Covid Aeroplan

COVID-19: Air Canada and Aeroplan

To the point In response to COVID-19, Air Canada and Aeroplan adjusted their terms and conditions for flight bookings and regarding the Altitude program.

Article Updated on 10/14/2020

Air Canada has taken several measures in the context of COVID-19 to:

  • Altitude status
  • Aeroplan Miles
  • current or upcoming reservations
aeroplan program

Measures taken for Aeroplan and Altitude

Several measures have been taken by Air Canada for Aeroplan and Altitude following COVID-19 such as:

  • Altitude status extension for 2021
  • Sharing Air Canada Altitude status
  • Getting Altitude qualifying miles through charity
  • Temporary pause to expiration of Aeroplan Miles
  • Additional eUpgrade Credits
  • The possible cancellation, free of charge, of all your bookings

Air Canada Altitude 2021 Qualification Criteria

On April 06, 2020, Air Canada announced that it had automatically extended the Altitude 2020 status until the end of 2021.

Should a member reach a higher status before the end of this year, they will enjoy it upon qualification, and maintain it through 2021 as well. For these members, they will be able to share their status with another person (see below).

Updated information on this topic is available here.

Share Altitude status with friends and family

On April 06, 2020, Air Canada announced the opportunity to share its Altitude status with a friend or a family member.

This measure applies to those who have already achieved the status qualification for next year and who benefits, by the previous measure, from an automatic extension of the status until the end of 2021.

Updated information on this topic is available here.

Continue to earn Altitude status and Aeroplan Miles – from home

On April 06, 2020, Air Canada announced the possibility of progressing towards an Altitude status by giving Aeroplan miles.

From now until April 30, for every five Aeroplan Miles a member donates to a charity engaged in fighting the COVID-19 crisis, they will receive one Altitude Qualifying Mile (AQM). The limit is 25,000 Altitude Qualification Miles. This will count for obtaining 2021 status.

Updated information on this topic is available here.

From April 20 to May 31, 2020, Air Canada offers you the opportunity to get Air Canada Altitude 25K status or progress to a higher level.

This is the Travel at Home event. Find out more about this here.

More time to keep your account active

Effective July 20, 2020 we are waiving the current expiry provisions. You will now have 18 months to keep your account active – six months longer than before.

ll you have to do to stay active is earn or redeem a single mile. While travel is core to Aeroplan, don’t forget that there are many ways to keep your account active, such as:

More flexible options to reinstate your Aeroplan Miles

If your miles are expiring, don’t worry. Within six months of your account becoming inactive, if you fly on an eligible Air Canada ticket or get any Aeroplan credit card, we’ll reactivate all of your recently expired miles.

If you purchased a trip with Air Canada prior to July 20, 2020, with travel commencing anytime since January 2020 and had to cancel your travel plans, we’ll be happy to reinstate all of your Aeroplan Miles which have expired since the beginning of this year. You’ll just need to have your Air Canada booking reference on hand.

To take advantage of any of these options, simply call the Aeroplan Contact Centre.

Additional eUpgrade Credits

Also, given the travel reduction in 2020, Aeroplan and Air Canada have provided all Altitude members with additional eUpgrade credits, valid until May 31, 2021 .

You can view these in your eUpgrade account and use them immediately.

Conditions are available here.

Cancelling your booking on your own

If you want to cancel all flight rewards the quickest way to do this is to go through the aeroplan.com website.

Until December 31, you can cancel free of charge and receive all of your Aeroplan Miles back in your account, plus a full refund of any associated taxes, fees and surcharges on the unused value of your travel.

Simply log-in and visit Manage your bookings.

However, if you have already started your trip, or for some complex itineraries, you will need to call Aeroplan Customer Service at 1-800-361-5373.

Conditions are available here.

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Regarding reservations made with Air Canada, pay particular attention to look at which one applies to you depending on whether Air Canada cancels your flight or if you decide:

  • To cancel your reservation by yourself
  • To modify a reservation made on or before March 4
  • To modify a reservation made after March 4
  • Make a new reservation

Actual or future Bookings

New bookings

You can make a one-time change without a fee for all new and existing tickets issued through December 31, 2020 for original travel between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021.

If you booked directly with Air Canada and you need to cancel your booking for any reason up to 2 hours prior to departure, you can convert your ticket into an Air Canada Travel Voucher that is fully transferrable and never expires. Or if you’re an Aeroplan member, you can cancel your ticket and convert it into Aeroplan Miles and get an additional bonus of 65% more miles.

Refundable tickets will be refunded as per the fare rules; a cancellation fee may still apply.

Do you have a remaining ticket value from a previously cancelled booking?
You can now convert your previously cancelled booking (for original travel between March 1st, 2020 and December 31, 2021) to an Air Canada Travel Voucher or Aeroplan Miles with an additional 65% bonus miles. You can then make a new booking.

If you need to make a new booking using your remaining ticket value, please contact your original booking source:

  • Travel agent or any online travel agency (for example, Expedia or Priceline): Contact them directly.
  • Aeroplan: Click here for contact options.
  • Air Canada Vacations: Click here which may not meet accessibility guidelines. for contact options.
  • Air Canada (including Kayak, Google Flights, and Skyscanner): Call us at 1-888-247-2262 (click here for international and other numbers).
  • Air Canada for Business: Click here for all updates.

Terms and conditions

  • Ticket must be issued on or before December 31, 2020.
  • For original travel between March 1st, 2020 and December 31, 2021.
  • If you need to change any flight, your new travel must be completed by December 31, 2022. No change fee will apply.
  • If you booked directly with Air Canada and you need to cancel any flight you will soon be able to convert the remaining value of all tickets in a booking to an Air Canada Travel Voucher that is fully transferrable and never expires or to Aeroplan Miles with an additional 65% bonus miles. No change fee will apply. Learn more.
  • Existing bookings must be changed or cancelled up to 2 hours prior to departure.

Conditions are available here.

Change or cancel your upcoming booking

You can make a one-time change without a fee or cancel your existing booking and rebook later if your original travel is between March 1st, 2020 and December 31, 2021.

If you booked with a travel agent or any online travel agency (for example, Expedia or Priceline), kindly contact them directly for changes or cancellations. Each partner has a unique booking system that we are unable to access in order to adjust your booking.

If you booked with Air Canada Vacations, click here for contact options.

For Aeroplan bookings, click here for contact options.

If you booked directly with Air Canada (including aircanada.com, the Air Canada Mobile App, and our Contact Centres) or Kayak, Google Flights, and Skyscanner, you can change or cancel your booking by visiting Manage My Booking.

If you booked with Air Canada for Business, click here for all updates.

Terms and conditions

  • Ticket must be issued on or before December 31, 2020.
  • For original travel between March 1st, 2020 and December 31, 2021.
  • If you need to change any flight, your new travel must be completed by December 31, 2022. No change fee will apply.
  • If you booked directly with Air Canada and you need to cancel any flight, you will soon be able to can convert the remaining value of all tickets in a booking to an Air Canada Travel Voucher that is fully transferrable and never expires or to Aeroplan Miles with an additional 65% bonus miles. No change fee will apply.
  • Booking can be changed or cancelled up to 2 hours prior to departure.
  • Refundable tickets will be refunded as per the fare rules; a cancellation fee may still apply.

Conditions are available here.

Conversion to an Air Canada travel voucher or Aeroplan miles

You can now convert your previously cancelled booking (for original travel between March 1st 2020 and December 31, 2021) to an Air Canada Travel Voucher that is fully transferrable and never expires or Aeroplan Miles with an additional 65% bonus miles.

If you booked with a travel agent or any online travel agency (for example, Expedia or Priceline), kindly contact them directly for options. Each partner has a unique booking system that we are unable to access in order to adjust your booking.

If you booked with Air Canada Vacations, click here for contact options.

For Aeroplan bookings, click here for contact options.

If you booked directly with Air Canada (including aircanada.com, the Air Canada Mobile App, and our Contact Centres) or Kayak, Google Flights, and Skyscanner, you can convert your booking by visiting Manage My Booking.

Finally, if you have booked with Air Canada for business, click here for all updates.

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Jean-Maximilien
Jean-Maximilien is an expert in Canada and France about Loyalty programs, Credit cards and Travel. He is the Founding President of Milesopedia.

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