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 those who can reach the minimum spend requirement, 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 140,000 Aeroplan points as part of its welcome offer.

The bonus is distributed as follows:

• Earn 65,000 Aeroplan points upon spending $10,500 in the first three months
• Earn 45,000 Aeroplan points upon spending $75,000 in the first 12 months
• Earn 30,000 Aeroplan points upon making a purchase in months 15–17

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.

The minimum spending requirement of $75,000 in the first year works out to an average of $6,250 each month to unlock the second part of the welcome bonus. Keep in mind that there are plenty of ways to meet this minimum spending requirement.

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.

Sign Up for Chexy

Chexy is our favourite Canadian platform for earning credit card rewards on rent, bill payments, and personal taxes. 

Click here to sign up for Chexy.

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 $2,940 on the total amount (140,000 Aeroplan points) of the welcome bonus alone.

Plus, assuming the card’s baseline earning rate of 1.25 Aeroplan points per dollar spent, you’d earn an additional 93,750 Aeroplan points for meeting the $75,000 minimum spending requirement over the first year. We’d value these points at an additional $1,969.

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 $3,680: $2,310 from the 110,000 points from the welcome bonus in the first year, $1,969 by spending the bare minimum 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 (30,000 Aeroplan points upon making a purchase in months 15–17) at $630, and when you factor in the card’s $599 annual fee, you still come out ahead by $31.

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

Whether or not you find value 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 program of choice for the vast majority of Canadians aiming to redeem their points for high-value international business and first class redemptions.

Redeeming Aeroplan points follows the Aeroplan Flight Reward Chart, and can cost as little as 6,000 Aeroplan points one-way on short-haul flights within North America that are under 500 miles.

If you’re looking for a premium experience, a one-way flight from Vancouver to Tokyo in business class can be booked for 55,000 Aeroplan points. If you’re travelling from the East Coast, a transatlantic flight to most parts of Western Europe can be booked for 60,000 Aeroplan points.

Keep in mind that these flights can sometimes be booked for even less, thanks to Air Canada’s preferred pricing if you hold Elite Status or a credit card.

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 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, 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 SQMs per 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 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

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

Lastly, for your peace of mind, the card includes round-the-clock customer service, emergency replacement if lost, and complete fraud protection.

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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