The new American Express® Aeroplan®* credit cards are (finally) here!
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Updated: August 08, 2023
American Express Canada has (finally!) launched its new Aeroplan credit cards and sign-up offers to help you earn Aeroplan rewards faster.
The new Aeroplan program rolled out on November 8th, 2020, launching not only a new system of earning rewards but also a new suite of Aeroplan credit cards. This includes three new American Express® Aeroplan®* credit cards: the American Express® Aeroplan®* Card, American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card, and the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card.
The cards offer bigger and better perks. For starters, cardholders can earn accelerated earn rates on on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada®* and Air Canada Vacations®*, plus accelerated points on everyday spending (like dining out and food delivery services). It also comes with an array of travel and lifestyle benefits. Best of all, you can start earning (and redeeming!) points right away – especially if you take advantage of the welcome offers. Keep reading to learn more.
Wait, what’s happening with Aeroplan?
In case you missed the memo, the Aeroplan program was overhauled at the end of 2020. The new Aeroplan program that launched on November 8th is a total overhaul of the previous rewards program. Now you’ll be able to book any seat on any flight (as long as it’s available) with no carrier surcharges. You still have to pay third-party fees, but you can use your Aeroplan Points to cover them. The introduction of dynamic pricing means that you may have to pay more for certain routes, but with no carrier surcharges, this may work out to your advantage, especially if you travel at off-peak times. Read more about the Aeroplan program changes.
What’s changed with the new American Express® Aeroplan®* credit cards?
Under the new Aeroplan program, American Express cardholders have access to some excellent perks. Let’s take a look under the hood:
Welcome offers
The appealing new welcome offers include Aeroplan points to jumpstart your earnings and get you closer to redeeming your flight rewards.
Accelerated earn rates
With all three cards, you’ll score extra Aeroplan points on eligible purchases, like dining and food delivery, and card purchases made directly with Air Canada®* and Air Canada Vacations®* If you use your American Express® Aeroplan®* Credit Card, you can often use fewer points to book your flight, allowing you to claim more flight rewards in the long run. You can also redeem your points for hotel stays, car rentals and vacation packages. Even better, if you make purchases through the Aeroplan partner brands and eStore using your American Express® Aeroplan®* Card and Aeroplan Membership Card, you can earn twice the points.
Enhanced Air Canada benefits
When it comes to Air Canada travel benefits, all three cards offer a free checked bag for yourself and up to eight companions travelling on the same Air Canada reservation. With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card or American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card, you (and your group of up to nine) also receive priority check-in, boarding, and baggage handling. With these cards, you’ll also get higher priority on both the standby list and for seat upgrades through eUpgrades, plus the chance to relax in Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafés within North America.
After you spend $25,000 on select cards, you can get a Worldwide Companion pass, which allows you to get an accompanying ticket on your Air Canada flight for a fixed base fare ($99-$599) plus taxes, fees and surcharges (except for the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card.)
When you charge purchases to your card, you’ll earn Status Qualifying Miles (SQM) and Status Qualifying Segments (SQS) which will help you reach Aeroplan EliteTM* Status more quickly. You can roll over up to 200,000 unused SQMS from one year to the next to help you qualify.
Exclusive airport benefits
Select cards offer special benefits at Pearson International Airport, such as access to Air Canada airline lounges, Pearson Priority Security Lane, and a 15% discount on parking and car care services as well as complimentary valet service.
One of the biggest perks that come with select cards is a complimentary membership to Priority PassTM. This airport lounge program grants you access to lounges all over the world, where you can relax, shower and unwind before your journey.
Enhanced insurance benefits
Your card comes with a suite of useful travel insurance coverage, such as flight delay, baggage delay, lost/stolen baggage, travel accident, car rental theft/damage, travel emergency assistance, and more. Not to mention the buyer’s assurance and purchase protection plans.
Additional insurance (out-of-province/country emergency medical, trip cancellation, trip interruption) and higher coverage amounts come with the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card and American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Cards.
Access to exclusive American Express® Experiences
As with other American Express cards, cardholders also get access to the American Express Experiences, exclusive Amex offers, and Front of the Line perks.
Comparing the New American Express® Aeroplan®* credit cards
The American Express® Aeroplan®* card
New American Express® Aeroplan®* Cardmembers can earn up to 50,000 Aeroplan points. Conditions apply.
First up is the American Express® Aeroplan®* Card – a charge card that carries an annual fee of $120. If you balk at paying an annual fee, first consider the potential rewards. For starters, there’s the welcome offer.
New American Express® Aeroplan®* Cardmembers can earn up to 50,000 Aeroplan points:
- Earn 30,000 Aeroplan points after spending $3,000 in purchases on your Card within the first 3 months.
- Plus, earn an additional 20,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in month 13
- That’s up to $1,100 or more in value when you combine your welcome bonus points and card benefits.
- Conditions apply
Plus: Earn 2X the points on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada®* and Air Canada vacations®*, 1.5X the points on eligible Dining and Food Delivery purchases in Canada, and 1X the points on everything else.
The card also offers a suite of travel insurance and other travel perks like a free first checked bag for yourself and up to eight friends travelling on the same reservation – either of which would likely cost more than the annual fee of the card.
If qualifying for Elite Status is appealing to you, you earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles and one Status Qualifying Segment for every $10,000 spent on your card. Just remember that since this is a charge card and you won’t have a predetermined spending limit, you’ll have to pay your balance in full each month.
The Details:
- Annual Fee: $120
- Minimum Income Eligibility Requirement: N/A
- Credit Score Required: Good;Excellent
- Welcome Offer: New American Express® Aeroplan®* Cardmembers can earn up to 50,000 Aeroplan points. Conditions apply.
- Additional Benefits: Comprehensive insurance, Air Canada travel benefits, and access to exclusive American Express benefits
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve card
New American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Cardmembers can earn up to 85,000 Aeroplan points.
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card carries a hefty $599 annual fee but comes with a host of Air Canada travel benefits. In addition to getting a free checked bag, you and up to eight companions will get priority Airport check-in, boarding, and baggage handling when flying with Air Canada.
Another nicety with this card? You’ll get prioritized on the standby waitlist for Air Canada flights and eUpgrade requests, and get access to select Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges™* and Air Canada Café™ in North America for you and a guest, with a same-day ticket on a departing Air Canada or Star Alliance flight. You also have the option to roll over any unallocated Aeroplan Elite™* Status Qualifying Miles and unused eUpgrade Credits to the following year to enjoy during your travels.
As for earning Aeroplan Points, this card will help you rack them up. Highest Air Canada earn rate on an Aeroplan payment card in Canada: Earn 3X the points on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada®* and Air Canada Vacations®*; Standard Earn Rate 2X the points on eligible Dining and Food Delivery purchases in Canada and earn Rate 1.25X the points on everything else. For example, let’s say that in your first year as a cardholder you spent $2,000 on a vacation package to the Caribbean—that would get you 6,000 Aeroplan points, right off the bat. Add four or five short-haul work trips (8,000 points), and then $500 in takeout and restaurant spending (1,000 points), and you’ve easily racked up 15,000 points, which could get you a flight to San Francisco from Toronto (12,500-17,500 points). It’s easy to see how the points can quickly add up, especially if you’re a frequent traveller.
For a limited time, New American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Cardmembers can earn up to 85,000 Aeroplan points:
- Earn 60,000 Aeroplan points after spending $7,500 in purchases on your Card within the first 3 months
- Plus, earn an additional 25,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $2,500 in purchases in month 13
- That’s up to $2,600 or more in value when you combine your welcome bonus points and card benefits
- New Offer: Cardmembers can now get an extra night free for every 3 consecutive hotel nights redeemed with Aeroplan points. Offer ends December 31, 2024
Additionally, you earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles and one Status Qualifying Segment for every $5,000 in purchases, which you can roll over to the following year (up to 200,000 SQMs), along with your unused eUpgrade credits.
The Details:
- Annual Fee: $599
- Minimum Income Eligibility Requirement: N/A
- Credit Score Required: Good;Excellent
- Welcome Offer: For a limited time, New American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Cardmembers can earn up to 85,000 Aeroplan points. Conditions apply.
- Additional Benefits: Comprehensive insurance, access to select Air Canada lounges and Priority Airport services, and access to exclusive American Express benefits.
- Interest on Purchases: 21.99% on purchases | Interest on Cash Advances: 21.99% (on funds advances)
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve card
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card has the same perks and $599 annual fee as the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card. So, you’ll get a package of Air Canada travel benefits – including access to select Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges™* and Air Canada Café™, priority check-in, boarding and baggage handling, that coveted Annual Worldwide companion pass and priority access to Air Canada flights’ standby lists and eUpgrades. Not to mention the access to Pearson airport perks such as access to the Pearson Priority Security Lane, valet parking, and 15% off parking and car care services.
But with this card, you get additional business benefits, such as employee card misuse protection and access to Amex representatives 24/7. Plus, you can track, sort and separate personal/work expenses with the paperless expense management reports. Furthermore, the earn rate for this card is customized to suit business spending: Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations®*, 2 points for every $1 spent on eligible hotels and car rentals. Earn 1.25 points for every $1 spent on everything else. Plus, as an Aeroplan member, you can double dip with Aeroplan partners. So, if you spent $10,000 on flights, $3,000 on hotels and car rentals, and $4,000 on food/entertainment, you’d rack up 30,000, 6,000 and 4,000 points respectively, for a total of 40,000 points. There’s also a Welcome Offer.
Earn up to 90,000 Welcome Bonus Aeroplan®* points.
- Earn 65,000 Aeroplan points after spending $10,500 in purchases on your Card within the first 3 months.
- Plus, earn an additional 25,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $3,500 in purchases in month 13.
- Earn Aeroplan points that you can redeem in a variety of ways.
Travel insurance includes all of the baseline coverage mentioned in the section above, plus out-of-province/country emergency medical, and trip cancellation/interruption, making this an attractive package indeed.
Your American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card earns you 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles and one Status Qualifying Segment for every $5,000 spent with your card. You can roll over up to 200,000 Aeroplan Elite Status Qualifying Miles and unused eUpgrade credits to the following year.
The Details:
- Annual Fee: $599
- Minimum Income Eligibility: N/A
- Credit Score Required: N/A
- Welcome Offer: Earn up to 90,000 Welcome Bonus Aeroplan®* points (conditions apply)
- Additional Benefits: Comprehensive insurance, access to select Air Canada lounges and Priority Airport services, Annual Worldwide Companion Pass, access to exclusive American Express benefits, employee card misuse protection, 5% off eligible restaurant orders over $15, and exclusive Rides Perks. Receive up to $100 CAD in statement credits every four years when NEXUS application or renewal fees are charged to your American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card.
- Interest on Purchases: 21.99% | Interest on Cash Advances: 21.99%
The Last Word
The new American Express® Aeroplan®* credit cards can help boost your points-earning potential while allowing you to take advantage of the combined perks of being an American Express cardholder, such as American Express® Experiences, and Aeroplan’s new flight reward system. Of course, if your interest is piqued, you compare the best Aeroplan credit cards and decide for yourself.
American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment
Karen Stevens is a personal finance and business writer with experience across industries from travel to tech. She believes personal finance should be accessible to everyone, and is always on the hunt for that next money-saving hack. Karen writes and consults for GreedyRates on all verticals such as taxes, investing, loans and more.
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