The Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card just underwent a refresh, changing its perks, bonus spending categories, and benefits … even its annual fee and name.
The card, which now has an annual fee of $195, currently has a generous welcome offer, Air Canada statement credits, and automatic elite status, among other benefits.
In fact, the card’s perks are worth more than $6,056 (and this is a conservative estimate), which means you can easily outweigh the annual fee, especially if you’re a frequent Air Canada flyer or value Star Alliance status.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Aeroplan card and what its newly refreshed benefits are worth.
Aeroplan Card: Quick Overview
The Aeroplan card comes with a generous welcome offer that features various opportunities to earn points throughout the year.
You can also earn with bonus categories: up to 5x points on Air Canada purchases, 3x points on travel purchases, 2x points at grocery stores, at restaurants, and at gas stations, plus 1x points for everything else. You can use Aeroplan points for flights, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages, gift cards, and more.
Earning Benefits (Aeroplan Points)
The Aeroplan card comes with various opportunities to earn Aeroplan points.
1. Welcome Offer [$1,725 or More]
The Aeroplan card comes with a 2-part welcome offer:
- Earn up to 115,000 bonus Aeroplan points: 75,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, plus an additional 40,000 points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening.
In total, within a year’s time, you have the opportunity to earn up to 115,000 bonus Aeroplan points. We value Aeroplan points at 1.5 cents per point, which means 115,000 points are worth $1,725.
2. 5x Points on Air Canada [$75 or More]
Let’s say you spend $1,000 on Air Canada flights per year, which would be a couple of domestic flights or perhaps an international flight. This would mean you could earn 5,000 Aeroplan points for these purchases, worth $75.
3. 3x Points on Travel [$90 or More]
We’ll estimate that you might spend $2,000 on travel annually outside of Air Canada flights. We’ll keep this value lower because some folks might want to put general travel spending on a flexible rewards card to earn flexible rewards points. This would mean you could earn 6,000 points, worth about $90.
4. 2x Points on Grocery Stores [$216 to $647]
A typical family of 4 can spend up to $1,797 per month on groceries (Source: USA Today Network), which amounts to about $21,564 annually. Meanwhile, a single person could spend about $600 per month, or $7,200 annually. This means you could earn anywhere from 14,400 to 43,128 Aeroplan points per year, which are worth $216 to $647.
5. 2x Points at Restaurants [$54 or More]
Imagine you spent about $150 monthly at restaurants ($1,800 annually), which could be a dinner for 2 at a nice restaurant each month or a couple of fast food or takeout meals for a small family. You’d earn 3,600 points, worth $54.
6. 2x Points at Gas Stations [$75 or More]
In 2026, gas in the U.S. costs an average of $4.09 per gallon, and the average American buys 600 gallons per year (Source: AAA). That means the average consumer is spending nearly $2,500 on gas each year. If you spend on the Aeroplan card, you get 5,000 points annually on gas, worth $75.
7. 1x Points on Everything Else [$30 or More]
Although we’d suggest putting everyday spending on a card that gives you more than 1x, if you spend $2,000 annually on purchases that aren’t in other bonus categories, that’s worth $30.
Air Canada Benefits
Holding any co-branded airline credit card means you get airline-specific benefits, and this is true for the Aeroplan card. Here’s what you’ll get as an Air Canada (and Star Alliance) flyer if you hold the card.
8. Automatic Aeroplan 25K Status (Star Alliance Silver) [$500 or More]
The Air Canada Aeroplan program offers 5 elite status tiers, and 25K is the lowest tier. Normally, you’d earn it with 25,000 Status Qualifying Credits (SQCs) or by earning 100,000 Everyday Status Qualification (EDQ) points, but it comes automatically with the Aeroplan card. This also means you get Star Alliance Silver status.
Aeroplan 25K status includes the following perks:
- 2 points per CA$1 spent on Air Canada and eligible partner flights
- Priority check-in, boarding, and seat selection when flying Air Canada
- Premier Access check-in
- Business class priority check-in counter when flying Lufthansa
- Complimentary sports equipment handling
- Complimentary checked bag with Lufthansa Group and United
- Group 2 priority boarding on eligible United flights
- 5 eUpgrade credits
- 4 eUpgrade credits per eligible Flight Pass activity
- Star Alliance Silver status
- 750 SQCs per eligible Flight Pass activity
- Avis Preferred Plus and Hertz 5-Star status
The value of the status depends greatly on how much you fly. For example, if you fly Air Canada frequently with ski equipment and prefer picking your own seats, you might save a lot.
9. Free Checked Bag [$200 or More]
This is another benefit that offers a varied value, as it depends on how much you fly with the airline and who you tend to fly with. For example, this benefit is offered to the cardholder and up to 8 travel companions on the same reservation. If it costs $50 to check a bag each way, and if you’re traveling with your partner, you could save at least $200 on a single round-trip itinerary.
10. Air Canada Credits [$100]
Cardholders get up to $100 in Air Canada credits annually ($50 twice annually on eligible transactions: 1 credit between January 1 and June 30 and another between July 1 and December 31). If you book at least 2 Air Canada flights each year, this is an easy way to save and offset half of card’s $195 annual fee.
11. Air Canada Flight Redemption Discount [$90 or More]
For cardholders who tend to book flights with points, you can save 15% on reward flights using the code FLY15OFF. The savings on this could range greatly, as it depends on the route and class you’re flying. For example, if a round-trip flight costs 20,000 each way (40,000 total), you’d save 6,000 points, a value of $90.
12. Spend $75,000 Annually for 35K Status [$1,200]
If you know you’ll be spending at least $75,000 on the card, it’ll be simple to reach 35K status, which is the second-level tier of Air Canada Aeroplan elite status. Normally, you’d have to earn 35,000 Status Qualifying Credits (SQCs) for the status, but once you hit the $75,000 spend threshold, you get it automatically for the remainder of that calendar year and for the next calendar year.
35K members have all of the benefits of 25K plus the following:
- 3 points per CA$1 spent on Air Canada and partner flights
- Priority security clearance
- Priority baggage handling when flying with Air Canada
- 3 complimentary checked bags (32 kilograms or 70.5 pounds each)
- 10 eUpgrade credits
- 6 eUpgrade credits per eligible Flight Pass activity
- 1,000 SQCs per eligible Flight Pass activity
Thanks to the additional checked bags, SQCs, and eUpgrade credits, we value this status at $1,200.
13. Get SQCs for Spending [Varies]
You can also get bonus SQCs for spending annually (up to 25,000):
- 5,000 SQCs as a bonus every year
- 10,000 SQCs when you spend $25,000
- 10,000 SQCs when you spend $50,000
It’s tough to put a value on SQCs, but if you hold 35K status and are able to reach 50K status thanks to these SQCs, it could offer an extremely lucrative value.
Lifestyle Benefits
The Aeroplan card offers DoorDash benefits that can make ordering in more convenient and affordable.
14. Complimentary DashPass for 1 Year [$120]
A DashPass by DoorDash membership offers unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees and lower service fees. This perk must be activated by December 31, 2027.
15. Monthly DoorDash Credits [$120]
Get up to $10 monthly on groceries, essentials, and more on DoorDash through December 31, 2027. You must sign up for DashPass on or after September 1, 2026.
Travel Benefits and Protections
The Aeroplan card comes with numerous travel benefits and protections that can make travel easier and help when things don’t go as planned.
16. Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS Fee Credit [$30]
Get a $120 statement credit every 4 years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fees that you charge to your Aeroplan card.
16. No Foreign Transaction Fees [$100 or More]
The Aeroplan card doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees, which can save you up to 3% when you’re traveling abroad. Although the value of this perk can change, you can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars if you’re a frequent overseas traveler.
17. Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance [$100 or More]
Get up to $1,500 per covered traveler and $6,000 per trip if your trip is canceled or cut short by illness, severe weather, or other covered situations. We value this at $100 annually, since most people won’t use it frequently, but if you do have to claim, you could save thousands.
18. Trip Delay Reimbursement [$200 or More]
If your trip is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you can get up to $500 per traveler for unreimbursed expenses such as meals and accommodations. We value this at $200 because you probably won’t be claiming annually, but if you do need to claim, it could be worth up to $500.
19. Auto Rental Coverage [$200 or More]
If you charge the cost of your car rental to your card and decline the rental company’s collision insurance, you’ll be covered for reimbursement of theft and collision damage. Coverage is secondary to your personal insurance in the U.S.
20. Baggage Delay Insurance [$100 or More]
Get up to $100 per day for up to 3 days for essential purchases (including clothes and toiletries) for baggage delays of more than 6 hours (Source: Chase).
21. Roadside Assistance [$25]
If you have a roadside emergency, you can call the service provider to get help. Note that the call is free, but service fees for whatever you need will be billed to your card.
22. Fourth-Day-Free Car Rentals and Hotel Bookings With Aeroplan Points [$75 or More]
You can get the fourth day free on car rental reservations booked using Aeroplan points starting in January 2027. You can also get a fourth night free when you redeem Aeroplan points for 3 consecutive hotel nights in the same booking (Source: Chase).
Although this could offer money savings, we still think using Aeroplan points to book flights on Air Canada or other Star Alliance carriers is the most lucrative way to use them.
Shopping Benefits and Card Protections
Your purchases and card charges are important, and they’re protected on the Aeroplan card.
23. Purchase Protection, Zero-Liability Protection, and 24/7 Fraud Monitoring [$200+]
Although you likely won’t use these shopping perks very often, having them can still be helpful. Purchase protection covers purchases for 120 days against damage or theft, up to $500 per item, and thanks to zero-liability protection, you won’t be held responsible for any unauthorized charges made with your card. Chase also safeguards you against fraud by texting, emailing, or calling you if a purchase on your card seems unusual.
Final Thoughts
The Aeroplan card is an easy choice for Air Canada loyalists and Star Alliance flyers. It offers perks such as automatic 25K status, numerous statement credits, and various travel perks and protections. Plus, spending in the generous bonus categories alone can easily help you offset the annual fee. If you often fly Air Canada, consider getting this card, which has many airline-specific benefits to make your travels easier.