World of Hyatt Elites Can Now Fast-Track to Aeroplan Elite Status

When World of Hyatt and Air Canada Aeroplan launched their partnership back in July, Hyatt elites were told a path to Aeroplan status would arrive soon. Now, it’s here.

Starting today, October 14, 2026, those with World of Hyatt Explorist and Globalist status can register for a 90-day challenge to earn Aeroplan Elite Status on an easier path than normal.

Let’s check out the details to see how this works.

Aeroplan Elite Status Challenge for World of Hyatt Members

To participate in this promotion, you must link your Aeroplan and World of Hyatt accounts. Moreover, both accounts must be in good standing, and you must hold World of Hyatt Explorist or Globalist status when you register. Discoverist and base members aren’t eligible, unfortunately.

Members can link their accounts here.

Your World of Hyatt status at the time of registration decides which challenge you can participate in. Explorists can earn Aeroplan 25K status, while Globalists can go as high as Aeroplan 75K.

Here are the available status tiers and how to earn them, based on Status Qualifying Credits (SQCs) earned in a 90-day period:

You can register here for this promotion.

Processing can take up to 48 hours, and your 90-day window begins on the date Aeroplan records your registration — not the date on which you clicked the button. A confirmation email will list your start and end dates, and you can also find them on your Aeroplan dashboard once enrolled.

What Counts Toward the Challenge?

Only flight activity tied to Air Canada qualifies. That includes:

• Flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express, or Air Canada Rouge when flying in Economy Standard or higher
• Star Alliance and select partner flights ticketed by Air Canada (ticket numbers starting with 014) in Economy Standard or higher fare classes
• Air Canada Vacations packages; these earn SQCs on the full package price, including taxes and fees, with flights in any cabin

Passengers can earn 4 SQC per CA$1 ($0.70) spent on Economy Flex fares or higher and 2 SQC per CA$1 ($0.70) on Economy Standard fares. Air Canada Vacations packages earn 1 SQC per CA$1 ($0.70) spent. For flights, SQC are based on the base fare and carrier surcharges; taxes and fees aren’t included in earnings.

This means earning 8,000 SQC takes CA$2,000 ($1,400) in qualifying spend on Flex fares or spending CA$4,000 ($2,800) on Standard fares. A Globalist going for 75K elite status would need to spend CA$6,250 ($4,375) on Flex fares within 90 days to reach that goal.

What Doesn’t Count?

Not every flight or booking will count toward the challenge. Economy Basic tickets are excluded, as are Aeroplan award tickets, including those booked with Points + Cash. Some specialty fares, such as group bookings and unpublished fares, may not qualify either.

And while you can normally earn SQCs through credit card spending and certain promotions, those won’t count toward this challenge. Only eligible SQCs earned from flying will count.

The Fine Print

Here are the terms you should be aware of:

• Your challenge is locked in at registration. If you register as an Explorist and become a Globalist a month later, you’re only available for the Explorist challenge tier.
• You can register once per calendar year. You’ll also need to wait until your current 90-day challenge ends before trying again.
• Flights must depart within your 90 days. Flights that post later still count, so long as you flew them in time.
• Reaching your top available tier through other methods ends the challenge. You keep the status, but you can’t reenter that year. However, a Globalist who earns 50K by other means mid-challenge stays enrolled and can keep working toward 75K.
• Existing status may make you ineligible. If you already hold Aeroplan status equal to or above the highest tier your challenge offers, and it’s valid through next year, you can’t enroll for this promotion. For Explorists, that means anyone holding 25K status through 2027 is left out.

It can take up to 14 days for SQCs to post. Once you hit your target, Aeroplan says it will update your account within 72 hours.

How This Status Challenge Compares to Standard Qualification

Normally, Aeroplan members collect SQCs from January 1 through December 31 each year. Hitting a tier’s threshold unlocks its benefits for the rest of that year and all of the next one.

Here’s how the tiers work:

Standard qualification gives you more ways to earn SQCs beyond just flying:

• Air Canada flights: Same rates as above, no cap
• Aeroplan partners: 1 SQC per 5 Aeroplan base points earned, applies more than 40 travel and everyday partners and Star Alliance airlines, capped at 25,000 SQCs per year
• Canadian Aeroplan credit cards: 1,000 SQCs per CA$5,000 ($3,500) spent on a premium card or 1,000 SQCs per CA$20,000 ($14,000) on a core card, capped at 25,000 SQCs per year combined across all cards you hold
• Chase Air Canada Aeroplan^® Credit Card: A 5,000-SQC bonus every year, 10,000 SQCs after $25,000 in spending, another 10,000 SQCs after $50,000, and 1,000 SQCs per $20,000 spent
• Everyday Status Qualification: Earning 100,000 eligible Aeroplan points with partners in a calendar year unlocks 25K status, though it can’t get you any higher tiers

The SQC targets in this promotion are roughly a third of the standard requirements. The catch is that flights are the only thing that counts. Typically, partner and credit card earning can get you to 50K status without stepping on an Air Canada plane, but none of that helps with the challenge available for Hyatt’s elite members.

For anyone who flies Air Canada regularly, the shortcut is big. Reaching 25K on Flex fares alone normally takes CA$6,250 ($4,375) in flight spending. Through the challenge, it’s cut to CA$2,000 ($1,400).

When You Register Matters

Timing is important here because your registration date determines how long you’ll keep your Aeroplan elite status, not when you complete the challenge. For example, if you complete the challenge in December 2026, your status will expire on January 31, 2028.

But here’s where it gets interesting. If you wait until January 1, 2027, to register (or later), your status will be valid through January 31, 2029. That’s potentially an extra year of elite benefits just for waiting a few months.

Of course, there’s a catch. If you already have Air Canada flights coming up, registering now could make more sense since those flights could help you earn the SQCs needed during the 90-day challenge window.

Ultimately, it comes down to whether you’d rather take advantage of flights you already have booked or wait a little longer to potentially enjoy an extra year of status.

Why Aeroplan Status Is Worth It

Even entry-level Aeroplan 25K status comes with some pretty useful perks, including priority check-in and boarding, a free checked bag on Air Canada flights, preferred seat selection at check-in on eligible fares, and 5 eUpgrade credits that can help you move into a better cabin.

You’ll also get Star Alliance Silver status, which comes with some additional benefits when flying partner airlines.

But the perks get even better at the higher tiers. Aeroplan 50K and 75K members receive Star Alliance Gold status, which unlocks benefits like lounge access, priority check-in, and additional baggage allowances when flying eligible Star Alliance airlines.

Final Thoughts

Plenty of hotel-airline partnerships offer status perks that sound great on paper but don’t always deliver much value. This one, though, is worth a closer look.

Hyatt Globalists with upcoming Air Canada flights have a shortcut to multiple tiers of Aeroplan elite status, while Explorists can work their way to 25K status with roughly a third of the usual qualifying requirements.