AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. Terms Apply to the offers listed on this page. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
Air Canada is offering free changes on award bookings through the end of 2021. Starting in 2022, the policy is less friendly, so you should book soon if you have upcoming Aeroplan bookings you want to make. Additionally, other positives here include points expiry extension, status extension, and a way to reinstate expired points.
[Updated to New Rules for 2022] Air Canada Change Fee Waiver
As of January 1, 2022, you have the right to one free change on an award ticket, so long as the booking was made in 2021. If the price is higher after the change, you must pay the difference. However, the nice part is that Air Canada will refund your Aeroplan points if the new ticket costs less.
Status Extended Through 2022
Whatever status you currently hold with Air Canada / Aeroplan will be extended through the end of 2022. If you reach a higher status in 2021 than what you had when this extension was first announced, the higher status level will be honored for all of 2022. Elites with unused Priority Reward vouchers will see these extended through the end of 2022, also. The full announcement is here, if you're interested.
Air Canada Extends Points Expiration Date
Aeroplan points typically expire after 18 months of inactivity. However, the airline has extended the date when miles expiration will resume…a few times. The current plan is that Air Canada will extend points expiration pause through September 30, 2024.
Read more: Do Air Canada Aeroplan Points Expire?
A Path to Reinstate Expired Points
But what if your Aeroplan points do expire for some reason? You have three options:
- Pay 1¢ per expired point, plus a $30 administrative fee. This will put your points back in your account.
- Within six months of the miles expiring, take an Air Canada flight.
- Within six months of the expiration, open an Air Canada / Aeroplan credit card. This will bring back your points and keep them from expiring as long as you have the card.
Points Don't Expire if you Have an Aeroplan Credit Card
Points never expire for the primary cardmembers of an Aeroplan-affiliated credit card — such as the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite, TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege Card, TD® Aeroplan® Visa Platinum, and TD® Aeroplan® Visa Business.
For those in the U.S., you can apply for the Aeroplan® Credit Card from Chase.
Our Take
These are some customer-friendly moves that should make Aeroplan members happy. As Air Canada extends fee waivers and points expiry again, it shouldn't be much of a shock. The free changes part of the Air Canada news here is nice, but time is running out on that.
Travel hasn't rebounded as much as airlines had hoped for. Plus, there continue to be ongoing COVID-19 restrictions hampering international travel. Air Canada is helping people keep their points, making award tickets more flexible, and even offering paths to reinstate miles, should yours expire.
What do you make of these changes? Is Air Canada doing enough?
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.