Everything You Need to Know About the New American Express Aeroplan Cards

The long wait is over and with Air Canada’s transition to the transformed Aeroplan program, it’s time to delve into an exciting portfolio of American Express Cards to help you build up points quickly whether you’re flying or currently grounded.

We’re not going to waste any time here. Here’s everything you need to know about the new American Express Aeroplan Cards.

New American Express Aeroplan Cards

As you might’ve noticed from the Card images, a new era in Aeroplan means exciting co-branded Amex Express Aeroplan Cards. They have a brand-new look and a clearer differentiation between the core, premium, and small business cards.

If you missed it, here’s the press release on the new American Express Cards and also the new Aeroplan program.

American Express Aeroplan Comparison Table

Let’s start with this handy table that breaks down the key differences between each card.

Now that you’ve seen things at a high-level, we’re going to get into the details of each one before picking out which card is for you.

For each card, we will cover points, benefits, insurance, and cost.

American Express Aeroplan Card

This is the core card for consumers in the line up and offers a few intriguing benefits at a reasonable annual fee.

Note that this is a charge card which means there’s no preset spending limit. However, you must pay the balance in full every month.

Points

When it comes to the Welcome Bonus, you’re able to earn up to 40,000 Aeroplan points but you don’t receive it all at once. Here’s how it works.

• Earn 9,000 Aeroplan points and a Buddy Pass after spending $1,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of Cardmembership.
• Earn 1,000 Aeroplan points for each monthly billing period where you spend $500 in purchases on your Card for the first 6 months of Cardmembership. This means a maximum of 6,000 Aeroplan points.

When it comes to earning points on spend, here’s what to expect:

• 2x on eligible Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations purchases
• 1.5x on dining and food delivery
• 1x on everything else

Buddy Pass

Something unique to this Card is that you also get a Buddy Pass after you spend $1,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of Cardmembership. The pass is valid for one year and no blackout dates apply.

The Buddy Pass is a $0 companion voucher that’s good for any Air Canada flight within North America. The primary passenger pays full fare and the second passenger or “buddy” gets $0 base fare. The “buddy” will have to pay taxes and fees.

The key to know here is that this only works for full revenue fare. You won’t be able to use this with Aeroplan awards. That said, you can use it on any family of Economy fare.

If you have Aeroplan Elite Status, you can redeem eUpgrades to upgrade your seat to premium economy or business class.

A rather new development is that that if you don’t plan on using the Buddy Pass, you can convert it to 30,000 Aeroplan points (ends November 30, 2021). This isn’t advertised but here’s how you do it:

• Call into Aeroplan at 1-800-361-5373
• Ask to convert your Buddy Pass (it has to be in your account already) to 30,000 points.
• If you don’t have any luck, hang up and call again.

This may take up to 10-14 business days.

Benefits

There are a slew of benefits that come with this Card. Here’s are the important ones and what you need to know about them.

• Save on baggage fees – Your first checked bag is free (up to 23kg/50lb) for up to 9 people travelling on the same reservation (has to be an Air Canada flight).
• Reach Aeroplan Elite Status faster – Earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles (SQM) and 1 Status Qualifying Segment (SQS) for every $10,000 in eligible purchases on your Card.
• Preferred reward pricing – Book flight reward tickets for even fewer points.
• No expiry of Aeroplan points – As long as you are a Cardmember, your points will never expire.
• American Express Experiences – Get advanced tickets to concerts, shows and events through Front Of The Line and also advanced screenings to movies.
• Amex Offers – Cardmembers will receive exclusive offers tailored to you for dining, shopping, and more.

Insurance

Here are all the different coverages offered by this Card.

• Flight Delay Insurance – $500 in coverage (aggregate maximum with Baggage Delay Insurance).
• Baggage Delay Insurance – $500 in coverage (aggregate maximum with Flight Delay Insurance).
• Lost or Stolen Baggage Insurance – $500 per trip for all insured person(s).
• Hotel Burglary Insurance – $500 in coverage.
• Car Rental Theft and Damage Insurance – Up to $85,000 as long as you decline CDW and LDW, or similar.
• $500,000 Travel Accident Insurance
• Travel Emergency Assistance
• Buyer’s Assurance Protection Plan – Extends manufacturer’s original warranty by one additional year.
• Purchase Protection Plan – Up to $1,000 per accidental physical damage or theft.

Cost

The annual fee for this card is $120.

New for these Cards are the two types of additional cards:

• $50 for each additional Card to share some of the benefits and earn points.
• $0 for each additional Card that only has the ability to earn points.

American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card

The premium card in this line up is the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card.

Visually, this card is a dark grey and a nice added touch is that it is made out of a 13 g metal versus the 70% reclaimed plastic that the American Express Aeroplan Card uses.

Note that this is a credit card meaning that it will have a preset credit limit as well as the ability to make minimum payments every month.

Points

When it comes to the Welcome Bonus, you’re able to earn up to 65,000 90,000 Aeroplan points and a $100 statement credit but you don’t receive it all at once. Here’s how it works.

• Earn 35,000 Aeroplan points and a $100 Statement Credit after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Cardmembership.
• Earn 5,000 Aeroplan points for each monthly billing period where you spend $1,000 in purchases on your Card for the first 6 months of Cardmembership. This means a maximum of 30,000 Aeroplan points.

When it comes to earning points on spend, here’s what to expect:

• 3x on eligible Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations purchases
• 2x on dining and food delivery
• 1x on everything else

Benefits

There are a slew of benefits that come with this Card. Here’s are the important ones and what you need to know about them. You’re essentially getting everything that you get with the American Express Aeroplan Card but more. All of the new or modified benefits are marked in red.

• Save on baggage fees – Your first checked bag is free (up to 23kg/50lb) for up to 9 people travelling on the same reservation (has to be an Air Canada flight).
• Maple Leaf Lounge – Gain access to select Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafés in North America with same-day ticket on any flight operated by Air Canada or Star Alliance.
• Priority Pass – Complimentary membership to Priority Pass’ collection of airport lounges. However usage fee still applies.
• Priority Airport Services – This includes Air Canada priority check-in, Zone 2 priority boarding, and priority baggage handling.
• Priority Standby and Upgrades – Get prioritized on the standby waitlist for an Air Canada flight and higher priority when you request an upgrade.
• Annual Worldwide Companion Pass – When you spend $25,000 in net purchases in a year, you can buy an accompanying Air Canada economy class ticket at a fixed base fare from $99 to a maximum of $599 CAD (plus taxes, fees, charges, and surcharges).
• Reach Aeroplan Elite Status faster – Earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles (SQM) and 1 Status Qualifying Segment (SQS) for every $5,000 in eligible purchases on your Card.
• Rollover Status Qualifying Miles and eUpgrade Credits – You can roll over up to 200,000 unused SQM to the following year. Any unused eUpgrade Credits can also be used the following year.
• Benefits at YYZ – If you fly out of Toronto Pearson International Airport, you get to access the expedited security lane, complimentary valet service, 15% Express Park and Daily Park, and 15% off Car Services.
• Preferred pricing – Book flight reward tickets for even fewer points.
• No expiry of Aeroplan points – As long as you are a Cardmember, your points will never expire.
• American Express Experiences – Get advanced tickets to concerts, shows and events through Front Of The Line and also advanced screenings to movies.
• Amex Offers – Cardmembers will receive exclusive offers tailored to you for dining, shopping, and more.

Worldwide Companion Pass

Once you’ve spent more than $25,000, a Worldwide Companion Pass will be deposited into your Aeroplan account 8-10 weeks after your Card’s anniversary date. The pass is valid for 12 months.

The primary cardholder can use the pass to purchase an economy fare ticket operated by Air Canada on the same itinerary. The base fare depends on the destination.

• $99 – Canada and continental US (excluding Hawaii)
• $299 – Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean
• $499 – South America, Europe, Middle East, and Africa
• $599 – Asia (including India), Australia, and New Zealand

Taxes, fees, charge, and surcharges still apply. There are no blackout periods. Lastly, all travel must originate or terminate in USA or Canada.

Like the Buddy Pass, you can apply your Aeroplan Elite Status benefits and upgrades if the companion has them.

Insurance

Here are all the different coverages offered by this Card. Again, all of the new or modified benefits when compared to the American Express Aeroplan Card are marked in red. You’ll notice that this Card provides improved coverage for travel.

• Out of Province/Country Emergency Medical Insurance – Maximum of $5,000,000 if under 65 and applies to first 15 days of a trip.
• Trip Cancellation Insurance – If you cancel your trip for a covered reason, you will be reimbursed for the non-refundable and non-transferable portion of your trip. It covers $1,500 per person, per trip, up to a maximum of $3,000 for all insured persons combined.
• Trip Interruption Insurance – Covers non-refundable and non-transferable unused portion of your trip if it is interrupted or delayed for a covered reason. It covers $1,500 per person, per trip, up to a maximum of $6,000 for all insured persons combined.
• Flight Delay Insurance – $1,000 in coverage (aggregate maximum with Baggage Delay Insurance).
• Baggage Delay Insurance – $1,000 in coverage (aggregate maximum with Flight Delay Insurance).
• Lost or Stolen Baggage Insurance – $1,000 per trip for all insured person(s).
• Hotel Burglary Insurance – $1,000 in coverage.
• Car Rental Theft and Damage Insurance – Up to $85,000 as long as you decline CDW and LDW, or similar.
• $500,000 Travel Accident Insurance
• Travel Emergency Assistance
• Buyer’s Assurance Protection Plan – Extends manufacturer’s original warranty by one additional year.
• Purchase Protection Plan – Up to $1,000 per accidental physical damage or theft.

Cost

The annual fee for this card is $599.

New for this Card are the two types of additional cards:

• $199 for each additional Card to share some of the benefits and earn points. Notable exclusion of benefits include the Pearson Priority Lanes, Priority Pass, and Worldwide Companion Pass.
• $0 for each additional Card that only has the ability to earn points.

Personal Thoughts

So far, I’ve been using this card since the card was released and while all the features are quite self-explanatory, one thing that American Express doesn’t do well in promoting until you’re actually a cardmember are their Amex Offers.

Periodically, Amex will invite you to activate special offers for cardmembers of specific cards such as this one. In my opinion, these are industry-leading and finally give clients a reason to remain loyal.

In the past few months, I’ve registered for these type offers:

• Mobile wallet – Earn 3 bonus points for every $1 in qualifying mobile wallet purchases – up to 1,500 points.
• Grocery – Earn $150 back in your grocery spend.
• Grocery, dining, and food delivery – Earn 10 bonus points for every $1 in purchases (up to 50,000 points).
• Wayfair – Spend at least $100 and earn a $15 credit.
• Fairmont and Sofitel – Spend at least $350 and earn a $70 credit.
• Discover Alberta – Spend at least $250 at hotels in Alberta and earn a $50 credit (this was also replicated in Quebec, Ontario, and BC).
• Air Canada – Earn up to $250 in statement credits with Air Canada.

The last offer is the killer which quickly starts paying itself off. No questions ask, if you buy groceries at Sobeys, Metro, Food Basics, Longos, Save-On-Foods, Foodland, and Freshco, you’ll be rebated up to $150.

If it’s anything like the offers I’ve also received on my American Express Business Platinum, you’ll make back your annual fee in no time.

American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card

If you’re a small business, the complementary Card for you is the American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card.

Visually, this card is very similar to the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card and uses the same 13 g metal.

Note that this is a credit card meaning that it will have a preset credit limit as well as the ability to make minimum payments every month.

Points

When it comes to the welcome bonus for this Card, it’s almost identical to the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card. This means you’ll receive up to 65,000 90,000 Aeroplan points and a $100 statement credit. Again, here’s how it works.

• Earn 35,000 Aeroplan points and a $100 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Cardmembership.
• Earn 5,000 Aeroplan points for each monthly billing period where you spend $1,000 in purchases on your Card for the first 6 months of Cardmembership. This means a maximum of 30,000 Aeroplan points.

When it comes to earning points on spend, here’s what to expect. The main difference here is marked in red in comparison to the American Express Aeroplan Reserve card.

• 3x on eligible Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations purchases
• 2x on hotels and car rentals
• 1x on everything else

Benefits

Pound for pound, this Card provides the same benefits as the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card. They’ve been replicated here for completion.

• Save on baggage fees – Your first checked bag is free (up to 23kg/50lb) for up to 9 people travelling on the same reservation (has to be an Air Canada flight).
• Maple Leaf Lounge – Gain access to select Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafés in North America with same-day ticket on any flight operated by Air Canada or Star Alliance.
• Priority Pass – Complimentary membership to Priority Pass’ collection of airport lounges. However usage fee still applies.
• Priority Airport Services – This includes Air Canada priority check-in, Zone 2 priority boarding, and priority baggage handling.
• Priority Standby and Upgrades – Get prioritized on the standby waitlist for an Air Canada flight and higher priority when you request an Upgrade.
• Annual Worldwide Companion Pass – When you spend $25,000 in net purchases in a year, you can buy an accompanying Air Canada economy class ticket at a fixed base fare from $99 to a maximum of $599 CAD (plus taxes, fees, charges, and surcharges).
• Reach Aeroplan Elite Status faster – Earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles (SQM) and 1 Status Qualifying Segment (SQS) for every $5,000 in eligible purchases on your Card.
• Rollover Status Qualifying Miles and eUpgrade Credits – You can roll over up to 200,000 unused SQM to the following year. Any unused eUpgrade Credits can also be used the following year.
• Benefits at YYZ – If you fly out of Toronto Pearson International Airport, you get to access the expedited security lane, complimentary valet, 15% Express Park and Daily Park, and 15% off Car Services.
• Preferred pricing – Book flight reward tickets for even fewer points.
• No expiry of Aeroplan points – As long as you are a Cardmember, your points will never expire.
• American Express Experiences – Get advanced tickets to concerts, shows and events through Front Of The Line and also advanced screenings to movies.
• Amex Offers – Cardmembers will receive exclusive offers tailored to you for dining, shopping, and more.

Insurance

Here are all the different coverages offered by this Card. The changes are small but any differences between this Card and the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card are marked in red.

• Out of Province/Country Emergency Medical Insurance – Maximum of $5,000,000 if under 65 and applies to first 15 days of a trip.
• Trip Cancellation Insurance – If you cancel your trip for a covered reason, you will be reimbursed for the non-refundable and non-transferable portion of your trip. It covers $1,500 per person, per trip, up to a maximum of $3,000 for all insured persons combined.
• Trip Interruption Insurance – Covers non-refundable and non-transferable unused portion of your trip if it is interrupted or delayed for a covered reason. It covers $1,500 per person, per trip, up to a maximum of $6,000 for all insured persons combined.
• Flight Delay Insurance – $1,000 in coverage (aggregate maximum with Baggage Delay Insurance).
• Baggage Delay Insurance – $1,000 in coverage (aggregate maximum with Flight Delay Insurance).
• Lost or Stolen Baggage Insurance – $1,000 per trip for all insured person(s).
• Hotel Burglary Insurance – $1,000 in coverage.
• Car Rental Theft and Damage Insurance – Up to $85,000 as long as you decline CDW and LDW, or similar.
• $500,000 Travel Accident Insurance
• Travel Emergency Assistance
• Employee Card Misuse Protection – Covers up to $100,000 to the primary Cardholder in the event an employee misuses their Supplementary Card.
• Buyer’s Assurance Protection Plan – Extends manufacturer’s original warranty by one additional year.
• Purchase Protection Plan – Up to $1,000 per accidental physical damage or theft.

Cost

The annual fee for this card is $599.

New for this Card are the two types of additional cards:

• $199 for each additional Employee Card to share some of the benefits and earn points. Notable exclusion of benefits include the Pearson Priority Lanes, Priority Pass, and Worldwide Companion Pass.
• $0 for each additional Employee Card that only has the ability to earn points.

How are the new American Express Aeroplan Cards are packaged?

American Express has definitely stepped up their game when it comes to the presentation of new credit cards that are mailed to you.

Gone are the days of cards being sent to you in fat envelopes. There’s a whole experience behind it and an overall feeling of a more premium product.

Having signed up for the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card, let me breakdown what to expect.

Opening the packaging

When you open up the presentation box, your card will be taped down at the bottom and above it is something that lifts up to the paperwork.

Quality of the metal card

Both the Amex Aeroplan Reserve and Business Reserve cards are in the 13 g metal which can only be described as SWEET.

There’s a gravitas and heft to a metal card that is unmatched with your traditional plastic card. The edges of the card are thin but very shiny.

The front and back of the card is also very impressive with the etching so as you move your finger along the surface you’ll feel all of the details, numbers, and graphics.

What’s in the paperwork

In the Amex Aeroplan Reserve box, you’ll find a bunch of paperwork, cards, and marketing material.

There’s nothing special here but the insurance booklet that’s in there is useful to keep in case you want to refer to the coverage.

Which American Express Aeroplan Card should you sign up for?

Picking the right Amex Aeroplan Card will depend on a couple of factors. To help with your decision-making, here are a few questions you should ask yourself.

Are you a small business? If you are, chances are the American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card will be perfect for you.

Are you looking for something a card with the smallest annual fee? At $120 per year, the American Express Aeroplan Card is your best choice.

Are you a frequent traveler? The added benefits and insurance coverage in the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card are key differentiators. With this Card, you’ll be able to use lounges, bypass lines, get priority boarding, get to Aeroplan Elite Status faster, and much more.

Are you looking to build up Aeroplan points? All cards will help you build up your cachet of points but the American Express AeroplanReserve Card does it the fastest with the 2x multiplier on dining and food delivery. The welcome bonus is also substantially larger as long as you can meet the minimum spend thresholds.

For me, I ultimately picked up the Amex Aeroplan Reserve Card. It has an even better welcome bonus than before and the point accelerator for accumulating Aeroplan points is better than the base card. Yes, the annual fee is a bit higher but especially when travel comes back, the perks and travel insurance is really going to come in handy.

Start building up your Aeroplan points now and you’ll be in good shape for free travel in the future.

Apply for the new American Express Aeroplan Cards

If you’re interested in one of these new American Express Aeroplan cards and want to learn more, head over to the dedicated card pages:

• American Express Aeroplan Card
• American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card
• American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card

For eligible approved applicants, get your Amex Card number right away so you can add it to your digital wallet and use it to make purchases online at eligible contactless-accepting merchants while you wait for your Card in the mail.

FAQ

Some of these topics are re-iterated from above but this covers a few common questions about the new American Express Aeroplan Cards.

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Which Card are you eyeing now that you know the differences in each? Make sure to drop a comment below!