Chase Doubles Aeroplan Card Fee — Here’s What Changes

The Chase Air Canada Aeroplan Card is adding richer rewards and automatic elite status, but its annual fee has more than doubled from $95 to $195.

Aeroplan is a frequent flyer and loyalty program offered by Air Canada, which connects travelers with access to six continents via direct service and is also Canada’s biggest airline.

Primary cardholders can now automatically receive Aeroplan 25K Status, which includes travel perks such as priority boarding in Zone 2 and priority check-in, according to a press release announcing the changes.

Priority boarding may sound like a minor benefit. But it can be valuable when a flight is full and passengers want to secure space in the plane’s overhead bins for their carry-on bags.

Chase and Aeroplan are also changing how many points cardholders can earn on several types of purchases. Cardholders can now earn up to 5X total points on eligible Air Canada purchases.

The 5X earning rate comes in two pieces. Cardholders earn 3X points on qualifying Air Canada purchases made directly with the airline using the card. They can earn an additional 2X points from Air Canada on eligible flights when traveling as Aeroplan 25K members.

Chase Aeroplan Card: Previous vs. Refreshed Benefits

Source: Chase and Air Canada; card benefits and terms as of September 2026.

Feature	Previous card	Refreshed card
Annual fee	$95	$195
Air Canada purchases	3X	Up to 5X
General travel	1X	3X
Gas stations	1X	2X
Grocery and dining	3X	3X through 2026; 2X beginning January 1, 2027
Air Canada credits	None	Up to $100 annually
Eligible flight rewards	No card discount	At least 15% fewer points
Aeroplan 25K Status	Spending requirement to retain	Automatic

When the card initially launched, it offered only the 3X card-earning component on qualifying Air Canada purchases.

The refreshed card also earns 3X points on qualifying travel purchases and 2X points at gas stations.

Cardholders will continue to earn 3X points at grocery stores and restaurants, including eligible takeout and delivery purchases, through December 31, 2026. Beginning January 1, 2027, purchases in those categories will earn 2X points. Purchases outside the card’s bonus categories earn 1X point per dollar.

Those expanded benefits come at a substantial cost: The card’s annual fee is increasing from $95 to $195.

An annual fee increase of more than 100% may be a tough pill for cardholders to swallow, even if they frequently fly with Air Canada. But Chase and Aeroplan are positioning the card’s new benefits as offering enough additional value to keep it competitive.

Chris Cracchiolo, President of Co-Brand Cards at Chase, said in the release that the goal of the revamped card is to provide new value so travelers find it even more compelling than they did before the updates.

“As travelers increasingly look for more value, convenience, and flexibility from the cards they carry every day, Chase and Aeroplan have refreshed the card with benefits designed to help cardmembers travel more often, enjoy an elevated journey when flying with Air Canada, and get greater value from the Aeroplan program,” Cracchiolo said.

The refreshed card also offers up to $100 annually in Air Canada statement credits. Cardholders can receive up to $50 in credits on qualifying purchases made directly with Air Canada from January through June and another $50 from July through December.

For cardholders who use the entire $100 annual credit, that benefit alone could offset the card’s $100 fee increase. But receiving the full value requires making qualifying Air Canada purchases during both halves of the year.

Primary cardholders can also save at least 15% on the points portion of the base fare for eligible flight rewards involving flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express, or Air Canada Rouge. The discount does not apply to taxes, fees, other charges, or any cash portion of a reward booking.

Cardholders who rarely fly with Air Canada can still redeem Aeroplan points with more than 50 of Air Canada’s partner airlines, including United, Emirates, and Lufthansa.

The card’s new benefits are available to both existing cardholders and new applicants.

The Aeroplan card will also retain previous benefits, including a free fourth night when cardholders use Aeroplan points to book three consecutive hotel nights in the same reservation.

Travel protection benefits, including insurance for canceled or interrupted trips, delayed trips, and delayed baggage, will also remain, along with benefits offered through World Elite Mastercard.

Chase and Aeroplan are also offering a limited-time welcome offer to eligible new cardholders.

New cardholders can earn 75,000 Aeroplan bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months after opening the account. They can earn another 40,000 points after spending a total of $20,000 on purchases within the first 12 months, bringing the potential welcome offer to 115,000 points.