AFAR works with CreditCards.com and may receive a commission from card issuers. This website does not include all financial companies or all financial offerings available. Compensation can affect how an offer is presented. Our reporting is independent and objective and has not been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of these companies. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the AFAR editorial team.
It might sound like an odd recommendation to get an Air Canada branded credit card if you live in the United States or have no plans to visit Canada. But listen to us.
The current introductory bonus at Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card is a big deal — especially for a card with a $95 annual fee. Currently, new cardholders can earn 70,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months. Air Canada’s frequent flyer program, Aeroplan, has more rewards partners than any other loyalty program in the world – currently 45 and counting – flying to more than 1,300 destinations worldwide. To get an idea of the lucrative redemption opportunities, the 70,000-point welcome bonus is enough for a round-trip economy class ticket from New York City to Lisbon, Portugal, with partner TAP Portugal, or a single trip in business class . Not bad!
In addition, the card gives triple points in popular spending categories like groceries and restaurants, offers Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus credit (every four years), and offers a range of free travel insurance. When you fly Air Canada, your credit card entitles you to one free checked bag and Aeroplan 25K Elite status.
Here’s everything you need to know about the great value Chase Aeroplan Credit Card and why it’s worth getting now – whether you’re planning to visit or live in Canada soon.
A valuable welcome offer
The current introductory bonus at Air Canada Aeroplan Credit Card allows new cardholders to earn 70,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months.
When used wisely, 70,000 Aeroplan Points can go a long way. As a founding member of Star Alliance, Aeroplan has access to award inventory from 26 alliance members including Austrian Airlines, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines and more. Add in independent partnerships with nearly 20 other airlines, including Etihad Airways and Oman Air, and you have the most comprehensive search engine of any airline program in the world, sourcing award seats on over 45 airlines.
To cite a few simple examples of best-case scenarios, short-haul flights (under 500 miles) within North America — like Boston to Montreal or New York City to Toronto — can cost as little as 6,000 Aeroplan points each way on Air Canada in economy class. A one-way ticket from Boston to Zurich, Switzerland, with Swiss can cost 35,000 points in Economy Class or 60,000 points in Business Class. And a return ticket in business class with COPA Airlines from Miami, Florida to San Jose, Costa Rica costs 40,000 Aeroplan points and only 20,000 in economy class.
Points nerds will appreciate Aeroplan’s stopover feature, which allows for a longer stopover en route to a final destination, depending on award availability. For example, if you fly from Miami to San Jose, Costa Rica with COPA, you can add an extended stopover in Panama City for an additional 5,000 points. This can be achieved with Aeroplan’s new multi-city/beta search tool, launched in September 2022, which can be found directly on the homepage.
Another piece of good news is that the number of points required for an Aeroplan redemption is often much lower than United Airlines’ MileagePlus loyalty program. In addition, cardholders can receive preferential rates (read: fewer points) for flight awards. On the other hand, it’s not always easy to know exactly how many Aeroplan Points you need for your flight: Aeroplan’s somewhat complicated award table is based on geography, distance flown and dynamic pricing. It pays to explore the Aeroplan search engine and fiddle with dates to find the best award prices.
Easily top up your Aeroplan credit
Those with Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, and Capital One Points can do so Transfer credit card points to the Aeroplan program at a 1:1 ratio. This makes it easy to combine points from spending on your Aeroplan card with points earned on other general travel credit cards, and together accumulate enough for coveted business class tickets to far-flung destinations when traveling alone with the Aeroplan card. card are not satisfied.
In addition, Aeroplan allows members to pool and share points among eight family members, making it even easier to earn enough miles for your dream award tickets.
Earn lots of points
Aside from the introductory bonus, the Aeroplan card is jam-packed with opportunities to earn extra points for everyday expenses. The collection rates of the card are as follows:
- Earn three points for every dollar spent at grocery stores
- Earn three points per dollar on dining, including takeout and qualifying delivery services
- Earn three points for every dollar you spend directly with Air Canada
- Earn one point per dollar on all other purchases
But the earnings don’t end there. Another great feature of this credit card is the ability to earn bonus points as you hit spending thresholds each month. Earn 500 bonus points for every $2,000 spent in a calendar month (up to a maximum of 1,500 points per calendar month or a total of $18,000 per year).
Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus Statements
A Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit (every four years) is common for credit cards with high annual fees, but atypical for a card with a $95 annual fee. However, the Aeroplan credit card goes beyond a $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck balance by allowing cardholders to also use the balance for Nexus, an accelerated verification program for car travel between Canada and the United States (and which it allows members to use Global Entry kiosks). and get TSA PreCheck – yes, that’s a three for one).
travel insurance
Some credit cards offer free travel insurance for cardholders, which starts when loading the journey onto the card. These perks are more typical for credit cards with high annual fees, but surprisingly, the $95 annual fee Aeroplan card comes with travel insurance galore. These include:
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- Baggage Delay Insurance
- Travel Delay Reimbursement
- Car rental comprehensive insurance
As with all insurance matters, there are many regulations as to what is covered, how much is covered and when coverage applies.
carbon offsets
Air Canada has committed to a net-zero emissions goal for all global operations by 2050. As such, carbon offsets are earned (and paid for by Air Canada) when Aeroplan cardholders (and their companions on the same reservation) fly Air Canada, Air Canada Express and Air Canada Rouge on an Aeroplan flight award. This will help reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions associated with flying. There is no cap on the number of carbon offsets Air Canada will provide under this program.
Air Canada benefits
We’ve discussed the reasons why this card makes sense for those who don’t even fly Air Canada, but for those who do, the card is an even wiser choice. On Air Canada flights, the primary cardholder can expect one free checked bag for themselves and up to eight travel companions on the same itinerary.
Cardholders also automatically receive elite status, Aeroplan 25K Elite status, during the calendar year in which card membership is purchased and throughout the following calendar year. This offers benefits such as priority check-in, early boarding and upgrades on Air Canada flights. After the initial phase, cardholders can maintain Aeroplan 25K status with $15,000 in account spend throughout a calendar year. Those who spend $50,000 during a calendar year can achieve an Elite Status Level Up from one level to 35,000 status or higher, depending on their current Elite status.
snack
With a welcome bonus of 70,000 points, a great structure for earning points, incredible redemption opportunities, a Global Entry balance and a range of travel insurance, this is it Aeroplan Credit Card is a smart choice for all travelers, including those not planning to set foot in Canada or board an Air Canada aircraft.
Whilst the above offers are correct at the time of publication, they are subject to change at any time and may have changed or become unavailable.
