Our Verdict
The AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver Mastercard®* is ideal for those who frequently travel on American Airlines and want additional perks. The card, which is available as an upgrade from other Aviator cards but not new applicants, offers free checked bags, priority boarding and statement credits for in-flight Wi-Fi and food and beverage purchases. Those who prioritize spending on this card will be rewarded with an annual Companion Certificate valid for not one but two guests, as well as up to 15,000 Loyalty Points. The card’s lack of welcome bonus and meaningful category bonuses makes it a tough sell, however.
Pros
- Generous credits towards in-flight Wi-Fi and food and beverage purchases
- Ability to buy miles at a discount through Flight Cents
- Preferred boarding and first checked bag free for the cardholder and up to eight guests on the same reservation
- Every mile earned counts towards AAdvantage elite status
- No foreign transaction fee
Cons
- The card is not open to new applicants. The only way to get one is by invitation or upgrading from an existing card.
- No welcome bonus
- $199 annual fee
- High spending threshold for bonus Loyalty Points
Highlights
- Earn 3 AAdvantage miles for every dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, 2 miles for every dollar spent on hotels and car rentals and 1 mile for every dollar spent on all other purchases
- Earn a companion certificate for 2 guests at $99 each (plus taxes and fees) after spending $20,000 on purchases and your account remains open for 45 days after your anniversary date
- Earn up to $25 back a day as statement credits on inflight food and beverage purchases when you use your card on American Airlines operated flights
- $100 Global Entry credit once every 5 years
- No foreign fees
AAdvantage Aviator Silver Mastercard Introduction
The AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver Mastercard®* is one of five Barclays American Airlines cards and is peculiar in several aspects. The card’s $199 annual fee puts it somewhere between a mid-tier and premium credit card, with few competitors. Notably, the card has no welcome bonus and is not open to new applicants. The only way to get one is by invitation or upgrading from an existing AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®*.
While the Aviator Silver card’s category bonuses are limited, it offers some solid travel benefits. Cardholders qualify for a Global Entry application fee credit every five years, $25 in statement credits toward in-flight meal and beverage purchases, plus $50 in in-flight Wi-Fi purchases. Free checked bags and priority boarding are standard for airline credit cards, but this card expands these benefits to eight companions on the same reservation.
While the card’s category bonuses leave something to be desired at 3 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases, 2 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases, cardholders are rewarded in other ways. Cardholders who spend at least $20,000 on the card in a year will qualify for a Companion Certificate good for two guests at $99 each (plus taxes and fees). It’s also possible to earn up to 15,000 Loyalty Points toward elite status by meeting certain spending thresholds:
- Spend $20,000 to earn 5,000 Loyalty Points
- Spend $40,000 to earn an additional 5,000 Loyalty Points
- Spend $50,000 to earn an additional 5,000 Loyalty Points
Compare AAdvantage Aviator Silver Card With Other Cards
What Is the AAdvantage Aviator Silver Mastercard Best For?
The AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver Mastercard®* is best for frequent American Airlines travelers who want all the traditional travel rewards card perks like free checked bags, priority boarding and in-flight credits.
Quick Facts
- $199 annual fee
- Earn 3 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases, 2 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- Round your purchases to the nearest dollar with Flight Cents
- Up to 15,000 additional Loyalty Points annually after meeting qualifying spending thresholds
- Up to $100 Global Entry application fee credit every five years
- Companion Certificate valid for two guests every year you spend $20,000 on the card
- Up to $50 in statement credits for in-flight Wi-Fi purchases every year
- Up to $25 in statement credits for in-flight food and beverage purchases
AAdvantage Aviator Silver Card Rewards
Earning Rewards
The AAdvantage Aviator Silver Card earns AAdvantage miles as follows: 3 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases, 2 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
In addition, members can earn up to 15,000 Loyalty Points every year for meeting certain spending thresholds. These are quite high and to earn the maximum 15,000 points, you’ll need to spend at least $50,000 in a year.
While this card is useful for American Airlines loyalists who spend a great deal on travel and want to utilize the various flight perks, it’s not rewarding for everyday spending. The card doesn’t offer bonus miles on common spending categories like dining, gas or groceries. Those are high spending categories that most consumers want to maximize. This card only offers 1 mile per dollar spent on everything outside of American Airlines purchases, hotels and car rentals.
Redeeming Rewards
AAdvantage miles can be used for flights, hotels, car rentals and cruises. The best use of miles is for international flights in premium cabins, though you can also get plenty of value out of economy seats.
American Airlines is one of the few airlines that still publishes an award chart. This transparency makes it possible to know how much an award ticket will cost and save in advance. Awards start at just 7,500 miles each way for short-haul domestic flights and range up to 95,000 miles for a first-class ticket to the South Pacific. Partner flights are on a separate award chart and price out lower in some cases.
For example, a one-way business/first-class ticket to the South Pacific starts at just 80,000 miles on a partner carrier like Japan Airlines or Cathay Pacific. American Airlines is part of the Oneworld Alliance and partners with nearly two dozen airlines serving hundreds of destinations worldwide. That’s a vast array of places you can travel with your AAdvantage miles.
Rewards Potential
Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage earners brings in $118,438 annually, and we base our example household spending on that number.
We estimate that our example household spends $770 on airline purchases annually. If all of this spending was through American Airlines, the household would earn 2,310 miles. Estimating a spend of $2,858 on hotels and $791 in rental car bookings at 2 miles per dollar would generate 3,649 miles. Factoring in $32,060 in non-bonus spending that could be reasonably charged to a credit card, this family would earn a combined 38,019 AAdvantage miles in a year. In addition, the household would earn 5,000 bonus Loyalty Points and a Companion Certificate for completing $20,000 in net purchases.
Other AAdvantage Aviator Silver Card Benefits
- Mastercard benefits. World Elite Mastercard benefits include zero liability protection, ID theft protection, global emergency services, concierge access and travel benefits.
- Access to Simply Miles. Open to all American AAdvantage members with a Mastercard, Simply Miles offers savings at popular merchants.
- Flight Cents. This feature lets you “round up” your mileage earnings to the nearest dollar by purchasing discounted miles.
Fine Print
Interest Rates
- Regular APR: See terms
- Purchase intro APR: N/A
- Balance transfer intro APR: see terms
Fees
- Annual fee: $199
- Balance transfer fee: see terms
- Foreign purchase transaction fee: see terms
How the AAdvantage Aviator Silver Card Stacks Up
AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver Mastercard®* vs. AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®*
The AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®* offers similar benefits to the Aviator Silver card, though at a lower annual fee of $99. The card comes with up to $25 in in-flight Wi-Fi credits and an annual $99 Companion Certificate when you spend $20,000 in a calendar year. Granted, the Companion Certificate is valid for one other traveler as opposed to two on the Aviator Silver card. Otherwise, the benefits are very similar.
Aviator Red cardholders get a more curtailed version of the first checked bag free and preferred boarding. These benefits are good for up to four companions, compared to the eight that comes with the Aviation Silver card, but four is likely sufficient for most.
The Aviator Red card also offers an intro APR of a 0% intro APR on eligible balance transfers for 15 billing cycles, followed by a regular APR of 21.24% - 29.99% variable APR on purchases and balance transfer. Balance transfer must be completed within 45 days of account opening and a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies. And, there’s a welcome bonus of 50,000 bonus miles after your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days of account opening.
The Aviator Red is an excellent choice if you want many of the same perks offered by the Silver card, in addition to an easy-to-earn welcome bonus and nearly half the annual fee.
The only significant disadvantage is that the Aviator Red has limited category bonuses. Cardholders earn 2 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver Mastercard®* vs. Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®*
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®* is a solid choice if you don’t currently have a Barclays card that you can upgrade to the Aviator Silver. This card has an annual fee of $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $99, and new cardmembers can earn 50,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after spending $2,500 in purchases in the first 3 months of account opening. The card offers a few of the same benefits, including free checked bags and preferred boarding for up to four companions.
Instead of earning a $99 Companion Certificate, Citi AAdvantage Platinum cardholders earn a $125 American Airlines Flight Discount after spending $20,000 in their cardmembership year and renewing their card for another year. This will be more beneficial for solo travelers and those who tend to book cheaper fares for themselves and their companions.
Similar to the Aviator Red, the AAdvantage Platinum offers a 25% discount on in-flight food and beverage purchases. This will be more useful to those who spend over $100 on in-flight purchases, since the discount isn’t limited to $25 in savings.
The AAdvantage Platinum card also offers more useful category bonuses, earning 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, restaurants and gas stations and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.
AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver Mastercard®* vs. Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®*
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®* is similar to the Aviator Silver in that it’s a premium card with more benefits. And, similar to the Aviator Silver, AAdvantage Executive cardholders receive a Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit every four years, as well as a free checked bag and priority boarding for up to eight companions. The card also offers 10,000 Loyalty Points after earning 50,000 in a status qualification year. You can earn another 10,000 on top of that after reaching 90,000 in the same year.
The AAdvantage Executive card has a much higher annual fee of $595. But in exchange, cardholders receive Admirals Club membership (valued up to $850) and a solid welcome bonus of 70,000 bonus miles after spending $7,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.
The AAdvantage Executive Card is the best choice if you’re looking for a welcome bonus and Admirals Club membership. However, it’s not a good value if you don’t use the lounge benefit and prefer the American Airlines credits and Companion Certificate offered on the Aviator Silver Card.
The AAdvantage Executive Card also has a much higher earning rate of 10 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through aa.com, 4 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Is the AAdvantage Aviator Silver Card for You?
With no welcome bonus or intro APR offer and a relatively high annual fee, the Aviator Silver Card isn’t for everyone. However, it might be a fit for those who frequently travel on American Airlines and want more benefits and expanded category bonuses beyond what the Aviator Red Card offers. Unlike most mid-tier AAdvantage cards, this one extends free checked bags and preferred boarding to eight companions rather than four. If you regularly fly American Airlines as part of a large group and can maximize the benefits, this card perk can save you hundreds of dollars.
The Aviator Silver’s annual companion certificate, valid for two companions rather than one, could also be a money-saver. The various statement credits available to cardholders can partially offset the higher annual fee you’re paying. Since the Aviator Silver is lacking a welcome bonus, this card is ideal for those who are able to maximize this and other card benefits over the long run.
Methodology
Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors including:
- Annual fees
- Welcome bonus offers
- Ongoing earning rates
- Value of individual points or miles
- Included travel or merchant credits
- Additional cardholder benefits
Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.
To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on how Forbes Advisor rates credit cards.
*The information for the following card(s) has been collected independently by Forbes Advisor: AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver Mastercard®, AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®, Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
