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Air Canada’s frequent flyer program is called Aeroplan, and many an award traveler has used it to book premium cabin tickets on a variety of Star Alliance carriers with points.
While many have experience with booking tickets outright, using the Aeroplan program to upgrade Air Canada flights is less talked about.
So that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about today. And we’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so let’s dive right in!
Before we discuss how to upgrade your flight, let’s go over the specific types of Aeroplan upgrades you need to be aware of:
One of the only ways to access the specific number of upgrades available is by using ExpertFlyer — we talk about this more in our guide on the best ways to upgrade to business or first class.
ExpertFlyer is a paid subscription website that charges $99.99 per year billed annually (or more if you pay monthly). However, it is an extremely useful tool for savvy award travelers to have in their arsenal.
Hot Tip: Learn more about how to use ExpertFlyer to search for award space and upgrades.
Using ExpertFlyer, follow these steps to find upgrade inventory on Air Canada:
In the screenshot above, you’ll see that this flight shows “R9,” which corresponds to the fare class “R.” These are the number of eUpgrades available, which means this flight has 9 eUpgrades available.
Similarly, if you look for upgrade availability using Star Alliance miles, like KrisFlyer miles from Toronto to Tokyo, you’ll want to look for the “I” fare class. If you’re looking for upgrade space for 2 travelers, you’ll want to see at least “I2” available — “I1” and “I0” wouldn’t work.
Upgrading using miles is only possible with specific fare classes. And to make things even more confusing, the number of miles necessary and eligible fare classes will vary depending on which miles you’re using.
For example, the mileage cost of an upgrade with Singapore KrisFlyer will be different from the cost using United MileagePlus, which is a major source of confusion we’ll address below.
Air Canada also labels its fare classes with names instead of referring to them with the 1-letter fare code we are all used to:
| Air Canada Accrual Chart for Air Canada Flights | |
| Fare Name | Accrual Structure Based on Miles Flown |
| Business | 150% |
| Premium Economy | 125% |
| Latitude | 125% |
| Comfort | 115% |
| Flex | 100% |
| Standard (International) | 50% |
| Standard (Domestic Canada) | 25% |
| Basic (International) | 25% (no Status Qualifying Miles accrued) |
| Basic (International between Canada and the U.S.) | 25% (no SQMs accrued) |
| Basic (Domestic Canada) | 10% (no SQMs accrued) |
Hot Tip: Upgrades for each flight and ticket will have different availability depending on the booking class, route, and dates. It’s a best practice to check every flight individually.
Getting upgraded from economy to any premium cabin seat will depend heavily on your level of elite status with Aeroplan. Just like how United uses elite status to automatically establish your position on a waitlist, this is also the case with Air Canada Aeroplan.
The higher your Aeroplan elite status, the higher priority you will be in line to have your eUpgrades clear.
Aeroplan calls this your eUpgrade clearance window. Unlike frequent flyer programs like American Airlines AAdvantage where your upgrade can clear outside of the confirmation window if there is confirmed upgrade space available, your eUpgrades will not begin clearing until the clearance window.
Here is the chart of eUpgrade clearance windows:
| Air Canada Aeroplan eUpgrade Clearance Windows | |||
| Aeroplan Elite Status | Premium Economy (Flexible) and Latitude | Premium Economy (Lowest), Comfort, Flex, and Standard | Premium Economy (Lowest), Comfort, Flex, and Standard |
| All Flights | North America and Sun Destinations (Mexico and the Caribbean) | International | |
| Aeroplan Super Elite | Anytime | 14 days | 7 days |
| Aeroplan 75K | Anytime | 12 days | 6 days |
| Aeroplan 50K | Anytime | 10 days | 5 days |
| Aeroplan 35K | Anytime | 8 days | 4 days |
| Aeroplan 25K | Anytime | 4 days | 3 days |
| Aeroplan Member | 7 days | – | – |
For example, if you’re an Aeroplan 50K member and you’re looking to apply an eUpgrade to a flight between Vancouver (YVR) and Seoul-Incheon (ICN) booked in the Standard fare class, your eUpgrade will clear starting from 5 days before departure.
As you can see, Aeroplan 75K and Aeroplan Super Elite members can have eUpgrades clear within 6 and 7 days, respectively. Therefore, members with higher status will typically always have higher priority.
Hot Tip: The number of eUpgrades will vary significantly depending on your route, your booking class, your elite status, and much more (learn about eUpgrade requirements on Air Canada’s website).
The only way to have eUpgrades clear further out than the clearance window is to apply them on the most flexible tickets, which are Premium Economy (Flexible) and Latitude tickets. Typically, these are also the most expensive.
Furthermore, Air Canada has a program called Early Recognition, which gives you benefits for qualifying for elite status faster than usual.
When you reach a higher level of status before the end of the year, you’ll have the chance to choose your Select Privileges. This means that you can pick 1 item from a list of perks (similar to “choice benefits” offered with some top-tier hotel statuses).
If you make Early Recognition and qualify for the higher status before December 31, you get to receive up to 10 eUpgrade credits before the new year — essentially an advance of eUpgrades (the exact number of eUpgrade credits will vary depending on your exact qualifying tier).
Here are the amounts of eUpgrade credits you could receive for each status level, including the number available in advance with Early Recognition’s Select Privileges:
| Aeroplan Status Level | Number of eUpgrade Credits | Number of eUpgrade Credits From Early Recognition |
| 25K | 25 | 0 |
| 35K | 30 | 5 |
| 50K | 40 | 10 |
| 75K | 55 | 10 |
| Super Elite | 70 | 10 |
Say you were to qualify for 75K on October 15, 2022. When you meet the qualification requirements, you’ll receive 10 eUpgrade credits. Then, come 2023, you’ll receive your regular 55 eUpgrades.
Bottom Line: Elite status is very useful because you’ll get more eUpgrade credits depending on which tier you’re in. More eUpgrade credits mean you can upgrade more flights! Plus, higher elite status means a higher upgrade priority!
Your eUpgrade credits typically expire on January 15 of the year after your elite status period, giving you nearly 14 months to use them.
That said, there’s a different amount of eUpgrade credits required for each route. Luckily, Air Canada has a guide to help you figure out how many eUpgrades you’ll need.
If you want to upgrade a companion, Air Canada offers an avenue to do so: the eUpgrade Travel Companion. If you hold any Aeroplan status, you can use eUpgrade credits to request an upgrade for both yourself and a companion on the same reservation.
Hot Tip: You can also upgrade a companion on a different reservation, but these requests can only be performed on the day of departure at the airport.
If you’re a top-tier Super Elite member, you can also use the eUpgrade Nominees benefit. You can essentially give upgrades to anybody for any purpose if they are an Aeroplan member. Keep in mind that a nominee can only receive upgrades from a single Super Elite member.
While eUpgrade Travel Companions must be on the same flight as the status holder, eUpgrade Nominees do not need to be traveling with the Super Elite member.
If you end up running out of eUpgrades or needing more, you can also complete “Flight Pass activities” to get more eUpgrade credits. You’ll also earn Status Qualifying Miles (SQMs) for purchasing Flight Passes.
Let’s move away from eUpgrades for a moment. Different Aeroplan status levels also provide benefits when it comes to selecting preferred seats, which include exit row seats.
| Aeroplan Status Level | Seat Upgrade Benefit |
| 25K |
|
| 35K |
|
| 50K |
|
| 75K |
|
| Super Elite |
|
If you’re interested also in priority seat selection, which is simply at the front of economy, you’ll be able to choose those with any Aeroplan status, starting from the 25K level.
Priority and preferred seats are technically not upgrades, though they are an enhancement over regular economy seats.
Bottom Line: The best way to upgrade on Air Canada is by using eUpgrade credits — these have the most award availability and are attainable by qualifying for certain tiers of Aeroplan elite status. Having Aeroplan elite status can also provide you with priority or preferred seating, which aren’t upgrades, but can help you secure a better economy seat on flights.
The new Aeroplan® Credit Card, which is issued by Chase, allows you to enjoy higher upgrade chances/priority on Air Canada.
The Aeroplan card is a great option for Air Canada flyers looking to earn more points and receive automatic elite status.
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.
If you earn Aeroplan 75K status through flying and other activities, you can use your Aeroplan card and spend $50,000 to get bumped up 1 tier to the top-tier Super Elite status.
However, we’d only recommend this if you’re a frequent traveler on Air Canada. Otherwise, we recommend using a card with one of Air Canada’s transfer partners (like Amex) that earns better rewards, especially if you’re looking for flexibility offered through transfer partners.
Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThis card is undoubtedly the #1 card for luxury travel benefits. From the best lounge access (of any card) to statement credits, to complimentary elite status, you can’t go wrong.
When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThis is the go-to card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants and those who want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!
The American Express® Gold Card is definitely a game-changer.
With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x.
There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are a number of other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.
There are 2 main avenues for upgrading with points or miles:
Which currency you end up using will depend on your exact situation. This is because airlines have different transfer partners and ratios, which can change the equation depending on what upgrades you’re trying to make.
First, we’ll talk about upgrading Air Canada flights using Aeroplan points. Then, we’ll move on to discuss the method for using other airline miles to upgrade Air Canada flights.
Using Aeroplan points to upgrade your flights is very easy:
Sounds pretty easy, right? It is, but you’ll find that the cost to use points is very high because AC Bid Upgrades using Aeroplan points has a very low cent-per-point value.
Bottom Line: Overall, this process is very easy. Since you’re upgrading with points, you do not need any form of elite status, eUpgrade certificates, or anything else pertaining to Air Canada Aeroplan. You simply need to bid using Aeroplan points, and you’re good to go.
Star Alliance is unique in that you can use any airline partner’s miles to upgrade on any other Star Alliance flight. This means you can spend KrisFlyer miles to upgrade Air Canada flights, or Aeroplan points to upgrade KrisFlyer flights, for example — the partnership goes both ways.
However, there are some restrictions:
Different airlines charge different prices for upgrades, and you’ll want to follow these steps to find out how much upgrading your flight will cost:
Bottom Line: You’ll need to abide by individual frequent flyer program upgrade rules, but once you’ve done that, you’ll find you can achieve some great value by using any Star Alliance airline’s miles to upgrade your Air Canada flights.
Finally, let’s take a look at how you can upgrade your Air Canada ticket using cash! There’s just 1 way available, so let’s go through it in detail.
If all else fails, and your elite status and frequent flyer points aren’t good enough to secure that upgrade for you, there is another way!
Air Canada offers a program known as the Last Minute Upgrade Purchase, which you can use to upgrade to either business class or premium economy. Note that basic fares aren’t eligible for these upgrades.
When successful, you get access to all of the best parts of business class travel, including priority security and boarding, as well as lounge access and all the inflight business class services available.
And if your reservation has more than 1 passenger, you must either upgrade all travelers or none at all — there’s no way to upgrade some of the passengers.
Your Last Minute Upgrade Purchase may be offered as soon as 24 hours prior to departure during the online check-in process, or as soon as 12 hours prior to departure at the self-service check-in kiosk.
Additionally, Last Minute Upgrade Purchases are offered at least:
Hot Tip: While you can enjoy the benefits of a business class product with a Last Minute Upgrade Purchase, you will not earn points or elite status according to your upgraded ticket; your accrual is based on your original ticket.
In many cases, Last Minute Upgrade Purchases can be fantastic deals. Here are some historical routes with their upgrade prices.
Keep in mind that these quoted prices (in USD)are for one-way flights:
Air Canada’s various processes and systems for getting upgrades are convoluted, though they align with other airlines’ upgrade procedures for the most part. Getting that treasured upgrade is a complicated process, but it can be rewarding for those who take the time to understand it.
There are several main ways to get upgrades:
Each of these methods has its own pros and cons, and there are ways to get upgraded without elite status. Elite status is useful in providing upgrades with Aeroplan, and the eUpgrades you acquire by achieving elite status levels or completing certain Flight Pass activities can be instrumental in confirming your upgrades.
The eUpgrade method will provide the best availability, but these are generally only accessible for Aeroplan elite members. If you don’t have eUpgrades, you can also be an eUpgrade Travel Companion or eUpgrade Nominee of someone who does.
Air Canada has many ways of upgrading to business class — be sure to refer to this guide whenever you’re booking an Air Canada flight and are hoping to score a coveted upgrade!
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
When you upgrade a flight on Air Canada, you are entitled to the same luggage allowance as if you had purchased the ticket with cash.
Find more information regarding checked baggage in our guide.
You don’t need to hold elite status to upgrade with Air Canada.
You can upgrade if you’ve purchased a ticket in a certain fare bucket and have enough points or miles to do so. You can use Aeroplan points or any other Star Alliance carrier’s miles to upgrade your ticket.
Keep in mind, however, that eUpgrade credits (which are attainable with Air Canada Aeroplan elite status) have better award availability than mileage upgrades.
Yes, you can now upgrade an award ticket!
Check how much it’ll cost here.
As soon as your upgrade is requested and processed, the points/fees will be deducted from your Aeroplan frequent flyer account. Also, your credit card on file will be charged if you’re upgrading from a deeply discounted ticket using eUpgrade credits.
To upgrade with points, you’ll need to submit the highest bid using Aeroplan points. If you’re upgrading with another Star Alliance airline’s miles, you’ll need to follow their rules.
If you’re using eUpgrade credits, you can pretty much upgrade any fare class. However, a cheaper fare class will require more eUpgrades than a more flexible/expensive fare class.
Finally, you can bid for an upgrade or pay for a last-minute upgrade with cash.
Economy plus seats have more legroom compared to economy seats. Furthermore, they will be located in either an exit row or at the front of the aircraft.
If you have the right Air Canada Aeroplan status, you will have a complimentary selection of priority and preferred seats. Priority seats are at the front of the aircraft and will allow you to deplane faster when you land. Preferred seats have more legroom.
Lower-level elites with Air Canada Aeroplan may not get complimentary seat selection, but they may get it at a discounted rate.
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Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.
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20 comments
Kingston mom
August 08, 2019
Hi, I have Altitude 25K status and 20 E upgrade credits. I’m wondering how many credits it would be to upgrade from premium economy to business one way on an international flight (LHR to YYZ). Can you kindly advise? The chart doesn’t make a lot of sense to me 🙂 Thanks!
Andrew Kunesh
August 09, 2019
Good question! LHR to YYZ clocks in at 3540 miles one-way. According to the eUpgrade chart, an upgrade from the lowest premium economy fare to business costs 21 certificates + $500 for this flight. Flexible premium economy tickets can be upgraded for 11 certificates and no fee on this route. Thanks!
Corine Petrochuk
September 07, 2019
We are flying business first class from Toronto to Vancouver
What is maximum pieces of luggage allowed and what is maximum weight of those pieces of luggage
Jarrod West
September 09, 2019
Hi Corine,
For your flight, you may bring 1 personal item, 1 carry-on bag, and two checked bags weighing no more than 32kg (70lb) per person.
Thanks for reading!
Andrea Tawfik
September 10, 2019
Hi! If I pay to upgrade an Air Canada flight from economy to premium economy, will I receive Altitude points for an economy fare or the 125% of premium?
Thanks!
Andrea
Stephen Au
September 11, 2019
Hi Andrea,
Unfortunately, the accrual of mileage and elite qualifying mileage is applicable to the original ticket’s fare class and conditions, so you will receive it for the economy fare. Thanks for reading!
KELLY WEINSTEIN
December 10, 2019
Hi. What if I want to cancel my bid for an upgrade, can I?
Jarrod West
December 11, 2019
Hi Kelly,
Yes, Air Canada should allow you to cancel your bid for an upgrade. If it’s not giving you the option in your account setting, a customer service rep should be able to take care of it for you!
Mark
December 12, 2019
If I get a business class ticket via eUpgrade, will I still get the 150% AQM or will i get the 100% per my original fare?
Jarrod West
December 13, 2019
Hi Mark,
You should receive 100% per your original fare.
Thanks for reading!
Bill
January 01, 2020
Hi,
My Altitude Status Level with AC is Prestige 25K along with 20 eUpgrade credits, and it will expire in February 2021. What would be the best way to use them before then ? My wife and I travel frequently and would like to go to Europe in September by way of business or first class. We would be flying out of YYZ. We also fly 2-3 times yearly to LAX with AC in business using Aeroplan points. Any other tips to use up my 20 credits before they expire would be greatly appreciated.
Stephen Au
January 04, 2020
Bill,
Upgrading on Air Canada is a great goal to have when using eUpgrade credits. The best way to do this is to find availability first and then plan your travel around that. Upgrade availability is hard to come by, so you MUST be very flexible if you want any chance of using these eUpgrades. Look towards routes like YYZ-LHR or similar routes.
Vicant
January 28, 2020
I tried to research this information but couldn’t find a clear answer:
How many e-credits (and early recognition) I’ll get upon qualification of super-elite from scratch?
Do I get them when I qualify for each threshold, or it summarizes based on the whole amount I flew per year?
For example when I qualify for 25K I get 20 e-upgrades. Do I get them right away or this “early recognition” option replaces it?
Then if I move to the next level – do I get another 30 or they credit me only additional 10? Will I get another 30 credits for Elite 35k? And 50,75 and 100K statuses respectively?
I’ve always been PLAT or 1K with UAL, and since they assign new status right after you get qualified, you get perks immediately. So, you have 40 points for PLAT + 280 for 1K. Which means you actually get 320 points, and not 280.
Is it different here?
Please, explain. I am considering to shift to AC and will be thankful if someone can clarify it.
Thanks!
Stephen Au
January 30, 2020
Vicant,
Let’s take an example. If you qualify for Super Elite 100K from scratch on October 15, 2020 and therefore qualify for early recognition, you’ll get:
10 eUpgrade credits before the end of the year and 70 eUpgrade credits starting next year (Jan 1, 2021). The total, therefore is 80 eUpgrade credits if you also get Early Recognition.
You do not get eUpgrades instantly. You must wait for the beginning of the year after qualifying.
Vicant
February 01, 2020
Thank you Stephen!
So, it also means that if I’ll take enough flights to qualify for SE 100K by the beginning of May, I still won’t have any status until Oct 15th, correct?
Thanks!
Stephen Au
February 04, 2020
Hi Vicant,
This should be a correct statement. However, please confirm with Air Canada and let us know if you get any different information. it’s a great problem to have if you’re qualifying for Super Elite 100K by early May!
Tammy Lorenowich
January 16, 2021
Hi Stephen,
I am just trying to learn what the Aeroplan changes were. We haven’t traveled in 10 months and have not needed to look for flights but hopeful we will someday. I have Aeroplan 25k Silver status and a TD Infinite Aeroplan credit card. When I log into my Aeroplan account it is asking me to choose different benefits so I am trying to learn exactly what eUpgrade credits are and how they work. The main question I would have is how many would you have to use for example between Thunder Bay, ON, and Las Vegas. I don’t know if would always have 25K Silver or if we would move up… hard to say as we do use other airlines. On another note what would be the most economical way to hope for an upgrade to Business Class? I need to pick between 2 free Lounge passes, 25% additional air miles, and extra eUpgrade credits with the new Aeroplan program. When we book we often purchase seats right away. We get free baggage and 2 free airport lounge passes already with our credit card. Thanks in advance for any information.
Stephen Au
January 19, 2021
Hi Tammy,
Thank you for your questions. To figure out the number of eUpgrades you need to use requires more information, like what EXACT fare type you’re booking, the distance your itinerary is, and so much more.
Here’s the chart to figure out how many eUpgrades you need for flights. https://www.aircanada.com/content/dam/aircanada/portal/documents/PDF/loyalty/eUpgrade_requirements_EN.pdf
The eUpgrades are probably the most useful for people who know how to use them. You can get some great business class upgrades with these.
Ralf
August 02, 2023
The article is a bit old, but maybe I can still get an answer.
My question:
Can I upgrade from Economy to Business with Amex points from a German card?
Jarrod West
August 02, 2023
Hi Ralf,
I’m afraid we wouldn’t be able to assist there as we do not cover the German varieties of the Amex cards. I’d recommend you call the number on the back of your card and speak with the customer service agent to see what your options are.
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