Air Canada has 5 levels of status for frequent flyers ranging from 25K to the most coveted level, Aeroplan Super Elite status.
To achieve one of Air Canada’s statuses, you need to make a number of flights and spend a lot of money. If you don’t travel enough during the year, you can still earn 25K status by spending every day on an Aeroplan credit card.
Aeroplan Super Elite status is the most difficult and costly to obtain because it requires significant flight activity and a very high spending threshold, but it offers a lot of exclusive benefits that are very attractive to frequent travelers.
In February 2022, Air Canada announced its Get Closer to Status by Traveling with Air Canada promotion, which offered numerous opportunities to earn status through daily purchases as well as travel. So, I decided to take full advantage of this promotion to reach this famous Aeroplan Super Elite status.
As a reminder, the promotion allowed all Aeroplan members to earn 100% of the value of the SQM, SQS and SQD bonus on all flights booked in cash at the standard fare or higher as well as a bonus of 5,000 SQM, 5 SQS and 500 SQD for existing status members subject to various actions.
Qualification for any status, including Aeroplan Super Elite status, is determined by a combination of 3 criteria:
For example, if you book a flight from Montreal to Paris at the flex fare, you will get 100% of the Qualifying Miles at one Status, i.e. 3442 miles. If you pay for the Premium Economy fare (lowest fare), you will get 4302 Qualifying Miles, i.e. 125% of the distance flown.
For example, if you go to Vancouver with a direct flight you will have 1 SQS but if you stop over in Toronto you will earn 2 SQS.
You earn SQD for the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges. SQD can be earned on Star Alliance member carrier flights issued from Air Canada ticket inventory (tickets beginning with 014). Finally, flight passes and eUpgrades supplements are used to earn SQD.
Here’s what you get for SQM, SQS and SQD depending on the fare you purchased. It is important to note that a ticket purchased in Economy Basic does not qualify for SQM, SQS and SQD. As well as reservations made with Aeroplan points.
To obtain a status, you must have reached the SQM or SQS threshold, and the spend threshold (SQD) during the calendar year.
Thus, to reach the Aeroplan Super Elite status, you must during the year
Aeroplan credit cards are a great way to achieve status faster. The following credit cards earn 1000 SQM and 1 SQS for every $10,000 spent:
While the following premium cards earn the same number of SQM and SQS for each $5,000 spent:
Here is an example of how I obtained SQM and SQS with my TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Credit Card:
Premium cards also allow you to carry over your eUpgrade credits to the following year, up to a limit of 50 eUpgrades. The same applies to SQMs: SQMs in excess of status are carried over to the following year.
For example, if you earn 120,000 SQM and reach Aeroplan Super Elite status, 20,000 SQM will be carried over to January of the following year, giving you a head start.
Aeroplan Super Elite status offers a host of exclusive benefits that not only enhance your experience, but also allow you to make significant savings:
Each year (usually during the month of January), Super Elites may also choose 2 benefits from the 6 options below:
If you gain status during the year, you may be eligible for early status recognition. This way, you will be able to select your benefits as soon as you obtain the status and make a new selection in January for the qualifying year.
For example, if you have earned 100,000 SQMs or 100 SQSs and 20,000 SQDs on September 15, 2024, you will be able to take full advantage of the benefits of this status from that date, and therefore select 2 of the benefits. In January 2025, you will again have the choice of selecting 2 benefits. However, it is important to note that the benefits chosen at the time of early recognition are for the current year.
In other words, if you choose to offer 50K status to a friend, he will have the status until December 31 of the year of the benefit selection, the same goes for the requalification level and status passes. If you qualify on December 1 of the current year, we recommend that you choose the eUpgrade credits as well as the Wifi plan (if you have a flight scheduled between now and December 31 as it must be activated on board an Air Canada flight).
You should also be aware that it may be wise to wait to make your benefit selection, especially if you plan to choose the 50 eUpgrades. By making your selection in July, they will be valid until January of the following year. So, if you make your selection in July 2024, your credits will be valid until January 15, 2026.
Finally, one of the biggest benefits for Aeroplan Super Elites is the rewards and gifts related to thresholds :
For example, if you are an Aeroplan Super Elite with 100,000 SQM or 100 SQS or more, you will earn 20 eUpgrades and then an additional 20 for every 40,000 SQM or SQS. By the time you become Super Elite, you’ll already have earned 40 eUpgrades credits thanks to the threshold gifts awarded at the 60,000 SQM or 60 SQS level, as well as at the 80,000 SQM or 80 SQS level.
* During the early recognition period, members only receive 10 eUpgrade credits if they select this benefit.
** After reaching 60,000 SQM or 60 SQS
***After reaching 80,000 SQM or 80 SQS
****After reaching 100,000 SQM or 100 SQS
The Priority Rewards allow you to get 50% off your Aeroplan award flight.
A priority reward is awarded at 4,000, 7,000, 10,000, 15,000 SQD and then every 5,000 dollars of qualification.
Only Super Elites can apply their priority rewards to business class bookings anywhere in the world. By the time you reach Aeroplan Super Elite status, you will have accumulated 5 Priority Rewards.
Aeroplan Super Elite status can be difficult to achieve when you don’t travel for business or frequently, but taking advantage of an offer can go a long way toward achieving it.
This offer enabled me to reach the status for 50% of the required expenses, as well as over 47,500 Aeroplan points thanks to threshold gifts and the selected benefit of 100% bonus points on Air Canada and Star Alliance partner flights.
I also earned 90 eUpgrades credits and 10 Priority Rewards (5 of which were earned through this Aeroplan offer).
Is it worth the investment? It all depends on your travel pace and plans. I hope that Air Canada will make this type of offer again this year.
Savings are here:
