Breaking down the changes to the Aeroplan program in 2026

If you’re one of the nine million Aeroplan members in Canada, you’ll want to review the way you earn rewards points and benefits with Air Canada. On August 6, 2025, the flag carrier announced an overhaul of its popular Aeroplan loyalty program that will take effect January 1, 2026. Here’s our breakdown of the changes and how they impact you – whether you’re a frequent flyer or casual traveller.

You’ll earn Aeroplan points based on money spent, not distance flown

Currently, Aeroplan awards points based on the percentage of the actual miles flown on your flight. Higher fare types and classes award more points, while discounted fare types tend to earn fewer points. For instance, an international basic economy flight awards 25% of the miles flown, while business class awards 150%. 

Starting January 1, 2026, you’ll earn 1 Aeroplan point per $1 spent on base fares and surcharges (excluding taxes and third-party fees). You won’t earn points on ancillary products and fees, such as additional checked baggage or seating assignments. 

In reality, this means that you’ll earn more points by buying expensive tickets than by simply flying further and more frequently. This is a win if you’re a frequent flyer and pay for your own flights. Here’s a comparison of the Aeroplan points earned from different flights:

Note: These are estimates based on approximate miles flown and flight prices at the time of publishing.

Aeroplan is also changing the way you earn points when flying with some partner airlines. Flights operated by Air Canada, as well as flights ticketed by Air Canada (ticket number starting with 014) and operated by Copa Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS and United Airlines, will all award Aeroplan points based on the dollar value of your ticket.

Earning Aeroplan points from other partner airlines’ flights will remain distance-based. Thankfully, the value of Aeroplan points for redemptions remains unchanged for now. 

You’ll get Aeroplan Elite status by earning Status Qualifying Credits (SQC)

When it comes to earning Aeroplan Elite status, things are becoming much simpler. Currently, to qualify for Elite status, you need a combination of three different metrics: Status Qualifying Miles, Status Qualifying Segments, and Status Qualifying Dollars. These will all be replaced by a single metric: Status Qualifying Credits (SQC). 

Once again, SQC can be earned mainly from your spending. You’ll earn 2-4 SQC per dollar spent on fares (depending on the fare type) and 1 SQC per dollar spent on Air Canada Vacations. In fact, you can even earn up to 50,000 SQC and achieve Elite 50K status without even setting foot in an Air Canada plane: 

• Earn 1 SQC for every 5 Aeroplan points earned from partners, up to a maximum of 25,000 SQC. This includes partner airlines, hotels, car rentals, and retail partners like Starbucks, Uber, and LCBO
• Earn 1,000 SQC for every $5,000 spent on an Aeroplan Premium credit card, or 1 SQC for every $20,000 spent on an Aeroplan Core credit card, up to a maximum of 25,000 SQC

What this means is that Aeroplan credit cards will become the fast lane to Elite status – and it’s worth getting one if you’re a frequent traveller. The perks you’re already getting from Aeroplan cards will remain unchanged, and if you get to Elite 50K, you’ll also enjoy international partner airline perks thanks to the corresponding Star Alliance Gold status.

Aeroplan is making Aeroplan Elite status more desirable

A new Core Benefit from these changes is that with Aeroplan Elite Status, you’ll earn 2 to 6 times the Aeroplan points on flight purchases with Air Canada, as well as flights ticketed by Air Canada and operated by the partner airlines mentioned earlier on. This is currently a Select Benefit that members have to choose to receive.

Speaking of which, Select Benefits are going away – to be replaced by new Milestones benefits that you can earn by accumulating a number of SQC once you attain Elite status. You’ll also get more choices in the benefits you can redeem. For instance, the Maple Leaf Lounge guest passes offered through Milestone Benefits will be valid at all lounges worldwide, rather than just the lounges in Canada, Los Angeles and New York.

Also read: The best credit cards for airport lounge access

The bottom line

So, are the Aeroplan changes in 2026 better or worse for you? Overall, it’s become easier to achieve Aeroplan Elite 25K, but harder to attain and re-qualify for the higher tiers. While you can theoretically attain Elite 50K by using an Aeroplan credit card and spending with the airline’s partners, it’ll take a fair bit of spending to get there. 

If you’re a frequent domestic flyer, you’ll get the most out of Aeroplan and your loyalty to Air Canada – something that may get challenging if competitors like Porter and WestJet offer cheaper and better flights. 

If you’re a casual traveller or fly long haul, earning status isn’t as important as redeeming your Aeroplan points for flights on Air Canada and its partner airlines. You’ll also lose thousands of Aeroplan points on long-haul flights, and the points multiplier from gaining Elite Status will only just make up for that loss. A travel credit card that allows point transfers to Aeroplan, such as the popular American Express Cobalt Card, will offer much more value for your money.

Also read:

• The best Aeroplan credit cards in Canada
• The best travel credit cards in Canada for  2025
• The value of an Aeroplan Point
• 5 ways to save on travel costs