Aeroplan® Credit Card

Aeroplan® Credit Card is a feature-rich consumer credit card from Chase, which is an attractive choice both for frequent flyers of Air Canada and for occasional travelers flying on Star Alliance partner airlines.

In this posting, I will describe major features of this card, and then will provide my own trip report, flying on Air Canada's Toronto-Incheon non-stop flight.

Partner Site: Learn more about this product 

1. Major Features

Aeroplan® Credit Card has the following major features.

1) Welcome Bonus: earn up to 100,000 bonus points

After spending $4,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening, you will earn 75,000 points. Additionally, after you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months, you will get extra 25,000 bonus points.

2) Aeroplan 25K Status 

With Aeroplan® Credit Card, you will automatically receive Aeroplan 25K Status for the calendar year in which your Chase Aeroplan Card account is opened and for the following calendar year.

Aeroplan 25K Status is the lowest of the Aeroplan's 5 elite tiers, but it comes with eUpgrade credits, with which you can upgrade your Air Canada flights.

For detailed information on eUpgrade, check Air Canada's website.

3) 500 bonus points for each $2,000 spent each calendar month 

This card is also good for everyday spending. For each $2,000 spent each calendar month, you will earn 500 bonus points, and you can do this three times each calendar month (for a possible total of 1,500 bonus points each calendar month).

4) Up to $100 credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS

When you use your Aeroplan card to charge the application fee for Global Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS, you will get reimbursement up to $100. This benefit is available every 4 years. With long lines at airports everywhere, I strongly recommend you to get Global Entry membership, whose benefit include a complementary TSA PreCheck®.

Partner Site: Learn more about this product 

2. Trip Report: Air Canada flight, Toronto-Incheon 

With Chase's Aeroplan® Credit Card, you earn Air Canada's Aeroplan miles. And you can redeem Aeroplan miles on Start Alliance partners airlines, to say nothing of Air Canada flights.

Here is my review of Air Canada's non-stop flight from Toronto to Incheon in December 2021.

First up is the Air Canada check-in counter at Philadelphia Airport. Since it was a weekday morning, there were not many people.

After easy check-in, I stopped by the Amex Centurion Lounge at Philadelphia Airport.

These past few months, there have been loud complaints that Centurion Lounges are way too crowded. But, in the case of Philadelphia Airport, it was not that crowded. Also by my personal standard, the breakfast food was excellent.

This is the Embraer E175 that will take me all the way to Toronto.

Once onboard, I noticed that each seat has a care package that contains a mask and hand sanitizer.

The seats are, of course, the same as those of the old Korean express buses, but it's not a big problem because it's a relatively short flight.

Breakfast includes eggs, sausage, yogurt, etc. Since I had already had breakfast at the Centurion Lounge, I only tasted it.

Now, here's important information. 

Based on my own research, all passengers arriving at Toronto airport from the US on Air Canada seem to arrive at Gate D.

Since the flight to Korea leaves at Gate E, you need to transfer.

As you can see in the image below, it is noted that you can move to the E gate, and it is marked with an arrow.

But signages are very poor and confusing. At one point, an arrow directed you to go back, making a U-turn.

As such, you may continue to wonder (while walking down almost 200 meter), am I in the right place? The bottom line is, just keep walking.

If you keep walking, you will eventually see the entrance to Gate E as shown below.

If you go through the door, there are several machines that look similar to Global Entry machines. Scan your passport there, and you will receive an International Transit confirmation as shown below.

As soon as you exit this space, there are stairs, escalators and elevators. If you want to use Air Canada Lounge, follow the right arrow that says Maple Leaf Lounge.

The aircraft on this day was a Boeing 787, and the seats are in the form of 1-2-1 herringbone style.

Amenities, headsets, there was nothing particularly good or bad. The thing that impressed me was the glasses cleaning cloth. Did you find Incheon?

Now let's look at some food photos.

Main options were chicken curry, grilled cod, pork bulgogi, and “Superior Beef Tenderloin”, and I chose “Superior Beef Tenderloin”.

The appetizers were not bad.

The main was also good, but I think there will be a lot of disagreement as to whether this is really “the best beef tenderloin”.

Assorted cheese as a snack.

And the beef bibimbap I ate before landing.

Overall, a solid flight, and I'd say that if given an opportunity, I'd gladly ride another long-haul Air Canada flight.

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