Chase Air Canada Aeroplan Card Gets Major Refresh

Chase has significantly refreshed its Air Canada co-branded credit card, now officially named the Chase Air Canada Aeroplan Credit Card, introducing a suite of new travel benefits and updated earning rates. This refresh, effective for both new and existing cardholders, also includes a substantial increase in the annual fee, which has risen from $95 to $195, marking a 105% increase.

The most notable new perk is the automatic Aeroplan 25K elite status granted annually to cardmembers, eliminating the previous spending requirement to achieve this tier. This status provides benefits such as priority check-in, priority boarding, and complimentary upgrades on eligible Air Canada flights. Additionally, cardholders can now enjoy a 15% discount when redeeming Aeroplan points for eligible Air Canada flights, a new benefit designed to enhance the value of point redemptions.

Further enhancing the travel rewards, the refreshed card offers up to $100 in annual statement credits specifically for Air Canada purchases. These credits are provided as two $50 credits biannually, requiring cardmembers to make eligible Air Canada purchases to utilize them. Another new benefit is a "fourth day free" offer on car rentals worldwide. This applies when booking a minimum of four consecutive rental days using Aeroplan points at over 11,000 car rental locations globally, effectively making the fourth day complimentary.

While these new benefits aim to increase the card's appeal, the updated earning rates and changes to existing benefits are also part of the refresh. Specific details on these earning rate adjustments were not fully elaborated in the provided text, but the overall strategy appears to be a repositioning of the card to offer more premium travel advantages at a higher cost. The previous version of the card did not include an award discount on Air Canada flights or the annual Air Canada statement credit, nor did it offer the car rental perk. The significant jump in the annual fee from $95 to $195 reflects the addition of these substantial new benefits and a general enhancement of the card's value proposition for frequent Air Canada travelers and Aeroplan program members.