Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
Part of Air Canada Aeroplan hub
GUIDE
How to Earn Aeroplan Elite Status with SQC
Aeroplan Elite Status is the tiered status programme in Air Canada's Aeroplan, and members qualify by collecting Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) within a calendar year: 25,000 SQC reaches Aeroplan 25K Status and 125,000 SQC reaches Aeroplan Super Elite Status. [2] Air Canada presents SQC as a single path to Aeroplan Elite Status. [2]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Air Canada describes SQC as a single path to Aeroplan Elite Status: a member meets the SQC requirement of a tier within a calendar year. [2]
- SQC targets run from 25,000 for Aeroplan 25K Status to 125,000 for Aeroplan Super Elite Status, with 35K, 50K and 75K Status in between. [2]
- SQC come from eligible Air Canada and Star Alliance flights ticketed by Air Canada, from travel and everyday partners, and from select Aeroplan credit cards, and the partner and credit card routes each carry a yearly cap. [2]
What are the SQC thresholds for each Aeroplan Elite tier?
Air Canada sets one SQC target per tier, measured within a calendar year. [2]
| Aeroplan tier | SQC required in a calendar year |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Aeroplan 25K Status is the one tier that Air Canada also opens through Everyday Status Qualification. [2] SQC do more than set the tier: Milestone benefits unlock at every 10,000 SQC accumulated up to 200,000 SQC, and at every 20,000 SQC after that. [2]
How do you earn SQC on Air Canada and Star Alliance flights?
Air Canada says that for travel on or after 1 January 2026, how members earn Aeroplan points with Air Canada has changed. [2] On tickets issued by Air Canada, with ticket numbers beginning with 014, a member earns 4 SQC per $1 spent in Economy Flex, Comfort or Latitude, Premium Economy and Business Class, calculated on the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges (Y, YQ and YR) but excluding taxes, fees and third-party charges. [2] The same tickets earn 2 SQC per $1 on Economy Standard fares and on eUpgrade Add-Ons. [2] This covers flights operated by Air Canada as well as Star Alliance member airline flights ticketed with Air Canada. [2] Flights booked in the Economy Basic fare option earn no SQC. [2]
An Air Canada Vacations package earns 1 SQC per $1 on the full package value, including taxes and fees, whichever cabin is booked. [2]
Where the ticket is issued by another airline, the method changes: Air Canada-operated flights earn 2 SQC per $1 in Economy Class and 4 SQC per $1 in Premium Economy and Business Class. [2] Star Alliance member airline flights on such tickets earn SQC at 5 Aeroplan points for 1 SQC, with Aeroplan points on those flights remaining distance-based under the partner grid. [2] Flights operated by another airline partner earn no SQC, even when Air Canada issues the ticket. [2]
How do partner activity and Aeroplan credit cards add SQC?
Members earn 1 SQC for every 5 Aeroplan base points collected with more than 40 travel and everyday partners, and with Star Alliance member airlines, to a maximum of 25,000 SQC per calendar year. [2] Only base points count: bonus points from promotions, points earned through the Aeroplan eStore, points from the Chexy Welcome Offer and points converted from other programmes are excluded. [2] For each transaction, Air Canada divides the base points earned by 5 and rounds to the nearest whole number. [2]
Aeroplan premium credit cards add 1,000 SQC for every $5,000 spent, and Aeroplan core credit cards add 1,000 SQC for every $20,000 spent. [2]
Does Aeroplan Elite Status keep points from expiring?
Outside the current pause, Aeroplan points expire when an account has been inactive for 18 months, and earning or redeeming at least 1 Aeroplan point within an 18-month period keeps the account active. [3] Air Canada lists holding Aeroplan Elite Status among the ways to prevent points from expiring, alongside being a primary TD Aeroplan credit cardholder, an American Express Aeroplan Cardmember or a CIBC Aeroplan credit cardholder. [3]
Air Canada says the expiry of Aeroplan points is paused until 30 November 2026: points that would have expired between now and 29 November 2026 will not, the normal policy applies from 30 November 2026, and an eligible transaction must be completed before that date to avoid expiry. [5] Air Canada emails members up to 60 days before points expire, and for 6 months after expiry members can buy back expired points for a fee, have all points reinstated by flying with Air Canada within that period, or reinstate them by getting an Aeroplan credit card. [3]
Exceptions and limits
- Fares and operators that earn nothing. Economy Basic fares earn no SQC, and flights operated by an airline partner other than a Star Alliance member earn none, whether or not Air Canada issues the ticket. [2]
- Two separate yearly caps. SQC from travel and everyday partners and Star Alliance member airlines are capped at 25,000 per calendar year, and SQC from Aeroplan credit cards are capped at a combined total of 25,000 per calendar year across all Aeroplan cards and issuers. [2]
- Head Start from 2027. Eligible primary Aeroplan premium credit cardholders who requalify for Aeroplan Elite Status get a Head Start equal to 10% of their total SQC in the previous year, deposited automatically by the end of March; a member must be approved for a premium card by 15 December of the previous year and hold Elite Status on the Head Start determination date in February. [2]
- The 2026 transition. Eligible Aeroplan premium credit cardholders who requalified for 2026 Aeroplan Elite Status had SQM from 2025 above the amount required for their highest qualifying status in 2025 converted to SQC on a 5-to-1 basis and deposited by the end of March 2026, with up to 200,000 rollover SQM convertible for a maximum of 40,000 SQC. [2]
Frequently asked questions
How many SQC do you need for Aeroplan 25K Status?
Aeroplan 25K Status requires 25,000 SQC within a calendar year, and it can also be reached through Everyday Status Qualification. [2]
Do Economy Basic fares earn SQC?
No. On Air Canada tickets, flights booked in the Economy Basic fare option do not accumulate any SQC. [2]
Is there a yearly cap on SQC from partners and credit cards?
Yes, there are two: partner and Star Alliance earning is capped at 25,000 SQC per calendar year, and Aeroplan credit card earning is capped at a combined 25,000 SQC per calendar year across all cards and issuers. [2]
Does Aeroplan Elite Status stop points from expiring?
Holding Aeroplan Elite Status is one of the listed ways to prevent Aeroplan points from expiring; otherwise points expire after 18 months without account activity. [3]
When does the Aeroplan points expiry pause end?
The pause runs until 30 November 2026, and the normal expiry policy applies from that date. [5]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers Air Canada's Aeroplan only; corporate, targeted and invitation-only offers, and the status programmes of other airlines, are not covered here.
- Air Canada Aeroplan Elite Status, checked 18 October 2026
- Aeroplan: keeping your points active, checked 18 October 2026
- Aeroplan points expiry suspended, checked 18 October 2026