Air Canada Is Remaking Aeroplan: What’s Changing Now
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Air Canada’s Aeroplan program is in the middle of its biggest reset in years. The headline change is that, starting with travel on or after January 1, 2026, Aeroplan moved from a mostly distance-based model on Air Canada flights to a spend-based model for both points earning and elite qualification. At the same time, Air Canada replaced the old status trio of SQM, SQS, and SQD with a single new elite currency called Status Qualifying Credits (SQC).
For travelers, that means Aeroplan now rewards spending more directly than before. Members flying Air Canada now earn at least 1 Aeroplan point per Canadian dollar spent on eligible flights, counting base fare and carrier surcharges but excluding taxes, fees, and third-party charges. Elite members earn more through a new Elite Points Multiplier, which ranges up to 6x points per dollar depending on status.
The Biggest Change: From Miles to Money
Under the new setup, earning on Air Canada flights is no longer based on how far you fly; it is based on what you spend.
That change is good news for travelers buying higher fares and bad news for members who used to extract outsized value from cheap long-haul mileage runs.
Aeroplan Elite Status Now Runs on SQC
The second major shift is elite qualification. Aeroplan Elite Status is now built around SQC rather than separate mile, segment, and dollar thresholds. The current public Aeroplan status pages show the new elite targets as:
- 25K: 25,000 SQC
- 35K: 35,000 SQC
- 50K: 50,000 SQC
- 75K: 75,000 SQC
- Super Elite: 125,000 SQC.
Air Canada is also still keeping a separate everyday-spend path into the entry tier: 100,000 EDQ in a calendar year remains a way to reach Aeroplan 25K. So while the flight side of the program is becoming more spend-driven, Aeroplan is still leaving one purely everyday-activity route into elite status at the lowest tier.
How You Can Earn SQC
Air Canada’s current Aeroplan status pages show three broad ways to build SQC:
- by spending on Air Canada flights,
- through Aeroplan credit cards,
- and from certain travel and everyday partners.
For Canadian cardholders, Air Canada says premium Aeroplan credit cards now earn 1,000 SQC for every $5,000 spent, while core cards earn 1,000 SQC for every $20,000 spent, with a maximum of 25,000 SQC per calendar year across Aeroplan cards.
For U.S. members with the Chase Aeroplan Card, Air Canada’s U.S. status page now shows a different structure: 5,000 SQC as an annual bonus, plus 10,000 SQC at $25,000 in spend and another 10,000 SQC at $50,000 in spend, again with a maximum of 25,000 SQC per calendar year across Aeroplan cards and issuers.
Air Canada is also showing that points earned from partners can now help drive status in a more direct way. Its current status examples tie SQC accumulation to points earned from hotel, car-rental, Star Alliance, and everyday partners like Parkland, Starbucks, LCBO, and Uber, depending on market.
Not Every Change Is About Qualification
In February 2026, Aeroplan added ITA Airways as a new air redemption partner, letting members redeem points across ITA’s network of more than 70 destinations. However, Air Canada says points accrual, SQC earning, and status benefits on ITA are not yet available and will start only once ITA joins Star Alliance.
In April 2026, Aeroplan and United launched reciprocal fast free Wi-Fi access. Air Canada says Aeroplan members can use it on United’s Starlink-equipped aircraft by adding their Aeroplan number to the reservation and signing in with their date of birth and United booking reference. Air Canada also says it plans to introduce complimentary Wi-Fi on its own long-haul international flights later in 2026.
Benefit Tweaks Are Also Part of the Story
Aeroplan 35K members have received an enhanced version of the Select Benefit for eUpgrades: the number of eUpgrade credits has increased from 10 to 15, and they are also provided with priority baggage handling and expanded coverage under the Priority Rewards program on flights to North America and “sun” destinations in Economy and Premium Economy classes.
The current tiers page also shows the new Elite Points Multiplier becoming a central benefit of elite status. Air Canada now advertises:
- 2X at 25K,
- 3X at 35K,
- 4X at 50K,
- 5X at 75K,
- and 6X at Super Elite, with Star Alliance recognition continuing at the relevant tiers.
What This Means for Members
Air Canada is transforming Aeroplan into a program that is more directly tied to spending, more closely integrated with credit card transactions, and offers more opportunities to earn status through a wider range of activities within partner programs and everyday spending. This will likely appeal to members who spend significant amounts on airfare, hold Aeroplan credit cards, or regularly earn points through partners. At the same time, it is less appealing to members who previously relied on low-cost long-haul flights to accumulate mileage points.
