Usually when you receive a higher-end credit card the card comes in a “welcome kit.” Welcome kits vary significantly by card, but in some cases the card comes in a robust box with gifts. In most cases though, credit cards come in a plain envelope which only includes the card and the card member agreement. While welcome kits vary greatly by card, there is usually one thing that remains consistent. That is, in general, the welcome kit usually contains the new credit card.
Well, that wasn’t the case with my new Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Silver card. That card came in the mail a few weeks ago in a plain white envelope. I didn’t expect anything different given that the card was an upgrade from the Aviator Red card. The card came in a white envelope and I didn’t think much of it. What surprised me is that the welcome kit for the card arrived about three weeks later.
My Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Silver Card Welcome Kit
The Aviator Silver card welcome kit arrived in a thick glossy black envelope with American Airlines AAdvantage branding.
On the reverse side of the (beat up) envelope was a picture of the Aviator Silver card.
Inside the envelope was a small pamphlet which again featured the card in question.
The pamphlet featured an odd angled fold which mimics the corner of the Aviator card lineup. As I unfolded each side I found a welcome message which introduced me to the card that I’ve had for weeks now.
When I unfolded the cover I found a table of contents which highlighted benefits offered by the card.
As I thumbed through the pamphlet I found each page featured a different benefit and a new photo. I won’t go through each page as I’ve written about the card’s benefits several times before.
On the back cover of the pamphlet was a brief overview of the Barclays mobile app which encourages card holders to download the app.
Barclays makes it easy to download the app and I recommend ever card holder do so as it allows you to easily track your purchases and catch any fraud that my occur.
Final Thoughts
I’m not sure why, but I find it very funny that Barclays and AAdvantage sent the welcome kit several weeks after I received my card. Personally, I think getting this information with my new card would be much more valuable. I also think for presentation sake, it would be much nicer to unfold the corners of the pamphlet to find a new card.
Also, given how long the pamphlet took to arrive I’m surprised there is zero personalization included. I guess I expected the pamphlet to contain my name and perhaps my AAdvantage number. Overall, as with other aspects of this card, I just think Barclays and AAdvantage missed the mark.
