An Easy 40,000 American Airlines Miles – AAdvantage Aviator Business Mastercard

AAdvantage Aviator Business Card Details & Review

Barclaycard recently added a new American Airlines business co-branded credit card to their lineup.  Citi used to have the only American Airlines business co-branded credit card with a sign up bonus, not any longer. It is always good to have another option on the table, let’s take a look.

Details on the Bonus

The current offer is for 40,000 American Airlines miles after you make your first purchase.  You must also pay the $95 annual fee.  That is all it takes, just like the personal version (which is currently at 60,000 miles for it’s sign up bonus).

Earning Structure

The AAdvantage Aviator business card has the following earning rates:

• 2x miles for every dollar spent on American Airlines purchases.
• 2X miles for every dollar spent at eligible office supply, telecom, and car rental merchants.
• 1x miles for every dollar spent everywhere else.

Cardmember Perks

The AAdvantage Aviator business card comes with a few nice perks.  They are as follows:

• First bag checked free
• Access to reduced mileage awards
• Group 5 boarding
• 25% back on all in flight purchases on American Airlines flights
• A $99 companion ticket when you spend $30,000 within a cardmember year. It only works on roundtrip economy fares.

• Get a 5% mileage bonus for all purchases from the previous year.  You must pay the annual fee again to get the bonus.

Sign up Bonus Value – $600 ($505 net)

I value American Airlines miles at 1.5 cents a piece.  That valuation would make 40,000 miles worth $600.  The net value of the sign up bonus would be $505 after paying the $95 annual fee.  American Airlines has seen their miles’ value take a nose dive over the last few years so some will value them lower than this and a few will value them higher.  Make sure to use whatever valuation you think is appropriate.

Direct Link to the offer landing page.

Analysis

The Aviator line of cards from Barclaycard are some of the easiest bonuses to achieve.  They don’t take $3-5,000 in spend like most other cards. This card actually comes with a few more perks than the personal version but it is missing the 10% rebate on mile redemptions.  That is the best perk of either card.

The earning structure is pretty underwhelming overall.  It is nice to see bonus miles for office stores, telecom, and car rentals but most people could earn more points, or more valuable points, using a different card like the Ink Plus or CSR. This is still a nice option for anyone who is a die hard American Airlines flier.

The personal card, as well as Citi’s business card, is currently offering 60,000 miles for their sign up bonuses.  Those would probably be better cards to start with if you are looking to rack up some American Airlines miles.  If you are short on miles for an upcoming award flight, and those two cards are not an option, then this card would fit the bill.  Otherwise I would wait a little bit before applying to see if the offer increases.

Conclusion

Anytime a new credit card offer hits the market, with a sign up bonus, it is a win for us, the consumer.  The AAdvantage Aviator business card comes with a compelling sign up bonus with almost no spend required.

The card has a few nice perks but it isn’t a great card for everyday spend, unless you really value American Airlines miles.  If you did have a lot of business spend and wanted to go after the companion certificate after $30,000 in spend there is some value there. But, you would most likely get a better return on that spend putting it on a different card.

I am personally going to wait a little bit to see if the offer increases and gets closer to the personal card’s 60,000 mile offer.  Also remember that Barclaycard can be a little stingy on approving cards so give it some time if you recently signed up for another card, like the JetBlue card.

Disclosure: Miles to Memories has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Miles to Memories and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

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