United℠ Explorer Card
vs. AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®

The United℠ Explorer Card and the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® are both excellent choices for frequent flyers, offering valuable airline-specific perks. The United Explorer Card edges out as the better option due to its broader rewards on dining and hotel stays, alongside United purchases. It provides a generous sign-up bonus and valuable travel perks like United Club passes.

However, the AA Aviator Red World Elite is still worth considering for its easy-to-earn sign-up bonus and American Airlines benefits, especially if you frequently fly with them.

MoneyGeek's card comparison breaks down the card details, rewards and perks to help you decide which is right for you.

The United Explorer Card is likely to be better for travelers who frequently fly with United Airlines and want to maximize their travel rewards. It offers 2X miles on dining, hotel stays and United purchases, making it versatile for various spending categories. The card also provides two United Club passes annually and a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95. However, it may not be as beneficial for those who don't prioritize United Airlines or don't spend enough to offset the annual fee after the first year.

The AA Aviator Red World Elite Card is likely to be better for frequent American Airlines travelers who want to maximize travel perks. It offers a generous sign-up bonus and benefits like priority boarding and a free checked bag. However, it requires a high spending threshold for the Companion Certificate and offers limited miles on non-airline purchases. This card may not be suitable for those who prefer a broader range of rewards categories or fly with other airlines.

Point-by-point comparisons of APRs, fees, required credit, rewards, introductory offers and other features help you determine which card best meets your needs. For example, the United Explorer Card offers 2X miles on dining, whereas the Aviator Red World Elite focuses on American Airlines purchases.

The United Explorer Card offers better value for diverse spending categories, such as dining and hotel stays. This makes it more versatile for those who spend across various categories. The AA Aviator Red World Elite Card is more focused on American Airlines purchases, which may appeal to loyalists of the airline.

The AA Aviator Red World Elite card earns AAdvantage miles, valued at approximately 1.6 cents. The United Explorer card earns MileagePlus miles, valued at approximately 1.4 cents. Below is a table summarizing the bonus categories for each card.

The Aviator Red World Elite Card allows you to redeem miles with over 20 partner airlines, but non-airline redemption options are limited. Miles expire if there's no account activity for 18 months. In contrast, the United Explorer Card offers more diverse redemption options, including car rentals and hotel stays, with no expiration on miles, providing greater flexibility.

The United Explorer Card offers superior benefits for travelers with its two United Club passes and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit. While both cards provide free checked bags, the AA Aviator Red World Elite covers more companions. Additionally, the AA Aviator Red World Elite includes comprehensive travel insurance, appealing to frequent travelers seeking robust coverage.

Travel Perks

• Free checked first bags for you and a companion on domestic American Airlines itineraries
• Preferred boarding for you and up to four companions on American Airlines flights

Status

• Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every mile earned, contributing to AAdvantage status
• Companion Certificate after spending $20,000 annually

Insurance & Protections

• Travel coverage includes accident insurance, trip cancellation and baggage delay insurance
• Primary auto rental collision damage waiver for theft and collision damage

Credits & Discounts

• Up to $25 back as statement credits on inflight Wi-Fi purchases annually
• 25% inflight savings on food and beverages on American Airlines flights

Travel Perks

• Free checked first bags for you and up to four companions on domestic American Airlines itineraries
• Preferred boarding for you and up to four companions on American Airlines flights

Status

• Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every mile earned, contributing to AAdvantage status
• Companion Certificate for one guest at $99 after spending $20,000 annually

Insurance & Protections

• Travel coverage includes accident insurance, trip cancellation, baggage delay insurance and auto rental collision damage waiver

Credits & Discounts

• Up to $25 back as statement credits on inflight Wi-Fi purchases annually
• 25% savings on inflight food and beverages as statement credits

MoneyGeek's scoring process evaluates each card based on multiple use cases, ensuring the scores reflect the cards' strengths. In this comparison, the scores shown represent the best performance of each card in the 'Airline' category. Several factors determine this score:

• Expected value for travelers: Measures the monetary value of rewards and perks minus the annual fees for frequent travelers.
• Airline scope: Rates the number of destinations the airline flies to, which helps inform the breadth of travel options for the airline program.
• Introductory offer ROI value: Assesses the return on investment (ROI) from the card's sign-up bonus.
• Airline rewards rate for travelers: Evaluates the rewards earned on airline expenditures for frequent travelers.
• Issuer satisfaction: Based on customer satisfaction ratings from studies like J.D. Power.
• Foreign transaction fees: Rates the card's fees for international transactions.
• Recommended credit: Indicates the credit score range required for approval.

For more details on our scoring process, review our ranking methodology.