As part of my 2025 resolution to cancel 25% of my credit cards, I am trimming down my annual fee cards that no longer make sense. The Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red was one of them.
I originally picked up the card last year for the sign-up bonus and benefits when flying American Airlines. At the time, that made sense because AA had a hub in Austin, and we flew them regularly. But AA has since pulled back in Austin, and with less need to fly them, the card’s value dropped sharply.
Why Canceling This Card Is Different
It’s not that the Aviator Red itself is unusual. Its benefits are very similar to the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select. What makes this cancellation different is the circumstances surrounding the transition from Barclays to Citi.
- AA has chosen Citi as its exclusive card issuer, ending Barclays’ role.
- Applications for Aviator cards have been pulled from the internet.
- In 2026, existing Aviator accounts will be transferred to Citi. Unlike other discontinued cards that sometimes linger indefinitely, this one is on a path to change hands.
And that’s where the uncertainty comes in:
- Will Citi keep Aviator accounts alive as “legacy cards”?
- Or will they convert them into Citi-branded cards with different fees and benefits?
As Upgraded Points put it:
“The AAdvantage Aviator Red card has stopped taking applications, and that’s unlikely to change with the card’s impending move from Barclays to Citi. What Citi will do with these cards remains to be seen.”
And from The Points Guy:
“We don’t yet know what cards in the Citi portfolio the various Aviator cards will transition to, but we’re told that more details on the transition to Citi will be shared with AAdvantage Aviator cardmembers in the coming months.”
With that uncertainty, I didn’t want to pay another annual fee while waiting to see how things shake out. Thankfully, Barclays makes cancellation easy with a secure message (something I explained in this post about canceling Barclays cards online).
What Should Other Aviator Holders Do?
It really depends on which Aviator card you have and how much you use it.
- Aviator Red – The benefits are very similar to those of the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select. Canceling may or may not impact your future eligibility for a Citi sign-up bonus in 2026—we just don’t know yet. If you’re on the fence, check out my deep dive into the pros and cons of keeping the Aviator Red.
- Aviator Silver – This one is unique, since Citi doesn’t have an equivalent. If you use it, it probably makes sense to hang on. Eventually, it will either disappear or be transitioned to a Citi card (likely Executive or Platinum Select). I wrote about the hard-to-get Aviator Silver here.
- Aviator Blue – The only reason to keep this card is to preserve a long, active credit line. My guess is that Citi will transition it to a no-annual-fee MileUp card, but it’s unclear if the account opening date will carry over, as the bank itself is changing.
Final Thought
For me, the unknowns outweighed the value. Canceling now saved me from paying another annual fee, and I’ll revisit my AA credit card strategy once Citi lays out its transition plans.
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