Aeroplan Reserve Goes to $799
Amex's top Aeroplan cards rise from $599 to $799 next year, adding credits, worldwide Maple Leaf Lounge access and priority security. Points-heavy clients will ask if it pays.
American Express‘s top Aeroplan cards are getting more expensive, and the case for them now rests on whether the cardholder actually uses a list of small credits. American Express Canada says its Aeroplan Reserve and Aeroplan Business Reserve cards will cost $799 a year, up from $599, under a refresh of its five Aeroplan cards that takes effect on 12 January 2027.
The higher fee applies from each cardholder’s first annual fee billing date after 12 January, Amex says, so existing members renew at the old price until then.
What the $200 buys
According to the release, both Reserve cards add:
- up to $100 a year in Air Canada wallet credit, paid as $50 twice a year
- 15% off Air Canada flight rewards booked with points
- access to an expanded, worldwide Maple Leaf Lounge network, plus up to six Priority Pass lounge passes and eight passes for select Aspire Amex lounges in Canada each year
- priority security lanes at select airports for the cardholder and up to eight companions on the same booking
- a fourth night free on hotel stays booked with points, and a fourth day free on car rentals
The personal Reserve card also gets a $200 annual dining credit at restaurants on Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants list, and a spend bonus: 10% extra Aeroplan points at $125,000 a year, plus 10% for each further $25,000, up to $400,000.
Read next · Market PulseAmerican Adds a Cash-and-Miles Slider2 min →The lounge change matters most for long-haul travellers. Today’s Reserve terms limit Maple Leaf Lounge access to Canada and the United States. Points Miles and Bling reports that the new access will include lounges in cities such as London, Paris and Frankfurt. Existing perks stay: 3 points per dollar on Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations purchases, a free first checked bag for up to nine people on one booking, and the Annual Worldwide Companion Pass, which the current terms tie to $25,000 in yearly spending.
The rest of the market
It isn’t only Amex. Points Miles and Bling and Money We Have both report that the basic Amex Aeroplan Card goes from $120 to $150, and that TD’s Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege rises from $599 to $699. Frugal Flyer’s Josh Bandura notes the increase “is being offset by additional credits” and tells readers to “run the numbers on your annual fee versus expected value from benefits.” Money We Have is blunter: “For most people, a premium Aeroplan card likely still isn’t worth it.”
If you’re travelling: If you fly Air Canada a few times a year and will spend the $100 wallet credit and the $200 dining credit, the two credits ($300 combined) more than cover the $200 increase. If you mostly want lounge access in Canada, look at what you’ll actually use before your renewal date.
For advisors
- The 15% saving on Air Canada flight rewards, a limited-time offer for cardholders until 11 January according to Frugal Flyer, becomes a standing benefit. Expect points-heavy clients to keep redeeming for Air Canada flights.
- Worldwide Maple Leaf Lounge access and priority security for up to nine people help sell Air Canada long-haul to families and small groups travelling on one booking.
- For corporate and small-business clients, the Business Reserve gets the same fee and most of the same benefits, though not the dining credit or spend bonus.
- Remind clients that the fee change hits on their renewal date, not on 12 January, so timing a cancellation or downgrade is client-specific.
Sources
- American Express Canada, ‘American Express Unveils Its Next Generation of Aeroplan Cards’, news release via Newswire, 29 Sept 2026: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/american-express-unveils-its-next-generation-of-aeroplan-cards-876351679.html
- https://www.americanexpress.com/en-ca/membership-benefits/aeroplan-reserve-card/ (current Reserve card terms)
- https://pointsmilesandbling.com/aeroplan-credit-cards-canada/
- https://www.moneywehave.com/aeroplan-credit-cards-changes/
- https://frugalflyer.ca/blog/american-express-aeroplan-reserve-cards-changes-inbound/
- https://www.travelpulse.ca/news/airlines-airports/amex-overhauls-aeroplan-cards-reserve-annual-fee-jumps-to-799
Jeff Cameron is a chief operating officer who writes about the business of travel: operations, pricing, loyalty and the decisions behind the trips, seen through an executive lens.