The Aeroplan co-branded cards moved their fees, earn rates, and perks for 2026. The headlines make it sound like everyone wins or everyone loses. Neither is true. What changed depends on the tier you hold, and whether it matters depends on how you actually use the card.
Co-branded cards sit in three rough tiers, and the 2026 adjustments hit each one differently. Think in tiers, not card names, and the picture gets simpler.
The same change can be a win or a loss depending on the traveller. A few honest cases:
Run the same simple test no matter which tier you hold. Total the perks you actually use in a normal year, then weigh them against the new fee.
Free checked bags across your trips, any companion or buddy fare you redeem, lounge visits you actually make, and any status you reach because of the card. Be honest. A perk you never touch is worth zero.
A checked bag has a clear cash value per flight. A companion fare is worth what it saves on a trip you would take anyway. Add them up for a normal year, not a dream year.
If the perks you use clear the fee, the card still earns its place. If they do not, you are paying to hold it. That is your signal to act.
Clear the fee comfortably, keep it. Fall just short, ask the issuer about a downgrade to a lower tier rather than cancelling outright, which can preserve your account history. Fall well short, move to the tier that matches how you really travel.
Card changes are about earning and perks. The value of points once they are in your Aeroplan account is set by the program, not the card. How far a point goes on a partner business award, a stopover, or a fixed-chart redemption follows the same rules it always has.
If you want to see how much those points are actually worth, the points-vs-cash calculator turns any redemption into a cents-per-point figure. For the pricing mechanic behind it, see dynamic vs fixed pricing.
Yes. Across the co-branded lineup, fees, everyday earn rates, and some perks were adjusted. The direction varies by tier, so the right read depends on which card you hold and how you use it.
Not automatically. Cancelling can cost a companion benefit, a free bag, or status progress worth more than the fee change. Weigh the perks you use against the new fee, and consider a downgrade before a cancellation.
No. Points in your account keep the program's redemption rules. Earn-rate and fee changes are forward-looking and apply to how you earn from here.
Add up the perks you genuinely use in a normal year, subtract the new fee. If the perks clear the fee, keep the card. If not, drop to a lower tier or a no-fee option.
Come in for a free conversation. We can walk through the perks you actually use and whether keeping, downgrading, or switching makes the most sense for how you travel.