The Best American Airlines Credit Cards of May 2023

Our experts answer readers’ credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here’s how we assess credit cards). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

American Airlines offers an array of co-branded credit cards ranging from a no-annual-fee option to a $450-per-year premium credit card that includes access to the airline’s Admirals Club airport lounges. If you fly American Airlines, even occasionally, opening one of the best credit cards for American Airlines could make sense for earning miles toward award flights and enjoying benefits like a free checked bag and the ability to board the plane before most other travelers.

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®: Best for earning American Airlines miles
• American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®
  : Best for budget travelers
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
  : Best for lounge access
• AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver Mastercard®
  : Best for elite status
• AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
  : Best for discounts
• CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®: Best for business travelers
• AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®
  : Best for annual bonus miles
• Bilt Mastercard®: Best card with points that transfer to American Airlines
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 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 

Best for Earning American Airlines Miles

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®

If your primary goal is to rack up American AAdvantage miles quickly on everyday purchases, the earning rates on the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® are hard to beat. That’s because it accrues 2x miles not only on eligible American Airlines purchases but also at restaurants and gas stations, two major expense categories for a lot of consumers.

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 $99, waived for first 12 months, and it’s currently offering a welcome bonus of 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $2,500 in purchases within the first three months of account opening. The welcome bonus is often lower, so this is a great time to apply for this card.

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Card Review

Best for Budget Travelers

American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®

Want to earn miles on everyday purchases without the burden of a high annual fee? American Airlines introduced its no-annual-fee American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® a couple of years ago to target less-frequent flyers on a budget.

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 American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® is currently offering 10,000 American Airlines miles and a $50 statement credit after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Citi American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card Review

Best for Lounge Access

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®

If you’re a frequent American flyer and value access to the airline’s Admirals Club airport lounges, then the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is the right card for you. It does have a $450 annual fee, but that is still hundreds of dollars cheaper than Admirals Club membership costs if you buy it outright.

Unlike other airlines’ club cards, which merely offer lounge access, Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® cardholders enjoy full Admirals Club membership privileges including entry to some partner lounges. Cardholders can also bring immediate family or up to two guests with same-day boarding passes on American or partner airlines. Not only that, but you can also add up to 10 authorized users at no cost, each of whom can also access Admirals Clubs with up to two guests.

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 World Elite Mastercard® is currently offering a welcome bonus of 50,000 bonus miles after making $5,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Citi AAdvantage Executive Card Review

Best for Elite Status

AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver Mastercard®

The AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver Mastercard® is not open to new applicants, but you can upgrade to it if you have the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®. The reason this card wins in this category is that it allows you to earn Loyalty Points toward American Airlines AAdvantage status.

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 $199.

Best for Discounts

AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®

While the Aviator Silver offers more significant onboard discounts, you might still want to consider the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® instead for a few reasons. First and foremost, it’s open to new applicants and currently has a welcome bonus offer of 50,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first purchase within the first 90 days.

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

CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®

Your best small-business option is the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®. It’s offering new cardholders 65,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening, and has an annual fee of $99, waived for first 12 months.

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

AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®

The AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® comes with a generous limited-time welcome bonus offer of 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening and earn 25,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 in the first 12 months from account opening.

This card offers 2x categories like its small business sibling, the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®. You’ll get 2 miles per dollar for American Airlines purchases and for eligible office supply, telecom, and car rental merchants. However, this card gives you a 5% bonus on all the miles you’ve accrued (except for the welcome bonus) after each account anniversary. If you make meaningful spending, this could be a lucrative perk.

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

Bilt Mastercard®

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 Bilt Mastercard® even more valuable.

The Bilt Mastercard®’s unique feature is the ability to pay rent to any landlord and earn points, with no added fees — making it the best Wells Fargo credit card for renters. Cardholders earn 1 point per dollar on up to $100,000 per year in rent payments, 2x points on travel, 3x points on dining, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Plus, Bilt Rewards members can now earn up to 8x points on dining with the new Bilt Dining program. However, you must make a minimum of five transactions per statement period to earn points.

In addition, on the first day of every month, Bilt Mastercard® cardholders can earn double points on non-rent payments (up to a maximum of 10,000 bonus points) with Bilt’s Rent Day promotion. The card also offers great benefits and other redemption options, including using Bilt points through the Bilt Travel portal at 1.25 cents each, and there’s no annual fee.

Bilt Mastercard Card Review

Best if You’re Not Loyal to American

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

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 Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a good option thanks to its reasonable $95 annual fee and the valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points you’ll earn.

The card currently has an excellent increased bonus offer of 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. You’ll earn 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (2x points on all other travel purchases), 3x points on dining, 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), 3x points on select streaming services, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.

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 Chase Sapphire Preferred to book American Airlines flights directly through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal. Even better, your points are worth 25% more when you redeem them for travel, so you’ll get 1.25 cents in value toward flights.

If you prefer a premium credit card, you could consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve instead. It earns 5x total points on air travel and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (after earning the $300 travel credit) and 3x points on other travel and dining, and your points are worth 1.5 cents apiece toward American Airlines flights booked through Chase. The card has a $550 annual fee, but up to $300 in annual travel credits help offset that cost.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Review

Our experts answer readers’ credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here’s how we assess credit cards). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

American Airlines offers an array of co-branded credit cards ranging from a no-annual-fee option to a $450-per-year premium credit card that includes access to the airline’s Admirals Club airport lounges. If you fly American Airlines, even occasionally, opening one of the best credit cards for American Airlines could make sense for earning miles toward award flights and enjoying benefits like a free checked bag and the ability to board the plane before most other travelers.

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