Aeroplan is currently offering an easy way to earn Air Canada Altitude Prestige 25k Status through the Travel at Home promotion. If you earn 50,000 Aeroplan miles in any way (including American Express Membership Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy point transfers),
you’ll be awarded Altitude Prestige 25k Status (if you don’t already have Air Canada status). For many of us, it may be tempting to transfer our other points to Aeroplan or open a new Aeroplan credit card to earn additional points.
Achieving this status typically requires flying 25,000 Altitude Qualifying Miles (AQM) or 25 Altitude Qualifying Segments (AQS) plus spending $3,000 in Altitude Qualifying Dollars (AQD). This may sound overwhelming, so let’s break down each of these requirements.
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Benefits of Altitude Prestige 25K Status
To determine if it’s worth it, let’s first analyze what benefits this position offers. I’m going to focus here on the perks that are most important to the average traveler, but you can see the full list on the Air Canada Altitude website.
50% Discount on Preferred Seats (Air Canada flights only)
This benefit may sound like a huge benefit, but it requires the purchase of a more expensive flex fare. You cannot use it if you are traveling Basic or Standard.
Priority Contacts (Air Canada flights only)
This allows you to quickly access Air Canada and Aeroplan call centers. This facility can come in handy when call centers are busy, especially during emergencies. This can save you a lot of frustration in the event of a flight cancellation or rebooking. However, if you only travel a few times a year, you might not get a chance to use it.
Twenty eUpgrade Credits
upgrades are a mixed bag, especially in the Prestige 25K scenario. First, to generally be eligible to use e-Upgrade credits, you must purchase a Flex Fare or better (which is usually more expensive than the Basic or Standard fare that many travelers purchase).
Again, e-upgrades are granted based on status level, which often means that Prestige 25K members will not have enough availability to use e-upgrade credits, as passengers 4 levels above them upgrade first. Honestly, I know a lot of frequent flyers do this even at Prestige 25K status and upgrade often, but for those who fly a few times a year,
I see them go unused due to a lack of credit availability. This can be seen to happen. How much this benefit is worth to you depends on how often you travel on Air Canada and the class of ticket you purchase.
Two Complimentary Checked Bags (Air Canada flights only)
The most obvious of these benefits is the cost savings if you travel with carry-on luggage on regular Air Canada flights. If you regularly travel on other Star Alliance flights or purchase the fare category, that comes with checked baggage, it may not cost you anything.
Priority Boarding (Air Canada flights only)
If you’re anything like me, there’s nothing worse than being in the last group to board a plane, especially with carry-on luggage. Someone might have taken your overhead bin, and you’re unknowingly trying to find something with your bag or checking in at the gate. Priority boarding is probably my favorite benefit of Prestige 25K status, however, its value varies depending on how often you fly and, of course, how much you care about boarding in the first place.
Bonus Aeroplan Miles (Certain Airlines)
Air Canada Altitude Prestige 25k Status members earn an additional 25% in Aeroplan Miles on flights operated by Air Canada, Copa Airlines, and United. Additionally, they earn a minimum of 250 miles on all eligible fares. This is affected by fare class, so, for example, a basic fare will still earn 0 Aeroplan miles.
Is Altitude Prestige 25K Status Worth It?
I recommend to anyone who is thinking of taking a flight to promote travel home, to read the benefits above and see if they are suitable for your trip next year. Overall, based on the benefits summary above I feel that the Prestige 25K status is the least of the Altitude program benefits. If I were a passenger traveling on multiple flights to earn this benefit, I’d feel a bit repulsed by Air Canada Altitude Prestige 25k Status program getting better as you go up the tiers). But since this status is so easy to earn now, it’s easy to overthink it.
I think whether this promotion is worth it to you depends on two things: how much you’ve invested as an Aeroplan and Air Canada customer, and where you’re transferring points from.
Conclusion
I think this promotion is a good idea for those already committed to the Aeroplan program or looking to get off to a good start and have enough Membership Rewards points to transfer. There are If you’re already going to transfer those points to Aeroplan, you can do so now and reap the added benefits.
FAQs:
Earn 100,000 points on eligible transactions in one calendar year and you’ll have Aeroplan 25K status through the next year.
The lowest status level, Aeroplan 25K, is reached by earning 25,000 SQM or 25 SQS, and a minimum of $3,000 SQD in a calendar year. Although the range of amenities is limited compared to the higher levels, there is definitely value to be found, especially since you can reach this level without flying.
Generally, to qualify for Aeroplan 25K status, you must earn 25,000 Status Qualifying Miles (SQM) or 25 Status Qualifying Segments (SQS). and $3,000 worth of Status Qualifying Dollars (SQD) expenses. Now, 100,000.
This is a select benefit for Aeroplan 25K status members. Enjoy the comfort and convenience of Star Alliance lounges around the world. If your guest is traveling on the same flight, subject to space availability, you may invite one guest to an eligible Star Alliance lounge free of charge.
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