Aeroplan® Credit Card - Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

When your wallet is supposed to simplify, but Aeroplan keeps showing up

The real math behind the headline offer

In theory, the 60,000-point welcome and 3x earn in key categories sounds solid. In practice, value depends on your ability to redeem for meaningful trips and to actually hit the activation requirements. The annual fee is small by travel-card standards, but not cheap for a card you may only use seasonally.

• 60,000 bonus requires $3,000 in 3 months; if you don’t expect big travel soon, you might lose out on the value.
• 3x categories are helpful if you max out on grocery and dining, but the real payoff requires planning trips through Aeroplan's portal or partner awards.
• 500 points per $2k spend with a 1,500 monthly cap means most households won't see a lot from this kicker if their monthly spend is high or if their purchases aren’t in the right bins.

How the earn translates into travel reality

Redeeming Aeroplan points for flights often requires searching seats and sometimes paying surcharges. The "fly to another continent" marketing line glosses over award availability and hidden fees. If you mainly fly domestic or with non-partner airlines, the value can shrink fast.

Everyday usage scenario with a wrinkle

Scenario: You stock up on groceries and a dinner out, watching the points accumulate. A few weeks later you realize the portal shows 3x only for some transactions; a few purchases coded as 1x at the register can derail your math. Points post after batching at statement close, so you might not see the earned surge for a week or two. Small delays in posting can complicate trip planning if you’re chasing a specific flight date.

Ownership friction

Annual fee is a real gut-check if you’re not actively redeeming. You’ll also have to remember to keep the card open and monitor that you’re actually earning the 3x and the monthly 1,500 cap; if you let a few months pass without travel plans, the value sink becomes obvious. The Aeroplan ecosystem is not always intuitive; transferring partners or booking through the portal can feel like a maze, and seat availability is not guaranteed.

• Annual fee doesn’t disappear if you only use the card for a handful of trips in a year.
• The interface quirks and portal quirks can turn a five-minute booking into a 30-minute chore.

Who benefits and who’ll likely abandon it after 12 months

Ideal fit: a household that shops heavily for groceries and dining and plans international trips where Aeroplan has favorable award charts and partner options. People who already own a larger stack of airline co-branded cards or who rarely travel are likely to feel the annual fee isn’t justified, especially if you don’t see travel credit or lounge access to soften it.

Conclusion: staying power in a wallet

For the right traveler, the Aeroplan card can stay in the wallet as a dedicated travel tool, but only if you genuinely transact in the right categories, and you don’t mind chasing award availability and potential surcharges. If your life is domestic-focused, or you forget to redeem, you’ll end up paying $95 year after year for limited, inconsistent value. It’s not a throwaway card, but it’s not a default either.