Doctor of Credit covers a leak of details of the new Chase Aeroplan credit card that’s coming next month. A spokesperson for Air Canada Aeroplan confirms the details, though suggests that what has been revealed so far is only a small part of what the card’s features, and explains details of how the initial bonus will work.

Apparently “an email w[as] sent to some members [which] linked momentarily to a test page that included some details about the card including the launch offer and earn rates.”

Initial Bonus

The card’s initial bonus is “two Welcome Flight Rewards worth up to 100,000 points.” Here’s what that means,

• 2 certificates worth up to 50,000 points each
  
• after $4000 spend within 3 months

Each of the two 50K Welcome Flight Rewards that make up our “up to 100K points” launch offer can be applied toward a single-passenger Aeroplan redemption in any cabin and for any redemption amount. This means that if you had an 65,000 point itinerary, you could apply a 50K Welcome Flight Reward and simply top up the remaining 15,000 point difference. It also means that if your itinerary is only 45,000 points, and you apply a 50K Welcome Flight Reward the full certificate would be considered used.

Anyone who signed up for the card’s waitlist is also eligible for an additional 10,000 miles an 10 eUpgrade credits.

Earning For Spend

the card earns:

• 3x on Air Canada spend
  
• 1x on other purchases
  
• 500 points for each $2000 spend (up to 1500 bonus points per month)

This is actually interesting, because it’s an additional .25 miles per dollar at each $2000 spend threshold, capped at $6000 per month in spend. If you’re doing this all in bonus categories, you could earn 3.25 points per dollar on grocery and dining spend which is pretty good.

Air Canada Benefits

The card comes with Aeroplan 25k elite status (first tier elite) for the next year and then you keep that status with $15,000 spend each year.

Cardmembers receive free first checked bag for themselves and up to 8 companions on the same reservation when flying Air Canada.

Air Canada Aeroplan Is A Useful Program For Americans

Air Canada Aeroplan elite members get significant discounts on award redemption through “Priority Rewards so this program is going to be useful for those with big balances with Chase, American Express or Capital One since Aeroplan is a transfer partner of those. And we’re about to see the launch of a new Aeroplan credit card in the U.S. from Chase.

And Aeroplan award redemption is very useful with no fuel surcharges and access to both Star Alliance airline awards and award travel across an extensive network of partners (even Etihad). Moreover when redeeming for business class awrds on Air Canada generally a 10,000 to 12,000 point premium gets a business flex award and that comes with access to probably the best business class lounges in North America, the original Signature Suite in Toronto and the one in Vancouver.

We’ll See What Else The Card Offers

We’ve seen several additional benefits on Air Canada Canadian co-brands, and we’ll know soon enough what else the U.S. card offers since applications should launch next month.