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Air Canada Aeroplan: New Status Qualifying Credits

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Source: Tenor

Tl;dr – Gone are the days of Status Qualifying Dollars.

Air Canada just announced major changes to its loyalty program. Beginning January 1, 2026, all members chasing elite status will now just need to focus on one metric – Status Qualifying Credits. 

This follows a pattern of several prominent loyalty programs moving to unified qualification metrics, albeit with different strategies. Over the last few years, Delta simplified its Medallion status program by using a single qualifying metric: Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs). American Airlines was an early mover here, transitioning to Loyalty Points, which notably have significantly more ways in which they can be earned. 

Aeroplan elite qualification through SQCs does have a credit card component. Holders of the Chase Aeroplan card are eligible to earn SQCs at the following schedule:

Overall, I’m bullish on this move by Aeroplan. I’m a huge fan of the simple ‘Hit Bull, Win Steak’ method of determining elite status, and while I still believe the AAdvantage Loyalty Points to be the gold standard here, this refactoring is a win for Air Canada frequent fliers. 

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