American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card

The American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card generally offers one of the highest signup bonus of all Aeroplan co-branded credit cards, with an annual fee and spending requirements to match.

For business owners, it’s a great choice for its large signup bonus, increased baseline earning rate, and a blend of premium perks from both Air Canada and American Express.

Bonuses & Fees

As American Express’s high-end Aeroplan co-branded credit card for small business owners, the American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card currently offers 95,000 Aeroplan points as part of its welcome offer.

The bonus is distributed as follows:

• Earn 70,000 Aeroplan points upon spending $10,500 in the first three months
• Earn 25,000 Aeroplan points upon spending $3,500 in month 13 as a cardholder

You can refer friends and family from the Aeroplan Business Reserve Card to Aeroplan Business Reserve Cards or Aeroplan Reserve Cards, earning a referral bonus of 20,000 Aeroplan points each time, up to a maximum of 150,000 Aeroplan points in a calendar year.

The card has an annual fee of $599, and you can add supplementary cardholders for $199 each; alternatively, you can also add a lower-tier Aeroplan Business Reserve No Fee card for free.

At Prince of Travel, our favourite tool to use with minimum spending requirements is Chexy, a Canadian platform that allows you to pay a host of bills – including rent, tuition, utility bills, car lease payments, property taxes, and much more – with a credit card and earn points. There’s a 1.75% processing fee for each payment, but when you consider the value of the points you earn from spending and welcome bonuses, it’s easy to justify.

How Much Is This Offer Worth?

Here’s a breakdown of what the welcome bonus for the American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card is worth. Keep in mind that this doesn’t take into consideration the potential value of other card benefits, which we’ll outline in detail below.

We value Aeroplan points at 2.1 cents per point, and using that value, we’d peg a value of $1,995 on the total amount (95,000 Aeroplan points) of the welcome bonus alone: 70,000 points = $1,470, and 25,000 points = $525.

Plus, assuming the card’s baseline earning rate of 1.25 Aeroplan points per dollar spent, you’d earn an additional 13,125 Aeroplan points for meeting the $10,500 minimum spending requirement over the first three months. We’d value these points at an additional $276.

Therefore, in the first year as a cardholder, the minimum amount of net value you can expect to get from this card’s welcome offer is $1,147: $1,470 from the 70,000 points from the portion of the welcome bonus in the first year, $276 by spending the bare minimum ($10,500) to earn the welcome bonus (and assuming the card’s baseline earning rate), and then minus the card’s annual fee of $599 in the first year.

In the second year, we’d value the third part of the welcome bonus (25,000 Aeroplan points) at $525, plus an additional $92 of value from the points you’d earn by spending $3,500 (4,375, assuming the card’s baseline earning rate).

When you factor in the card’s $599 annual fee, you’re pretty much at a break-even point in year two without factoring in any other benefits.

Of course, you can certainly squeeze more value out of the card by leveraging the category earning rates and the card’s other benefits; however, this is unique to each cardholder, and our valuation assumes a minimum amount of value rather than a maximum amount of value.

Plus, you can redeem the Aeroplan points you earn for even higher value by using them for travel in premium cabins.

Earning Rewards

In terms of the returns on everyday spending, the American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card has a very unique structure, offering cardholders:

• 3 Aeroplan points per dollar spent on Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations
• 2 Aeroplan points per dollar spent on hotels and car rentals
• 1.25 Aeroplan points per dollar spent on everything else

Just how much value you find in the earning rates will depend on your spending patterns and how well they fit with the bonus categories.

The 3x earn rate on Air Canada makes this the ideal card when purchasing cash fares on Air Canada or any of its codeshare partners, and the 2x earn rate on hotels and car rentals is also competitive.

We value Aeroplan points at 2.1 cents per point, and using this valuation, you’re looking at an effective return of 6.33% on Air Canada purchases, 4.2% on hotels and car rentals, and 2.63% on everything else, which is excellent.

Redeeming Rewards

Aeroplan remains the loyalty program of choice for the majority of Canadians, as well as the staff here at Prince of Travel.

Whether you’re looking to fly in economy across the country to visit family or friends, or aiming to redeem your points for high-value international business and First Class redemptions with some of the world’s best airlines, Aeroplan can take you there.

You can redeem your Aeroplan points for any seat available for purchase with Air Canada. In other words, if you can pay for it with your credit card, you can book it with Aeroplan points. Just be mindful that Air Canada flights are subject to dynamic pricing, which means that the price fluctuates based on demand.

You can also redeem Aeroplan points for flights with Star Alliance-member airlines, such as All Nippon Airways, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and more, as well as a number of other partner airlines, such as Etihad Airways, Virgin Australia, and more.

Indeed, what makes Aeroplan points so powerful is the sheer number of airlines for which you can redeem your points.

Plus, you can take advantage of adding a stopover on your booking for 5,000 points, pooling points with others through the Family Sharing feature, and building complex itineraries that span the globe.

We’ve covered everything in our Essential Guide to Aeroplan, so be sure to head there to learn everything there is to know about earning and redeeming Aeroplan points.

Perks & Benefits

As Air Canada’s premium small business travel credit card, the American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card leans in heavily on the Air Canada travel benefits:

• Priority Zone 2 boarding, priority check-in, and a free first checked bag and first carry-on on all Air Canada flights, for the primary and supplementary cardholders
• Complimentary visits to Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges within North America (including Air Canada Cafés), for the primary and supplementary cardholders
• Preferred pricing when redeeming Aeroplan points for Air Canada flights
• The ability to earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles (SQM) and 1 Status Qualifying Segment (SQS) for every $5,000 you spend on the card
• The ability to rollover up to 200,000 SQM each year
• An extra year of validity for eUpgrades
• The ability to earn an Annual Worldwide Companion Pass after spending $25,000 on the card per year
• Your Aeroplan points won’t expire for as long as you’re a cardholder

In 2026, some of the benefits on the card will change as Air Canada moves to a revenue-based format for earning Elite status.

With the introduction of Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll earn 1,000 SQC per $5,000 spent (up to 25,000 SQC each year).

The SQM rollover benefit is also being sunset, and as long as you’re a cardholder by December 15, 2025, any SQM eligible for rollover from 2025 to 2026 will be converted to SQC at a 5:1 ratio.

Then, in 2027, you’ll enjoy the 10% Head Start benefit, which awards 10% of the total SQC collected the previous year as a way to kick start your status (and Milestone Benefits) the next year.

We’ve outlined these changes in detail in our coverage of the changes, so be sure to head there if you’d like to learn more.

In addition to the Air Canada benefits, the card also offers some travel benefits via American Express, such as priority benefits (valet parking, fast track security, etc.) at Toronto Pearson International Airport, complimentary upgrade to Avis President’s Club, and a $100 (CAD) NEXUS credit. The NEXUS credit can help offset the cost of getting a NEXUS card to make your journey across the US border smoother.

Lastly, you can take advantage of specially-tailored Amex Offers for extra value when used at specific dining venues, shops, and more.

Insurance Coverage

As a high-end product, the American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card excels in the insurance department. The following coverages come with the card:

• Emergency medical insurance: Up to $5 million of coverage for the first 15 days of your out-of-province trip, for travellers under age 65.
• Trip cancellation: Up to $1,500 of coverage per insured person, to a maximum of $3,000 for all insured persons on the same covered trip.
• Trip interruption insurance: Up to $1,500 of coverage per insured person, to a maximum of $6,000 for all insured persons on the same covered trip.
• Flight delay insurance: Up to $1,000 (aggregate maximum with Baggage Delay insurance), for food, accommodation and items purchased within 48 hours when your flight is delayed 4+ hours.
• Baggage delay insurance: Up to $1,000 (aggregate maximum with Flight Delay insurance), for items purchased within 4 days of arrival when your baggage is delayed 6+ hours. (Note: this is different from lost and stolen baggage insurance, which doesn’t cover delays)
• Lost or stolen baggage insurance: Up to $1,000 of coverage total for all insured persons.
• Hotel burglary insurance: Up to $1,000 coverage for stolen items (excluding cash).
• Travel accident insurance: Up to $500,000 of Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance.
• Car rental theft and damage insurance: Comprehensive coverage for up to 48 consecutive days for cars with an MSRP of up to $85,000.

It’s important to note that these benefits would also apply on Aeroplan reward tickets, as long as you charge the taxes and fees of your booking to your American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card.

As a business credit card, it also offers Employee Card Misuse Protection of up to $100,000 per Basic Cardmember in the event an employee misuses their Supplementary Card for unauthorized charges after their termination.

Lastly, the card offers Purchase Protection Plan and Buyer’s Assurance Protection Plan, covering most eligible items you’ve purchased with your card up to $1,000 should they be stolen or damaged within 90 days of purchase, as well as an extended one-year warranty period on the manufacturer’s warranty.

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