Best Cards for Earning Aeroplan and Air Canada Points

Why Aeroplan matters now

“Aeroplan is Canada’s largest airline loyalty program—and one of its most lucrative.” For collectors, that position reflects three structural facts: broad Air Canada inventory access, an extensive Star Alliance and partner network for redemptions, and an active ecosystem of co-branded cards from multiple issuers. The official Aeroplan site and credit-card pages list offerings from American Express, CIBC and TD, confirming that Aeroplan remains the anchor loyalty currency for many Canadian travellers. Aeroplan

Practically, Aeroplan point liquidity matters because points can be earned via co-brand spend, transferred from transferable currencies, and accelerated through targeted category bonuses. Independent reviewers quantify point value: MoneySense reports a working average estimate that Aeroplan points are worth approximately two cents per point, a useful baseline when converting earned points into a monetized travel benefit for comparison across cards. MoneySense

Issuers and product families: what to expect

Three issuer clusters dominate the Aeroplan card set:

• American Express Aeroplan Cards (Amex) — includes core Aeroplan and premium Reserve tiers. Amex product pages and Air Canada’s benefits summary describe elevated earn rates on premium tiers and the presence of benefits such as lounge access, eUpgrade credits and priority services. Amex also offers transferable Membership Rewards products that convert to Aeroplan at set ratios. American Express Canada
• CIBC Aeroplan Visa family — spans no-fee Aeroplan Visas through Visa Infinite and Visa Infinite Privilege tiers that trade annual fee for larger welcome offers, elevated earn rates and premium benefits (free first checked bag, travel insurance, elevated redemption access). CIBC and Aeroplan pages list these variants and their benefits. CIBC Aeroplan cards
• TD Aeroplan Visa — positioned for frequent flyers, with base earn structures, travel insurance and perks such as Nexus fee rebates and bonus earn on Air Canada purchases. Comparative reviews list TD among top Aeroplan options. TD Canada

Third-party aggregators (MoneySense, Prince of Travel, NerdWallet) maintain comparative charts and frequently update featured ranking lists; those resources are essential for assessing welcome offers and category earn rates at point of application. Prince of Travel, NerdWallet Canada, MoneySense

Earn structures and the transferable alternative

Co-branded Aeroplan cards typically offer direct earn rates expressed in Aeroplan points per dollar in categories such as Air Canada, groceries, gas and dining. Examples from comparative reviews show common patterns:

• TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite: up to 1.5 Aeroplan points per $1 in targeted categories (gas, groceries, Air Canada).
• CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite: similar 1–1.5 Aeroplan points per $1 category structure.
• American Express Aeroplan Reserve: elevated earn rates on premium categories and enhanced benefits.

Transferable strategies can outperform co-brands for collectors who earn at elevated transferable rates. Membership Rewards earners such as Amex cards can convert to Aeroplan, enabling category-rich earnings (for example, higher earnings on dining and groceries) and conversion flexibility. Comparative analyses highlight Amex transferable options as powerful tools for collectors who time transfers to maximize redemption value. American Express Canada

Welcome offers, spend thresholds and effective return

Welcome bonuses materially affect a card’s short-term value. Comparative columns list current welcome-offer magnitudes and show that premium Aeroplan Reserve products often offer the largest advertised first-year value, while mid-tier TD and CIBC products concentrate on balanced annual value and recurring benefits. The practical calculus is: monetize the bonus at an accepted point value (for example, CAD 0.02/point), subtract the annual fee, and divide by the target spending to infer effective rebate on typical spend. Use issuer-published earn rates and conservative point-value baselines to calculate break-even. MoneySense

Benefits that change the ledger beyond points

Points accumulation is one axis; ancillary benefits shift travel expense lines. Notable benefits include:

• Free checked bag(s). Many Aeroplan cards provide a free first checked bag for the primary cardholder and companions when travel originates on Air Canada. That single benefit can save roughly $30–$40 per traveler per leg on many routes; issuer and Aeroplan pages list the benefit explicitly. Aeroplan
• Travel insurance and protections. Cardmember agreements embed emergency medical limits, trip cancellation and delay coverage; independent reviews call out which Canadian cards have industry-leading insurance terms and which do not. For many cardholders, the marginal value of insurance reduces or eliminates the need for a separate policy for short trips. MoneySense
• eUpgrades and status benefits. Premium cards sometimes include eUpgrade credits or status-accelerating activity; these are material for travellers who value cabin upgrades or status-related perks. Issuer pages describe such features. CIBC Aeroplan cards

How to choose: a strategic checklist

1. Define the primary objective. If the immediate goal is rapid Aeroplan balance growth for award travel, select a card with a high welcome bonus and high Aeroplan earn rates in your largest spending categories. If the objective is long-term status or lounge access, prioritize premium cards with relevant benefits. MoneySense
2. Quantify point value. Use a conservative point value (MoneySense suggests approximately two cents per point) to monetize bonuses and compare to annual fees.
3. Map spend categories. Confirm that the card’s elevated categories align with the cardholder’s actual spend (e.g., gas/groceries/dining).
4. Check acceptance friction. For cross-border or partner travel, carrying both an Aeroplan co-brand and a transferable earner (or a widely accepted Visa/Mastercard) reduces merchant friction.
5. Read insurance terms. Confirm durations and limits before depending on card insurance for international travel. MoneySense

Operational tactics to increase yield

• Route non-Aeroplan-eligible spend through high-earning transferable cards (e.g., Amex Membership Rewards earners) and transfer selectively when redemption sweet spots appear. American Express Canada
• Stack earn: use co-brand for Air Canada purchases and a general travel card for other travel-related categories.
• Monitor award-chart sweet spots and promotional transfer bonuses; convert transferable balances only when the target redemption delivers sufficient cents-per-point to justify the move. External guides and travel forums continuously track such windows. Prince of Travel, NerdWallet Canada

Final Considerations

Card selection for Aeroplan accrual is a multi-dimensional optimization problem: welcome offers, category earn rates, acceptance, travel benefits and, crucially, the monetized value of Aeroplan points. Co-branded CIBC and TD Aeroplan Visas provide straightforward Aeroplan earnings and practical perks such as free checked bags; American Express Aeroplan products and Amex transferable earners offer higher earn-rate potential and flexibility for collectors who regularly execute points transfers. Use conservative point-value assumptions, read issuer terms for baggage, eUpgrade and insurance conditions, and construct a shortlist that matches spending patterns. For comparative reference and the latest issuer terms consult the official Aeroplan credit cards page and current MoneySense and issuer product pages. Aeroplan, MoneySense, CIBC Aeroplan cards, American Express Canada, Prince of Travel, NerdWallet Canada