Now that we’re in 2024, it’s time for a bit of housekeeping in each of your loyalty program accounts to prepare for another year of earning and burning.
If you’re an Aeroplan Elite Status member, you can choose your 2024 Select Benefits in your member portal upon logging into your Aeroplan account.
However, there are a few unique considerations around whether you should select your benefits now, or if it makes more sense to wait until July.
Choose Your 2024 Select Benefits
Aeroplan Elite Status benefits are divided into Core Benefits and Select Benefits.
All members receive the Core Benefits associated with their status levels automatically as of the turn of the year. Part of your Core Benefits include 20 eUpgrade credits, which are deposited in your account at the beginning of the year.
You also have the option to choose from a separate bundle of Select Benefits, based on which enhancements to the travel experience might matter to you the most.
As an Aeroplan Elite Status member, you can choose your Select Benefits for 2024 via the “Choose benefits” option under the “Benefits” tab of your dashboard.
The Select Benefits bundles available to each Aeroplan Elite Status level are summarized as below:
It’s worth noting that Air Canada has done away with Bundle 2 of the Select Benefits for 2024, which previously offered extra perks to members for qualifying Flight Pass activity. However, both options are now part of the Core Benefits, so if you’ve made use of them before, you’ll continue to do so.
Which Select Benefits Should You Choose?
Among the Select Benefit choices, it’s almost always best to choose the allotment of extra eUpgrade credits as one of your benefits (or your only benefit as an Aeroplan 35K member).
It’s very valuable to collect more eUpgrades, since the “Latitude Attitude” strategy allows you to redeem Aeroplan points for an Economy (Latitude) ticket and upgrade instantly into Air Canada business class.
With direct bookings in business class often pricing out at dynamically high levels, the “Latitude Attitude” can be an invaluable strategy to score Air Canada business class at a bargain.
Meanwhile, picking the second Select Benefit for Aeroplan 25K, 50K, 75K, and Super Elite members will depend on your own preferences as a traveller.
Someone who frequently takes paid flights might value the bonus Aeroplan points on Air Canada flights, while someone who wants to share their benefits with loved ones might like the Status Passes or the status gifts, etc.
Let’s take a look at some of the considerations to make at each status level, bearing in mind that your choices should be made on your individual travel goals and needs.
- As a 25K member, choose 5 eUpgrades and the 25% bonus if you tend to earn status through paid flights instead of Everyday Status Qualification. Otherwise, choose the 5 eUpgrades and the two Maple Leaf Lounge passes.
- As a 35K member, you’ll usually benefit more from 15 eUpgrades rather than 35% bonus Aeroplan points.
- As a 50K member, choose 20 eUpgrades and the 50% bonus if you tend to earn status organically by flying with Air Canada. Otherwise, choose 20 eUpgrades and two Status Passes.
- As a 75K member, choose 35 eUpgrades and the 75% bonus if you tend to earn status organically by flying with Air Canada. Consider the 35K status gift if you know someone who could benefit from the status, perhaps to increase the number of eUpgrades available for your household. Otherwise, the three Status Passes or 12-month Wi-Fi plan could work for you, depending on how much you value the other benefits.
- As a top-tier Super Elite member, choose the 50 eUpgrade credits and the 100% bonus to pad your Aeroplan balance, which you can use in conjunction with the powerful Priority Rewards. Consider gifting Aeroplan 50K status, which comes with Star Alliance Gold status, if the extra eUpgrades could be beneficial to someone in your household or a lucky friend. Otherwise, opt for the Wi-Fi plan over the four Status Passes, since you get two anyway just for being a Super Elite.
The One Time SQM and SQS Bonus (previously Lower Requalification Level) for Aeroplan 50K, 75K, and Super Elite members typically doesn’t make sense, since you can easily earn the same 5,000 SQM and 5 SQS through spending on an Aeroplan co-branded credit card. In almost every circumstance, you stand to benefit more from the other options.
Why Should You Wait Until July to Choose Your Select Benefits?
There’s a very attractive reason to wait until the second half of the year to pick your Select Benefits, and it relates to the expiration dates of eUpgrades earned at various points throughout the year.
For example, everyone has already received the base-level 20 eUpgrade credits as part of the Core Benefits if they earned or retained status for 2024.
You’ll see that these credits were deposited with an expiry date of January 16, 2025.
However, recall that the validity period of eUpgrades is determined as follows:
- Any eUpgrades earned between January and June of a given year have a validity period within that year itself.
- Any eUpgrades earned between July and December of a given year have a validity period through the following year.
What does this mean in practice? Well, if you wait until July 1, 2024 to choose the allotment of eUpgrades as your Select Benefit, then those eUpgrades would arrive into your account with an expiry date of January 16, 2026, rather than January 16, 2025!
And remember: travel must take place within eUpgrade credits’ validity period for those eUpgrades to be applied. So, for the second half of 2024, if you’d like to use the Latitude Attitude to confirm upgrades into business class for your 2025 travels, then you’d need those valid-through-2025 eUpgrades in order to do it.
Effectively, by delaying your Select Benefit decision until July 2024, you get a valuable head start on snagging the coveted “R” space and confirming your instant upgrades across Air Canada’s 2025 business class flights. You’d be able to access the 2025 upgrade availability six months before everyone else!
Of course, if you have a compelling need for eUpgrade credits for trips in the first half of the year (or trips in the second half of the year for which you want to confirm upgrades before that), then you might still decide to choose your Select Benefits at the beginning of the year and earn those eUpgrades as soon as possible.
However, if you’d prefer to beat others to the upgrade space when it comes time to plan 2025 trips, then waiting until July to pick your Select Benefits each year might be your best bet.
If you’re worried about losing out on bonus Aeroplan points for flights in the first half of 2024, don’t fret. The bonus will be applied retroactively to all flights taken since reaching that status level, so you’ll still get rewarded for any paid flights if you choose bonus Aeroplan points as the other Select Benefit.
Keep in mind that if you have a premium Aeroplan co-branded credit card, you’re eligible to roll over up to 50 eUpgrades for one more year. If you have any remaining eUpgrades from 2023 that expired at the end of the benefit year, those should reappear in your account a few weeks after they initially expire, as long as you had a premium credit card by December 15, 2023.
Conclusion
Aeroplan Elite Status members can now choose their Select Benefits for 2024.
Once these bundles are chosen, they cannot be changed, so it’s important to take some time to think through your choices – and also think through when your want to make your choices, given the nuances regarding eUpgrade validity periods outlined above.
Ricky, curious if you know the answer. I am a 50k Elite member, but just made it past the 75k Elite stage so can pick the benefits (which are now lower unfortunately than the above!). But am already at 92k and expect to pass 100k in the next two weeks.
If I hold off selecting for my 75k as I’d rather get the upgrade certs after July, but I pass into Super Elite threshold, can I no longer select my 75k threshold benefits?
Thx!
while the strategy of selecting the benefits in July sounds intriguing….this year AC has not published a deadline nor announced the defaults for choices. And how do we know they will not make the eUpgrade credits retroactive to January similar to the other select benefits ? AC has been whittling away at our benefits year over year and this could be another grab back
This was one of my questions as well. Have you seen any deadline communicated? Also, the article refers to selecting benefits in July specifically. If you don’t need eupgrades in the moment can you wait until even September or December to choose them so that they expire later in the following year?
I am confused, You say that you should receive the 20 base E-ups deposited in January but the credit shows 58? Where did 58 come from?
Disagree that lower status re-qual doesn’t make sense. Yes I can earn with my CC however it saves me 25K in spending which is a lot. This is my more selfish option.
I have SE status for 2023. If I choose to gift 50k status to my wife and she chooses 20 eUpgrades, can she use those for herself on a ticket I book with both us on the same reservation code? In other words, can I book us both on the same reservation code can we use her eUpgrades to upgrade her and mine to upgrade me? I’m only thinking of upgrades on a Latitude booking as I’m aware there would be different windows if we tried to upgrade separately on a lower fare category.
I’m confused about when to select benefits when you’re given early recognition. I started the year at 35k and was waiting to choose my benefits until July. But in June I made 50k so the 35k benefits were automatically selected and I then selected the 50k benefits. Now, in Sept., I’ve just made 75k. Am I best to wait until July 2024 to choose the 75k benefits?
Oops. I meant July 2023.
I probably won’t be able to maintain status for next year. If I select the eupgrade benefits will I be able to use them next year without elite status?
I waited to select my 35k benefits on July 8 or so, on pack one there’s only 5 credits, why not 10? Is it because I waited till after July 1? These 5 credits expire 2024 and I have 29 expiring Jan 2023 which I should get to use. Also my 5/5/5 bonus hasn’t been posted yet, that will put me at 50k so I imagine all those credits go to 2024 by default. Hope it’s more than 5 lol.
I am not sure that this strategy is without risk in all cases. In my case I deferred my 50K elections only to find out that they were made for me in April of this year, and they weren’t what I would have picked. I expect this was done by Aeroplan when I achieved 75K status.
I am SE and selected my benefits today (July 1st). My 50 eupgrades are only valid til January 2023! I should have waited….
Mine are in, and they expire January 2024. You sure you aren’t looking at old eUpgrades?
This morning they are now good til 2024! I guess there was a glitch yesterday. Thanks.
I have 35k from last year currently and just achieved the necessary SQM and SQD for 25k this year. However I can’t select my 25k benefits yet. What am I missing?
Ricky, two questions. I’m assuming that following this approach means that any flights in the first half of the year wouldn’t get the bonus miles (if that’s one of your select benefits)? Also, how far in advance can you book reward flights? Thanks.
The bonus miles would be retroactive, so you’d still get the bonus miles.
You can book reward flights 355 days in advance.
Are the the bonus miles considered as SQM
I have attained 35k status but have not selected my benefits as I was waiting until July 1st. My selection choice included only 5 E-upgrades (not 10).
I will likely hit 50k status in June.
I was wondering if I should select the 5 E-upgrades now before I hit 50k status.
Thinking the 50k selection may only be the difference of E-upgrades from 25k status and not the full 20. Thx
I got upgraded to 75k, if I gift 35k to someone today is that for 2022 and ’23 or only 2022?
In Jan 2023 will I be prompted to select new 75k benefits for ’23?
Ricky, T.J.,
Thanks for the great work. Q: if you go from 25K – 50K in a year, would you then select your 25K, 35K, and 50K select benefits after July 1st?
Want to ensure the select benefits aren’t lost when upgrading. Thanks in advance!
The Select Benefits won’t be lost upon upgrading as long as you’ve already selected them for the old tier. If you haven’t yet selected, they’ll be replaced by the new tier’s Select Benefits.
Got it – thanks for the prompt response Ricky!
For someone who has the 25K Status, I wouldn’t actually recommend getting the 2 Maple Leaf Guest Passes. I would assume that those that holds he status may have a card like the Amex Aeroplan Reserve which gives you and a guest free anyways.
Thoughts?
Just attained 25K status and am stuck on select benefits. Will probably only fly 6 segments this summer and it would be nice to use eupgrade for DXB > YYZ > DXB flights. Status or eUpgrade? And if eUpgrade, when? Thx
Seems no one talks about the value of the Wi-fi. From my calculations, an annual gogo pass would cost almost $800. That’s nothing to spit at.
Do you have any idea if Air Canada has paused the ability to use eUpgrades and the “latitude attitude” until they sort out all of the Aeroplan status updates? When I search on ExpertFlyer for “R” fares I get the following message : “ I and X award classes are currently unavailable via the Award & Upgrade tool at the request of Air Canada due to the new Aeroplan program. However, they may be available via the Flight Availability search.”
It’s not paused. ExpertFlyer can’t see I or X space, but they can see R space.
Ricky
In your opinion will they offer another status bump in 2022 if travel again is impacted by covid.
Keep up the good work you do really informative👍🏻
Waiting for Status Boost myself – but if I book a flight at 25k status (current) while I wait for my 35k status to be issued, will any e-upgrades I use for that flight apply to the new window of 8 days when the boost is issued, or stay at 4?
According to Air Canada website, the cutoff date for eUpgrades posting to expire mid January 2024 is September 1 2022 (not July 1).
Thanks for pointing this out. We’ve followed up with Air Canada and confirmed that the cutoff is July 1, and the information will soon be corrected on the website.
I’ve got 75K on December 30.
Wanted to gift 35K status to my friend that flies a lot. But now seems like I should wait until July 1st to choose, as I have too many eupgrades already. A bit annoying. I guess 35k status for half year for a friend is better than nothing…
By the way, had 40 eupgrades that should be roll over to this year (have a premium CC), but they vanished. Hopefully will get them later this month. Got 20 eupgrades for 2021 and 20 for 2022 though, both expiring January 16, 2023.
I hope I’ll keep these “extra” 20 eupgrades for 2021 too.
Hi, Ricky! Since I wasn’t going to keep my Reserve card for another year, I had to cancel it a few days ago to avoid paying an annual fee (couldn’t keep it open for any longer). Do you think I will still receive a status upgrade, given that the spending requirement of 10K was made?
Hi,
Not that I will complain, but a weird thing happened :
– I had no status in 2021 and I’m now 25K as of 4th JAN
– I received two times 20 e-upgrades, one on 31st DEC and one on 4th JAN.
I have the Amex Aeroplan Reserve and I spent the 10K for the 25K. I was just short if I member for the spend your way (100K points).
Did that happen to anyone else ?
Since you were lucky enough to earn the bump in 2021, that means you technically qualified for status and got your 20 core eUpgrades for 2021, and then another set in 2021.
Oh nice ! That is a technicality I was not aware of 😉
Thanks for the answer
this happened to me as well – I hit the 100k threshold in late October, got my 20 eupgrades plus the bonus select, and then got another 20 and was able to select again for my 2022 status year, plus I am leaving the 10K for the 35K benefits alone as smartly suggested in this article. Its a pile of eupgrades and I’m glad I have the black CC to roll them over
Unfortunately I selected my benefits prior to reading this article. I’d would have delayed my selection of elite benefits. As I understand once the benefits are selected, it cannot be undone. Do you think reach out to the elite line would be of any use?
Thanks for more great insights Ricky! The option to “wait to select” looks to be an exciting way to enhance the flexibility value of some e-upgrades.
Waiting until after July 1 will mean that the second (albeit less valuable) select benefit for 25K, 50K, 75K, 100K won’t be available to use until then as well. For the bonus points on AC flights option – would bonus points be awarded retroactively on any paid flights taken in first half of the year?
Yes, the bonus points option applies to all paid flights taken that year retroactively 🙂
I believe the Status Pass option provided to the recipient is the same regardless of your tier. I am SE and when I give out a pass, I have been told that the benefits were the same as if I did so as 75K (ie. no SE line access, concierge, etc…). May want to reconsider this as SE’s receive 2 of these as a core benefit and often these can go unused. I would suggest the 100% bonus miles, especially if you plan on doing lots of flying in 2022.
Thanks for the correction here, that’s now been rephrased.
I agree, he doesn’t seem to understand how Status Passes work. They just give the recipient lounge access, priority baggage/boarding/check-in, regardless of the status of the donor.
I’m not seeing my SQM rollover in my dashboard (I am a CIBC AP VIP holder) and also I’m showing 20 eupgrades from last year’s 25K qualification expiring at the end of this month, even though they should rollover. ai also haven’t seen my status bump to 35K yet, is this all just AP issues that I should be patient and let resolve, or should I be getting after them?
For the status bump, patience until January 31. Everything’s a little wonky right now and I don’t think “getting after them” would lead anywhere that waiting wouldn’t.
I meant “getting after them” in the kindest sense – Vancouver Island style 😀 The only reason I even considered it is I that have historically had trouble with the linkage between my CIBC AP VIP and my Aeroplan account, an agent at CIBC accidentally linked my card to the wrong AP account, it took many hours, phone calls and emails to get that sorted out. As per your instructions, patience has indeed paid off as my 35K status bump appeared this morning in my dashboard.
When you bump up a status level (say 25K to 35K during the year), do you get an additional 10 eupgrade credits for a total of 35?
20 core
5 @ 25K
10 @ 35K
You would think you’d only earn the incremental amount, wouldn’t you? Based on my experiences with mid-year status bumps, I feel like you’d get the additional 10.
Another benefit of waiting for the holders of black cc, is that you will deplete your rolled over e-upgrades before your new batch. As you cannot roll over for two years in a row the same e upgrade, you want the rolled over e upgrades to be used first, but it seems that the new ones are depleted first, probably because the system seems to work by issuance date.
Given I primarily travel with my wife, the status pass pass doesn’t have too much value (to me). Can you expand on how one would determine whether the lower requalification or 50% bonus would be better?
Think about how many paid flights with Air Canada and the select partners you’re likely to take this year, and how many Aeroplan points you’d earn from those paid flights as a result. Then apply the 50% bonus to those Aeroplan points.
Then weigh this against how likely you are to benefit from the lower requalification threshold. Personally, this year in particular I’d choose the bonus points, since I think it’s fairly likely Air Canada will continue to make it easier to requalify for status for all members anyway.
Is it normal that I still have not gotten my core 20 eupgrades? I was able to select the other benefits though. I retained 25k status originally earned in 2020.
There’s been some strange stuff happening with the eUpgrades and benefits in recent days, including many reports of missing eUpgrades. I’d expect this to be resolved in the near future.