January 1, 2025: Citi is still offering an increased bonus on the Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® and the public link to the better bonus on the Barclays AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® that Frequent Miler tipped us off to is still alive.
American Airlines issues cobranded credit cards in partnership with both Citibank and Barclays. The five American Airlines credit cards available to new cardmembers all offer a welcome bonus to new cardmembers.
We keep this post updated with the best publicly available American Airlines credit card welcome bonuses.
Current American Airlines credit card welcome bonuses
Here are the best bonuses currently available on American Airlines credit cards. We publish the best bonuses we know about, regardless of our affiliate relationships.
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card: bonus_miles_full Learn how to apply.
Annual fee: annual_fees- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®: bonus_miles_full Learn how to apply.
Annual fee: annual_fees - Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: bonus_miles_full Learn how to apply.
Annual fee: annual_fees 
Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®: bonus_miles_full Learn how to apply.
Annual fee: annual_fees
AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 70,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days. Learn how to apply.
Annual fee: $99
My take: Go for Barclays or Business
Of the current bonuses, the ones I would go for are the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® and the Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®.
The Citi Business American Airlines card not only offers the largest bonus of any of the cards, but it also has no annual fee in the first year. Done, right?
But wait… there’s probably a compelling reason reason to get the Aviator Red Mastercard. Since American Airlines announced that Citi would be their exclusive card partner starting in 2026, the Aviator Red Mastercard is likely to close to new applications at some point during 2025, meaning you’ll have one fewer opportunity to earn bonus AAdvantage miles. You might as well take advantage of this opportunity while it exists.
Further, the Aviator Red card is the only path to getting the Aviator Silver card, which some AAdvantage members see as more valuable. Since Citi reached an agreement to acquire Barclays’ American Airlines credit card customer base, at some point Aviator Mastercard customers will become Citi customers. Citi may choose to keep the converted customers’ products as is, so getting the Aviator Red might be a way to get grandfathered into a legacy product that could be more compelling than the Citi AAdvantage cards.
Eligibility: Can you get a bonus on a new American Airlines credit card?
For Citi-issued American Airlines credit cards, you can typically get a bonus on a new card once every 48 months or if you’ve received a bonus on an an account that you converted to a specific card product within the last 48 months.
The terms and conditions on all of Citi’s American Airlines credit card offers are similar. Here’s what the terms of the AAdvantage® MileUp® bonus say:
American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a AAdvantage® MileUp® account in the past 48 months or if you converted another Citi credit card account on which you earned a new account bonus in the last 48 months into a AAdvantage® MileUp® account.
Bonus terms for the AAdvantage® MileUp® card.
My reading of this is that if, for example, you applied for and received a bonus for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® 24 months ago, but converted the account to an American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card, you would not be able to receive a bonus on either card for an additional 24 months.
Barclays appears to be much more strict, allowing only one bonus ever. Here’s what the terms of the American Airlines® AAdvantage® Aviator® Red Mastercard® say about earning the bonus again:
These bonuses and/or incentives are intended for applicants who are not and have not previously been American Airlines® AAdvantage® Aviator® Red Mastercard® cardmembers. You understand and agree that you may no longer be eligible for any bonuses and/or incentives in connection with a new American Airlines® AAdvantage® Aviator® Red Mastercard® Card Account after this Card Account is opened.
American Airlines® AAdvantage® Aviator® Red Mastercard® bonus terms
My reading of this is that if you have ever had the card, you’re ineligible for the bonus, even if you didn’t receive a bonus when you opened the card.
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card
Annual fee: $0
All information about the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
Best sign-up bonus: Earn 15,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
This bonus is earned as American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles.
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee, $99 after the first year.
All information about the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
Best sign-up bonus: Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
This bonus is earned as American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles.
AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
Annual fee: $99
All information about the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
Best sign-up bonus: Earn 70,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.
This bonus is earned as American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles.
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
Annual fee: annual_fees
Best sign-up bonus: bonus_miles_full
This bonus is earned as American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles.
Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®
Annual fee: annual_fees
Best sign-up bonus: bonus_miles_full
This bonus is earned as American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles.
Frequently asked questions
Are there more American Airlines credit cards for business?
The Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® is currently the only American Airlines business credit card available to new cardmembers.
Are American Airlines credit cards worth it?
Most airline credit cards can be worth it if you use the perks, American Airlines credit cards included. One of the lower-tier cards might be worth it if you normally pay for checked bags, whereas the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is the most cost-effective way to buy access to the American Airlines Admirals Club.
