In a very welcome surprise development this week, the Air Canada Buddy Pass can now be converted into 30,000 Aeroplan points, which dramatically elevates the value of the Aeroplan credit cards’ signup bonuses in a spectacular fashion.
In this video, we’ll go over everything you need to know about this groundbreaking development in the Canadian points landscape – including how to earn and convert your Buddy Pass, the supercharged effective welcome bonuses on no less than six Aeroplan co-branded credit cards, and some frequently asked questions about this generous conversion opportunity.
Without further ado, you can watch the video below:
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At what spend level on the CIBC infinite does the buddy pass appear in your aeroplan account?
Just like the question from Gustav, I am wondering if it is feasible to appy for the TD Visa Infinite (now) , get the buddy pass and they convert to 30,000 aeroplan points. The April 30th deadline you mentioned seems prohibitive? Can you reply to Gustav and me on this?
As an update here: 1) the unofficial deadline has been extended to May 28, and 2) it’s been clarified by Aeroplan’s leadership that the unofficial deadline is based on when you applied for the card, not when the Buddy Pass arrives in your account.
Like I mentioned in the video, I’m confident the April 30 deadline will be extended on a rolling basis, since I was informed the policy is in place as a temporary measure during the pandemic. Nevertheless, I could be proven wrong on this, in which case it would be more of a gamble in terms of whether the Buddy Pass posts in time. By many accounts, it seems CIBC’s cards post the Buddy Pass faster than TD’s (often soon after meeting the minimum spend), so I’d say that one of the CIBC cards would be the safer choice to apply for if you aren’t interested in the Buddy Pass in its original form.
I’m seeing several reports from Rewards Canada and others that the Buddy Pass conversion will only be done until April 30. For new CC accounts who meet the spend threshold what is the lag time for the Buddy pass to show up in your aeroplan account? immediately after billing cycle date?
How likely am I to get the welcome bonus from the CIBC Visa Infinite card if I previously had it but closed the account about a year ago? Any data points?
Great video as usual Ricky! For someone who has AMEX plat and Aeroplan Reserve, would you recommend to apply one of the core card from TD or CIBC just to get the sign up 50k points and cancel it a year later? Thanks.
It’s definitely a great time to pick up one of the core cards if you don’t have one already.
A couple of questions/thoughts…. (1) if one previously applied for the lowest tier Aeroplan credit cards, would one still be eligible for the TD or CIBC core Aeroplan credit card offers? I went with the entry cards as buddy passes are of no value to me. (2) how confident are we that this generous conversion offer will still exist if apply for a new card now such that the offer will still exist by the time the buddy pass is credited to one’s AP account weeks or months down the road? (Great information as always… thank you!)
Yes, they are separate products so you’d now be eligible for the bonuses on the core cards. I personally am quite confident that the April 30 deadline that has been mentioned will be extended on a rolling basis based on the COVID situation (similar to Air Canada’s other flexible policies).
Thanks Ricky! I have rolled the dice and am getting the CIBC core card. Fingers crossed I manage to get the buddy pass and convert to points before AC decide to pull the plug on this offer
Is the buddy pass you get as a sign up bonus the same as the annual companion pass you earn after spending $25,000 annually on the privilege card? If not, can those also be converted for 30,000 AP?
Like Justin said – no to both.
No and no. The Companion Pass is not the same thing as the Buddy Pass.