Most of these complications are because Air Canada used to own Aeroplan, but spun it off into a wholly-owned separate entity during their bankruptcy in 2002-2003. Later, the independent Aeroplan started buying other loyalty programs. Then, in 2008, ACE Aviation Holdings, the post-bankruptcy holding company (owner) of Air Canada, which also owned Aeroplan, divested their shares of Aeroplan, making Aeroplan a fully independent company. The independent Aeroplan then changed their name to Aimia to reflect the fact that they run loyalty programs for more companies than just Air Canada. And then Aimia, being now a fully independent company, created their own status system (Distinction), separate from Air Canada's status system (Altitude).

So basically, the complications all come out of the fact that the airline (Air Canada) and the rewards program (Aeroplan/Aimia) are fully independent of each other.