Shift to a revenue-based mannequin follows the business sample
Air Canada’s Aeroplan loyalty program is present process important modifications, all of which can grow to be efficient on January 1, 2026. The basic shift is to maneuver from a distance-based to spend-based factors incomes mannequin.
“Aeroplan has grown into one of the crucial rewarding and broadly used journey loyalty applications,” mentioned Scott O’Leary, Vice President, Loyalty & Product at Air Canada. “Our most engaged members do extra than simply fly with us—they earn with our companions, select versatile fares, and carry Aeroplan bank cards. These modifications assist us higher acknowledge their loyalty and hold bettering the expertise.” You may learn the full press launch right here.
The modifications align Aeroplan with different spend-based airline loyalty applications utilized by U.S. carriers. These modifications are designed to reward frequent and high-spending clients whereas simplifying the method for reaching elite standing.
Earlier this yr, Smart Marketer reported the announcement by WestJet Group, Canada’s main low-cost airline and largest trip supplier, to exchange WestJet {dollars} with a factors system. In that new system, one WestJet greenback converts to 100 WestJet factors. Factors don’t expire, and members’ accounts mirror their new stability factors as of April 30, 2025. The announcement was touted as “probably the most important enchancment to WestJet Rewards in this system’s 15-year historical past” and included quite a lot of further options and advantages.
For Air Canada, Members will earn Aeroplan factors based mostly on the cash they spend on eligible Air Canada flights starting Jan. 1, 2026. Factors shall be earned based mostly on the bottom fare and service surcharges excluding relevant taxes, charges, and third-party expenses on these eligible flights.
Members will earn a minimal of 1 Aeroplan level for each greenback spent on eligible Air Canada flights. Elite standing multipliers can be found starting from 2x to 6x per greenback spent relying on the member tier.
Moreover, a brand new system for reaching elite standing, known as Standing Qualifying Credit (SQC), shall be launched. SQC would be the sole methodology for reaching and sustaining Aeroplan Elite standing from January 1, 2026. Members can earn SQC by way of:
- Spending on eligible Air Canada flights (as much as 4 SQC per greenback spent, based mostly on fare class).
- Spending on eligible Aeroplan bank cards (as much as 25,000 SQC yearly).
- Partaking with Aeroplan companions (as much as 25,000 SQC yearly).
The prevailing Aeroplan 25K, 35K, 50K, 75K, and Tremendous Elite tiers will stay, however the thresholds for reaching them shall be based mostly on SQC. Addressing the uncertainty within the new mannequin that’s certain to hang-out frequent vacationers, Air Canada will give a ten% bonus on their SQC earned the earlier yr to premium Aeroplan credit score cardholders who qualify for elite standing. That first bonus shall be obtainable in 2027.
New milestone rewards shall be launched, beginning at 10,000 SQC, and unlocking each 10,000 SQC as much as 200,000, then each 20,000 SQC after that, providing perks like bonus SQC, Standing Passes, and extra. Maple Leaf Lounge passes will not be awarded as a core profit however shall be obtainable as a milestone choice and can apply to lounges worldwide.
Aeroplan Members can speed up their earnings path to rewards through the use of one of many portfolio of cobrand bank cards provided in partnership with TD Financial institution, CIBC and American Specific.US residents even have a cobrand possibility from Chase.
There’s a thorough evaluation of the modifications crafted by The Prince of Journey which you’ll learn right here. The highlights beneath level out the give and take of the transfer to a income based mostly frequent flyer mannequin for program members:
- With out contemplating SQC earned by different means, incomes standing would require 56.25–118.75% extra spending on flights with the brand new mannequin (assuming Economic system (Flex) fares and up).
- Nonetheless, you’ll be able to successfully preserve the present SQD spending thresholds by gathering 13,000, 19,000, 26,000, 39,000 or 45,000 SQC by different means for 25K, 35K, 50K, 75K, and Tremendous Elite standing, respectively.
- Due to this fact, it’s in your greatest curiosity to leverage different methods of gathering SQC to make qualifying for standing simpler going ahead.
As the article sums it up “this can be a clear instance of how revenue-based fashions reward those that interact with the airline and its companions greater than those that don’t. Plus, it’s price noting that you’ll be capable of earn Aeroplan 25K, 35K, and even 50K standing with out flying by way of gathering SQC by way of companions and bank card spending, in addition to 25K standing by way of On a regular basis Standing Qualification (as you’ll be able to at the moment).”
