AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® review: Straightforward rewards and solid travel benefits
You’ll get a decent welcome bonus after making a purchase and paying the annual fee, along with free checked baggage and other solid travel benefits.
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Snapshot
4.4
Bottom line
The AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard is a good choice for American Airlines loyalists who may not fly enough to earn frequent flyer status, but still want to earn rewards from their eligible American Airlines purchases. The card lacks reward flexibility, but it carries a decent welcome bonus and solid benefits for travelers.
AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
Intro offer
60,000 miles
Rewards rate
1X - 2X
Annual fee
$99
Regular APR
20.24% - 29.99% Variable
4.1
Cardholder rating
Extra perks
Online tools
Rewards value
Customer service
4.4
Bankrate score
Rewards value
APR
Rewards flexibility
Features
Reward Details
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AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard Card overview
The AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard is attractive for anyone who regularly travels with American Airlines. You’ll earn miles on all your spending, including 2X miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, which you can use toward flights to destinations around the globe. On top of its easy-to-earn welcome bonus, this American Airlines credit card also comes with handy perks that offer additional savings and comfort during your travels. However, it has a high annual fee for a low rewards rate.
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Rewards
- 2X miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
- 1X miles on all other purchases
Expert Appraisal: Typical
See our expert analysis -
Welcome offer
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50,000 AAdvantage miles after making one purchase and paying the $99 annual card fee in full, both within the first 90 days
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis -
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0% intro APR offer
- 0 percent for 15 billing cycles for balance transfers made in the first 45 days
- No purchase intro APR offer
- [Error: The pid attribute is required for the credit_card shortcode.] ongoing APR
- Balance transfer fee: 5 percent or $5, whichever is greater
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis -
Rates and fees
- $99 annual fee
- No foreign transaction fee
- Cash advance fee: Either $10 or 5 percent of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
Expert Appraisal: Typical
See our expert analysis -
Other cardholder perks
- Flight Cents (activation required)
- In-flight savings
- Preferred boarding
- First checked bag free
- Travel protection and insurance coverage
- Anniversary Companion Certificate
- Boosted American Airlines status with Loyalty Points
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis
AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard pros and cons
Pros
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The generous welcome bonus is easily obtainable and requires no minimum spending.
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The card comes with a solid balance transfer offer, which isn’t common on airline credit cards.
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Cardholders gain access to various travel perks, including in-flight savings and free checked bags.
Cons
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The annual fee is high for a card that only earns 1 mile per dollar on everyday purchases.
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The spending requirement to earn the companion certificate is steep, especially given the absence of bonus categories.
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You’ll only earn elevated AAdvantage miles on American Airlines purchases, making it difficult to accrue miles through card spending alone.
First-year value vs. ongoing value
Here’s an overview of the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard's first-year and ongoing value based on our credit card rating methodology. The card’s welcome bonus boosts its value during the first year. Taking advantage of free checked bags and in-flight statement credits of up to $25 annually can also increase its value in the long run. This card may be a good option to test whether you'd prefer to upgrade or downgrade your AAdvantage card, particularly if the annual fee and its benefits are a concern.
| Benefits and costs | First-year value | Ongoing value (no welcome offers) |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly rewards* | +$373.50 | +$373.50 |
| Welcome offers | +$500 value (50,000 AAdvantage miles after making one purchase and paying the $99 annual card fee in full, both within the first 90 days, assuming a 1-cent-per-mile value) | — |
| Perks (of monetary value) |
|
|
| Annual fee | -$99 | -$99 |
| Total value | $869.50 | $369.50 |
Why you might want the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard Card
The AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard comes with a decent welcome offer, an intro APR offer on balance transfers, a solid rewards rate toward American Airlines purchases and a nice suite of travel perks.
Welcome bonus: Earn easily with one purchase and the annual fee
The AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard has one of the easiest welcome offers to earn — just pay the $99 annual fee in full and make one purchase on your AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard within the first 90 days of opening your account to get 50,000 bonus miles. While other travel cards have larger offers available, this card is a great pick because the bonus is simple to earn. The best airline credit cards typically require a minimum spending amount of at least $2,000 to earn a comparable number of bonus points or miles. Meanwhile, there’s no minimum purchase required to earn the bonus with this card.
According to Bankrate's most recent points and miles valuations, an AAdvantage mile is worth around 1.0 cents. Depending on how you redeem your welcome offer, the 50,000 AAdvantage miles (earned when you pay the $99 annual fee in full and make a purchase on your card within the first 90 days) could be worth approximately $500. A domestic round-trip award flight with American Airlines can cost as little as 7,500 miles, so this bonus could be enough for multiple flights, depending on your travel plans.
Intro APR: A fairly lengthy offer for balance transfers
Travel rewards credit cards don’t often have introductory APR offers, but the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard offers an intro 0 percent APR for 15 billing cycles on balance transfers made within the first 45 days. There’s a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5 percent of the transfer amount, whichever is greater. An APR of 20.24% - 29.99% Variable will apply after the introductory period.
This offers the rare opportunity to consolidate debt on a credit card and continue earning rewards after the intro period ends. Only a handful of other reward cards on the market offer the same level of flexibility, making this card a great choice for those who want to use it for travel after paying down their debt.
Cardholder perks: A decent variety of travel benefits
The card offers a solid lineup of travel perks. These perks can help offset the card’s modest annual fee and let your earned miles go toward travel sooner.
Why you might want a different airline card
While the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard has many appealing features, it does have some drawbacks, such as an annual fee, limited rewards and rewards restrictions.
Rates and fees: The annual cost can be hard to justify
The AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard comes with an annual fee of $99, which is charged at the time the account is opened. If you don’t travel with American Airlines enough to justify paying an annual fee, then it may not be worth it.
This isn’t uncommon with travel cards that offer elite perks, as many have annual fees, but general travel cards provide more flexibility. For example, for a similar annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers superior rewards in several bonus categories, better travel protections and benefits and up to $50 in annual statement credits toward hotel stays. You have to book through Chase Travel℠ to earn the highest rewards rate, but you can still earn 2X points on other travel. You’d also get bonus points on your account anniversary equal to 10 percent of your total purchases the previous year. Points are also valued at 2.0 cents with the best transfer partners. These all add up to a much more valuable credit card package for the same cost as the AAdvantage Aviator.
Rewards: No bonus categories and limited redemptions
Like other co-branded airline credit cards, you’ll earn the highest bonus miles by making purchases with the airline. You earn 2X AAdvantage miles on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1X miles on all other purchases. But due to the lack of bonus categories, this card isn’t an ideal choice for everyday spending.
The AAdvantage Program currently has more than 20 partner airlines, including those in the Oneworld Alliance, so you can redeem miles with various other airlines. You can also gift or transfer miles for a fee. However, partner award redemptions can be complicated and difficult to utilize. If you don't want to redeem miles toward airline travel, you don’t have many alternative redemption options available. You’re also subject to award availability restrictions, which can be more difficult to find on popular routes or dates.
You can earn unlimited AAdvantage miles, but they will expire if you don’t keep your account active by making a purchase with your AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard or flying with American Airlines at least once every 24 months.
Companion Certificate: Difficult to earn
Cardholders who spend at least $20,000 on the card each year will earn an annual Anniversary Companion Certificate. With the certificate, someone can travel with you on a flight for just $99 (plus taxes and fees) if your account remains open for 45 days after your anniversary date.
While this perk can be highly valuable if redeemed for an expensive flight, it requires high spending to earn. And since the card has no bonus categories, spending $20,000 is a value loss compared to the rewards you could earn by spending the same amount on a card with larger rewards categories. It could work if you are already spending significantly with American Airlines, but in that case, you’d be better served by making those purchases with a card that earns more rewards.
We tried it: Here’s what our experts say
If you’re in an American Airlines hub, you can get significant value from the AAdvantage Aviator Red Mastercard. Bankrate writer Ryan Flanigan opened the card for the sign-up bonus, and he leverages the perks for his American flights.
Bankrate staff insights
“What drew me to the card was the sign-up bonus was easy to obtain and gave me a quick mileage boost. I feel like I can never have enough American miles, as I’m in an American Airlines hub and fly with them frequently, so any way to stock up on more miles is appreciated. Plus, the in-flight perks and free baggage for my family give me the value I need to justify the annual fee. While I don’t always spend a ton on this card, I always use this to pay for my American flights.”
Ryan Flanigan, Writer, Bankrate
Best cards to pair with the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard
To build AAdvantage miles rewards faster, consider pairing this card with another travel rewards card or airline credit card.
How the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard compares to other airline credit cards
Compared to other co-branded airline cards, the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard’s reward potential is fairly limited. There are other travel cards that have better perks and rewards that allow you to spend less for better value.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn 60,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.
Rewards rate
Earn 2X AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 1X AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 10/29/2025.
Rewards rate
Earn 2X miles on Delta Purchases, restaurants, and U.S. supermarkets. Earn 1X miles on all other eligible purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Annual fee
Intro offer
For a limited time, earn 80,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $3,500 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening.
Rewards rate
Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, and on eligible American Airlines purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Is the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard right for me?
The AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard could be a good option for:
- Occasional flyers: If you only travel occasionally and don’t mind sticking to American Airlines.
- Simple travel rewards earners: If you want travel rewards without a complicated rewards structure, as you don’t have to keep up with many tiers or categories.
- American Airlines status boosters: If you want to increase your chances of reaching elite American Airlines status through Loyalty Points.
Alternative picks
If you don't frequently use American Airlines enough to justify paying the annual fee for the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard, consider a general flat-rate rewards travel card instead.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, please click here.
All information about the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®, Citi® AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
Frequently asked questions
How we rated this card
We rate credit cards using a proprietary card scoring system that ranks each card’s estimated average rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more against those of other cards in its primary category.
Each card feature is assigned a weighting based on how important it is to people looking for a card in a given category. These features are then scored based on how they rank relative to the features on other cards in the category. Based on these calculations, each card receives an overall rating of 1-5 stars (with 5 being the highest possible score and 1 being the lowest).
We analyzed over 150 of the most popular rewards and cash back cards to determine where each stacked up based on their value, cost, benefits and more. Here are some of the key factors that influenced this card’s overall score and how the score influenced our review:
What cardholders think
AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
In May 2024 and March 2025, Bankrate collaborated with a third-party vendor to survey 8170 cardholders nationwide. Bankrate and our vendor collected, averaged and presented website analytics and cardholder responses to six questions on a 5-point scale. Responses are based on individual cardholder's product details, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. Users received an incentive for their feedback. User ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by credit card issuers, nor do these ratings reflect Bankrate's own reviews of these cards.
Community Reviews
* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.
