How to Improve Your Next Air Canada Flight with One Credit Card

If you live in Canada, you’re going to need to fly Air Canada at some point. And if you’re trying to fly a lot, you’re almost certainly going to become an aficionado of its ubiquitous Aeroplan program.

So the question today becomes: Is there a simple, low-thought strategy to improve your entire Air Canada flight experience by having a single premium credit card? No games with juggling different cards in your wallet, no random additional cards, we need to look at the highest-end offerings Canadian banks have and think about which one might deserve to be in your wallet.

The good news is, it is definitely possible thanks to cards offered by American Express, CIBC, and TD. Let’s take a look at how you can improve your next Air Canada flight with one credit card, before we get into the details as to which card you should be adding to your wallet.

Earn More Points, Turbocharge Your Status, & eUpgrade

Let’s be honest, a major reason to go all-in on a single airline ecosystem is for the elite status perks, which give you a shot at getting upgraded on flights or earning more Aeroplan points on cash fares. This is where holding a premium Aeroplan card truly shines, especially with the big changes coming to the program on January 1, 2026.

Learn More: Miles Ahead Podcast – Aeroplan 3.0 Changes

For now, the system is simple: for every $5,000 you spend on a premium Aeroplan credit card, you earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles (SQMs) and 1 Status Qualifying Segment (SQS), giving you a solid boost towards your status goals.

When the program switches to the new Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) model in 2026, that core benefit gets supercharged. You’ll still earn 1,000 SQC for that same $5,000 in spending, but the value is amplified. This earn rate is a whopping four times better than what the lower-fee Aeroplan credit cards, such as the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card, will earn. 

Those cards belonging to the “core” (ie, low-fee) Aeroplan co-branded credit cards will earn 1,000 SQC per $20,000 spent. This effectively turns your everyday spending into a much faster track towards status, which helps you get closer to a higher level of Aeroplan elite status while doing everyday spending.

These premium credit cards also solve one of the biggest headaches for Aeroplan elites: expiring eUpgrades. Whilst eUpgrades are not as valuable as they once were, they still do give you a shot at flying in a nice cabin. Holding one of these cards allows you to roll over up to 50 unused eUpgrade credits into the next year, giving you more flexibility to use them for that lie-flat seat to Europe instead of burning them on a short-haul Air Canada Rouge flight just because the clock is ticking.

Of course, a premium card should also be a great way to earn points, and this is where the American Express cards really pull away from the competition. Both the personal and business Reserve cards net you a juicy 3 points per dollar on Air Canada purchases. That’s a full 50% more than the 2x you’ll get from the Visa Infinite Privilege cards. That’s a massive difference if you’re booking flights with any frequency.

The Amex cards also offer targeted 2x multipliers on dining for the personal card, and hotels and car rentals for the business version. While the Visa cards cast a wider net with 1.5x on categories like gas and groceries, the superior earn rate on both Air Canada and categories like dining or travel make the Amex cards a better way to earn points flying Air Canada or spending on normal categories – after all, every premium card earns a base of 1.25 Aeroplan points per dollar spent.

Don’t Pay Baggage Fees, Be a Priority, & Get Covered

This one is simple, and it’s a benefit that provides tangible value from your very first flight. Every premium Aeroplan card gets you a free first checked bag for yourself and up to eight other people on the same Air Canada booking. For a family of four taking one round-trip vacation, that’s a savings of over $240 right off the bat, which immediately eats into the card’s annual fee. 

Remember: you have to be on the same itinerary, so make sure that if you’re bringing nieces, nephews, cousins, or parents that you book at the same time to avail yourself of this benefit. This benefit alone is the best way to save on Air Canada checked baggage fees and makes these a few of the best credit cards for free checked luggage.

You’ll also get access to priority check-in counters and priority baggage handling. This means less time waiting in line at the airport, and your bags get a little tag that ensures they should, in theory, be among the first to spit out onto the carousel at your destination. Whether those baggage tags work or not is one of those great mysteries of air travel that I think scientists will never solve.

There’s also Priority Zone 2 boarding, which is key for nabbing overhead carry-on space on filled flights.

Read On: Air Canada Priority Benefits on Aeroplan Credit Cards Explained

But here’s the real, often overlooked, game-changer: the travel insurance. A common headache for Miles & Points enthusiasts is that you don’t automatically have travel insurance coverage when booking points itineraries. However, you can easily get the full suite of your card’s policy added to any Aeroplan booking so long as you pay the taxes and fees with a co-branded Aeroplan credit card. The more premium the card, the better the insurance. 

That means you can be covered for trip cancellation, flight delay, and lost baggage coverage on a flight you essentially got for “free”.

Visit an Airport Lounge or Air Canada Cafe

Remember sitting in the airport or overspending on generic domestic lager at a needlessly expensive airport pub? Not with a premium Aeroplan credit card, which is your golden ticket to a pre-flight refuge. It grants you and a guest access to Air Canada’s network of Maple Leaf Lounges across North America before any same-day itinerary Air Canada or Star Alliance flight. 

Maple Leaf Lounges are a solid place to grab a drink, a quick bite, and use some reliable Wi-Fi away from the chaos of the main terminal.

Even better, you get access to the far superior Air Canada Cafés at both Toronto airports. These are a significant step up, with a much nicer ambience, better grab-and-go food options, and a barista serving real coffee. They’re generally less crowded and offer a more modern, relaxed vibe.

The key advantage here over other premium credit cards is the unlimited airport lounge access. As long as you’re flying Air Canada or a partner airline, you’re in. A great product like the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card only has a limited number of lounge passes per year that can be used at lounges in the Visa Airport Companion program. And unfortunately, the American Express Platinum Card will not be far behind in limiting the number of lounge visits per year to certain brands of airport lounges in the near future.

The unlimited access is restricted to Canada and the United States only, but if that’s where you’re travelling for business or pleasure, it’s not too bad, as the reach of Maple Leaf Lounges is pretty good when it comes to major airports.

The Best Credit Card For Flying Air Canada

I would argue that, based on its relative benefits, the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card is the most complete Air Canada credit card in Canada. As a result of having elevated earning rates of 3x on Air Canada and Air Canada vacations, 2x on dining and food delivery, and having powerful complimentary insurance coverage, I’d even be as bold as to state that it’s the best single credit card for flying Air Canada.

While the $599 annual fee can be hefty, it’s well worth it if you’ll use the above benefits. Plus, the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card currently offers a welcome bonus of 85,000 Aeroplan points, which can be paired with Frugal Flyer’s additional cash back rebate of $125!

American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card

$125

Apply Now Learn More Terms & Conditions apply

American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card

The American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve card offers Air Canada benefits including Priority Airport Services, Eligible free first checked bags, and access to Maple Leaf Lounges™* across North America.

Check out our American Express Aeroplan Reserve card review for more details.

Earn $125 in FlyerFunds when you apply through Frugal Flyer.

BONUS
85,000 Aeroplan points

MINSPEND
$10,000

EST. VALUE
$1,910+

ANNUAL FEE
$599

FOREX FEES
Yes

EXPIRY
–

My recommendation here doesn’t take away from the utility of the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card and the CIBC Visa Infinite Privilege Card. These are still excellent credit cards because of the benefits that we mentioned above that get you earn status, breeze through security, and rollover e-Upgrades.

However, I don’t think they’re ideal because the annual fee is the same, but the earning rates are worse. The fact that the Visa Infinite Privilege cards cap out at 2x on Air Canada purchases is not a great value for such an expensive card.

There’s also the fact that while the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card has no minimum income requirement, the Visa Infinite Privilege cards require a minimum of a $150,000 personal or $200,000 household income in order to be eligible.

For Canadians running a small business, or who prefer to earn unlimited 2x points on hotels and car rentals in place of dining and delivery, there’s also the American Express Business Reserve Card to consider.

Conclusion

To keep it simple, there are several credit cards that could be your one-stop shop to fly better aboard Air Canada. Whether you’re putting insurance coverage on your Aeroplan points itinerary, racking up free flights on your daily spend, or trying to slide into a Maple Leaf Lounge before a flight, each of these cards can make the experience smoother. An annual fee of $599 is not something to be taken lightly, but the benefits provided can far outweigh this cost.

However, if you want to get the best experience flying Air Canada, with the lowest barrier to entry, all in a single credit card, we recognize that the American Express Reserve Card is your best option for now. And you can get a bit of a rebate on that annual fee with a welcome bonus of up to 85,000 Aeroplan points, too.