make sure that you're using a card that doesn't charge fees for international purchases.

Earn 25% statement credit on in-flight purchases

With the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard, you can earn 25% back on eligible in-flight food and beverage purchases in the form of a statement credit. To use this benefit, you must use your AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard to make the purchase. If you typically buy food or drinks while in the air, this benefit can save extra money.

Annual $25 wifi credit

You'll get up to $25 back as statement credits on in-flight wifi purchases made on American Airlines flights. This credit is available on every anniversary. American Airlines offers wifi on most flights, and the fee to use wifi is $10 or less. With only $25 in credit, you won't get much use out of this benefit, but it's still a nice bonus perk to have available with this card.

Read more: Best Airline Credit Cards

What could be improved

While this card comes with some notable perks, there are some drawbacks.

Annual fee

While this card does offer some excellent perks, it does come with an annual fee. You'll pay $99 per year to use this credit card. While some cards waive the annual fee for the first year, this card does not offer that option. If you're looking to avoid paying an annual fee, this is not the card for you.

0% intro APR only valid of balance transfers

While this card does offer an introductory 0% APR offer, it's only valid on balance transfers -- not purchases. That means you won't be able to take advantage of intro 0% interest on purchases that you make with this card. Instead, a variable interest rate will apply for purchases.

Suggested credit score

This credit card is intended for consumers with good to excellent credit. Applicants will have a better chance of securing approval for the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard with a FICO® Score of 670 or higher. Other factors are also assessed, such as income and current debt. It could be possible to get approved with a lower credit score -- or be denied with a higher score.

The AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard is right for you if:

If you regularly fly with American Airlines, the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard might be a good airline card for you.

If you're already flying with American Airlines and want to earn rewards on your spending, plus take advantage of extra perks and incentives, this $99-per-year card is a good option. However, if you're not loyal to American Airlines or don't plan to fly with the airline often, this may not be the best credit card for you. Instead, a general travel card may make the most sense.

Our Credit Card Methodology

At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.