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.
The Aeroplan® Credit Card from Chase is one of the best new cards of the past six months.
Its original, introductory bonus offer allowed you to earn two 50,000 point credits towards award travel as an initial bonus. That wasn’t as good as 50,000 points – you might use one towards an award that cost 40,000 points for instance and ‘waste’ the difference.
They’ve updated the offer so that you earn one of these certificates worth up to 50,000 points for an award (you can use it towards an award that’s more expensive than that). That certificate is earned after you spend $3,000 in your first 3 months from account opening.
You also can earn up to 51,000 points by earning 10 points per dollar spent on travel and dining in your first 6 months. That makes this the most lucrative travel and dining card – by far – during the introductory period.
Some might call this a ‘101,000 point offer’ but that’s not really right, the 50,000 point certificate is not points in your account.
The second – 51,000 point – tranche of the initial bonus isn’t really a 51,000 point bonus. You need to back out the points you’d have otherwise earned from spending to figure out how much of it is a bonus. This $95 Annual Fee card normally 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) through December 2023. (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.
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.
Aeroplan® Credit Card
