Aeroplan^® Credit Card Review [2024]: Should You Get It?

Air Canada Aeroplan, Air Canada’s loyalty program, was recently revamped to provide its members with different ways to find value using Aeroplan points. At the same time, Chase partnered with Air Canada to release the Aeroplan^® Credit Card, the only card in the U.S. that earns points directly within the Aeroplan program.

What kind of value does the Chase Aeroplan Card offer? Would it make sense to find space for it in your wallet? Let’s look at the Aeroplan’s benefits and drawbacks to see who it might be right for.

An Easy Way to Earn Aeroplan Points

Aeroplan^® Credit Card

4.8

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Aeroplan^® Credit Card

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Current Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (plus, 25,000 bonus points after you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months)

Annual Fee

$95

Rewards Rate

3X points at grocery stores, on dining at restaurants, and Air Canada directly; and 1X points on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (plus, 25,000 bonus points after you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months)
• 3X points at grocery stores, on dining at restaurants, and Air Canada directly.
• Earn 500 bonus points for every $2,000 spent in a calendar month (up to 1,500 points per month)
• No foreign transaction fees
• First bag checked free

Drawbacks

• Has annual fee

Card Details

• Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (plus, 25,000 bonus points after you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months)
• 3X points at grocery stores, on dining at restaurants, and Air Canada directly; and 1X points on all other purchases

Who should get the Aeroplan Credit Card?

The Aeroplan Credit Card might make sense if you want a mid-tier airline credit card that’s designed to earn Air Canada Aeroplan points. For frequent Air Canada fliers, this card could be a good fit. It doesn’t necessarily have premium travel benefits, but the $95 annual fee isn’t high compared with some luxury credit cards.

This card might not make sense if you rarely fly Air Canada or its partner airlines, or don’t have the typically required good or excellent credit to qualify. Because this is a travel credit card, it’s likely best for individuals who travel on occasion, possibly at least once or twice a year. However, you could find plenty of value in the card if you travel more frequently and take advantage of the card’s travel benefits.

Card basics

Aeroplan Credit Card benefits and perks

• Generous welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (plus, 25,000 bonus points after you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months).
• Helpful rewards: Earn 3X points at grocery stores, on dining at restaurants, and Air Canada directly; and 1X points on all other purchases.
• Ongoing bonus points: For every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month, earn 500 bonus points. Cardholders can earn a maximum of 1,500 bonus points per calendar month with this benefit.
• Elite status: Receive Aeroplan 25K Status for the calendar year when you first open your card account and the following calendar year. Spend at least $15,000 in a calendar year to maintain this status.
• Status boost: Spend at least $50,000 in a calendar year to move up a status level, including from 25K elite status to 35K status. Aeroplan elite status benefits could include more free baggage allowance, priority boarding, priority rewards, complimentary access to certain airport lounges, and more.
• DoorDash benefits: Receive a complimentary 12-month DashPass subscription if you activate by Dec. 31, 2024. DashPass benefits include $0 delivery fees for orders over $12.
• No foreign transaction fees: Don’t stress about making foreign purchases with this card, as it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.
• Free checked bag: Cardmembers and up to eight travel companions on the same reservation receive their first checked bag (up to 50 pounds) for free when travel originates on an Air Canada flight.
• Trusted traveler programs: Receive up to $100 in statement credits to cover the application fee for certain trusted traveler programs, including TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, as well as NEXUS.
• Cardmember concierge: Receive access to a 24/7 concierge service to help with specific needs, such as making restaurant reservations or helping you locate an item you want to give someone.
• No award restrictions: Any Air Canada flight that’s available to book with cash is also available to book with rewards.
• Preferred pricing: Potentially receive discounts on Air Canada award flights with this Aeroplan credit card.
• Travel coverage: Receive travel coverage such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, and trip delay reimbursement.
• Transfer partners: Boost your Aeroplan points earning potential by transferring rewards from other loyalty programs to your Aeroplan account. This includes popular programs such as Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Capital One.

Drawbacks to the Aeroplan Credit Card

• Annual cost: If you compare credit cards and different credit card offers, many rewards cards don’t come with an annual fee. This card charges $95 per year. It’s not as expensive as certain travel cards, but it’s also not free.
• Limited travel earning: Unfortunately, this card does not earn rewards on general travel purchases, which might involve non-Air-Canada purchases, paying for taxis or rideshares, staying in hotels, and more.
• Limited premium benefits: You get a few travel benefits with this card, including elite status and reimbursement of the application fee for certain trusted traveler programs. But if you want airport lounge access, travel credits, or some of the other premium travel benefits, consider one of the best travel credit cards.

Earning and redeeming points

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your points can add up with the Aeroplan Credit Card. To calculate these values, we used a point valuation of 1.5 cents per point.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $2,252

Year two earnings: $1,002

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which looks at points earned via spending, the welcome bonus, and the annual fee.

Keep in mind, you might be able to get more value from this card if you use certain benefits, such as the ongoing bonus points perk or elite status with Aeroplan.

Best ways to earn

If you want to earn the most points possible with any rewards credit card, it’s typically best to use the card as much as you can on purchases you’re already making. This is especially true for making purchases that fall within a card’s bonus categories. For the Aeroplan Credit Card, bonus categories include grocery stores, on dining at restaurants, and Air Canada directly., which all net you 3X points.

If you want to help boost your earning potential even more, consider using other credit cards that earn rewards which can be transferred to your Aeroplan account. For example, the American Express^® Gold Card earns Membership Rewards points, which can be transferred to Aeroplan.

Or you could use a card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, which earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. These points can also be transferred to Aeroplan.

Maximizing your redemptions

You have multiple Aeroplan redemption options available for using your Aeroplan points. Here are a few ways Aeroplan members can redeem points:

• Flights with Air Canada and partner airlines
• Seat upgrades and travel perks
• Hotel stays
• Car rentals
• Vacation packages
• Aeroplan eStore shopping, including purchasing merchandise, gift cards, activities, and more
• Pay Yourself Back: You can now redeem your points for a statement credit to cover travel purchases made with your card. Points are worth 1.25 cents each, and there is no limit to the number of points you can redeem through December 31, 2023.

Travel rewards are typically best redeemed for travel options, such as flights or hotel stays. In most cases, the rewards from an airline credit card, such as the Aeroplan Credit Card, would best be used for flight redemptions. This is often because other redemptions might offer lower value for your points.

Aeroplan Credit Card transfer partners

You can’t typically transfer your Aeroplan points to other rewards programs, but Air Canada does partner with other airline loyalty programs to provide Chase Aeroplan cardmembers opportunities to use their points on partner flights. For example, Air Canada is a member of the Star Alliance, which includes these 26 member airlines:

• Aegean
• Air Canada
• Air China
• Air India
• Air New Zealand
• All Nippon Airways (ANA)
• Asiana Airlines
• Austrian Airlines
• Avianca
• Brussels Airlines
• Copa Airlines
• Croatia Airlines
• EGYPTAIR
• Ethiopian Airlines
• EVA Air
• LOT Polish Airlines
• Lufthansa
• SAS
• Shenzhen Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• South African Airways
• SWISS
• TAP Air Portugal
• Thai Airways
• Turkish Airlines
• United Airlines

Air Canada also partners with other airlines that aren’t part of the Star Alliance, such as:

• Aer Lingus
• Air China
• Air Dolomiti
• Cathay Pacific
• Central Mountain Air
• Etihad Airways
• Eurowings/Germanwings
• GOL
• Middle East Airlines
• SriLankan Airlines
• Turkish Airlines
• Virgin Australia

If you want to transfer rewards to your Aeroplan account, consider these loyalty programs:

• Accor Live Limitless (ALL)
• American Express Membership Rewards
• Best Western Rewards
• Capital One miles
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Choice Privileges
• Coast Rewards
• IHG Rewards Club
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Hilton Honors
• Radisson Rewards
• Shangri-La Golden Circle Award
• Wyndham Rewards

Aeroplan Credit Card FAQs

Other cards to consider

The Aeroplan Credit Card might be a good fit for you if you’re a frequent flier with Air Canada or you find Aeroplan points valuable. But if this isn’t the case, you might consider another travel card, including the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card.

The Capital One Venture Rewards has a $95 annual fee and you can earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. You can also earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day, 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25. Because the Capital One Venture earns a flexible rewards currency, you typically have more options than you would with Aeroplan points. This could include using them to book travel through Capital One or transferring them to a Capital One transfer partner.

For more details, check out our Capital One Venture Card review.

The Amex Delta Gold has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $150 per year thereafter and offers 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in the first 6 months. You can also earn 2X miles on qualifying Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S supermarkets; and 1X miles per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. This card could be a good fit if you’re a Delta frequent flier or find Delta SkyMiles more valuable than Aeroplan points. Terms apply.

For more details, check out our American Express Delta Gold SkyMiles review.

An Easy Way to Earn Aeroplan Points

Aeroplan^® Credit Card

4.8

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Aeroplan^® Credit Card

4.8

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Why We Like It

Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (plus, 25,000 bonus points after you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months)

See how these cards compare:

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

• Has a generous welcome offer
• Offers up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® statement credit
• Has an easy rewards program and highly flexible travel redemptions
• Doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees
• Offers valuable travel protections
• Rates and fees

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

• Up to $300 in potential annual statement credits
• Eligible for 15% off reward redemptions
• First checked bag free and priority boarding
• See rates and fees | Terms Apply