Aeroplan Adds Flair Airlines and Air Transat to 2020 Loyalty Program Relaunch
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There's enough drama surrounding Air Canada, Aeroplan and Aimia that one could justify a primetime television show to cover its various twists and turns. Days after Air Canada offered to buy the program it opted out of (and parent company Aimia pooh-poohed), it signed a partnership with regional Canadian airline Porter Airlines. Fast forward to now, and Aimia is trumpeting the addition of two more Canadian airlines — Edmonton-based Flair Airlines and Montreal-based Air Transat — which will become a part of the revamped loyalty program starting in July 2020.
Jeremy Rabe, CEO of Aimia, is predictably stoked. "The addition of Flair Airlines as a preferred partner airline further strengthens our air offering in Canada for Aeroplan Members come July 2020," said Rabe. "In addition to providing members with the ability to fly any airline, anywhere, this relationship with Flair will give our members exceptional value for popular Western Canada routes."
Speaking of Air Transat, he noted: "Adding Air Transat to Aeroplan come July 2020 further differentiates and significantly enhances our Aeroplan experience by bringing our members closer to their favourite sun and holiday destinations."
Both airlines will join the fresh-faced Aeroplan just as Air Canada finds itself flying in the opposite direction. No details were shared in terms of earning and redeeming on the new partners, but given how far out 2020 is, we'd say there's ample time for those details to be sussed out.
The move will be a first for Flair Airlines and Air Transat. Both are considered low-cost airlines, and neither are a part of a loyalty program at the moment. For travelers, this could signal a welcome change. Typically, low-cost airlines not only subject passengers to tighter seats and nickel-and-diming, but you in most cases don't even earn rewards for the trouble. While the Air Canada breakup from Aeroplan is certainly causing its fair share of disruption, we wouldn't mind if it started a sea change that saw other low-cost airlines find their way into loyalty programs.
As Head of TPG Family Summer Hull recently shared, sometimes it just makes sense to skip the earning potential and fly on a low-cost carrier. But, if said carrier joined a program where earning and burning were possible, it would fundamentally upend the value proposition (and in a good way, no less).
For now, though, our advice for those with Aeroplan miles is to map out ways to spend down prior to the Air Canada divorce in the summer of 2020.
Some of the top options include Lufthansa first class (70,000 miles each way between the US and Europe), Turkish business class or maximizing stopovers and open-jaws. Remember that Aeroplan is currently an especially good redemption option for families.
If you need to top off your account for one of these redemptions, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy Rewards points to Aeroplan. Since there’s still two years before any changes kick in, there’s also still time to apply for a new credit card, earn the welcome bonus, transfer the points to Aeroplan and redeem for an excellent award. Top cards to consider are The Platinum Card® from American Express, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Business Gold Card.
H/T: CBC
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Rewards
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023
Rewards Rate
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro Offer
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023