On October 27, 2023, Air Canada announced immoderate upcoming changes to immoderate the benefits associated with Aeroplan Elite Status.
For the 2024 payment year, members volition spot changes to the benefits associated with Flight Passes, Air Canada Café access, and the little requalification Select Benefit for Aeroplan 50K, 75K and Super Elite members.
Upcoming Changes to Benefits for Flight Passes
Air Canada has announced immoderate upcoming changes to the benefits associated with Flight Passes.
Historically, members could take Select Benefits from Bundle 1, which includes choices specified arsenic eUpgrades, little requalification, and different benefits, and Bundle 2, which are perks specifically associated with Flight Pass activity.
Members had to take betwixt receiving other eUpgrades oregon bonus Status Qualifying Miles for eligible Flight Pass activity.
As of January 1, 2024, members volition person some eUpgrades and Status Qualifying Miles for eligible Flight Pass enactment arsenic portion of their Core Benefits. This means that if you implicit immoderate eligible Flight Pass activity, you’ll person some eUpgrades and bonus SQM, and you won’t person to take betwixt them arsenic portion of your Select Benefits.
The fig of eUpgrade credits and Status Qualifying Miles awarded for Flight Passes depends connected the presumption you clasp astatine the clip of the eligible activity, outlined arsenic follows:
- 25K: 4 eUpgrades and 750 SQM
- 35K: 6 eUpgrades and 1,000 SQM
- 50K: 8 eUpgrades and 1,250 SQM
- 75K: 10 eUpgrades and 1,500 SQM
- Super Elite: 12 eUpgrades and 2,500 SQM
It’s worthy noting that the magnitude of eUpgrade credits and SQMs awarded are the aforesaid arsenic what’s presently offered done Bundle 2 of the Select Benefits.
Upcoming Changes to Air Canada Café Guesting Privileges
Air Canada has besides announced changes to the impermanent entree argumentation for Air Canada Cafés.
Access is inactive constricted to guests travelling successful business class oregon Premium Rouge, Aeroplan 50K, 75K, and Super Elite members, Star Alliance Gold members, and for passengers with the pursuing Aeroplan co-branded recognition cards:
- TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
- CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
- American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card
- American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card
- American Express®* Aeroplan® Corporate Reserve Card
Eligible guests utilized to beryllium capable to bring 1 other idiosyncratic successful with them; however, eligible members whitethorn present bring 1 guest, positive their spouse and up to 5 babelike children travelling with them.
It’s worthy noting that the guesting argumentation is present successful harmony with what Aeroplan Elite Status members are permitted successful Maple Leaf Lounges.
It appears that this caller guesting argumentation is effectual immediately, and we’ve reached retired to Air Canada to corroborate this.
Upcoming Changes to the Lower Requalification Select Benefit
As of January 1, 2024, Air Canada is changing the little requalification Select Benefit disposable to Aeroplan 50K, 75K, and Super Elite members.
Previously, if little requalification was chosen arsenic a Select Benefit, the Status Qualifying Mile (SQM) and Status Qualifying Segment (SQS) thresholds required for the aforementioned statuses would beryllium lowered arsenic follows:
- Aeroplan 50K: from 50,000 SQM oregon 50 SQS to 45,000 SQM oregon 45 SQS
- Aeroplan 75K: from 75,000 SQM oregon 75 SQS to 70,000 SQM oregon 70 SQS
- Aeroplan Super Elite: from 100,000 SQM oregon 100 SQS to 95,000 SQM oregon 95 SQS
All members were required to fulfill the afloat Status Qualifying Dollar (SQD) requirement, which volition stay the lawsuit successful 2024.
Going forward, if you take little requalification arsenic 1 of your Select Benefits, you’ll receive a one-time bonus of 5,000 Status Qualifying Miles and 5 Status Qualifying Segments.
The bonus volition beryllium awarded immediately, and volition number towards earning Threshold Gifts and Threshold eUpgrades.
This means that the SQM, SQS, and SQD requirements volition beryllium the aforesaid for everyone; however, if you take the little requalification Select Benefit, you’ll get a boost of SQM and SQS, alternatively of lowered thresholds.
The caller little requalification attack volition beryllium disposable erstwhile the Select Benefits go unfastened successful aboriginal 2024.
Air Canada’s Latest Changes to Aeroplan Elite Status
The latest changes announced by Air Canada astir Aeroplan Elite Status won’t impact each members, since they lone truly marque a quality if you usage Flight Passes, predominant Air Canada Cafés, and/or take little requalification arsenic a Select Benefit.
As for the inclusion of some other eUpgrades and bonus SQMs for eligible Flight Pass activity, this is simply a affirmative improvement for anyone who purchases Flight Passes. Since you’d antecedently lone get either eUpgrades oregon bonus SQM, you’ll present get some included arsenic portion of your Core Benefits successful the aforesaid amounts that were antecedently offered separately.
As for an expanded impermanent entree argumentation astatine Air Canada Cafés, this volition payment you if you thin to question arsenic a family, since you tin present bring yourself, 1 guest, your spouse, and up to 5 babelike children.
However, I ideate that immoderate members whitethorn beryllium acrophobic astir much crowding successful Air Canada Cafés with an expanded guesting policy.
As for the changes to the little requalification Select Benefit, I spot this arsenic a affirmative change, since the SQM and SQS awarded number towards Threshold Rewards.
On the different hand, I personally don’t see this the beryllium the astir invaluable prime arsenic a Select Benefit, since you tin gain SQM and SQS done spending connected a co-branded recognition card implicit the people of the twelvemonth instead.
This is due to the fact that you tin gain the aforesaid 5,000 SQM oregon 5 SQS you’d get from the little requalification Select Benefit with the pursuing spending:
- $25,000 spent connected a premium Aeroplan co-branded recognition paper (1,000 SQM and 1 SQS per $5,000 spent)
- $50,000 spent connected a halfway Aeroplan co-branded recognition paper (1,000 SQM and 1 SQS per $10,000 spent)
Furthermore, Aeroplan often puts retired promotions for earning bonus SQM and/or SQS passim the year.
However, if you don’t thin to enactment a batch of spending connected a co-branded recognition card, oregon if you don’t wage overmuch attraction to promotions, you’ll inactive payment from the little requalification level, conscionable arsenic a boost alternatively of a lowered threshold going forward.
It’s worthy noting that these changes travel successful summation to a fig of different changes to the programme this year, including:
- Aeroplan 35K members nary longer having Maple Leaf Lounge entree arsenic of June 2023
- Expanded entree to complimentary preferred spot selection
- New lounges successful Toronto Billy Bishop Airport and San Francisco
- The debut of upgraded A321 cabins
2024 volition people the 40th day of Aeroplan, and Air Canada has plans to proceed to upgrade its lounge network, connection faster Wi-Fi, and present different yet-to-be-announced benefits.
Conclusion
Air Canada has announced a fistful of changes to Aeroplan Elite Status benefits. Some are acceptable to travel into effect immediately, portion others instrumentality spot arsenic of January 1, 2024.
The announced changes see introducing bonus eUpgrades and SQM for Flight Pass enactment arsenic a a Core Benefit, expanding the impermanent entree argumentation astatine Air Canada Cafés, and changing the little requalification Select Benefit to a boost of 5,000 SQM and 5 SQS alternatively of lowering the threshold by the aforesaid amounts.
Some members won’t beryllium affected by the changes, portion others volition basal to payment if they acquisition Flight Passes, predominant the Air Canada Café, and/or take little requalification arsenic a Select Benefit.
The station Upcoming Changes to Aeroplan Elite Status Benefits for 2024 appeared archetypal connected Prince of Travel by T.J. Dunn.