Product Code Database
Aeroplan is the frequent-flyer program" 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 Altoria in Montreal, Québec, Canada, H4A 3T2." 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. On August 21, 2018, Air Canada, along with TD, CIBC and Visa, agreed to acquire Aeroplan from Aimia for CA$450 million in cash. There are approximately 5 million active members in the program. On August 11, 2020, Air Canada released details about its new loyalty program, which was a relaunch of Aeroplan. They launched their new Loyalty platform on November 08, 2020.
Aeroplan evolved into a loyalty marketing program with retail partners such as Home Hardware, Birks Group and Nestlé Canada. Aeroplan is also used by Air Creebec, Canadian North, Calm Air, and First Air. 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.
Many Aeroplan members collect miles via . 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. (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.)
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.
In June 2005, Air Canada's parent company, ACE Aviation Holdings, sold 12.5% of Aeroplan for $250 million through an initial public offering, thereby creating the world's first publicly traded loyalty program, Aeroplan Income Fund, at a valuation of $2 billion.
On December 20, 2007, Aeroplan Income Fund acquired Loyalty Management Group, a loyalty marketing and customer-driven insight and analysis business that owns and operates Nectar, the UK's leading coalition loyalty program.
On May 28, 2008, ACE Aviation Holdings disposed of its remaining holdings in the fund for $438 million. As such, the Aeroplan program was no longer under direct control of Air Canada.
The corporate name was changed to Aimia in order to "reflect the fact that the program has grown and diversified into a comprehensive customer loyalty program with hundreds of participating retailers."
In November 2018, Aimia signed a definitive agreement with Air Canada to sell Aeroplan back to Air Canada for $450M in cash. This means Air Canada successfully sold Aeroplan for a combined $688 million, and repurchased it 10 years later for $450 million, for a profit of $238 million before expenses or inflation adjustments. Accounting for inflation yields a sale price of $832.2 in 2018 dollars, resulting in a profit of $382M before expenses.
In 2009, a class-action lawsuit was launched over Aeroplan's points expiration practices. The motion was filed on behalf of about seven plaintiffs across Canada, and thousands of petitioners registered for membership in the class. The lawsuit was settled in August 2018; the settlement included Air Canada returning points to eligible members.
The Aeroplan status program was a different program from the Air Canada Altitude rewards program, which grants status and rewards while dealing with Air Canada directly. With Aeroplan back in the Air Canada fold, the Silver/Black/Diamond status program was eliminated for a refreshed Altitude rewards program.
In response, CIBC suggested that Aimia was attempting to nullify CIBC's right of first refusal. CIBC had already been hinting that it was dissatisfied with its arrangement with Aeroplan and might start its own loyalty program.
Aimia's conditional deal with TD would last ten years and involve an up-front payment of $100 million. Aimia said that CIBC had until August 9, 2013, to exercise its right of first refusal by matching the terms of the proposed TD contract.
In another announcement, Aimia cancelled Aeroplan's "seven-year mileage redemption policy". The policy had originally come into effect at the beginning of 2007, and provided that all miles would expire if unused after seven years, with the accumulated mileage of all customers as of January 1, 2007, expiring at the end of 2013. Aimia CEO Rupert Duchesne told Bloomberg news service that people had been worried there would be a run on Aimia's cash flow in 2013, but cancelling the seven-year expiration policy removes that worry.
In addition, on June 27, Aeroplan announced the launch of Distinction, a tiered recognition program that rewards top accumulating members based on total Aeroplan Miles earned across all coalition partners, with preferential mileage levels for redemption, bonus mile offers, and exclusive privileges. Benefits begin as of January 1, 2014, and include three status levels based on a member's total eligible mileage accumulation during the calendar year: dSilver (25,000 miles), dBlack (50,000 miles), and dDiamond (100,000 miles).
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