American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card

The tiered welcome bonus structure – 70,000 points upfront, then another 25,000 in the second year – rewards both immediate spending and sustained use, making it one of the stronger small business offers available.

If you can comfortably meet the spending thresholds through legitimate business expenses, the first-year value is compelling. Chexy can help bridge the gap by letting you pay rent, property taxes, or other business bills with the card to meet minimums.

This card rewards Air Canada loyalists who book cash fares directly – the 3x rate stacks beautifully with Status Qualifying Dollars for elite qualification. Hotels and car rentals at 2x keep you in the Aeroplan ecosystem when you're on the road.

The 1.25x base rate is middling for groceries and gas, so pair this with a stronger everyday earner. Reserve this card for travel spending where the category bonuses deliver outsized value.

Aeroplan excels at premium cabin redemptions through Star Alliance partners like Lufthansa, ANA, and Singapore Airlines – often at better rates than the airlines' own programs. Air Canada's own flights use dynamic pricing, so partner awards frequently deliver superior value.

The program's standout feature is free stopovers on round-trip bookings, letting you add entire cities to your itinerary at no extra cost. Combine this with Family Sharing to pool points across up to eight people for aspirational redemptions.

Unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge access with a guest positions this as Air Canada's premium small business travel card – especially valuable if you're routing through Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver regularly. The Priority Pass membership is pay-per-entry at $35 USD, so it's a fallback option rather than a core benefit.

The $100 NEXUS credit effectively cuts your annual fee while speeding up cross-border travel – one of the most practical perks for Canadian business travellers hitting US destinations frequently.

You'll also unlock priority check-in, boarding, and a free first checked bag on Air Canada flights, plus access to tailored Amex Offers for additional value at select merchants.

The standout feature is coverage on Aeroplan reward tickets – charge just the taxes and fees, and you unlock the full insurance suite. That's a meaningful advantage over cards that require booking the entire fare to activate protection, especially when redeeming points for premium-cabin travel.

Emergency medical coverage is strong for a business card, and trip delay protection kicks in without a strict hourly threshold. But trip cancellation and interruption limits are modest – if you're booking high-value cash fares or travelling as a family, you may need supplemental coverage to bridge the gap.

For most business travellers booking Aeroplan redemptions and taking routine trips, this package handles everyday disruptions. If you're planning extended travel or expensive cash bookings, layer on standalone trip insurance to cover your full exposure.