I receive compensation for content and many links on this blog. Citibank is an advertising partner of this site, as is American Express, Chase, Barclays and Capital One. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by my advertising partners. I do not write about all credit cards that are available -- instead focusing on miles, points, and cash back (and currencies that can be converted into the same). Terms apply to the offers and benefits listed on this page.
Aeroplan® Credit Card from Chase lets you earn up to 100,000 bonus points: earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, 25,000 bonus points after you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months.
This is one of the best airline co-brands, and the initial offer has gone up by 10,000 points. The card’s annual fee is $95.
Air Canada Signature Suite Toronto
Earn is 3x Aeroplan points on dining, grocery stores, and on Air Canada spend. In addition, it offers 500 bonus Aeroplan points for every $2,000 spent in a calendar month, up to 1,500 bonus Aeroplan points each month.
Cardmembers receive Aeroplan Elite 25K status for rest of the calendar year in which they get the card, plus the following year, and maintain that status by spending $15,000 on the card per year. Spending $50,000 on the card in a calendar gets a one-tier Aeroplan status upgrade, which even bumps a 75K member up to top published Super Elite status.
And cardmembers can redeem their points at 1.25 cents each toward virtually any travel purchase using the Pay Yourself Back (up to 50,000 points per year).
Air Canada Business Class
Air Canada Signature Suite Vancouver
Those with the card receive an ongoing 10% transfer bonus when moving points from Ultimate Rewards to Aeroplan when transferring 50,000 or more points, up to 25,000 bonus points per year.
Benefits include first checked bag free on Air Canada flights for the primary cardmember and up to eight other travelers on the same reservation; Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit every four years; and travel protections like trip and baggage delay coverage.
Air Canada Aeroplan gets you access to Star Alliance and to other airline partners – more partners than any other program – and airlines are generally combinable on a single award. Air Canada even allows stopovers on awards for 5,000 additional miles.
Naturally, Chase’s 5/24 applies to this card, so most will only find application success if they’ve been approved for 4 or fewer cards in the past 24 months.
Chase PYB has been broken for a week with no ETA for a fix.
Would it be best to apply on 1/01 to have two full calendar years of AC 25K?
Sure as soon as a trip to Winnipeg in January stops costing 100k, and they stop blocking half their partners.
This staggered bonus reminds me of the Chase Hyatt card for how half or a quarter of the bonus is after substantial spend in a longer period, 6-12 months. It’s a fine offer. I genuinely hope Gary gets some nice kickbacks when people use his links. Please support his blog!
That said, I would argue there may be better airline co-branded cards, generally. I say this with experience as I’ve had nearly all of them, personally, including: Amex Delta Reserve, Platinum, and Gold; Chase United Explorer, Quest, and Club; Barclays jetBlue Plus; American Barclays AAviator, and Citi Platinum Select, Executive. Each is worthwhile for the sign-up bonuses for the first year, and some for their lounge access, if you use it enough to justify.
In my opinion, though, the only true ‘keeper’ card for me has been the Delta Reserve, because of the Companion Certificate to First, which in my opinion pays for the annual fee, even if you only fly once per year with Delta. So, when it comes to the ‘best’ in this wide category, c’mon Gary, there is better out there.
How do you know that PYB is limited to 50k a year?