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Airline loyalty programs

Aeroplan

Air Canada's program, relaunched in 2020 and rebased on spend from 2026. Points to redeem, Status Qualifying Credits for tiers.

Aeroplan is the loyalty program of Air Canada, a Star Alliance member. Air Canada bought the program back from Aimia and relaunched it in November 2020. From January 2026 both point earning and elite status became spend-based, with members earning Aeroplan points and Status Qualifying Credits on money spent.

Aeroplan Air Canada Canada
Operator
Air Canada ↗
Country
Canada
Relaunched
By Air Canada, November 2020 (repurchased from Aimia) ↗
Alliance
Star Alliance ↗
Program currency
Aeroplan points; Status Qualifying Credits for status ↗
Earning model
Revenue based since January 2026; tiers 25K, 35K, 50K, 75K, Super Elite ↗

Aeroplan is the loyalty program of Air Canada and one of the most-watched in North America because of its unusual ownership history. The program was spun off to the company Aimia, then repurchased by Air Canada, which relaunched it under airline control in November 2020. Bringing the program back in house let Air Canada align the currency with its own commercial goals rather than a third party's.

From January 2026 Aeroplan became a spend-based program on both axes. Members earn at least one Aeroplan point per dollar on Air Canada base fares, with elite multipliers up to six times, and status now depends on Status Qualifying Credits, a revenue metric, rather than miles or segments flown. Tiers run 25K, 35K, 50K, 75K, and Super Elite.

The lesson for an enterprise operator is that owning your loyalty currency is a strategic decision, not just an accounting one. When Aeroplan sat outside Air Canada, the airline could not freely reshape earning, pricing, or status. Repurchasing it, then rebasing earning and status on spend, gave Air Canada full command of a major revenue and retention engine. Operators that have outsourced their loyalty economics should weigh what control they gave up, and what regaining it would let them do.

Listings are editorial, compiled from public sources. Program details change; verify with the operator.

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