American Airlines review
Updated September 28, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
American Airlines suits anyone who already flies the airline and wants a credit card with no annual fee attached, earning AAdvantage miles on everyday spend. Borrowing costs more, though: APR starts at 19.74% to 29.74% and a balance transfer fee of 5% applies on transferred balances.
Key facts
- Best for
- AAdvantage flyers who want miles on everyday spend with no annual fee
- Annual fee
- $0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- APR
- 19.74% to 29.74% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Currency conversion fee
- 3% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Rewards type
- Miles (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Rewards rate
- 1 AAdvantage mile per $1 on all purchases; 2 AAdvantage miles per $1 at grocery stores and on eligible American Airlines purchases (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Balance transfer fee
- 5% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Perks
- 25% savings on inflight food and beverage on American Airlines-operated flights, No cap on the number of AAdvantage miles earned, 1 AAdvantage Loyalty Point per eligible AAdvantage base mile, No annual fee (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Card kind
- Credit (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- American Airlines, Inc. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 1930 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Phone, Email (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Pricing model
- No annual fee
- Features
- Rewards
- Audience
- Business
- Official website
- creditcards.aa.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- Annual fee of $0, and the card sits first among 301 brands on that measure
- Rewards type is miles: the rewards rate pays one AAdvantage mile per dollar on all purchases, doubled at grocery stores and on eligible American Airlines purchases
- Perks include a discount on inflight food and beverage on American Airlines-operated flights
- Earning has no cap on the number of AAdvantage miles earned, so heavy spend is not penalised
Cons
- Currency conversion fee of 3% is higher than Chime Card, which charges 0%
- APR of 19.74% to 29.74% sits above the Varo Believe Secured Credit Card, which charges 0%
- Balance transfers cost 5%, so moving an existing balance is not the cheapest route
- Support runs on phone and email only, with no chat channel listed
Who it suits
- Frequent American Airlines passengers who bank most spending on the airline
- Anyone who wants a rewards credit card with an annual fee of $0
- Households consolidating spending on one airline loyalty programme
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone carrying a balance month to month, since APR starts at 19.74% to 29.74%
- Travellers who spend abroad, given the currency conversion fee of 3% versus 0% on Chime Card
- People paying down old debt, since balance transfers cost 5%
How it compares on our data
The annual fee of $0 is the strongest point on this card. It ranks 1 among 301 brands we track on that measure, so cost of holding the card is not the trade-off here. The currency conversion fee tells the opposite story. At 3% the card sits at 147 out of 181 brands on that measure, a long way off the cheapest end. Put together, this is a card built to be kept and used at home rather than carried abroad, and the two numbers sit far apart.
Rewards and perks
The rewards type is miles. The rewards rate pays one AAdvantage mile per dollar on all purchases, and two AAdvantage miles per dollar at grocery stores and on eligible American Airlines purchases, so the everyday grocery run and any spend booked with the airline carry the better rate. There is no cap on the number of AAdvantage miles earned, which matters for anyone whose spending is heavy. Among the listed perks, card holders also get a discount on inflight food and beverage on American Airlines-operated flights, and the card is sold on the basis of having no annual fee.
Fees and FX
The annual fee is $0, so holding the card costs nothing on its own. The APR is 19.74% to 29.74%, and because this is a credit card, the rate matters most for anyone who carries a balance rather than clearing it each month. A balance transfer fee of 5% applies to balances moved from another card, which makes the card a poor route for clearing existing debt. The currency conversion fee is 3%, and that is the cost to weigh hardest for any purchase made outside the US.
The company behind it
The card is issued by American Airlines, Inc., headquartered in the US, and the airline was founded in 1930. Because the lender is the airline itself rather than a bank, the rewards and the account are tied to one company and one loyalty programme, which concentrates both the upside and the risk. Help runs on phone and email, so questions about miles, flights or the card reach the same organisation that operates the airline.
How American Airlines compares
9.1 vs 9.0
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Where American Airlines is available
- Available
- United States
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Is there an annual fee on the American Airlines credit card?+
No. The annual fee is $0, and that selling point runs through the card's own proposition rather than being a limited period offer. It also ranks 1 among 301 brands we track on this measure. The cost of the card shows up instead in the APR and in fees if you carry a balance.
What APR do I pay if I carry a balance?+
The APR is 19.74% to 29.74%. That range matters for anyone who does not clear the balance in full each month, since the interest charged compounds on what is left. The Varo Believe Secured Credit Card charges 0%, which is lower, though it is a secured product and not a rewards card.
How many AAdvantage miles do I earn?+
The rewards rate pays one AAdvantage mile per dollar on all purchases, and two AAdvantage miles per dollar at grocery stores and on eligible American Airlines purchases. There is no cap on the number of AAdvantage miles earned, so the rate does not taper as spending rises. The rewards type is miles.
What does it cost to pay off a balance from another card?+
A balance transfer fee of 5% applies to any balance you move onto the card. That fee is a percentage-based charge, so the amount on a large transfer adds up. Cards that carry $0 with no transfer charge would be a different trade-off, and moving debt here is rarely the cheapest option.
What is the fee for spending in another currency?+
The currency conversion fee is 3%, which places the card at 147 out of 181 brands on that measure. For a card aimed at airline spending in the US, that is a real cost for anyone buying abroad. The Chime Card charges 0% for the same purchase.
Which perks come with the card?+
Among the listed perks, card holders get a discount on inflight food and beverage on American Airlines-operated flights, so the benefit applies in the air rather than at checkout. The card also earns without a cap on the number of AAdvantage miles earned. It is sold with an annual fee of $0, so the perks come without a holding cost.
Who is behind the card?+
The card is issued by American Airlines, Inc., which is headquartered in the US and was founded in 1930. The lender is the airline rather than a separate bank, so account questions and loyalty questions go to the same company. Help is available on phone and email.
Who is this card for?+
It suits people who fly American Airlines regularly and want their everyday spending counted toward the same loyalty programme. The rewards rate is the main draw, not the cost of the card, since the annual fee is $0. It is less suitable for carrying a balance at 19.74% to 29.74% or for spending abroad at a currency conversion fee of 3%.
Sources
- creditcards.aa.com checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Audience, Pricing model, Rewards type
“Citi / AAdvantage Business card: Designed for business owners”
- creditcards.aa.com/mileup_standard checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Annual fee, APR, Balance transfer fee, Card kind, Features, Currency conversion fee, Legal entity, Perks, Rewards rate
“American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card ... Annual fee - none.”
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Airlines checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded, Headquarters
“American Airlines was established in 1930 through the union of more than eighty small airlines.”
- play.google.com/store/apps/details checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Support channels
“Contact Us: 800-222-2377 ... Support email aa.mobile@aa.com”
Compiled from 4 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
American Airlines
AAdvantage flyers who want miles on everyday spend with no annual fee