Air Canada Introduces Revenue-Based Points Earning & Elite Status in 2026

Air Canada has announced some sweeping changes to the way that you’ll earn Aeroplan points on Air Canada flights and how you’ll qualify for Aeroplan Elite status, which are set to take effect as of January 1, 2026.

With this announcement, Air Canada is becoming the latest airline to adopt a revenue-based earning model as it moves away from its current distance- and fare-based model.

In this article, we’ll go over all of the changes that are afoot with the upcoming move to revenue-based points earning and Elite status.

Given the size and scope of this announcement, we’ve also written separate analyses of the changes – including how to maximize the new models – which you can find by clicking on the articles in the boxes below.

Air Canada Introduces Revenue-Based Points Earning in 2026

Let’s begin with the changes to how you earn Aeroplan points when you fly with Air Canada.

Currently, when you fly on a paid ticket with Air Canada, you earn Aeroplan points based on the fare type you purchase and the distance you fly.

Beginning in 2026, when you fly with Air Canada, you’ll earn Aeroplan points based on how much you spend, rather than how far you fly.

Going forward, all Air Canada fare types – including Economy (Basic) fares – will earn 1 Aeroplan point per dollar spent on base fares, carrier-imposed surcharges, and eUpgrade add-on fees.

You won’t earn Aeroplan points on government-imposed and third-party taxes and fees, nor will you earn points on baggage fees or seat selection fees.

If you have Aeroplan Elite status, you’ll earn 2–6 Aeroplan points per dollar spent under the new model, as Air Canada is introducing a new Points Multiplier Core Benefit:

• 25K status = 2x Aeroplan points
• 35K status = 3x Aeroplan points
• 50K status = 4x Aeroplan points
• 75K status = 5x Aeroplan points
• Super Elite status = 6x Aeroplan points

When you fly with Star Alliance-member airlines, the amount of points you earn depends on how you booked your ticket and with which airline you’re flying:

• If you’re on a ticket issued by Air Canada and flying with United Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Copa Airlines, you’ll earn revenue-based points with Elite multipliers.
• If you’re on a ticket issued by Air Canada and flying with all other Star Alliance and non-alliance partner airlines, you’ll earn revenue-based points with no Elite multipliers.
• If you’re on a ticket issued by other airlines and flying with Air Canada, you’ll earn revenue-based points with Elite multipliers.
• If you’re on a ticket issued by other airlines and flying with Star Alliance or non-alliance partners, you’ll earn points based on the partner’s distance- and fare-based chart.

For Air Canada Flight Passes, you’ll earn Aeroplan points as per the new revenue-based model, and Elite multipliers will apply.

For limited-credit Flight Passes, you’ll earn points based on the price distributed equally across credits, and the points will be awarded after you travel.

For unlimited Flight Passes, you’ll earn points based on the monthly installment payment, which will be credited on a monthly basis.

Air Canada has also announced that passengers can expect frequent promotions to earn bonus Aeroplan points on Air Canada flights with this new model.

Be sure to sign up for Prince of Travel emails to make sure you’re the first to know about these offers when they launch and how to get the most out of them.

There are no changes to the category-earning rates for Air Canada purchases with Aeroplan co-branded credit cards, which means that you’ll still be able to earn up to 3x Aeroplan points per dollar spent on Air Canada purchases.

Air Canada Introduces Revenue-Based Elite Status in 2026

Air Canada is also adopting a revenue-based model for qualifying for Aeroplan Elite status.

Like the implementation of revenue-based points earning, these changes are set to take effect as of January 1, 2026.

Introducing Status Qualifying Credits

Right now, you qualify for Aeroplan Elite status by accumulating a combination of Status Qualifying Miles, Status Qualifying Segments, and Status Qualifying Dollars on paid flights.

Beginning next year, Air Canada is introducing a single currency – Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) – that will be used for Elite status qualification.

You’ll collect Status Qualifying Credits at the following rates when you fly with Air Canada, based on the sum of the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges:

• Economy (Basic) fares won’t collect SQC
• Economy (Standard) fares will collect 2 SQC per dollar spent
• All other fares (Economy (Flex, Comfort, and Latitude), Premium Economy (Lowest and Flexible), and Business Class (Lowest and Flexible)) will collect 4 SQC per dollar spent

You’ll also get SQC on eUpgrade add-on fees (2 SQC per dollar spent), but you won’t get any for baggage fees or seat selection fees, nor will you collect them on government-imposed/third-party taxes and fees.

On Air Canada Vacations Package bookings, you’ll get 1 SQC per dollar spent.

When you fly with Star Alliance-member and partner airlines, the amount of SQC you get depends on how you booked your ticket and with which airline you’re flying:

• If you’re on a ticket issued by Air Canada and flying with Star Alliance-member airlines, you’ll get SQC based on the fare purchased, with no cap on how many SQC you can earn.
• If you’re on a ticket issued by Air Canada and flying with all other partner airlines, you won’t collect SQC.
• If you’re on a ticket issued by all other airlines and flying with Air Canada, you’ll get SQC based on the cabin flown (2 SQC per dollar spent for travel in economy, 4 SQC per dollar spent for travel in premium economy or business class).
• If you’re on a ticket issued by all other airlines and flying with a Star Alliance-member airline, you’ll get 1 SQC per 5 Aeroplan points earned (up to 25,000 SQC total)*.
• If you’re on a ticket issued by all other airlines and flying with a non-alliance partner, you won’t collect SQC.

* Note that SQC collected in this manner count towards the 25,000 SQC total you can earn through select travel and everyday partners, as we’ll explore in detail below.

Next year, you’ll also be able to get SQC with select travel & everyday partners and through credit card spending, which we’ll go over in detail later on in this article.

Elite Status Tiers & SQC Qualification Thresholds

Air Canada is keeping the names of the published Elite status tiers the same as they are now, which means that you’ll still work towards Aeroplan 25K, 35K, 50K, 75K, and Super Elite status.

However, the thresholds to earn each tier of status are changing to Status Qualifying Credits, and the requirements for each tier are outlined as follows:

• Aeroplan 25K: 25,000 SQC
• Aeroplan 35K: 35,000 SQC
• Aeroplan 50K: 50,000 SQC
• Aeroplan 75K: 75,000 SQC
• Super Elite: 125,000 SQC

There are no changes to Everyday Status Qualification, which means that if you accumulate 100,000 Aeroplan points through eligible means over the course of a year, you’ll still qualify for Aeroplan 25K status – without having to collect any SQC.

Introducing Milestone Benefits

Air Canada is introducing Milestone benefits to its revamped Elite status program in 2026, which will replace both Threshold Rewards and Select Benefits that exist today.

Furthermore, Priority Rewards are also being incorporated into the Milestone benefits, and will no longer be automatically awarded upon meeting spending thresholds.

Aeroplan Elite members will earn automatic- and/or selection-based Milestones for every 10,000 SQC collected (up to 200,000 SQC), and for every 20,000 SQC collected thereafter (up to 1 million SQC).

At the 10,000, 30,000, and 50,000 SQC thresholds, Elite members will automatically be awarded with 10 eUpgrades.

At the 20,000, 40,000, and 60,000 SQC thresholds (and every subsequent threshold of 20,000 SQC), Elite members can make a selection of one benefit, such as a Priority Reward, Maple Leaf Lounge one-time passes, eUpgrades, bonus Aeroplan points, bonus SQC, discounts on car, hotel, gift card, or merchandise redemptions, and more.

Then, at the 70,000 SQC threshold (and every subsequent threshold of 20,000 SQC thereafter), you’ll get an automatic allotment of eUpgrades, and you can also make a selection Milestone benefit.

The full breakdown of Milestones up to the 220,000-SQC threshold can be found in the below table.

This means that if you don’t yet have status, you won’t get Milestones at the 10,000- and 20,000-SQC thresholds, and you’ll start earning Milestones at 30,000 SQC. If you already have status, then you’ll earn Milestones at the 10,000- and 20,000-SQC thresholds.

It’s also worth noting that the popular Banked Year of Super Elite Status Milestone benefit is available as a choice at the 200,000-SQC threshold.

Once you reach 240,000 SQC and at every threshold of 20,000 SQC thereafter (up to 1 million SQC), you’ll get an automatic allotment of 20 eUpgrades and you can make a selection from the same Milestone benefits that are available at 220,000 SQC.

Air Canada will make Milestone tracking and benefit selection available through your online dashboard or the Air Canada app with a redesigned digital experience. You’ll also be able to see your Milestone history for the current and past year.

Changes to Aeroplan Elite Core Benefits in 2026

For the most part, there won’t be a lot of changes to the Core Benefits you receive as an Aeroplan Elite member in 2026.

This means that you’ll still enjoy things like priority airport services, an increased baggage allowance, lounge access, Star Alliance Gold recognition, and more, based on your tier of status, in the same way that you do today.

However, Maple Leaf Lounge passes will no longer be given as a Core Benefit (they’re available as Milestone benefits instead), and the amount of eUpgrades issued as a Core Benefit is changing.

Currently, all Aeroplan Elite members are awarded with 20 eUpgrades at the beginning of the status year, with more available as Select Benefits, Threshold Rewards, and through Flight Pass purchases.

In 2026, some status tiers will receive fewer eUpgrades as a Core Benefit, while others will earn more, as outlined in the following chart:

Beginning in 2026, Aeroplan Elite members will be able to share their eUpgrades with up to four travel companions, which is an increase from two travel companions you can share them with today. Plus, you’ll be able to share them with an additional four travel companions on the day of travel who are on the same flight.

Furthermore, the eUpgrade add-on fee for Economy (Standard) fares will increase by $100 (CAD) for flights within North America (including to Sun destinations), and by $150 (CAD) for international destinations. 

The add-on fee increases will take effect on January 1, 2026, even if your request was made prior to that.

Collecting SQC with Aeroplan Partners & Partner Airlines

Beginning next year, you’ll also be able to get up to 25,000 SQC each year with Aeroplan partners.

For every 5 Aeroplan points earned with everyday partners (Starbucks, Uber, Uber Eats, the LCBO, Journie Rewards, and more) and with select travel partners (Avis, Marriott, and more), you’ll get 1 SQC.

You won’t collect SQC through the Aeroplan eStore, and the Aeroplan points you earn through credit card welcome offers or transfers from external points programs (e.g., American Express Membership Rewards) won’t be eligible for SQC accrual.

As mentioned earlier, you can also collect SQC when you fly with Star Alliance-member airlines on tickets not issued by Air Canada. In these cases, you’ll also get 1 SQC for every 5 Aeroplan points you earn.

In order to max out the SQC you can get with this set of partners, you’d need to earn a total of 125,000 Aeroplan points over the course of the calendar year, which would result in 25,000 SQC – enough for Aeroplan 25K status.

Collecting SQC with Credit Card Spending

Beginning next year, you’ll also be able to get up to 25,000 SQC through spending on an Aeroplan co-branded credit card.

Core credit cards, such as the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, the American Express Aeroplan Card, and the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card, will get 1,000 SQC for every $20,000 spent.

Premium credit cards, such as the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card, the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card, and the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card, will get 1,000 SQC for every $5,000 spent.

In order to max out the SQC you can get through credit card spending, you’d need to spend $500,000 on a core credit card, or $125,000 on a premium credit card. Doing so would result in 25,000 SQC – enough for 25K status.

In the United States, you’ll be able to collect SQC with the Chase Aeroplan Card:

• Get 5,000 SQC in January every year
• Get 10,000 SQC upon spending $25,000 (USD) in a calendar year
• Get 10,000 SQC upon spending $50,000 (USD) in a calendar year

There are other changes coming to the Chase Aeroplan Card in 2026, which we’ve gone over in detail in a separate article.

It’s worth noting that the SQC collected with the Chase Aeroplan Card count towards this pool of SQC.

In other words, you can earn a total of 25,000 SQC through any combination of spending on personal and business Aeroplan credit cards, no matter where they’re issued.

Introducing the Head Start Benefit on Premium Aeroplan Credit Cards

In 2027, Air Canada is introducing a new Head Start benefit for eligible primary cardholders of premium Aeroplan co-branded credit cards.

The Head Start benefit will replace the current rollover benefit on premium Aeroplan credit cards.

The Head Start benefit works by awarding you with 10% of the total amount of SQC collected in the previous year at the beginning of the next qualifying year – with no limit.

For example, if you get 60,000 SQC through flying, partner earning, and credit card spending in 2026, you’ll start 2027 with 6,000 SQC in your account. This effectively reduces the threshold to achieve each tier of Aeroplan Elite status by 6,000 SQC.

You’ll need to be an eligible primary cardholder of a premium card by December 15 of the preceding year, as well as at the time of benefit processing, in order to be eligible for the Head Start benefit.

If you’re already a premium cardholder with Aeroplan Elite status in 2025, the SQM that are eligible for rollover will be converted to SQC at a 5:1 ratio, up to a maximum of 200,000 SQM (40,000 SQC).

In other words, if you have 50,000 SQM eligible for rollover from 2025 to 2026, you’d get 10,000 SQC in 2026.

Other Notable Changes

For Air Canada Flight Passes, you’ll get SQC based on the new revenue-based model depending on the fare you purchase.

For both limited-credit and unlimited Flight Passes, you’ll get 2 SQC per dollar spent on Economy (Standard) fares, and 4 SQC per dollar spent on Economy (Flex) fares and up.

For limited-credit Flight Passes, Lifetime Qualifying Miles (LQM) will be awarded based on the distance of each flight, while with unlimited Flight Passes, LQM will be awarded equal to the amount of SQC collected.

The Elite Flight Pass Bonus will remain a Core Benefit for Elite members. The bonus eUpgrades earned at each tier remains unchanged, while the bonus SQM collected at each tier will switch to an equal amount of SQC.

Lifetime Qualifying Miles – which count towards Air Canada’s Million Mile program – will continue to be calculated based solely on the distance flown on Air Canada flights.

Going forward, LQM bonuses based on fare types will no longer apply.

Conclusion

Air Canada has announced that it will switch to revenue-based earning for Aeroplan points and Aeroplan Elite status in 2026.

Going forward, the amount of Aeroplan points you earn on Air Canada flights, and the way in which you qualify for Aeroplan Elite status, will be based on how much you spend rather than how far you fly.

If you’d like to learn more about how these changes will impact your earning of Aeroplan points and Elite status, be sure to check out our deep-dive analyses of the changes.

We’ve also published a long-form video on YouTube, complete with examples of earning Aeroplan points and status with the current model and the new model.

And if you’re looking for personalized guidance on how you can maximize your earning and finesse your way through status with the revenue-based model, be sure to check out our Points Coaching service.