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American Express Aeroplan credit cards are a great option for those who are looking to maximize their travel benefits, even if they are not frequent flyers. These cards offer a wide range of perks that can help you earn Aeroplan points faster and redeem them for flights, hotels, and other travel experiences. One of the main advantages of the premium Aeroplan credit card is that they allow cardmembers to reach higher Aeroplan Elite status faster, and rollover upto 50 unused eUpgrade Credits to the following year. The welcome bonus is generous, allowing you to redeem your points for travel experiences more quickly. These curated Aeroplan cards offer outsized value, so lets take a closer look and analyze what these benefits are worth;
American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card – Apply Now
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- Annual Fee: $599
- Welcome Bonus Offer:
- Up to 85,000 Aeroplan points
- 55,000 Welcome Bonus points with $6,000 in net purchases in the first 6 months
- 5,000 Aeroplan points for each monthly billing period with $1,000 in purchases on the Card for the first 6 months of cardmembership (up to 30,000 Aeroplan points)
- Up to 85,000 Aeroplan points
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- Earn Rate:
- 3x the points on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada®* and Air Canada Vacations®*
- 2x the points on eligible dining and food delivery purchases in Canada
- 2x the points on eligible purchases with Rocky Mountaineer. Plus, you could receive a Complimentary Hotel Room Category Upgrade, on the first and last night, and a Complimentary Upgrade from SilverLeaf to GoldLeaf class of service when you book directly with Rocky Mountaineer using your Aeroplan Reserve Card
- 1.25x the points on everything else
- Exclusive Benefits at Toronto Pearson International Airport:
- Access to Pearson Priority Security Lane
- Complimentary valet service
- Save 15% on parking rates at the Express Park and Daily Park
- Save 15% on Car Care Services
- Air Canada Priority Airport Service Benefits:
- Air Canada Priority Check-in
- Air Canada Priority Boarding
- Air Canada Priority Baggage Handling
- Earn Rate:
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- Lounge Access:
- Access to more than 1,200 Priority Pass™ airport lounges around the globe.
- Access to select Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges™* and Air Canada Café™* in North America, with a same day ticket on a departing Air Canada or Star Alliance®* flight. One Guest allowed.
- Lounge Access:
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- Additional Benefits:
- Receive up to $100 CAD in statement credits every four years when a NEXUS application or renewal fee is charged to the Card
- Earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles and 1 Status Qualifying Segment for every $5,000 in eligible net purchases charged to the Card. Rollover unused Status Qualifying Miles to qualify for Air Canada status the following year
- Roll over any unallocated Aeroplan Elite™ Status Qualifying Miles and unused eUpgrade Credits to the following year to enjoy during your travels
- One Annual Worldwide Companion Pass when you spend $25,000 in net purchases prior to your Card anniversary date. Buy an accompanying Air Canada economy class ticket for a companion at a fixed base fare from $99 to a maximum of $599 CAD (plus taxes, fees, charges, and surcharges)
- Free first checked bag, up to 23kg/50lb for up to 9 people travelling on the same reservation on Air Canada flights
- Earn Aeroplan Points faster with Additional Cards ($199 for each Additional Card to enjoy some of the Air Canada travel benefits that the Basic Cardmember receives, $0 for each Additional Aeroplan®* Reserve No Fee Card to earn points faster)
- Access to Entertainment and more through American Express® Experiences:
- Enjoy a variety of special offers and events in music, sports, entertainment, dining, retail, and more, created for Cardmembers
- Front Of The Line®: access presale and reserved tickets to virtual buzzworthy concerts, drive-in events and other experiences
- Additional Benefits:
Details of the new Amex Offers on Aeroplan Credit Cards, can be found here.
American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card – Apply Now
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- Annual Fee: $599
- Welcome Bonus Offer:
- Up to 85,000 Aeroplan points
- 25,000 Welcome Bonus points with $3,000 in net purchases in the first 3 months
- 5,000 Aeroplan points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $2,000 in purchases on your Card for the first twelve months of Cardmembership.
- Up to 85,000 Aeroplan points
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- Earn Rate:
- 3x the points on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada®* and Air Canada Vacations®*
- 2x the points on eligible hotels and car rentals
- 1.25x the points on everything else
- Exclusive Benefits at Toronto Pearson International Airport:
- Access to Pearson Priority Security Lane
- Complimentary valet service
- Save 15% on parking rates at the Express Park and Daily Park
- Save 15% on Car Care Services
- Air Canada Priority Airport Service Benefits:
- Air Canada Priority Check-in
- Air Canada Priority Boarding
- Air Canada Priority Baggage Handling
- Earn Rate:
-
- Lounge Access:
- Access to more than 1,200 Priority Pass™ airport lounges around the globe.
- Access to select Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges™* and Air Canada Café™* in North America, with a same day ticket on a departing Air Canada or Star Alliance®* flight. One Guest allowed.
- Lounge Access:
-
- Additional Benefits:
- Receive up to $100 CAD in statement credits every four years when a NEXUS application or renewal fee is charged to the Card
- Earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles and 1 Status Qualifying Segment for every $5,000 in eligible net purchases charged to the Card. Rollover unused Status Qualifying Miles to qualify for Air Canada status the following year
- Roll over any unallocated Aeroplan Elite™ Status Qualifying Miles and unused eUpgrade Credits to the following year to enjoy during your travels
- One Annual Worldwide Companion Pass when you spend $25,000 in net purchases prior to your Card anniversary date. Buy an accompanying Air Canada economy class ticket for a companion at a fixed base fare from $99 to a maximum of $599 CAD (plus taxes, fees, charges, and surcharges)
- Free first checked bag, up to 23kg/50lb for up to 9 people travelling on the same reservation on Air Canada flights
- Earn Aeroplan Points faster with Additional Cards ($199 for each Additional Card to enjoy some of the Air Canada travel benefits that the Basic Cardmember receives, $0 for each Additional Aeroplan®* Reserve No Fee Card to earn points faster)
- Access to Entertainment and more through American Express® Experiences:
- Enjoy a variety of special offers and events in music, sports, entertainment, dining, retail, and more, created for Cardmembers
- Front Of The Line®: access presale and reserved tickets to virtual buzzworthy concerts, drive-in events and other experiences
- Additional Benefits:
Details of the new Amex Offers on Aeroplan Credit Cards, can be found here.
American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card (Personal and Business) – Personal valuation of benefits
I value Aeroplan points at 2.0 CAD cents a point. This valuation is based on the average value I derive out of my usage of Aeroplan Points. And based on this valuation, the breakdown of key benefits on the Card are as follows;
Welcome Bonus: 85,000 points = $1700 CAD
Lounge Access: $495 CAD (estimate based on individual membership price for Maple Leaf Club)
Annual Worldwide Companion Pass: In practice, this benefit alone can bring savings upwards of $1000, but I have taken a conservative valuation of $500 CAD (based on average domestic flight prices in Canada)
Nexus application Fee: $100 CAD
Total Minimum Value: ~$2795
With an annual fee of $599, it’s easy to see how the exclusive benefits on both Reserve cards far outweigh the annual fee and make it worth keeping year over year.
American Express® Aeroplan®* Card – Apply Now
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- Annual Fee: $120
- Welcome Bonus Offer:
- Up to 50,000 Aeroplan points
- 35,000 Welcome Bonus points with $3,000 in net purchases in the first 6 months
- 2,500 Aeroplan points for each monthly billing period with $500 in purchases on the Card for the first 6 months of cardmembership (up to 15,000 Aeroplan points)
- Up to 50,000 Aeroplan points
- Earn Rate:
- 2x the points on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada®* and Air Canada Vacations®*
- 1.5x the points on eligible dining and food delivery purchases in Canada
- 1x the points on everything else
- Additional Benefits:
- Earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles and 1 Status Qualifying Segment for every $10,000 in eligible net purchases charged to the Card.
- Free first checked bag, up to 23kg/50lb for up to 9 people travelling on the same reservation on Air Canada Flights
- Earn Aeroplan points faster with Additional Cards ($50 for each Additional Card to enjoy some of the Air Canada travel benefits that the Basic Cardmember receives, $0 for each Additional Aeroplan®* No Fee Card to earn points faster)
- Access to Entertainment and more through American Express® Experiences:
- Enjoy a variety of special offers and events in music, sports, entertainment, dining, retail, and more, created for Cardmembers
- Front Of The Line®: access presale and reserved tickets to virtual buzzworthy concerts, drive-in events and other experiences
Details of the new Amex offers on Aeroplan Credit Cards, can be found here.
American Express Aeroplan Card – Personal valuation of benefits
I value Aeroplan points at 2.0 CAD cents a point. This valuation is based on the average value I derive out of my usage of Aeroplan Points. And based on this valuation, the breakdown of key benefits on the card is as follows;
Welcome Bonus: 50,000 points = $1000 CAD
With welcome bonus alone, the returns on this card far outweighs the annual fee of $120, in the first year. This card should appeal to leisure travellers who are not looking for exclusive travel benefits when travelling on Air Canada.
Take Away
American Express Aeroplan credit cards deliver high value travel benefits for all cardmembers, not just frequent flyers or elite members. Whether you’re looking to earn points for a dream vacation or just want to enjoy some extra perks during your travels, an Amex Aeroplan credit card is definitely worth considering.
