For a long time, the Barclays AAdvantage® Aviator® Red Mastercard® was a no-brainer card to keep if you flew American Airlines even occasionally. At $99 a year, the airline perks could easily outweigh the fee. But with our travel patterns shifting — and American eliminating flights to Austin, which was our main route — it’s harder for us to justify keeping it.
That said, for some travelers, this card still offers solid value. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits and how they stack up.
What the Aviator Red Offers
- First Checked Bag Free (Domestic Only)
You and up to four companions on the same reservation get a free checked bag on domestic AA flights. This can add up quickly if you check bags often, but note that it does not apply to international flights. - Preferred Boarding
Cardholders (and companions on the same reservation) get to board earlier, usually after elite flyers but before the bulk of economy. Handy for snagging overhead bin space. - $25 Inflight Wi-Fi Credit Each Year
A small but nice perk that covers one or two sessions, depending on flight length. - 25% Inflight Savings
Get a 25% statement credit on American Airlines’ in-flight food and beverages. There’s no cap, but you’re limited by how much you want to buy on a plane. - Companion Certificate After $20,000 Spend
Each year you spend $20,000+ on the card, you can qualify for a companion ticket for about $99 plus taxes and fees. This sounds better than it often is — the spend requirement is high relative to the benefit, but it can save money if you plan ahead. - Mileage Earning
2x AAdvantage miles on American Airlines purchases and 1x miles everywhere else. Decent if you’re focused on building AA miles, though plenty of other cards offer stronger multipliers.
How the Benefits Stack Up
Here’s how I view the card’s perks when weighing whether to keep it:
| Benefit | Value for Frequent Flyers | Value for Occasional Flyers | Value for Us (Now) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free checked bags (domestic) | High — saves $30+ per person, each way | Covers the annual fee if used once per year | Zero |
| Preferred boarding | Nice perk, helps with bin space | Marginal, but still useful | Irrelevant if we’re not flying AA |
| Wi-Fi credit ($25) | Small but guaranteed value | Covers part of the annual fee | The only benefit we actually used |
| 25% in-flight discount | Can add up if you regularly buy food/drinks | Minor perk | Didn’t matter for us |
| Companion certificate | Valuable with planned use | Often unused due to $20k spend requirement | Never hit the spend, so worthless |
| Mileage earning | Good if AA is your primary airline | Weak compared to flexible points cards | We’ve moved spend elsewhere |
Bottom line: for someone flying American domestically 2+ times a year, the card’s bag benefit alone can make the $99 annual fee worth it. For us, with fewer AA flights and no domestic bag savings, the math doesn’t work anymore.
The Citi Transition Question
The Aviator Red’s future is also in flux. Beginning in 2026, Citi will become the sole issuer of AAdvantage credit cards. That means Barclays’ Aviator cards will be phased out or transitioned.
What’s unclear:
- Will Citi fold Aviator cardholders into its existing AA portfolio?
- Will the Aviator benefits be preserved as a “legacy” product?
- Could keeping the Barclays version hurt eligibility for Citi’s signup bonuses? Some analysts think it might, as Citi could treat them as part of the same product family once the changeover occurs.
Until Citi spells out the transition details, there’s risk in hanging onto the card if you plan to chase a Citi AA bonus later.
Final Thought
For us, the Aviator Red just isn’t worth keeping anymore. Without regular American Airlines flights, and with the free checked bag benefit limited to domestic routes, we’re essentially paying $99 for a $25 Wi-Fi credit.
If you fly AA more than once a year, especially domestically with checked bags, this card can still be a keeper. But for anyone who doesn’t, it may make more sense to let it go — and revisit one of Citi’s AAdvantage cards later if your flying habits shift back toward American.
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