[ANALYSIS] Air Canada Elite 50K
This is the continuation of my series on Air Canada Elite status. I previously wrote about the Prestige 25K and Elite 35K statuses. Today, I will focus on the next level, which is the Elite 50K status.
To qualify for the Elite 50K status, you need to earn 50,000 Altitude Qualifying Miles (AQM) or flyer 50 Altitude Qualifying Segments (AQS) on Air Canada or Star Alliance flights during a calendar year. Furthermore, you will need to earn at least 10,000 AQM or 5 AQS on eligible flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express or Air Canada rouge.
All the of the perks associated with Elite 50K are encompassed in the Prestige 25K and Elite 35K, so I will not repeat those perks. For this post, I will focus on the additional perks that you will receive as an Elite 50K member.
Priority Baggage Handling – Be among the first on the baggage carrousel upon the arrival of flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express, Air Canada rouge and any Star Alliance member airline.
Star Alliance Recognition – Be recognized for gold status by over 25 Star Alliance member airlines around the world. Benefit include: priority reservation waitlist, priority airport standby, priority airport check-in, priority baggage handling, extra checked baggage allowance, Star Alliance Gold airport lounge access and priority boarding (where available).
Below are additional benefits that you must choose from.
Choose 2 of 3:
1) Altitude Bonus with Air Canada and select airline partners – Earn 50% bonus Aeroplan points on eligible flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express, Air Canada rouge, Copa Airlines, United, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS and TAM. Note that these bonus Aeroplan points do not qualify for AQMs with the Altitude program.
2) eUpgrade Credits – 30 credits will be deposited into your eUpgrade account and be used to upgrade to Business Class on eligible Air Canada and Air Canada Express flights.
3) Lower Requalification Level – Enjoy a lower requalification level to reach the following year’s Altitude status. For this benefit, it means that you will only need 45,000 AQM or 45 AQS (instead of 55,000 AQM or 50 AQS) to requalify for Elite 50K the following year.
Two choices instead of 1 in the lower Elite statuses! The 50% bonus is a no brainer. Between the other two choices, I would give the edge to the eUpgrade Credits.
Choose 2 of 3:
1) eUpgrade Credits – 10 credits will be deposited into your eUpgrade account and be used to upgrade to Business Class on eligible Air Canada and Air Canada Express flights.
2) Maple Leaf Lounge One-Time Guest Passes – Receive 4 one-time passes for access to Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges located in the domestic and transborder zones of Canadian airports, Los Angeles and New York (LaGuardia). Access applies when you and your guests are traveling on a same-day flight operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express or Air Canada rouge. These passes are in addition to those that you would have received when you hit Prestige 25K first.
3) aircanada.com Travel Options – Enjoy complimentary Onboard Café or Maple Leaf Lounge access on eligible reservations completed at aircanada.com for up to six passengers. There are several restrictions to keep in mind. This options applies only on flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express and Air Canada rouge, and all travel must be booked and completed by June 30 of the following year. Furthermore, Onboard Café only applies on flights within North America over 2 hours. This privilege cannot be used in conjunction with Flight Pass reservations or Aeroplan rewards flights, nor be used together with another promotion code.
The third option has too many restrictions that I would go with options 1) and 2).
Choose 1 of 2:
1) eUpgrade Credits for eligible Flight Pass activities – For every eligible Flight Pass activity, earn 8 eUpgrade Credits that will be deposited into your eUpgrade account. Credits can be used on eligible flights operated by Air Canada and Air Canada Express in order to upgrade to Business Class.
2) Altitude Qualifying Miles for eligible Flight Pass activities – For every eligible Flight Pass activity, earn 1,250 AQMs for the Altitude program and 1,250 Aeroplan points.
I would prefer eUpgrades, but it will depend on your travel habits.