15% Off and Up to $100 in Credits: What Changes for Aeroplan Cards on January 12, 2027

Aeroplan is rolling out the biggest overhaul of its Canadian Aeroplan credit cards since they launched in 2020. Starting January 12, 2027, every primary cardholder gets 15% off in points on Air Canada flights, a benefit already available as a promotion since September and covered in our guide to the Aeroplan 15% cardholder discount. Depending on the card tier, you also get up to $100 per year in AC Wallet credits, access to Maple Leaf Lounges outside North America and priority security.

On September 25, I attended a briefing reserved for specialized media, hosted by Scott O'Leary, Vice President, Loyalty and Products at Air Canada. I was able to ask my questions directly. Here is what changes, what it is really worth and the points that deserve a caveat, including the annual fee increases at TD, CIBC and American Express.

To compare the whole market, see our ranking of the best credit cards in Canada.

Aeroplan credit cards at a glance

Aeroplan frames the overhaul around three moments of the trip: in the air, at the airport and on the ground. All the benefits take effect on January 12, 2027. Scott O'Leary stressed one point: these are additions only, and no existing benefit is being removed.

Benefits by card tier

The new benefits vary by card tier: Premium, Core (including most Business cards) and Entry. The table below sums up who gets what.

Which card is in which tier?

• Premium cards: American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Reserve Card, TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card, CIBC Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card, American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Business Reserve Card and the American Express Aeroplan Corporate Reserve Card.
• Core and Business cards: TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card, American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Card, CIBC Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card, TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa* Business Card, CIBC Aeroplan^® Visa* Business Card, the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Business Plus Card and the American Express Aeroplan Corporate Card.
• Entry cards: CIBC Aeroplan^® Visa* Card, TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Platinum* Card and the CIBC Aerogold^® Visa Card.

15% off Air Canada flights

This is the headline benefit of the overhaul. The primary holder of an Aeroplan credit card pays 15% fewer points on the base fare of Air Canada flight rewards. Taxes, fees and surcharges don't change. You just need to be signed in to your Aeroplan account and book on aircanada.com, in the Air Canada app or through the contact centre. Two examples:

• One-way at 60,000 points: 51,000 points with the card, a saving of 9,000 points
• Business Class at 150,000 points: 127,500 points with the card, a saving of 22,500 points

What's more, the discount is already live. Aeroplan has been offering it as a promotion to all Canadian cardholders since September 10, 2026, under the name FLY15OFF, for bookings made until 11:59 p.m. ET on January 11, 2027, for travel until December 31, 2027. From January 12, it becomes a permanent card benefit.

Which flights qualify?

During the briefing, Scott O'Leary cleared up some confusion caused by the first published terms. The discount applies to any one-way trip that includes at least one flight operated by Air Canada, including a connection on a partner airline. In other words, the itinerary does not need to be entirely on Air Canada. Under the terms, a segment on an eligible partner is covered when the aircanada.com booking flow indicates it. Air Canada gives the example of a New York–Lisbon round trip (LGA–YYZ–LIS), on Air Canada to Toronto, then TAP Portugal.

For a round trip, the calculation is done direction by direction. For example, an Air Canada outbound with a partner connection gets the discount, while a return with no Air Canada segment stays at the full price. You can still book the full itinerary in one go: the system automatically applies the discount to the eligible portions.

A stackable discount

The 15% stacks with Priority Rewards, Flight Reward Certificates and promotional redemption offers. A Priority Reward applies to one person's full itinerary, including a round trip, a multi-city trip or a stopover, on top of the 15% on eligible portions.

The end of status-based preferred pricing

Until now, Aeroplan offered rather opaque preferred pricing to cardholders and Elite members. Scott O'Leary confirmed it: status-based price differences have been gradually phased out. Preferred pricing now depends solely on holding a co-branded card. Air Canada confirms it in its FAQ: current cardholder preferred pricing will be replaced by the FLY15OFF discount.

According to him, the old discounts were typically around 2% to 5%, even in the best cases. The 15% is therefore far more generous and, above all, predictable.

AC Wallet credits: $50 to $100 per year

Primary holders of Premium and Core cards receive a credit twice a year in their AC Wallet, usable on Air Canada flights paid in cash. It cannot be applied to flight rewards.

Each deposit is valid for six months. The first one arrives on January 15, 2027. The two deposits in a given year don't stack with each other, since the first expires before the second arrives. However, they can be combined with any other credit already in your AC Wallet. The credit only applies to a new booking on an Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or Air Canada Express flight made on aircanada.com, in the app or through the contact centre. You must book before it expires, but you can travel after. To receive the January 15 deposit, your Aeroplan number must be linked to your card at least 72 hours before. The credit is cancelled if the card is closed or downgraded to a lower tier; it is kept if you upgrade to a higher-tier card from the same bank. Additional cardholders don't receive it.

Maple Leaf Lounges around the world

Until now, Premium card access to Maple Leaf Lounges was limited to North America. From January 12, it extends to Air Canada lounges abroad, with one guest. Access to Air Canada Cafés in Canada remains.

I asked Scott O'Leary which lounges are covered. Today, that means London Heathrow and Frankfurt. Air Canada plans to add its renovated Paris lounge and a new lounge in Rome in 2027.

Another clarification from the briefing: access applies when departing on an Air Canada or Star Alliance member flight. For example, a Premium cardholder with no status departing Frankfurt on a United flight can enter the Maple Leaf Lounge. The benefit is limited to Air Canada lounges, however, and does not extend to the wider Star Alliance network. Air Canada Signature Suites are excluded. Each cardholder, primary or additional, can bring one guest on the same itinerary, as long as their Aeroplan number is on the booking before check-in.

To see all your access options, check our ranking of the best credit cards for Maple Leaf Lounge access.

Priority security for up to 8 companions

Premium cardholders get priority security at select airports worldwide, for themselves and up to eight companions on the same booking.

I asked whether this perk was equivalent to Star Alliance Gold status. Scott O'Leary's answer: Air Canada offers the same level as for its Aeroplan 50K members. If a 50K member is entitled to it at an airport, so is a Premium cardholder. At some airports, this corresponds to a lane such as Gold Track, but Air Canada does not officially present it as a Star Alliance Gold benefit.

The benefit activates automatically as soon as the Aeroplan number linked to the card is on the booking before check-in. Note that, unlike lounge access, it only applies when you check in with Air Canada for a flight operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or Air Canada Express. It is not available at every airport and does not guarantee faster screening. It adds to the priority services already offered with Premium cards: priority check-in, priority boarding, priority baggage handling and priority airport standby.

Free 4th night and 4th day

The free 4th night on hotels booked with Aeroplan points used to be a promotion renewed each year. It becomes a permanent card benefit. On Premium and Core cards, it applies to primary and additional cardholders; on Entry cards, to the primary cardholder only.

New: the free 4th day applies to car rentals booked with Aeroplan points. The principle is the same: one free day for every four days. For example, an eight-day rental gets you two free days. According to TD, the benefit covers more than 300,000 hotels and more than 11,000 rental locations worldwide. The same cardholder rules as for the 4th night apply. In both cases, the booking must be paid entirely in points (not points plus cash) and include the consecutive nights or days in a single reservation. It cannot be modified: you have to cancel and rebook. Finally, unless otherwise permitted, these benefits cannot be combined with any other offer.

Annual fees: the announced increases

Aeroplan does not comment on annual fees, since each bank sets its own. All three issuers have now disclosed their increases. The table below covers American Express, TD and CIBC.

At TD, the new fees apply as of January 25, 2027, at your next renewal. TD will send an official notice by mail 30 to 60 days before the change. Additional cardholder fees are going up too:

• TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege: from $199 to $209
• TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite: from $75 to $80
• TD Aeroplan Visa Business: from $49 to $54

At American Express, the new fees apply to the first annual fee charged after January 12, 2027. The American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Card goes from $120 to $150 and gets $50 per year in AC Wallet credits (2 × $25). Its additional card fees change too:

• Additional Aeroplan Card: from $50 to $59
• Additional Aeroplan no-fee Card: renamed the Additional Aeroplan Companion Card, with a $25 annual fee instead of $0

At CIBC, the new fees apply the next time your annual fee is charged on or after January 12, 2027, according to the official notice sent to cardholders. Additional cardholder fees are going up too:

• CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege: from $149 to $159
• CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite: from $50 to $80
• CIBC Aeroplan Visa Business: from $50 to $55

Three details are worth your attention. First, the additional card on the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite jumps from $50 to $80. That now matches TD, but it's a 60% increase that adds up for a couple. Second, the CIBC Aeroplan^® Visa* Card keeps its $0 annual fee, and CIBC's website shows no change for the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Business Plus Card ($139). Finally, if the new terms don't work for you, CIBC's notice lets you close the account at no cost within 90 days of the changes taking effect, that is, by April 12, 2027.

Scott O'Leary argues that, adjusted for Canadian inflation (CPI) since 2020, the fees remain a good deal. The argument holds for Core cards. It is more debatable for the American Express Reserve cards, as we'll see below.

Apply before the fee increase

If you were planning to apply for a TD, CIBC or American Express Aeroplan card, now is the time. The increases only apply at the first annual fee billing after they take effect. By applying before, you pay the current fee for your first year while enjoying all the new benefits from January 12, 2027.

In practice, someone who opens an American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card in October 2026 pays a $599 annual fee, gets the AC Wallet credits, international lounge access and priority security from January, and only pays $799 at their first renewal, in October 2027. Keep in mind that the saving applies to the first year only: the new fees apply after that. Current welcome offers appear in the card boxes at the end of this article.

What American Express adds on top

American Express is also enhancing its own benefits on the American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Reserve Card and its Business version. According to its press release, the Reserve Card will offer the following benefits.

These additions come on top of existing benefits, including a free first checked bag for you and up to eight companions, and the annual Worldwide Companion Pass once the spending threshold is reached. For the list of restaurants eligible for the credit, see the finalists for Air Canada's Best New Restaurants.

Frequently asked questions about Aeroplan credit cards