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American Airlines offers an array of co-branded credit cards ranging from a no-annual-fee option to a
With all those choices, the best airline credit card for your travel style depends on the benefits and perks that are most useful to you. Here's what to know to help you decide.
Compare the Best American Airlines Credit Cards
Best American Airlines Credit cards
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® - Product Name Only : Best for earning American Airlines milesAmerican Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® - Product Name Only : Best for budget travelersCiti® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® - Product Name Only : Best for lounge accessAAdvantage® Aviator® Silver Mastercard® - Product Name Only : Best for elite statusAAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® - Product Name Only : Best for discountsCitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® - Product Name Only : Best for business travelersAAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® - Product Name Only : Best for annual bonus milesBilt Mastercard® - Product Name Only : Best card with points that transfer to American AirlinesChase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Product Name Only : Best if you're not loyal to American Airlines
Methodology: How we chose the best American Airlines credit cards
We considered all of the American Airlines credit cards available right now and looked at several factors:
- Travel benefits — Does the card offer money-saving perks like free checked bags or other benefits like Loyalty Points for meeting spending thresholds, airport lounge access, or statement credits?
- Earning potential — Are there bonus categories outside of American Airlines purchases with the card, and are they appealing to a wide range of customers?
- Annual fee — Most American Airlines credit cards have an annual fee, but are the card's benefits worth it?
- Cards for various types of travelers — We chose cards that appeal to different types of American Airlines flyers, including road warriors, leisure travelers, and small-business owners.
Be sure to read Insider's guide to how we rate and review credit cards to learn more about our methodology.
Why you should trust our recommendations
Insider's credit cards team does not write content for the purpose of selling cards. The business team is separate from the editorial team, meaning we have the freedom to write about whatever we want. We'll let you know when a card would be a good fit for your situation — and we'll tell you about credit cards you should avoid, too.
American Airlines Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions
What credit score do you need for an American Airlines credit card?
All of the co-branded American Airlines cards mentioned above typically approve those with at least a good credit score, based on Insider's assumptions. Some, like the premium
Is an American Airlines credit card worth it?
It definitely makes sense to open an American Airlines credit card, particularly one that offers money-saving benefits like a free checked bag and preferred boarding, if you fly the airline — even a couple of times a year. The perks you receive can more than offset the annual fee on these cards, and you'll earn miles you can redeem for free flights on American and its partners.
American Airlines credit cards are even more compelling if you're working toward earning AAdvantage elite status. Because status is now awarded based on earning Loyalty Points, using an American Airlines card for everyday spending can give you the boost you need to achieve the next status tier.
Do you earn more Loyalty Points for spending in bonus categories on an American Airlines credit card?
All co-branded American Airlines credit cards earn 1 Loyalty Point per dollar you spend, regardless of category — so spending more in bonus categories isn't going to make a difference in that regard.
For instance, the
Do American Airlines card welcome bonuses count as Loyalty Points?
Any welcome bonus miles you earn from opening an American Airlines credit card will not count toward earning Loyalty Points and elite status. You'll just earn redeemable miles.
Do you get priority boarding with an American Airlines credit card?
Most co-branded American Airlines cards (except the
Which credit card can transfer points to American Airlines?
None of the major transferable points currencies (Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Capital One miles) have American Airlines as a transfer partner.
However, you can transfer some hotel program points — most notably Marriott Bonvoy — to American Airlines. In addition, the Bilt Rewards program has American Airlines as a 1:1 transfer partner.
Do American Airlines miles expire?
American Airlines miles expire after 24 months of account inactivity. This means if you don't earn or redeem AA miles within that time frame, you could lose your miles. Using an American Airlines credit card is a great way to generate earning activity in your account and keep your miles from expiring.
Best for Earning American Airlines Miles
If your primary goal is to rack up American AAdvantage miles quickly on everyday purchases, the earning rates on the
Aside from that, cardholders get a free checked bag on domestic AA itineraries for themselves and up to four companions, preferred boarding, and 25% back on inflight food and beverage. Those who spend $20,000 or more on purchases in a calendar year and renew the card can earn a $125 flight discount certificate.
The card's annual fee is
Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Card Review
Best for Budget Travelers
Want to earn miles on everyday purchases without the burden of a high annual fee? American Airlines introduced its no-annual-fee
The card earns a respectable 2x miles on both eligible American Airlines purchases and at grocery stores, and 1x on everything else. Its only day-of-travel benefit is 25% back as a statement credit on inflight food and beverage, so don't expect free checked bags or priority boarding.
The
Citi American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card Review
Best for Lounge Access
If you're a frequent American flyer and value access to the airline's Admirals Club airport lounges, then the
Unlike other airlines' club cards, which merely offer lounge access,
Cardholders are eligible for up to a $100 statement credit to cover the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee once every five years. They also get free checked bags for themselves and up to eight companions on American Airlines domestic itineraries, are entitled to priority boarding, and get 25% back on inflight food and beverage purchases. This card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.
The
Citi AAdvantage Executive Card Review
Best for Elite Status
The
You can earn 5,000 bonus Loyalty Points if you spend $20,000 on purchases, another 5,000 bonus Loyalty Points if you spend $40,000 on purchases, and another 5,000 bonus Loyalty Points if you spend $50,000 or more on purchases in an elite status qualification period. If you need a boost to reach the next level of elite status, those extra Loyalty Points might be just what you need.
This card's other value-packed perks include up to a $100 credit to cover the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck once every five years, up to $25 back per day on inflight food and beverage purchases, and up to $50 refunded for Wi-Fi purchases on American flights each year.
Cardholders also enjoy preferred boarding, free checked bags on domestic American Airlines itineraries for the cardholder and up to eight companions on the same reservation, and two $99 (plus taxes) companion certificates after spending $20,000 in purchases each account year that they can redeem toward round-trip domestic economy itineraries.
The card earns 3x miles on American Airlines purchases, 2x miles on hotels and car rentals, and 1x on everything else. Its annual fee is
Best for Discounts
While the Aviator Silver offers more significant onboard discounts, you might still want to consider the
In addition to offering 25% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases, it will also reimburse you up to $25 each year for inflight Wi-Fi. However, since it's also a World Elite Mastercard, you can take advantage of perks recently added to that program including a $5 Lyft credit after taking three or more rides each month, cell phone protection (with a $50 deductible per claim) against loss or damage on up to $800, and more.
The card waives foreign transaction fees and earns 2x miles on American Airlines purchases and 1x on everything else. Day-of-travel benefits include preferred boarding and a free checked bag for the cardholder and up to four companions on the same domestic American Airlines reservation. If you spend more than $20,000 on purchases per account year, you will also receive a $99 (plus taxes) companion certificate good for a round-trip domestic economy ticket.
AAdvantage Aviator Red Card Review
Best for Business Travelers
Your best small-business option is the
The bonus earning categories include 2x on eligible American Airlines purchases, gas stations, cable and satellite services, telecommunications, and car rentals. This card has the same checked bag and boarding benefits as the Barclays version, though its inflight purchase discount includes Wi-Fi.
Those who spend $30,000 or more on purchases in an account anniversary year and renew their card receive a $99 companion travel certificate, too (provided their account remains open for at least 45 days after the account anniversary).
CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select American Airlines Credit Card Review
Best for Annual Bonus Miles
The
This card offers 2x categories like its small business sibling, the
You'll continue to get the standard American Airlines benefits, such as a free first checked bag on American Airlines domestic itineraries, preferred boarding on American Airlines flights, a 25% savings on American Airlines inflight purchases, etc. You'll also get a companion certificate to anywhere in the continental US after spending $30,000 in a cardmember year. It allows a companion to fly with you on a round-trip coach fare for a flat fee of $99, plus taxes.
AAdvantage Aviator Business Mastercard Review
Best With Points That Transfer to American Airlines
The Bilt Rewards program flies a bit under the radar, but it's gaining traction due to its broad range of transfer partners, including American Airlines. In fact, this is the only flexible points program that partners with American, making the
The
In addition, on the first day of every month,
Best if You're Not Loyal to American
If you know you'll fly American once or twice this year but want to keep your options open with rewards that you can use across multiple airlines (and hotels), a card that earns transferable points is your best bet. The
The card currently has an excellent increased bonus offer of
While American Airlines isn't a Chase transfer partner — meaning you can't move your Chase points into the AAdvantage frequent flyer program — you can use your rewards from the
If you prefer a premium credit card, you could consider the
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Review