Aeroplan

Aeroplan
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryMarketing/Consumer discretionary
FoundedJuly 1984; 40 years ago (1984-07)
Headquarters
Montreal, Quebec
,
Canada
OwnerAir Canada
WebsiteAeroplan

Aeroplan is the frequent-flyer program[1] owned by Air Canada, Canada's flag carrier. The Aeroplan program was created in July 1984 by Air Canada as an incentive program for its frequent flyer customers. In 2002 it was spun off as a separate corporate entity and eventually sold to Aimia. On May 11, 2017, Air Canada announced it plans to launch a new loyalty program to replace the Aeroplan program in 2020.[2] On August 21, 2018, Air Canada, along with TD, CIBC and Visa, agreed to acquire Aeroplan from Aimia for CA$450 million in cash.[3] There are approximately 5 million active members in the program.[4] On August 11, 2020, Air Canada released details about its new loyalty program, which was a relaunch of Aeroplan.[5] They launched their new Loyalty platform on November 08, 2020.

In recent years, Aeroplan has evolved into a loyalty marketing program with retail partners such as Home Hardware, Birks and Nestlé Canada. Aeroplan is also used by Air Creebec, Canadian North, Calm Air, and First Air.[6] Internally, Aeroplan has deployed the MicroStrategy platform for business intelligence reporting and analytics for its personnel to analyze member information, track purchasing patterns, identify profiles of loyal members, and align its loyalty program with members' preferences.[7]

Many Aeroplan members collect miles via credit cards. Credit cards were originally allocated to CIBC and Diners Club/enRoute, but were later offered to AMEX Bank of Canada, while Diners Club withdrew from the program.[7] (The contract with CIBC expired at the end of 2013, and Aimia began a new partnership for credit cards with Toronto-Dominion Bank as the primary issuer, with CIBC relegated to a secondary role of January 1, 2014.[8][9])

In 2012, approximately 2.3 million rewards were issued to members, including more than 1.6 million flights on Air Canada or other Star Alliance carriers, which offer travel to more than 1,000 destinations worldwide.

  1. ^ "ANNUAL INFORMATION FORM FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009." Aeroplan. 6 (9 of 79). Retrieved on February 18, 2011. "The registered and head office of Aimia is located in Aimia Tower in Montreal, Québec, Canada, H4A 3T2." Archived October 11, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "Galleries Aimia shares crash after Air Canada parts ways with Aeroplan loyalty program". May 11, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  3. ^ "Air Canada, TD, CIBC, Visa and Aimia Reach Agreement in Principle for Acquisition of Aeroplan Loyalty Business". Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  4. ^ "Fact Sheet" (PDF). Aimia. May 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 4, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  5. ^ "Air Canada Unveils Details of Transformed Aeroplan Program, Offering More Value and New Benefits". Air Canada. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  6. ^ "Our Partners". Aeroplan. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Aeroplan Chooses MicroStrategy for Enterprise Business Intelligence Solution" (Press release). MicroStrategy. February 29, 2012. Archived from the original on July 31, 2008. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bloomberg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "TD, CIBC reach deal on Aeroplan credit card portfolio". CP24. September 16, 2013. Retrieved September 15, 2020.