Chase Aeroplan® Card Review: Unlock Air Canada Elite Status and Travel Rewards

A Fast-Track to Elite Status and Rewards

The Aeroplan® Card immediately stands out with a generous welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. This is a highly valuable bonus with an achievable spending requirement. But the real game-changer is the automatic Aeroplan 25K Status you receive for the remainder of the year and the following calendar year. This entry-level elite status is a rare perk for a card at this price point, unlocking benefits like priority check-in, early boarding, and potential eUpgrades on Air Canada flights right from day one.

Excellent Earnings on Travel and Everyday Spending

Beyond the initial bonus, this card excels at earning points on common expenses. You'll earn an impressive 3 points per dollar on groceries, dining (including takeout and delivery), and of course, on purchases made directly with Air Canada. This strong earning rate on everyday categories makes it easy to rack up points quickly. The card also features a unique monthly incentive: you can earn 500 bonus points for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month, up to 1,500 bonus points monthly. This rewards consistent spending and accelerates your path to your next award flight.

Valuable Perks for Seamless Travel

The Aeroplan® Card is packed with practical benefits that can easily offset its annual fee. Cardmembers and up to eight companions on the same reservation get their first checked bag free when flying with Air Canada, a perk that can save a family hundreds of dollars on a single round-trip flight. It also includes a statement credit of up to $120 every four years to cover the application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, or NEXUS. When it's time to redeem, cardholders get access to preferred pricing on award flights, potentially stretching the value of their points even further. For those already in the Chase ecosystem, the card offers a 10% bonus when you transfer 50,000 or more Ultimate Rewards points at once, adding significant value and flexibility to your rewards strategy.

The primary drawback of the Aeroplan® Card is its specialized nature. Its most valuable perks—such as automatic elite status and free first checked bags—are tied directly to flying with Air Canada. This means that to justify the $95 annual fee, you'll need to fly with the airline or its partners often enough to take advantage of these benefits. For travelers who value flexibility and book flights across a wide range of airlines outside the Star Alliance network, the card’s benefits may be too restrictive.

Furthermore, potential applicants should be aware of the card's high regular APR, which ranges from 19.74%–28.24% variable. The card does not offer an introductory 0% APR period for purchases or balance transfers, making it a costly choice for anyone who anticipates carrying a balance from month to month. To truly maximize the value of its rewards, it's best suited for cardholders who consistently pay their statement in full.

This card is an excellent choice for U.S.-based travelers who fly with Air Canada or its Star Alliance partners and want to earn valuable miles on everyday spending. The ability to earn 3x points on groceries and dining while also receiving automatic elite status makes its annual fee an incredible bargain for the right person. However, if your travel doesn't involve the Aeroplan network, you'll get more utility from a card with flexible travel rewards.

The Aeroplan Card delivers an uncommon and powerful mix of high rewards on everyday spending and automatic elite status, a feature rarely seen on a card with a modest annual fee. It's an ideal choice for U.S.-based travelers who can leverage the Air Canada and Star Alliance network, effectively turning daily purchases into valuable airline perks and a more comfortable travel experience.