Chase Aeroplan credit card review: A welcome bonus worth up to 100,000 points and unique travel perks make this a good pick even if you don't fly Air Canada
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Review: Is the Chase Aeroplan card the best credit card for you?
It's not often a new airline credit card makes waves with a novel welcome bonus and completely unique benefits, but the
As the first Air Canada-branded credit card offered by Chase (and the only Aeroplan card on the US market since TD Bank discontinued their card in 2020), the
Read more: The new Chase Aeroplan credit card is a stunner — even if you never fly Air Canada
New cardholders can earn
In addition, new cardholders receive automatic Aeroplan 25K Elite Status for the remainder of the first calendar year, plus the following calendar year — although if you apply before the end of 2021, your 25K status will be active through the end of 2023.
The reward certificates have their pros and cons. On the upside, if you want to book an award that costs more than 50,000 points, you can top-up the amount with points from your account. The downside is, if you use a 50K certificate to book an award that costs fewer than 50,000 points, you won't get the difference back.
If you're an Air Canada flyer, the automatic elite status that comes with the card for up to two years is a great deal — and it's rare to see an airline card award elite status outright. Aeroplan 25K status includes perks like eUpgrade credits, priority boarding, and Maple Leaf Lounge passes.
Other card benefits include a free first checked bag on Air Canada flights for the primary cardholder and up to eight companions on the same reservation, the ability to re-earn (or step-up) elite status by hitting spending thresholds, and up to $100 reimbursement for the Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee every four years.
One of the most compelling perks doesn't have anything to do with Air Canada. Starting in 2022, cardholders will have the option to redeem up to 50,000 Aeroplan points per year toward any eligible travel purchase via Chase Pay Yourself Back. Points redeemed this way are worth 1.25 cents apiece, and qualifying travel includes airfare, car rentals, hotels, rideshares, and much more.
Read more: The best travel rewards credit cards
The
That said, if you don't think you can use Air Canada-specific benefits like a free checked bag or elite status, you may be better off a card that earns points you can transfer to Aeroplan, like the
Comparison: Chase Aeroplan card vs other Chase cards
Annual fee | |||
Rewards rate | 3x points on Air Canada purchases 3x points on dining 3x points at grocery stores 1 point per dollar on everything else 500 points for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month, up to a maximum of 1,500 points per calendar month
| 5x points on Lyft rides through March 2022 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out 3x points on select streaming services 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs) 2x points on other travel 1 point per dollar on everything else | 2x miles on eligible United purchases 2x miles on dining and hotel stays booked directly with the hotel 1 mile per dollar on everything else |
Welcome bonus | Automatic Aeroplan 25K Elite Status for the remainder of the first calendar year, plus the following calendar year | ||
Travel benefits | Free first checked bag on Air Canada flights New cardholders automatically receive Aeroplan 25K status for the remainder of the calendar year, plus the following calendar year Requalify for 25K status by spending $15,000 or more in a calendar year Elite Status Level Up by spending $50,000 or more in a calendar year Preferred pricing on flight awards Aeroplan redemption benefits for meeting spending thresholds Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS application fee credit Redeem points for eligible travel purchases through Pay Yourself Back (1.25 cents per point) | Up to $50 in statement credits toward hotel stays booked through Chase 10% anniversary point bonus | Two United Club one-time passes per anniversary year Free first checked bag on United flights* Priority boarding on United flights 25% back on United inflight purchases Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit Complimentary Premier upgrades 500 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) for every $12,000 you spend on purchases*** Expanded access to United award flights |
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*When you use your card to pay for your ticket, or the taxes and fees on an award ticket
***Up to 1,000 PQP in a calendar year for the United Explorer Card
Aeroplan credit card vs other airline credit cards
Annual fee | |||
Rewards rate | 3x points on Air Canada purchases 3x points on dining 3x points at grocery stores 1 point per dollar on all other purchases 500 points for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month, up to a maximum of 1,500 points per calendar month | 2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases 2x miles at eligible restaurants and gas stations 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases | 2x miles on eligible Delta purchases 2x miles at US supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide 1 mile per dollar on everything else |
Welcome bonus | Automatic Aeroplan 25K Elite Status for the remainder of the first calendar year, plus the following calendar year | ||
Travel benefits | Free first checked bag on Air Canada flights New cardholders automatically receive Aeroplan 25K status for the remainder of the calendar year, plus the following calendar year Requalify for 25K status by spending $15,000 or more in a calendar year Elite Status Level Up by spending $50,000 or more in a calendar year Preferred pricing on flight awards Aeroplan redemption benefits for meeting spending thresholds Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS application fee credit Redeem points for eligible travel purchases through Pay Yourself Back (1.25 cents per point) | Free first checked bag on American Airlines domestic itineraries Preferred boarding on American Airlines flights $125 American Airlines flight discount when you spend $20,000 or more in an account anniversary year and renew your card | Free first checked bag and priority boarding on Delta flights $100 flight credit when you spend $10,000 or more in a calendar year 20% off inflight purchases as a statement credit |
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How to earn points from the Chase Air Canada Aeroplan card
Most co-branded credit cards reserve their highest rewards earning rate for purchases made with the airline, with lower rewards for other bonus categories (or no other bonus categories at all). The
Cardholders earn:
- 3x points on purchases made with Air Canada directly (tickets booked through third-party sites won't qualify)
- 3x points on dining (including at restaurants, takeout, and eligible delivery services)
- 3x points at grocery stores (excluding warehouse clubs and stores like Target and Walmart)
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
In addition, cardholders earn 500 points for every $2,000 they spend in a calendar month, up to a maximum of 1,500 points per calendar month — potentially up to 18,000 extra points each calendar year.
How to use Aeroplan points
Air Canada and partner flights
Air Canada Aeroplan offers the most partners of any airline program — a total of 45, including 25 Star Alliance partners like United, Turkish, and ANA, and other partners like Etihad, GOL, and Gulf Air.
Aeroplan's award charts are a little complicated and combine region/distance-based pricing with dynamic pricing that varies by demand and availability. For example, short-haul economy flights within North America can cost as little as 6,000 points, but longer flights within the region can clock in as high as 25,000 points one-way.
Read more: How to earn, redeem, and maximize Air Canada Aeroplan points
Instead of wading through multiple award charts to figure out how much you'll pay for a flight, Aeroplan offers a Points Predictor tool that shows you the minimum and maximum number of points you'd typically pay on that route (not factoring in high demand periods).
Air Canada's award charts offer some lucrative sweet spots that allow you to book award flights on certain routes for fewer points than other airline programs charge. For example:
- Short-haul economy flights within North America (including Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean) under 500 miles: 6,000 to 10,000 points; 501 to 1,500 miles: 10,000 to 15,000 points
- US to Europe: 35,000 to 40,000 points in economy, 60,000 to 70,000 points in business class, 90,000 to 100,000 points in first class
- US West Coast to Hawaii: 12,500 points in economy, 25,000 points in business class
- US to Asia: 35,000 to 75,000 points in economy, 55,000 to 105,000 points in business class
In addition, Aeroplan no longer adds fuel surcharges to Air Canada or partner flights, and if you want to add in a stopover, it costs just an additional 5,000 points each way.
Pay Yourself Back
Starting in 2022,
Pay Yourself Back was introduced on Chase's Ultimate Rewards earning cards early in the pandemic as a way to get a higher value from your points without having to book travel. The version being rolled out on the
Eligible travel purchases include:
- Airfare (with any airline)
- Hotels
- Car rentals
- Cruises
- Travel agencies
- Discount travel sites
- Campgrounds
- Trains
- Buses
- Taxis/limousines
- Ferries
- Toll bridges/highways
- Parking lots/garages
This benefit is capped at a maximum of 50,000 points per year (up to $625 in value), but it's a good option if you don't have plans to redeem Aeroplan points for flights in the immediate future but have travel expenses you want to cover with rewards.
Other ways to use Aeroplan points
Aeroplan offers several other options for redeeming points, but the value per point varies and is often lower than what you'd get by booking flights or redeeming through Pay Yourself Back. These include:
- Hotels
- Car rentals
- Air Canada Vacations packages
- Activities and travel experiences
- Merchandise
- Gift cards
- Upgrades
- Inflight Wi-Fi
Benefits and features
Welcome bonus certificates
New
For example, if you want to redeem a reward certificate for a flight that costs 35,000 points, you'll lose value because you don't get the excess 15,000 points refunded. That's limiting if you'd otherwise redeem rewards for cheaper, short-haul flights.
However, if you want to use a certificate for a flight that costs more than 50,000 points, it's possible to do so by redeeming points for the extra amount. If an award flight costs 75,000 points, for instance, you could cash in a 50K reward certificate plus an additional 25,000 Aeroplan points from your account to book the ticket.
Keep in mind these certificates can't be combined (so you couldn't use two 50K certificates to book an award that costs 100,000 points). One workaround, in this case, is to book two one-way flights instead of a round-trip and use a certificate for each leg of the journey.
Automatic Aeroplan 25K elite status (new cardholders)
In addition to reward certificates, new
Elite 25K status is Aeroplan's lowest status tier, and it comes with benefits that include:
- Priority check-in, boarding, and airport standby
- Complimentary checked baggage allowance
- Complimentary sports equipment handling
- Priority seat selection
- 50% discount on preferred seats
- eUpgrade credits
Elite 25K members also have the option to choose from a number of "select benefits", which include two one-time Maple Leaf Lounge passes, bonus Aeroplan points with Air Canada and select partners, additional eUpgrade credits, and bonuses for eligible Flight Pass activities.
Incentives for spending
Once your initial automatic status expires, you can requalify for 25K elite status by spending at least $15,000 on the
Bigger spenders can receive even more benefits, starting at reaching $100,000 in purchases in a calendar year. These include 50% off priority rewards and companion benefits — and those who spend $1 million or more annually will receive an unlimited-use Global+1 companion pass that refunds 100% of the points used to bring a travel companion along on award flights worldwide, in any class of service.
Free first checked bag on Air Canada flights
With the
Normally, Air Canada charges 30 Canadian dollars (about $23) for a first checked bag, so this perk can translate into significant savings if you travel a few times a year.
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS application fee credit
Like many travel rewards credit cards, the
Read more: The best credit cards with Global Entry and TSA PreCheck credits
The
Car rental insurance
When you use the
Read more: The best credit cards with primary car rental insurance
This insurance is secondary to your personal insurance in the US, otherwise, it's primary. Be sure to read the terms and conditions that come with the card for any exclusions.
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
When you pay for pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses with your
Read more: Guide to the best credit cards with travel insurance
Baggage delay insurance
If you paid for your fare with the
Trip delay reimbursement
If your flight or other common carrier travel is delayed by at least 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family can be covered for up to $500 per ticket for unreimbursed expenses, like hotel rooms and meals, if you paid with your
Roadside assistance
World Elite Mastercard benefits
Because the
Carbon offsets
To help reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions associated with travel, Air Canada will purchase carbon offsets for primary cardholders of the
Fees and costs
The
Read more: Guide to the best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees
Like most other cards, the