Quick overview of the Amex Aeroplan credit card
Launched in partnership with the Aeroplan Program, the American Express® Aeroplan® Card is considered to be the ‘core’ card of the three brand new American Express Aeroplan credit cards. We'll compare all three of these co-branded cards below to help you decide which one is best for you.
Who's the Amex Aeroplan card for?
If you collect Aeroplan Points and are a frequent flyer with Air Canada®*, then it’s worth considering. Its welcome bonus is worth close to $700 in flights or a one way premium economy flight from St. John's to Vancouver. The earn rate is good when you're spending with Air Canada and gives you a little bonus for dining and food delivery as well, but unfortunately stops there.
So, for people who fly Aeroplan and love Air Canada, let's get into the details.
Pros and cons
Pros
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Aeroplan Points Accumulation: Earn up to 2 Aeroplan points per $1 spent on purchases.
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Free Checked Bags: Free first checked bag on Air Canada flights for you and up to eight travel companions.
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Preferred Pricing on Flight Awards: Access to preferred pricing on Aeroplan flight rewards.
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Travel Insurance Coverage: Includes eight types of robust travel insurance.
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Fast Track to Elite Status: Ability to reach Aeroplan Elite status more quickly.
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American Express Experiences: Exclusive access to dining, sports, and entertainment events, plus Front Of The Line for presales and reserved tickets.
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No Preset Spending Limit: Flexible spending based on credit history and account activity.
Cons
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Limited Acceptance: American Express cards may not be as widely accepted as Visa or Mastercard.
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High APR on Unpaid Balances: A steep annual interest rate of 30% for unpaid balances.
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Limited Lounge Access: No access to Maple Leaf or PriorityPass lounges.
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Restricted Points Earn Rate: The 2x points earn rate on Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations only applies to direct bookings through the airline.
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Charge Card Expectations: You're expected to pay off the entire balance each month.
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Specialized Rewards: High-value rewards primarily focused on redeeming for Air Canada flights.
American Express Aeroplan card welcome bonus
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
How to earn Aeroplan points with the Amex Aeroplan credit card
Earning points is easy with the American Express® Aeroplan®* Card standard earn rates. Cardholders will 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.
Apply for the American Express Aeroplan CardHow to redeem Aeroplan points with Amex Aeroplan card
Redeeming your Aeroplan points is fairly straightforward and can be done online at AirCanada.com or via the Air Canada App.
You can redeem your Aeroplan points for a variety of different things including flights, hotels, vacation packages, car rentals, experiences and activities, merchandise, and gift cards. Typically speaking, the best value for your Aeroplan points is to use them towards travel, specifically towards flights.
Under the Aeroplan program, there is no specific zone or route that will give you the best CPM (cost per mile). A number of factors mean this will always vary. Generally speaking, if you can get your CPM to around $0.02 (or higher) then you have found a good deal.
You can also gift your points to a friend, donate them to charity, or hop over to the Aeroplan eStore to buy products and earn more points from stores like Apple, Amazon, Dyson and more.
Amex Aeroplan credit card key benefits
- Substantial welcome bonus of 50,000 points (unfortunately it takes 2 annual fees and some spending to unlock them).
- Accelerated earn rate with Aeroplan where you earn 2x the points on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada®* and Air Canada vacations®*.
- 4th night free for every 3 hotel nights redeemed with Aeroplan points (until December 31st, 2024)
American Express Aeroplan travel insurance coverage
- Flight delay insurance: Up to $500 (aggregate with baggage delay insurance) for accommodations, restaurants expenses, and sundry items purchases within 48 hours when delayed or denied boarding for 4 hours or more.
- Baggage delay insurance: Up to $500 (combined with flight delay insurance) for items purchased within 4 days of your arrival at your destination or your outbound trip is delayed more than 6 hours.
- Hotel burglary insurance: You can receive up to $500 in coverage against the loss of most personal items
- Car rental theft and damage insurance: Collision damage waiver and loss damage waiver for rental cars up to $85,000 for rentals of 48 days or less.
- $500,000 Travel Accident Insurance: In case of accident dealth and dismemberment on a common carrier (plane, train, ship, or bus), you can be covered for up to $500,000
- Travel Emergency Assistance: Can provide eligible Cardmembers with access to out-of-town worldwide emergency medical assistance services and legal referrals by telephone, 24/7/365
- Buyer's assurance protection: Extends the manufacturer’s warranty up to one additional year
- Purchase protection insurance: Up to $1,000 for 90 days from the date of purchase in case of accidental damage and theft.
Please note there is no trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance or emergency medical insurance.
American Express Aeroplan extra benefits
- Save on baggage fees: Enjoy your first checked bag free (up to 23kg/50lb) for up to 9 people travelling on the same reservation on Air Canada®* flights.
- Reach Aeroplan Elite status faster: Earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles and 1 Status Qualifying Segment for every $10,000 in eligible net purchases charged to your Card.
- Access to Amex experiences: Cardholders will get access to special Amex Experiences including music, sports, dining, entertainment and more.
- Front of the Line: Access to presale and reserved tickets to select events and experiences.
What people have to say about this card
There isn't too much to be said about this card on internet forums like Reddit and Quora, because most users redirect you to other Aeroplan credit cards or higher tier Amex cards (where you can transfer your Membership Rewards points 1:1 with Aeroplan).
The one redeeming quality of the Amex Aeroplan is its sizeable welcome bonus. Unfortunately, you'll have to pay the annual fee twice to unlock the full amount.
Let's compare with some other cards.
Amex Aeroplan vs. Amex Cobalt
The Cobalt has been one of Canada's best credit cards for years, and for good reason—the wildly high earn rates on everyday spending categories like eats & drinks, groceries, streaming subscriptions, and travel & transit.
While the welcome bonus isn't as strong and it has a higher annual fee (paid monthly, mind you), the Cobalt also gives you Emergency medical insurance, lost or stolen baggage, and mobile device insurance.
Amex Cobalt
5x Earn 5 times he points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada, including groceries and food delivery. Spend cap applies.
3x Earn 3 times the points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
2x Get 2 times the points on eligible ride shares, transit & gas in Canada.
1x Earn 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings via American Express Travel Online
1x Earn 1 point for every $1 in Card purchases everywhere else
$100 USD Get up to $100 USD hotel credit to use on amenities when charged to the room for a stay of 2 or more consecutive nights through The Hotel Collection from American Express Travel.
$155.88 Annual Fee 12.99/mo
21.99% Purchase APR on purchases
21.99% Cash Advance APR
2.50% Foreign Transaction Fee
Fair Recommended Credit Score
$0 Required Annual Personal Income
$0 Required Annual Household Income
Amex Aeroplan vs TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite
With the TD Aeroplan, your earn rate isn't as good as the 2 points per dollar with Air Canada, with only 1.5x the points, but that earn rate is also good for gas and groceries. The welcome bonuses are identical but you also get a NEXUS application fee rebate and travel medical insurance, mobile device, and lost or stolen baggage (notably missing on the Amex Aeroplan).
TD's annual fee is higher, but we think it's worth it thanks to its faster point accumulation.
TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite
1.5 points for every $1 spent on eligible gas, grocery and direct through Air Canada® purchases (including Air Canada Vacations®)†
1 point Earn 1 point for every $1 you spend on all other purchases†
2x Earn points twice with Aeroplan partner brands and on the Aeroplan eStore.†
50% Earn 50% more Aeroplan points at Starbucks when you link your card to your account.†
1 NEXUS application fee rebate every 48 months†
1st checked bag free for you and up to 8 travel companions†
$139 Annual Fee Additional cardholder is $75.†
20.99% Purchase APR APR for purchases 20.99%†
22.99% Cash Advance APR APR for cash advances 22.99%†
22.99% Balance Transfer Rate APR for balance transfers 22.99%†
2.50% Foreign Transaction Fee Foreign transaction fee: 2.50%†
Excellent Recommended Credit Score
$60,000 Required Annual Personal Income
$100,000 Required Annual Household Income
Welcome Offer Ends Jun 3, 2024
Earn up to $1,200 in value† including up to 50,000 Aeroplan points†. Conditions Apply. Account must be approved by June 3, 2024.
Learn moreAmex Aeroplan vs. Amex Aeroplan Reserve card
OK, as promised, let's compare these two, despite being in very different tiers.
The Amex Aeroplan Reserve card gets you a bigger welcome bonus, strong earn rates, and better insurance coverage...for nearly four times the annual fee. Is it worth the higher price tag? Well, if you like priority check-in and security lane access at Toronto Pearson (say if you're travelling with kids), then it could be worth the extra cost. Oh, and one extra special perk, if you spend $25,000 annually (~$2,100 per month), you'll get access to a worldwide companion voucher for a set base airfare of between $99 and $599, plus taxes and fees.
American Express Aeroplan Reserve card
3X the points on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada®* and Air Canada Vacations®*
2X the points on eligible Dining and Food Delivery purchases in Canada
1.5X the points on everything else
$599 Annual Fee
21.99% Purchase APR on purchases
21.99% Cash Advance APR on funds advances
2.50% Foreign Transaction Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
$0 Required Annual Personal Income
Welcome Offer
New American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Cardmembers can earn up to 85,000 Aeroplan points.
Learn moreAmerican Express Aeroplan rates and fees
- Annual fee: $120
- Additional card fee: $50 per year (to collect points and share benefits)
- Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%
- Annual interest rate: 30% (it's a charge card)
Amex Aeroplan eligibility requirements
- Must be a Canadian resident
- Must be the age of majority in your home province
- Must have a good credit score (650+)
- There is no income requirement
How to apply
Applying for the American Express® Aeroplan®* Card is easy and can be done online in just a few minutes.
- 1.
Visit the Amex Aeroplan card page here and click the ‘Apply Now’ button.
- 2.
A new window will pop up with some product and privacy information. Make sure you read through this then click ‘agree and begin’.
- 3.
You will then be asked to fill out your personal and contact information including name, address, and birthdate. You will need your Social Insurance Number (SIN) so make sure that you have that on hand.
- 4.
Once you have entered all your information, give it a once over and submit it.
- 5.
According to the website, the decision as to whether you will be approved or not will be made within 60 seconds.
Is the Amex Aeroplan worth it?
When it comes to travel credit cards, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Card leaves us with a lot to be desired. As a brand new card, we had hoped to see a higher welcome bonus. We’re also disappointed with the travel insurance. As a travel credit card, some key coverage is missing. That said, if you are a dedicated Air Canada traveler, the additional perks like a free checked bag and higher earn rate on Air Canada®* and Air Canada vacations®* travel is definitely a benefit.
Is the card a bad choice? Not at all. There are, however, better and more lucrative options on the market.
Apply for the American Express Aeroplan CardFAQs
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
Hannah Logan is a Canadian freelancer writer and blogger who specializes in personal finance and travel. You can follow her adventures on her travel blog EatSleepBreatheTravel.com or find her on Instagram @hannahlogan21.
Compare other American Express credit cards
Compare other Aeroplan cards
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