Citi Is Ending Grandfathered Barclays Aviator Benefits

Today, Citi told Barclays AAdvantage cardholders that the legacy perks they've held onto since April are going away. Notices started appearing on recent statements, and the cutoff is October 25, 2026, for select benefits.

For background, when Citi took over the Barclays AAdvantage portfolio on April 24, it allowed cardholders to keep a handful of Barclays-era benefits that don't exist on Citi products.

If you had an AAdvantage Aviator Red card that became the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard, you're losing the $25 anniversary Wi-Fi credit and the Barclays American Airlines companion certificate, which required spending $20,000 per year on the card.

Purchases made on or after October 25 won't count toward the Wi-Fi credit. However, you can still earn the companion certificate one final time through your next cardmember anniversary.

Former Aviator Silver cardholders now on the Citi / AAdvantage Globe Mastercard lose more. Ending October 25: 2x AAdvantage miles on car rentals, 2x miles on hotels, the $25 daily food and beverage credit, and the $50 Wi-Fi credit. The Barclays bonus Loyalty Points benefit is also being removed on February 28, 2027.

Andrew's Take

None of this is a surprise — Citi always called these "limited-time legacy benefits" when they acquired the Barclays portfolio. Regardless, this is particularly bad news for Aviator Silver cardmembers chasing elite status who could earn up to 15,000 bonus Loyalty Points per year.