Who this card is for
A good fit if you…
- Air Canada regulars who want Aeroplan points credited automatically, including 2x on eligible Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations purchases.
- Diners who will use 1.5x on eligible restaurants and food delivery in Canada as their everyday bonus category.
- Travellers who like Amex preferred pricing on Aeroplan flight rewards (noted in the current features) and who will actually book those rewards.
- People who do not need Maple Leaf Lounge membership or a four-figure premium cobrand, but still want a dedicated Aeroplan earner.
Skip it if you…
- Anyone who rarely flies Air Canada. Flexible Membership Rewards or cash back will be less awkward than a pile of Aeroplan.
- High-spend travellers who want 3x Air Canada earn, lounge access, and a larger welcome bonus — that is Aeroplan Reserve, if the fee is palatable.
- Shoppers who need Visa or Mastercard acceptance as their daily driver. This is still American Express.
- Applicants who already hold or recently held this card and are applying only for the welcome bonus. Current or former cardmembers are flagged as ineligible.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Direct Aeroplan earn avoids a transfer step, which matters if you already know you will book Air Canada or partner award seats.
- 2x on Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations is a clean cobrand rate for people who already buy those tickets on a card.
- 1.5x dining and delivery in Canada is better than a flat 1x cobrand, even if it is not Cobalt’s 5x.
- Aeroplan points do not expire as long as you remain an American Express Aeroplan Basic Cardmember — useful if you bank points for a bigger trip.
- The annual fee sits well below Reserve and most Infinite Privilege cobrands, so the break-even spend is more forgiving.
Cons
- 1x on “everything else” is ordinary. Groceries, gas, and retail need a second card if you care about earn.
- The purchase and cash-advance rates are high even by Canadian card standards. This is a pay-in-full card.
- No insurance coverage is currently listed, so do not assume travel medical coverage. Check the issuer guide before you fly.
- American Express merchant acceptance still forces a backup card for some Canadian grocers, clinics, and online checkouts.
- Part of the welcome bonus currently sits in month 13, which is a long time to keep a card you might otherwise cancel.
Fees and value: is the annual fee worth it?
First-year snapshot (estimate)
- Annual fee
- $120
- Estimated welcome bonus value
- up to $1,000
- Bonus minus fee (estimate)
- $880
This is a simple comparison of the estimated welcome-bonus value against the annual fee. It ignores rewards on spending, credits you have to remember to use, and interest if you carry a balance. Offers change — verify with the issuer.
This is the “reasonable fee” Aeroplan Amex. Compare the annual fee above with the estimated welcome-bonus value.
For a new cardmember who completes both the early spend hurdle and the later month-13 spend, year-one bonus value can dwarf the fee on paper — that estimate assumes you value Aeroplan near the listed dollar figure, which depends entirely on how you redeem (cheap domestic hopper versus long-haul business class). Year two is the fee versus 2x Air Canada and 1.5x dining.
Additional Aeroplan cards currently carry their own annual fee, so family add-ons are not free. Offers change; verify spend thresholds on the application.
Rewards and earn rates explained
Rewards program: Aeroplan Points
You earn Aeroplan points, not Membership Rewards. Eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations earn 2x.
Eligible dining and food delivery in Canada earns 1.5x. Everything else earns 1x.
Points can be used for Air Canada flights (including partner award charts that cover a much wider map than Air Canada’s own metal), and the current features also mention merchandise, gift cards, hotels, cars, and vacation packages. Flight rewards are usually where Aeroplan earns its reputation.
Preferred pricing for Basic Cardmembers, when it applies, can reduce the points needed on some Air Canada reward seats — confirm that in your Aeroplan account at booking time. If you would rather have points that are not tied to one airline group, look at Gold Rewards instead.
Welcome bonus: how to unlock it
Earn up to 45,000 Bonus Aeroplan points
The current offer is split: a main Aeroplan deposit after a first-three-months spend requirement, then a smaller deposit if you spend again in month 13. That second chunk is a retention hook.
Current or former cardmembers with this card are not eligible for the listed offers. If you recently held an American Express Aeroplan Card, assume you will get the earn rates and not the bonus unless the live terms say otherwise.
Hit the spend with planned travel and everyday bills, not manufactured spend.
Welcome bonus eligibility: Current or former Cardmembers with this Card are not eligible for these offers
FAQ
Is the American Express Aeroplan Card worth it?
It is worth it if you fly Air Canada more than occasionally, will use 1.5x dining, and do not need Reserve-level perks. It is not worth it as a generic rewards card for someone who flies WestJet, books cheap seat sales in cash, or never eats out.
How does the annual fee compare with Aeroplan Reserve?
This card’s fee is a fraction of Aeroplan Reserve. Reserve pays higher earn on Air Canada and dining and is positioned as the premium cobrand. If you will not use lounges or the extra earn, paying Reserve’s fee is usually a mistake.
Does this card charge foreign-exchange fees?
Assume yes. American Express Canada’s cardmember agreements add a currency conversion commission on purchases in other currencies, at the rate set out in the card’s information box.
Treat this as a card that charges FX and confirm the current rate before a trip. For heavy overseas spend, a no-FX card such as Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite is the better trip card, and you will want a Visa or Mastercard where Amex is not accepted anyway.
American Express Aeroplan vs TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite?
Amex wins if you want Amex dining earn and Amex-side Aeroplan perks and you are fine with Amex acceptance. TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite wins if you want Visa Infinite acceptance, a grocery and gas bonus, and a TD banking relationship. Many Aeroplan collectors eventually hold one Amex and one bank cobrand; start with the network you will actually use at the till.
Do my Aeroplan points expire with this card?
The current features text says points will not expire as long as you are an American Express Aeroplan Basic Cardmember. That is a card-specific statement, not a universal Aeroplan rule. If you cancel the card, regular Aeroplan expiry and activity rules apply — check Air Canada’s program terms.
Compare related cards and guides
More Canadian credit card lists that match this product, plus a few cards people usually compare it with.
- American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card review · American Express · $599 annual fee
- TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card review · TD · $139 annual fee
- CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card review · CIBC · $139 annual fee
