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Rumors have been swirling for months that a refresh of the Aeroplan® Credit Card was imminent, and it's finally here.
Introducing the new Air Canada Aeroplan® card, complete with automatic elite status, new credits, and new bonus earning categories in exchange for a higher annual fee. As for card refreshes, this might be one of my favorites. Here's what you need to know.
Aeroplan Card Refresh: What's Changing?
The Aeroplan Card has officially gotten a makeover. Not only does the card have a new look, but it comes packed with benefits that can make sense even if you aren't a frequent Air Canada flyer.
To start with the bad news: the annual fee has more than doubled, from $95 to $195. And a few favorite perks are going away.
The good news is that the card is significantly more rewarding in almost every aspect. Cardholders will get a suite of new and enhanced benefits while continuing to enjoy most of the benefits that put the card on the map in the first place.
New and updated benefits
Here are all of the new and enhanced benefits on the Aeroplan Card:
- NEW: Save 15% on eligible Air Canada award redemptions.
- NEW: Receive up to $100 in Air Canada statement credits each year (up to two $50 credits semi-annually).
- NEW: Earn 3X Aeroplan points per $1 spent on travel purchases.
- NEW: Starting January 2027, get a 4th Day Free at 11,000+ car rental locations worldwide when you book for four days in one reservation with Aeroplan points.
- UPDATED: Automatic Aeroplan 25K Status with no spending requirement.
- UPDATED: Earn up to 5X total Aeroplan points per $1 spent on Air Canada purchases (3X Aeroplan points as a cardholder and 2X Aeroplan points as an Aeroplan 25K member).
- UPDATED: Earn 2X Aeroplan points for each dollar spent on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery, grocery stores, and gas station purchases. Earn 1X Aeroplan point for each dollar spent on all other purchases.
There's a lot to unpack here.
15% award discount
First, a 15% discount on award redemption is a great addition. Air Canada Aeroplan already offers competitive award pricing, so an additional discount makes it even more affordable. FLY15OFF puts Air Canada in direct competition with Delta's TakeOff15, which is available to
In a media briefing about these changes, Air Canada clarified that this discount will apply to all awards that include an Air Canada flight segment. That means you won't get this discount on solely partner awards.
Air Canada statement credit
The up to $100 in statement credits already helps justify the $100 increase in annual fee. As long as you book with Air Canada twice a year, you effectively won't have an increase in the annual fee.
Changes to earning rates
The change in earning rates is either good news or bad news, depending on how you choose to look at it. Previously, the card earned 3X points at grocery stores, dining, and on Air Canada purchases. Now, you'll earn 3X on general travel purchases and 2X at gas stations (which is fantastic), but you'll earn just 2X points at restaurants and grocery stores.
If you spend a lot on groceries and dining out, the reduction in earnings is disappointing. But if you spend a lot on travel and gas, these new bonus categories are fantastic. Keep in mind that points can be used with Air Canada's 50+ partners, so your earnings as a cardholder can take you virtually anywhere in the world.
Aeroplan 25K elite status
Last but not least, automatic Aeroplan 25K elite status is genuinely phenomenal. Previously, you'd earn Aeroplan 25K as a new cardholder and could keep it by spending $15,000 on your card in a calendar year.
Few
What's staying the same
Luckily, many benefits you know and love are staying the same, including:
- Free first checked bags for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation on Air Canada flights.
- A $120 fee credit toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS every four years.
- Get up to 25,000 Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) each calendar year as a cardholder (5,000 SQC as a bonus, 10,000 SQC after $25,000 in purchases, and another 10,000 SQC after $50,000 in purchases on the card account).
- Earn Aeroplan 35K Status after spending $75,000 in a calendar year.
- 4th Night Free when you redeem Aeroplan points for three consecutive hotel nights in the same booking.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Travel protection benefits, including trip cancellation/interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement, and an auto rental collision damage waiver.
- World Elite
Mastercard
What's going away
It can't be all good news. There are a few benefits being removed, but you still have time to enjoy them:
- Earn 500 bonus points for every $2,000 spent each month (up to 1,500 bonus points) through December 31, 2026.
- Get a 10% bonus when transferring 50,000+ Ultimate
Rewards - Preferred pricing on award redemptions is replaced by the flat 15% discount on redemptions effective immediately.
These removals are going to sting for some cardholders. But others may find that the new benefits are more valuable than those lost.
New limited-time welcome offer
To celebrate the launch, new Aeroplan Card holders can take advantage of a best-ever offer.
You can earn up to 115,000 bonus Aeroplan points: earn 75,000 bonus Aeroplan points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, plus an additional 40,000 bonus Aeroplan points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening.
Tiered welcome offers are tricky. Make sure you're tracking your progress toward the extra 40,000 Aeroplan points. You'll need to spend roughly $1,666 per month on the card in your first 12 months as a cardholder, which is certainly doable. However, if you earn the initial 75,000 bonus points, it's easy to forget to keep using the card until you earn the rest of your bonus.
According to recent AwardWallet user redemptions, the total offer is worth roughly $2,140.
Here's the offer currently available through AwardWallet:
- 3x points directly with Air Canada
- 3x points on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 3x points at grocery stores
- 1x point on all other purchases
Bottom Line
Over the past few years, we've seen issuer after issuer announce card refreshes that, frankly, no one asked for. Most people don't want to maximize 100 different credits and benefits per card, and benefits keep getting stripped down while annual fees keep rising. However, this refresh provides real value for Aeroplan members.
I think the new perks absolutely outweigh the $100 annual fee increase. If you fly Air Canada with any regularity, the Aeroplan Card is a no-brainer for your wallet. If you aren't already a cardholder, the fantastic new welcome bonus pairs nicely with card's automatic Aeroplan 25K status, a 15% discount on award redemptions, up to $100 in annual statement credits, and a revamped earning structure.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Aeroplan® Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
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