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Air Canada Aeroplan announced a host of program changes. The changes improve the Aeroplan offering for various benefits, from better Air Canada Café complimentary guest access to improved Flight Passes and lower requalification requirements for status. Some changes have come into force immediately, while others will take effect from January 1, 2024.
Changes Effective Immediately
Air Canada Café complimentary guest access
Aeroplan 50K Status Members and above can now bring a guest plus their spouse and up to five dependent children when visiting an Air Canada Café. This is a massive improvement over the previous policy, which only allowed members to bring one complimentary guest.
Interestingly, Air Canada classifies dependent children as individuals up to the age of 24 who are part of the family unit and remain financially dependent on the Aeroplan Elite member.
Improved seating benefits
Air Canada Aeroplan elites and their companions receive complimentary Preferred Seats when traveling on standard fares and above. The destination and status determine when you can select your free Preferred Seat as follows:
- 25K and 35K members can select their seats at check-in to all destinations.
- 50K members can select anytime when flying within Canada and the U.S., including Hawaii, and at check-in when flying to other destinations.
- 75K members can select their seats anytime for all destinations.
- Super Elite members can select their complimentary Preferred Seat at any time to destinations, including when flying on Basic fares.
Changes Effective January 1, 2024
Eliminating the Lower Requalification Select Benefit
The Lower Requalification Level Select Benefit available to Aeroplan 50K, 75K, and Super Elite members will be eliminated from next year. In its place, members will receive a one-time bonus of 5 Status Qualifying Segments (SQS) and 5,000 Status Qualifying Miles (SQM).
Choosing this benefit means members will find it easier to requalify, and the bonus will hit their accounts immediately, making it easier to reach Threshold Gifts and Threshold eUpgrades.
Improved Flight Passes
Flight Passes are improving and will start providing even more value than before. Members will now receive both bonus Status Qualifying Miles (SQMs) and bonus eUpgrade credits as part of their Select Benefits. This is a significant improvement; previously, you could only choose one or the other. The new Flight Pass tiers and benefits are as follows:
- Aeroplan 25K: 4 eUpgrade credits and 750 SQMs
- Aeroplan 35K: 6 eUpgrade credits and 1,000 SQMs
- Aeroplan 50K: 8 eUpgrade credits and 1,250 SQMs
- Aeroplan 75K: 10 eUpgrade credits and 1,500 SQMs
- Aeroplan Super Elite: 12 eUpgrade credits and 2,500 SQMs
2024 elite status rollover benefits
Primary holders of Aeroplan's premium credit cards will have their Status Qualifying Miles and eUpgrade Credits rolled over to 2024. To be eligible for the rollover, you must be a current holder or have applied for and been approved for a card by December 15, 2023.
Eligible Aeroplan credit cards
The full list of eligible cards is available here. Noticeably absent from this list is the Aeroplan® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), the sole Aeroplan co-branded card available in the U.S.
Status Qualifying Miles and eUpgrade Credits associated with your credit card are treated separately from rolled-over ones. These will be posted to your account in the second week of February.
Rollover limitations
Although it is excellent news that you can roll over your SQMs and eUpgrade Credits, there are some limitations. You can only roll over a maximum of 200,000 SQMs beyond the status level you have qualified for.
For instance, if you earn 310,000 SQMs, you would use 100,000 to reach Super Elite; you could roll over 200,000 and lose 10,000 SQM. Conversely, if you earn 73,000 SQMs, you would use 50,000 to reach 50K status and then roll over 23,000 SQMs.
There also is a limit on the number of eUpgrade Credits that can be rolled over. You can only roll over a maximum of 50 eUpgrade Credits. Additionally, credits earned from a promotion or those already rolled over from the year before cannot be rolled over.
Related: The 47 Airlines You Can Book Using Aeroplan Points
Our Take
These developments are welcome news. While some improvements are more valuable than others, no program improvements should be sneezed at. Air Canada has dropped a hint that there's more in the pipeline, as 2024 marks the airline’s 40th anniversary. Hopefully, these will be as good, if not better, than the ones already announced by the airline.
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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