The AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® offers nice benefits such as first free checked bag, preferred boarding, a 25% in-flight savings for food and drinks, no foreign transaction fees, and complimentary employee cards.
This credit card review will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let’s dive right in.
- Earn up to 75,000 Bonus Miles: 60,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in the first 90 days and 15,000 bonus miles a total of $15,000 on purchases in the first 12 months.
- 2x Miles on American Airlines and at Eligible Office Supply, Telecom, and Car Rental Companies
- Free Checked Bag on Domestic Flights & Preferred Boarding on All Flights for You & Four Companions
- 25% In-Flight Savings on Food and Drinks
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $95 Annual Fee
This Card is Currently Unavailable.
Welcome Bonus for Aviator Business
The Aviator Business Mastercard currently offers the following welcome bonus: Earn up to 75,000 Bonus Miles: 60,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in the first 90 days and 15,000 bonus miles a total of $15,000 on purchases in the first 12 months.
Earning Miles with Aviator Business
The Aviator Business Mastercard earns:
Earn Loyalty Points Through Credit Card Spending
Spending on this card allows you to earn Loyalty Points toward American AAdvantage elite status.
For every AAdvantage Mile you earn using this card, you will earn one Loyalty Point, excluding the welcome bonus.
You can also earn Loyalty points by flying on American Airlines and its partners, staying at hotels, dining at restaurants, shopping online, and many other ways.
Here are the Loyalty Points required for each level:
- AAdvantage Gold status requires 40,000 Loyalty Points.
- AAdvantage Platinum status requires 75,000 Loyalty Points.
- AAdvantage Platinum Pro status requires 125,000 Loyalty Points.
- AAdvantage Executive Platinum status requires 200,000 Loyalty Points
Annual Fee of Aviator Business
The Aviator Business Mastercard has a $95 annual fee, which could be worth it if you take advantage of the free first checked bags, preferred boarding, and in-flight savings. You can also add complimentary employee cards to the Aviator Business to earn AAdvantage miles for their spending for your business.
Aviator Business Card Benefits
The Aviator Business Mastercard offers the following benefits:
Free First Checked Bags: On domestic flights, you and up to four travel companions on the same reservation will receive a free checked bag. This benefit does not apply to international flights.
Preferred Boarding: Receive Preferred Boarding in Group 5 for you and up to 5 travel companions.
25% In-Flight Savings: You can get 25% savings as a statement credit when you use your card to purchase food and beverages on American Airlines-operated flights.
Annual 5% Mileage Bonus: The Aviator Business card offers an annual 5% AAdvantage mileage bonus, earned on your account anniversary date every year and based on the total number of miles earned.
Anniversary Companion Certificate: American Airlines gives you a companion certificate for domestic main cabin travel each anniversary year for one guest if you spend at least $30,000 on this card every membership year. You can redeem the certificate for $99 (plus $21.60 to $43.20 in government taxes and fees).
No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
Redeem AAdvantage Miles
American Airlines AAdvantage miles offer excellent value for savvy travelers, particularly for international premium cabin redemptions with its Oneworld partners. While domestic awards can be reasonable, the real sweet spots lie in partner airline bookings and long-haul flights.
One of the best uses is flying to the Middle East or India in business class for just 70,000 miles one-way. This can get you on Qatar Airways’ renowned Qsuite or Etihad’s luxurious business class product. Another standout option is business class to Africa for 75,000 miles, accessing destinations like South Africa or Kenya via Middle Eastern hubs.
Asia is another region where AAdvantage miles shine. You can fly business class to Japan or South Korea for 60,000 miles, or to destinations like Thailand or Singapore for 70,000 miles. While availability can be challenging, patience can score you seats on top-rated airlines like Japan Airlines or Cathay Pacific.
For those eyeing American’s own premium cabins, dynamic pricing sometimes yields attractive rates, especially on connecting itineraries. You might find business class to Europe for 62,000 miles or even first class to Australia for 75,000 miles.
AAdvantage also excels in bookings between other regions. For instance, Middle East to Asia in business class for 40,000 miles or South Pacific to Asia for the same price can offer exceptional value.
Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
- Free first checked bag and preferred boarding for you and four travel companions.
- Ability to earn Loyalty Points towards elite status.
Cons:
- Only 2x miles on American Airlines.
- Lack of travel and purchase protections.
- $95 Annual Fee
Alternatives to the Aviator Business Card
Now that you know about this credit card’s various benefits and pros and cons, it’s time to see its alternatives.
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (review) offers great rewards for small business owners. With bonus points on travel, shipping, advertising, and communication services, plus valuable travel protections, it’s a solid choice for companies looking to maximize their everyday spending. Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full Earning Rewards: 3x points on travel, shipping, advertising made with social media sites and search engines, and internet, cable and phone services on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories each account anniversary year; 1x points on all other eligible purchases. Card Benefits: Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel, no foreign transaction fees, primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation insurance, cell phone protection, purchase protection, and extended warranty. Transfer Partners: Aer Lingus, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Emirates, Air France KLM Flying Blue, Hyatt, IHG, Iberia, JetBlue, Marriott, Singapore KrisFlyer, Southwest, United, and Virgin Atlantic.
United℠ Business Card
The United℠ Business Card (review) packs useful perks for United flyers, including free checked bags, priority boarding, and two annual United Club passes. This practical business card proves worthwhile for small business owners who fly United even just a few times yearly. Welcome Bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles + 2,000 Premier qualifying points (PQP) after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months Earning Miles: 2x miles on United Airlines purchases, dining (including eligible delivery services), gas stations, at United Hotels, office supply stores, local transit, and commuting; 1x miles on all other purchases. Card Benefits: Free first checked bag, $100 United travel credit after after 7 United flight purchases of $100 or more within each card anniversary year, 5,000 anniversary bonus miles when you also have a personal United credit card, 2 United Club one-time passes each year, annual $25 FareLock credit, $100 rideshare credit, $100 JSX credit, $120 Instacart credit, $50 Avis or Budget credit, annual $100 United Hotels credit, 25% back on United inflight and Club premium drink purchases, priority boarding, no foreign transaction fees, travel insurance (primary rental car, trip delay, baggage delay, lost luggage, trip cancellation), extended warranty, and purchase protection.
Is the Aviator Business Worth It?
The Citi AAdvantage Business Card can be worth it for if you fly at least 3 times per year on American Airlines.
If you fly multiple airlines or only take a checked bag, a better option is the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (review).
If you fly other airlines, here are recommend similar cards:
- Delta – Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card (review).
- United – United℠ Business Card (review).
- Southwest – Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (review).
