The best Aeroplan credit cards in Canada for 2025

Aeroplan is Canada’s largest airline loyalty program—and one of its most lucrative. Owned by Air Canada, Aeroplan offers a ton of flexibility compared to other airline loyalty programs. You can redeem Aeroplan points with more than 50 partner airlines and even transfer points to other programs. Here are the best credit cards Aeroplan has to offer.

Featured credit cards

Compare Aeroplan credit cards

Whether you’re looking for a no-fee card to get you started earning Aeroplan points or a full-service travel card with all the bells and whistles, there’s an Aeroplan credit card for you.

	Annual fee	Rewards earn rate	Free checked bag with Air Canada	Nexus fee rebate	Recommended income	Recommended credit score	Apply now (featured cards only)
TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite	$139	Up to 1.5 Aeroplan points per $1 spent	Yes	Yes, every 4 years	$60,000 (personal) or $100,000 (household)	680 or higher	Go to site
CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card	$139	Up to 1.5 Aeroplan points per $1 spent	Yes	No	$60,000 (personal) or $100,000 (household)	None specified	Not available
American Express Aeroplan Card	$120	Up to 2 Aeroplan points per $1 spent	Yes	No	None specified	725 or higher	Not available
American Express Aeroplan Reserve	$599	Up to 3 Aeroplan points per $1 spent	Yes	Yes, every 4 years	None specified	725 or higher	Go to site
CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card	$0	Up to 1 Aeroplan point per $1 spent	Yes	No	$15,000 (household)	None specified	Not available
American Express Cobalt Card	$156	Up to 5 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent	No	No	None specified	725 or higher	Go to site

MoneySense award winners

Check out the pros and cons of our top Aeroplan and premium Aeroplan credit cards, as well as a few alternatives for point collectors.

Best Aeroplan credit cards

Gold: TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite

At a glance: The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite is tailored for frequent travelers seeking premium Air Canada perks and extensive travel insurance. Enjoy a Nexus fee rebate every 48 months, and free checked bags for you and eight companions when your travel begins on an Air Canada flight. Earn 1.5 points per dollar on gas, groceries and Air Canada purchases.

Silver: CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card

At a glance: The CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite is another great option for Aeroplan collectors. This card is great for those prioritizing fuel/EV rewards, offering 1.5 Aeroplan points on gas, EV charging, groceries and Air Canada purchases, and a fuel discount at Chevron, Ultramar, or Pioneer stations with Journie Rewards. Plus enjoy travel insurance, free checked bags for you and eight companions on Air Canada flights, and preferred pricing on Aeroplan flight redemptions.

Best Amex option: American Express Aeroplan Card

At a glance: The American Express Aeroplan Card has a lower annual fee than most premium cards and offers higher rewards. Earn 2 points on Air Canada purchases and 1.5 points on dining and food delivery. Plus, get free checked bags for you and eight companions on Air Canada flights. Note that this card is a charge card, meaning that while you won’t be restricted by a spending limit, you’ll have to pay off the balance in full every month.

Best premium Aeroplan credit card

American Express Aeroplan Reserve

At a glance: Designed for Air Canada loyalists, this premium card unlocks elite travel benefits like complimentary Maple Leaf Lounge access, airport benefits, companion passes, Nexus fee rebates and more. Plus, earn 3 points on Air Canada purchases, 2 points on dining/food delivery, and 1.25 points on everything else.

Best Aeroplan credit card with no annual fee

CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card

At a glance: The CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card is an entry-level option for earning Aeroplan points without an annual fee. Not surprising for a no-fee card, there are no premium travel perks like those offered by the other co-branded Aeroplan credit cards. However, cardholders do get preferred pricing on flight redemptions.

Best alternative for Aeroplan points collectors

American Express Cobalt Card

At a glance: The American Express Cobalt Card is an excellent choice for those seeking to maximize their Aeroplan points through everyday spending. Although it isn’t co-branded with Aeroplan, the card gives you an impressive earn rate of up to 5 Membership Rewards (MR) points per dollar spent. You can then transfer MR points to Aeroplan points at a 1:1 ratio. Thanks to its strong accelerated earn rates, which surpass other Aeroplan co-branded cards, you can earn more Aeroplan points with the Cobalt than with any other card.

Upcoming changes to Aeroplan partner rewards and charts

Starting March 25, 2025, Aeroplan is bringing back Etihad Business Class rewards, along with expanding its dynamic pricing model to include select partner airlines like United, Emirates, Flydubai, Etihad, and Canadian regional airline partners Canadian North, Calm Air and PAL (Provincial Airlines). This shift means redemption rates for these airlines will fluctuate based on demand and availability, similar to Air Canada’s current system. While this could improve access to award seats, it may also lead to higher point costs for popular routes or last-minute bookings.  

The updated Air Canada and select partners reward chart will simplify pricing transparency by displaying a starting rate (unchanged from current fixed rates) and quarterly updated median amounts based on redemptions from the previous four quarters. This median aims to reflect typical costs, but note that median amounts may not appear in cases of low redemption volume (e.g., certain international short-haul ranges) or when only one carrier provides redemption options (e.g., First Class ranges with Emirates). Aeroplan Elite members and co-branded credit card holders will retain access to discounted rates on these flights.  

Notably, fixed pricing remains unchanged for other Star Alliance partners like ANA, EVA Air, and Lufthansa, offering predictability for international itineraries. For some travels such as Arctic Canada, booking before March 25 may be advisable to lock in current rates. These changes balance flexibility with cost uncertainty, making strategic planning essential for maximizing Aeroplan’s evolving rewards.

How many Aeroplan points do you need for a flight?

When redeeming for flights on Air Canada, Aeroplan has introduced “dynamic pricing,” which means the number of points you need for a flight can vary within a range. This changes depending on your city of departure and arrival, whether you’re flying Air Canada or a partner airline, and whether you’re travelling during a high-demand travel season.

At a minimum, you’ll need at least 6,000 points to redeem a one-way ticket within the North America travel zone to any destination within 500 miles of your departure (or 12,000 points for a round-trip). That includes trips like Toronto to Ottawa, or Vancouver to Calgary.

The number of points you need for redemption increases as you go further from your departure city or enter a new travel zone. For example, you’d need at least 70,000 Aeroplan points for a round trip to the Atlantic Zone travel zone within 4,000 miles of your city of departure. Aeroplan has a handy points predictor tool to estimate how many points you need to redeem for a flight.

How much are Aeroplan points worth?

Unfortunately, because of the varying redemption cost described above, Aeroplan points don’t have a fixed value. However, you can use the formula below to decide whether you should redeem your points for a flight.

1 Aeroplan point = (price of ticket – Aeroplan fees) ÷ points needed to redeem

Generally, if you find that your 1 Aeroplan point is worth from 1.2 to 1.5 cents, you’re looking at a solid deal. Let’s use a round-trip flight from Calgary to Halifax as an example:

Flight price	$850 (including taxes and fees)
Redemption price	25,000 Aeroplan points
Calculation	($770 – $80) ÷ 25,000
Value of 1 Aeroplan point	$0.0276 (2.76 cents)

Business class flights are also known to offer better value as their retail value is much higher, but you’ll need to rack up more points to redeem for those rewards.

Maximizing your Aeroplan points with Aeroplan’s stopover policy

Aeroplan has a great stopover policy that will help both casual and seasoned travellers stretch the value of their points.

When travelling almost anywhere (outside Canada or the U.S.) on Air Canada, you can add a stopover on each one-way flight for an incremental 5,000 points. Simply search for your award flight on the Air Canada website and select the “Add stopover for flight 1” to add your preferred stopover airport. By leveraging this stopover policy, you can strategically add stops on your routes, see more destinations, and maximize the value of your points.

How does Aeroplan Family Sharing work?

Aeroplan Family Sharing offers a streamlined way for families to combine their points and unlock rewards faster. Up to eight verified family members—including spouses, children, siblings, and grandparents—can pool their Aeroplan points into a shared balance while maintaining individual accounts. This feature is ideal for households aiming to maximize collective earnings for trips, upgrades or other redemptions.  

How it works  

Once a family lead (the pool creator) invites members, all points earned by participants automatically contribute to the shared pool. Redemptions draw proportionally from each member’s contributions, ensuring balanced participation. The Family Lead controls permissions, allowing some members to earn points without redeeming them—perfect for parents managing children’s accounts. A standout perk is preferred pricing on Aeroplan flights if the pool includes a primary Aeroplan credit cardholder, lowering point costs for everyone.  

Note that dissolving a pool returns points to individual accounts, minus redeemed amounts. Points expire after 18 months of inactivity, but earning and redeeming points reset the clock for all contributors. Family Sharing doesn’t impact Elite Status progression or credit card benefits.

Benefits of Aeroplan Family Sharing 

• Accelerated earnings: Combine occasional earners with frequent point collectors to hit redemption goals quicker.  
• Flexible redemptions: Use pooled points for flights, hotels or experiences. Cancelled rewards refund points to original contributors.  
• No transfer fees: Share points freely within the pool, avoiding external transfer fees.  

Family Sharing eligibility and verification  

After a 2023 pause due to misuse, Aeroplan reintroduced Family Sharing with stricter safeguards, ensuring families can safely collaborate toward shared travel goals. As of February 2025, Aeroplan requires account verification to create or join pools, enhancing security. Members must verify their identity via options like Air Canada flights, Aeroplan credit card matching or instant biometric checks. Existing pools remain unaffected, but any changes to permissions or new invites will require verification. You must wait six months before joining or starting a new pool, and family members must stay in the pool for a minimum of three months before they can leave.

How to earn Aeroplan points faster and gain Elite Status

With Aeroplan, the more flights you take and the longer the flights, the more points you earn. However, flying with Air Canada isn’t the only way to earn Aeroplan points. You can also earn rewards by:

Booking with travel partners: airlines, hotels, car rentals and vacation packages

Shopping via the Aeroplan eStore: you’ll earn points from popular retailers like Amazon, LCBO, Lululemon, Sephora, and more. Some partners, like Starbucks, Uber Eats, and Journie Rewards make it easy by allowing you to link your Aeroplan account.

Earning with Aeroplan retail partners also means that you can “double dip” or earn points twice if you have an Aeroplan credit card: once when you scan your Aeroplan membership card at the register, and again with the Aeroplan credit card.

How to fast-track your way to Aeroplan Elite Status

Aeroplan Elite Status can be achieved by earning a mix of Status Qualifying currencies, which include:

• Status Qualifying Miles (SQM): the amount of actual distance flown with Air Canada
• Status Qualifying Segments (SQS): the number of flight segments flown with Air Canada
• Status Qualifying Dollars (SQD): the amount spent on Air Canada flight tickets

Gaining Aeroplan Elite status is a little more tricky than earning Aeroplan points: to earn higher status and the travel perks that come with it, you’ll need to accumulate the following within a calendar year:

• A set number of SQM or SQS, 
• AND a set number of SQD

Compared to the other four Elite Status tiers, Elite 25K Status, the first status tier above basic Aeroplan membership, is slightly easier to achieve. Instead of the above, you can also qualify by accumulating 100,000 Everyday Qualifying Dollars (EQD). This is based on the amount spent on your Aeroplan credit card via Aeroplan’s travel booking platform and the Aeroplan eStore. Beyond that, however, the best way to upgrade your Aeroplan status is to be a frequent flyer.

The full status qualification requirements can be found here.

Redeeming through Air Canada versus Star Alliance member airlines

Since Air Canada is a Star Alliance member, Aeroplan points can be redeemed for flights on Air Canada or any of the roughly two dozen Star Alliance member airlines. This makes Aeroplan points valuable for international travel to destinations where Air Canada doesn’t fly.

When redeeming on Star Alliance member airlines, which include United and Lufthansa, redemption costs are fixed (as opposed to Aeroplan’s dynamic pricing). For instance, the same round-trip flight from Calgary to Halifax always requires 25,000 points at any point in time. The one caveat is you’ll have to pay an extra $39 booking fee per traveller when flying on a Star Alliance airline versus using Air Canada itself. 

When booking travel, you’ll want to compare between Air Canada and the other Star Alliance airlines to see which one offers the best return for your points.

Which Aeroplan cards come with lounge access?

Three Aeroplan credit cards provide airport lounge access:

• TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card: Allows access to Maple Leaf Lounges in North America for primary and additional cardholders, each of whom can bring a guest. This access is only available with a same-day ticket on a departing Air Canada or Star Alliance flight. You’ll also get complimentary access to the Visa Airport Companion Program by Dragonpass that gives you six free visits to over 1,200 lounges worldwide.
• CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card: Offers the same Maple Leaf Lounge and Dragonpass benefits as the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege. 
• American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card: Provides Maple Leaf Lounge access for the primary and additional cardholders (and one additional guest) on eligible Air Canada and Star Alliance flights.

Which Aeroplan cards come with a free checked bag?

Baggage fees are always rising, making free checked bags a coveted benefit for many travelers. Many Aeroplan credit cards offer this perk; better yet, the benefit is often not just for cardholders but also for those traveling with them on the same flight. The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card and TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege card provide a free checked bag for the cardholder and up to eight companions (for a total of nine people) on the same reservation. The CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Visa Card and CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege cards offer the same benefit, as does the American Express Aeroplan Card and the American Express Aeroplan Reserve card. Just note that the flight must be operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or under the Air Canada Express brand for the free checked bag benefit to apply.

Frequently asked questions

Do Aeroplan points expire?

Aeroplan points expire after 18 months of inactivity, meaning you haven’t earned, redeemed, donated or transferred your points. If you have an Aeroplan credit card, your Aeroplan account and points will remain viable.

Can I have multiple Aeroplan credit cards?

Yes, you can have multiple Aeroplan credit cards and have points from different cards allocated to the same Aeroplan account. However, if you’re thinking of getting multiple cards to take advantage of welcome bonuses and other perks, note that Aeroplan may consider this to be an abuse of these bonus offers. It may limit the bonuses you receive, suspend your account or terminate it altogether.

More of Canada’s best credit cards:

• Best credit cards in Canada
• Best rewards credit cards
• Best travel credit cards
• Best cash back credit cards