Aeroplan Milestone Benefits: What You Need To Know

Air Canada Aeroplan is the most robust and complete airline loyalty program in Canada, and, as a result, its reward system is complex. Lucky for you, there are nerds like us at Frugal Flyer who enjoy sorting through the noise to help you get more value from the program. 

With the launch of what we called Aeroplan 3.0, as you collect more Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll move through the levels of Aeroplan elite status, and you also earn Milestone Rewards. Here, we’ll detail the “generally most valuable” perks available at each Milestone Reward level.

What are Status Qualifying Credits & How Are They Earned?

Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) are a metric introduced in 2026 that tracks your engagement with the Aeroplan loyalty program and is how you achieve Aeroplan elite status. While the idea of earning SQC is easy to understand, how you earn SQC is not. There are several ways to accumulate status qualifying credits, which I’ve detailed below.

Earning SQC Through Air Canada Flights

Earning SQC through flying activity is one of the easier calculations, as it is based on the Air Canada fare class of the ticket booked. If you book a Basic fare, you get 0 SQC. If you book a Standard Fare, you earn 2 SQC per $1 CAD spent, including carrier-imposed surcharges, but excluding taxes and airport fees. 

You’ll also earn 2 SQC per $1 CAD spent on eUpgrade Add-Ons. If you book a Flex fare or higher, you’ll earn 4 SQC per $1 CAD with the same inclusions and exclusions as above. For a simpler visual, here’s a graphic from Air Canada’s website.

Earning SQC with AC Vacations

Earning SQC with Air Canada Vacations is the simplest calculation, as you’ll simply earn 1 SQC for every $1 CAD, including taxes and fees on the hotel portion of your package. While this seems like a good deal on the surface, the SQC is distributed to each vacation member. It’s a small bump towards collecting SQC, but likely won’t be a key component to earning Aeroplan status each year.

Earning SQC with Aeroplan Partners

Earning SQC with Aeroplan partners is complicated, and simplicity rules in this section. The rules are that the SQC earned on partner flights depends on the ticketing and operating airline:

• Air Canada issued ticket (ticket number starts with 014) on a Star Alliance-operated flight = SQC based on fare
• Air Canada issued ticket (ticket number starts with 014) on a non-Star Alliance partner = no SQC
• Partner issued ticket (ticket number does not start with 014) on a flight operated by Air Canada = SQC based on cabin:
  • 2 SQC per $1 in economy
  • 4 SQC per $1 in premium cabins
• Partner-issued ticket (ticket number does not start with 014) on a Star Alliance partner = 1 SQC per 5 Aeroplan points earned
• Partner-issued ticket (ticket number does not start with 014) on a non-Star Alliance partner = no SQC

You can earn a maximum of 25,000 SQC per year from partner flights. However, be careful, as your total earnings from airline partners are treated the same as those from everyday partners.  The biggest loss for earning status credit here is partner-issued tickets. I detailed in my comparison of Aeroplan 25K vs 35K status that I earned 35K status with a $150 United Airlines ticket; it was a remarkable 4 segments for that price, or about 11% of the SQS required to achieve 35K status.

That same routing of LGA->IAD->BOS->IAD->LGA, booked in the L fare class, earning 50% points on the distance flown, would only net me 642 redeemable points and 128 SQC. 128 SQC is a laughable 0.004% of the requirement for status.

Earn SQC from Everyday Partners

In our podcast, we laughed about some of the spending requirements for these Everyday Partners, as it is ludicrous, for example, to consider spending $100,000+ at an Aeroplan retail partner like Starbucks to unlock the maximum 25,000 SQC. At least Aeroplan gives us the option to earn 1 SQC for every 5 Aeroplan points earned.

For most people, you can ignore this category, but perhaps if you buy all the coffee for your large office, or often fill up with fuel at Journie Rewards locations for a business with a car fleet, you can maximize this category. It’s important to know that points earned from the Aeroplan eStore are not SQC eligible. However, the eStore still works for the Everyday Qualification program, which makes for an easier path to 25k status.

The listed partners, for which you can earn 1 SQC for every 5 Base Aeroplan points earned, are:

• Starbucks
• Uber/Uber Eats
• Journie Rewards (Fuel Stations)
• Marriott Bonvoy (You would need to forgo earning Bonvoy Points on stays with a high opportunity cost)
• Starbucks
• LCBO
• Avis

Earn SQC From Credit Card Spending

Replacing the old benefit of Aeroplan Premium credit cards (those with a $599 annual fee), you can now earn 1,000 SQC for every $5,000 spent. You can earn up to a maximum of 25,000 SQC this way, versus the previous benefit of an uncapped earn rate. With SQC being the only metric for status, I can see why a cap is needed; otherwise, all the highest spenders in Canada would be Super Elites. 

If you’re interested in status, you need a $599 annual fee premium Aeroplan card, as the Core set of cards (~$150 annual fee) earn SQC at a much slower rate, requiring you to spend $20,000 to earn 1,000 SQC.

The Chase Aeroplan card issued in the United States also earns SQC, but it doesn’t stack with the Canadian cards you may have. You’ll earn 5,000 SQC automatically just by holding the card, then 10,000 SQC after spending $25,000 USD, and another 10,000 SQC after spending a total of $50,000 USD in a calendar year.

What Are Aeroplan Milestone Benefits?

Now that you know all the different ways to earn SQC (that we know of in early 2026), understanding your rewards for accumulating that SQC will be key! As you achieve each chunk of 10,000 SQC, you’ll be given an automatic reward of 10 eUpgrade credits or the option to choose between a few benefits. It’s important to know that you don’t have to select your milestone rewards right away, so you can wait for your travel plans to unfold before locking into a selection. 

Below, I’ve listed all the selections you’ll be asked to make as you accumulate more SQC, along with the ones I think have the most value.

Which Aeroplan Milestone Benefit Should I Select?

It’s important to note that these selections should not be made until you need the benefit. While it would be cool to have more things in your Aeroplan benefits tab, strategically waiting to select your rewards could mean the difference between 75K and Super Elite if you choose a whole bunch of bonus SQC. 

While I’ll talk a lot about the value of Priority Rewards, the value of Super Elite will trump everything, as next year you’re earning worldwide business class Priority Rewards.

20K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 20,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 1 Priority Reward
• 2 Maple Leaf Lounge one-time guest passes – valid worldwide
• 10 eUpgrade credits
• 5,000 bonus Aeroplan points
• 30% discount on the number of points required for a hotel, car rental, gift card, or merchandise redemption

As a maximizer, my eyes are immediately drawn to the Priority Reward, but its value will depend a bit on your status and upcoming travel. I’ve been able to fly Air Canada Signature Class from Vancouver to New York for only 14,250 Aeroplan Points using Priority Rewards, but you can check more of my examples of using Aeroplan Priority Rewards here.

The Maple Leaf airport lounge passes are valid worldwide; it could be worth using before a long flight from Frankfurt, London, or Paris, where you wouldn’t otherwise have lounge access. I would only select this if you had no more upcoming travel.

eUpgrades will be harder to earn, so if you find some instant upgrade space and need just a few more, you’ll have to decide whether or not you want to save Aeroplan points (with a Priority Reward) or sit in business class.

5,000 bonus Aeroplan points is the only option I think is a clear loser compared to the rest. You can easily save 5,000 Aeroplan points when using a Priority Reward.

While I would personally never redeem my Aeroplan points for hotels, cars, gift cards, or merchandise, I know some family members who would. And 30% makes the redemption a lot sweeter, close to 1.5 cents per Aeroplan point in cash value. 

While we know business class redemptions yield a higher redemption value than 1.5 cents per point, domestic economy flights are often around that value. So if you’re sitting on a smaller balance of Aeroplan points and would find the coupon to be worth around 1.5 cents per Aeroplan point, I don’t think it’s a terrible redemption!

40K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 40,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 1 Priority Reward
• 4 Maple Leaf Lounge one-time guest passes – valid worldwide
• 10 eUpgrade credits
• 7,500 bonus Aeroplan points
• 2,500 Bonus SQC
• 30% discount on the number of points required for a hotel, car rental, gift card, or merchandise redemption

At this stage, you’re well on your way up the Aeroplan status ranks, and your Priority Reward will be a 35K award worth significantly more than most of the other options. The lounge access starts to lose appeal as you’re very close to Aeroplan 50K status (and thus close to Star Alliance Gold status), and you could also use your Priority Reward to book a Premium Economy ticket with instant upgrade space to business class, which includes lounge access.

10 eUpgrades would be a valid choice as well if you’ve got a trip in mind to use them on, and you’re booked into Premium Economy, or you see instant upgrade space available. The 7,500 Aeroplan points are tempting, but ultimately, if you see yourself redeeming for a flight award, you can save more than 7,500 points with your Priority Reward.

Bonus SQC could be huge to unlock Aeroplan 50K status. But you would need to understand the benefits of 50K, and whether you would actually get more benefit from the status than the points savings from a Priority Reward. Read our guide to Aeroplan 50K status to understand what your new benefits would be and if it’s worth passing on a Priority Reward.

At this stage, the 30% discount code is not worth it. If you’ve accumulated 40,000 SQC, you will have enough Aeroplan points to make some amazing redemptions with a Priority Reward.

60K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 60,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 1 Priority Reward
• 2 Status Passes
• 10 eUpgrade credits
• 7,500 bonus Aeroplan points
• 2,500 Bonus SQC
• 30% discount on the number of points required for a hotel, car rental, gift card, or merchandise redemption

As a 50K member, your Priority Rewards are the same as they were as a 35K member, so if you already have a couple unused in your account, it may not be worth selecting them. Status passes could be valuable if you want someone to have the same benefits as you, even if you’re not traveling with them. As an example, status passes could save 9 people checked baggage fees on an Air Canada flight if they’re all on the same reservation.

If you don’t have a big family to move around, I don’t think status passes hold much value. The 10 eUpgrades could unlock some business-class seating, depending on your upcoming travel plans. Here’s the first moment I could see the 7,500 Aeroplan points making sense, as they won’t expire anytime soon. I would only select those if you don’t have plans to use a third Priority Reward in the next 12 months.

Bonus SQC probably won’t make sense unless you’re going to be close to Super Elite status at the end of the year. 75K isn’t a super valuable upgrade from 50K unless you value the worldwide Premium Economy/Economy Priority Rewards. 

From this point on, the 30% discount on merchandise, hotels, and cars will be skipped as you have many Aeroplan points to redeem for better rewards.

70K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 70,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 2 Status Passes
• 5,000 bonus Aeroplan points
• $150 Air Canada Gift Card
• 25K Status for a friend

The 70K milestone is interesting to me because it brings status gifting into play, which for a two-player household could be huge. While there are fewer eUpgrades as a core benefit at 25K, the ability to earn a Priority Reward at 20K SQC is very interesting. However, if you know you’ll hit 90K SQC, it’s worth waiting to select 35K for a friend as a benefit.

I think maximizing this for another member of your family or household is the best bet, but if you don’t have anyone to maximize with, the $150 Air Canada Gift Card will be worth more than 5,000 Aeroplan points.

80K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 80,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 1 Priority Reward
• 2 Status Passes
• 10 eUpgrade credits
• 7,500 bonus Aeroplan points
• 2,500 Bonus SQC
• 30% discount on the number of points required for a hotel, car rental, gift card, or merchandise redemption

The 80K milestone is your first opportunity to earn a 75K Priority Reward, which I find very valuable. However, I give the same advice from the 60K milestone reward: if you’re going to be touch-and-go for Super Elite status based on your remaining travels, it could be well worth it to select the bonus SQC. I don’t think any of the other options are worth considering unless, for some reason, you’re low on eUpgrades or need to move a bunch of family around without you.

90K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 90,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 2 Status Passes
• 5,000 bonus Aeroplan points
• $150 Air Canada Gift Card
• 35K Status for a friend

With the 90K Milestone benefit, you get the option to grant status again, but I don’t think I would put a ton of value on that if you’ve already chosen to go for 25K status for your player 2 or otherwise. 35K status is only really better than 25K if no one else in the household has a higher status. If you see yourself reaching 130K SQC, it could be worth waiting to select 50K for a friend.

Probably choosing the $150 Air Canada gift card makes the most sense, unless you passed on gifting 25K status in anticipation of gifting 35K status.

100K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 100,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 1 Priority Reward
• 2 Status Passes
• 10 eUpgrade credits
• 7,500 bonus Aeroplan points
• 2,500 Bonus SQC
• 30% discount on the number of points required for a hotel, car rental, gift card, or merchandise redemption

Earning another Priority Reward is likely the right move here. As said a few times now, the only thing better could be the bonus SQC if it moves you to Super Elite status. I can’t see a good reason to choose 7,500 Aeroplan points versus a 75K Priority Reward.

110K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 110,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 2 Status Passes
• 5,000 bonus Aeroplan points
• $150 Air Canada Gift Card

I don’t think the status passes are worth selecting at this point, unless you’re burning through them or feeling extra generous. Maybe it’s worth selecting the bonus 5,000 Aeroplan points if you have a redemption that you’d otherwise have to transfer Amex Canada points to Aeroplan points for. Now that Amex Canada transfers to Flying Blue at a 1:1 transfer ratio (up from 1:0.75), it would be silly to send Amex Canada points to Aeroplan unless you have to.

If you’re flush with Aeroplan points, the $150 AC Gift Card will be the best value.

120K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 120,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 1 Priority Reward
• 2 Status Passes
• 10 eUpgrade credits
• 7,500 bonus Aeroplan points
• 2,500 Bonus SQC
• 30% discount on the number of points required for a hotel, car rental, gift card, or merchandise redemption

At the 120K mark, you’ll want to seriously consider selecting bonus SQC if you are close to Super Elite status with tentative travel plans. Unlocking Super Elite benefits should not be taken lightly! Otherwise, the Priority Reward is likely the best bet.

130K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 130,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 4 Status Passes
• 10,000 bonus Aeroplan points
• 5,000 Bonus SQC
• 50K Status for a friend

As I’ve mentioned a few times now, the status passes likely won’t play a factor at this point. However, 50K for a friend is very valuable. Even if you’ve previously selected 25K or 35K for a friend, the 50K benefits are strong and should be considered. Depending on your connections in the award travel community, you may be able to use 50K for a friend as a powerful bargaining chip! Attending our Frugal Flyer meetups is a great way to grow your network of award travel maximizers. 

As you’re now an Aeroplan member with Super Elite status, I could see an argument to be made to select the 5,000 SQC if you won’t otherwise hit 140K SQC. At 140K SQC, you have the option to select a Priority Reward, which, as a Super Elite, can literally be worth 100,000+ points.

140K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 140,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 1 Priority Reward
• 4 Status Passes
• 15,000 bonus Aeroplan points
• 5,000 Bonus SQC
• 30% discount on the number of points required for a hotel, car rental, gift card, or merchandise redemption

As the 140K milestone benefit is the first opportunity for a newly minted Super Elite to select the ultra-powerful worldwide business class Priority Reward, it’s hard to recommend anything outside of that. However, if you have a bunch of Priority Rewards that you won’t use, hit me up! I’ll use them in a heartbeat. 

Joking aside, the 15,000 Aeroplan points will likely be your best bet if you don’t see a need for the Priority Reward. If you think you’ll be just short of 200K, you may want to wait and select the bonus 5,000 SQC to bank a year of Super Elite.

150K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 150,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 4 Status Passes
• 10,000 bonus Aeroplan points
• $250 Air Canada Gift Card

I don’t see any reason to select something other than the $250 Air Canada gift card at this level. As you’re an Air Canada super loyalist, you’ll surely find a use for it.

160K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 160,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 1 Priority Reward
• 4 Status Passes
• 15,000 bonus Aeroplan points
• 5,000 Bonus SQC
• 30% discount on the number of points required for a hotel, car rental, gift card, or merchandise redemption

Similar to the 140K Milestone benefit, Priority Rewards are the highest single-value option, but if you need the SQC to bank a year of Super Elite at 200K, then that will be the easy decision.

170K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 170,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 4 Status Passes
• 10,000 bonus Aeroplan points
• $250 Air Canada Gift Card

Unless you have more Air Canada gift card cash than you know what to do with, and you’re low on Aeroplan points, selecting the gift card will be the best bet.

180K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 180,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 1 Priority Reward
• 4 Status Passes
• 15,000 bonus Aeroplan points
• 5,000 Bonus SQC
• 30% discount on the number of points required for a hotel, car rental, gift card, or merchandise redemption

It’s starting to sound like a broken record! Choose the Priority Reward if you have a use for it, unless you’re sure you won’t hit 200K SQC without the 5,000 bonus SQC. If you won’t hit 200K SQC, and don’t need a Priority Reward (give it to me!), you can select the 15,000 Aeroplan points.

190K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 190,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 4 Status Passes
• 10,000 bonus Aeroplan points
• $250 Air Canada Gift Card

As per my other 10K increment advice, take the $250 gift card unless you have too many to use.

200K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 200,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 1 Priority Reward
• 20,000 bonus Aeroplan points
• Banked Year of Super Elite Status
• 30% discount on the number of points required for a hotel, car rental, gift card, or merchandise redemption
• 75K Status for a friend

Finally, some variety in options! There’s really only one option to select here. A banked year of Super Elite is easily the best choice, as you would be able to stack so many worldwide business class Priority Rewards. Unless your travels are going to change significantly for 24 consecutive months, that would be the only reason not to select a banked year and choose the 20,000 Aeroplan points.

220K SQC Milestone Benefit

At 220,000 Status Qualifying Credits, you’ll be given the option to select one of the following:

• 1 Priority Reward
• 4 Status Passes
• 15,000 bonus Aeroplan points
• 30% discount on the number of points required for a hotel, car rental, gift card, or merchandise redemption

Priority Rewards are the best option here on out, unless you have more than you know what to do with. However, even if you don’t maximize it with a worldwide business-class redemption, I still feel you would be able to save at least 15,000 points. 

The only consideration for taking the points is if you need points for a redemption that you would otherwise transfer from your Amex Canada Membership Rewards. But at the same time, I would trade 15,000 Membership Rewards points for a Super Elite Priority Reward every day of the week.

240K+ SQC Milestone Benefit

Upon reaching 240,000 SQC and for every additional 20,000 SQC accumulated, up to a maximum of 1 million, members will continue to receive 20 eUpgrade Credits and will also get to choose one additional benefit. Those benefits are:

• 1 Priority Reward
• 4 Status Passes
• 15,000 bonus Aeroplan points
• 30% discount on the number of points required for a hotel, car rental, gift card, or merchandise redemption

And as per usual, I’m going to say select the Priority Reward!

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this comprehensive guide to Aeroplan Milestone Benefits that you will earn as you work towards Aeroplan elite status and beyond. Use the shortcuts to jump back to your most recently earned milestone benefit when making a selection, and remember, don’t select the benefits until you need them!