Earn rates
The card has three earn tiers. Air Canada earns at the highest rate. A broad set of business-relevant categories earns at the middle rate, covering most of what a typical business puts on a card. Everything else earns 1x.
| Spending category | Earn rate |
|---|---|
| Air Canada flights and Air Canada Vacations | 2x Aeroplan |
| Travel & transit | 1.5x Aeroplan |
| Dining | 1.5x Aeroplan |
| Electric vehicle charging | 1.5x Aeroplan |
| Shipping | 1.5x Aeroplan |
| Internet, cable, and phone services | 1.5x Aeroplan |
| Everything else | 1x Aeroplan |
Points also stack at over 150 Aeroplan partner brands and 200+ online retailers via the Aeroplan eStore when you pay with the card and provide your Aeroplan number.
Benefits
| Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Free first checked bag | The primary cardholder, additional cardholders, and up to eight travel companions on the same Air Canada reservation each get their first checked bag free (up to 23 kg / 50 lb) when the trip originates on an Air Canada flight. |
| Maple Leaf Lounge passes | Earn 1 complimentary Maple Leaf Lounge pass per $10,000 in net card purchases, up to 4 passes per account year. Passes are deposited up to 2 weeks after renewal. Valid at Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges in Canada and the U.S. only (excludes international departure zones and Signature Suites). |
| Nexus fee rebate | Up to $100 CAD rebated for a Nexus program application or renewal once every 48 months per cardholder. |
| Priority check-in | Priority check-in access on Air Canada flights. |
| Aeroplan partner earn | Points stack when you pay with the card and provide your Aeroplan number at 150+ partner brands and the Aeroplan eStore. |
| First year fee rebate | Annual fee is rebated for the first year for the primary cardholder and the first two additional cardholders. |
| Travel insurance | Travel medical (up to $2M, 15 days), trip cancellation, trip interruption, and common carrier accident insurance included. |
Free checked bag
The bag benefit covers the primary cardholder, all additional cardholders, and up to eight companions on the same reservation. For a team of two travelling together on Air Canada, the card saves ~$60 per return trip at current Air Canada checked bag fees. At two business trips per year that’s $120 in direct savings, partially offsetting the $149 annual fee before any points are considered.
Maple Leaf Lounge passes
The card earns 1 Maple Leaf Lounge pass for every $10,000 in net purchases, up to 4 passes per account year. At $40,000 in annual card spend you collect the full 4. Passes are deposited up to two weeks after the renewal date and expire 12 months from issuance. Each pass admits one person — the primary cardholder, an additional cardholder, or a guest travelling with one of them. Access is limited to Maple Leaf Lounges in Canada and the U.S.; international departure zone lounges and Signature Suites are excluded.
The CIBC Aeroplan Business Plus also includes up to 4 Maple Leaf Lounge passes per year, but allocates them outright rather than tying them to a spend threshold.
Nexus credit
The card rebates one Nexus application or renewal fee (up to $100) every 48 months. Nexus provides expedited processing at the Canada–U.S. border and access to dedicated lanes at major Canadian airports. For business travellers flying to the U.S. multiple times per year, the time savings compound. The rebate covers the full cost of the program and resets every four years.
Travel insurance
- Travel medical (up to $2M, 15 days)
- Trip cancellation
- Trip interruption
- Common carrier accident ($500K)
- Flight and trip delay
- Baggage delay and loss
For cardholders aged 65 or older, travel medical coverage applies for the first four consecutive days of travel. Coverage limits and eligibility conditions apply; at least 75% of trip cost must be charged to the card or paid with Aeroplan points.
What the earn math looks like
A business cardholder spending $3,000 per month across typical categories:
| Category | Monthly spend | Rate | Monthly pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada flights | $500 | 2x | 1,000 |
| Travel, dining, internet, shipping | $700 | 1.5x | 1,050 |
| All other spending | $1,800 | 1x | 1,800 |
| Total | $3,000 | 3,850 pts / mo |
46,200 Aeroplan points per year from card spend alone at this level, before partner stacking or the welcome bonus. At a typical redemption value of ~1.5–2¢ per Aeroplan point, that represents $700–$925 in travel value annually.
Good fit if
- You and your team fly Air Canada regularly and currently pay for checked bags.
- Business expenses include shipping, telecom, and dining, where the 1.5x rate applies across a broad spend base.
- You want to accumulate Aeroplan points for Air Canada redemptions without the $599 price of the premium business card.
Less useful if
- Your team flies primarily on other carriers and the Air Canada earn bonus does not apply to most bookings.
- Business spend stays under $10,000 per month — Maple Leaf Lounge passes are earned at $10,000 per pass, so low-spend months yield fewer passes than the CIBC card’s guaranteed four.
- Most business spending falls outside the 1.5x categories, making the flat 1x base rate uncompetitive against dedicated business cashback cards.