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Even if you don't have plans to visit Canada, there are plenty of reasons why you should care about the Aeroplan
Wondering if this card is the right fit for you? In this review, we’ll break down the sign-up bonus, explore the Aeroplan Card‘s earning rates, annual fee, and perks, and provide all the details you need to make an informed decision.
- Earn up to 115,000 bonus points
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, 40,000 bonus points after you spend $20,000 in the first 12 months.
- $195 Annual Fee
- Enjoy automatic 25K Aeroplan Status with benefits such as Priority Check-In, Priority Boarding (Zone 2), Additional Baggage Allowance, Star Alliance Recognition and eUpgrade Credits.
- Earn up to 5X total points for each dollar spent on Air Canada. Earn 3X points on travel purchases.
- Earn 2X points for each dollar spent at grocery stores, on dining at restaurants, and at gas stations. Earn 1X point for each dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Up to $100 in Air Canada statement credits (delivered as up to two $50 credits semi-annually).
- Save 15% on eligible Air Canada flight redemptions as a cardmember.
- Member FDIC
- Up to 5x points directly with Air Canada*
- 3x points on travel purchases
- 2x points on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 2x points at grocery stores
- 2x points at gas stations
- 1x point on all other purchases
Page Contents
Aeroplan Card Pros
- Earn 5X points on Air Canada spending and in a handful of useful spending categories.
- Receive complimentary Elite 25K status.
- Get a first checked bag free, exclusive rates on award bookings, plus other travel protections.
- Annual Aeroplan Status Qualifying Credit boost.
- $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit every four years.
Aeroplan Card Cons
- Charges an annual fee of $195.
- Air Canada only offers one personal credit card for U.S.-based travelers.
- Subject to Chase's 5/24 rule, which may make you ineligible for this card.
Aeroplan Card Welcome Bonus
New applicants for the Aeroplan Card can earn up to 115,000 bonus points – 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open, plus 40,000 bonus points after you spend $20,000 in the first 12 months your account is open.
It's not unheard of for the Aeroplan Card to occasionally run increased or unique welcome offers. To get a better idea of the offer history on the card and what you might be able to expect in the future, check out our post covering past credit card offers from Chase.
How much is this bonus worth? AwardWallet users typically redeem Air Canada Aeroplan points at 1.86¢ each. That makes the current bonus worth around $2,140 toward award flights.
Aeroplan Card Benefits
Compared to many other airline
Complimentary Elite 25K status
Cardholders will receive complimentary Air Canada Elite 25K status. As an Aeroplan 25K member, you will enjoy priority check-in and Zone 2 boarding and five eUpgrade Credits each year.
Status Qualifying Credit (SQC) boost
As a cardholder, you'll receive 5,000 Status Qualifying Credits annually. Then, you'll earn the following based on your spending:
- Spend $15,000, earn Aeroplan 25K Status (as covered above)
- Spend $25,000, earn 10,000 SQCs
- Spend $50,000, earn 10,000 SQCs
- Spend $75,000, earn Aeroplan 35K Status
Related: How To Get Airline Elite Status Without Flying
Monthly bonus points
Through December 31, 2026, you can earn 500 bonus Aeroplan points for every $2,000 you spend on the Aeroplan Card in a calendar month — up to 1,500 points. If you maximize that $6,000 in spending across 3X earning categories, you will finish the month with 19,500 Aeroplan points. That's a 3.25X earning rate on the first $6,000 you spend in a month.
Related: Do Air Canada Aeroplan Points Expire?
Complimentary checked bag
The primary cardholder and up to eight travel companions on the same reservation can check one bag for free when travel originates on an Air Canada flight.
No foreign transaction fees
You'll avoid those annoying foreign transaction fees when using the Aeroplan Card abroad.
Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee credit
Receive a statement credit of up to $120 every four years as a fee reimbursement for applying for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS.
Related: Expedited Security Screening Programs: How To Get Them for Free
10% bonus on Chase Ultimate Rewards point transfers
If you hold a Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning credit card, you can enjoy a 10% transfer bonus after transferring 50,000 or more Ultimate
World Elite Mastercard benefits
The Aeroplan Card is a World Elite Mastercard, which means you can take advantage of World Elite Mastercard benefits. These include purchase protection, a World Elite Concierge, and more.
Travel protections
As a cardholder, you can also enjoy the following travel and purchase protections when you use your card on an eligible purchase:
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: Covers cancellations and interruptions to trips purchased with the card by reimbursement of non-refundable travel expenses — up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip.
- Trip delay reimbursement: If your travel is delayed 12+ hours or requires an overnight stay, you'll be reimbursed for expenses like meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket.
- Baggage delay insurance: If the air carrier delays your baggage for more than 6 hours, you'll be reimbursed for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing up to $100 a day for three days.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver: This benefit covers theft and damage to most cars in the U.S. and abroad, provided you decline the rental company's policy. Coverage is secondary in the U.S. but primary in other countries.
- Roadside assistance: In an emergency, the Benefit Administrator will dispatch help. Roadside service fees will be billed to your credit card.
- Zero liability protection: You will not be held liable for unauthorized charges made with your credit card or account information.
- 24/7 fraud monitoring: Chase will monitor your account for fraud and unusual purchases.
- Purchase protection: New purchases are covered against damage and theft for 120 days, up to $500 per claim, and up to $50,000 per account.
Aeroplan Card Earning Rates
The Aeroplan Card has a surprisingly simple but rewarding earning structure.
- Up to 5x points directly with Air Canada*
- 3x points on travel purchases
- 2x points on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 2x points at grocery stores
- 2x points at gas stations
- 1x point on all other purchases
Related: How Many Points Does My Credit Card Earn?
Redeeming Points With the Aeroplan Card
Swiping a credit card like the Aeroplan Card and earning an outsized welcome bonus is a one-way ticket to a large sum of Aeroplan points. The most valuable way to redeem your points is for award travel on Air Canada or its 45+ airline redemption partners, but you also can use your points to pay yourself back.
Let's look at these options to see how they work and what value they can provide.
Redeem Aeroplan points for flights
Aeroplan points typically provide the best value when redeemed for award travel with Air Canada or its partner airlines. Business-class flights, in particular, often deliver the highest return on your points.
Air Canada divides the world into four regions for its award charts: North America, the Atlantic, the Pacific, and South America. The map looks like this:
The prices for partner award charts are fixed, which means the price you see in the chart is the price you'll pay for a partner-operated award flight — assuming there's availability. Air Canada flights, on the other hand, are priced in a range, so it's more difficult to estimate what you'll pay for an award flight. You can view all 11 award charts here (Caution: PDF link).
For a little bit of inspiration, you could use these award charts to fly from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA) in Lufthansa first for 90,000 points or in economy for 35,000 points per way.
Another great option is to fly from Chicago (ORD) to Zurich (ZRH) in SWISS business class for 70,000 points.
Want to go the other direction? Flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Tokyo (NRT) in United Polaris business class will cost 75,000 points per way.
Related: The Secret Sweet Spots of Aeroplan Stopovers and Open Jaws
Pay yourself back with Aeroplan points
As an alternative to redeeming Aeroplan points for flights, cardholders can pay themselves back using Aeroplan points toward travel purchases on any airline, hotel, or rental car. The redemption rate is a flat 1.25¢ per point for travel purchases.
As of the beginning of 2025, Chase and Aeroplan implemented a new annual limit of 200,000 Aeroplan points for Pay Yourself Back redemptions within the Travel category, which covers hotels, car rentals, ride-shares, flights, and other travel-related expenses. The other categories remain unlimited.
For 2026, Chase has expanded the program to include dining, groceries, and gas stations. You can also use Aeroplan points to cover the $195 annual fee on the card. But all of these redemptions offer just 0.8¢ per point in value.
You might already be familiar with Chase's “Pay Yourself Back” program, which allows you to request a statement credit for select purchases made with Ultimate
Objectively, redeeming Aeroplan points for 1.25¢ apiece is less than ideal. By comparison, AwardWallet users redeem Aeroplan points at the following cents-per-point rates for award travel:
- Regional economy: 1.21¢
- International economy: 1.27¢
- Regional business: 2.56¢
- International business: 2.63¢
Application Restrictions
As with other Chase credit cards, this Aeroplan Card is subject to the Chase 5/24 rule. Chase also has a 2/30 rule, in which you cannot open more than two credit cards with Chase in a rolling 30-day period. Chase includes the following application restrictions in the card's terms:
“This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of the Chase Aeroplan Card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of the Chase Aeroplan Card who received a new card within the last 24 months.”
Thus, if you have this card or received a welcome bonus on it in the past 24 months, you aren't eligible for the current offer.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Cards That Compete With the Aeroplan Card
Unsure if the Aeroplan Card is right for you? Here are some other quality options to consider:
- If you spend a lot on flight purchases, want to earn points that transfer to Aeroplan, and value lounge access, look into the
American Express Marriott Bonvoy Hilton Honors - If you want a travel rewards credit card with a reasonable annual fee that earns points transferable to Air Canada Aeroplan, check out the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Carrying a $95 annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred can be a valuable wallet addition, courtesy of its friendly bonus categories, top-notch travel insurance protections, and points that can be transferred to 14 airline and hotel programs — including Aeroplan. Holding this card and the Aeroplan Card also would unlock the 10% points transfer benefit. Learn more in AwardWallet's full Sapphire Preferred review.
- If you want to earn rewards transferable to Aeroplan on a card with a simplified earning structure, consider the
Capital One
$895
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
$95Rates & Fees
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on gas and EV charging
- 3X points on vacation homes at top brands like Airbnb, Vrbo and more
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
$95
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
Related: The Best Credit Cards for Travel Purchases
Final Thoughts
The Aeroplan Card stands out as consistently valuable compared to many other co-branded airline credit cards. Its bonus point-earning categories are easy to maximize, especially if you routinely spend at grocery stores and restaurants. In other words, you can get a lot out of the card without ever flying Air Canada. But if you do fly Air Canada, you'll earn handsomely when you pay for flights, and the flight perks you can enjoy, such as complimentary Elite 25K status and free checked bags, are hard to beat.
However, the Aeroplan Card makes the most sense for people who want to engage in the Aeroplan program. In a recent update to the Aeroplan terms and conditions, small print revealed that those who sign up for co-branded credit cards, earn the welcome bonus, and then stop using the card are at risk of having their Aeroplan account audited.
Ultimately, if you apply and are approved for the card, you'll want to use it regularly. Ensure you don't “disengage” from the program; it could bring consequences.
- Earn up to 115,000 bonus points
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, 40,000 bonus points after you spend $20,000 in the first 12 months.
- $195 Annual Fee
- Enjoy automatic 25K Aeroplan Status with benefits such as Priority Check-In, Priority Boarding (Zone 2), Additional Baggage Allowance, Star Alliance Recognition and eUpgrade Credits.
- Earn up to 5X total points for each dollar spent on Air Canada. Earn 3X points on travel purchases.
- Earn 2X points for each dollar spent at grocery stores, on dining at restaurants, and at gas stations. Earn 1X point for each dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Up to $100 in Air Canada statement credits (delivered as up to two $50 credits semi-annually).
- Save 15% on eligible Air Canada flight redemptions as a cardmember.
- Member FDIC
- Up to 5x points directly with Air Canada*
- 3x points on travel purchases
- 2x points on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 2x points at grocery stores
- 2x points at gas stations
- 1x point on all other purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
