Aeroplan vs Avianca LifeMiles: award rules compared

How does Aeroplan structure flight rewards?

Aeroplan members redeem points for flights with Air Canada and partner airlines directly at aircanada.com. [6] Aeroplan describes flight rewards as covering every seat on every Air Canada flight with no restrictions, and says there are no cash surcharges on flight rewards with Air Canada. [6] Members can also pay with a combination of points and cash, which the programme calls Points + Cash. [6]

Beyond flights, the programme lists hotels, car rentals, Air Canada Vacations packages, activities and travel experiences, merchandise and gift cards as redemption options, alongside extras and upgrades such as Bid Upgrades and in-flight Wi-Fi. [6]

How do you earn Aeroplan points and Elite Status?

Aeroplan points expire only when the account has been inactive for 18 months, and the account stays active when a member earns or redeems at least one Aeroplan point within an 18-month period. [4] Aeroplan lists flying Air Canada with the Aeroplan number on the booking, booking airline partners including the entire Star Alliance network, booking hotels and car rentals, and shopping through the Aeroplan eStore or with retail partners as ways to earn. [4] Donating points to a charity, transferring points to another Aeroplan member and converting points from another loyalty programme also count as activity. [4]

Elite Status follows a single path: the member meets a Status Qualifying Credit (SQC) requirement within a calendar year. [5] Air Canada states that for travel on or after 1 January 2026, how Aeroplan points are earned with Air Canada has changed. [5]

Milestone benefits unlock at every 10,000 SQC accumulated up to 200,000 SQC, and at every 20,000 SQC after that. [5] On Air Canada and Star Alliance flights ticketed by Air Canada, with ticket numbers beginning with 014, members collect 4 SQC per $1 spent on Economy Flex fares or higher and 2 SQC per $1 on Economy Standard fares and eUpgrade Add-Ons, calculated on the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges and excluding taxes, fees and third-party charges. [5] An Air Canada Vacations package earns 1 SQC per $1 of the package's full value, including taxes and fees. [5]

How do points transfers and expiry work in Aeroplan?

Transfers sit inside the activity rules: Aeroplan counts transferring points to a friend or family member who is also an Aeroplan member, converting points from another loyalty programme into Aeroplan points, and donating points to charity as ways to keep an account active. [4] Points also stop expiring altogether for a primary TD Aeroplan credit cardholder, an American Express Aeroplan cardmember, a CIBC Aeroplan credit cardholder, or a member who holds Aeroplan Elite Status. [4]

Expiry is currently paused: Air Canada says points that would have expired between now and 29 November 2026 will not expire, and that from 30 November 2026 the normal policy applies, with points expiring if an eligible transaction has not been completed before that date. [7] [4] Aeroplan emails members up to 60 days before their points expire, and the points inactivity date appears under the Activity tab of the member dashboard. [4]

Expired points can be recovered within six months by buying them back for a fee, by flying with Air Canada, where travel must take place inside the six-month period even if the booking is made after the points expire, or by getting an Aeroplan credit card. [4] Missing points can be claimed for a hotel stay or car rental within the last six months, and for a flight booking within 11 months of the departure date, with some exceptions. [4]

Exceptions and limits

• Flights booked in the Economy Basic fare option on Air Canada earn no SQC. [5]
• When a ticket is issued by another airline, with a number not beginning with 014, flights operated by Air Canada earn 2 SQC per $1 in Economy Class and 4 SQC per $1 in Premium Economy and Business Class, while flights operated by a Star Alliance member airline earn 1 SQC for every 5 Aeroplan points and are capped at 25,000 SQC per calendar year, with those points remaining distance-based under the partner grid. [5]
• Flights operated by an airline partner outside Star Alliance earn no SQC, even when ticketed by Air Canada. [5]
• Partner SQC is capped at 25,000 per calendar year across 40+ travel and everyday partners and Star Alliance airlines, and excludes the Aeroplan eStore, the Chexy Welcome Offer, bonus points and points converted from other programmes. [5]
• Aeroplan credit cards earn 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, with a combined cap of 25,000 SQC per calendar year across all Aeroplan cards and issuers. [5]
• The 10% Head Start begins in 2027; for 2026, eligible premium cardholders who requalify for Elite Status have 2025 SQM above their highest qualifying status converted to SQC at a 5 to 1 rate, up to 200,000 rollover SQM for a maximum of 40,000 SQC, deposited by the end of March 2026. [5]
• The points-expiry pause is time-limited and ends on 30 November 2026. [7]

Frequently asked questions

Do Aeroplan points expire?

They do if the account goes 18 months without a member earning or redeeming at least one Aeroplan point [4], although Aeroplan has paused expiry so that points which would have expired before 29 November 2026 do not [7].

Can you transfer Aeroplan points to a family member?

Aeroplan lists transferring points to a friend or family member who is also an Aeroplan member as one of the ways to keep an account active. [4]

Are there cash surcharges on Aeroplan flight rewards?

Aeroplan states there are no cash surcharges on flight rewards with Air Canada, and those rewards are booked at aircanada.com. [6]

How many SQC do you need for Aeroplan 25K Status?

25,000 SQC within a calendar year, or qualification through Everyday Status Qualification. [5] Super Elite Status requires 125,000 SQC. [5]

Do the Aeroplan rules on this page govern a LifeMiles award?

No. The rules described here are Aeroplan's, and an Avianca LifeMiles award follows the LifeMiles programme terms, which need to be read before points are transferred or a ticket is issued. LifeMiles programme page

Related pages

Programmes: Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles. Background: Star Alliance guide, Aeroplan region-based award pricing, LATAM Pass vs Avianca LifeMiles, and the frequent flyer glossary.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Avianca LifeMiles is not covered here; this page describes Aeroplan's published terms only.

1. Air Canada Aeroplan: keeping your points active (inactivity policy), checked 18 October 2026
2. Air Canada Aeroplan: Aeroplan Elite Status and Status Qualifying Credits, checked 18 October 2026
3. Air Canada Aeroplan: redeem points for flight rewards and other rewards, checked 18 October 2026
4. Air Canada Aeroplan: points expiry suspended until November 30, 2026, checked 18 October 2026