Aug 7, 2025, 12:15 am
Last edit by: ACflyerDE
Summary of major changes to status qualification and Aeroplan points earning for 2026:
- Status qualification (AC page)
- SQC replaces SQM, SQS, and SQD
- Earn 4 SQC per dollar spent (base fare + YQ) on 014 tickets (AC + *A partner flights) in Flex and up; 2 SQC per dollar on Standard
- Earn SQC from CC spend, 1K SQC per $5K spend on Premium cards, 1K SQC to $20K on Core (25K SQC cap)
- 5 Aeroplan points = 1 SQC on points earned from other partners (partner flights not ticketed on 014, LCBO, Uber, etc); 25K cap on SQC from partner Aeroplan points
- "Rollover" replaced by "Head Start" - which is just a rollover 10% of your SQC from the previous year (no threshold, no cap, just 10% of previous year's SQC)
- Spreadsheet you can use to calculate what this will do to your status
- Huge changes to benefits, with base benefits reduced, and much more complicated SQC threshold rewards - see this post for a summary of the milestone benefits
- Points earning (AC page)
- Points earning on AC flights (and 014 stock *A partner flights) now revenue-based
- No status earns 1 point per dollar, 25K gets 2x, 35K gets 3x, 50K gets 4x, 75K gets 5x, SE gets 6x; 1x is the base, everything above it is "bonus"
- No "bonus" points on 014 stock non-*A partner flights
- Earning on partner-ticketed flights (other than AC metal) still based on distance, similar to current SQM earning
- Any "bonus" points don't count towards SQC - only base points
- Points earning on AC flights (and 014 stock *A partner flights) now revenue-based
[UPDATE 22/10] 2026 Aeroplan Elite status qualifying & Aeroplan earning changes
Jan 9, 2026 | 10:24 am
#1531
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE 100K MM; Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 4,035
Nope, had the head start post + LCBO - sitting at a solid 40,010 SQC lol
Jan 9, 2026 | 10:36 pm
#1533
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: AC Super Elite; 2 MM; Emirates Gold; Bonvoy lifetime Platinum Elite;
Posts: 375
Nothing yet. 32,000 Squeeks rollover but 5,000 Squeeks for 2MM not among them.
Jan 10, 2026 | 6:11 pm
#1534
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold
Posts: 18,944
This thread has been re-opened to allow for some general discussion of the 2026 program changes. But people often comment that they would like fewer mega-threads on the forum. Please bear in mind that just because the program has changed, this thread isn't the place for everything. A number of key threads are listed below; several dozen posts have been moved from here to the relevant threads:
- If your 2026 flights are missing or have posted incorrectly: Missing / incorrect flight activity (SQC / Aeroplan points, 2026+)
- Earning SQC from credit card purchases: Earning SQC from spending on Aeroplan credit cards, incl. Status Qualification Boost
- Milestone Benefit selection strategy
- 2026 Mileage Runs, including "does SQC make mileage runs obsolete?"
- General questions about qualifying for status: Qualifying for Aeroplan Elite Status - 2026 Onwards
- Earning SQC and Aeroplan points from flying (2026 onwards)
Last edited by Adam Smith; Jan 27, 2026 at 9:06 am
Jan 27, 2026 | 7:34 am
#1536
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: YOW
Programs: AC SE, FOTSG Platinum
Posts: 6,551
The Milestone Benefit selection strategy thread may be useful to you.
Jan 27, 2026 | 7:35 am
#1537
Join Date: Sep 2023
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 1,484
Under the new program there is no benefit selection. If you gifted 50k via SE status that 50k status is automatically extended for 2026.
Jan 27, 2026 | 9:25 am
#1539
Join Date: Feb 2023
Location: YYJ
Programs: AC SE : Bonvoy Ambassador Elite : 47 Park Street Fractional Owner
Posts: 411
Personally I think the transition from the old plan to the new plan is unfair but only to the point that the goodwill that I felt towards Air Canada has been materially diminished and not to the point where I will stop flying with them before I reach my variable, annual SQC targets.
Beyond my SQC targets, my decisions will be economic and not loyalty based as they have demonstrated that loyalty is a one way street by their behaviour and the structure of the Head Start vs Rollover.
Jan 27, 2026 | 9:53 am
#1540
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: YOW
Programs: AC SE, FOTSG Platinum
Posts: 6,551
You'll also earn substantially fewer Aeroplan points from flying compared to last year, on nearly anything aside from expensive business-class fares, and earning status is now more expensive.
Jan 27, 2026 | 10:12 am
#1541
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: YXU
Programs: AC SE100K, National E/E, HH Diamond, IHG Diamond, MB, Avis PC
Posts: 1,277
Correction. The expensive fares aren't only J fares. I consider an YXU-ATL return flight in Flex for 2100 CAD to be very expensive. This one earned several times more points than a similar booking last year.
Jan 27, 2026 | 10:22 am
#1542
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: YOW
Programs: AC SE, FOTSG Platinum
Posts: 6,551
A 50K member now has to pay over $1,000 r/t just to earn the points they'd get on a $500 Flex fare YVR-YYZ last month.
Jan 27, 2026 | 10:44 am
#1543
Formerly known as tireman77
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,794
Jan 27, 2026 | 11:14 am
#1545
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: AC SE, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,361
Same for YQB-YOW-YHZ. Earned something like 2x the points that I would have last year, even with the SE bonus.