As promised, cometh the end of August, cometh the details of the new Aeroplan co-branded credit cards from American Express.
While TD and CIBC had dropped the full details of their basic, core, premium, and small business Aeroplan credit cards to coincide with the release of the new program details on August 11, American Express has left us hanging just a little longer, but has today revealed what we can expect from their upcoming trio of exciting new products: the American Express Aeroplan Card, American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card, and the all-new American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card.
Applications for these cards will be opening closer to the new program’s launch, and you may sign up for the waitlist at the American Express website here. In the meantime, we’ll go through the details of everything we know so far.
American Express Aeroplan Card
The American Express Aeroplan Card will succeed the current American Express AeroplanPlus Gold Card as of November 8, 2020. Indeed, it’s my understanding that as of today, the AeroplanPlus Gold Card is no longer open to new applications.
The American Express Aeroplan Card will be the “core” product issued by American Express, slotting in alongside the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite and the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite. The card will be a charge card with no preset spending limit, although you’ll have to pay off the card’s balance in full every month to avoid accruing interest.
The welcome bonus is yet to be announced in full, but we’ve received a hint: new cardholders who apply by December 31, 2020 will receive 5,000 Aeroplan points upon approval, plus a spend-based welcome bonus that will be revealed closer to the launch date.
As a core product, its annual fees and benefits are on par with its TD and CIBC equivalents; however, it’s interesting to note that American Express has chosen to keep the card’s annual fee at a flat $120 instead of bumping it up to $139 like the other two banks.
The earning rates on this card will be as follows:
- 2 Aeroplan points per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations
- 1.5 Aeroplan points per dollar spent on dining and food delivery purchases in Canada
- 1 Aeroplan point per dollar spent on everything else
Now that the Aeroplan credit cards are offering shared benefits with supplementary cardholders as a key perk, American Express will offer two types of supplementary cards (or “additional cards” in their lingo): full additional cards, which will share in the card benefits, and No Fee additional cards, which will not share any benefits and will serve only to earn points faster.
The full Additional Card fee has also been kept consistent at $50 per card, which will share in many of the card’s benefits, such as the free first checked bag. This will also be lower than TD’s supplementary card fee of $75, but on par with CIBC’s offering.
As we know, one of the best reasons to get a core Aeroplan card is the first free checked bag benefit, which will apply for the primary cardholder and up to eight companions on the same reservation on Air Canada flights. There’s no need to flash your card, either: as long as your Aeroplan number is linked to both your credit card and the travel reservation, your benefits will apply.
Beyond that, the American Express Aeroplan Card’s benefits are more limited: you’ll enjoy “preferred pricing” on Air Canada flights under the new dynamic pricing model, as well as the ability to earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles (SQM) and 1 Status Qualifying Segment (SQS) for every $10,000 in net spending on the card.
Finally, it’s noteworthy that the American Express Aeroplan Card will be made of 70% reclaimed plastic, which is at the very least an innovative way for this card to differentiate itself, and may well be the perfect way to offset the environmental impact of all the flying that you’re doing. 😉
American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card
The American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card will succeed the current American Express AeroplanPlus Platinum Card as of November 8, 2020. Indeed, it’s my understanding that as of today, the AeroplanPlus Platinum Card is no longer open to new applications.
The American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card will be the premium product issued by American Express, taking its place alongside the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege and the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege.
Unlike today’s AeroplanPlus Platinum, the card will be a credit card rather than a charge card, meaning that it will have a preset credit limit as well as the ability to make minimum payments every month (although you should, of course, always be paying off your bills in full).
As a premium product, the Aeroplan Reserve Card’s annual fee rings in at $599 per year, just like its peers from TD and CIBC. Additional cards are available at $199 per card, and will share many of the primary cardholder’s key benefits; meanwhile, No Fee additional cards can also be added to accelerate the points-earning process with your trusted friends and family.
As before, the welcome bonus is yet to be announced in full, but we’ve received a hint: new cardholders who apply by December 31, 2020 will receive 10,000 Aeroplan points upon approval, plus a spend-based welcome bonus that will be revealed closer to the launch date.
The earning rates on this card will be as follows:
- 3 Aeroplan points per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations
- 2 Aeroplan points per dollar spent on dining and food delivery purchases in Canada
- 1 Aeroplan point per dollar spent on everything else
In my view, the 3x earning rate on Air Canada flights makes this card the key differentiator from its TD and CIBC counterparts (which only offer 2x points), and make it the best card in Canada for paying for any travel with Air Canada (remember, the new Aeroplan will be fully in-house, so any award taxes and fees should qualify too).
In addition to the free first checked bag and the preferred pricing on Air Canada flights under the new dynamic pricing model, the Aeroplan Reserve Card kicks up the benefits into a much higher gear. The biggest benefit is the unlimited access to Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafes in North America with a same-day flight on Air Canada or any Star Alliance partner.
On top of that, the primary cardholder, any supplementary cardholders, and up to eight other passengers travelling on the same reservation are each entitled to priority check-in, Zone 2 priority boarding, and priority baggage handling when travelling with Air Canada.
Considered in totality with the lounge access, I’m certain that these priority benefits on Air Canada will go a long way towards justifying the $599 annual fee for many of Air Canada’s frequent travellers.
Then we have the Annual Worldwide Companion Pass: upon spending $25,000 in net purchases, you’ll earn a companion pass that entitles you to buy an accompanying Air Canada economy class ticket for a companion at a fixed base fare:
- $99 base fare for travel within Canada and continental United States (excluding Hawaii)
- $299 base fare for travel to/from Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean
- $499 base fare for travel to/from South America, Europe, Middle East, and Africa
- $599 base fare for travel to/from Asia, Australia, and New Zealand
While the companion fare may not appear very interesting at first glance due to its limitation to economy class flights only, the smart play here would be to combine this perk with eUpgrades to access cheaper business class tickets as a couple. We’ll explore this angle in greater detail when we know more about the refreshed eUpgrade offering in the coming weeks.
Don’t forget about the Aeroplan Elite Status benefits, too: with the Aeroplan Reserve Card, you’ll earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles (SQM) and 1 Status Qualifying Segment (SQS) for every $5,000 in net spending on the card, which is double the earning rate compared to the core Aeroplan Card.
You’ll also be able to rollover unused SQM (up to 200,000) or eUpgrades (up to 50) at the end of the year, which is a benefit that those who regularly aim for Elite Status will certainly value.
Finally, and perhaps most excitingly for some of you, the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card will be “made from precision-cut and engraved 13g metal” – that’s lighter than the Platinum Card, but certainly beefier than the average piece of plastic, and always a guaranteed spine-tingling clang-clang-clang when you whip it out.
American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card
Finally, let’s talk about the brand-new product from American Express: the American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card.
This is a new card in the “premium small business” segment of the market, which is uncharted territory for Aeroplan co-branded credit cards in Canada. Previously, small business owners were restricted to the TD Aeroplan Visa Business Card and the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Business Card, but as of November 8, they’ll have the option to level-up to a higher-end offering that’s still geared towards their business needs.
The Aeroplan Business Reserve Card will be a credit card rather than a charge card, meaning that it will have a preset credit limit as well as the ability to make minimum payments every month (although you should, of course, always be paying off your bills in full).
Like its personal counterpart, the Aeroplan Business Reserve Card will be priced at an annual fee of $599, along with additional cards at $199 and the option for No Fee additional cards as well. Personally, I had expected the annual fee (and corresponding benefits) to go even higher on this card, but I suppose a level price point makes sense as well.
And just like the other cards, the welcome bonus is yet to be announced in full, but we’ve received a hint: new cardholders who apply by December 31, 2020 will receive 10,000 Aeroplan points upon approval, plus a spend-based welcome bonus that will be revealed closer to the launch date.
The earning rates on this card will be as follows:
- 3 Aeroplan points per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations
- 2 Aeroplan points per dollar spent on hotels and car rentals
- 1 Aeroplan point per dollar spent on everything else
I’m somewhat surprised that these earning rates aren’t more differentiated from the personal side, and would’ve thought that the Aeroplan Business Reserve might want to make more of a splash on the market as an all-new product.
In my view, while the 3x earning on Air Canada remains very powerful, the 2x earning rate ought to have encompassed a wider range of categories of regular business spending as well, while the 1x base earning rate is not comparable to the 1.25x earning rate on the American Express Business Platinum Card or indeed many other competing products on the market (like RBC’s premium business product, for example).
Beyond that, the vast majority of the Aeroplan Business Reserve Card’s benefits are exactly on par with the personal version: the free first checked bag, preferred pricing, lounge access, priority airport services, Annual Worldwide Companion Pass, SQM and SQS earning based on spending, rollover SQM and eUpgrades, and indeed the precision-cut 13g metal physical makeup of the card are all exactly the same.
Personally, I think it’s a bit of a missed opportunity for the Aeroplan Business Reserve Card to make real waves in the market with more of a “wow factor”, in order to tempt business owners into switching into the Aeroplan Business Reserve Card as opposed to their current preferred choices.
At the same time, the conservative approach is also quite understandable in the current environment, and I’d certainly love to see more differentiated perks and benefits from the Aeroplan Business Reserve Card as the product evolves in the years to come.
Conclusion
The American Express Aeroplan Card, American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card, and American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card will be landing in Canada soon.
Existing cardholders can expect to be transitioned over as of November 8, while new applicants will be treated to what promises to be “something amazing” as a welcome bonus – which will at the very least consist of 5,000–10,000 Aeroplan points upon signing up, followed by another spend-based component.
While I would’ve personally liked to see American Express’s new Aeroplan co-branded products being even more transformative upon launch, I can understand the limited appetite for large-scale travel-related offerings at the moment, and would certainly hope to see these products grow in prominence over the course of the 10-year card issuance contract between American Express and Air Canada.
For now, I’ve updated our guide to the new Aeroplan credit cards by TD, CIBC, and American Express with today’s details, and we can await to find out more about all 11 products on the market closer to November 8.
Also, the premium Aeroplan cards don’t even have access to Centurion lounges unlike Amex’s premium Delta credit card. I know different countries, different products and all but still, this is something they could have done.
I know different countries, different products but this seems so overwhelming in comparison with Delta Skymiles Amex partnership. I wish there was a no annual fee card here like Delta Blue card by Amex. It seems Amex is not even trying in Canada.
The new American Express Aeroplan cards appear to be inferior on every level. As any Canadian cardholder can attest, there is constant pain trying to use an Amex card in Canada because acceptance is so inconsistent. Amex cardholders endure this, and high annual fees, in exchange for markedly superior rewards and service. But the 1x return on the Amex Aeroplan Reserve and the 2x return on dining only is greatly inferior to the 1.25 accumulation on the Visa Infinite Privilege cards and the 1.5 accumulation on travel, gas, groceries, and dining. And no Priority Pass or Nexus rebates. It looks like the only advantage of the Amex cards will be large signup bonuses — if even those. It kinda feels like Amex isn’t even trying, which doesn’t bode well for their future in Canada.
Weak earning for the business card . 1 point just doesn’t cut it when business plat and visa prestige all are at 1.25 points per $. Earlier this year I heard rumours of a more premium card somewhere between a plat and centurion at about $2000 yearly fees. I also had a strange amex survey that was strictly on what maximum yearly fees I would be willing to pay for higher points returns. Haven’t seen anything since but as a heavy user of business plat I would be very interested. Anyone hear anything of this? Pass on these cards.
If I already own the gold Amex, will the points still be transferable to aeroplan and will we be able to apply on the new aeroplan card or would you recommend canceling the gold card now and re-apply for the new aeroplan later?
Ricky, this new card @ $600 begs a comparison with the Platinum personal and business cards. You get unlimited Prority pass lounge access as well to Centurion lounges whereas you get unlimited Maple Leaf lounge access. With one you’re restricted to A/C vs transferring points to an airline of your choice. No doubt there are other differences. I guess I just have to delve deeper.
It absolutely does! Stay tuned.
the dramatic drop in the earnings multiplier is the biggest disappointment. As a business I would get at least 1.5 the points for most of the year and now its down to 1. I would have been ok at 1.25. Now most of my purchases will go to the CIBC Infinite card at 1.25. While all the other benefits are nice the reason we use these cards are to accumulate the points
By”eligible for the new card” I mean eligible for the signup bonus….
I have one of the “old” and no longer available American Express Aeroplan Reserve cards, which was in the platinum category of cards. Will that transition to a new Aeroplan reserve card? If I cancel the existing one, should I be eligible for the new one as it replaces the Aeroplan platinum card rather than my current card?
good sarvice
Ricky, kinda of unrelated but will there be a strong hotel partnership with the new aeroplan… like united and Marriott, as well as American Airlines and Hyatt?
Stronger hotel partnerships is something that Air Canada has hinted at, but no confirmation thus far.
For the Core AMEX: First checked bag perk aside… I’d be getting more value on the Gold or am I mistaken?
Seems like it to me. I imagine that most folks who don’t feel the premium card is right for them will choose one of the core cards for their first free checked bag + preferred pricing.
Honestly I’m thinking about of Cobalt (Which I have) + add Gold (Gas, Drugstores, 1x Muktiplier) and switch from the TD Platinum Travel to TD Aeroplan Platinum after November 8 for preferred price (I can waive the fees of TD).
What do you think about the combo Ricky?
Thanks a lot
Thank you Ricky for the great post. I will definitely get it.
personal platinum offer of $250 ???
Great content as always Ricky. Any indication about whether there would be referral bonuses for these new Amex cards?
No indication as of yet, but you’ll know when I know.
Ricky, do you know what income would requirements for this would be, is it possible the premium card to have similar requirements to the Amex Platinum going forward l?
No income requirements, like all other Amex cards. 🙂
FYI, existing card member has 2x on grocery up to $5000, plus 1000points for each $1000 spent up to 10000 points. Starting Nov 6 for a year.
Damn, the 15k companion voucher on the AMEX Aeroplan Platinum card and the 25k voucher on the AMEX Aeropplan Reserve card are going away. That is disappointing since they did offer some very nice options.
It’s also interesting to compare the new reserve card to the existing (but no longer available version). As someone else mentioned, the lower earn rate for standard purchases is disappointing and lower than the existing version of the card. The restriction on the MLL locations to just NA is also a little unfortunate given that the current card allows access to the (few) European lounges. OTOH, the AF on the existing card was a eye-watering $899, so for $300 less some stuff would have had to go. Having said that, the new multipliers are pretty good (especially the AC multiplier).
Was there any news if PP membership will be associated with the card?
No news on Priority Pass on these cards, which would be another reduction from the existing AeroplanPlus Reserve sadly.
So the answer is sort of. The FAQ is now available with the terms, and it looks like PP membership is there *but* it’s the lowest tier that requires you to pay for each visit.
“You will continue to receive complimentary membership for Priority Pass, however as of November 6, 2020 you will be charged a usage fee at the prevailing rate for each lounge visit. Effective November 6, 2020 Priority Pass membership and access to Priority Pass lounges will expire for any Supplementary AeroplanPlus Reserve Cards you have on your account”
Actually, $899 w/ the old $200 travel credit, so it was really an AF of $699 vs the new $599 (and I assume it doesn’t have a travel credit).
The old card was way better imo. $899 – $200 credit – 25k companion voucher (at minimum 2cpp = $500, but I managed to squeeze around $800 out of it). This card is $100 cheaper than the previous card ($599 vs $699) but no more 25k companion voucher is definitely a big bust. $25k spend for merely $99 NA companion coupon is so useless.
The earn rate of 1 point per $1.00 spent on both of the reserve cards for non-multipiler category spending is very dissapointing – especially since the current AeroplanPlus Platinum card has a much better earn rate. In addition, I had expected that the new cards would offer standard category earning of at least 1.25 points per $1.00 spent as these cards are supposed to be in the same tier as the TD and CIBC Infinite Privilege Visa cards.
Hi Ricky,
A bit disappointed with the business version of the card. I chose not to renew my biz platinum in anticipation for this, would have gladly paid a few hundred more in af if rewards were better.
P.S. – thanks for the e-mails, my personal plat offer of $250 had almost expired without me noticing. Appreciate your work.
My thoughts exactly. Some more exciting benefits/earning rates would’ve justified an even higher fee. But I think it speaks to the challenging environment we find ourselves in.
Glad you didn’t leave that on the table 😉