AAdvantage Aviator Silver Mastercard review: It doesn't win gold, but it's good enough for silver

26.09.2024 - 19:47 / thepointsguy.com

If you currently hold one of Barclays' American Airlines cobranded cards, you may have heard about the AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Silver Mastercard®. Only available through a product change, the Aviator Silver card offers some solid benefits for its annual fee but may be hard to justify for those who don't fly with American Airlines at least a few times a year. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐

American Airlines has cobranded cards with two issuers, Barclays and Citi. One of those cards, the AAdvantage Aviator World Elite Silver Mastercard, isn't open to new applicants. Those interested in the card can still request an upgrade from a lower-tier Barclays AAdvantage card.

If you're interested in upgrading to this card, it's important to fully understand the perks and drawbacks. The Aviator Silver has a $199 annual fee that is definitely nothing to take lightly. If you don't fly with American Airlines at least a few times per year, this card may not be the right fit for you.

I'll walk you through the highlights of the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Silver to help you decide if it's the best choice for your wallet.

The information for the AAdvantage Aviator World Elite Silver Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Unfortunately, this card doesn't have a welcome offer since it isn't open to new applicants.

A welcome offer is a big motivating factor in acquiring a new card, especially one with a higher annual fee like the Aviator Silver's. Before upgrading, make sure this card's other benefits justify not receiving a welcome offer.

The Aviator Silver has good benefits to help justify its $199 annual price tag. To begin with, you and up to eight companions on the same itinerary will receive your first eligible checked bag for free. Whether traveling solo or as part of a larger group, free checked bags can go a long way toward justifying an annual fee.

You'll also receive an up to $120 credit for Global Entry every five years. This is a fairly standard perk of most travel cards, but it's still worth noting.

That said, if another card has already covered your Global Entry fee, you can use this credit to cover a friend or family member's fee instead.

Other benefits include up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for inflight Wi-Fi charges, up to $25 back each day as statement credits for inflight food and drink purchases, preferred boarding for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation and no foreign transaction fees.

This card does offer companion certificates, but you'll need to spend $20,000 in an account anniversary year to earn them. While receiving two $99 companion