Aeroplan Program

Welcome to The New Aeroplan Program!

To the point Air Canada's new Aeroplan Program is a must for all travellers. Here is a summary of our post series.

This post is also available in: FR

Three years on have severed ties with AIMIA – the company that managed the Aeroplan program – and just under two years after bought the program from him, Air Canada announces todaythe details of this new Aeroplan program, which will be launched on November 8, 2020.

For the occasion, I was invited to an exceptional – and ultra-confidential – event in Montreal a few weeks ago, in the presence of Air Canada’s management team for nearly 7 hours to preview all the details of the new Aeroplan program.

On milesopedia.com, you’ll find eight posts about it with every new feature explained.

All The Details About the New Aeroplan Program!

History and branding

Air Canada has been working on this new Aeroplan program for almost two years.

Here are some stats provided by the airline:

  • 36,252 Air Canada customers consulted
  • 38 loyalty programs analyzed
  • Nearly 12,000 hours of surveys
  • 1,000 questions and suggestions through a micro-site
  • And a dozen of bloggers consulted 🙂
aeroplan – maintenant – valeur

With Aeroplan, Air Canada wants to reach more audiences, even beyond frequent or business travellers. The airline wants to earn its way into consumer’s lives every day, while retaining the appeal that makes Aeroplan: travel.

Over the past few months, Air Canada has brilliantly conducted promotional experiments to reach its audience directly at home:

aeroplan – maintenant – facile

In redesigning Aeroplan, Air Canada would like to:

  • Consider individuals in the context of their family group (hence the new Aeroplan Family Sharing feature or benefits for supplementary Aeroplan credit cardholders)
  • Offering exclusive and inclusive benefits to its members
  • Introducing simple technology to earn and redeem Aeroplan points
aeroplan – maintenant – reconnaissance

Yes! Now we’ll be talking about Aeroplan Points and not Aeroplan Miles.

Points can be used in different ways (not just for flight rewards). It was, therefore, logical for Air Canada to switch to this currency.

And if Air Canada thought about a new program name, it could not sweep away 35 years of Aeroplan’s existence. The name is therefore retained, with a brand new image inspired by Air Canada’s new fleet livery.

aeroplan nouveau logo sans bg

The letter E is inspired by the cockpit’s “superhero mask” on the new livery!

Has

New Aeroplan Program Launch Dates

Air Canada will launch the new Aeroplan program in 4 steps:

  • August 11, 2020: All program details and branding revealed
  • August 24, 2020:Issuers to start notifying current Aeroplan credit cardholders
  • November 8, 2020:New program and co-brand credit cards launch. Aeroplan.com will disappear at this time.
  • Q1 2021:All features of the new program will be in place
Miles to Points

As announced, Aeroplan miles will be converted to Aeroplan points at a 1 to 1 ratio: if you currently have 50,000 Aeroplan miles, you would have 50,000 Aeroplan points.

Aeroplan Flight Rewards Rules

Before devouring browsing the new Aeroplan Flight Reward Chart, I invite you to read this article on the new rules about Aeroplan Flight Rewards.

This reading is essential to understand how the new program works and the benefits that can be deed from it.

These include:

  • Airline surcharges removal
  • Partner airlines pricing
  • Stopover and Layover rules
  • The new pricing based on zones and distance travelled
  • Points Predictor Tool
  • Points + Cash feature
  • Aeroplan Fees
  • The new booking experience

Aeroplan Flight Rewards

After understanding the new Flight Rewards rules,you can now check the new Aeroplan Flight Reward Chart.

The chart has been completely overhauled and deserves a lot of importance: everyone’s travels are different, and there are some sweet spots!

We analyze all the travel zones and combinations:

  • North America
  • South America
  • Atlantic
  • Pacific
  • North America – Atlantic
  • North America – Pacific
  • North America – South America
  • Atlantic – Pacific
  • Atlantic – South America
  • Pacific – South America

Aeroplan Non-Air Rewards

If flight rewards should be what you earn Aeroplan points for, Air Canada has thought of those who want to redeem their points for other purposes.

Thus, the airline has improved different aspects of point redemptions for non-air rewards.

Aeroplan Family Sharing

I think this is one of the most significant features of the new Aeroplan program: Aeroplan Family Sharing.

If similar features already exist in other loyalty programs (think British Airways Executive Club, for example), Air Canada goes further with Aeroplan Family Sharing.

These include:

  • Points earning
  • Points redemption
  • Benefits as a family
  • Terms and credit cards

New Aeroplan Credit cards

14. This is the number of Aeroplan co-brand credit cards that will be issued by American Express, CIBC and TD.

Air Canada has improved the Aeroplan credit card benefits, and better integrate them into its program.

We analyze in this post:

  • Aeroplan credit cards types
  • Points earning benefits
  • Travel benefits
  • Aeroplan Elite Status Benefits

Earn Aeroplan Points

Air Canada has also been fine-tuning the ways to earn Aeroplan points.

If the airline has adopted a revenue-based model, it offers new opportunities to earn Aeroplan points.

We’ll see how to earn points:

  • With flights
  • With other types of travel

Aeroplan Elite Status

For many years, Air Canada customers had to navigate between Altitude and Aeroplan status, with benefits that were not necessarily recognized. Air Canada fixed that error!

Air Canada’s Altitude disappears. The airlines simplified things with only one status: Aeroplan Elite Status.

We go through the new benefits of the Aeroplan Elite Status:

  • Simplified appellations
  • Qualification criteria
  • Program digitization
  • Priority Rewards
  • Preferred Pricing
  • Credit cards and Status
  • Status Pass
  • 25K Status through expenses

Bottom line

We’ll add new posts about Aeroplan in the coming weeks. Subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss anything and join our Facebook group to ask your questions!

This post is also available in: FR

Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!
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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