Aeroplan Guide Canada: Earning, Redeeming, Status and Expiry

Aeroplan is Air Canada’s loyalty program. In a release dated September 29, 2026, Air Canada described it as Canada’s leading travel loyalty program, with more than 10 million active members who can earn or redeem points with over 50 airlines to 1,300+ destinations. This guide covers how the program works: earning, redeeming, Elite Status, Family Sharing and expiry. What a point is worth when you redeem it has its own page, Aeroplan points value, and the rewards programs hub compares Aeroplan with Canada’s other loyalty programs.

Aeroplan at a glance

How to earn Aeroplan points

Flying Air Canada

For flights departing on or after January 1, 2026, Aeroplan points on Air Canada flights are based on what you spend, not the distance flown. Every member earns 1 point per $1 of base fare and carrier surcharges; taxes, fees and third-party charges don’t count. Elite Status members add an Elite Points Multiplier on top, based on their status at the time of travel (Air Canada, earning with Air Canada).

Flights booked with points, or with Points + Cash, don’t earn points. Extras such as paid seat selection and extra checked bags don’t earn either.

Flying partner airlines

How partner flights earn depends on who issued the ticket. A ticket bought through Air Canada (ticket number starting with 014) on a Star Alliance or other partner flight earns on the amount spent, like an Air Canada flight, though the Elite Points Multiplier applies only when the partner is a Star Alliance airline. A partner flight on a ticket issued by another airline earns points based on the distance you fly, using each partner’s own earning chart; Air Canada makes an exception for flights on Helijet and Harbour Air, which follow their own partner details.

Aeroplan credit cards

Three issuers offer Aeroplan co-branded cards in Canada: TD, CIBC and American Express. Annual fees and earn rates below come from this site’s card data file.

Beyond the earn rate, an Aeroplan card changes a few program rules:

• Status credits from spending. Aeroplan gives 1,000 SQC for every $5,000 spent on a premium Aeroplan card, or for every $20,000 on a core card, up to 25,000 SQC a calendar year across all Aeroplan cards.
• No expiry while you hold the card. Points don’t expire for a primary cardholder of a TD, CIBC or American Express Aeroplan card.
• Cheaper Air Canada rewards. Primary cardholders get Preferred Pricing on Air Canada flight rewards (see discounts and changes below). Air Canada has announced a 15% points saving on Air Canada flight rewards for Aeroplan credit cardholders in Canada: a promotional offer through January 11, 2027, becoming a card benefit for all primary cardholders on January 12, 2027.

Welcome bonuses on these cards change often, so the current offer is on each issuer’s site. Aeroplan’s terms allow a maximum of one New Card Bonus for each type of Aeroplan Credit Card, whichever bank issues it, which limits credit card churning within the program. Best Aeroplan credit cards compares the cards in more detail.

Everyday partners and the eStore

Aeroplan’s everyday partners include Uber, Starbucks, LCBO and Bell, plus hotel and car rental partners and the Aeroplan eStore, an online shopping portal. Earn rates differ by partner and are listed on Aeroplan’s partner pages. Points from the eStore, from bonus promotions and from conversions out of other programs count toward your balance but don’t earn Status Qualifying Credits, though eStore shopping counts toward Everyday Status Qualification (see Elite Status below).

Converting points from other programs

Aeroplan accepts points from several hotel and bank programs. These are the conversion rates Aeroplan lists (Air Canada, conversion programs):

Canadian American Express Membership Rewards points also transfer to Aeroplan; Amex Membership Rewards in Canada covers that program’s transfer partners. Transfers only go one way: Aeroplan’s terms say Aeroplan points can’t be converted to another program’s currency unless Aeroplan allows it.

How to redeem Aeroplan points

Air Canada flights

Any Air Canada seat that’s for sale in cash can be booked with points, with no blackout periods, and Aeroplan charges no carrier surcharges on Air Canada flight rewards; only taxes and third-party fees are owed, and points can cover those too (Air Canada, redeeming on Air Canada). The points price moves with demand. Aeroplan’s flight reward chart (edition 2026-08) shows a “starting at” price and a median price based on member redemptions with Air Canada and select partners from January 2025 through December 2026. One-way prices within North America:

The same pricing applies to Aeroplan’s “select partners”: United Airlines, Emirates, Flydubai, Etihad Airways, Canadian North, Calm Air, Bearskin Airlines and Provincial Airlines Ltd (PAL).

Partner flight rewards

Rewards on other partner airlines cost a fixed number of points set by the distance flown. Booking an Aeroplan flight reward on another airline (a partner airline) adds a flat Partner Booking Fee of $39 per ticket, which can also be paid with points. One-way prices from the chart’s “all other partners” rows:

The chart also covers South America, travel within and between the Atlantic and Pacific zones, and first class.

Points + Cash, discounts and changes

• Points + Cash: when a balance doesn’t cover a flight reward, Aeroplan offers combinations of points and cash at checkout.
• Preferred Pricing: Primary Aeroplan credit cardholders, and everyone in their Aeroplan Family Sharing pool, can often redeem for Air Canada flights for fewer points: Preferred Pricing is applied automatically when shopping for a flight reward.
• Priority Rewards: Aeroplan Elite Status members can choose a Priority Reward voucher as a Milestone benefit (it is one of the options at every 20,000 SQC). It takes 50% off the points on the base fare of one eligible flight reward for one passenger; taxes, fees, charges and any Partner Booking Fee aren't discounted. Basic fares aren't eligible, the zones and cabins a voucher covers depend on the status held when it was chosen, and it must be used within 12 months of being issued.
• Cancelling: a flight reward can be cancelled at no charge within 24 hours of booking. Later changes and cancellations are allowed up to two hours before departure, and a fee may apply; a cancellation returns the points to the account.

Other redemptions

Points also pay for hotels, car rentals, upgrades and in-flight Wi-Fi, and eStore merchandise starts at 3,500 points. Short-haul flight rewards start at 6,000 points one way. How these options compare on value is covered in Aeroplan points value.

Aeroplan Elite Status

Elite Status is earned with Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) collected within a calendar year (Air Canada, Aeroplan Elite Status; benefits from the tier pages).

Status reached in a calendar year lasts for the rest of that year and until the end of the following year. The 25K tier can also be reached through Everyday Status Qualification, which counts everyday activity such as eStore shopping; reaching 100,000 EDQ in a calendar year unlocks 25K status. Separately, Elite Status members unlock Milestone benefits at every 10,000 SQC collected up to 200,000 SQC, and at every 20,000 SQC after that.

How SQC are earned

• Air Canada flights: 2 SQC per $1 on Economy Standard fares, 4 SQC per $1 on Economy Flex and higher fares (base fare and carrier surcharges only). Economy Basic fares earn no SQC. Star Alliance flights ticketed by Air Canada count the same way; flights operated by other, non-Star Alliance partners earn no SQC.
• Air Canada Vacations: 1 SQC per $1 spent on Air Canada Vacations packages.
• Partners: one SQC for every 5 Aeroplan base points earned with travel and everyday partners, up to 25,000 SQC a year.
• Credit cards: 1,000 SQC per $5,000 on a premium card or per $20,000 on a core card, up to 25,000 SQC a year.

Aeroplan Family Sharing

Family Sharing pools points so one member’s points can top up another’s reward (Air Canada, Family Sharing):

• The person who creates the pool, the Family Lead, must be at least 18 and an Aeroplan member for at least 6 months. The same membership length applies to anyone joining a pool.
• The Family Lead can invite up to 7 other members, for a pool of up to 8. Members must be verified Aeroplan members and family: your spouse or partner, children, siblings, in-laws, parents, grandparents or anyone else in your family. There’s no minimum age to join, and a member can belong to only one pool at a time.
• Joining puts all of a member’s points into the shared balance; a member can’t add only some of them.
• The Family Lead decides who can redeem; others can be set to contribute only.
• Members must stay at least 3 months before leaving, and must wait 6 months before joining or starting another pool.

Outside a pool, Aeroplan also lets members transfer points to another Aeroplan member, for a fee.

When Aeroplan points expire

Aeroplan points expire only after 18 months with no activity on the account; earning, redeeming, donating, transferring or converting points resets the clock (Air Canada, inactivity policy). Points expiry is temporarily on pause; the policy page doesn’t give an end date.

• Exemptions: points never expire while you are a primary TD Aeroplan, American Express Aeroplan or CIBC Aeroplan credit cardholder, or while you hold Aeroplan Elite Status.
• Family Sharing: under Aeroplan’s terms, a redemption by any pool member counts as activity for every member who has points in their account.
• Notice: Aeroplan emails a reminder up to 60 days before points expire.
• Getting them back: expired points can be reinstated within 6 months by buying them back for a fee, flying Air Canada within that window, or getting an Aeroplan credit card.
• Account closure: under Aeroplan’s terms, an account inactive for 3 consecutive years can be closed and its number reassigned.

Aeroplan compared with other programs

Aeroplan offers a large airline network and a fixed partner chart; the trade-off is complexity, since Air Canada prices move with demand and the value of a point varies widely by redemption. WestJet Rewards works differently: points have a fixed dollar value on WestJet fares. Bank programs such as Amex Membership Rewards, TD Rewards and RBC Avion keep points flexible across several redemption options. Whether any travel program beats plain cash back depends on how the points get used; are credit card rewards worth it works through that comparison.

Frequently asked questions

What happens to my points if I cancel my Aeroplan credit card?

Points earned with the card sit in the Aeroplan account, not with the bank, so they stay after the card is closed. The card’s expiry exemption ends with it, though, so the 18-month inactivity rule then applies (while expiry is temporarily on pause, it has no effect).

Can I share points with family?

Yes, through a Family Sharing pool of up to 8 members, or by transferring points to another Aeroplan member.

Do I earn points on flights booked with points?

No. Aeroplan doesn’t award points on flight rewards, including Points + Cash bookings.

What changes at Aeroplan 50K?

Aeroplan 50K is the first tier with Star Alliance Gold status and Maple Leaf Lounge access; the lower tiers carry Star Alliance Silver. Whether reaching it pays off depends on how often someone flies and which benefits they use.

Related resources

• Aeroplan points value
• WestJet Rewards guide
• Best Aeroplan credit cards
• Best travel credit cards
• Credit card churning
• Rewards programs hub