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American Airlines review

Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

American Airlines suits people who already fly with the airline and want a miles card rather than a cheap rate card. The annual fee is $0 and the APR runs 19.74% to 29.74%, so the balance has to be cleared each month for the rewards to be worth anything.

Key facts

Best for
Frequent American Airlines flyers who clear the balance in full.
Annual fee
$0↗
APR
19.74% to 29.74%↗
Currency conversion fee
3%↗
Rewards type
Miles↗
Rewards rate
1 AAdvantage mile per $1 on all purchases; 2 AAdvantage miles per $1 at grocery stores and on eligible American Airlines purchases↗
Balance transfer fee
5%↗
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↗
Card kind
Credit↗
Legal entity
American Airlines, Inc.↗
Headquarters
United States↗
Founded
1930↗
Support channels
Phone, Email↗
Pricing model
No annual fee
Features
Rewards
Audience
Business
Official website
creditcards.aa.com

Facts checked September 26, 2026, 4 sources

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App Store
Elsewhere
WikidataWikipediaLinkedInXplay.google.com

Pros and cons

Pros

  • No annual fee: $0 on the standard mileage card
  • Earning on every purchase, with more at grocery stores and on eligible American Airlines purchases
  • No cap on the number of AAdvantage miles earned

Cons

  • The APR runs 19.74% to 29.74%, above the card market median of 16%
  • Foreign purchases cost 3% in conversion fees, more than the market median of 2%
  • Support runs on phone and email only
American Airlines

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Scored 9.0 / 10 by SumCue.

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Who it suits

  • Anyone who already earns AAdvantage miles and wants to concentrate spending
  • Households that pay the balance in full and want no joining fee

Who should look elsewhere

  • Anyone carrying a balance, because 19.74% to 29.74% is high against the 16% market median
  • Anyone spending abroad often, since the conversion fee of 3% is above the 2% market median
  • Varo Believe Secured Credit Card, which carries an APR of 0%

Fees and currency costs

The standard mileage card has an annual fee of $0, so there is no joining cost and no yearly decision to keep or close it. Purchases are charged at an APR of 19.74% to 29.74%, which applies to any balance left outstanding, so clearing the statement in full is what makes the card cheap. Spending outside the home currency costs a conversion fee of 3%. A balance transfer fee of 5% applies if an existing balance is moved across.

Who runs it

The card is issued by American Airlines, Inc., the legal entity behind the airline, which was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the United States. The airline issues the card itself, and the account is aimed at a business audience. Account help runs on phone and email, so phone and email are the listed ways to reach the team.

How American Airlines compares

Where American Airlines is available

Available
United States

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What does the American Airlines card charge each year?+

The annual fee on the standard mileage card is $0, so holding it costs nothing in fee terms. That matches the credit card market median of €0, where some cards charge well above it. The rewards and the airline's own perks are where the value sits, not in the fee.

What APR applies if I do not clear the balance?+

Purchases are charged at 19.74% to 29.74%, which sits above the credit card market median of 16%. Anyone who leaves a balance on this card pays a rate at the dear end of the market. Paying the statement in full each month keeps the card's cost down to the fees already listed.

How much does it cost to spend in another currency?+

Foreign purchases are charged a conversion fee of 3%. That is higher than the credit card market median of 2%, so a card built for travel spending is not a cheap way to pay abroad. The fee applies on top of whatever the airline charges for the purchase itself.

What do I earn and what are the perks?+

Earning is one AAdvantage mile for each dollar on all purchases, with a higher rate at grocery stores and on eligible American Airlines purchases. There is no cap on the number of miles earned. Cardholders also get savings on inflight food and beverage on American Airlines-operated flights, and the rewards type is miles rather than cash.

Is there a fee to move a balance onto this card?+

A balance transfer fee of 5% applies, so carrying an existing balance across is not free. Paying that fee to reach a rewards card is hard to justify when the purchase APR of 19.74% to 29.74% sits well above the market median of 16%. The transfer route is aimed at people already sitting on a costly balance.

Who issues the card and where is it based?+

The issuer is American Airlines, Inc., the legal entity behind the airline. The airline was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the United States. The card is a credit card aimed at a business audience, and the airline issues it directly rather than through a named bank.

How do I get help with the account?+

Support runs on phone and email, so phone and email are the listed ways to reach the account team. There is no live chat option listed, which means questions outside normal hours wait for an email reply. Questions about the miles themselves are handled through the same channels.

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

American Airlines

Frequent American Airlines flyers who clear the balance in full.

9.0/10See alternatives