American Airlines Ditches Barclays as Credit-Card Partner (1)

American Airlines Group Inc. chose to make Citigroup Inc. the exclusive issuer of all of its credit cards, pushing out Barclays Plc from a three-way deal the companies long had in place.

New York-based Citigroup will purchase Barclays’ portion of the cards and begin transitioning customers to its platform in 2026, according to a statement Thursday. Holders of the Barclays cards will continue to receive the same benefits they currently have, the companies said.

The American Airlines terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on June 3, 2024.

Photographer: Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg

Airlines are among the most sought-after partners in the world of credit cards because of the way consumers flock to the products to earn miles ...