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Air Canada Announces Big Changes to Aeroplan Frequent Flyer Program

Shift to a revenue-based model follows the industry pattern

Air Canada’s Aeroplan loyalty program is undergoing significant changes, all of which will become effective on January 1, 2026. The fundamental shift is to move from a distance-based to spend-based points earning model.

“Aeroplan has grown into one of the most rewarding and widely used travel loyalty programs,” said Scott O’Leary, Vice President, Loyalty & Product at Air Canada. “Our most engaged members do more than just fly with us—they earn with our partners, choose flexible fares, and carry Aeroplan credit cards. These changes help us better recognize their loyalty and keep improving the experience.”  You can read the full press release here.

The changes align Aeroplan with other spend-based airline loyalty programs used by U.S. carriers. These changes are designed to reward frequent and high-spending customers while simplifying the process for achieving elite status.

Earlier this year, Wise Marketer reported the announcement by WestJet Group, Canada’s leading low-cost airline and largest vacation provider, to replace WestJet dollars with a points system. In that new system, one WestJet dollar converts to 100 WestJet points. Points do not expire, and members’ accounts reflect their new balance points as of April 30, 2025. The announcement was touted as “the most significant improvement to WestJet Rewards in the program’s 15-year history” and included a variety of additional features and benefits.

For Air Canada, Members will earn Aeroplan points based on the money they spend on eligible Air Canada flights beginning Jan. 1, 2026. Points will be earned based on the base fare and carrier surcharges excluding applicable taxes, fees, and third-party charges on those eligible flights.

Members will earn a minimum of one Aeroplan point for every dollar spent on eligible Air Canada flights. Elite status multipliers are available ranging from 2x to 6x per dollar spent depending on the member tier.

Additionally, a new system for achieving elite status, called Status Qualifying Credits (SQC), will be introduced. SQC will be the sole method for achieving and maintaining Aeroplan Elite status from January 1, 2026. Members can earn SQC through:

  • Spending on eligible Air Canada flights (up to 4 SQC per dollar spent, based on fare class).
  • Spending on eligible Aeroplan credit cards (up to 25,000 SQC annually).
  • Engaging with Aeroplan partners (up to 25,000 SQC annually).

The existing Aeroplan 25K, 35K, 50K, 75K, and Super Elite tiers will remain, but the thresholds for achieving them will be based on SQC. Addressing the uncertainty in the new model that is sure to haunt frequent travelers, Air Canada will give a 10% bonus on their SQC earned the previous year to premium Aeroplan credit cardholders who qualify for elite status. That first bonus will be available in 2027.

New milestone rewards will be introduced, starting at 10,000 SQC, and unlocking every 10,000 SQC up to 200,000, then every 20,000 SQC after that, offering perks like bonus SQC, Status Passes, and more. Maple Leaf Lounge passes will no longer be awarded as a core benefit but will be available as a milestone selection and will apply to lounges worldwide.

Aeroplan Members can accelerate their earnings path to rewards by using one of the portfolio of cobrand credit cards offered in partnership with TD Bank, CIBC and American Express.US residents also have a cobrand option from Chase.

There is a thorough analysis of the changes crafted by The Prince of Travel which you can read here. The highlights below point out the give and take of the move to a revenue based frequent flyer model for program members:

  • Without considering SQC earned by other means, earning status will require 56.25–118.75% more spending on flights with the new model (assuming Economy (Flex) fares and up).
  • However, you can effectively maintain the current SQD spending thresholds by collecting 13,000, 19,000, 26,000, 39,000 or 45,000 SQC by other means for 25K, 35K, 50K, 75K, and Super Elite status, respectively.
  • Therefore, it’s in your best interest to leverage other ways of collecting SQC to make qualifying for status easier going forward.

As the article sums it up “this is a clear example of how revenue-based models reward those who engage with the airline and its partners more than those who don’t. Plus, it’s worth noting that you’ll be able to earn Aeroplan 25K, 35K, and even 50K status without flying through collecting SQC through partners and credit card spending, as well as 25K status through Everyday Status Qualification (as you can today).”