Best American Airlines Credit Cards Of June 2024 (2024)

The AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® is a good option for those who can leverage the AA flight perks to justify the annual fee. When factoring in the welcome bonus and intro companion certificate, the first-year rewards are quite impressive, but aside from 2x miles on AA purchases, the 1x base rewards rate is underwhelming.

• Earn 60,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days of account opening
• Earn a companion certificate for one guest at $99 (plus taxes and fees) after spending $20,000 on purchases and your account remains open for 45 days after your anniversary date
• Up to $25 back as statement credits on inflight Wi-Fi purchases on American Airlines operated flights every anniversary year
• 25% discount as statement credits on food and beverage purchases when you use your card on American Airlines operated flights
• Earn 2 miles for every dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile for every dollar spent on all other purchases

For the AA frequent flier who will use the complimentary Admirals Club lounge access, this alone more than offsets the annual fee. Considering that all authorized cardholders are eligible, this can be an incredible value. Extra perks such as VIP check-in, priority boarding, concierge service, and free checked bag sweeten the deal.

• Earn 100,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after spending $10,000 in the first 3 months of account opening
• Earn 10 miles per dollar spent on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through aa.com, 4 miles for every dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile for all other purchases
• Admirals Club Membership: Access to nearly 100 lounge locations worldwide for you and your immediate family (or up to 2 traveling guests that accompany you)
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee credit up to $100 every 4 years

For American Airlines frequent fliers, this card brings a nice set of perks and a strong welcome bonus. The miles you can earn on American Airlines, gas and restaurant purchases can easily justify the annual fee – so long as you don’t carry a balance on this high APR card.

• Earn 50,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after spending $2,500 in purchases in the first 3 months of account opening
• Earn 2miles per dollar spent at gas stations, restaurants, and qualifying American Airlines purchases
• Earn 1 mile per every dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
• Earn a $125 American Airlines flight discount after spending $20,000 or more in qualifying purchases during your card membership year and renew your card
• First checked bag is free for you and up to four companions on domestic American Airlines flights when traveling on the same reservation
• Preferred boarding privileges on American Airlines flights

This card makes sense for a narrow range of people: Casual AA fliers seeking a no-annual-fee card with moderate rewards and with no need to carry a balance. To maximize rewards earnings, spend on AA purchases and groceries to score 2x miles. The 3% foreign transaction fee and a lack of perks will turn off frequent international travelers.

• Earn 15,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
• Earn 2x AAdvantage miles per dollar on groceries and eligible American Airlines purchases
• Earn 1x AAdvantage mile per dollar on all other purchases
• No annual fee
• 25% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases on American Airlines flights when card is used