Your American Airlines companion certificate will be extended through next year
Editor's Note
Well, my 2021 travel plans haven’t quite panned out the way I wanted.
Yours probably didn’t either.
But there's good news for existing AAdvantage Aviator Red, Silver and Business cardmembers who hold a companion certificate with an expiration date in 2021.
If you’re a qualifying Barclays AAdvantage cardholder with a companion certificate expiring this year, you’ll receive an extension through June 30, 2022. Check your inbox for correspondence from Barclays.
This will undoubtedly come in handy for many financially-strapped cardholders right now, as it takes between $20,000 to $30,000 worth of spending to earn one of the certificates.
If you're unfamiliar with Barclays' lineup of co-branded American Airlines credit cards and how the companion certificate works, here's a quick overview of each card.
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Barclays Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard
After you spend $20,000 in a year, you'll receive the companion certificate on the Barclays Aviator Red Card. With it, you can book airfare for a travel companion for just $99 plus taxes and fees. Once it's safe to travel again, this can translate into some pretty significant savings.
The card currently offers a 60,000-mile sign-up bonus after you pay the $99 annual fee in full and make a single purchase within the first 90 days. There is no minimum amount on what the initial purchase is, either — meaning you could end up paying around $100 and earn those 60,000 miles. It's no doubt one of the easiest airline card sign-up bonuses to earn.
With this card, you'll also earn 2 miles for every dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1x on everything else. Cardholders also get a 25% discount on in-flight food and beverages purchases, as well as up to $25 worth of statement credits for in-flight WiFi purchases on American Airlines-operated flights.
The information for the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red 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.
Related: AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard review
AAdvantage Aviator Silver Mastercard
You'll receive the companion certificate for the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Silver Mastercard after you spend $20,000 per year. With it, you can book travel for up to two additional guests for $99 plus taxes and fees. This is ideal for families and groups looking to save on domestic travel.
While the card isn't currently open to new cardholders, you can request an upgrade after opening an Aviator Red card account. It offers upgraded perks that American Airlines flyers will certainly enjoy — such as 10,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) each calendar year after a combined $40,000 spend and $3,000 EQDs after spending $50,000 per calendar year.
The information for the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Silver 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.
Related: Should you upgrade from the AAdvantage Aviator Red to the AAdvantage Aviator Silver?
AAdvantage Aviator Business Mastercard
The AAdvantage Aviator Business Mastercard has a higher threshold for earning a $99 companion certificate: $30,000 to be exact. Once you earn it, though, it's good for one guest ticket that you can book for only $99 plus taxes and fees.
The card comes with a $95 annual fee and is currently offering a welcome offer of 65,000 miles after you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days. You'll also get an additional 10,000 miles when you make a purchase on an employee card. As a bonus, cardholders receive a 5% mileage bonus every card account anniversary.
The information for the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Business 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.
Related: What happens to your airline companion fare or hotel free night certificate now?
Bottom line
This is great news for Barclays AAdvantage cardholders with expiring flight discounts or companion certificates. Many card issuers are stepping up to the plate with credit card sign-up bonus extensions, limited-time statement credits and category bonuses in response to the ongoing pandemic. It's great to see Barclays taking this step to ensure that loyal cardmembers can put those hard-earned companion certificates and flight discounts to use whenever they feel comfortable doing so.
Additional reporting by Juan Ruiz.