# Aeroplan Credit Card Changes Coming January 2027: What Canadian Travellers Need to Know



On September 29, 2026, Aeroplan announced the biggest refresh of its Canadian co-branded credit card portfolio since the current lineup launched in 2020. Every card across American Express, TD, and CIBC picks up new benefits on **January 12, 2027** — and most of them pick up a higher annual fee to go with it.

The short version: the changes are almost entirely positive. Every existing benefit stays in place, the headline additions favour premium cards, and the fee increases are mostly offset by new credits — if you can actually use them.

## The New Benefits by Card Tier

Aeroplan sorts its Canadian cards into three tiers, and the new benefits scale accordingly. Everything below takes effect January 12, 2027.

| New benefit | Premium | Core and business | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15% off Air Canada flight rewards | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AC Wallet credits | Up to $100/year ($50 twice a year) | Up to $50/year ($25 twice a year) | No |
| 4th night free on hotel redemptions | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 4th day free on car rental redemptions | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Maple Leaf Lounge access worldwide, plus one guest | Yes | No | No |
| Priority security at select airports, plus up to 8 companions | Yes | No | No |

Most perks extend to additional cardholders too. The two exceptions are the 15% discount and the AC Wallet credits, which are tied to the primary cardholder's account — though the discount does apply to everyone in the primary cardholder's Aeroplan Family Sharing pool.

## The 15% Discount Is the Headline

Starting January 12, 2027, all primary Aeroplan cardholders save 15% in points when redeeming for Air Canada flight rewards. It replaces the old unpublished "preferred pricing" with a number you can actually plan around.

Two details make this better than it looks:

- **It stacks.** Unlike the current promotional version, the permanent benefit combines with Priority Reward vouchers, Flight Reward Certificates, and other redemption offers.
- **It is already live.** The discount launched September 10 as a promotion for bookings made through January 11, 2027 — so there is no reason to wait for January if you have a trip to book now.

One routing nuance: the discount applies to any one-way itinerary that includes at least one Air Canada flight, even if a partner airline operates a connecting segment. On round trips, each direction is assessed separately.

## Premium Cards: Lounges Go Worldwide

This is the change we care about most. Maple Leaf Lounge access on premium Aeroplan cards has always stopped at the North American border. From January 12, premium cardholders get the **worldwide** network — London Heathrow, Paris, Frankfurt, and the new Rome lounge — plus Air Canada Cafés, with one guest per visit.

Premium cardholders also get **priority security lanes** at select airports worldwide, for themselves and up to eight companions on the same reservation.

## Amex Reserve Cards Get Even More

American Express layered its own perks on top of the shared ones. Both the personal Aeroplan Reserve and the Aeroplan Business Reserve gain:

- **6 complimentary Priority Pass visits/year** — a genuine fix for the card's weakest benefit, which today waives the ~US$99 membership fee but still charges you per visit
- **8 complimentary visits/year to Aspire Amex lounges** in Canada (Ottawa, Montréal domestic and international, Toronto Billy Bishop, Calgary, plus a new Montréal transborder lounge opening early 2027)

That is 14 free lounge visits across two networks on top of unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge access — more than the 6 DragonPass visits on the TD and CIBC premium cards.

The personal Reserve also gets a **$200 annual dining credit** at restaurants on enRoute's Canada's Best New Restaurants list (roughly 30 establishments, so usefulness depends heavily on where you live) and a **10% points bonus** after $125,000 in annual spend, plus 10% more for each additional $25,000 up to $400,000. The Business Reserve gets the lounge passes and AC Wallet credits but not the dining credit.

## New Credits: AC Wallet Deposits Twice a Year

Premium cards receive **$50 into the AC Wallet on January 15 and July 15** (up to $100/year); core and business cards receive $25 on each date (up to $50). Each deposit expires after six months, so you cannot bank them into one larger credit — the practical move is one Air Canada booking per half of the year. The credits work on any Air Canada booking for any passenger, but not toward taxes and fees on points redemptions.

## Free Nights and Free Car Days

The popular 4th-night-free hotel redemption — renewed year after year as a promo — becomes a permanent benefit for every Aeroplan cardholder. It is joined by a new **4th day free on car rental redemptions**: one free day for every four consecutive days booked with points, at 11,000+ locations.

## The Fee Increases

| Card | Current fee | New fee | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege | $599 | $699 | +$100 |
| Amex Aeroplan Reserve | $599 | $799 | +$200 |
| Amex Aeroplan Business Reserve | $599 | $799 | +$200 |
| TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite | $139 | $159 | +$20 |
| Amex Aeroplan Card | $120 | $150 | +$30 |
| TD Aeroplan Visa Business | $149 | $169 | +$20 |
| TD Aeroplan Visa Platinum | $89 | $89 | No change |

Amex increases apply from the first annual fee billing date after January 12, 2027; TD's take effect later in January. CIBC has confirmed changes are coming but has not published new fees yet.

The math is friendlier than the headline numbers suggest. Core cardholders gain $50/year in credits against $20–30 fee increases. The TD Infinite Privilege's $100 increase is exactly offset by its $100 in AC Wallet credits. The Amex Reserve's $200 increase is nominally covered by the $200 dining credit — but only if you can dine at one of ~30 eligible restaurants.

## What This Means for the Cards We've Reviewed

- **TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege:** The $100 fee increase is fully offset by AC Wallet credits, and worldwide lounge access plus priority security arrive at no net cost. It remains the better-insured, Visa-network option. [Read our full TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege review](/td-aeroplan-visa-infinite-privilege-review-2026/)
- **Amex Aeroplan Reserve:** At $799 it becomes the most expensive Aeroplan card, but the lounge picture transforms — worldwide Maple Leaf Lounges, 6 Priority Pass visits, and 8 Aspire visits fix the card's biggest weakness. The "no statement credits" criticism also mostly disappears. [Read our full Amex Aeroplan Reserve review](/amex-aeroplan-reserve-review-2026/)

For our own travel, the refresh makes the **Aeroplan Business Reserve** genuinely interesting: unlimited worldwide Maple Leaf Lounge access when flying Air Canada, plus Priority Pass and Aspire visits for everywhere else — the two lounge networks that cover essentially all of our travel.

One caveat worth repeating: the Priority Pass benefit is **6 visits per year**, not unlimited access. If your non-Air-Canada lounge use is heavy, that is a meaningful limit compared to cards with unrestricted Priority Pass membership.

## Sources

- [Aeroplan — Credit Cards to Include New Travel Benefits (press release, Sept 29, 2026)](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/09/29/3370864/0/en/aeroplan-credit-cards-to-include-new-travel-benefits-and-15-savings-on-air-canada-flight-rewards.html)
- [American Express Canada — Next Generation of Aeroplan Cards (press release, Sept 29, 2026)](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/american-express-unveils-its-next-generation-of-aeroplan-cards-876351679.html)
- [Prince of Travel — Canadian Aeroplan Credit Cards Are Getting New Benefits](https://princeoftravel.com/news/aeroplan-credit-cards-new-benefits/)

{{< disclaimer type="finance" >}}