Air Canada & Bell Partnership: Free In-Flight Wi-Fi Messaging For Aeroplan Members

Here are the steps to start Air Canada Wi-Fi messaging:

• Put your cell phone in Airplane mode
• Enable Wi-Fi
• Select ACWiFi network
• If the window opens automatically, select Free Text Messages for Aeroplan Members
• Enter your last name and seat number, then click on Confirm.

If the window does not open automatically, open your browser and enter the address aircanadawifi.com in the navigation bar.

With this new partnership between Air Canada and Bell, newcomers to Canada will gain easy and immediate ways to stay connected as they arrive in Canada.

Bell will be offering complimentary mobile SIM cards on select inbound international flights. These SIM cards can be activated in flight, allowing them to get off the plane and be connected.

This is part of the Bell for Better approach, in which initiatives are made for newcomers to the country.

This partnership represents an excellent opportunity for Bell to capture a part of the newcomer market that will necessarily look for ways to communicate (a bit like what banks do with offers dedicated to newcomers like National Bank, BMO or HSBC).

Air Canada’s free Wi-Fi messaging service for Aeroplan members is a good step forward.

However, this service is already offered by many airlines worldwide to their customers. Like Porter (which offers free Wi-Fi access on board specific aircraft), WestJet offering complimentary Wi-Fi access to World Elite Mastercard holders, United and Delta in the U.S. offering complimentary Wi-Fi messaging, or Air France with its Complimentary Message Pass.

In our view, this is a case of catching up with the market. A market already interested in offering more advanced solutions like Starlink Aviation (Hawaiian Airlines, airBaltic, JSX, etc.)

We would have liked to see Air Canada go a little further than that: for example, by offering unlimited Air Canada Wi-Fi to members with an Aeroplan 50K Elite Status and above or an Aeroplan premium credit card like the American Express^®* Aeroplan^® Reserve Card or the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Credit Card.

And one or two annual passes to Air Canada Wi-Fi for occasional travellers with Aeroplan 35K status or holding an Aeroplan core credit card such as the American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Card or TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card.

Much like what World Elite Mastercard cardholders have on airlines offering Boingo Wi-Fi (although this benefit was recently reduced).

Of course, Aeroplan 75K and Super Elite members can choose the Air Canada Wi-Fi subscription for 12 months as a select benefit. But it may be more attractive for them to select other benefits such as 100% Bonus Aeroplan points or 50 eUpgrades credits.

In short, let’s hope that this new partnership between Air Canada and Bell heralds more benefits for Wi-Fi connectivity on board Air Canada aircraft!