Earn rates

The Aeroplan Card earns at three rates. Air Canada purchases earn 2x Aeroplan points. Restaurants and food delivery services in Canada earn 1.5x. All other spending earns 1x. There is no published annual cap on bonus category earning.

Spending category Earn rate Points per $100 spent
Air Canada purchases 2x Aeroplan 200 pts
Dining and food delivery (Canada) 1.5x Aeroplan 150 pts
Everything else 1x Aeroplan 100 pts

The card earn on Air Canada stacks on top of the Aeroplan flight miles you earn from the booking itself. At 2x, the Aeroplan Card earns more on Air Canada than any TD or CIBC mid-tier Aeroplan card, which top out at 1.5x. The dining rate is also stronger than the TD and CIBC Visa Infinite cards, which do not give a bonus rate on restaurants.

Key benefits

Free first checked bag
The primary cardholder and up to eight companions on the same Air Canada reservation each receive one free first checked bag on Air Canada–operated flights. On a return trip for two, the saving is approximately $120 to $180 depending on the route.
Preferred pricing on Aeroplan rewards
Cardholders receive preferred pricing on Aeroplan flight reward redemptions, which can reduce the points cost of certain Air Canada flights. The discount applies at booking when you pay with the card or use your linked Aeroplan account.
Status acceleration
Earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles (SQM) per $10,000 spent on the card annually. This supplements flying for Aeroplan members working toward or maintaining Air Canada elite status. The Reserve card accelerates faster at 1,000 SQM per $5,000.
Travel insurance
Coverage includes flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage, hotel burglary, and travel accident insurance. Emergency medical is not included at this tier. Coverage applies on reward flights purchased with Aeroplan points.

Travel insurance

  • Travel accident: up to $500,000
  • Flight delay: up to $500 per person
  • Baggage delay: coverage applies
  • Lost or stolen baggage: coverage applies
  • Hotel / motel burglary: coverage applies
  • Purchase protection: 90 days
  • Extended warranty: 1 additional year

Emergency medical coverage is not included on the Aeroplan Card. Travellers who need medical coverage for trips should consider supplemental insurance or a card that includes it, such as the Reserve at $599 per year.

What the earn math looks like

A cardholder spending $2,500 per month, split across typical categories:

Category Monthly spend Rate Monthly points
Dining and food delivery $500 1.5x 750 pts
Air Canada $200 2x 400 pts
All other spending $1,800 1x 1,800 pts
Total $2,500 2,950 pts / mo

35,400 Aeroplan points per year from everyday spending at this mix. At a conservative 1.5 cents per point, that is approximately $531 in Aeroplan value annually against a $120 annual fee. Higher dining spend shifts the balance further in the card’s favour.

Amex acceptance

American Express is accepted at fewer merchants than Visa or Mastercard in Canada. Most major grocery chains, airlines, hotels, and online retailers accept Amex, but some independent businesses and certain categories do not. If you spend heavily at merchants that do not accept Amex, the 1x fallback earn is effectively lost. Carrying a no-fee Visa or Mastercard alongside this card covers the gaps without added annual cost.

Good fit if

  • You dine out or order food delivery regularly and want a meaningful bonus rate on that spend.
  • You fly Air Canada occasionally and value the free checked bag and preferred Aeroplan pricing without paying $599 for the Reserve.
  • You want to earn Aeroplan without meeting the income thresholds required for TD and CIBC Visa Infinite cards.

Less useful if

  • You fly Air Canada frequently and want lounge access and a companion pass, both of which require the Aeroplan Reserve.
  • You spend heavily on groceries or gas: the TD and CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite cards earn 1.5x on those categories, which Amex does not match.
  • Many of your regular merchants do not accept Amex, which eliminates the bonus category advantage.
Side-by-side comparison → Compare: Aeroplan Reserve → Aeroplan program guide →