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A number of airlines have been offering their frequent flyers elite status extensions in the past few weeks but I was particularly impressed with the innovative ideas Air Canada announced a couple of weeks ago…and now the airline is back with more good news for Altitude members.
Air Canada has already said that flyers will earn bonus Altitude Qualifying Miles when they donate to specific charities helping to fight the Covid-19 crisis but now the airline has announced two further ways that Air Canada status can be earned from home.
Non-Elite Members
If you don’t already have Air Canada Altitude status you can earn the first level of status just by earning Aeroplan Miles:
Between April 20 and May 31, 2020, when you earn 50,000 Aeroplan Miles through everyday Travel at Home activities, including miles earned on your Aeroplan credit card, you’ll receive Altitude Prestige 25K status valid through 2021.
The key things you need to know about this offer are as follows:
- Altitude Members who receive Altitude Prestige 25K with this Offer will have to meet the regular published Air Canada Altitude qualifying requirements in order to achieve any higher status. This means that this isn’t a stepping stone to higher status.
- Eligible Aeroplan miles are miles that come from:
- Aeroplan credit card welcome offers
- Aeroplan credit card spending
- Purchases made through the Aeroplan eStore
- All other sources which normally see Aeroplan miles deposited into a member’s account.
Importantly, transfers into Aeroplan from various partners (including American Express, Diners Club, Barclays, IHG, Marriott, Wyndham, etc…) will all count towards the 50,000 Aeroplan miles needed to earn Altitude Prestige 25K status.
Elite Members
For Air Canada flyers who already hold status the airline has a slightly different offer – all Aeroplan miles earned will also earn bonus Altitude Qualifying Miles (AQM), upgrade credits, Altitude Qualifying Dollars (AQD) and even a status upgrade:
As is the case for the non-elite offer, qualifying Aeroplan miles include miles from credit card welcome offers, eStore spending, credit card spending, transfers from other programs and more but be aware that the airline has put measures in place to try to prevent flyers from gaming the system:
Cancelling a credit card after earning the welcome offer, returning eStore purchases after the miles have posted and any other transaction reversals will see the miles earned removed from member accounts.
- Bonus Altitude Qualifying Miles (AQM), bonus eUpgrade Credits and all status adjustments (250,000 level) will be processed by 31 August 2020
- Bonus Altitude Qualifying Dollars (AQD) will be posted by 15 December 2020.
Registration is required – here
Quick Thoughts
This is another clever promotion from Air Canada. It keeps customers engaged and it encourages customers to earn Aeroplan Miles which retailers/banks/travel companies will then have to buy from Aeroplan/Air Canada (so that they can be deposited into member accounts) and this will provide a nice source of revenue at a time when most revenue streams have dried up.
I should point out that Air Canada’s entry-level status (on offer to non-elites) has its uses but isn’t the most rewarding of statuses so members should make sure they know what benefits to expect before committing to earning/transferring 50,000 miles into their accounts.
If you’re a frequent flyer with Air Canada there’s quite a bit to like about the offer for elite status holders as it makes it easier to earn status at a time when flying isn’t an option and, considering any status earned in 2020 can be gifted to another flyer, Air Canada status is a more valuable now than it has been for a while.
Bottom Line
Air Canada is now offering non-elites a straightforward path to entry-level elite status and it’s offering existing elite members a chance to earn upgrade credits and credits towards improved status…and that’s all pretty good news.
Personally, I don’t fly with Air Canada very often so I’m happy keeping my points sitting in my Amex Membership Rewards account but if you have your eyes set on improving your Air Canada status this year you’ve just been given a number of ways to do that without ever leaving home.
