You don't need to live in Canada to earn Aeroplan points. From the U.S., the main routes are the Chase Aeroplan Card, transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards and Capital One, hotel point conversions, and flying Air Canada or its partner airlines. Here's how each one works as of October 9, 2026, from Air Canada's own Aeroplan pages and Chase's Aeroplan Card page.
The short version: if you already earn Chase, Amex or Capital One points, transfers are the fastest way in. Air Canada's conversion page lists Chase and Amex at 1,000 points to 1,000 Aeroplan points, and Capital One at 1 mile to 1 Aeroplan point. The card adds earning on everyday spending, and flights add points on top.
Transfer Points From a U.S. Bank Program
Air Canada's conversion page lists four U.S. financial programs that convert into Aeroplan:
- Chase Ultimate Rewards: 1,000 points to 1,000 Aeroplan points. Air Canada calls it "full 1:1 value" and says most transfers are processed by the next business day, but may take up to 7 business days.
- American Express Membership Rewards (U.S.): 1,000 points to 1,000 Aeroplan points.
- Capital One: 1 Capital One mile to 1 Aeroplan point.
- Barclays Arrival: 8,500 Arrival Premier or Arrival Plus miles to 5,000 Aeroplan points.
On Chase's side, the Sapphire Preferred page lists Air Canada Aeroplan among its airline transfer partners. Our guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners covers how the transfer works inside your Chase account.
Move points when you have an award in mind rather than parking them in Aeroplan early.
Earn With the Chase Aeroplan Card
The Chase Aeroplan Card earns Aeroplan points directly on your spending. Here's what Chase's page shows on October 9, 2026:
- Annual fee: $195.
- Welcome offer: 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months, plus 40,000 more after $20,000 in purchases in the first 12 months. Chase says the card is available to you if you don't currently have it (or a previous version of it) and haven't received a new cardmember bonus for it in the past 24 months.
- Air Canada purchases: 3X points with the card, plus an additional 2X from Air Canada when you travel as an Aeroplan 25K member, for up to 5X total.
- Travel: 3X points.
- Grocery stores and dining: 2X points, raised to 3X through December 31, 2026.
- Gas stations: 2X points.
- Everything else: 1X.
The card also comes with automatic Aeroplan 25K Status, up to $100 a year in Air Canada statement credits ($50 in each half of the year), at least 15% off the points for eligible Air Canada flight rewards, and free first checked bags on Air Canada flights for you and up to eight people on the same reservation. Air Canada's terms for the card add that points move into your Aeroplan account automatically after each billing cycle, and that once there they won't expire while the card account is open.
Our Aeroplan Card review weighs the $195 fee against those benefits, and our coverage of the September 2026 card refresh explains what changed. Chase also sends some cardholders targeted spending offers; our coverage of a targeted 10X offer on groceries, gas and dining shows the kind to watch for.
Convert Hotel Points
Air Canada's conversion page (U.S. edition) lists Marriott Bonvoy at 3 points to 1 Aeroplan point, Hilton Honors at 10,000 points to 1,000, and ALL Accor at 2 points to 1. IHG One Rewards, Wyndham Rewards, Choice Privileges and Best Western Rewards each convert at 5 points to 1. Air Canada gives each a transfer time of within 24 hours, which may take up to 72.
At those ratios, hotel points work best as a top-up for an award you're close to. A conversion bonus changes the math; our coverage of Aeroplan's Marriott Bonvoy transfer bonus shows how one works.
Earn by Flying Air Canada
For travel since January 1, 2026, Aeroplan members earn 1 point per $1 spent on eligible Air Canada flights. Air Canada counts the base fare and carrier surcharges, not taxes, fees or third-party charges. Air Canada's page lists every Air Canada-operated flight and every fare class as eligible for points.
Elite status multiplies that. Air Canada says Aeroplan Elite members earn between 2X and 6X the points on eligible Air Canada flights, depending on their status at the time of travel. Air Canada's terms for the Chase card spell out the 25K case: 1 point per dollar, plus 1 extra point per dollar for holding 25K Status at the time of travel, counted on the fare in Canadian dollars. That's the 2X from Air Canada in the card's up to 5X.
If points from a flight don't post, Air Canada says you can request them up to 11 months from the flight date. Keep your ticket and boarding pass until they do.
Earn on Partner Airlines
You can also earn Aeroplan points on Star Alliance and other partner flights, including United. For travel since January 1, 2026, how much you earn depends on who issued the ticket. Tickets issued by Air Canada (ticket number starting with 014) earn 1 Aeroplan point per $1 spent. Tickets issued by another airline, on a flight operated by a Star Alliance member or other partner, earn based on distance flown.
For a U.S. flyer, that means crediting a United or Lufthansa ticket to Aeroplan instead of the partner's own program is an option worth pricing out. Check the partner's page on Air Canada's site for the exact earning before you change the frequent flyer number on a booking.
Buying Points and Pooling With Family
Aeroplan also sells points, which is useful when you're a few thousand short of an award. It isn't a way to build a balance from scratch. Our coverage of an Aeroplan points sale shows how one works. If someone else in your household earns Aeroplan points, Aeroplan Family Sharing lets you pool them toward one award.
Where to Start
If you hold a Chase Sapphire Preferred, an Amex Membership Rewards card or a Capital One miles card, you can already earn Aeroplan points: transfer when you've found the award. If you want Aeroplan earning on everyday spending plus 25K Status, the Chase Aeroplan Card is the direct route, and its 3X grocery and dining rate runs through December 31, 2026. Flying Air Canada or crediting partner flights adds points on top of either path.
