Air Canada announced today that, effective for travel on or after January 1, 2026, Aeroplan members will earn points on eligible flights based on dollars spent rather than the distance travelled. It’s a switch that was inevitable, as other airlines are making the same move to reduce costs and shape customer behaviour.
At the same time it announced the changes to Aeroplan, the airline revealed that it is introducing something called Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) which will change how Aeroplan members qualify for Aeroplan Elite status.
In a press release, the airline said these changes are designed to “better recognize Aeroplan members who spend more and travel more with Air Canada and who actively engage across the program, while keeping Aeroplan Elite status truly special.”
Here is what’s changing in 2026:
- Travellers will earn points based on the money they spend, not how far they fly. Members will earn a minimum of 1 Aeroplan point per $1 spent on an eligible Air Canada flight (base fare and carrier surcharges, excluding applicable taxes, fees, and third-party charges). For example: Spend $427 on base fare and carrier surcharges (excluding applicable taxes, fees and third-party charges), get 427 Aeroplan points.
- To offset the drop in points members will collect under this system, Air Canada says it will introduce frequent bonus points offers, enabling members to reach rewards faster.
- Aeroplan Elite status members will earn more on Air Canada flights. Depending on their status level, Aeroplan Elite status members will earn two to six Aeroplan points per dollar they spend on eligible Air Canada flights.
- Qualify for Elite Status with SQC. Get up to four SQC per dollar on eligible Air Canada fares (base fare and carrier surcharges, excluding applicable taxes, fees and third-party charges) based on fare type, plus up to 25,000 SQC through eligible Aeroplan credit card spending and get an additional 25,000 SQC via eligible partner activity.
Along with the new SQC-based qualification path, Aeroplan Elite status members will have other ways to unlock benefits and get more from their status:
- Core Benefits continue to be offered based on status, including complimentary checked bags, priority airport services and more.
- Milestone Benefits are unlocked every 10,000 SQC, offering perks like bonus SQC, Status Passes and more.
- Beginning in 2027, primary Aeroplan premium credit cardholders who qualify for Aeroplan Elite status can receive a 10% SQC bonus based on their previous year’s earnings.
- While each member’s activity will determine their new status level, Air Canada says it expects many of the current Aeroplan Elite status members will benefit from the expanded ways to accumulate SQC. These changes are designed to better recognize and reward Aeroplan’s most loyal and engaged members.
The bottom line is that these changes will make Aeroplan less rewarding for casual travellers and disproportionately benefit high spenders. Long-haul flyers in economy will see a major devaluation of the points they earn, while leisure travellers flying on cheap tickets will be similarly affected. Premium and business class travellers will probably earn the same amount of points or more, while elite status members will not notice much of a difference at all. The next shoe to drop will be how many points will you need to redeem for future flights.
Air Canada describes the changes at http://aircanada.com/acearn2026 and https://aircanada.com/elite2026.
