Data point:
I tried again. I get the same error message.

So the Alaska card is dead?

it is still on gcr website ... but not listed on MBNA website ... so not sure what is happening ...

My wife applied a week ago and no issues. No idea if yea or nea yet.

If not Aeroplan, then what?
 

I've made very good use of my Aeroplan points in the past (business class to Europe/Asia every 12-18 months), but things are changing now. I now have to consider what other credit card benefit I should switch to. Possibly just cash back.

Suggestions?

1) I'd still collect Aeroplan. Maybe for the next 2 years
2) I'll be looking more to burn, them though. I don't want a big balance in 2019
3) Eventually, Air Canada will partner with another bank and I'll start collecting those

In the meantime, with Aeroplan losing value, SPG going away soon, RBC Avion devaluing the AA conversion...I guess I'll look more towards cashback. But not in a rush to do anything right now.

From what I undersatnd.,after June 2020 aeroplan points can still be redeemed for Air Canada flights....but not any Star Alliance partners.

I expect the TD and CIBC promo's to be more generous....I'll still accumulate them!

The conversion rate is a big risk if one is spending present day dollars (annual fees that arent rebated) for post-2020 value

We will likely focus more on FYF offers after mid 2018

You're probably right. That might be the one thing that keeps me collecting Aeroplan points in hopes that I can save up enough for one last redemption.

I'd be pretty annoyed if I couldn't use the 600K that I have right now the way that I've planned, but for anything I collect from here on in... well, I'll consider myself lucky if I can actually redeem for flights. I do not intend to carry anything over past the 2020 end date.

Yes, but at a rate on par with other "third party" cards -- which will make them as useless as Air Miles for getting a business class flight to Asia.

damn I just saw the news thanks to you guys posting about it. That's huge. I've gotta contemplate for the future now and start planning my redemptions... not counting on a 1:1 transfer to the new program.

At least AC actually has award redemptions available routinely. I'm looking at you AA.

Despite the news about Air Canada & Aimia ending in 2020, my Aeroplan accumulation strategy isn't really going to change.

- Right now, I rarely use my Aeroplan cards for day-to-day spend. There's always other cards in my wallet with a better reward on most purchases. So I will keep using those cards sparingly anyway.

- The vast majority of my Aeroplan accumulation is from signup bonuses. So when TD or CIBC or American Express offer 15,000, 20,000 or 30,000 point sign up bonuses, I generally just churn what I realistically can. To me, those points don't come at the expense of other rewards programs. Even with a moderate devaluation of what an Aeroplan mile is worth, I would still keep churning.

- If Aeroplan cards adopt larger annual fees, though, that might freeze my card applications. Aeroplan will have to rely on other airlines much more than Air Canada in the future. Since I'm in a smaller city with fewer international connections, my Aeroplan options may be more limited.

Anyone doing a bank run on their Aeroplan miles? I'm waiting for a 20% top-up that came about converting my SPG to AP and then cashing out in full.

I am still hoping to use my remaining miles to actually fly somewhere, though my last flight purchase will likely be this year. Then I'll stop using my Aeroplan Visa, and consider a cash-back Visa instead.

Same here. I'm going to convert my TD Aeroplan VISA to the First Class VISA.

Sigh. I'm hoping the miles don't devalue anytime soon.