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 alsoreach 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 SQM5 SQS$1K SQD | N/A | N/A |
| 28K SQM8 SQS$3K SQD | 25K | 3,000 |
| 80K SQM45 SQS$25K SQD | 75K | 5,000 |
| 150K SQM120 SQS$25K SQD | Super Elite | 50,000 |
| 55K SQM150 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 amount you successfully bid to obtain an upgrade as part of the AC Bid Upgrade program
- The government-imposed taxes, fees and surcharges associated with ticket purchases
I am missing some SQD in my account. What should I do?
If your Status Qualifying Dollars have not been posted in your account after completing an eligible activity, you can request missing SQD in 2 ways:
- If the flight activity has not been posted in your account at all, request credit for your flight. This will trigger crediting for your SQD, along with your SQS, SQM, and Aeroplan points
- If the flight activity has been posted but you’re noticing a discrepancy, you can fill out our online form to report it. Please ensure a minimum of 14 days have passed since your flight departure, as adjustments are not possible within the 14-day window
- In the event of any discrepancy relating to SQD earned on the completed travel of a booking of an Eligible Air Canada Vacations Package, please fill the Request Missing Points form via https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/aeroplan/status/report-sqd-discrepancies.html.
- Notification of the discrepancy must be provided within eleven (11) months following the date on which the Aeroplan SQD were awarded or the date upon which the last component of the Eligible 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.
How is the SQD cost on an Air Canada Vacations package split among Aeroplan members?
The cost of any Eligible Air Canada Vacations Package covered when redeeming Aeroplan points will be split between the number of travellers older than 2 years of age at the time of travel and is excluded from the cost per Aeroplan Member of the Eligible Air Canada Vacations Package for the purpose of determining the applicable SQD above.
The cost of the Eligible Air Canada Vacations Package will be calculated per Aeroplan Member forming part of a booking for purposes of determining the applicable SQD earned by such Aeroplan Member, according to the total amount payable for each Aeroplan Member.
How are SQD tracked on an Air Canada Vacations package?
SQD are tracked based on the first date of travel and are awarded within 6-8 weeks after the last component of the Eligible Air Canada Vacations Package has been completed. The first travel date is the first day on which any portion of the Eligible Air Canada Vacations Package was scheduled (date of flight or first hotel stay, which ever occurs first).
*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, 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.