The Aeroplan® Credit Card from Chase is a really creative take on an airline credit card.

Aeroplan itself was a genuine improvement when it relaunched, making award redemption better (eliminating fuel surcharges) and elite status better (even allowing elites to gift status for a day to friends and family).

When they came out with a new U.S. credit card, they had to answer the perennial challenge: why actually spend money on an airline card when you can earn transferable points quickly? Indeed, Chase points – and American Express, Capital One, and Bilt points – transfer to Air Canada Aeroplan.

But they rose to the challenge, I really like the card, the only thing I don’t like is that I’m currently over ‘5/24’ (I’ve had 5 or more new cards in the past 24 months) and not eligible to get it. Which is a real shame with this new offer earn up to 100,000 points:

• Earn 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open
  
• Plus 40,000 points after you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months your account is open.

Earning the full 100,000 Aeroplan points requires meaningful spending, but you have a full year to do it in, so very attainable spending (in fact, less per month than most initial bonus offers). That’s why I really like this new offer for the Aeroplan® Credit Card. (And I like earning points better than the original offer which was discounts on redemption.)

Air Canada Business Class From My Award Trip To Sydney

This $95 Annual Fee card earns 3x points per dollar spent on grocery stores, dining at restaurants, and Air Canada (as well as 1x points for each dollar spent on all other purchases, and 500 bonus points for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month.

This is a pretty interesting card in its own right – since it’s large and Aeroplan points are some of the most valuable. It’s one of the most lucrative card offers out there if your goal is premium cabin international award tickets. And it comes with additional benefits, too.

• Naturally cardmembers get free first checked bag (for the cardmember and up to 8 others people on same reservation).
  
• The card also comes with the first tier of elite status (25K level) for your first year. (You can keep that status with $15,000 in annual spend.)
  
• Spending $50,000 on the card bumps you up an elite level – to 35,000 mile status based on spend alone if you aren’t already at that level or higher. However a member earning that level of elite status or higher with Air Canada outside of the card who spends $50,000 on the card in a calendar year gets a one-level bump up starting at the beginning of the next calendar year. An Aeroplan 75K member who spends $50,000 on the card becomes Super Elite in the next calendar year.

Air Canada Signature Suite, Vancouver

Since Air Canada’s Super Elite is one of the most rewarding top tier statuses – I really like their airport concierge program for top elites – the credit card is an important tool for those flying the airline. And their miles are among the most useful for redeeming towards Star Alliance awards, and Air Canada Aeroplan also has more non-Star Alliance partners than other carriers that can be combined into these same awards.

Plus they give you real reasons to keep the card – even if you have other cards for Chase transfers, through December 31, 2023 you get a 10% bonus on Chase transfers of at least 50,000 points to Aeroplan, up to 25,000 bonus Aeroplan points per year.

You get 500 bonus points for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month (earn up to 3 times per months), and this even applies if all your spending already earned 3x. That’s a small way to encourage you to keep spending, up to the point of earning and leveling up status. And for the big spenders out there, $1 million earns a ‘Global Companion Pass’ allowing a second person to travel free for a year even on partner airlines and even in first class.

Aeroplan® Credit Card