American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card

This welcome bonus sits near the top of the Canadian credit card market, and the spending threshold is achievable for most households with deliberate planning. The split structure – with 25,000 points landing in month 13 – creates a natural incentive to keep the card through the first renewal, which means you're effectively committing to two years of fees to capture the full value.

Whether the annual fee justifies itself beyond year one depends heavily on your travel patterns. If you're booking at least one transatlantic business class award per year or frequently departing from Toronto or Vancouver, the Priority Pass membership and lounge benefits contribute meaningfully to offsetting the cost.

At Prince of Travel, our favourite tool for meeting minimum spending requirements is Chexy, a Canadian platform that allows you to pay rent, tuition, and other bills with a credit card. A processing fee applies, but for a bonus of this magnitude, the trade-off is typically favourable.

Air Canada cash fares become a points-earning powerhouse at 3x – the highest rate among Canadian Aeroplan cards. If you're booking revenue tickets on AC or its codeshare partners, this is your default card.

Dining and food delivery at 2x also lead the Aeroplan portfolio, making this a strong everyday carry for restaurant spending. The 1.25x floor across all other purchases keeps it competitive on general spend, though dedicated grocery or gas cards may edge it out in those categories.

High-volume spenders who fly Air Canada frequently and dine out regularly will see the fastest points accumulation. Pair it with a flat 2% card for non-bonused categories if you're optimizing across multiple wallets.

Aeroplan shines brightest on partner premium cabin redemptions – think Air Canada's Signature Class to Europe at under 70,000 points one-way, or United Polaris to Asia. Air Canada's own flights are dynamically priced and often poor value, but the partner network is where savvy redeemers find outsized returns.

The program's stopover feature lets you add a free layover city to international awards, effectively turning one redemption into two trips. Family Sharing means you can pool points across households to reach aspirational thresholds faster.

Unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge access with a guest is the centrepiece here – valuable for frequent flyers transiting through Air Canada hubs, though the network is domestic-focused. The $100 NEXUS credit fully offsets the five-year membership, streamlining your cross-border travel if you frequently visit the US.

The SQC earning mechanism – 1,000 SQC per $5,000 spent, capped at 25,000 – helps you climb toward Aeroplan Elite status without flying, though you'll need to evaluate whether card spend is more efficient than simply flying revenue fares. Priority Pass membership is included but operates on a pay-per-entry basis at $35 USD per visit, limiting its utility compared to the complimentary Maple Leaf access.

This is top-tier insurance for a consumer card – the emergency medical limit handles extended snowbird stays or serious incidents abroad without needing supplemental coverage for most travellers.

The per-person structure on cancellation and interruption works well for solo travellers or couples in premium cabins, but families booking expensive trips should verify total costs against aggregate limits. The 90-day stability period for pre-existing conditions is standard but unforgiving – complex medical histories may warrant underwritten coverage.

Rental car protection covers typical sedans and SUVs but verify MSRP limits before declining counter insurance on luxury vehicles. Trip delay coverage handles the essentials during disruptions – practical for winter travel and tight connections.