The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Advertiser disclosure
The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Reviews
AAdvantage Aviator Silver Mastercard review: It doesn't win gold, but it's good enough for silver
Olivia Mittak is a credit cards editor at TPG. She specializes in maximizing earn for points and miles, finding the best welcome bonuses and choosing the right credit cards for your wallet.
September 26, 2024 • 8 min read
FRANCKREPORTER/GETTY IMAGES
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Editorial note:
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
Related stories
Quick summary
A premium airline card is only available through product change and not to new applicants.
Key benefits include free checked bags for you and companions, Global Entry credit, inflight Wi-Fi and food credits, and preferred boarding.
The card is best suited for frequent flyers with a specific airline, as maximizing value requires regular travel.
Companion certificates and bonus loyalty points are available but require significant annual spending.
What to consider
No welcome offer is available since the card cannot be applied for directly.
A high annual fee applies, and heavy spending is needed to unlock certain perks like companion certificates.
Bonus loyalty points are awarded at high spending thresholds within each status qualification year.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of similar airline cards, including tradeoffs in benefits, fees and eligibility.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
AAdvantage Aviator World Elite Silver Mastercard overview
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*: ⭐⭐⭐
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
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.
AAdvantage Aviator Silver pros and cons
Pros
Cons
Statement credit for Global Entry every five years
First checked bag free for you and companions on the same itinerary
Annual statement credits for inflight Wi-Fi
Statement credits for inflight food and beverage purchases
High annual fee
Not open to new applicants
Heavy spending is needed to acquire companion certificates
AAdvantage Aviator Silver welcome offer
Unfortunately, this card doesn't have a welcome offer since it isn't open to new applicants.
THE POINTS GUY
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.
AAdvantage Aviator Silver benefits
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.
MINISERIES/GETTY IMAGES
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 certificates for this is nice, that's a lot of spend that could go toward earning welcome bonuses on other cards.
From my perspective, still requiring a payment of $99 per certificate (plus taxes and fees) for that much spending makes the perk hardly worth striving for.
Earning miles on the AAdvantage Aviator Silver
The Aviator Silver has a similar reward structure to many other cobranded airline cards. As a cardholder, you'll earn 3 miles per dollar spent on American Airlines purchases, 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible hotel and car rental purchases and 1 mile per dollar spent on everything else.
While the Aviator Silver doesn't cover some common bonus categories like gas and dining, I don't view this as too much of a detriment. I always recommend putting nonairline spending on a card that earns transferable points or miles, so this card is perfectly acceptable in that strategy.
SOLSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
I also want to note that the Aviator Silver offers a feature called "Flight Cents," which allows you to round up your purchases to the nearest dollar to earn more AAdvantage miles.
This feature won't make a big difference for low spenders, but it will net a lot of extra miles if you're striving to hit the spending requirement for those companion certificates.
If you're chasing status with American Airlines, this card can help you do so. Cardholders can earn up to 15,000 bonus Loyalty Points by meeting the following spending requirements:
5,000 Loyalty Points after spending $20,000
Another 5,000 Loyalty Points after spending $40,000
A final 5,000 bonus Loyalty Points after spending $50,000
Note that you must hit each spending milestone during your status qualification year to receive the full 15,000 bonus Loyalty Points. Your spending toward this benefit will reset each status qualification year.
The average spender may struggle to maximize this benefit, but American Airlines super enthusiasts will appreciate this card's ability to help them rack up a significant amount of Loyalty Points.
I recommend redeeming your miles for flights since that will net you the most value. You can redeem your miles for American Airlines flights or flights on the carrier's alliance and nonalliance partners, such as British Airways and Aer Lingus.
American Airlines award tickets start as low as 7,500 miles for one-way domestic flights. Andrea Rotondo, TPG's director of content operations, used her miles recently to book a premium economy ticket from Charlotte to Frankfurt, Germany, for just 53,500 miles (plus $5.60 in taxes and fees).
What cards compete with the AAdvantage Aviator Silver?
Other American Airlines cards are the best direct competitors to the Aviator Silver. Some of your options include:
If you want to pay a lower annual fee: The AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® has a lower annual fee of $99. It comes with free first checked bags for you and up to four companions, a discount on eligible inflight purchases and no foreign transaction fees. To learn more, check out our full review of the Aviator Red Mastercard.
If you want premium American Airlines benefits: The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) has a whopping $595 annual fee but comes with benefits like an Admirals Club membership, priority check-in and boarding, up to $120 in annual Lyft credits and up to $120 in annual Grubhub statement credits. To learn more, check out our full review of the Citi / AAdvantage Executive Mastercard.
If you don't want to pay an annual fee: The Citi® AAdvantage® MileUp Card has no annual fee. It may lack the perks of American Airlines' more expensive cobranded cards, but it still offers solid benefits like a discount on inflight food and beverage purchases. To learn more, check out our full review of the Citi / AAdvantage MileUp card.
The information for the AAdvantage Aviator Red Mastercard and AAdvantage MileUp card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Is the AAdvantage Aviator Silver worth it?
I recommend the Aviator Silver for anyone who flies with American Airlines at least a few times each year. However, if you don't fall into that category, you'll likely find it difficult to take advantage of this card's benefits enough to justify paying its $199 annual fee.
Bottom line
If you already hold one of Barclays' AAdvantage cards, upgrading to the Aviator Silver may be the right choice for you. Before committing to an upgrade, carefully consider the pros and cons. The Aviator Silver does have a steep annual fee, but in the right hands, it can be a great way to save a lot of money on American flights.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
