Qualifying for Aeroplan Elite Status
Aeroplan Elite Status can be reached in two different ways:
Earn Status Qualifying Miles (SQM), Status Qualifying Segments (SQS) and Status Qualifying Dollars (SQD) when you fly on eligible Air Canada or Star Alliance flights and when you book an Air Canada Vacations package.
Earn Everyday Status Qualification currency (EDQ) on everyday purchases.
Qualification requirements to reach Elite Status
The Status Qualifying currency thresholds shown below must be achieved within a calendar year to get the corresponding Elite Status. Upon achieving a new qualification threshold, members will immediately get access to the benefits associated with their new Status. The new Status achieved will be valid through the following year.
| Qualify with | 25K | 35K | 50K | 75K | Super Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight activity | 25,000 SQM or 25 SQS AND $3,000 SQD |
35,000 SQM or 35 SQS AND $4,000 SQD |
50,000 SQM or 50 SQS AND $6,000 SQD |
75,000 SQM or 75 SQS AND $9,000 SQD |
100,000 SQM or 100 SQS AND $20,000 SQD |
| Everyday activity | 100,000 EDQ | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
SQM, SQS, SQD and EDQ are separate from Aeroplan points, which can be redeemed for Aeroplan rewards and tracked in your Aeroplan dashboard.
Earning Status Qualifying Miles and Status Qualifying Segments
SQM and SQS are earned on all flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express and Air Canada Rouge in fares Standard and up, including Air Canada Vacations packages, Star Alliance member airlines and select partner airlines. SQM with Air Canada are earned as a percentage of the distance flown, based on a minimum distance of 250 miles.
Accelerate your journey to status with an Aeroplan credit card
With Status Qualification Boosts and rollover SQM, eligible Aeroplan credit cards are the perfect complement to Aeroplan Elite Status, as they enhance existing status benefits, and make it that much easier to requalify, or even achieve a higher tier, in years to come.
Status Qualification Boosts on everyday spend
Primary Cardholders will earn 1,000 SQM and 1 SQS for every eligible spend threshold they make using their eligible credit card.
Rollover SQM
Primary Premium Aeroplan Cardholders who also reach Aeroplan Elite Status can roll over up to 200,000 SQM beyond the status level for which they’ve qualified from the prior qualification year to qualify for status the next year. For clarity, here are some examples:
| Status currency earned in previous year | Highest tier earned | Rollover SQM |
|---|---|---|
| 21K SQM 5 SQS $1K SQD | N/A | N/A |
| 28K SQM 8 SQS $3K SQD | 25K | 3,000 |
| 80K SQM 45 SQS $25K SQD | 75K | 5,000 |
| 150K SQM 120 SQS $25K SQD | Super Elite | 50,000 |
| 55K SQM 150 SQS $25K SQD | Super Elite | N/A |
Earning Status Qualifying Dollars
SQD are tracked based on the date of travel and awarded only after your travel is completed. Aeroplan Members earn 1 SQD for every dollar spent on the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges (Y, YQ and YR) on their ticket, flight passes and eUpgrade add-on’s.
Ticket
- Earn SQD on eligible flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express and Air Canada Rouge™.
- Earn SQD on flights with Star Alliance™ member airlines ticketed on Air Canada ticket numbers beginning with “014”.
Flight Passes
- For Unlimited Flight Passes, SQD will be credited based on the payment of each monthly installment. The total amount of SQD received will correspond to the price paid before sales taxes.
- For eligible Limited Credit Flight Passes, SQD will be credited after each flight is flown. Government-imposed taxes, fees and surcharges are excluded based on each itinerary booked. In the case where there is more than one traveller, the SQD value will be credited to the person who travels, not to the purchaser.
- Learn more about Aeroplan Flight Passes
eUpgrade Add-ons
- Earn SQD for eUpgrade add-ons based on the monetary value of the purchase. SQD will be credited based on the date of travel.
- Learn more about eUpgrade add-ons
Air Canada Vacations
- Earn 25% Status Qualifying Dollars (SQD) based on the total cost of the vacation package per member, including taxes and fees.
- Valid on bookings made as of August 28, 2023 12:00 am EST of an eligible Vacation Package completed by an Aeroplan Member.
- An eligible Air Canada Vacations package refers to a vacation package consisting of a flight-inclusive vacation package or a Flight & Cruise package with travel completed by the Aeroplan Member.
- Learn more about Air Canada Vacations
Everyday Status Qualification
No need to be a frequent traveller to reach Aeroplan Elite Status. With Everyday Status Qualification (EDQ), you can enjoy the benefits of Elite Status just by doing what you do every day. If you earn 100,000 EDQ within a calendar year, you will achieve Aeroplan 25K Status.
Ways to earn EDQ
Use your Aeroplan credit card on your everyday shopping. Earn 1 EDQ for every eligible point you earn with your card. Plus, get special accelerators that earn you even more points and EDQ. Don’t have a card? Get one now!
Start planning your next escape. Earn EDQ on all Air Canada® flights, car rentals, and hotel bookings made with our member-exclusive booking platform.
Your daily routines can get you there sooner. Order from Starbucks® and Uber Eats, shop at the LCBO or with 200+ online retailers via the Aeroplan eStore.
Frequently asked questions
Members earn Status Qualifying Dollars when using a discount code to purchase their ticket; however, SQD will be calculated based on the adjusted base fare paid.
I recently flew with Air Canada. Why did I not get any SQD following my flight?
Certain airline tickets and purchases are not eligible for the accumulation of SQD. Members will not earn Status Qualifying Dollars on the following types of fares/flight activities:
- Aeroplan flight rewards, including Points + Cash reservations
- Economy Basic fares for Air Canada flights
- Flights booked with a fare type which is ineligible for Status Qualifying Miles (SQM) accrual.
- Specialty fares and tickets, including but not limited to promotional tickets and promotional Flight Passes, and other special fares
- Fares on flights marketed by Air Canada, but operated by airlines that are not Star Alliance partners
- Codeshare flights marketed and operated by other airlines
- All-inclusive vacation packages (i.e., flights and hotel) purchased through Air Canada Vacations, or other websites offering vacation packages
- Refunded, void, or unused tickets, including unused non-refundable tickets
- Charter flights on Air Canada Jetz or other single-entity charter flights, unless otherwise specified
Additionally, members will not earn Status Qualifying Dollars on the following types of purchases:
- Baggage service charges
- A Maple Leaf Club membership
- Last Minute Upgrade purchases
- Standard or Preferred seat selection charges
- Air Canada Bistro purchases
- AC Bid Upgrade purchases
The following do not count toward your SQD balance:
- The government-imposed taxes, fees and surcharges associated with ticket purchases
- The prorated value associated with any unleligible flight(s) on your itinerary
My itinerary includes multiple flights. How will SQD be calculated for each flight segment?
SQD is pro-rated based on the distance flown on each flight segment. Each flight segment is attributed SQD based on the distance percentage it represents on your overall itinerary. As an example, if a round-trip itinerary is made of two flight segments each representing 50% of the entire itinerary, each segment will be credited with 50% of the total SQD eligible amount, regardless of the type of fare booked for each direction. Naturally, the higher the fare you purchase, the more SQD you can earn for an entire itinerary.
There are SQD missing from my account. What should I do?
There are two ways to let us know if something’s not quite right.
I don’t see my flight activity in my account
If your flight isn’t listed on your account, please let us know and we’ll send you your SQD, along with your SQS, SQM and, of course, your Aeroplan points.
My flight activity is there, but something doesn’t look right
You’ll first want to make sure that 14 days have passed since the end of your trip*. It can take a little while for everything to get processed.
For more complex trips, those booked with one of our partner airlines, or reservations that have changed multiple times, it is best to wait 6 weeks after the end of your trip to reach out. These typically take a little longer to process.
If, after those delays, things are still not as you expect them, please send us the details** so we can make things right.
* Applies also to Air Canada Vacations packages.** Please notify us of any discrepancy within eleven (11) months following the date on which the Aeroplan SQD were awarded or the date when the last activity of your Air Canada Vacations package was completed (flight, cruise or hotel stay), whichever is later.
Please note that due to data exchange processes between Air Canada and its partners, there can sometimes be a delay between the time of travel and the posting of SQD. This can occur as soon as 24 hours after your Status Qualifying Miles (SQM) have been posted, but in some cases can take up to one month.
Can I earn SQD when I buy an Air Canada Vacations package?
You certainly can! Anytime you purchase an Air Canada Vacations package1, you’ll earn 25% Status Qualifying Dollars (SQD) based on the total value of your vacation package, including taxes and fees.
The SQD earned will be divided equally between all the Aeroplan Members2 in your party.
1. An eligible Air Canada Vacations package consists of a flight-inclusive vacation package or a Flight & Cruise package with travel completed by at least one Aeroplan Member.
2. An Aeroplan Member must be at least 2 years old.
Can I earn SQD from eUpgrade add-ons?
Members can earn SQD from eUpgrade add-ons! However SQD is not awarded to eUpgrade companions, only to the person who sponsored the upgrade (ie. whose account the credits were deducted from). The sponsor receives the SQD for themselves only; they’re not entitled to that of the companion(s) too.
*Points eligible for Everyday Status Qualification are those posted to your Aeroplan account within the calendar year (between January 1 and December 31). Points obtained through sign-up or welcome bonuses associated with Aeroplan credit cards, through conversion from other programs, via gift card purchases online through Buyatab, and other distribution channels (ie: grocery stores, pharmacies, rewards programs, etc), or accumulated as a benefit of Aeroplan Elite Status, including but not limited to the Aeroplan Elite Status bonus with partner airlines, or bonuses earned through the Aeroplan eStore for holding Aeroplan Elite Status, accumulated as part of a flight activity not operated by Air Canada, Canadian North, Air Creebec, or the Star Alliance member airlines, purchased, or received as a gift, transferred between member accounts, reinstated following account inactivity, redeemed as part of a Points + Cash reservation or accumulated as part of contest prizes, or for participating in Aeroplan research are not eligible.
Aeroplan Credit Cards allow you to reach Aeroplan Elite Status more quickly by earning Aeroplan points on net purchases charged to your card. Please note that these are deposited to your Aeroplan account at the end of the next credit card account billing period. As a result, it is possible that transactions charged to your card towards the end of a calendar year will translate into Aeroplan points deposits that will count towards Status Qualification of the following year.