Gone are the days of the “sure thing” complimentary upgrade. But, for those who find themselves on the road more than once a month, top-tier elite status can mean the difference between being there for that special family event or a disappointing night in an airport hotel.
Due to a ton of work travel, I currently hold top-tier status in the Big Three US airline elite programs. As a Northern Virginia resident, United is my primary airline, and I earned its invitation-only Global Services status again this year. As I was trying to figure out which of these three status levels was the most rewarding, I realized I may not even have the best elite status in North America.
No, I’m not talking about Southwest Airlines A-List Preferred status. I think there’s a reasonable argument for looking north.
Air Canada Aeroplan Super Elite status may actually be better for many frequent travelers, even if it seems complicated as a U.S. resident.
Here are a few reasons to consider earning Super Elite status.
Maple Leaf Lounge access
One area where Aeroplan really shines is lounge access — a perk that even top-tier elites at most U.S. airlines can't count on when flying domestically.
Super Elite members can bring immediate family into any Maple Leaf Lounge as well as an additional guest. Delta Diamond, United 1K and American Executive Platinum members get no complimentary lounge access as a benefit of their status.
While Aeroplan doesn’t grant access to their Signature Suites lounges, Super Elites can enjoy lounge access with partner airlines such as Emirates and Virgin Australia. They also have access to an arrivals lounge at London Heathrow.
Priority Rewards
Arguably one of the most valuable benefits of Super Elite status is Priority Rewards. With few exceptions, a Priority Reward can be redeemed for a 50% discount on a one-way or round-trip flight, including on partner airlines (and Air Canada has a lot of partners).
Aeroplan members can earn these rewards multiple times each year as part of Milestone Benefits.
If you hold 25K status, your Priority Rewards are valid on economy flights in Canada and the United States (including Hawaii). However, Super Elites can redeem them for all cabins up to and including business class, including on partner airlines.
When you consider the pricing of international business class award flights, it’s not hard to imagine saving 100,000 Aeroplan points or more when redeeming a Priority Reward on a round-trip ticket.
You can book a flight for someone else, even if they’re not immediate family, so long as you use your Aeroplan points.
Air Canada Concierge Service
If you travel as much as I do, you might consider the Air Canada Concierge Service to rival Priority Rewards in value. Super Elite members get access to a personalized concierge service.
Reports from Super Elite members indicate that Air Canada concierges have a healthy amount of autonomy to fix problems while you’re traveling, including moving you to other airlines to get you to your destination as quickly as possible. In many major airports, Air Canada has local concierges, so the support is right where you need it.
This level of service used to be commonplace with the U.S. carriers. While invitation-only levels such as United Global Services offer more flexible rules during irregular operations, my personal experience over the past few years is that many tools that used to be available to those agents have been restricted or removed.
How do I get there from here?
How does a U.S. resident earn Super Elite status? It’s a bit complicated, but you have options. Cabotage restrictions prevent an airline like Air Canada from flying you between New York and Los Angeles, even if you connect in a Canadian gateway.
However, if you travel internationally, especially in a premium cabin, Air Canada is well situated to get you to many places in Europe and Asia. With hubs in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, AIr Canada can connect you to Europe and Asia. It may be easy to forget Toronto as an option if you live in Ohio or Indiana and need to fly to France.
The Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card (see ) is also a great way to accelerate your quest for Super Elite status. Just holding the card gives you 5,000 Status Qualifying Credits each calendar year and entry-level 25K elite status. Spending on the card can earn another 20,000 Status Qualifying Credits. That means the credit card alone can get you 20% of the way to Super Elite.
Bottom line
Top-tier elite status is largely similar among American, Delta and United. While Air Canada shares many of the same benefits with them, Aeroplan has a few key benefits that set Super Elite status apart.
Priority Rewards allow your mileage balance to punch above its weight. Lounge access and a dedicated concierge service can make travel much smoother, even on the toughest days. And a few business class tickets to Europe can quickly put you in the range of Aeroplan Super Elite status.
