Air Canada Elite Status
Air Canada has three levels of elite status: Prestige, Elite and Super Elite. These provide progressively greater benefits, and the Elite and Super Elite levels also include the Star Alliance Gold status benefits.
The following table outlines the qualification requirements for the Air Canada elite levels
In all cases, an additional minimum requirement of 10,000 status miles or 5 status segments on flights operated by Air Canada applies to all status levels. You can check if you have made the minimum requirement by checking your Aeroplan Transactions on the Aeroplan website. At the bottom of the page you will find a Qualify for Status table where it will tell you if you have met the minimum requirements with a green checkmark.
The status miles earned from Unlimited Flight Passes do count towards the minimum flight requirement ([courtesy of Andrew Yiu/AC]).
If you are not currently AC Elite and reach 35,000 status miles or 50 status segments in a calendar year before October 15, you will get Elite status for the current benefit year, lasting up to the end of the next February. You must also have satisfied the requirement of 10,000 status miles or 5 status segments on flights operated by Air Canada. Of course, you will have also earned Elite status for the subsequent benefit year as well, just like anyone else who reaches the required threshold.
If you are not currently AC Super Elite and reach 100,000 status miles or 95 status segments in a calendar year before October 15, you will get Super Elite status for the current benefit year, lasting up to the end of the next February. You must also have satisfied the requirement of 10,000 status miles or 5 status segments on flights operated by Air Canada. Of course, you will have also earned Super Elite status for the subsequent benefit year as well, just like anyone else who reaches the required threshold.
Early Status Recognition seems to begin with the start of the new benefit year, i.e. on March 1. So if you cross 35k/50 segments before March 1 you will not be recognized until March 1.
To avoid difficulty it seems to be a good idea to make sure the status activity is posted to your account by October 15. There are often reports that there may be a later, internal, unpublished deadline that AC uses, but October 15 is the official date.
If you miss the status requirement by a small amount, you will normally not be granted elite status for the following year, so you should always plan to meet or exceed those requirements.
If you feel that you have extenuating circumstances that should justify you being granted elite status in spite of missing the requirement (for example, if AC cancelled a flight at the end of December that would have taken you over the threshold), you can email Air Canada (at aircanada2012@aeroplan.com for the 2012 program year) and ask them to consider your request. Note, however, that most such requests are not granted, and Air Canada is under no obligation to do so.
The following benefits are in place for the March 1, 2011 - February 29, 2012 status year.
The 2012 program has not yet been released, this page will be updated when the information becomes available.
Contents
- Status qualification
- Early status recognition
- Missing the qualification
- 2011 Status benefits
- Base privileges
- Select privileges
- 2012 Status benefits
Status qualification
The following table outlines the qualification requirements for the Air Canada elite levels
| Qualification method | Prestige | Elite | Super Elite |
| Status miles | 25,000 | 35,000 | 100,000 |
| Qualifying segments | 25 | 50 | 95 |
In all cases, an additional minimum requirement of 10,000 status miles or 5 status segments on flights operated by Air Canada applies to all status levels. You can check if you have made the minimum requirement by checking your Aeroplan Transactions on the Aeroplan website. At the bottom of the page you will find a Qualify for Status table where it will tell you if you have met the minimum requirements with a green checkmark.
The status miles earned from Unlimited Flight Passes do count towards the minimum flight requirement ([courtesy of Andrew Yiu/AC]).
Early status recognition
If you are not currently AC Elite and reach 35,000 status miles or 50 status segments in a calendar year before October 15, you will get Elite status for the current benefit year, lasting up to the end of the next February. You must also have satisfied the requirement of 10,000 status miles or 5 status segments on flights operated by Air Canada. Of course, you will have also earned Elite status for the subsequent benefit year as well, just like anyone else who reaches the required threshold.
If you are not currently AC Super Elite and reach 100,000 status miles or 95 status segments in a calendar year before October 15, you will get Super Elite status for the current benefit year, lasting up to the end of the next February. You must also have satisfied the requirement of 10,000 status miles or 5 status segments on flights operated by Air Canada. Of course, you will have also earned Super Elite status for the subsequent benefit year as well, just like anyone else who reaches the required threshold.
Early Status Recognition seems to begin with the start of the new benefit year, i.e. on March 1. So if you cross 35k/50 segments before March 1 you will not be recognized until March 1.
To avoid difficulty it seems to be a good idea to make sure the status activity is posted to your account by October 15. There are often reports that there may be a later, internal, unpublished deadline that AC uses, but October 15 is the official date.
Missing the qualification
If you miss the status requirement by a small amount, you will normally not be granted elite status for the following year, so you should always plan to meet or exceed those requirements.
If you feel that you have extenuating circumstances that should justify you being granted elite status in spite of missing the requirement (for example, if AC cancelled a flight at the end of December that would have taken you over the threshold), you can email Air Canada (at aircanada2012@aeroplan.com for the 2012 program year) and ask them to consider your request. Note, however, that most such requests are not granted, and Air Canada is under no obligation to do so.
2011 Status benefits
The following benefits are in place for the March 1, 2011 - February 29, 2012 status year.
Base privileges
| Benefit | Prestige | Elite | Super Elite |
| Personalized card | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Air Canada luggage tags | - | Yes | Yes |
| Priority reward access | - | Yes | Yes |
| Priority contacts | Yes | Yes | Yes (SE line) |
| Priority reservation waitlist | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Priority seat selection | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Guaranteed Y reservations | - | - | Yes |
| Priority check-in | Yes | Yes | Yes (SE line) |
| Priority standby | - | Yes | Yes |
| Priority baggage | - | Yes | Yes |
| Extra checked baggage | 2 bags | 3 bags | 3 bags |
| Priority security clearance | - | Yes | Yes |
| Maple Leaf Lounge access | - | Yes | Yes |
| Priority Boarding | - | Yes | Yes |
| Concierge service | - | - | Yes |
| Star Alliance benefits | Silver | Gold | Gold |
Select privileges
In addition to the above benefits, each status member is allowed to choose from a set of options to personalize their benefit package.| Benefit | Prestige | Elite | Super Elite |
| Bundle 1 | Choose 3 of 5 | Choose 2 of 4 | Choose 2 of 4 |
| Top tier bonus | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| eUpgrade credits | 20 | 15 | 40 |
| Bonus status miles | 1,500 | 2,000 | 3,500 |
| MLL membership for a friend | - | - | Yes |
| Additional eUpgrade credits | - | 10 | - |
| MLL membership discount | Yes | - | - |
| MLL guest passes | 4 | - | - |
| Bundle 2 | Choose 2 of 3 | Choose 2 of 3 | |
| eUpgrade credits | 10 | 20 | |
| MLL guest passes | 4 | 6 | |
| Bonus status miles | 1,000 | 2,000 | Bundle 3 (flight passes) | Choose 1 of 2 | Choose 1 of 2 | Choose 1 of 2 |
| eUpgrade credits | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| Bonus status miles | 750 | 1,250 | 2,500 |
2012 Status benefits
The 2012 program has not yet been released, this page will be updated when the information becomes available.