4 great credit cards likely going away soon and why you should get them now
As someone who holds more than 20 credit cards, I keep a close eye on what's available in the cards space ... and what could be going away soon.
It's been a pretty intense year of card changes, card launches and heightened offers. There are also several cards that we think may not be around for much longer.
Some of those cards could help savvy readers stock up on points and miles without high annual fees. Here's a list of some of my favorite opportunities in the card space and offers that may be off the table sooner rather than later.
Aviator cards
The Barclays Aviator credit cards are among my favorite cards to recommend to folks looking for a good welcome bonus without a high minimum spending requirement or a high annual fee.
AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard
Right now, the offer on the entry-level AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® is just 50,000 AAdvantage miles, but you get the miles after making your first purchase in the first 90 days after account opening and paying the $99 annual fee. That means the minimum spending to get 50,000 miles is literally as low as $100: $99 annual fee and a $1 charge. This, to me, is borderline free AAdvantage miles.
Keep in mind, I've seen offers as high as 70,000 miles. However, an offer that high might not come back before the card is no longer available.
The information for the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite 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.
Barclays used to have several cards under its AAdvantage Aviator portfolio. However, only one is currently available to new applicants: the AAdvantage Aviator Red.
Citi will become the exclusive issuer of AAdvantage cards starting in 2026. That means new applications for the Aviator Red could soon get pulled, potentially before the end of 2025.
AAdvantage Aviator World Elite Silver Mastercard
I hold the higher-end version of the card, the AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Silver Mastercard®, which comes with the same benefits as the Red card.
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.
Each year, you can earn a companion certificate ($99 fare plus taxes and fees) after you spend at least $20,000 on your card and keep it open for 45 days after your cardmember anniversary. You'll also get up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for inflight Wi-Fi purchases.
The Silver card has a higher $199 annual fee, but it comes with an additional companion on its certificate, so you can bring two guests for $99 each.
It also has my favorite feature: a shortcut to status. You can earn up to 15,000 Loyalty Points after qualifying spending each status qualification period. You get 5,000 Loyalty Points for spending $20,000, another 5,000 for spending $40,000, and another 5,000 if you hit $50,000 in spending each year on the card.
These boosts have gotten me a long way toward reearning American Airlines Executive Platinum status for the past several years.
You can't apply for the Silver card outright. You'll need to open the Red card first and then ask Barclays to upgrade to the higher-annual-fee version.
We don't know how long these cards will remain available. But I did get a letter from Barclays saying the card would retain the ability to earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points through 2025 at least, so I'm good for now.
Hopefully, Citi will keep the same benefits on the card when and if it migrates from Barclays. In the meantime, I would jump on these cards while you can.
Hawaiian Airlines cards
Once it became clear that Hawaiian Airlines would be acquired by Alaska Airlines in a blockbuster merger, I guessed the Hawaiian credit cards would eventually go away, and the Hawaiian miles I earned would convert to Alaska Mileage Plan miles.
Although the Hawaiian credit cards aren't going away (just yet), the airlines recently announced a new joint loyalty program, Atmos Rewards.
You can currently transfer HawaiianMiles to Atmos Rewards at a 1:1 ratio, and HawaiianMiles will become Atmos points Oct. 1.
Related: A gamble on Alaska miles — why I applied for 2 Hawaiian Airlines cards on the same day
I applied for both the personal and business versions of the Hawaiian Airlines cards. That way, I could really maximize the welcome bonuses that may eventually go away (or, at least, evolve from their current state).
Opening these two credit cards earned me 138,000 HawaiianMiles.
I earned 70,000 HawaiianMiles after making a purchase within 90 days from account opening (no longer available) for the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®. The other offer was for up to 60,000 HawaiianMiles after spending $2,000 and making a purchase with an employee card within the first 90 days from opening an account (no longer available) for the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®.
The information for the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite 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.
You don't have to have a huge business for this strategy to work. If you have any type of small business — even one as small as an eBay store — you can apply for a business credit card with your name as the business and your Social Security number instead of an employer identification number.
Related: Do I need a business to get a business credit card?
Bottom line
Several of these credit cards have generous welcome bonuses that don't come with high spending requirements or annual fees.
By strategically signing up for these cards right now, you could get a chunk of miles for that next trip to Hawaii. Or to do something like I did recently and use the miles to book some extraordinary business-class flights to Asia.
Related reading:
TPG featured card
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.