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Air Canada is overhauling its Aeroplan loyalty program, including how to reach Elite Status. Find out how and when the changes will affect you.
Air Canada has announced that some big changes are coming to its popular Aeroplan loyalty program in the new year. As of Jan. 1, 2026, members will earn Aeroplan points based on how much they spend rather than how far they fly and their fare type. Qualifying for Elite Status is also being revamped with the introduction of Status Qualifying Credits (SQCs)—a new system that awards credits according to the cost of your ticket and your current status level.
We’ll break down the key changes to Aeroplan and explore whether they will help members accelerate their earnings or just clip their wings.
Understanding how to earn Aeroplan points will be more straightforward under the new model. Currently, members earn points based on a percentage of the miles they fly in a given fare class, with percentages ranging from as low as 10% of miles flown for economy basic up to 150% for business class fares.
Under the new plan, points earned will be based on what you spend. You’ll receive a minimum of 1 point per $1 spent on eligible Air Canada flights (excluding taxes and fees). Things get more complicated if you book with a partner airline; how you earn points—whether at a ratio of 1 point to $1 spent or based on distance flown—will depend on what carrier you use and how you booked your ticket.
Earned points will be boosted for Aeroplan members with Elite Status as follows:
A sample flight helps illustrate the changes. Currently if you were to book a flight from Toronto to Vancouver with an Economy Flex fare (which earns you 100% of distance flown in points), it would cost approximately $750 depending on when you fly. (Prices are from Air Canada’s website, sourced on Aug. 14, 2025.) You’d earn 4,170 Aeroplan points (the distance between Toronto to Vancouver is 2,085 flight miles each way).
Under the new system, if you don’t have Elite Status, you’ll get far fewer points for booking the same flight—just 750 points for the $750 spent (on the base fare and carrier surcharges, excluding applicable taxes and fees)—which is a significant reduction for economy travellers.
The new model will likely hurt bargain hunters looking for deals on long-haul trips, but it does reward those with Aeroplan Elite status who purchase higher-priced fare classes like premium economy and business class.
For example, in the above scenario, as of 2026, if a member with 50K Status were to buy a business class seat to Vancouver (which can go for an average of $5,000 or more) they would now earn at least 20,000 Aeroplan points ($5,000 x 4 points per $1 spent) rather than the 6,255 points (150% of 4,170 miles) they would earn under the current rewards program.
The other major change to the program is the introduction of Status Qualifying Credits (SQCs). These credits will replace what has been a very confusing system of earning Status Qualifying Miles, Status Qualifying Segments, and Status Qualifying Dollars to gain Elite Status and its benefits.
You’ll earn SQC based on the amount spent and fare type purchased. Here’s what you’ll get:
Milestone benefits are also being introduced for those with Elite Status, replacing the current system of select benefits, priority rewards, threshold eUpgrades, and gifts.
A new Milestone reward will be available each time you accumulate 10,000 SQCs (to a max of 200,000), and at every 20,000 SQCs after that (up to one million). Available benefits will be much as they are now and include things like eUpgrade credits, Maple Leaf Lounge passes, and 30% off various redemptions.
As with earning points, because qualifying for status will be based mainly on what you spend and your fare type, it will be harder for economy-loving passengers who prioritize price to get status.
Under the updated program, Aeroplan credit cards will be even more valuable for earning points and qualifying for Elite Status.
With the new Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) system, members can earn a maximum combined total of 25,000 SQC annually from eligible credit card activity across all Aeroplan cards, which counts toward achieving Elite Status. Basic credit cards (like the American Express Aeroplan Card) will earn 1,000 SQC for every $20,000 spent, while premium cards (like the American Express Aeroplan Reserve card) will earn 1,000 SQC per $5,000 spent.
Starting in 2027, Aeroplan’s premium credit cards will also introduce a new “10% Head Start” perk for Elite Status members (replacing the rollover benefit) that awards 10% of the SQC collected in the previous year to your account. Aside from getting you to Elite Status faster, Aeroplan cards will continue to come with tempting perks like free checked bags, priority airport services, preferred pricing, and more.
The upcoming changes to Aeroplan will substantially change how members earn points and qualify for status but will not affect how to redeem points—that confusing flight rewards chart is here to stay for now.
Undoubtedly, premium-class and business-class flyers, and those with Elite Status, will see increased Aeroplan earning potential under the updated program. Economy travellers who prioritize seat price will likely find it harder to rack up points and status and may want to consider an Aeroplan-branded credit card to boost their points accumulation.
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