Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
Part of Air Canada Aeroplan hub · American Airlines AAdvantage hub
COMPARISON
Aeroplan vs American AAdvantage: how they differ
Aeroplan vs American AAdvantage compares Air Canada's Aeroplan programme with American Airlines' AAdvantage programme, and the practical difference for a Canada–US traveller is that each one sets its own rules for earning, for what an award ticket includes, and for how long a balance survives inactivity. [6] [4] Aeroplan points expire only after 18 months without account activity, while an AAdvantage flight award is ticketed with segment limits and has to be completed within a year of ticketing. [6] [4]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Aeroplan points expire only if the account has been inactive for 18 months, and Air Canada says points expiry is temporarily on pause. [6]
- A one-way AAdvantage flight award allows up to three segments within the United States or Canada and four to other destinations. [4]
- Aeroplan Elite Status runs on a single Status Qualifying Credits path, from 25,000 SQC for 25K Status up to 125,000 SQC for Super Elite Status. [7]
- AAdvantage mileage cannot be moved into another loyalty programme unless American Airlines expressly states otherwise, and loyalty rewards cannot be earned for the same flight in two programmes. [4]
- American Airlines began rolling out cash and miles bookings on 2 October 2026. [5]
How do you earn points in Aeroplan and AAdvantage?
AAdvantage separates miles into Base Miles, which also earn Loyalty Points, and Bonus Miles, which do not and typically arrive through promotions and Buy, Gift and Transfer Miles transactions. [4] On flights, eligible purchased tickets earn Base Miles from the ticket price, meaning base fare plus mandatory carrier-imposed fees, with government taxes and fees and optional airline fees such as change and ticketing fees excluded. [4] Some AAdvantage Partner flights may earn Bonus Miles instead of Base Miles, and certain partner-marketed fares — consolidator, bulk or student tickets, for example — may earn on a percentage of distance flown rather than price. [4] Status in AAdvantage is qualified on Loyalty Points earned during the 12-month period that starts on 1 March each year, and the status is then valid through 31 March of the following full year. [4] Miles from offers, from Buy, Gift and Transfer Miles, and from converting another programme's currency only count as Bonus Miles and do not earn Loyalty Points. [4]
Aeroplan members earn by flying Air Canada with their Aeroplan number in the booking, by booking with Airline partners including the entire Star Alliance network, by booking hotels and car rentals, and by shopping through the Aeroplan eStore or retail partners. [6] Donating points to charity, transferring points to another Aeroplan member or converting points from another loyalty programme also keeps an account active. [6] On the status side, Air Canada says that for travel on or after 1 January 2026 the way Aeroplan points are earned with Air Canada has changed, and that Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) earned within a calendar year are the single path to Elite Status. [7]
| Status | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Aeroplan 25K Status | 25,000 SQC, or Everyday Status Qualification |
| Aeroplan 35K Status | 35,000 SQC |
| Aeroplan 50K Status | 50,000 SQC |
| Aeroplan 75K Status | 75,000 SQC |
| Aeroplan Super Elite Status | 125,000 SQC |
SQC are earned at 4 per $1 spent on Economy Flex fares or higher and at 2 per $1 on Economy Standard fares and eUpgrade add-ons, on flights operated by Air Canada or by a Star Alliance member airline but ticketed by Air Canada with a ticket number starting 014; Economy Basic fares earn no SQC. [7] Star Alliance flights not ticketed by Air Canada earn 1 SQC for every 5 Aeroplan points, capped at 25,000 SQC per calendar year, and flights operated by other airline partners earn no SQC. [7] Aeroplan credit cards add 1,000 SQC for every $5,000 spent on a premium card and 1,000 SQC for every $20,000 spent on a core card, up to a combined 25,000 SQC per calendar year. [7]
How do the award bookings compare?
An AAdvantage flight award entitles the member to one-way travel unless otherwise noted, and certain special flight awards require round-trip travel. [4] For each one-way award redeemed within the United States or Canada a maximum of three segments is permitted, while all other destinations, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, allow four. [4] Awards on American Airlines and American Eagle flights may be used for any available seat, including the last seat, although the number of miles required may be higher depending on availability. [4] Awards on partner airlines may be subject to special limitations on seating availability, and the miles required may vary with that partner's availability. [4] Ticketed award travel must be completed within one year of the ticketing date unless otherwise noted, and award tickets are valid only on flights marketed and operated by American Airlines or certain AAdvantage Partners, which can include oneworld alliance carriers. [4]
Aeroplan members redeem points for flight rewards that can be booked with a combination of points and cash, and can also redeem for hotel rooms, car rentals, gift cards, events and extras such as in-flight Wi-Fi. [6] The two programmes draw on different airline groups: AAdvantage redemption reaches American Airlines, American Eagle and certain AAdvantage Partners including oneworld carriers, subject to those partners' availability [4], while Aeroplan partner flying is booked through Air Canada's airline partners, including the Star Alliance network [6]. Aeroplan award pricing is covered separately in Aeroplan region-based award pricing.
American Airlines also began rolling out cash and miles bookings on 2 October 2026, letting eligible members combine cash and miles on flights booked on aa.com and in the American app, choosing the split with a slider at checkout. [5] Unless American states otherwise, transactions purchased or redeemed for a combination of cash and AAdvantage miles may not accrue AAdvantage miles or Loyalty Points. [4]
What fees, changes and expiry rules apply?
Before ticketing, an AAdvantage flight award reservation can be changed or cancelled at no charge unless American states otherwise; after the original ticketing, additional miles or fees may apply for each ticket and are due when the ticket is reissued. [4] Taxes, fees and surcharges assessed by authorities or by airline partners on an award ticket are the member's responsibility and are payable by credit card. [4] Miles are reinstated for wholly unused awards if the reservation is cancelled before departure and the ticket has not expired, while expired tickets and partially used awards are not reinstated. [4]
On the Aeroplan side, Air Canada notifies members by email up to 60 days before points expire, and the inactivity date is visible in the Activity tab of the Aeroplan dashboard. [6] Points that have already expired can be bought back for a fee, reinstated in full by flying with Air Canada within 6 months of expiry, where travel must take place inside that 6-month window, or reinstated by getting an Aeroplan credit card. [6] Points can be kept from expiring at all by holding Aeroplan Elite Status or by being a primary TD Aeroplan, American Express Aeroplan or CIBC Aeroplan credit cardholder. [6]
Exceptions and limits
- Flights to and from Cuba earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points only on American Airlines-operated flights and can be redeemed only on American Airlines flights. [4]
- If American Airlines or a participating carrier stops serving a destination for which an award was redeemed, American redeposits the redeemed miles. [4]
- AAdvantage flight awards may not be combined with any other promotion, coupon, discount or special offer, and may not be combined with systemwide upgrades unless American permits; award tickets have no cash value and are non-transferable. [4]
- American Airlines reserves the right to terminate an AAdvantage account for inactivity where there has been no mileage earning or redeeming activity for at least 36 consecutive months, the balance is zero, no co-branded credit card is open and in good standing, and there are no lifetime benefits or active status; accounts created within the prior 24 months may be terminated after 12 months without earning or redeeming activity. [4]
- Economy Basic fares earn no SQC in Aeroplan, and SQC from partners and from credit cards are each capped at 25,000 per calendar year. [7]
- Members cannot earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points for the same flight under AAdvantage and another loyalty programme American participates in, and the frequent flyer programme cannot be changed after a flight departs. [4]
Frequently asked questions
Do Aeroplan points expire?
Aeroplan points expire only if the account has been inactive for 18 months, and Air Canada states that points expiry is temporarily on pause. [6] Earning or redeeming at least 1 Aeroplan point inside an 18-month period keeps the account active. [6]
Can AAdvantage miles be used on partner airlines?
Yes — in certain instances AAdvantage rewards can be used across AAdvantage Partners, including oneworld alliance partner airlines. [4] Those partner awards may carry seating limits and mileage requirements that vary with the partner's availability. [4]
How many segments can one AAdvantage award have?
A one-way award within the United States or Canada allows a maximum of three segments, and four segments are permitted for all other destinations. [4]
Can you pay with cash and miles on American Airlines?
American Airlines launched cash and miles bookings on 2 October 2026, with the feature rolling out in the following weeks on aa.com and the American app. [5]
How do you reach Aeroplan Elite Status?
By earning Status Qualifying Credits within a calendar year: 25,000 SQC for 25K Status, 35,000 for 35K, 50,000 for 50K, 75,000 for 75K and 125,000 for Super Elite Status. [7]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Other programmes, including United MileagePlus, Delta SkyMiles and Flying Blue, are not covered here; see best airline programmes for North America for the wider picture.
- AAdvantage terms and conditions, effective 1 March 2026 (American Airlines), checked 18 October 2026
- American Airlines: cash and miles bookings launch, 2 October 2026, checked 18 October 2026
- Air Canada Aeroplan: keeping your points active, checked 18 October 2026
- Air Canada Aeroplan Elite Status and Status Qualifying Credits, checked 18 October 2026