When the first news of the revamped Aeroplan program came out last August one feature that was being touted was being able to earn elite status from home. Unlike the limited time promotion early on during the pandemic this feature would be a full time everyday benefit of the Aeroplan program. Appropriately named Everyday Status Qualification, that benefit has officially launched now.
Everyday Status Qualification provides the opportunity for Aeroplan members to earn elite status without actually flying. Aeroplan points earned on most every day actions will count towards earning Air Canada Elite Status. This includes credit card spending, partner earning (ie hotels, car rentals, Starbucks) and eStore purchases. If a member earns 100,000 Aeroplan points in a calendar year they will earn Aeroplan 25K status. The tracker has been rolled out on the Air Canada website and app and it shows you how you are progressing towards your Everyday Status:
Note: If you already hold Air Canada elite status you will not see the tracker in your account.
Even though it is just being rolled out now, EDQ is based on the calendar year so Air Canada will be counting all eligible transactions from January 1, 2021 for members and you should see the transactions and balances updated by the end of the month if they are not showing up in your account yet (I know my aren’t just yet)
Eligible transactions will show EDQ right after the points amount:
Now Aeroplan has taken into account some of the easy ways to rack up a lot of points quickly and made those the ineligible points earning transactions to earn status and those include the welcome bonuses from credit cards, buying points and points conversions from other programs. Here’s the complete verbiage for ineligible transactions:
Points obtained through sign-up or welcome bonuses associated with
Aeroplan credit cards, through conversion from other programs,
accumulated as a benefit of Aeroplan Elite Status, including but not
limited to the Aeroplan Elite Status bonus with partner airlines, or
bonuses earned through the Aeroplan eStore for holding Aeroplan Elite
Status, accumulated as part of a flight activity not operated by Air
Canada, Canadian North, Air Creebec or the Star Alliance member
airlines, purchased, or received as a gift, transferred between member
accounts, reinstated following account inactivity, redeemed as part of a
Points + Cash reservation or accumulated as part of contest prizes, or
for participating in Aeroplan research are not eligible.
Again Air Canada is leading the way here in making their program and the benefits associated with it more accessible to all members. This regular benefit to earn elite status without even setting foot on a plane is rare in the world of airline and other travel loyalty programs. It is another great facet of this program that has seen it evolve and become better for all members. I would recommend checking out Rewards Canada’s guide “The New Air Canada Aeroplan Program – All the resources you need” to learn more about all the changes, benefits and features that have been introduced with the new Aeroplan program.
Learn more about Aeroplan’s Everyday Status Qualification here.