Chase more than doubled the Aeroplan card's fee to $195. Here's what you get, and what you don't

Chase has rebuilt its U.S. Air Canada Aeroplan credit card. The card now costs $195 a year. In return, every primary cardmember gets Aeroplan 25K status on day one, with no spending needed. Chase and Air Canada announced the changes on September 10, 2026, and say they apply to new and existing cardmembers from that date. You can read the Chase announcement for the full terms.

The fee is the part many people noticed first. The card cost $95 a year before the refresh, as The Points Guy reported. So the price has more than doubled. Current cardmembers get the new perks now, but they pay the higher fee only at a renewal on or after December 1, 2026, according to The Points Guy. The question is whether the new perks cover the gap.

What the $195 buys

Here is what Chase lists as new or changed:

• Automatic Aeroplan 25K status. Chase says this brings priority check-in, Zone 2 boarding and five eUpgrade credits each year.
• Up to $100 in Air Canada credits a year. These come as two $50 statement credits, one in each half of the year.
• 15% off Air Canada award flights. The discount applies to eligible Air Canada flights booked with Aeroplan points.
• More points on spending. The card now earns 3X on Air Canada and other travel, and 2X on dining, grocery stores and gas. Chase says 25K members also get 2X from Air Canada on eligible flights, for up to 5X in total.
• A free fourth day on car rentals. Starting in January 2027, cardmembers who book a four-day rental with points get one day free.

Not every change is a gain. Dining and grocery purchases used to earn 3X and now earn 2X, according to Prince of Travel. Prince of Travel also reports that a monthly bonus of up to 1,500 points for big spenders is gone.

Some older perks stay. These include a $120 credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS every four years, a free fourth night on some hotel award stays, no foreign transaction fees and travel insurance.

New cardmembers can earn up to 115,000 bonus points for a limited time. Chase says that is 75,000 points after $4,000 in spending in three months, plus 40,000 more after $20,000 in spending in the first year.

If you use both statement credits, the $100 covers about half of the fee. Whether the rest pays off depends on how often you fly Air Canada.

The catch for lounge fans

Status sounds like it should open lounge doors. At this level, it does not. Chase lists priority check-in, priority boarding, upgrade credits and Star Alliance recognition. It does not list any lounge access.

In the Lounge Frog directory, Aeroplan status unlocks the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge network only at the Star Alliance Gold level. That starts above 25K. So a 25K card holder flying economy should not expect to walk into a Maple Leaf Lounge on status alone.

Many U.S. flyers will see this most at the border. Air Canada runs Maple Leaf Lounges at New York LaGuardia, San Francisco and Los Angeles. It also has transborder lounges in Canada for flights to the U.S., such as Toronto Pearson and Vancouver.

Canadian cards are a different story. Our directory shows that the Canadian Aeroplan Reserve card from American Express and the top Aeroplan Visa cards from TD and CIBC include Maple Leaf Lounge access when you fly Air Canada the same day. We covered the recent changes to those Canadian cards earlier. The U.S. Chase card does not appear to match that, based on what Chase has shared.

Who should care

The new card is aimed at people who fly between the U.S. and Canada a lot. Chase says as much. Chris Cracchiolo, who runs co-brand cards at Chase, said the goal is to make the card "even more compelling for people frequently traveling from the U.S. to Canada and beyond."

If you fly Air Canada a few times a year, the math can work. Early boarding, upgrade credits and the travel credit add real value. The 15% award discount also helps if you book Air Canada seats with points. Chase notes that economy awards within North America start at 6,000 points.

If you mostly want lounge access, this card is not the tool for it. You would still need higher status, a business class ticket or another card that includes lounge entry.

The card is open to applications now. You can see Air Canada's lounges and the rules for each on our Air Canada page.