Canada’s 7 Best Aeroplan Credit Cards

Aeroplan Credit Cards: What You Need to Know

When choosing an Aeroplan credit card, you should familiarize yourself with what benefits an Aeroplan credit card can offer, what features to look out for, and how Aeroplan credit cards can fit into an optimized overall credit card strategy.

Why get an Aeroplan credit card?

Aeroplan is one of the most popular frequent flyer programs in Canada, and for good reason: it can be extremely valuable if you know how to use your points effectively.

Points can be redeemed for any seat on any Air Canada flight. Whether you travel domestically, or live in a small town and need to connect through a major hub to fly overseas, you’ll always find a use for your rewards.

But the best value often lies in long-haul travel in premium cabins on Air Canada and its partner airlines. You have access to a wide variety of premium airline products in the Star Alliance network, plus a few others. Also, you can add extra destinations and layovers with the creative routing possibilities allowed by Aeroplan, all for very little extra cost.

With no fuel surcharges on Aeroplan flight rewards on Air Canada or any of their partners, you don’t have to worry about unexpected cash costs arising when you want to book a “free” flight.

There are so many different ways to earn Aeroplan points, including no less than 20 co-branded or transferable rewards cards. It’s an easy loyalty program to quickly build up monstrous balances for aspirational travel redemptions.

Aeroplan continues to expand its retail partner network, providing even more ways to earn points beyond your credit card spending.

What should you look for in an Aeroplan credit card?

There are two types of credit cards for earning Aeroplan points: co-branded cards (associated with Aeroplan itself) and transferable rewards cards (associated with other rewards programs that can transfer points to Aeroplan).

American Express issues credit cards with a few types of points that are transferable to Aeroplan:

• Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Aeroplan at a rate of 1:1
• Marriott Bonvoy points can be transferred to Aeroplan at an optimal rate of 2.4:1

These cards generally have bigger signup bonuses than Aeroplan co-branded cards, and higher category earn rates on everyday spending as well.

On the other hand, co-branded cards are typically stronger in their Air Canada and Aeroplan benefits. You’ll get perks like free checked bags, preferred pricing on Air Canada flight rewards, priority airport services (including check-in and boarding), and the opportunity to spend your way to Aeroplan Elite Status.

These cards are offered by TD, CIBC, and American Express. Across their portfolios, there are cards at the entry-level, core, premium, and small business tiers.

Perks are the same for each tier, but other factors may vary. Each bank has different welcome bonuses, annual fees, income requirements, and approval criteria.

Luckily, you have several institutions to choose from, and you’ll still enjoy the same cardholder benefits for Aeroplan members regardless of which issuer you go with.

What’s the optimal strategy for Aeroplan credit cards?

If you’re a dedicated traveller who wants to see as much of the world as possible by maximizing your credit cards, Aeroplan credit cards will arguably play the largest role out of any Canadian airline or hotel co-branded card lineup in your credit card portfolio.

Aeroplan points are the single most useful rewards currency for Canadians looking to maximize their international travel, and Aeroplan credit cards allow you to rack up a huge volume of points in a short time, all while enjoying Aeroplan benefits exclusive to credit card holders.

The savvy Aeroplan user will likely find value in either the core or premium series of Aeroplan credit cards, depending on their appetite for rewards and tolerance for annual fees.

The core level of Aeroplan cards already comes with some very impressive welcome bonuses along with First Year Free offers, allowing you to load up on Aeroplan points without paying anything out-of-pocket in the first year. The free first checked bag can also represent hundreds of dollars of savings per year when you travel on Air Canada flights.

In terms of the premium cards, the $599 annual fee can be a tougher pill to swallow, even when you account for the juicier welcome bonuses at this level. The premium credit cards are best-suited to Air Canada frequent flyers who are interested in earning Aeroplan Elite Status, as the cards can offer a major boost towards Elite Status qualification.

Even if you’re only interested in maximizing Aeroplan points for flight rewards, though, you might still look towards the premium Aeroplan credit cards for their 1.25x base earning rate on your daily spending, or perhaps as another source of Aeroplan points in addition to the core cards.

The entry-level Aeroplan credit cards can play a meaningful role, too. TD’s entry-level Aeroplan product routinely puts on a healthy welcome bonus in the range of 15,000–20,000 points with a First Year Free offer, while CIBC’s no-fee card is great for retaining the preferred pricing benefit in perpetuity (a slight discount on Aeroplan flight rewards on Air Canada) even if you happen to be switching up your core or premium cards.

Outside of Aeroplan’s co-branded products, the four major American Express Membership Rewards charge cards will also be valuable sources of earning points, thanks to their generous welcome bonuses and competitive earning rates.

Between these two card families, you should be able to easily earn enough points to cover a few international trips per year, perhaps even in business class or First Class if you take the time to understand how the Aeroplan program works in detail.

Overall, every dedicated points collector and traveller should have their eyes on Aeroplan credit cards, as they represent the best pathway towards using credit cards to elevate your travel experiences here in Canada.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some questions we frequently hear from readers about the best Aeroplan credit cards in Canada.

Can I have more than one Aeroplan card?

Yes, you can have Aeroplan cards from TD, CIBC, and American Express all at the same time. You can also have entry-level, core, and premium cards from the same bank at the same time.

Can I earn the welcome points on more than one Aeroplan card?

Yes, the terms of the offer from one bank have no bearing on your eligibility for a points bonus from another. However, Aeroplan may limit the number of credit card bonuses a member receives if they deem it to be excessive.

How do I know if my card is properly linked to my Aeroplan profile?

When you get a new Aeroplan credit card, you’ll often get a welcome email confirming that your new credit card is attached to your Aeroplan membership within a day. You can verify in the Air Canada app to see if it says “Credit Card Holder” on the Aeroplan tab. You can also try searching for an Aeroplan flight reward while signed in, and while not signed in, to see if you’re getting preferred pricing on Air Canada flights.

How do I get a free checked bag on Air Canada flights?

As long as your reservation is linked to your Aeroplan number, and you have an active credit card (or supplementary card) linked to the same Aeroplan number, you should automatically receive this benefit when you check-in for your flight.

How do I transfer Membership Rewards points to Aeroplan?

From your American Express online dashboard, click on the green View and Redeem Points button. Above the search box, navigate to Travel > Frequent Traveler Participants. Use the Switch Account button to make sure you’re transferring your points from the proper card.

How do I transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Aeroplan?

Login to the Marriott website and click on Redeem Points at the bottom of the page. Navigate to Use Points / Certificates > Travel > Transfer Points to Miles.

Can I link my Aeroplan account to someone else’s Aeroplan credit card?

Aeroplan’s terms and conditions expressly forbid this. If you’re collecting points in multi-player mode, you should use Aeroplan’s Family Sharing feature to pool your points.

Can I transfer my Aeroplan points to another frequent flyer program?

No, once you’ve transferred your Membership Rewards to Aeroplan, you can’t transfer them back.

How can my Aeroplan credit card help me earn Aeroplan Elite Status?

The core, premium, and small business Aeroplan credit cards allow you to earn Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) for every $5,000 (premium cards) or $20,000 (core and small business cards) that you spend on the card.

These can help you qualify for Aeroplan Elite Status, although you’d still need to meet additional SQC requirements from flying to qualify for each Elite Status level.

Also, your spending on your Aeroplan credit card can help you reach Aeroplan 25K status via the Everyday Status Qualification benefit by racking up 100,000 Aeroplan points through eligible sources every year. However, credit card signup bonuses wouldn’t count towards Everyday Status Qualification.