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The premium Aeroplan co-branded cards in Canada were already excellent, and new benefits introduced in 2026 make an even stronger case for keeping one in your wallet.
In this article, we’ll cover the top 5 reasons to hold a premium Aeroplan co-branded card, focusing only on benefits exclusive to this tier. For example, core Aeroplan cards also include free checked bags, so we won’t discuss that. All cardholders also get 15% off Air Canada Flight Rewards.
What Are the Premium Aeroplan Co-Branded Cards?
As a primer, here are the credit cards we’re talking about. The premium Aeroplan co-branded cards in Canada are the following:
- TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card
- CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card
- American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card
- American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card
TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege card
To be transparent, these sit at the top of Aeroplan’s co-branded credit card portfolio and come with a $599 annual fee. Of course, with a hefty fee comes hefty benefits, as we’ll get into below.
If you’re choosing between the cards, pick Amex for the highest welcome bonus (you can only collect one bonus per card tier) or pick TD for the most practical everyday use: it comes with six additional free lounge visits (that Amex doesn’t offer). CIBC also comes with lounge passes, but TD wins for its more comprehensive insurance package, particularly for delayed and lost/stolen baggage.
Air Canada Status 10% Head Start (+ SQC Earning)
The new 10% Head Start will take the place of rollover SQM
New for 2027, eligible premium Aeroplan co-branded credit cardholders will receive bonus Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) equal to 10% of their total SQC accumulated in the previous calendar year. The biggest thing to know is there is no cap to the SQC earned through this Head Start benefit.
To qualify, you’ll have to be an active primary cardholder by December 15, 2026 and hold Aeroplan 25K status or higher on February 15, 2027.
For example, if you earn exactly the 50,000 SQC required for Aeroplan 50K, Head Start gives you 5,000 SQC toward requalification. In effect, the 10% Head Start offers a 10% SQC discount on next year’s SQC requirement to requalify.
The Head Start is in addition to the SQC you earn through everyday spending. All Aeroplan co-branded cards earn SQC, but premium Aeroplan cards earn at the best rate: 1,000 SQC per $5,000 spent. The maximum number of SQC you can earn through everyday spending is 25,000, equivalent to $125,000 in spending.
Going back to the earlier example, earning 25,000 SQC through spending and 5,000 SQC with Head Start means you only need to earn 20,000 SQC through good old-fashioned flying with Air Canada to maintain Aeroplan 50K status.
You can earn Aeroplan 25K Elite status entirely through spending, as only 25,000 SQC are required.
Air Canada Priority Boarding (+ Priority Everything)
If you’re not an Aeroplan Elite member, that’s OK, because holding a premium Aeroplan card provides many of the benefits. You get all the priority airport services:
- Zone 2 Priority Boarding
- Priority Check-In
- Priority Baggage Handling
- Priority Airport Standby
- Priority Airport Upgrades
The first one matters most to me because Zone 2 boarding can be the difference between the plane still having space for my carry-on suitcase and not. Gate-checking a bag increases the chance of damage, and not having to pick it up on the luggage carousel saves precious minutes at the end of your trip.
The other priority services matter depending on your travel style: priority check-in and baggage handling are a big plus. Toronto Pearson (YYZ)’s priority check-in area almost guarantees no lines. Priority airport standby is useful if you’re trying to standby for a different flight or during irregular operations (IRROPS).
Priority airport upgrades give eligible cardholders higher priority on the airport upgrade list, including for eUpgrade requests.
Earn World of Hyatt Points + Get Globalist With 20 Nights
We’ve written a good bit on the new partnership between Hyatt and Aeroplan, and it’s still not enough: it’s hard to convey how valuable a premium Aeroplan co-branded card is for Canadians who care even a little bit about Hyatt (and if you don’t, you might once you find out how handy these cards are).
First off, the status benefits. You get World of Hyatt Discoverist status just by holding a credit card and also 5 Tier-Qualifying Night credits. Cardholders can also initiate a status match twice a year to earn Explorist status after 10 nights and top-tier Globalist status after staying just 20 nights in a 90-day period.
You also earn 2 Hyatt points and 2 Aeroplan points per $1 spent at Hyatt hotels; these come from the credit card and stack with the regular Hyatt points you’d earn from the stay.
Notably, you do need to be an Aeroplan Elite member to transfer points to/from Hyatt and exchange Aeroplan points for Free Night Awards, but even 25K status is enough. Per the SQC section above, it’s straightforward to earn Aeroplan 25K Elite status without flying.
As such, premium Aeroplan co-branded cards function like pseudo-Hyatt co-branded cards and offer an easy and accessible path to engage with Hyatt and earn World of Hyatt elite status.
Unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge and Air Canada Cafe Access
New Air Canada Cafe at Quebec City (YQB)
A longstanding benefit of the premium Aeroplan cards is unlimited access to Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafes in Canada and the U.S., plus complimentary access for one guest.
Honestly, I had underrated this benefit in the past since I always had a plethora of Maple Leaf Lounge guest passes through maintaining Elite status (even Aeroplan 25K was enough), which more than sufficed for my needs. However, with Aeroplan Elite status changes, Maple Leaf Lounge guest passes are no longer a Core Benefit and must be selected as a Milestone Benefit. Moreover, it’s hard to recommend choosing anything other than Priority Rewards, so my guess is most Elite members won’t have any lounge passes to share.
All that to say, if you frequently travel on Star Alliance flights (like Air Canada) in Canada and the U.S. and your Aeroplan status is below 50K (50K and above get complimentary lounge access), you may want to consider a premium card for unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge and Air Canada Cafe access.
Annual Worldwide Companion Pass
The last reason to hold a premium Aeroplan co-branded card is the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass. You earn one after spending $25,000 a year, and it works by having a fixed base fare for the second passenger (first passenger pays full price) as follows:
- Canada & the continental U.S.: $99
- Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean: $299
- South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa: $499
- Asia, Australia, and New Zealand: $599
The pass has no blackout dates and works for all economy fare categories, including both Basic and Latitude. The discount applies only to the base fare; taxes, fees, and surcharges remain payable.
It’s admittedly not the strongest benefit, since you can find base fares even cheaper than the companion pass, and we at PMB have a list of suggestions to make it better. However, when the math works, it really works. You can save a substantial amount on Flex or Latitude fares, which you can then use eUpgrades to clear into business class.
Takeaway
At $599 a year, premium Aeroplan cards aren’t cheap, but the benefits increasingly justify the “premium” label. Between helping you earn and maintain Aeroplan status, providing many elite-like benefits even without status, unlocking valuable Hyatt perks, and offering unlimited lounge access, these cards are much more than a way to earn Aeroplan points.
For frequent Air Canada travellers, there’s an increasingly compelling case to keep one in your wallet.
