Over the years, Nancy and I have mentioned Barclays AAdvantage Aviator card multiple times. It’s rare that I use a term no-brainer when it comes to sign-up bonuses, but this is definitely one of them. Oh, and did I mention that it doesn’t pay us commission? In fact, I don’t remember a time when it was part of affiliate networks. Application link
At the moment the offer is increased to 70k AA miles after just one purchase (can be $1) and payment of $99 annual fee. This is perfect for those who are intimidated by minimum spending requirements. I value AA miles at a penny each, so it’s like making a profit of $600. Of course, it may take awhile to actually find a great use for this currency, but I know I will eventually. In fact, right now I’m down to just 6k miles after burning my stash on JAL business class (review coming soon).
Usually, you can get approved and receive the bonus on this product every 24 months, though I want to stress that there are no guarantees. So proceed at your own risk. But 70k miles is nothing to sneeze at, and worth an extra inquiry on your credit, at least in my opinion. Even if you are not interested in AA miles, there is a way to burn them on hotels and car rentals at a penny each. I’ve actually done it before when we needed a vacation rental in Key Largo.
For example, I will be visiting Michigan next year with my family, and we will need to rent a minivan. Here is the total via miles for our dates:
I should also add that there is $60 extra in fees that will need to be paid separately. And here is the paid rate for the same rental:
So, as a cardholder, you get a chance to offload your miles at 1 cent apiece. That will be a hard pass for most hobbyists, but I might actually do it. Only you can decide if the juice is worth the squeeze.
Anyway, I went ahead and applied. Fortunately, my app was approved. I consider it a big win, especially after getting rejected for AA card issued by Citibank.
Why I applied via flight attendant’s referral link
Recently we had a layover in LAX on the way to Japan, and had to fly there on American Airlines. Due to status match challenge a few months ago (now expired), I was able to select Main Cabin Extra seats for my family at no cost. Since my MIL was on a separate reservation, I paid $67 extra for her to sit with us.
Needless to say, since my husband and I are quite tall, I was super happy to have the extra leg room on our 5.5 hour flight.
There was a lady on our flight who apparently felt she deserved to sit in Main Cabin Extra seat and refused to move to the back of the cabin. She kept saying she has top-tier status with AA, to which the flight attendant countered that she should have selected Main Cabin Extra seat at check-in. The lady said she forgot, and would not budge. This went on for about ten minutes, but the passenger finally relented and went to the back of the plane. I was super impressed by how professional and polite the flight attendant was during this altercation. At no point did she raise her voice or lose her cool.
I’m not sure I would be able to do this job, as I have very little tolerance for nonsense. Anyway, at the end of the flight, the same flight attendant told passengers about Barclays Aviator card (in a low-key manner) and offered paper applications to anyone who would be interested. There were no takers, except for me. I figured at some point I would apply for this card anyway. So why not support a great flight attendant while I’m at it?
So, after we got home from Japan, I went online and applied using her code. It looks like I should even get an extra 500 miles on top of the regular offer, something I wasn’t aware of at the time. So, if you want to support a hard working gal, her 6-digit promotional code is 757066, and there is a place at the top of the page where you have to add it. If it’s against the rules for me to share this code on the blog, let me know and I’ll take it down.
And as always, we very much appreciate it when a great offer that you plan to apply for anyway happens to be in our affiliate network. You quite literally help to keep us in business, so thank you.
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
Woo Hooo! thanks for the hot tip! After several rejections lately, i just got meself a shiny new card! Even though i never fly AA, i’m thrilled to use points for hotels and if i must fly AA, i’m sure i could suck it up 🙂
@Sara Great! These miles may even come in handy for your flights to Europe. But if not, just liquidate them on hotels and don’t think twice.
Hi there! Appreciate the tip here on the AA Aviator card. What is the process for using AA miles for car rentals? Is it directly from the AA site, via an OTA from the AA site, or do you transfer AA miles to a car rental account? Not familiar with AA non-flight options. Again, thank you.
@Ron You can do it directly via AA site. Just log in and select “redeem miles”, then you should see “car rentals” and “hotels” as options. If you are a cardholder, you will get a better rate. It’s not an amazing return on your miles, but could work for some people. I’ve seen comments that occasionally you can get 1.5 cents per mile, depending on the destination. That’s terrific.