How To Upgrade to Business Class on Air Canada Flights [2023]

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!

Table of contents

Types of Upgrades
How To Find Out if Upgrade Space Is Available
Upgrade Priority: Who Gets the Upgrade First?
The Value of the Aeroplan Credit Card
Upgrading With Points or Miles
- Aeroplan Mileage Upgrades on Existing Reservations
- Star Alliance Mileage Upgrades
Upgrading With Cash
- Last Minute Upgrade Purchase
How To Secure an Upgrade or Increase Your Chances of an Upgrade With Air Canada
- With Air Canada Aeroplan Elite Status
- Without Air Canada Aeroplan Elite Status
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

Types of Upgrades
How To Find Out if Upgrade Space Is Available
Upgrade Priority: Who Gets the Upgrade First?
The Value of the Aeroplan Credit Card
Upgrading With Points or Miles
- Aeroplan Mileage Upgrades on Existing Reservations
- Star Alliance Mileage Upgrades
Upgrading With Cash
- Last Minute Upgrade Purchase
How To Secure an Upgrade or Increase Your Chances of an Upgrade With Air Canada
- With Air Canada Aeroplan Elite Status
- Without Air Canada Aeroplan Elite Status
Final Thoughts

Types of Upgrades

Before we discuss how to upgrade your flight, let’s go over the specific types of Aeroplan upgrades you need to be aware of:

eUpgrades: You can upgrade using credits issued by Air Canada. These can be used for any Air Canada, Air Canada Express, or Air Canada Rouge itinerary.
Star Alliance Upgrade Awards: With participating partners, you can use currencies from other airlines to upgrade your Air Canada and Air Canada Express flights.
AC Bid Upgrade: Upgrade any economy or premium economy ticket by bidding cash. Applicable for Air Canada, Air Canada Express, and Air Canada Rouge.
Last Minute Upgrade Purchase: Upgrade using cash at check-in or at a self-service check-in kiosk. This program is intended to sell seats that would otherwise be empty right before departure.

How To Find Out if Upgrade Space Is Available

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:

Visit ExpertFlyer.
Log in to your account with your email and password.
Click Flight Availability on the left side of the page.
Type in your route and travel dates and select Air Canada as the airline.
Under Only Show Class(es), type:
- R for Business – E-Upgrades to see eUpgrade-eligible flights.
- I for Partner Awards & Upgrades using Star Alliance partner currencies such as Singapore KrisFlyer (not for flights wholly within North America).
- Z for North American Business class upgrades from O/Y/B classes using Star Alliance partner currencies.
Click Search.
The number of upgrade seats is displayed on the right side.

ExpertFlyer shows Air Canada’s upgrade availability. Image Credit: ExpertFlyer

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.

Upgrade Priority: Who Gets the Upgrade First?

Air Canada Signature Class cabin 787 — Air Canada Signature class aboard a 787. Image Credit: Air Canada

The Importance of Elite Status

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
Aeroplan Elite Status	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!

Details of Using eUpgrades

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.

Aeroplan Status Level Benefits

Aeroplan elite status cards — Image Credit: Air Canada

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	50% off preferred seats on Flex fares in all markets
35K	50% off preferred seats on Flex fares in all markets
50K	50% off preferred seats on Flex fares in international markets Choose a complimentary preferred seat (Flex fares within North America only)
75K	Choose a complimentary preferred seat on Flex fares in all markets
Super Elite	Choose a complimentary preferred seat on all fares in all markets

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 Value of the Aeroplan Credit Card

The new Aeroplan® Credit Card, which is issued by Chase, allows you to enjoy higher upgrade chances/priority on Air Canada.

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)

Upgrading With Points or Miles

There are 2 main avenues for upgrading with points or miles:

You can use Aeroplan points to bid for an upgraded Air Canada flight.
You can use any other Star Alliance airline’s miles to upgrade your Air Canada flights.

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.

Aeroplan Mileage Upgrades on Existing Reservations

Using Aeroplan points to upgrade your flights is very easy:

Book an economy ticket.
Go to the Aeroplan website and enter your booking reference and last name to see if your flight is eligible for an AC Bid Upgrade.

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 Mileage Upgrades

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:

You can only upgrade 1 class, either from economy to business or business to first.
You must upgrade specific fare types.
- This means that you’ll likely need to have an expensive/flexible economy ticket; some airlines will allow cheaper fare classes to be upgraded but ultimately it will vary from airline to airline.

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:

Visit the Star Alliance redemptions website.
Click Book Your Upgrade.
Choose the airline whose miles you want to use.
Click Visit Website.
Complete the process for Star Alliance upgrades on the website to which you’re redirected.

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.

Upgrading With Cash

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.

Last Minute Upgrade Purchase

Air Canada upgrade — Image Credit: Air Canada

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:

45 minutes prior to departure for flights within Canada
1 hour prior to departure for flights between Canada and the U.S.
1 hour prior to departure for all other international routes to or from Canada

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.

How Much Do Air Canada Last Minute Upgrades Cost?

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:

Honolulu (HNL) to Toronto (YYZ) from economy to business: $201
Montréal (YUL) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) from economy to premium economy: $106
Montréal (YUL) to Newark (EWR) from economy to business: $139
Montréal (YUL) to Paris (CDG) from economy to business: $310
Montréal (YUL) to Vancouver (YVR) from economy to business: $349
Toronto (YYZ) to Bogotá (BOG) from premium economy to business: $344
Toronto (YYZ) to Las Vegas (LAS) from economy to business: $775
Toronto (YYZ) to Madrid (MAD) from economy to business: $802
Toronto (YYZ) to Punta Cana (PUJ) from economy to business: $214
Toronto (YYZ) to Tel Aviv (TLV) from premium economy to business: $714
Toronto (YYZ) to Tokyo (HND) from economy to business: $2,698
Vancouver (YVR) to Maui (OGG) from economy to business: $202
Vancouver (YVR) to Montréal (YUL) from economy to premium economy: $197
Vancouver (YVR) to Toronto (YYZ) from economy to business: $750

How To Secure an Upgrade or Increase Your Chances of an Upgrade With Air Canada

With Air Canada Aeroplan Elite Status

Earn eUpgrade credits by achieving Air Canada Aeroplan elite status and purchasing a ticket with eligible fare classes. The eUpgrade cost will vary depending on the fare class, route, status, desired cabin upgrade, and your Aeroplan status.
Purchase a higher-fare ticket that will require fewer eUpgrade credits.
Use Aeroplan points to book an award flight outright, without worrying about upgrade availability.
Search for upgrade availability as soon as you have an idea of what dates and flights you’re taking.
Choose priority and preferred seating by leveraging Aeroplan status. This isn’t an upgrade per se, but it can make a short-haul flight more comfortable by giving you better economy or economy plus seats.
Take advantage of eUpgrade Travel Companions to upgrade your companions on a flight you’re taking.
Take advantage of eUpgrade Nominees to upgrade someone else on any flight they’re taking.

Without Air Canada Aeroplan Elite Status

Purchase an upgrade-eligible ticket and bid for an upgrade with Aeroplan points on Air Canada, Air Canada Express, and Air Canada Rouge tickets.
Purchase an upgrade-eligible ticket and upgrade with any Star Alliance carrier’s miles.
Consider heavily discounted premium fares to save your miles.
Use last-minute upgrades to purchase a low-cost upgraded ticket when you’re at the airport.

Final Thoughts

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:

eUpgrade credits
Mileage upgrade bids using Aeroplan points
Mileage upgrades using Star Alliance miles
Paid upgrades via bids
Last Minute Upgrade Purchases

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.

Featured Image Credit: Daniel Ross

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my upgraded Air Canada ticket allows a free checked bag?

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.

How can I get upgraded on an international ticket if I don't have status with Aeroplan?

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.

Can I upgrade an Air Canada award ticket I purchased with miles?

Yes, you can now upgrade an award ticket!

Check how much it’ll cost here.

When will the Aeroplan points be deducted and are any extra fees charged for an upgrade request?

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.

Which fare class should I buy to make sure I get an upgrade on Air Canada?

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.

What is the difference between economy and economy plus seats on Air Canada?

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.

Sending feedback...

Your feedback has been sent. Thank you!

We take your comments very seriously as they really help us to improve the site.

If you'd like to add a comment to this article and share your valuable feedback and opinions, please click here to leave your comment.

We really appreciate it!
- Alex & Erin

An error occurred please try again later

About Stephen Au

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Stephen has been privileged to enjoy many premium cabin products and 5-star hotels. As one of the foremost experts in credit cards, over the past 4 years, he has amassed a portfolio of over 70 credit cards, both personal and business. Stephen has personally tested, first-hand, almost every major rewards credit card on the market today, spanning banks such as American Express, Bank of America, Barclays, Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, City National Bank, U.S. Bank, and more.

Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.

18 comments

Kingston mom August 8, 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!

Reply
- Andrew Kunesh August 9, 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!
  
  Reply
Corine Petrochuk September 7, 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

Reply
- Jarrod West September 9, 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!
  
  Reply
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

Reply
- 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!
  
  Reply
KELLY WEINSTEIN December 10, 2019

Hi. What if I want to cancel my bid for an upgrade, can I?

Reply
- 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!
  
  Reply
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?

Reply
- Jarrod West December 13, 2019
  
  Hi Mark,
  
  You should receive 100% per your original fare.
  
  Thanks for reading!
  
  Reply
Bill January 1, 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.

Reply
- Stephen Au January 4, 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.
  
  Reply
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!

Reply
- 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.
  
  Reply
Vicant February 1, 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!

Reply
- Stephen Au February 4, 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!
  
  Reply
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.

Reply
- 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.
  
  Reply

Earn Points

Use Points

Business Credit Card Reviews

Business Guides

Air Travel Guides

Airline Points

Earn & Use Hotel Points

Hotel Loyalty Program Reviews

How To Upgrade to Business or Signature Class on Air Canada Flights [2023]

Types of Upgrades

How To Find Out if Upgrade Space Is Available