Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card Review
The Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card launched a few years back with a surprising amount of hype, especially for a co-branded card. And as of September 2026, it has been refreshed with a new name, card art, benefits and earning structure. It comes with an increased welcome offer—and an increased annual fee. Does it still live up to the hype? With some new perks, it's possible for regular Air Canada travelers to offset the newly increased annual $195 fee. But is it still a crowd pleaser? Let's go over all of the details in our Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card review.
Current Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card Welcome Offer
The Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card comes with the following welcome offer:
- Earn up to 115,000 bonus points:
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- Plus, 40,000 bonus points after you spend $20,000 in the first 12 months your account is open.
- This card has a $195 annual fee, which is not waived in the first year.
Aeroplan is one of the lowest-cost options for flying Star Alliance airlines, though it had a devaluation earlier this year. This all-time high welcome offer is lucrative for those looking to fly domestically on partner United Airlines or internationally on many Star Alliance partners. The versatility of Pay Yourself Back (more below) makes this usable for pretty much anyone, though.
Chase Application Rules
Like other Chase cards, you will not qualify for this card if you have opened more than 5 credit cards with any bank in the last 24 months. You also can not receive the welcome offer on this card if you have earned one in the last 24 months.
Earning Rates
The Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card has the following earning structure:
- 5x total points for each dollar spent on Air Canada purchases
- This includes 3x points on Air Canada purchases with your card plus an additional 2x points from Air Canada on eligible flights when traveling as an Aeroplan 25K member.
- 3x points for each dollar spent on travel purchases
- 2x points for each dollar spent at:
- Grocery stores
- Dining at restaurants
- Gas stations
- 1x for each dollar spent on all other purchases
As a co-branded card, you earn Aeroplan miles instead of a transferable currency such as Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards or Citi ThankYou Points. While it is best to begin with transferable points, as they typically yield more value, co-branded cards can offer extreme value as well.
Card Benefits
As a Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card cardholder, you'll enjoy the following perks:
Automatic 25K Aeroplan Status
25K Status entitles you to benefits such as priority check-In, priority boarding (Zone 2), additional baggage allowance, Star Alliance recognition and eUpgrade credits. Plus:
- Upgrade to Aeroplan 35K Status: After spending $75,000 during a calendar year. Enjoy benefits such as Priority Security Clearance.
- Reach Aeroplan Elite® Status faster: Reach Aeroplan Elite® Status and unlock milestones faster with your card. Primary Cardmembers can get up to 25,000 Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) each calendar year:
- 5,000 SQC as a bonus every year
- 10,000 SQC when you spend $25,000 on your card
- 10,000 SQC when you spend $50,000 on your card
Other Benefits
- Up to $100 in Air Canada statement credits: Receive up to $50 in Air Canada statement credits, delivered twice annually when you make eligible transactions.
- Save 15% on award flights: Available to cardmembers on eligible Air Canada flight redemptions.
- First checked bag free: For the cardholder and up to 8 companions on the same reservation (9 total) on Air Canada flights.
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit: Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as a reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card.
- No foreign transaction fees
- Pay Yourself Back®: Since 2023, those who hold the Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card have had another redemption option added to their tool bag. Cardholders can use “Pay Yourself Back” on different categories, including 1.25 cents per point for travel purchases up to 200,000 points per year. The current terms note that categories, including promotional categories, eligible merchants and purchase transaction eligibility may change from time to time. Redemption values and maximum amount of points you can use will be shown on the transaction page prior to redemption and may also change from time to time.
Expiring Benefits
Existing cardmembers received an email that they can continue to access the following benefits through Dec. 31, 2026. (After which point they'll be discontinued.)
- Spending bonus: 500 bonus points for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month, up to 1,500 points per month.
- 10% bonus on Ultimate Rewards transfers: The end of this under-the-radar perk, long one of our favorite benefits of this card, is a big loss.
- 3x points at grocery stores and on dining purchases: This will switch to 2x earning beginning January 1, 2027.
ToP Analysis
This card has long been leaps and bounds better than most of its airline co-brand competitors. This revamp comes with a steeper annual fee and some new perks that attempt to make up for it. But it also comes with a painful loss of one of our favorite airline card perks. Let's look at what's changing and what's not.
First, cardholders now receive automatic 25K Elite Status. Previously, cardholders got it for the year in which they opened the card and could maintain it in subsequent years by spending a minimum of $15,000 on your card in a calendar year. It's great to see the card earn 3x on travel purchases, as well as the addition of gas stations as a 2x earning category. As we've seen with co-branded cards from Delta and United, cardholders can access award pricing discounts. Save 15% on the Aeroplan points required to redeem for the base fare of eligible Air Canada flight redemptions. Some great benefits remain. Free baggage for up to 9 people is overly generous for most everyone. And the up to $100 credit towards NEXUS is awesome for those who travel between the USA and Canada frequently.
We're seeing a bit of coupon-ification here, with up to $100 in Air Canada statement credits up for grabs each year. These are broken up into $50 credits and must be used on purchases made with Air Canada directly. If you regularly fly Air Canada and can make use of these, it could offset the annual fee increase.
Unfortunately, this card refresh comes with some losses. The 500-point spending bonus for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month (up to 1,500 points per month) is gone. So is the 10% transfer bonus opportunity on Ultimate Rewards transfers. Cardholders (who also have an Ultimate Rewards earning card) have been able to access a 10% transfer bonus after transferring 50,000 or more Ultimate Rewards points in a single transaction from an eligible Chase credit card to their Aeroplan account, for a maximum of 25,000 bonus points per calendar year. This has long been one of the most valuable benefits of this card, and we're more than a little disappointed to see it go. The earning structure took a hit, too: You can no longer earn 3x points for grocery stores or restaurants.
Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card Review: ToP Thoughts
Card revamps usually mean some new perks (often by the way of coupon-ification)—and the loss of some old perks. That's no different with the updated Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card. We're disappointed by the loss of the 10% bonus on Ultimate Rewards transfers. But this card is still worthy of a $195 annual fee for at least the first year—and potentially as a longterm keeper, too. The welcome offer is lucrative, especially for those who have a plan to hit the second tier of the bonus. For most, this card is worthy of a Chase 5/24 spot. The Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card is consistently featured on our monthly list of the ToP credit card offers. What are your thoughts on this refresh? Come over to our ToP Facebook group and tell us your thoughts.
