I’ve written dozens of credit cards over the years, but one travel card recently caught my attention. While most credit cards have strict minimum spend requirements to earn a welcome bonus, this airline card’s welcome bonus can help pay for your flight or hotel stay—without spending thousands of dollars.
The AAdvantage ® Aviator ® Red World Elite Mastercard ® * is one of our picks for the best American Airlines credit cards. You can get a welcome bonus of 50,000 miles. All you have to do is make your first purchase (no minimum amount) and pay the $99 annual fee within the first 90 days of having the card. These bonus miles can help you lower your travel or lodging costs for your upcoming summer vacation.
Here’s more information about the card and some of the flights I found that make the welcome bonus worthwhile.
Where can I go with 50,000 AAdvantage miles?
There are a number of ways that 50,000 mile points can help lower your summer travel expenses. Here are some examples of what I found when searching for flights from Charlotte, NC.
Charlotte to Fort Lauderdale
I was able to earn enough points through the welcome bonus to cover the cost of round-trip airfare (plus applicable taxes) for a friend and I from Charlotte to Fort Lauderdale, FL, July 15-18 . Additionally, I had 14,000 points left that I could use on another trip.
American Airlines/CNET screenshot
Charlotte to Toronto
Let’s be honest, a trip to Toronto over Father’s Day weekend (June 14-16) might be a welcome break from the heat. While I won’t get two tickets for free, I’ll only have to pay about $735 out of pocket for a tandem trip, plus tax (based on a point value of 1.7 cents each). If I had paid out of pocket, the airfare would have been twice as much—$1,300.
American Airlines/CNET screenshot
Charlotte to New York
I could even travel to New York during the 4th of July and pay about $120 out of pocket (based on a point value of 1.7 cents) to cover the rest of the expenses not covered by the 50,000 points plus taxes.
American Airlines/CNET screenshot
Other ways to redeem AA miles
In addition to booking flights directly with American Airlines, you can redeem welcome bonus miles through its Oneworld partners and other partners, including British Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia and Qantas. But you’ll want to make sure you redeem your miles at the same or higher rate to get the best value. Here are some other ways you can use your miles for summer travel.
Hotel Accommodation
When you book a hotel with AAdvantage Hotels, you’ll spend fewer miles on select hotels. For example, if I am an AAdvantage credit card member, I can use 42,700 miles to stay at Resort B at Disney Springs Resort for three nights (June 20-23).
This means that even if you have AAdvantage’s minimum gold status, as long as you earn 40,000 miles and you have the Aviator ® Red World Elite Mastercard, you’ll get that rate. You only need 40,000 miles to reach Gold status, so the bonus should be enough to help you achieve that goal.
AAdvantage Hotels/CNET Screenshot
car rental
American Airlines/CNET screenshot
You can also use rewards to lower the cost of your car rental if your flight is included, you prefer to drive, or you have extra miles. You can redeem your miles for a vehicle at a number of car rental companies, including Budget and Avis.
As with American Airlines’ hotel partners, you can use fewer miles if you have AAdvantage status and are an AAdvantage cardholder. For example, for a three-day trip to New Orleans (June 19-22), you would only have 21,800 miles left for a mid-size vehicle, such as a small SUV. With lower grade cars you will use less mileage.
Should I apply for the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard*?
In addition to the one-time welcome bonus, the card has some other benefits, including:
- The first checked bag is free
- Preferred boarding
- Earn up to $25 in state credit toward inflight Wi-Fi, food and beverages
- If you spend $20,000 and your account remains open within 45 days of your birthday, receive a $99 Companion Gift Certificate (including taxes and fees)
- travel insurance
- No foreign exchange transaction fees
If you fly frequently with American Airlines or live in a U.S. hub city, you may benefit from these benefits. But the bonus rates aren’t as generous as other cards. You’ll earn 2x AAdvantage miles per $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per $1 spent on other purchases. With the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®*, you can earn 4x miles on American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar on other purchases, but the card has an annual fee of $595.
If you’re not a loyal American Airlines customer, you might get more value from one of the most common best travel credit cards, which allow you to earn rewards at higher rates in certain categories and offer more flexibility redemption options.
*All information regarding the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard and Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard was collected independently by CNET and has not been verified by the issuer.
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