An expert’s guide to the best Barclays credit cards

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Over the past several years, Barclays has made big changes to its lineup of credit cards. The biggest shift is how the United Kingdom-based company is now focusing on cobranded cards, with partners like JetBlue and Wyndham.

For consumers, that means the end of Barclays’ own flexible card products, like the now-departed Barclays Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard. The company is relying on the strength of travel and retail partners to get in front of cardholders.

If you’re looking to get a credit card that earns rewards with some of your go-to brands, here are our top picks for the best Barclays credit cards.

The best Barclays credit cards

• AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®: Best for American Airlines flyers
• JetBlue Card: Best for JetBlue flyers who don’t want to pay an annual fee
• JetBlue Plus Card: Best for frequent JetBlue flyers
• Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®: Best for Hawaiian Airlines flyers
• Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card: Best for infrequent Wyndham visitors
• Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card: Best for frequent Wyndham visitors
• Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®: Best for international and premium awards

The information for the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard, JetBlue Card, JetBlue Plus Card, Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard, Wyndham Rewards Earner Card, Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card and Miles & More World Elite Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.          

This is a diverse list of cards, so let’s take a closer look at some of the top Barclays offerings to decide if any of these cards make sense for you.

Comparing the best Barclays credit cards

Here’s a quick snapshot of how these Barclays cards stack up against each other:

A closer look at these Barclays credit cards

Now, let’s take a closer look at each of these cards to see if any of them deserve a spot in your wallet.

AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard

If you’re a fan of American Airlines’ AAdvantage program, consider the AAdvantage Aviator Red Mastercard.

Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full within the first 90 days.

This bonus is worth $990 based on TPG’s February 2025 valuations.

Rewards: You’ll earn 2 miles per dollar spent on American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar spent on everything else.

Annual fee: $99

Benefits: One of the best perks of this AAdvantage card is that you don’t need to hit a minimum spending requirement in order to earn the welcome bonus of 60,000 miles. Buying anything at all will trigger the welcome bonus as long as you also pay the $99 annual fee.

Other benefits include:

• Inflight food and beverage discount: Receive a 25% discount in the form of statement credit for inflight food and beverage purchases
• Inflight Wi-Fi credit: You’ll get up to $25 in statement credits annually for inflight Wi-Fi purchases.
• Anniversary companion certificate: $99 companion fare (plus taxes and fees) after you spend at least $20,000 on your card in a year and your account remains open for 45 days after your account anniversary.
• First checked bag free: You and up to four traveling companions will get your first checked bags free when flying domestic itineraries.
• Preferred boarding: You’ll be allowed to board after Priority and before the rest of economy (which means you won’t have to worry about overhead bin space).
• Travel protections: Receive travel accident insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, baggage delay insurance, 24/7 travel assistance services, trip cancellation and interruption coverage, and more.

It’s important to note that Barclays is in the process of sunsetting its partnership with American Airlines. It’s unknown when the AAdvantage Aviator Red will close to new applicants, so make sure to take that into consideration when timing your application.

Learn more: AAdvantage Aviator Red 

JetBlue Card

If you don’t fly often enough with JetBlue to justify paying an annual fee, consider the basic JetBlue card.

Welcome bonus: Earn 10,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days from account opening.

Rewards: Earn 3 points per dollar spent on eligible JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants and grocery stores, and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.

Annual fee: $0

Benefits: Given that the JetBlue Card doesn’t have an annual fee, you won’t find any premium-level perks like lounge access or statement credits. With that said, this card still offers a 50% discount on eligible inflight purchases and access to JetBlue’s points-pooling feature.

Since you don’t have to pay an annual fee, you don’t need to worry about squeezing a lot of value out of this card every year. That makes it ideal for those who only fly on the airline one or two times per year.

Learn more: JetBlue Card

JetBlue Plus Card

If you fly with JetBlue at least a couple of times each year, consider the JetBlue Plus Card.

Welcome bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.

That’s worth $650 based on TPG’s February 2025 valuations.

Rewards: You’ll earn 6 points per dollar spent on JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants and grocery stores, and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. As a point of comparison, the no-annual-fee version of this card, simply called the JetBlue Card, offers half as many points on JetBlue purchases.

Annual fee: $99.

Benefits: The JetBlue Plus Card is one of the most rewarding cobranded airline cards with an annual fee below $100. Why? Well, for starters, you receive a 5,000-point bonus on every account anniversary. These points are worth about $65, according to TPG’s valuations.

In addition, you’ll automatically receive a 10% points rebate on all awards booked out of the primary cardholder’s TrueBlue account. There’s no limit to the number of points you get back, and this even holds true when the cardholder is the head of a family pool.

Then, you get a $100 statement credit every year with your purchase of a JetBlue Vacations package of $100 or more with your card. You also receive 50% off inflight purchases, including alcoholic drinks and snack boxes, and you’ll pay no foreign transaction fees outside the U.S.

Other notable perks include:

• Fast track to Mosaic status: Get automatic Mosaic status after spending $50,000 on the card in a calendar year.
• Free checked bags: You and up to three travel companions on the same reservation will enjoy one free checked bag on JetBlue-operated itineraries.

JetBlue loyalists may consider the top-of-the-line JetBlue Premier Card instead, but we recommend sticking with the mid-tier JetBlue Plus.

Learn more: JetBlue Plus Card

Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard

If you’re searching for a solid mid-tier airline card, look no further than the Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard.

Welcome bonus: Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.

That’s worth $840 based on TPG’s February 2025 valuations. Additionally, you’ll receive a one-time 50% companion travel discount for round-trip travel between Hawaii and North America.

Rewards: The card offers 3 miles per dollar spent on Hawaiian Airlines purchases. Although not industry-leading, the card has a decent return on select everyday spending categories: 2 miles per dollar spent on gas, dining and grocery purchases, and 1 mile per dollar spent on everything else

Annual fee: $99

Benefits: One unique feature of this Hawaiian Airlines card is that it lets you transfer Hawaiian miles between accounts.

Other perks include:

• Annual $100 companion discount for round-trip travel between Hawaii and the mainland after each account anniversary
• Two free checked bags for the primary cardmember when you use your card to purchase eligible tickets directly from Hawaiian Airlines
• Discounted award flights
• No foreign transaction fees
• World Elite Mastercard benefits

Before applying for this card, remember that Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines are in the process of merging. This may affect Hawaiian Airlines cardholders in the near future.

Learn more: Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard

Wyndham Rewards Earner Card

Frequent travelers who don’t stay with Wyndham at least a few times each year should consider the no-annual-fee Wyndham Rewards Earner Card.

Welcome bonus: Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. That’s worth $330 based on TPG’s February 2025 valuations.

Rewards: Earn 5 points per dollar spent on gas and purchases made at eligible hotels by Wyndham, 2 points per dollar spent on dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) , and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

Annual fee: $0

Benefits: This card offers automatic Wyndham Rewards Gold status, which includes free Wi-Fi, preferred room selection and late checkout. You’ll also have the opportunity to earn 7,500 bonus points each anniversary year after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases. Cardholders also enjoy a 10% points discount on redemptions for free nights and pay no foreign transaction fees.

Wyndham has over 9,000 properties worldwide, and while its loyalty program might not be the most popular, there are many unique hotels to choose from.

Learn more: Wyndham Rewards Earner Card

Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card

If you stay with Wyndham at least a couple of times each year, the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card might be right for you.

Welcome bonus: Earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. That’s worth $495 based on TPG’s February 2025 valuations.

Earning rate: Earn 6 points per dollar spent on gas and eligible purchases made at hotels by Wyndham, 4 points per dollar spent on dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart), and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

Annual fee: $75

Benefits: Wyndham Rewards Platinum status is an automatic perk of the card; it includes all the same perks of Gold status plus early check-in and car rental upgrades with Avis and Budget. Cardholders receive 7,500 bonus points each anniversary year with no spending requirement.

If you routinely stay at Wyndham hotel brands, the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card may be a valuable addition to your stays. The automatic Platinum status alone can be valuable, and the 7,500 points on your anniversary can more than offset the $75 annual fee.

Learn more: Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card

Miles & More World Elite Mastercard

If you’re a fan of the Miles & More program’s partner airlines, you’ll want to consider applying for its cobranded Barclays card: the Miles & More World Elite Mastercard.

Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 miles after spending $3,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee within the first 90 days.

Rewards: You’ll get 2 miles per dollar spent on ticket purchases with Miles & More “integrated airline partners.” This includes Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Eurowings, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Luxair and Swiss. Unfortunately, there are no other bonus categories, so you’ll only earn 1 mile per dollar spent on everything else.

Annual fee: $89

Benefits: The Miles & More card is an intriguing option for those invested in any of the airlines in the Lufthansa Group. You can redeem miles for Star Alliance flights at favorable rates.

You’ll also receive two complimentary Lufthansa Business Lounge Vouchers after each account anniversary, a companion ticket and the ability to convert award miles into status miles once each calendar year.

Related: The best websites to search for Star Alliance award availability

Bottom line

Barclays has several solid options when it comes to potential credit cards to add to your wallet. Since the issuer no longer offers its own cards to new applicants and instead works with brand partners, it’s important to select a card that aligns with your lifestyle.

If you care about any of Barclays’ cobranded partners, then go for one of these cards. But if you’re looking for something a bit more versatile, look beyond Barclays to card options that allow you to transfer points or receive cash back.

Related: The best credit cards from international airlines