Aeroplan® Credit Card Review

As a primarily U.S.-based bank, you might be wondering why Chase offers a co-branded credit card with Air Canada, which is a Canadian-based airline, hence its name. If you’re not a well-seasoned traveler, you might not be aware that Air Canada is a member of Star Alliance, and is thus partnered with United, one of the major U.S airlines.

The benefits of having Air Canada Aeroplan® points can extend far beyond flights to and from Canada, especially when taking the Aeroplan card’s introductory offer and other various perks into account.

You might find it useful to save a spot in your wallet for this card, especially if you have Chase points you’re looking to redeem for travel, and you fly with Star Alliance airlines often.

A Premier Introductory Offer

The Aeroplan® Credit Card currently offers a bonus of 85,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

This is one of the card’s best introductory offers yet, as the card typically offers a welcome offer of between 50,000–70,000 points for a similar spend requirement, or a bonus of 100,000 points for a much higher spend requirement of $20,000.

85,000 Aeroplan points can get you far, especially when you dive deep into searching for point redemptions and are flexible with your travel dates.

For example, you could fly from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA) on Singapore Airlines in business class for just 60,000 Aeroplan points. To put this into perspective, this flight would cost $2,000 if you were to pay with cash, meaning that you could save thousands of dollars on a transatlantic business class flight.

Additionally, Singapore Airlines is well-regarded for its business class service, and they are consistently rated as one of the best airlines in the world. With Singapore Airlines’ business class, you’ll have spacious and comfortable lie-flat seats, as well as a fine dining service and other amenities. You’ll truly elevate your flying experience if you can manage to score a business class seat with Singapore Airlines.

Earning More Points

If the 85,000 bonus points aren’t enough and you’re in need of more points to book your travels, the Aeroplan® Credit Card earns bonus points across a variety of categories, making it easier for you to accrue even more points to redeem. Here’s how the earning rate breaks down:

• 3x points on purchases made directly with Air Canada
• 3x points at grocery stores
• 3x points spent on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
• 1x points spent on all other purchases

You’ll also earn 500 bonus points for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month, with a monthly cap of 1,500 bonus points earned for these 500-point bonuses.

These earning rates aren’t too bad, as 3x points at grocery stores and dining are pretty on par with other popular travel-oriented credit cards. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns 3x points on dining, and the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card earns 3x points at grocery stores.

For booking Air Canada flights, I’d use a card that earns more points for booking travel. For example, with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can earn 4x points when booking travel directly with an airline, including Air Canada.

The point earning rates aren’t bad when you are working towards hitting the spend requirement, as they help you to accumulate extra points on top of the 85,000 points. However, once I get the 85,000 points, I’d rather use another card that earns flexible points, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

Complimentary Aeroplan 25K Status

As a new Aeroplan® Credit Card cardmember, you’ll be granted automatic Aeroplan 25K status for the remainder of the current calendar year, plus the following calendar year.

Aeroplan 25K status comes with a variety of benefits that’ll not only elevate your experience when flying with Air Canada, but other Star Alliance airlines as well.

Here are some of the benefits you’ll get with Aeroplan 25K status:

• 2 complimentary checked bags on flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express, and Air Canada Rouge
• 2 Maple Leaf Lounge Passes for access to Maple Leaf Lounges located in the domestic and U.S. zones of airports in Canada, Los Angeles, and New York (LaGuardia and Newark). Passes can be used on or before their expiry date with a confirmed same-day departing ticket for scheduled Air Canada flights
• Priority Boarding for flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express, and Air Canada Rouge
• 20 eUpgrade Credits to use to upgrade to Business Class, Premium Economy, or Premium Rouge on eligible flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express, and Air Canada Rouge
• Complimentary Preferred Seat selection for the cardmember and travel companions on flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express, and Air Canada Rouge when travelling on a Standard fare
• Group 2 Priority Boarding with United Airlines

After you run out of your complimentary Aeroplan 25K status, you can maintain your status by spending $15,000 in a calendar year. If you spend $50,000 in a calendar year, you’ll have the ability to earn an Elite Status Level Up of one tier to 35K status or higher for existing status holders.

Additional Benefits

On top of complimentary status with Aeroplan, the Aeroplan® Credit Card offers additional benefits that make it a solid card to have when traveling with Air Canada. These benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Free First Checked Bags: The primary cardmember and up to eight other passengers traveling on the same reservation can get a free first checked bag up to 50lb when checking in with Air Canada for a flight operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express, or Air Canada Rouge. Note that the free checked bag does not stack if the first checked bag is complimentary, such as if you have Aeroplan 25K status. I rarely fly Air Canada, so I wouldn’t find much use out of this benefit. However, if you visit the Great White North often, you might be able to find this benefit useful.
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Application Fee Statement Credit: You will receive one statement credit every four years (up to $120) for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS. This can be very useful in streamlining your travel experience and making it faster. This benefit can essentially offset the annual fee for a year, every four years.
• Preferred Pricing: You will be given access to discounted award fares, meaning that you’ll often require fewer Aeroplan points to redeem for flight rewards compared to Aeroplan members who do not hold an Aeroplan co-branded credit card. This benefit is ambiguous, as there is no clear line on how much the discount is.
• 24/7 Air Canada Concierge Service: Need to locate hard-to-find items or even reserve that perfect table? Our concierge is there to help. To contact the concierge, call the number on the back of your card.
• 10% bonus on Chase point transfers: Chase Aeroplan credit card members get a 10% transfer bonus after transferring 50,000 or more Chase points in a single transaction from an eligible Chase credit card to their Aeroplan account. There is a maximum cap of 25,000 Aeroplan bonus points per calendar year.

Travel Insurance and Protections

On top of these travel perks, the Aeroplan® Credit Card comes with travel protections and insurance that’ll make you feel more secure and safe about your travel plans. These protections include, but are not limited to:

• Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance: You can be reimbursed up to $1,500 per covered traveler and $6,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable passenger fares, if your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather or other covered situations.
• Baggage Delay Insurance: Reimburses you up to $100 a day for up to 3 days for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing when baggage is delayed over 6 hours.
• Trip Delay Reimbursement: If your common carrier travel is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per covered traveler.
• Auto Rental Coverage: Decline the rental company's collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card. Coverage provides reimbursement for theft and collision damage for most rental vehicles. In the U.S., coverage is secondary to your personal insurance.

These travel insurance benefits and protections provide a solid amount of coverage when traveling, but they aren’t as good as some other travel-focused credit cards. For example, in addition to the protections listed above, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® also offers lost luggage reimbursement, travel accident insurance, emergency medical and dental reimbursement, etc.

Final Remarks

The Aeroplan® Credit Card is an underrated gem for travelers who frequent Star Alliance airlines or are looking to stretch the value of their Chase points even further. With a stellar 85,000-point introductory offer, strong earning categories, automatic Aeroplan 25K status, and a suite of premium travel protections, this card packs a lot of value, especially for those who understand how to maximize Aeroplan’s award chart.

While it may not be the best card for everyday spending once the bonus is earned, it’s a powerful tool for booking premium international flights, especially in business class with partners like Singapore Airlines. If you’re someone who’s open to transferring Chase points or traveling internationally with Star Alliance partners, the Aeroplan card is well worth considering for a slot in your wallet.

TL;DR:

The Aeroplan® Credit Card from Chase is a hidden gem for travelers who fly with Air Canada or any Star Alliance airline. It currently offers an impressive 85,000-point welcome bonus after $4,000 in spending, and grants automatic Aeroplan 25K status through the end of the following calendar year, bringing perks like priority boarding, lounge passes, and free checked bags. You’ll earn 3x points on Air Canada, dining, and groceries, plus monthly spending bonuses and a 10% transfer bonus on Chase points. While it's not ideal for everyday spending long-term, it’s a powerful card for booking premium flights, especially in business class, if you know how to maximize Aeroplan’s sweet spots.