American Airlines saying goodbye to Barclays: Citi to be exclusive card partner

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.

American Airlines has confirmed that as part of its newly exclusive deal with Citi, applications for the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® have been removed and the Barclays Aviator portfolio will eventually be transitioned to Citi in 2026.

"We are proud to build on our 38-year card partnership with Citi by naming them as our exclusive issuer for our AAdvantage® cobranded credit card portfolio in the U.S. beginning in 2026," a spokesperson for American Airlines told TPG in a written statement.

The airline will fully transition the American Airlines credit card program to Citi in 2026 and is no longer accepting applications for new Barclays AAdvantage Aviator cards.

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 was recently available to new applicants: the AAdvantage Aviator Red. That is no more.

We don't yet know what cards in the Citi portfolio the various Aviator cards will transition to, but we're told that more details on the transition to Citi will be shared with AAdvantage Aviator cardmembers in the coming months.

Bottom line

The Aviator card portfolio is no longer available for new applications and will be transitioned to Citi next year as American Airlines phases out its relationship with Barclays.

I'm feeling a bit bittersweet about the news.

This portfolio of cards has been key to my elite status strategy with American Airlines and its Loyalty Points system within the American Airlines AAdvantage program. I've long held the no-longer-available AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Silver Mastercard®.

Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter

Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

By signing up, you will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

It has a 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 on the card, another 5,000 Loyalty Points for spending $40,000 and yet another 5,000 Loyalty Points if you hit $50,000 in spending each year on the card.

That will help me earn top-tier AAdvantage Executive Platinum status this year but it may no longer be an option beginning in 2026. I will be eager to learn if there are other ways to get shortcuts as the portfolio moves to Citi.

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.

For a look at some of the current best offers for Citi's large portfolio of American Airlines credit cards, check out this story.

Related reading:

• The best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare
• Best airline credit cards
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status