Out of the three American Express Aeroplan credit cards, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card is considered to be the premier option with the highest earn rate and some pretty great perks and benefits. Here’s what you need to know.
Pros and cons
Pros
-
Comprehensive travel insurance
-
Great travel perks including lounge access
Cons
-
High annual fee
-
Can only earn highest points on Air Canada®* and Air Canada Vacations®* purchases, not all travel purchases
Welcome bonus
For a limited time, New American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Cardmembers can earn up to 85,000 Aeroplan points.
- Earn 60,000 Aeroplan points after spending $7,500 in purchases on your Card within the first 3 months
- Plus, earn an additional 25,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $2,500 in purchases in month 13
- That’s up to $2,600 or more in value when you combine your welcome bonus points and card benefits
- New Offer: Cardmembers can now get an extra night free for every 3 consecutive hotel nights redeemed with Aeroplan points. Offer ends December 31, 2024
How to earn points
Cardholders earn points on every purchase they make.
Highest Air Canada earn rate on an Aeroplan payment card in Canada: Earn 3X the points on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada®* and Air Canada Vacations®*; Standard Earn Rate: Earn 2X the points on eligible Dining and Food Delivery purchases in Canada and earn 1.25X the points on everything else
On top of these earn rates, you can also double-dip. As an Aeroplan member and cardholder, you can earn double the points with Aeroplan partners.
How to redeem points
You can redeem your Aeroplan points easily online at either AirCanada.com or via the Air Canada App. Points can be used for a number of different things including flights, hotels, vacation packages, car rentals, activities, merchandise, and gift cards.
Strategically speaking, you get the best value for your Aeroplan points when redeeming them toward travel. You are most likely to get the best value for points on flights; however, there is no specific zone, area, or route that can be singled out as offering the best value. It’s in your best interest to research options and determine their value per point before selecting a specific redemption. If you can get your value per point to around $0.02 (or higher) then you know it’s a good deal.
Additional perks and features
When it comes to additional perks and features, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card covers plenty of travel benefits. As an Air Canada premium travel credit card, many of these perks are specific to Air Canada flights. Here’s what is included with this card.
Air Canada travel benefits
As for Air Canada’s premium card, a number of the benefits associated with this card pertain to travelling with Air Canada. Cardholders can take advantage of priority boarding and priority check-in. Plus, enjoy access to select Air Canada Maple Leaf LoungesTM* and Air Canada CaféTM in North America for you and a guest, with a same day ticket on a departing Air Canada or Star Alliance flight. One of the biggest perks with this card is that up to 9 people on the same reservation will also have their first back checked for free.
Aeroplan benefits
There are also a number of perks pertaining to Aeroplan points. For example, cardholders will get preferred pricing when redeeming their Aeroplan points for Air Canada flights. They will also earn 1,000 SQM (Status Qualifying Miles) and 1 SQS (Status Qualifying Segment) for every $5,000 on the card. Up to 200,000 SQM can then be rolled over each year.
Insurance†
The card also comes with comprehensive travel insurance coverage which includes: Emergency medical insurance, delayed and lost baggage insurance, flight delay insurance, trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance, auto rental collision/loss damage insurance.†
Shopping coverage†
Which consists of Buyer Assurance Protection Plan and Purchase Protection Plan, extending warranties and protecting your items from theft or physical damage.†
Rates and fees
The card comes with a hefty annual fee of $599, making it one of the pricier credit cards on the market. There are two options for additional cards. If you would like to be able to share some benefits and collect points, the annual fee is $199 for each additional card. If you don’t need the benefits and just want to collect points faster, then the additional card is $0.
When it comes to interest rates, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card carries the typical 21.99% purchase APR and 21.99% for cash advances (on funds advances).
Eligibility requirements
If you would like to apply for this card, you’ll need to meet the following conditions to be eligible:
- Must be a Canadian resident
- Must be the age of majority in your home province
- Must have a credit score that is considered good-excellent
How to apply
Ready to apply? It’s very simple and straightforward and can be done online in just a few minutes.
- 1.
Visit the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card webpage here and click ‘Apply Now’.
- 2.
A new window will pop up with some product and privacy information. After you read through this, click ‘agree and begin’.
- 3.
You will then have to fill out a couple of pages of personal information including your name, address, and birthdate. You do need to include your Social Insurance Number (SIN) so make sure that you have that on hand.
- 4.
After entering all your information, give it a once over and submit.
- 5.
According to the website, the decision as to whether you will be approved or not will be made within 60 seconds.
How it compares
| Card name | American Express® Aeroplan® Reserve Card | The Platinum Card® |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | Earn up to 85,000 Aeroplan points (conditions apply) | Earn up to 70,000 Membership Rewards® points (conditions apply) |
| Key features | Comprehensive travel insurance and Air Canada travel perks | Comprehensive travel insurance plus unlimited lounge access |
| Annual fee | $599 | $799 |
To figure out the best value, we’ve compared the American Express®Aeroplan®* Reserve Card to one of our top picks when it comes to travel credit cards, The Platinum Card®. Once you consider the statement credit and travel credit bonus, pricing for both comes out on par (at least for the first year). Right now, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card’s welcome bonus blows that of the Platinum Card® out of the water. However, you do need to consider that the Platinum Card® allows a lot more flexibility when it comes to collecting point. You collect Membership Rewards® points under this card, however, if you choose, they can be changed over to Aeroplan points at a 1:1 ratio.
The flexibility of the Platinum Card® typically would earn it a spot as our top pick. However, right now the huge welcome bonus offered by the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card might just put it ahead for Aeroplan members.
What’s our take?
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card is definitely a contender when it comes to the best travel credit cards. The welcome bonus right now is a huge draw and the annual fee, while high, is offset by the great travel perks and benefits. As a travel card, we don’t love that it’s limited to Air Canada®* and Air Canada Vacations®* for earning higher points. If you are a loyal Air Canada customer, however, it can be quite lucrative.
FAQs
American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information click the Apply now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.
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