Aeroplan credit cards add 15% off flight rewards and worldwide Maple Leaf Lounge access

Aeroplan is giving its Canadian co-branded credit cards a major refresh. The changes start on January 12, 2027, and the biggest one is simple: cardholders will pay 15% fewer points for Air Canada flight rewards. Premium cardholders also get much wider lounge access.

Air Canada shared the details in its announcement on September 29, 2026. Here is what changes, who gets it, and what it means for lounge access.

15% off Air Canada flight rewards#

Starting January 12, 2027, every primary Aeroplan credit cardholder will save 15% in points when booking Air Canada flight rewards. Air Canada says this applies to all Canadian Aeroplan cards, not just the premium ones.

You do not have to wait until January. Air Canada is running the same 15% savings now as a promotion through January 11, 2027. After that, it becomes a standing card benefit.

Two details matter here. First, the discount is only for the primary cardholder, not for people with an additional card on the same account. Second, it is for flights on Air Canada. Air Canada did not say the discount applies to its Star Alliance partners.

Credits toward Air Canada travel#

Aeroplan is adding a travel credit paid into your AC Wallet twice a year. AC Wallet is Air Canada's account balance for paying toward flights.

• Premium cards: up to $100 a year, paid as $50 twice a year
• Core cards: up to $50 a year, paid as $25 twice a year

The first credit arrives on January 15, 2027. Air Canada did not say whether the credits roll over or expire.

Free fourth day and free fourth night#

Cardholders will also get two benefits for using points on cars and hotels:

• 4th Day Free: book a car rental with Aeroplan points and get the fourth day free on eligible rentals. This one is new.
• 4th Night Free: book a hotel with points and get the fourth night free on eligible stays. This was a limited-time offer before. It becomes a standing benefit on January 12, 2027.

Air Canada says all existing card benefits stay in place. That includes the free first checked bag and priority boarding on eligible cards. Premium cardholders also keep priority check-in, priority baggage handling, priority airport standby, the 10% Head Start toward status, and up to 25,000 Status Qualifying Credits a year.

Maple Leaf Lounges worldwide for premium cards#

This is the change that matters most to lounge users. Today, Aeroplan premium cards get you into Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges only in North America. From January 12, 2027, that access extends worldwide, and you can bring one travel companion.

That opens up lounges like the Maple Leaf Lounge at London Heathrow, which our users rate 4.6 out of 5. It sits in the Terminal 2B satellite, was renovated in 2024, has a full bar and two showers, and is open from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Maple Leaf Lounge in Frankfurt has one shower and rates 3.4. Air Canada says normal access terms still apply. Our directory lists the card benefit as valid when you fly Air Canada the same day, so a Star Alliance partner ticket may not be enough. Check the terms your bank sends you.

Premium cardholders also keep access to Air Canada Cafés across Canada. These are smaller spaces, like the Air Canada Café in Quebec City and the Aspire | Air Canada Café at Toronto's Billy Bishop airport. The Air Canada Café at Montreal-Trudeau rates just 1.4 with our readers, so do not expect a full lounge.

Premium cards include the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege and the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege. The TD and CIBC cards also come with DragonPass, which covers independent lounges that Maple Leaf access does not.

Priority security lanes#

Premium cardholders will also get access to priority security lanes at select airports around the world. They can bring up to eight companions on the same booking. Air Canada has not listed which airports are included.

How this compares with status#

Before this change, the only way into a Maple Leaf Lounge outside North America on an Aeroplan account was elite status. Aeroplan 50K members and above, and Star Alliance Gold members, can use the lounges worldwide with one guest on a same-day Star Alliance flight. From January, a premium card does roughly the same job for the lounge piece, without the flying. Status still matters for upgrades, bonus points and partner lounges.

"A great credit card should be rewarding every time you use it," said Scott O'Leary, Air Canada's vice president of loyalty and product, in the release.

What I'd still want confirmed#

Air Canada's release does not mention annual fees. Several travel sites report that fees on some Aeroplan cards will go up in 2027. Check with your card issuer before you decide whether the new benefits are worth it. Air Canada says more details will come from the banks that issue the cards.

The release also covers only Canadian cards. The US Chase Aeroplan card got its own refresh in September, including the same 15% flight discount.

See every lounge you can reach with Aeroplan status or a card on our Maple Leaf Lounge program page.

Related reading#

• Aeroplan and Hyatt’s 2026 partnership adds cross-program rewards
• Maple Leaf Lounge timing: a connection is different from arriving very early
• TD Aeroplan VIP lounge access at EZE

{{cite news |title=Aeroplan credit cards add 15% off flight rewards and worldwide Maple Leaf Lounge access |url=https://www.loungefrog.com/news/aeroplan-credit-cards-15-percent-off-maple-leaf-lounges-worldwide |work=Lounge Frog |author=Patrick Karsh |date=2026-10-07 |language=en}}

{
  "id": "https://www.loungefrog.com/news/aeroplan-credit-cards-15-percent-off-maple-leaf-lounges-worldwide",
  "type": "article-newspaper",
  "title": "Aeroplan credit cards add 15% off flight rewards and worldwide Maple Leaf Lounge access",
  "URL": "https://www.loungefrog.com/news/aeroplan-credit-cards-15-percent-off-maple-leaf-lounges-worldwide",
  "container-title": "Lounge Frog",
  "language": "en",
  "author": [
    {
      "literal": "Patrick Karsh"
    }
  ],
  "issued": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2026,
        10,
        7
      ]
    ]
  }
}

<iframe src="https://www.loungefrog.com/embed/news/aeroplan-credit-cards-15-percent-off-maple-leaf-lounges-worldwide?theme=auto" title="Aeroplan credit cards add 15% off flight rewards and worldwide Maple Leaf Lounge access by Lounge Frog" width="100%" height="440" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p style="font-size:14px">Aeroplan credit cards add 15% off flight rewards and worldwide Maple Leaf Lounge access by <a href="https://www.loungefrog.com/news/aeroplan-credit-cards-15-percent-off-maple-leaf-lounges-worldwide" rel="nofollow">Lounge Frog</a></p>
<script async src="https://www.loungefrog.com/embed.js"></script>