Earlier versions of this article listed the kinds of Aeroplan miles that did not count towards status. Status is now measured in Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) instead of miles, so the list has changed. Here is what is left out under the rules for travel from 2026.
Flights that earn nothing
- Economy Basic fares: they give no SQC.
- Trips flown by a partner outside Air Canada and the Star Alliance earn nothing, even on an Air Canada ticket.
Air Canada and Star Alliance flights do earn credits on tickets numbered 014 (issued by Air Canada): 2 SQC per dollar in Economy Standard and 4 per dollar from Economy Flex upward.
Partner points: only base points count
You collect 1 SQC for every 5 Aeroplan base points you earn with Aeroplan partners. These do not count:
- bonus points from promotions,
- points bought in the Aeroplan eStore,
- points from the Chexy welcome offer,
- points converted from other programmes into Aeroplan.
Air Canada divides base points in a single transaction by five and rounds to the nearest whole number. For example, 54 base points make 11 SQC, and 21 base points make 4 SQC. On a hotel booking with 798 base and 1,197 bonus points, only the 798 are counted, giving 160 SQC.
Credit cards
Spending on an Aeroplan premium credit card gives 1,000 SQC for every 5,000 dollars, up to a maximum of 25,000 SQC a year. Other bonuses linked to joining a card are not counted.
See our overview of Aeroplan Elite Status levels.
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