Image source: Getty Images
The new American Express Aeroplan credit card is here. And, my friends, it’s a doozy. You could earn around 80,000 this year alone by signing up today. Let’s get into the benefits, and the drawbacks, of this new card.
Aeroplan’s offers
New Canadian customers of the American Express Aeroplan card can earn up to 40,000 welcome bonus Aeroplan points. On top of that, you can add on 10,000 points after spending $1,500 in net purchases in the first three months and up to 30,000 points throughout the year. This comes from earning 2,500 each month of the first 12 months of holding the card for every $500 you spend on the card.
Then there’s the new bonus Buddy Pass. This pass allows you to take a travel buddy along with you wherever Air Canada flies in North America. On this buddy ticket, once you purchase an eligible economy ticket, you only pay the taxes and third-party charges. The pass comes into effect after you spend $1,500 in net purchases during the first three months.
Other benefits include a free Uber Pass six-month membership, no spending limit, and travel insurance coverage. For points, you get two points for every $1 spent at Air Canada, 1.5 points per $1 spent on dining and food delivery and one point with $1 spent on everything else. And those points certainly add up, as you could earn 6,000 points for a short-haul flight!
Amex offers
Now, let’s look at the American Express offers. A lot of people tend to forget that there are some amazing benefits, and, frankly, American Express isn’t great at advertising these. Once you have an Amex card, however, you can still have a number of benefits on top of the Aeroplan offers.
There have been a number of offers to come up for customers, and new members after registering will quickly be given offers on a regular basis. In the past, these have included earning three points for every $1 used through your mobile wallet. Earning $150 back for spending on groceries, or 10 bonus points for every $1 purchased on grocery, dining and food delivery. Earning a $70 credit when you spend $350 or more at Fairmont and Sofitel. And the list goes on.
The downside
You may have noticed that American Express is, unfortunately, not accepted as widely as some of its competitors. So, this will certainly put a damper on your points adding up. Also, while it’s great to not have a spend limit, users will need to be diligent about paying it off. If not, there’s an annual interest rate of 30% applied to outstanding balances. Finally, if you want another card, it’ll cost you $50 extra.
But overall, you can earn around 80,000 to 90,000 points by taking advantage of all this new card has to offer. And if you’re a travel bug or wanting to bulk up for when it’s safe, this card is certainly a great way to get back in the skies.
