How to Achieve Aeroplan Elite Status in 2026

Achieving Aeroplan Elite Status in 2026 follows new rules: since January 1, Air Canada has used a new Elite Status qualification system: Status Qualifying Credits, or SQC, replace the old qualifying miles, segments, and dollars.

This change makes earning status simpler: no matter how far you travel, only the amount you spend will now count toward your progress.

The good news is that you can accumulate SQC not only with your Air Canada flights, but also with your credit card purchases and partner bookings.

In this article, we explain how to earn SQCs, outline the status thresholds with examples for each tier, from 25K all the way to Super Elite.

The New SQC System

Aeroplan Elite Status – Air Canada Qualification Chart

Since 2026, SQC have replaced qualifying miles and segments to achieve Aeroplan Elite Status. Specifically, accumulation is based solely on the amount paid and the fare type.

The core of your accumulation comes from your Air Canada flights:

FARE TYPE	SQC EARNED
Flex fares and higher (including Premium Economy and Business Class)	4 SQC/$1 CAD
Standard fares	2 SQC/$1 CAD
eUpgrades Add-ons	2 SQC/$1 CAD
Air Canada Vacation Packages	1 SQC/$1 CAD
Basic Economy fares	0 SQC/$1 CAD

A round-trip flight from Montreal to New York in Standard class ($250) earns 500 SQCs.
A round-trip flight from Montreal to Tokyo in Premium Economy ($3,000) earns 12,000 SQCs.

Even though the Standard fare earns fewer SQCs, it remains a valuable option for budget-conscious travellers, especially when combined with other sources of SQCs.

Aeroplan Elite Status – Partner Qualification Chart

With travel and everyday partners (the Aeroplan eStore excluded), there is an annual cap of 25,000 SQCs, and you will earn:

1 SQC for every 5 Aeroplan points earned with Starbucks, Uber, Journie, LCBO, etc.
1 SQC for every 5 Aeroplan points earned on Star Alliance flights (excluding tickets issued by Air Canada)

Aeroplan Elite Status – Credit Card Qualification Chart

Some Aeroplan credit cards offer major leverage:

High-end cards: 1,000 SQC per $5,000 spent
Mid-range cards: 1,000 SQC per $20,000 spent

So, with $60,000 in annual spending, you’ll earn 12,000 SQC with a premium card like the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Credit Card. Whereas, to achieve the same result with a mid-range card like the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card, you’d have to spend $240,000. The accumulation limit is 25,000 SQC for Aeroplan credit cards.

How to Achieve Aeroplan Elite Status?

The following examples show how different profiles, from occasional leisure travellers to frequent business travellers, can reach each tier.

These scenarios include cases with Standard and Flex fares or higher, as well as strategies that combine flights, credit cards, and partners.

Aeroplan Elite Status – 25K

25K status is the first level of the Aeroplan Elite program. It is earned by accumulating 25,000 SQCs in a calendar year.

The most direct way remains booking flights: 25K status can be achieved after spending a minimum of $6,250 on Flex or premium fares, or $12,500 on standard fares. Depending on your profile, there are several strategies for reaching this tier by combining travel and daily spending.

Travel and Credit Card Spending

A traveller who flies for leisure two to three times per year and books Standard fare tickets will earn few SQCs from flights, and will therefore need to compensate with significant spending on their credit card. For example:

1 round-trip flight from Montreal to Tokyo in Standard fare at $2,000 earns 4,000 SQCs.
1 round-trip flight from Montreal to Paris in Standard fare at $1,500 earns 3,000 SQCs.
1 round-trip flight from Montreal to São Paulo in Standard fare at $2,000 earns 4,000 SQCs.
$70,000 in spending on a premium Aeroplan credit card to earn an additional 14,000 SQCs.

This traveller will be able to reach 25K status, but in terms of spending, they still had to spend a significant amount to achieve it. So unless you have a lot of expenses to put on a premium credit card, you’ll need to travel much more frequently to meet the $12,500 spent on Standard fares, or choose to travel in more comfort with Flex fares.

Business Traveller

For a business traveller, reaching elite status can be achieved very quickly, especially with business class tickets on long-haul destinations. And if your employer covers the cost of the tickets, earning status becomes even more accessible. For example:

1 Montreal-Frankfurt round trip in business class at $6,250 generates 25,000 SQC directly, thanks to the 4X multiplier on the business fare applied to the value of the ticket.

The 25K threshold is thus crossed in a single trip: a high amount, but the quickest and « cheapest » way to obtain status.

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Credit Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$599	Welcome offerAfter $24,000 in 12 months Up to 100,000 points After $24,000 in 12 months	Apply NowCompare

Aeroplan Elite Status – 25K Without Flying

It is possible to obtain Aeroplan Elite Status 25K without flying, thanks to the daily qualification option. The principle is simple: accumulate 100,000 base Aeroplan points within a calendar year.

These points can come from flight tickets, your credit cards, or Aeroplan partners. With a premium co-branded Aeroplan card, such as the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card or the American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Reserve Card, you earn 1.25 points per dollar spent.

So an annual spend of $80,000 on one of these cards is enough to reach 100,000 base points, and thus 25K status… without ever setting foot on a plane. You also receive 1,000 SQCs for every $5,000 spent, i.e. 16,000 SQCs for $80,000 spent.

It’s possible for big spenders, but more expensive than aiming for a $6,250 Flex ticket.

Welcome bonuses and point transfers do not count towards the 100,000 points.

Finally, if you hold Titanium or Ambassador status with Marriott Bonvoy, you can benefit from a status match with Aeroplan and receive 25K status after registering.

Aeroplan Elite Status – 35K

To obtain the 35,000 SQCs required for 35K status, you need to spend a minimum of $8,750 on Flex or higher fares, or $17,500 on Standard fares.

Traveller and Consumer

As with 25K, it is difficult to reach 35,000 SQC solely with standard flights and without significant spending.

For example:

1 round-trip flight from Montreal to London in business class at approximately $7,500 earns 30,000 SQCs.
Purchases earning 55,000 Aeroplan points add 11,000 SQC

Result: 35,000 SQC achieved with a long-haul flight and partner spending.

Aeroplan Elite Status – 35K Without Flying

Earning Aeroplan 35K status without setting foot on a plane is possible if you leverage two sources of points accumulation:

Premium Aeroplan credit cards, such as the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card or the American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Reserve Card
Aeroplan partners

An annual premium card spend of $125,000 already earns you 25,000 SQCs. All that’s left to do is earn an additional 10,000 SQC through partners, which equals 50,000 Aeroplan points.

Ideas for reaching those remaining 10,000 SQCs:

Booking hotel stays through Marriott Bonvoy, where a premium extended weekend can earn you several thousand points
Earn points on your daily expenses (coffee, gas, transportation) with Starbucks, Journie or Uber

With this approach, you reach 35K without flying.

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Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Reserve Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$599	Welcome offerAfter $7,500 in 3 months Up to 85,000 points After $7,500 in 3 months	Apply NowCompare

Aeroplan Elite Status – 50K

Once at this level, the shortest and least expensive route is to spend $12,500 on Flex or higher rates, or $25,000 on standard rates.

Occasional traveller

For occasional travellers, to make up for limited spending, it’s better to choose Flex fares or higher.

Given that it’s possible to find business class flights to Europe between $5,000 and $8,000, depending on the season, then you could reach 50K status with two flights in the luxury of Air Canada business class. For example:

1 round-trip Montreal-Lisbon in business class at around $6,000 earns 24,000 SQC.
1 round-trip Montreal-Rome in business class at around $7,000 earns 28,000 SQC.

Keep an eye on your Air Canada emails too: a targeted offer can raise this rate to 6 SQC per dollar. With the fall 2026 offer to Europe, the Montreal-Lisbon business class round trip at around $6,000 would earn 36,000 SQC instead of 24,000.

We cover the terms of this offer in our article on the Aeroplan SQC bonus to Europe.

Another solution is to opt for Latitude Economy fares. Indeed, these flights are eligible for upgrades with eUpgrade credits. Additionally, you could also use an Air Canada Worldwide Companion Pass to travel with your companion and earn SQC at an accelerated rate. This will be more cost-effective, considering that you get (almost) two tickets for the price of one and it will provide a significant advantage.

As explained above, you can combine different SQC sources.

Aeroplan Elite Status – 50K Without Flying

Aeroplan 50K status can be earned without travelling by following the same strategy as for 35K status, but you need to fully maximize both annual earning caps.

Aeroplan premium cards: up to 25,000 SQC via your purchases
Aeroplan Partners: up to SQC 25,000

Specifically, you need to:

Spend $125,000 on a premium card to reach the first ceiling
Plan your purchases with partners to obtain 125,000 Aeroplan points, or an additional 25,000 SQC

If you reach both ceilings (25,000 SQC card + 25,000 SQC partner), you’ll earn 50K status without ever having to fly.

Aeroplan Elite Status – 75K

Aeroplan Elite Status 75K requires 75,000 SQC in a calendar year. By applying the maximum multiplier (Flex and higher fares), this represents $18,750 in Flex or Business tickets to reach this threshold. With standard fares, it would require $37,500 in airfare spending.

At this level, it’s not possible to achieve status without travelling. However, you can still combine different sources of SQC if you don’t want all your spending to go towards flights.

If I go back to the examples given in the previous section, two flights in business class can earn you more than 50,000 SQCs. To find the missing 25,000 SQCs, you can maximize the SQC earning cap through Aeroplan partners, take advantage of the SQC cap available with a credit card, or use a combination of both methods. For example:

1 round-trip Montreal-Lisbon in business class at around $6,000 earns 24,000 SQC.
1 round-trip Montreal-Rome in business class at around $7,000 earns 28,000 SQC.
Aeroplan partner purchases totaling 50,000 Aeroplan points, which translates to 10,000 SQC
Spend $65,000 on a premium credit card for 13,000 SQCs

Review: Air Canada A330 Signature Class - CleanCare+ - signature-06

Super Elite

The Holy Grail of the Aeroplan program, Super Elite status, is reserved for the most frequent travellers… or the most ingenious (spending) strategists.

To earn it, you need to accumulate 125,000 SQCs in a calendar year.

At Flex fare (or higher), this corresponds to approximately $31,250 spent on flights.
The standard rate is $62,500.

As with other status levels, SQC can be combined from flights, credit cards, and partner activity. However, just like Aeroplan 75K Elite Status, it’s not possible to qualify for Super Elite status through non-flight spending alone.

Until 2025, Elite members who held a premium Aeroplan credit card could carry over up to 200,000 excess SQM to the following year. For 2026, those excess 2025 SQM are converted at 5 SQM = 1 SQC, up to 40,000 SQC, and deposited by the end of March 2026 for members who requalify. A Super Elite with 200,000 surplus SQM could therefore start the year with 40,000 SQC.

Here is an example of a strategy in 2026:

Annual spending of $20,000 on Flex fares (or higher) earns approximately 80,000 SQC.
Add to that the 40,000 SQC carried over, for a total of 120,000 SQC.
By paying for these same tickets with your premium card, you earn an additional 4,000 SQC, for a total of 124,000 SQC.
The few missing SQCs can easily be made up by an additional flight, purchases from partners or additional spending on your credit card.

For members who were already driving 200,000 SQMs a year, the transition remains manageable in 2026. But from 2027 onwards, things get tougher: the rollover is replaced by a Head Start equal to 10% of the SQC earned the previous year. So a Super Elite who reaches 125,000 SQCs in 2026 will start the following year with only 12,500 SQCs.

There are no shortcuts and no free passes: achieving this status will remain expensive. Frequent business travellers will have the advantage, as their habits involve regular flights, which are often flexible… and therefore more expensive.

Aeroplan Elite Status – Qualification Strategies

Maximize high-yield flights: prioritize long-haul trips in business class or premium economy; three or four long-distance journeys can cover more than half of your annual SQC requirement.
Leverage non-flight earning caps: earn up to 25,000 SQC/year with a premium Aeroplan credit card (1,000 SQC/$5,000 spent) and up to 25,000 SQC/year with partners (1 SQC/5 points earned).
Combine sources strategically: aim for 50,000-60,000 SQC with two long-haul Business trips, add 25,000 SQC via premium card and 25,000 SQC via partners to reach 100,000-110,000 SQC, then complete with an additional trip.

Air Canada: Free Preferred Seats for Aeroplan Elite Members - Super Elite Aeroplan x TD VIP

Bottom Line

The move to the SQC system simplifies qualification, but is now based on a single principle: every dollar counts. Yes, it is possible to achieve high status without travelling every week, by combining Air Canada flights, partner purchases and credit card spending… but this often involves very high amounts.

This is where you need to reflect: is it really worth it? If the only goal is to achieve Aeroplan Elite Status, but you don’t travel much afterwards, you may not be able to take full advantage of your hard-earned (and expensive) benefits. Aeroplan status levels are most rewarding for those who fly frequently enough to take advantage of upgrades, lounge access, and other benefits.

For many, another strategy may be more effective: directly earn Aeroplan points via an Aeroplan co-branded credit card or Membership Rewards points, such as the American Express Cobalt^® Card with its transferable points to Aeroplan. These points can then be used to book directly in business class or enjoy many premium benefits, without engaging in the status chase, and often for a lower overall cost. Furthermore, consider whether the benefits you seek with a status could be obtained simply by holding a credit card.

Ultimately, it all comes down to your travel habits and spending patterns. I encourage you to run your own simulations: estimate your potential SQC based on your planned trips, annual spending, and earning opportunities. The purpose of this guide was to give you some concrete examples and food for thought… now it’s up to you to see if it’s worth the effort.

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American Express Amex Membership Rewards

Annual fee: $191.88
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $255
Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months: Up to 15,000 points

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The American Express Cobalt^® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt^® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer we value at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

15,000 Aeroplan points
15,000 Avios points
15,000 Flying Blue Miles
18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

If hotel points are what you are after, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what those points can actually buy.

American Express Cobalt^® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, home food delivery and convenience stores. A spend cap applies.
3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
Front Of The Line^® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

To see how it compares with the rest of the line-up, read our round-up of the best credit cards from American Express in Canada.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four kinds of merchants:

Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
Home food delivery.
Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

Category	Points per dollar
Grocery (Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.)	5
Home food delivery	5
Restaurants and bars	5
Convenience stores	5
Streaming services	3
Service station	2
Transport	2
Travel	1
Other	1

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt^® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt^® Card fees

Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
Additional cards: $0.
Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

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Annual fee

Primary card$191.88

Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0

Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

5xConvenience
5xRestaurants
5xGroceries
3xStreaming
2xTransit
2xGas & EV
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,828

2nd Year Value$799

Transfer partners

AeroplanAirline
British Airways ClubAirline
Cathay Asia MilesAirline
Etihad GuestAirline
Flying BlueAirline
Hilton HonorsHotel
Marriott BonvoyHotel

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days

Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days

Delayed BaggageUp to $500

Lost BaggageUp to $500

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $500

Travel AccidentUp to $250,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionUp to $1,000 / 90 days

Extended Warranty+1 years

Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years

Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

Which credit card should you choose for travel?

If you travel regularly, the credit card you carry makes a real difference – travel insurance, points earning, airport lounge access and no foreign exchange fees. Use our credit card comparator to filter through 200+ Canadian cards based on your needs, or browse the best credit cards in Canada, ranked monthly by the Milesopedia team. To boost your Aeroplan earning via Membership Rewards transfers, the American Express Cobalt Card earns up to 5x points on dining and groceries.

What changed in Aeroplan elite status qualification in 2026?

In 2026, Aeroplan replaced qualifying miles, segments, and dollars with Status Qualifying Credits (SQC). From now on, your progress toward elite status will be determined primarily by the amount you spend on airfare and related expenses.

How can I earn SQC to achieve Aeroplan Elite Status?

You can accumulate SQC by spending on Air Canada flights, making purchases through Aeroplan partners, and using an Aeroplan co-branded credit card. Air Canada flights on Flex or higher fares offer more SQC per dollar spent.

Is it possible to achieve Aeroplan status without travelling?

Yes, it is possible to reach statuses like 25K by earning enough Aeroplan points through everyday spending with specific credit cards and Aeroplan partner programs. For example, earning 100,000 base Aeroplan points through various purchases can qualify you for 25K status.

What are the benefits of Aeroplan Elite Status?

Aeroplan Elite Status offers various privileges, such as upgrade credits, lounge access, priority check-in and boarding, and free baggage. The higher the status, the more generous the benefits.

Can I combine different methods to earn SQCs faster?

Absolutely! You can maximize your SQC accumulation by combining spending on flights, purchases with Aeroplan partners, and using premium credit cards. This hybrid approach is ideal for boosting your SQC while matching your spending habits.