The Card Pairing I Used To Earn Over a Million Air Canada Points

Over the last few years, I have earned and redeemed over 1 million Air Canada Aeroplan points. I have used these points primarily for first and business class experiences on some of the best airlines in the world.

I make it a point to earn as many Air Canada Aeroplan points as possible. Fortunately, that is relatively easy, thanks to the co-branded Aeroplan^® Credit Card.

Even better, the Aeroplan program is also a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards. This means I can transfer the points I earn on the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card to Aeroplan.

Here’s why I pair the Aeroplan card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred card to earn hundreds of thousands of Air Canada Aeroplan points each year.

Aeroplan Card Overview

Aeroplan^® Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Aeroplan card is a great option for Air Canada flyers looking to earn more points and receive automatic elite status.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Aeroplan^® Credit Card

The Aeroplan card is a great option for Air Canada flyers looking to earn more points and receive automatic elite status.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 bonus points after your annual fee renewal payment posts and is paid in full.

Up to 70,000 bonus points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,050

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.49% - 28.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

Flyers based in the U.S. may think they wouldn’t have a need for a card like the Aeroplan^® Credit Card, it might be much better suited for you than you think.

Not only does Air Canada offer fantastic award redemptions, but adding the card to your wallet makes the program even more rewarding by offering elite status, more points, travel coverage, and more. Let’s take a closer look and see why the Aeroplan card might make a lot of sense for you.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points per $1 on Air Canada purchases, at grocery stores, and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services)
• 500 bonus points for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month (up to a maximum of 1,500 bonus points)
• Receive Aeroplan 25K status for the remainder of the calendar year, plus the following calendar year, and continue to extend it beyond that by spending $15,000 on the card per calendar year

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• Does not earn transferable rewards

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Card Highlights

• Earn up to 70,000 bonus points
• Earn 60K bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Earn 10K bonus points after your annual fee renewal payment posts and is paid in full
• $95 Annual Fee
• Redeem points for both international and domestic flights with the Aeroplan^® Credit Card.
• Fly to another continent and travel the world with the Aeroplan^® Credit Card.
• Earn 3X points for each dollar spent at grocery stores, on dining at restaurants, and Air Canada directly. Earn 1X point for each dollar spent on all other purchases.
• 500 bonus points for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month - up to 1,500 points per month.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.49% - 28.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

The Aeroplan card is a fantastic travel rewards card, particularly for those who like to fly on Air Canada. The card offers excellent earning potential and numerous perks and benefits. It routinely makes our list of the best airline credit cards.

With the Aeroplan card, you earn 3 points for each $1 you spend at grocery stores, dining at restaurants, and with Air Canada directly. The card earns 1 point for each $1 spent on all other purchases. Additionally, cardholders can earn 500 bonus points for every $2,000 they spend in a calendar month, up to 1,500 points per month.

The Aeroplan card also comes with several benefits and perks, including Aeroplan 25K status (for the year you apply and the following year); a first free checked bag for you and up to 8 traveling companions; a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee credit; preferred pricing on award tickets; and no foreign transaction fees.

Lastly, the Aeroplan card has a Pay Yourself Back feature where cardmembers can redeem Aeroplan points for 1.25 cents each toward any travel purchase.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Overview

BEST BEGINNER CARD

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 bonus points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.49% - 27.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
• 5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.49% - 27.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is arguably the most popular travel rewards card on the market, and it’s easy to see why. It offers enticing perks and bonus earnings on several everyday spending categories.

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you can earn 5x Ultimate Rewards points on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025); 3x points on dining, select streaming services and online groceries; and 2x on all other travel purchases.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card also provides numerous benefits, including a $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit, flexible point redemption options, a complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership, and fantastic travel insurance coverage, which includes best-in-class primary car rental insurance.

Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio. Fortunately, this option routinely makes our list of the best ways to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Why I Pair These Cards Together

The Air Canada Aeroplan loyalty program is a favorite of many award travelers, including me. The program offers a ton of value thanks to its long list of partner airlines, an award chart for partner redemptions with great sweet spots, the ability to book stopovers, and no fuel surcharges for partner redemptions

We value Air Canada Aeroplan points at 1.5 cents per point, among the highest of any airline loyalty program. However, they can be worth much more if redeemed for long-haul international business and first class flights on Air Canada and its numerous partner airlines.

Last year, I redeemed more than 500,000 Aeroplan points for business class flights on partner airlines. This included a sweet spot redemption where I flew between New York (JFK) and Frankfurt (FRA) in Singapore Airlines business class for just 60,000 Aeroplan points and taxes and fees.

Although I typically earn a lot of Aeroplan points while spending on the Aeroplan card, I often transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Last year, I took advantage of a 20% transfer bonus to Aeroplan and transferred 90,000 Chase points. This netted me 108,000 Aeroplan points — and I earned an extra 10% (9,000 points) just by holding the Aeroplan card.

Although we value Chase Ultimate Rewards and Aeroplan points at 2 cents and 1.5 cents per point, respectively, there are many situations in which you can get better value from the transfer.

For example, last year I also used 87,500 Aeroplan points to fly business class from Bangkok (BKK) to Toronto (YYZ). The cash price for the one-way itinerary was nearly $2,000. Even if there were no transfer bonus, you could find ways to transfer 87,500 Ultimate Rewards points to Aeroplan and make a redemption worth well over 2 cents per point.

Other Ways To Earn Air Canada Aeroplan Points

It is also relatively easy to earn Air Canada Aeroplan points. Air Canada Aeroplan is a transfer partner of nearly every major transferable points program. Besides being a transfer partner with Chase Ultimate Rewards, it also partners with American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Marriott Bonvoy.

All programs transfer at a 1:1 rate to Aeroplan, aside from Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy points transfer at a 3:1 ratio to Aeroplan — and for every 60,000 Bonvoy points you transfer, you get a 5,000-point bonus.

Final Thoughts

My favorite airline loyalty program is Air Canada Aeroplan, as it offers a ton of value, particularly for award travelers. Thanks to its numerous partner airlines and specific award charts for partner awards, there are many ways to redeem Aeroplan points.

Fortunately, it is also relatively easy to earn Aeroplan points. The easiest way is to spend on the Aeroplan card. Aeroplan is also a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards, meaning you can transfer points earned on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card directly to Aeroplan.

Pairing the Aeroplan card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred card together is an easy way to rack up thousands of Aeroplan points each year, which, when redeemed correctly, can be worth a lot more than you would think.