Aeroplan was among the first loyalty programs to announce a status extension through the end of 2022. To my knowledge, it is also the only program that operates on a calendar year basis (rather than a rolling 12-month period) to do so so far.
Temporary Suspension of Aeroplan Points Expiry
Aeroplan has decided to pause the expiry of points until January 30, 2022, pushing it back from the previous deadline of June 30, 2021. However, please note that on January 31, if you have not engaged in any qualifying activity within the past 18 months and do not qualify for any exemptions (such as holding a credit card, having elite status, or being a minor), your points will expire. It’s wise to either earn or redeem your points before this date, or consider applying for a credit card like the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card, which currently has a welcome bonus of 20,000 Aeroplan points along with a Buddy Pass.
Automatic Extension of Aeroplan Elite Status for 2021
This is exactly the type of news many were hoping for. Your current status will be preserved until December 2022. If you achieve new or higher status in 2021, that too will remain valid until the end of 2022.
Each tier provides 20 eUpgrade credits, and you will also have the opportunity to select your benefits again. However, Aeroplan will not be extending the expiry date for any eUpgrade credits. Good news though—credit cards like the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card permit you to roll over up to 50 eUpgrade credits.
If you selected a Lower Requalification Level as one of your benefits, Aeroplan will share special offers in the upcoming weeks that allow you to change your selection. This Lower Requalification Level means you can achieve status with 5,000 SQM or 5 SQS fewer than the published requirements. So while your current status is safe, this might help you aim for a higher status, especially if you usually have enough SQD but are short on SQM.
All Priority Rewards earned in 2020 will now be valid until October 2022. As a Super Elite, I hold 4 of these rewards, which allow for 50% off business class redemptions worldwide. I was concerned about how to use these before their expiration, so it’s a relief to know I can take my time this year.
Elite Status Qualification Jumpstart for 2022
In my view, this is the most exciting announcement. Last year, members who achieved status could gift it to someone else, as their own status was extended. I qualified for Aeroplan Elite 75K status, but struggled to find someone to give it to since most people I know who fly often already have status. So, it felt like I was missing out on rewards from my travels last year.
This year, Aeroplan is allowing you to carry over your SQM/SQS/SQD earned in 2021, which will count towards your status qualification in 2022. However, you still need to meet the qualification criteria this year. Here are a couple of examples provided by Aeroplan:
- If based on your 2021 flight activities, you earn 26,000 SQM, 15 SQS, and 3,500 SQD, you’ll meet the qualifications for Aeroplan 25K, and all your 26,000 SQM, 15 SQS, and 3,500 SQD will roll over into your qualification balance for 2022.
- If you earn 79,000 SQM, 35 SQS, and 12,500 SQD, you’ll qualify for Aeroplan 75K, and all those metrics will be credited to your 2022 qualification balance.
- Conversely, if you earn only 12,000 SQM, 4 SQS, and 2,800 SQD in 2021, you will not meet the requirements for any Aeroplan Elite Status, and therefore, your SQM, SQS, and SQD will not be honored in 2022.
The official statement from Aeroplan reads:
Many of our members have traveled during the pandemic for essential purposes. If you earn any Aeroplan Elite Status through your 2021 flight activities with Air Canada or its airline partners, we’ll honor your 2021 Status Qualifying Miles (SQM), Segments (SQS), and Dollars (SQD) in 2022, which will give you a head start for 2022 and beyond.
To be clear, to qualify for this jumpstart in 2022, members need to earn a minimum of 25,000 SQM or 25 SQS, and at least 3,000 SQD (or 1,500 SQD for non-Canadian residents) over 2021. This special offer will be additional to any Rollover Status Qualifying Miles eligible for Elite Status Members holding select Aeroplan credit cards.
I’ve already qualified for 25K status, so it looks like all my SQM/SQS/SQD will roll over. It seems this will combine with the SQM from my TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Credit Card, which also allows rollover benefits. If I finish the year with 95k SQM and sufficient SQD for 75K status, I should start 2022 with a total of 115k SQM after including the rolls from both Aeroplan and the credit card.
Update:
This was confirmed with Air Canada by Graham at Flyermiles:
Just received confirmation from AC – here’s the precise scenario I was given:
If a 2021 50K member also holds a premium Aeroplan credit card and earned the following:
- 60,000 SQM, 10 SQS, 6,500 SQD
They would see the following in their balance for 2022:
- 60,000 SQM, 10 SQS, 6,500 SQD (as they earned Aeroplan Elite Status for 2022)
Plus:
- 10,000 SQM (as they earned Aeroplan 50K status, allowing the 10,000 SQM over 50,000 SQM to qualify for the rollover benefit)
…leading to a total starting balance of:
70,000 SQM, 10 SQS, 6,500 SQD
It appears my assessment was accurate: the rollover SQM is additive. If you possess one of the top-tier credit cards and wrap up the year with high SQM, you’ll start the next year even stronger, making it easier to reach higher statuses, earn threshold gifts, and enjoy threshold eUpgrades.
Summary
Overall, I am quite pleased with these updates. Points will not expire until January 31, 2022, everyone’s status is valid through 2022, and if you earn status in 2021, you will benefit from a jumpstart of SQM/SQS/SQD in 2022. Unlike last year, the initiative rewards your flying, rather than allowing you to gift it to someone else. Full details of these announcements can be found at https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/aeroplan/news/covid-19.html.
