Originally Posted by sdsearch

Welcome to FlyerTalk, Captivated.

If you also have a Citi card, you can cut the AF in about half on the Barclay AA card by downgrading to the Blue (you'll keep earning 1 mile/$ and you'll keep the 0% forex; you'll lose the checked bag and priority boarding benefits and the 10% rebate on redemptions, but a Citi Plat card will give you all those). So ask about downgrading to Blue. For some people, that is what triggers the offer for waiver of the AF, and if it doesn't you've still saved $35 or whatever if they do agree to downgrade you.

Or, if you don't care about 1 mile/$ spent or about 0% forex, you can ask to downgrade to the no-AF version just to keep the card alive for another day.