Is there something wrong with the Barclays AA card?

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I just signed up for his card yesterday. We'll see. I'm giving up my Citi AAdvantage card, because it's just not worth it any more. With the Citi card the annual fee is $400 and the only perk you get unless you're the primary card holder is the Admiral's Club. And the Admiral's Club isn't at all airports. At $400 a year, those are pretty expensive drinks! Example: my spouse is the primary card holder on the Citi card. When I traveled a few days ago, they charged me $25 to check a bag, and my "priority" boarding was group six! I'm sorry, but to me the card isn't worth the yearly fee. I'm switching to the Barclays card and I'll go to the airport bar for drinks! 

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Yeah I don't understand the airport lounge thing.  Makes the Executive card really silly as that is about your only other benefit over the 95 dollar a year card.  But you should get your bags checked free with either card. 

[red259]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

I just signed up for his card yesterday. We'll see. I'm giving up my Citi AAdvantage card, because it's just not worth it any more. With the Citi card the annual fee is $400 and the only perk you get unless you're the primary card holder is the Admiral's Club. And the Admiral's Club isn't at all airports. At $400 a year, those are pretty expensive drinks! Example: my spouse is the primary card holder on the Citi card. When I traveled a few days ago, they charged me $25 to check a bag, and my "priority" boarding was group six! I'm sorry, but to me the card isn't worth the yearly fee. I'm switching to the Barclays card and I'll go to the airport bar for drinks! 

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Yeah I don't understand the airport lounge thing.  Makes the Executive card really silly as that is about your only other benefit over the 95 dollar a year card.  But you should get your bags checked free with either card. 

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Maybe they had more than one bag. With the exec only the first bag is free per person but if you have several people with you each of them get the first bag free. Its a useless card unless you frequent AA airports with AA lounges. AA lounges are nothing amazing but if you fly a lot I guess its better than nothing. I'd want to make sure I'd have at least 15 AA lounge visits a year before I considered this card or if I have guests at least 7. 

[Anonymous]

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@red259 wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

I just signed up for his card yesterday. We'll see. I'm giving up my Citi AAdvantage card, because it's just not worth it any more. With the Citi card the annual fee is $400 and the only perk you get unless you're the primary card holder is the Admiral's Club. And the Admiral's Club isn't at all airports. At $400 a year, those are pretty expensive drinks! Example: my spouse is the primary card holder on the Citi card. When I traveled a few days ago, they charged me $25 to check a bag, and my "priority" boarding was group six! I'm sorry, but to me the card isn't worth the yearly fee. I'm switching to the Barclays card and I'll go to the airport bar for drinks! 

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Yeah I don't understand the airport lounge thing.  Makes the Executive card really silly as that is about your only other benefit over the 95 dollar a year card.  But you should get your bags checked free with either card. 

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Maybe they had more than one bag. With the exec only the first bag is free per person but if you have several people with you each of them get the first bag free. Its a useless card unless you frequent AA airports with AA lounges. AA lounges are nothing amazing but if you fly a lot I guess its better than nothing. I'd want to make sure I'd have at least 15 AA lounge visits a year before I considered this card or if I have guests at least 7. 

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Odds are if you are able to make 15 AA lounge visits a year someone is paying your food and drink while traveling anyway.  I would put it down as useless for almost everyone as 75000 points with this card vs the 65000 you can get with Platinum and you can't get both bonuses so the Platinum makes more sense. 

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I just signed up for his card yesterday. We'll see. I'm giving up my Citi AAdvantage card, because it's just not worth it any more. With the Citi card the annual fee is $400 and the only perk you get unless you're the primary card holder is the Admiral's Club. And the Admiral's Club isn't at all airports. At $400 a year, those are pretty expensive drinks! Example: my spouse is the primary card holder on the Citi card. When I traveled a few days ago, they charged me $25 to check a bag, and my "priority" boarding was group six! I'm sorry, but to me the card isn't worth the yearly fee. I'm switching to the Barclays card and I'll go to the airport bar for drinks! 

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Why not downgrade it to the regular platinum card? Annual fee on that one is $95 for same first checked bag, early boarding, etc. My last flight for boarding group 5 but considering they've got about 11 or 12 groups, still decent. The way I understand it for both cards is that the card  owner has to  be traveling with you to get the free checked bag and the card number has to be on record in your AA account. My boarding passes showed "AA card holder" right on it (or something along those lines). Citi would probably also waive the first year fee for you if you ask.

[Robwass61]

They never give CL increases and if you ask they will do a hard pull

[redpat]

There's nothing wrong w/ Barclays.  I took the 60k and then silver upgrade to get some 3x miles.  Haven't had a problem w/ Barclays, it's my first and will be my only card w/ them unless they offer 60k for the business version.

[MrDisco99]

50K miles for one purchase sounds like a pretty good deal, even for a Barclay Card. I’d be all over it if I was in the market for Aadvantage Miles.

I’m thinking it doesn’t get as much attention in the blogosphere because TPG and Million Miler don’t get mad sponsorship money like they do from Chase and... well, mainly Chase.

[Anonymous]

Have had Barclays for over three years and never gotten a CLI. From what I read on these boards, don't bother to ask. Citi AA works for me!

[Anonymous]

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@Robwass61wrote:
They never give CL increases and if you ask they will do a hard pull

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Yes they do.  I've received several and via SPs

[SouthJamaica]

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@red259wrote:

I was looking at the Barclays AA card. It rarely gets mentioned by the bloggers and I am not sure why, unless they do not mention cards that will not pay them referrals or something. Right now the current offer seems to be 50k after your first purchase, so 50k miles juust from making a simple purchase seems pretty good. They don't waive the $95 AF but again there does not seem to be a spend requirement and you get all the same benefits as the citi AA card. It seems like a decent option if you are stocking up on AA miles and are in a bonus cooldown with citi. Other than the AF are there any other downsides to the barclay card?

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I don't know, but (a) my AA points seem to be worth less than half a penny each, and (b) Barclays is a weird outfit.