Points Pulse: Aeroplan Credit Card overhaul, Tangerine’s welcome bonus, and Blue Rewards’s exciting new partner

Air Canada announced a major refresh to Aeroplan's co-branded credit cards taking effect January 12, 2027:

It’s not all good news — fee increases that are also coming your way:

Amex’s fees will increase on January 12, 2027, while TD’s will go up on January 25th. CIBC cards have yet to announce fee increases for their Aeroplan cards, as of October 5.

Note on annual fee rebates: TD has not released information on whether All-Inclusive or Unlimited accounts will continue to offer a full rebate on their Visa Infinite cards considering the increasing annual fees. When contacted, they said they expected to release an update in November.

The AC Wallet credit, up to $100 annually for Premium cardholders (Aeroplan Reserve or Visa Infinite Privilege cards) and $50 for Core (Visa Infinite cards and the Amex Aeroplan Card), only works on cash bookings — never when cashing in Aeroplan points. The 15% savings benefit does the reverse — it only applies when redeeming points, and unlike the credit, it's identical no matter what Canadian Aeroplan card you have, even those with no annual fee.

Heads up: Both the $100 and $50 credit are split in half — half on January 15 and half on July 15. This means cardholders effectively need to book two separate paid flights within two separate six-month windows to capture the full amount. Travel can take place after the credit expires.

The Tangerine Rewards World Elite Mastercard just got a welcome bonus increase from 30,000 to 50,000 Scene+ points for eligible new cardholders who spend $5,000 within 90 days of account opening. This brings its value up to $500 and is valid until January 31, 2027. That’s worth $500 when redeemed at one cent per point.

This card is Tangerine’s first card with an annual fee. It comes with benefits like 4 complimentary lounge passes, an annual lifestyle credit of 10,000 points, travel insurance and more.

Under the microscope: The 10,000-point annual lifestyle credit is worth $100, but the fine print says you’ll need to spend $30,000 annually to get it!

On September 24, 2026, BMO’s Blue Rewards (formerly AIR MILES), named Porter Airlines as its new preferred airline partner. Linking your Blue Rewards and VIPorter accounts unlocks more extra points, with a higher flight earn rate for members who also have an eligible linked BMO card.

Here’s what you can get:

At the in-store/eGift-card redemption rate of 1,500 Blue Points for $10, the welcome bonus’s 500 Blue Points are worth about $3.33, plus you get 500 VIPorter points. The limited-time bonus is worth up to $10 at that rate. Don’t fret if the values seem low. Remember, this is just for linking accounts, so it’s not really comparable with credit card welcome bonuses that could exceed $1,000.