Barclays Is Losing American Airlines Credit Cards

The day we all kind of assumed was coming is finally here, Barclays is losing American Airlines credit cards. The popular airline has finally decided to put all of its eggs in the Citi basket. There are a few questions that this upcoming change brings up. Questions such as, what will happen to current Barclays cardholders, is American Airlines joining ThankYou points and should I apply for all of the Barclays American Airlines cards before they go away? Let's take a look at all of that plus review the details of this big change.

Notable Takeaways From the Press Release

Before we answer those questions, let's take a look at some interesting tidbits from the American Airlines press release about moving everything over to Citi:

American Airlines and Citi today announced the extension of their more than 37-year co-branded partnership for the next decade, taking the relationship to new heights, with Citi becoming the exclusive issuer of the AAdvantage® co-branded card portfolio in the U.S. in 2026…

…Citi reached an agreement to acquire the Barclays American Airlines Co-branded Card portfolio and will begin transitioning cardmembers to the Citi portfolio in 2026. Barclays cardmembers will continue to experience the same benefits they do today. More information about the transition will be made available in the coming months…

…In addition, the agreement creates an innovative alignment between the Citi ThankYou and AAdvantage® card programs and is designed to drive incremental value for both companies and produce a significantly expanded loyalty and rewards offering for AAdvantage® members and Citi-branded cardmembers…

What Happens To Current Barclays Cardholders?

The first question people will have with Barclays losing American Airlines credit cards is, what will happen to current cardholders? Whenever a transition like this happens, current cardholders can be put into one of three outcomes:

• They get to keep their card as is, but new cardholders will not be allowed to apply for the product.
• Current cardholders could be transitioned into a different product with the bank that lost the contract (Barclays).
• The new issuing bank (Citi) buys the “book” and takes over the current cardholders from the losing bank (Barclays)

As you can see from the American Airlines press release, Citi and Barclays agreed on option 3. Citi will be purchasing the cardholders from Barclays and transition them over to Citi's network. If you already have the Citi AAdvantage card, the good news is you can product change the new card to pretty much anything on Citi's network. That is because they have the best product change rules in the business. This is a great way to get your hands on a Citi Double Cash card, especially since there is usually no welcome offer.

Is American Airlines Joining The ThankYou Points Ecosystem?

I would have said that the chances of American Airlines joining ThankYou points as a transfer partner would be slim before this. However, the press release has some interesting terminology that gives me pause. I am still a bit skeptical, because American has played hard to get with Citi ThankYou points for a decade or so now. That is true outside of like a month, years ago, where they opened the transfer partner floodgates.

They made a point to mention the ThankYou program in the press release about Barclays losing American Airlines credit cards. Throw in the fact that American left the Bilt ecosystem earlier this year too, and I am starting to lean towards this thing happening.

I am sure we will know more in the coming months, since we are still over a year away from these changes. If it does happen, that may change which transferrable currencies people prioritize in a big way. Citi has had their money struggles of late, and American charges a pretty penny for their miles, so I wouldn't call it a done deal by any means.

Should You Apply For Both Barclays Cards Before They Go Away?

My comment in the ToP team chat when this news broke was, brace yourself for the panic posts! It is natural to think you need to get something that has an expiration date. I mean, forever is a long time after all. That doesn't mean you should throw caution to the wind. Often times the feeling of the loss of something is much greater than the actual value of said thing.

If you are over Chase 5/24, then have at it. You might as well shoot your shot. If you are under 5/24, or trying to get back under, then I wouldn't adjust my plans, even if it is going away. The card offer likely isn't worth the slot you give up. There is some gray area to be had there though, if you are well under 5/24 and have most all of the Chase cards you want. Then it could still make sense for you to jump the line a little. As always, feel free to lay everything out in the ToP Facebook Group and we can help you decide if it makes sense for YOU. Resist the FOMO of other people's bad decisions, and really consider all of the angles here.

I should also note that we have a longer runway here as well. Your lineup / portfolio could look completely different in six months, and the Barclays cards will likely still be there for the taking. Don't rush into anything today is the key lesson here.

Barclays Is Losing American Airlines Credit Cards: ToP Thoughts

The fact that Barclays is losing American Airlines credit cards is big news, no doubt. But, it doesn't mean you should jump the shark in your miles and points journey. Resist the FOMO, and think clearly about what the best options for you are.

The most interesting part of all of this is the potential of American becoming a ThankYou point transfer partner. Hopefully we get some more clarification on that in the not too distant future. That one change could make the Citi ThankYou point lineup more valuable than Amex to some.

If you are unsure of what to do, come over to the ToP Facebook Group and we can work through it together!