Air Canada’s Aeroplan program has made a massive change in the program that a number of people have realized the hard way!
If you haven’t had any activity (earning or redemption) in an 18-month period your points will be wiped out and gone. I want to hope that this massive change notice went to their customers, but I didn’t get it or perhaps didn’t see it.
If you’ve listened to me for any length of time, you’ve heard me point out that any points program is like bananas and not a savings account! Their value diminishes, the redemption thresholds increase and they may expire. Well – here we are!
If you know it’s been more than 18-months, you’re out of luck. If you’re not sure, log in (or set up online access) with your Aeroplan number and have a look. If they’re still there, check your transaction history. TODAY would be good! If you’re within a couple of months of losing your points, you’ll need to at least earn one point to trigger another 18-month cycle.
Unfortunately, that may be harder than you think. Sure you can earn points on Air Canada activity, but anywhere else gets harder if you need a few points quickly! I sent to people to the Bay and/or Sport Check – turns out that neither takes Aeroplan. Yes, it’s still shown on the website but that’s not the case. You can try Starbucks but it requires you to set up the app and link it.
Two other options: If your birthday month just happened, or is close, you’ll get an email with a promotion. Select the few points (vs. a flight discount) to get the points quickly. Or go to the site and buy something on the overpriced retail stuff. Maybe you can find a $20 gift card of some kind. After all, a transaction is a transaction. Just don’t wait too long!
Update March 26 2024: It appears that Chevron has signed up to accept Aeroplan points. If so, you may just need to detour to them for a tank of gas using your Aeroplan card in order to keep your points alive. Nice to find with more retailers cancelling than joining! As of right now, it’s the only national chain that I’m aware of…