Aeroplan status tiers and SQC thresholds
Star Alliance · SQC
Tier thresholds cited to the programme’s own pages as read on 26 September 2026. Calculate your SQC ↓
Aeroplan at a glance
- Aeroplan has 5 elite tiers, from 25K at 25,000 SQC to Super Elite at 125,000 SQC.
- Annual qualifying period — points accumulate across the full year.
- 50K (50,000 SQC) is the lowest tier with Star Alliance Gold lounge access.
- On the reference route LHR–NYC (JFK or EWR), flown by United Airlines, one economy return earns 1,728 SQC in booking class Y, the highest-earning economy class we hold for that flight. That is 15 returns to 25K from zero.
- Partner earning is capped: at most 25,000 SQC a calendar year — Non-014-ticketed Star Alliance partner flying, pooled with 40+ travel and everyday partners.
Elite tiers
| Tier | SQC required from zero |
|---|---|
| 25K | 25,000 |
| 35K | 35,000 |
| 50K Star Alliance Gold | 50,000 |
| 75K | 75,000 |
| Super Elite | 125,000 |
50K confers Star Alliance Gold — the lowest tier in this programme with alliance-wide lounge access. Alliance mapping last verified 4 August 2026. Conditions beyond the threshold: Partner/Star Alliance SQC (1 per 5 base points) is capped at 25,000 per year — partner flying alone cannot reach 50K; Credit-card SQC contributions are also capped at 25,000 per year (not modelled). Compare lounge access across programmes →
Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) count within a calendar year: Air Canada's own flights earn 4 SQC per $1 on Flex fares and above, 2 on Standard and 0 on Basic, and status earned in a calendar year runs to the end of the following calendar year. Star Alliance partner flights earn 1 SQC per 5 Aeroplan base points, hard-capped at 25,000 SQC a year, and that ceiling is shared with more than forty travel and everyday earning partners, so partner flying alone cannot reach 50K. This calculator understates SQC on a Star Alliance flight ticketed by Air Canada (014 ticket stock), which earns the uncapped spend rate instead (2 SQC per $1 in Economy Standard, 4 on Flex and above). We treat the rate as per Canadian dollar, which is our inference, so a fare entered in another currency is converted at a dated reference rate and may differ from what posts to your account. No renewal threshold is shown because we found no renewal rule for flying on Air Canada's status pages.
How we checked this
Checked against Air Canada's Aeroplan status pages, August 2026, and its earning FAQ, 31 August 2026.
Publisher pages read: aircanada.com.
Programmes change their rules without notice — confirm a figure with Aeroplan before you rely on it.
Part-way up this ladder? See how to reach your next tier in Aeroplan to see how far you are from your next tier and ways to close the gap.
Reaching this status
Aeroplan publishes conditions that sit alongside the SQC threshold, so reaching the number on its own does not confer the tier. They are shown here and never scored — the Lark Score measures SQC earned and nothing else. Where the published wording says more than the summary line, the wording governs.
Partner earning is capped
- 25,000 SQC is the most that counts in a calendar year from Non-014-ticketed Star Alliance partner flying, pooled with 40+ travel and everyday partners
This is an annual limit across everything that counts toward it, so a single-trip calculation cannot tell how much of it you have already used. We show the cap rather than apply it. It is shared with non-flight partners as well as flying.
Published wording, with our annotations
Get 1 SQC for every 5 Aeroplan base points you earn with Aeroplan partners. Members can get a maximum of 25,000 SQC per calendar year with 40+ travel and everyday partners, as well as Star Alliance member airlines.Source for the Non-014-ticketed Star Alliance partner flying, pooled with 40+ travel and everyday partners cap (opens in a new tab) · Checked 8 August 2026
What a return earns
- On the reference route LHR–NYC (JFK or EWR), flown by United Airlines, one economy return earns 1,728 SQC in booking class Y, the highest-earning economy class we hold for that flight.
- LHR–CDG: no figure — no rule captured. No published rate captured for this carrier pair in any of the cabin's booking classes — not a statement that it earns nothing.
| Tier | SQC | Economy returns |
|---|---|---|
| 25K | 25,000 | 15 |
| 35K | 35,000 | Not reachable on this flight alone: capped at 25,000 SQC a year |
| 50K | 50,000 | Not reachable on this flight alone: capped at 25,000 SQC a year |
| 75K | 75,000 | Not reachable on this flight alone: capped at 25,000 SQC a year |
| Super Elite | 125,000 | Not reachable on this flight alone: capped at 25,000 SQC a year |
Computed by the same engine as the calculator, on the reference routes behind the lowest status thresholds. Your own fare, class and route will differ: the calculator below prices them.
Aeroplan: questions and answers
- How many SQC do I need for Aeroplan status?
- From a standing start: 25K 25,000 SQC, 35K 35,000 SQC, 50K 50,000 SQC, 75K 75,000 SQC, Super Elite 125,000 SQC.
- Which Aeroplan tier gives lounge access?
- 50K, at 50,000 SQC, is the lowest tier that confers Star Alliance Gold, with lounge access across the alliance. Conditions beyond the threshold: Partner/Star Alliance SQC (1 per 5 base points) is capped at 25,000 per year — partner flying alone cannot reach 50K; Credit-card SQC contributions are also capped at 25,000 per year (not modelled).
- How many flights does it take to reach Aeroplan status?
- On the reference route LHR–NYC (JFK or EWR), flown by United Airlines, one economy return earns 1,728 SQC in booking class Y, the highest-earning economy class we hold for that flight. On that basis, the economy returns needed from zero are: 25K 15, 35K not reachable on this flight alone (capped at 25,000 SQC a year), 50K not reachable on this flight alone (capped at 25,000 SQC a year), 75K not reachable on this flight alone (capped at 25,000 SQC a year), Super Elite not reachable on this flight alone (capped at 25,000 SQC a year). Earning on this flight is capped at 25,000 SQC a year, so higher tiers need flights the cap does not cover. Other cabins, classes and routes earn differently; the calculator on this page prices your own trip.
- Is there a limit on SQC from partners?
- Yes: at most 25,000 SQC a calendar year — Non-014-ticketed Star Alliance partner flying, pooled with 40+ travel and everyday partners.
Calculate your SQC
Add further segments and adjust detail in the full builder after calculating.
Earning reference
Booking classesEvery SQC rate, by booking class
The full reference table for Aeroplan: each operating carrier crossed with each booking class, the rate we hold, and the earning model behind it. Only classes with a rate we have captured from the programme are listed — nothing is filled in with a guess.
Open the booking-class table →Aeroplan status matches out
Into Kenya Airways — Asante Rewards
- Elite 25K or Elite 35K → Silver Elite (Status match)
- Elite 50K → Gold Elite Plus (Status match)
- Elite 75K or Super Elite 100K → Platinum Elite Plus (Status match)
Into Alaska Airlines — Atmos Rewards
- Altitude 25K (Prestige) or 35K → Silver (Challenge)
- Altitude 50K → Gold (Challenge)
- Altitude 75K or 100K → Platinum (Challenge)
Into Air France / KLM — Flying Blue
- Elite 25K or Elite 35K → Silver (Status match)
- Elite 50K → Gold (Status match)
- Elite 75K or Super Elite 100K → Platinum (Status match)
Into Virgin Atlantic — Flying Club
- 25K or 35K → Silver (Status match)
- 50K, 75K or Super Elite → Gold (Status match)
Into KM Malta Airlines — KM Rewards
- Elite 25K or Elite 35K → Explorer (Status match)
- Elite 50K, Elite 75K or Super Elite 100K → Pioneer (Status match)
Into Marriott Bonvoy
- Aeroplan 50K → Gold Elite (Status match)