The new Air Canada Aeroplan program has some great sweet spots, but for non-Canadian members the earning options weren’t great. A new partnership with Chase announced today changes all that. Eventually
The strength of the newly transformed Aeroplan program combined with this partnership will drive significant growth and engagement — focusing on the over two million U.S. residents with strong ties on both sides of the border.
– Mark Nasr, Vice President, Loyalty and eCommerce, Air Canada
Under the new agreement Air Canada and Chase will launch a co-branded Mastercard for the US market in “late 2021.” The companies also indicated that Aeroplan will become a Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner around the same timeframe.
The lack of any further details tempers the optimism about the announcement. It could turn out that the earning or transfer rates are not great. But that seems unlikely based on the investment the carrier has made in the program thus far and the desire to expand the program to be more relevant to the US market. That applies for the many passengers it carries from its US gateways via Canadian hubs to Asia and Europe.
It also applies for the millions of Chase Ultimate Rewards program members who might be induced to transfer some points over thanks to the new reward charts. And, assuming they like the experience, participate more directly in the Aeroplan program. That could be a much bigger win for the company.
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