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From 1 January 2026, Air Canada’s Aeroplan is moving from a mileage-based programme to a revenue-based system. Members will earn points based on the Canadian dollar (CAD) amount spent rather than flight distance.

For Air Canada flights, base level members will earn just 1 point per CAD spent on the fare and carrier surcharges. Partner airlines will continue to earn points based on distance for now.

Elite status qualification is also shifting to a spend metric. Instead of Status Qualifying Miles and Segments, Aeroplan will introduce Status Qualifying Credits (SQC). You’ll earn 1 SQC for every CAD spent on Air Canada flights (excluding taxes). Tier thresholds will roughly mirror the current levels, but there will be new ‘milestone benefits’ awarded every 10,000 SQC, such as bonus Aeroplan points, eUpgrade credits, status passes and priority rewards.

How does this affect UK travellers?

If you’re crediting Air Canada flights to Aeroplan, the switch to revenue-based earnings will reduce the return on cheap long-haul tickets. However, high-spending business travellers could see more points and faster status qualification. If you are crediting other Star Alliance flights to Aeroplan, you should be fine for now, but keep an eye on things.

This change follows the trend set by British Airways Executive Club, which adopted spend-based Avios earning in 2023. Loyalty programmes increasingly reward revenue, not distance.

If you tend to buy premium cabins or last-minute tickets, Aeroplan may remain attractive. Those who book cheaper fares should consider crediting to another Star Alliance scheme that still awards miles by distance.

Bottom line

The shift to revenue-based earning can make sense for airlines but will penalise those who hunt for cheap long-haul fares.

With Status Qualifying Credits and milestone rewards, Aeroplan is aligning itself with British Airways and U.S. carriers. If you’re a big spender, the new programme may work in your favour. Everyone else should lock in any distance-based redemptions by the end of 2025 and be ready to adapt.