Aeroplan 25k vs 35k Status: Worth The Grind?

Air Canada’s Aeroplan status program is the most useful status for Canadian-based frequent fliers. Naturally, Air Canada would like to extract every dollar possible from its customers while still making its most loyal customers feel good about doing so. That’s where the “in-between” statuses of 35K and 75K come into play, giving loyal flyers a carrot to chase even if they’re not going to unlock something unequivocally valuable like Aeroplan 50K or Super Elite. 

In this article, we’re going to take a look at the value Aeroplan 35K status provides over 25K status, as this is the most common conundrum that Air Canada flyers find themselves in: Is 35K status worth the grind?

The Different Requirements for Aeroplan 25k vs. 35k Status

Aeroplan completely revamped its status-earning metrics for 2026, but to Aeroplan’s credit, they gave us a lot of notice. We did a deep dive into the changes in Episode 22 of Miles Ahead; you can listen to it for a more detailed list of what’s changed overall. As a reminder, Miles Ahead is also available to stream on all major platforms and includes video on the Frugal Flyer YouTube channel. 

The idea of collecting SQC (Status Qualifying Credits) is easier to understand than the previous SQD, SQM, and SQS. Still, the details of earning SQC require a medium level of understanding, and if you have any interest in Aeroplan status, you should invest some time in listening to our podcast episode. 

The different requirements for 25K and 35K are pretty easy to understand: simply earn 25,000 SQC’s for 25K status, or earn 35,000 SQC’s for 35K status. At the most basic level, an extra 10,000 SQC is earned by spending $2,500 before taxes and fees on Air Canada Flex fares or above. Or if you buy Standard fares, the cost is $5,000, as Standard fares only earn 2 SQC/$ versus 4 SQC/$ on every other fare type.

Aeroplan 25k vs. 35k Status: Benefits

The benefits of 25K and 35K are similar, but there are some key differences to discuss. You can always find an up-to-date list of benefit comparisons on Air Canada’s website here. I won’t be going over the shared benefits of the two statuses, as that’s explained in detail with this chart from our deep dive into the Everyday Qualification Program, and how 25K compares to holding a Premium Aeroplan credit card.

Priority Security Clearance

35K members receive access to a dedicated Priority Security Lane at select airports, while 25K members do not. However, the Verified Traveller program in Canada is a far more powerful tool for skipping security lines, rendering this benefit essentially useless if you already have a Nexus membership card. 

Additionally, if you’re a fan of premium credit cards like the American Express Platinum Card, American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card, or an Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege card, you’ll get Priority Security Line access just by being a cardholder. I don’t take a lot of stock in the benefit when comparing it to 25K status.

Priority Baggage Handling

Priority baggage handling can be a time-saver if baggage staff loading and unloading pay attention to the bright orange tags. However, this is also a benefit of being an Aeroplan premium credit card holder ($599 Annual Fee), so if you’re an Aeroplan super user, you might already have this benefit, rendering it meaningless to pursue over 25K status.

Complimentary Checked Bag Allowance

This is where the benefits really start to tip the scales in 35K’s favor (pun wholly intended). As a 35K status member, you get three checked bags at a 32KG allowance when flying Air Canada, even in Basic Economy, which is more than a business class passenger receives. 

A 25K member still receives one additional checked bag for free, in addition to what their ticket allows, but only at 23KG each. In theory, this could mean a 35K member can check an additional 73KG (163lbs) of luggage compared to a 25K member, which is a significant benefit and can result in significant savings on Air Canada checked baggage fees.

As someone who travels frequently and occasionally moves items across the country for family members, the extra weight and baggage allowance is worth at least $500 CAD in fees and overweight charges. It also means that when I’m flying Air Canada, I don’t have to worry about my checked luggage weight. That peace of mind is almost as valuable to me as saving on the overweight and extra baggage charges. Nothing has to stay behind when I come home for Christmas!

eUpgrade Credits

While eUpgrade credits have become less valuable in 2024 and 2025, I hope they will be more useful in the updated Aeroplan 3.0 program. 25K members only receive 5 eUpgrades as a core benefit, which is almost the same as zero eUpgrades, as that’s a paltry amount. 35K members receive 10 as a core benefit, which doesn’t sound like much more, but there are significantly more uses for 10 eUpgrades than for 5. 

If eUpgrades do become more useful in Aeroplan 3.0, those extra 5 eUpgrades could be worth the price of a business class ticket, or in simpler terms, a few hundred dollars.

Higher Base Earn Rate

A new feature of Aeroplan 3.0 is revenue-based earning, rather than distance-based earning. To earn Aeroplan status going forward, you’ll need to spend a lot of money on Air Canada flights, so this benefit is actually very meaningful. 

As an example, to earn 25,000 SQC with flying activity on Air Canada (assuming on Flex fares and above that earn 4 SQC/$), you’ll have a total spend of $6,250. 25K members will earn 12,500 Aeroplan points as they earn 2 Aeroplan points per dollar spent, but a 35K member earns 18,750 as they earn 3 Aeroplan points per dollar spent, or 50% more. 

6,250 Aeroplan points are nearly enough for a short-haul flight within North America, depending on dynamic pricing, so it’s more meaningful than it first appears on paper.

30,000 SQC Milestone Benefit

Even if 35K status isn’t within your grasp, the 30,000 SQC Milestone Benefit might be something to shoot for. I’m inclined to believe that, at least for the first 18 months of Aeroplan 3.0, there will be plenty of instant upgrade space using eUpgrades, so these extra 10 eUpgrades could mean a Signature Class experience on the way to Europe or South America.

Obviously, if you achieve 35K status, you’ll have acquired these extra 10 eUpgrades, which could, and probably should, hold significant value.

Is It Worth Aiming for Aeroplan 35k Status?

Everyone close to 35K status should review the differences in benefits above to determine whether they are worth the push for 35K status. For example, I completed a mileage run at the end of 2025 to earn extra SQS (now defunct) and finish the year as a 35K member, but it didn’t cost me much because I used United Travel Bank cash on United flights that were SQS-eligible.

In return for my $150 USD of United Travel Bank Cash, I received an extra 40 eUpgrades (30 from Early Recognition in 2025, and 10 as a core benefit in 2026), additional luggage allowance for all of 2026, and a 50% increase in Aeroplan points earned per dollar through all of 2026 (earning 3 Aeroplan points per $ versus 2 Aeroplan points per $).

For 2027, I’ll need to determine how many eUpgrades I used and how many times I used my extra luggage allowance, and combine that with how many extra Aeroplan points I earned with my 3x multiplier versus 2x. The main thing, though, is whether a simple flight using United Travel Bank Cash will be enough to bump me from 25K to 35K? Keep your ears tuned into Miles Ahead at the end of 2026, and you’ll find out!

Conclusion

35K status offers several key benefits, including an extra luggage allowance, significantly more eUpgrades, and a higher base earning rate than 25K status. Whether these benefits are worth it depends on your specific situation and the effort required to earn the additional 10,000 SQC to unlock 35K status. If you value eUpgrades, peace of mind about checked luggage weight limits, and you (or your employer) spend a significant amount on Air Canada cash tickets, 35K status will likely be worth pursuing.