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The best Aeroplan Card for the business traveller

The best Aeroplan Card for the business traveller
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American Express® AeroplanPlus®* Platinum Card

The best Aeroplan Card for the business traveller - american express aeroplanplus platinum

With the American Express® AeroplanPlus®* Platinum Card, you earn 40,000 Welcome Bonus Aeroplan miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months of Cardmembership.For the business traveller, this card has many perks justifying its annual fee:

  • Accelerate your earn rate to 1.5 miles for every dollar in purchases over $25,000 annually
  • Receive an annual Partner Ticket benefit (once per year, you can redeem 15,000 Aeroplan Miles for a short-haul roundtrip Fixed Mileage Flight Reward in economy class and receive a second Partner Ticket for the same itinerary)
  • Unlimited access to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges
  • Air Canada Priority Check-in
  • Pearson Priority Security Lane
  • Strong insurances

Earning Aeroplan miles

With the American Express® AeroplanPlus®* Platinum Card you earn:

  • 1.25 Aeroplan Miles for every $1 of Card purchases up to $25,000 annually
  • 1.5 miles for every dollar in purchases over $25,000 annually

It’s the most rewarding Aeroplan card for all purchases. With other cards, you can get more miles for some spending categories like groceries or gas. But for many professionals,lots of spending fall through the “other purchases” category with no increased earning rate.

With 1.25 Aeroplan Miles for every $1 of Card purchases up to $25,000 annually and 1.5 miles for every dollar in purchases over $25,000 annually, the American Express® AeroplanPlus®* Platinum Card solves that problem.

The best Aeroplan Card for the business traveller - featured air canada affaires 1

Annual Partner Ticket benefit

Once per year, you can redeem 15,000 Aeroplan Miles for a short-haul roundtrip Fixed Mileage Flight Reward in economy class and receive a second Partner Ticket for the same itinerary.

As explained in our ultimate guide about Aeroplan, a short-haul roundtrip Fixed Mileage Flight Reward covers many nearby destinations such as:

  • Montreal / Quebec City to:
    • New York
    • Chicago
    • Washington
    • The Magdalen Islands
    • Halifax
    • Toronto
    • Nunavut

Here’s the list of destinations:

The best Aeroplan Card for the business traveller - aeroplan court courrier en

This is a great perk if you redeem your Aeroplan miles each year for this type of flights.

Audrey and I, over the past few years, have used this perk for flights between:

  • Montreal – New York
  • Montreal – Chicago
  • Montreal – Washington D.C.
The best Aeroplan Card for the business traveller - DSC05211

This can be particularly rewarding for expensive flights like those to:

  • The Magdalen Islands
  • Halifax
  • Charlottetown

Unlimited access to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges

There are many credit cards giving you access to airport lounges.

However, very few give unlimited access to Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounges, like the American Express® AeroplanPlus®* Platinum Card.

The best Aeroplan Card for the business traveller - platine aeroplan jm salon

For a lot of Cardmembers renewing that card every year, this is a major perk of the American Express® AeroplanPlus®* Platinum Card.

For example, this is the case of business travelers, who travel on a regular basis… but not enough to achieve Star Alliance Gold status (providing access to Maple Leaf lounges).

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And in some airports, The Maple Leaf lounges are a essentials because they are the only ones there!

At Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, Maple Leaf Lounges are the only ones within domestic flights terminal(Canada) and cross-border flights terminal (to the United States).

Priority Pass membership

With the American Express® AeroplanPlus®* Platinum Card, you get a free membership to Priority Pass, a network of more than 1,200 airport lounges around the world.

However, you’ll have to pay for each visit (US$ 27).

The best Aeroplan Card for the business traveller - lounge priority pass cph featured

Other perks

American Express® AeroplanPlus®* Platinum Cardmembers get Air Canada priority check-in.For those who frequently travel from Toronto-Pearson YYZ (or connecting there), the American Express® AeroplanPlus®* Platinum Card gets you Pearson Priority Security Screening at Terminals 1 and 3.

Conclusion

American Express® AeroplanPlus®* Platinum Card is the perfect card for:

  • Frequent flyer / business traveler on Air Canada or Star Alliance airlines
  • people who have significant expenses in the “Other Purchases” category and who wish to earn Aeroplan miles

The offer including 40,000 Aeroplan miles (after spending $3,000 in the first three months of Cardmembership) makes it possible for new Cardmember to try this card during the first year… and many will get a taste for it!This publication is sponsored by Amex Bank of Canada. However, the opinions and views expressed on this blog are only mine.

Frequently Asked Questions about the best Aeroplan card for the business traveller

Here are frequently asked questions in the milesopedia community about this card.

Why is the Amex AeroplanPlus Platinum recommended over the Reserve for business travelers?

The AeroplanPlus Platinum hits a sweet spot for business travelers who need consistent earning across all categories rather than concentrated bonus categories. The 1.25 to 1.5 Aeroplan miles per dollar earn rate applies to every purchase including hotels, taxis, dining and supplies, simplifying expense tracking. Combined with unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge access on Air Canada flights and the Annual Partner Ticket benefit (15,000 miles for a short-haul roundtrip plus a companion seat), it delivers business-trip value without forcing you to optimize spending categories.

How does the Annual Partner Ticket benefit work in practice?

Each year, cardholders can redeem just 15,000 Aeroplan miles for a short-haul economy roundtrip (typically routes within Canada or to nearby US destinations), and Air Canada throws in a companion ticket on the same itinerary. That effectively turns a 15,000-mile redemption into two seats, doubling the per-mile value. For business travelers extending a work trip into a weekend with a partner, this benefit alone covers a meaningful portion of the annual fee and can deliver $400 to $800 in cash-equivalent value depending on the route.

Is the welcome bonus realistic to unlock for a business traveler?

Yes. The 40,000-mile welcome bonus requires $3,000 in spending over the first three months, which most business travelers cover with one to two weeks of typical expenses (flights, hotels, client dinners). Combined with the regular earning at 1.25 miles per dollar across all spending, frequent business travelers commonly hit 50,000 to 60,000 miles in the first year alone, enough for a roundtrip economy flight to Europe or Asia, or a domestic business class ticket on Air Canada.

What’s the difference between unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge access and Priority Pass?

The Amex AeroplanPlus Platinum includes unlimited free Maple Leaf Lounge access when flying Air Canada or Star Alliance same-day, with no per-visit fee. It also enrolls you in Priority Pass for non-Air Canada lounges, but Priority Pass entries are charged at $27 USD per visit. For business travelers who fly Air Canada most weeks, Maple Leaf access alone replaces a $529 annual Priority Pass Prestige membership and pays for the card outright.

Our featured card

Annual fee
$599
Our valuation
$1,700
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$1,700Total$1,700Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class="checkmarks"]This metal credit card is the Best Premium Aeroplan Credit Card in Canada. For a limited time, you can earn up to 150,000 Aeroplan points as a welcome bonus (an estimated $2,550 value). With this Card you can earn:
  • 3 points per dollar on purchases made with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations
  • 2 points per dollar for dining and food delivery purchases
  • 1.25 points per dollar on all other purchases.
Also, as a Cardmember, you get many benefits such as:
  • Unlimited access to Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges in North America
  • The first checked bag free for you and up to 8 companions
  • An Annual Worldwide Companion Pass
  • Exclusive benefits with Air Canada (Priority check-in, Priority Boarding and Priority Standby List)
  • The ability to earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles and 1 Statuts Qualifying Segment for every $5,000 in purchases charged to your Card.
Finally, you are covered with reliable insurance for your travels and purchases.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

With this welcome offer for American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card, you can earn up to 85,000 Aeroplan points. Here’s how:

  • Earn 60,000 points after you spend $7,500 on your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership
  • Plus, earn an additional 25,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $2,500 in the 13th month

With this Amex Aeroplan Card, you earn 3X the points on purchases made directly with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations. And 2x the points on Dining and Food Delivery purchases in Canada. Everywhere else, you will earn 1.25X the points.

With this Amex Aeroplan Premium Card, you receive many Air Canada travel benefits, such as access to Maple Leaf Lounges in North America for you and one guest, priority check-in, priority boarding and priority baggage handling. It’s the best Amex Aeroplan Card for frequent Air Canada flyers.

With this American Express Aeroplan Card, enjoy your first checked bag free (up to 23kg/50lb) for up to 9 people travelling on the same reservation on Air Canada®* flights.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

Annual fee

Primary card$599
Additional card$199

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 3xAir Canada flights
  • 2xRestaurants
  • 1.25xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,938
2nd Year Value$430

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7
Airport lounge access$400

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $1,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $1,000
Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

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