Air Canada Aeroplan points have become less accessible since the beginning of 2023, as Air Canada and Aeroplan have fought back against fraud and abusive points-collecting tactics.
Unfortunately, Aeroplan’s recourse affects all members, and now, everyday consumers have more rules to follow when trying to get a significant discount on their vacation. Starting in February 2024, Aeroplan members can only receive 5 Aeroplan New Card bonuses, even though there are 11 Aeroplan co-branded credit cards in Canada.
By writing this, I hope everyone will learn how to maximize their five new card bonus opportunities and not suffer from any points clawbacks or, even worse, an Aeroplan account shutdown.
What are the Aeroplan New Card Bonus Rules?
For maximum clarity, the official word will always come from Aeroplan’s terms and conditions Section 10, which covers New Card Bonus Provisions. You can see those terms here.
To break down the legalese into easy-to-understand terms, it’s pretty simple:
You are entitled to one New Card Bonus in each tier of Aeroplan credit card once per lifetime.
At its core, I can understand what Aeroplan is trying to convey. New card bonuses are meant to entice members to enhance and deepen their relationship with a loyalty program rather than act as a vehicle for more rewards for super users like our loyal Frugal Flyer readers.
However, Aeroplan has created this problem for itself. They’ve partnered with three different financial institutions (TD, CIBC, and American Express) to ultimately sell more miles, which is excellent for the loyalty program and its overall profitability.
Marriott Bonvoy in the US had a similar issue as it expanded its relationship with Chase and American Express. Marriott Bonvoy has six co-branded cards in the US and manages the program by implementing a complex but rewarding 24-month rule. It’s so complex that it requires a dedicated article to explain the ins and outs.
Aeroplan’s new once-in-a-lifetime rules actively push members away from long-term use of Aeroplan cards, which is the opposite of loyalty. At least with Marriott Bonvoy US, you’ve got a two-year cooling-off period where you’ve had an opportunity to use all your points, are ready to collect more, and keep engaging with Marriott at a high level. I would love to see Aeroplan adjust its policy to be similar to Marriott Bonvoy US, but I’m probably dreaming.
What Are the 6 Different Aeroplan Card Product Types?
Yes, I said six different types of products, whereas some other resources may only cite five. I added a 6th category because the Aeroplan terms indicate the “types of Aeroplan cards” as:
- Entry – Annual Fee Under $100 CAD
- Core – Annual Fee Between $100 and $200 CAD
- Premium – Annual Fee of $599 CAD
- Core Small Business – Annual Fee Between $100 and $200 CAD and Targeted for Business Owners
- Premium Small Business – Annual Fee $599 and Targeted for Business Owners
- Any other card that has a substantially similar level of benefits – Cards issued in another country by banks other than American Express, CIBC, and TD
The 6th category leaves quite a lot to the imagination. The Chase Aeroplan card grants instant 25K status, which isn’t a benefit of any of the “tiers” as we know them in Canada, so I imagine that as it’s a different set of benefits and a different annual fee entirely, Aeroplan would view the card differently. At least I don’t view instant 25K status as a substantially similar benefit of any Aeroplan credit card issued in Canada.
I’ve included it in the 6th category, as I don’t believe it fits with any other tier, so you’re probably safe to grab it as a 6th bonus and not risk any clawbacks. But there’s also a world where I can see Aeroplan classifying the Chase card as a Core card if they’re being picky. It’s important to remember that Aeroplan points belong to Aeroplan, and they allow you to redeem them for a reward.
Ultimately, suppose you’re an everyday consumer applying for one card every 6-12 months. In that case, Aeroplan likely won’t care if you get the Chase Aeroplan Mastercard and a TD or CIBC Aeroplan Visa card.
Aeroplan could also be leaving the door open for new products. Perhaps there are plans for another co-branded entry-level card in the US or another country. I won’t go through and list the benefits of each card in this section, but we have a dedicated article on the 11 different Aeroplan credit cards available in Canada.
What are the Best New Card Bonuses in Each Tier?
Best Entry Tier New Card Bonus
The Entry tier is the most straightforward tier to understand, as the bonuses on these cards have rarely changed. The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Platinum card has a welcome offer that almost always waives the $89 annual fee and comes with a bonus of up to 20,000 Aeroplan points:
Earn up to 20,000 Aeroplan points:
- Earn 10,000 Aeroplan points upon first purchase†
- Earn 10,000 Aeroplan points upon spending $1,000 in the first 3 months†
After the first year, you can product switch to a no-annual-fee card, so you effectively have no out-of-pocket fees for a total bonus of 20,000 Aeroplan points. If you’re interested in upping your points travel game, look at some of the advanced strategies in our article about TD Product Switching.
The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Platinum* Card earns 1 Aeroplan point for every dollar spent on eligible grocery, gas, Air Canada, and Air Canada Vacations purchases.
20,000 Aeroplan
$1,000
$420+
$89 (FYF)
Yes
–
Meanwhile, the CIBC Aeroplan Visa card has always offered a welcome bonus of only 10,000 Aeroplan points but comes with no annual fee. Considering how easy it is to receive extra Aeroplan points with the TD card, it would be a shame to lock yourself out of that bonus by signing up for this card.
The CIBC Aeroplan Visa card earns 1 Aeroplan point per dollar spent on gas, electric vehicle charging, groceries, and Air Canada purchases, for no annual fee.
10,000 Aeroplan
$0
$210+
$0
Yes
–
Best Core Tier New Card Bonus
The Aeroplan Core tier becomes more complex as there are three cards to consider that share many of the same benefits. As a reminder, our three core Aeroplan cards are:
Most of the decision will come down to which card offers the best bonus when you need the points. Usually, a reasonable offer is around 40,000 points with an annual fee waiver, and a great offer is anything in the range of 50,000 points. Even if you must pay an annual fee of ~$150 CAD, 10,000 Aeroplan points should be worth about $200 CAD, so you’re coming out ahead of the game.
Things that need to be considered are “month 13” offers, which require spending in your second year of card membership or forcing you to pay another annual fee to get the full bonus. These “month 13” offers are becoming increasingly common in Canada, so it’s vital you look at all the requirements when considering which bonus is best.
The American Express Aeroplan card offers a free first checked bag on Air Canada flights for the cardholder and up to eight guests on the same itinerary.
40,000 Aeroplan
$4,000
$840+
$120
Yes
–
Occasionally, we’ll see “Anniversary Bonuses” in the TD and CIBC core card offers. I would be less concerned about these as the points are usually awarded on the 12th statement. Just after that statement, you can still change the product to a lower or no annual fee card and retain the Anniversary Bonus points while avoiding that second annual fee.
The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card offers benefits that include a free first checked bag on Air Canada flights and a $100 NEXUS membership credit.
In 2025, we awarded this card as the Best Core Air Canada Aeroplan Credit Card.
40,000 Aeroplan
$12,000
$840+
$139 (FYF)
Yes
–
Finally, it is vital to consider the overall spending requirement. The TD and CIBC offers can occasionally include a large spending requirement over 12 months to earn the anniversary bonus. Meanwhile, the Amex Aeroplan card often only requires a small amount of spending in 90 days to earn the majority of the new card bonus, and then a reasonable amount spent in month 13 for a comparatively small amount of points.
If you value simplicity, going for an easier-to-manage structure might make more sense than prioritizing a first-year free offer with the need to keep track of spending over an entire year. After all, if you miss out on a big chunk of anniversary points because you didn’t keep track of your spending, you lose out on more value than an extra annual fee you’d have to pay with a “month 13” offer.
The CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite card offers benefits that include a free first checked bag on Air Canada flights for the cardholder and up to eight guests on the same itinerary.
40,000 Aeroplan
$10,000
$840+
$139 (FYF)
Yes
–
Best Premium Tier New Card Bonus
Here, we find the same three issuers from our core set of cards: American Express, CIBC, and TD.
However, the most significant difference between these welcome bonuses is that you may only be eligible for one. The Visa Infinite Privilege cards require a personal income of $150,000 or a household income of $200,000, so you may have no choice but to apply for the American Express Aeroplan Reserve card.
The American Express Aeroplan Reserve card offers several Air Canada benefits including priority boarding, free checked baggage, and complimentary Maple Leaf airport lounge access.
In 2025, we awarded this card as the Best Premium Air Canada Aeroplan Credit Card.
Check out our American Express Aeroplan Reserve card review for more details.
85,000 Aeroplan
$10,000
$1,785+
$599
Yes
–
Some data points indicate that phone reps for CIBC and TD only require verbal confirmation of income, so if you’re risk-tolerant, you could attempt a product switch to either the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege card or the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege card. However, product switching never guarantees a new card bonus, which is part of the reason I would encourage a fresh application rather than a product switch.
| Credit Card | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
85,000 Aeroplan Estimated value: $1,785 |
|
The Premium Aeroplan new card bonuses have been as high as 100,000 Aeroplan points, but they often hover around 80,000-90,000 points, which seems to be their happy place. If the offer is any lower than 80,000 points, I would consider holding off on applying and wait for a better new card bonus.
The same advice from the Core tier applies because each financial institution’s spending requirements will vary greatly.
Best Core Small Business Tier New Card Bonus
The core small business cards are only issued by TD and CIBC, and from the recent word on the street, they are keen to keep their balance sheets free of sole proprietors’ charading as a small business.
| Credit Card | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
60,000 Aeroplan Estimated value: $1,260 |
|
Expect to be asked for things like articles of incorporation or quite a few bank statements during the application process. If you have a legitimate small business, these cards are pretty rewarding for daily spending, rebating 1.5 Aeroplan points per dollar spent on general travel and dining categories.
Both cards require heavy spending in the first year to earn full welcome bonuses of about 60,000 points, so if you don’t have a high cash flow business, they may not be worth paying too much attention to.
Best Premium Small Business Tier New Card Bonus
American Express is a points collector’s best friend compared to TD and CIBC. Amex is happy to approve small buy-and-sell businesses you operate as a side hustle—or even dog walkers and neighborhood fixer-uppers.
Only one card fits into this category: the American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card.
The American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve card offers several Air Canada benefits including priority boarding, free checked baggage, and complimentary Maple Leaf airport lounge access.
90,000 Aeroplan
$14,000
$1,890+
$599
Yes
–
This card often has a heavy minimum spending requirement but currently awards up to 90,000 Aeroplan points broken down into the following requirements:
- Earn 65,000 Aeroplan points after spending $10,500 in purchases on your Card within the first 3 months
- Earn an additional 25,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $3,500 in purchases in month 13
While the American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve card does have a higher annual fee of $599, Canada has few opportunities to earn that many airline miles that quickly.
I would wait until this new card bonus is at least 90,000 Aeroplan points before applying if you want to maximize your earnings.
Best Ambiguous Tier New Card Bonus
Currently, only one card falls into this category, the Chase Aeroplan Mastercard.
The Chase Aeroplan Card earns Aeroplan points and offers cardholders a variety of Air Canada benefits including instant 25k Elite status and a first free checked bag.
100,000 Aeroplan
$20,000
$2,100+
$95
No
–
It may not even be viewed by Aeroplan as categorized as “Any other card that has a substantially similar level of benefits.” Still, as there’s no official word from the program, that’s where we’re putting it for the time being, as there’s no good slot for it to fall into otherwise.
Conclusion
Aeroplan’s New Card Bonus rules have made the points collecting strategies for Canadians more difficult, but still not impossible. After all, maximizing all five Canadian card types allows you to earn hundreds of thousands of Aeroplan points by following all of the rules. Combine that with Player 2 and some American Express welcome bonuses you can convert to Aeroplan, and it’s not impossible to earn 1,000,000 Aeroplan points in a household over 24 months.
Daniel Burkett
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Does 1/24 months rule for Marriott Bonvoy apply to the welcome bonuses received on US Amex Bonvoy cards if during the past 2 years you’ve received an MB welcome bonus on the Canadian Amex Bonvoy card?
Good question Ewan! It does not. The complex Bonvoy rules only apply to the US issued cards.
This is one of the many benefits Canadians receive by having access to two financial systems!