Air Canada Is Changing How You Earn Aeroplan Points On Flights In 2026

Air Canada is changing how you earn Aeroplan points when flying. Starting on January 1, 2026, you'll earn 1 point per $1 spent on base airfares and carrier surcharges, with bonuses added for Elite members. This will only apply to flights booked through Air Canada. Partner airlines are not affected.

There's no doubt this new system will be much simpler – you currently earn points based on the distance flown and a fare-level multiplier. But is Aeroplan’s new point system better, worse, or much ado about nothing? Our bottom line: expect to earn fewer points on flights.

New Aeroplan flight earnings

The current system for earning Aeroplan points on flights is a bit complicated. What you earn is based on the actual distance of your flight in miles, with a multiplier to account for the level of fare you purchased, which can range from 10% for basic fares all the way to 150% for business class.

The new system is simple. For every $1 you spend on base airfares and carrier surcharges, you'll earn 1 Aeroplan point. You won't earn points on any taxes or fees your fare may have.

Travellers with premium Aeroplan credit cards who spend $125,000 annually (or those with other Aeroplan cards who spend upwards of $500,000) may be able to achieve 25K Elite status to multiply these points, but most travellers can expect to earn exactly 1 point per qualifying dollar.

This change is only for flights booked through Air Canada, including both flights operated by Air Canada and flights operated by partners. If you book with any of their partners, you'll continue to earn points based on the distance flown.

How will Aeroplan’s new point system affect your point earnings

The big question is: how will this affect what you earn for points on flights?

To preview how the new Aeroplan points system will affect your earnings, let’s review 3 basic 1-way fares in the following fare classes:

• Basic
• Standard
• Flex
• Business (Lowest)

We estimated flight distances using Webflyer, which calculates flight distances, give or take a few miles. The fares are based on actual flights available 3 months from the date of publishing.

Aeroplan points earned: Toronto – Calgary

We'll start with a popular domestic route, calculating what you would earn travelling 1,670 miles from Toronto to Calgary.

The flight cost is pretty low, totaling $132 with $70 in eligible spend. But even if these ticket prices were doubled, the new system would still result in fewer points at every fare class.

Aeroplan points earned: Vancouver – Los Angeles

In the existing model, fare multipliers are higher for international travel. However, the new system awards domestic and international flights at the same rate with 1 point per qualifying dollar.

Here’s a breakdown for a 1,080-mile flight from Vancouver to Los Angeles with total flight costs starting at $239 with $133 in qualifying spend.

Aeroplan points earned: Montreal – Paris

Next, let’s cross the Atlantic with a 3,340-mile flight from Montreal to Paris. These flights start at $442 with $361 in eligible spend.

For this trip, flying business class nets you 866 more points, a 17% increase. Otherwise, point earnings are still notably lower with the new Aeroplan points system.

Aeroplan points earned: Toronto – Punta Cana

Now let’s look at a more expensive trip: a March Break getaway to the Caribbean.

A flight from Toronto to Punta Cana is 1,850 miles. With basic fares unavailable, the cheapest option is $766 with $622 in qualifying fare and carrier surcharges.

And this example only accounts for 1 person. If you were planning to book flex fares for a family of 4, you’d earn almost 5,000 fewer points.

The new way to earn Aeroplan Elite status

For frequent flyers, Aeroplan is also changing how you earn Elite status. And much like earning points on flights, it's also going to be simpler.

Currently, you need the right mix of qualifying miles or segments plus qualifying dollars to get Elite status.

Moving forward, there's just one number to reach: Status Qualifying credits. How many credits you'll earn depends on the fare classes you book.

Like the current system, you can also earn credits by having an Aeroplan credit card. Core Aeroplan credit cards – like the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card – will earn 1,000 credits for every $20,000 in spend, while premium cards – like the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Credit Card – will only need $5,000 in spend to get the same amount of credits.

Finally, when you shop with Aeroplan partners like Starbucks or the Aeroplan e-Store, you’ll get 1 credit for every $5 you spend.

In total, you can earn a maximum of 25,000 credits per calendar year.

Accelerated earn rates on flights for Elite members

Elite Members will earn more points when flying with Air Canada. Every tier in the Aeroplan Elite program unlocks a base multiplier on what you'll earn.

These multipliers also apply when you book flights with travel partners like Copa Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS and United Airlines. Remember that Aeroplan points earned on these flights will continue to be calculated based on miles flown.

If you are an Elite member, these bonuses will help offset lower point earnings, and in some cases will actually earn you more points.

What do you think of Aeroplan’s new point system?

Most flyers can expect to earn fewer points on flights.

Travellers who fly once per year may not notice much difference. However, frequent flyers are likely to notice a drop in point earnings.

Elite status members have the potential to make up for the difference with multipliers, but this status is difficult to achieve.

What are your thoughts on Air Canada’s changes? Leave a comment below.