One unique feature of Air Canada’s Aeroplan Elite Status is the Status Pass, which allows Aeroplan 50K, Aeroplan 75K, and Aeroplan Super Elite members to bestow a series of travel benefits upon their friends and family members even when they aren’t travelling together.
Status Passes can be very helpful and valuable to the recipients, especially for larger groups of people travelling on a single reservation. Let’s take a look at how it all works.
What Is a Status Pass?
A Status Pass gives the opportunity to share some of the perks of having Aeroplan Elite Status with others.
A Status Pass can be applied to any reservation, including Aeroplan award tickets, as long as one flight on the itinerary is operated by Air Canada. A single Status Pass applies to an entire reservation, meaning that up to nine passengers on the same reservation can all enjoy benefits.
Once a Status Pass has been applied, the travellers on the reservation will enjoy the following benefits:
- Complimentary checked baggage: up to three bags of 32kg each
- Priority check-in prior to Air Canada flights
- Priority baggage handling on Air Canada flights
- Priority security clearance at select airports when departing on Air Canada flights
- Maple Leaf Lounge and Air Canada Café access
- Priority airport standby
- Priority boarding as part of the Zone 2 boarding group
These are on par with the standard benefits of an Aeroplan 50K member. However, it’s important to note that a Status Pass will not confer upgrade priority or any benefits on partner airlines (such as access to Star Alliance airlines around the world other than Maple Leaf Lounges).
How to Earn Status Passes
Status Passes are available as a Select Benefit for Aeroplan 50K, Aeroplan 75K, and Aeroplan Super Elite members to choose every year, starting in January. The number of Status Passes available depends on your level of Aeroplan Elite Status:
- Aeroplan 50K: 2 Status Passes
- Aeroplan 75K: 3 Status Passes
- Aeroplan Super Elite: 4 Status Passes
In addition, top-tier Aeroplan Super Elite members receive a set of two Status Passes as part of their Core Benefits each year, without the need to forgo other potential Select Benefits in favour of the Status Pass.
Members with Aeroplan 25K or 35K status cannot earn Status Passes.
How to Redeem Status Passes
Status Passes are easy to redeem. The entire process happens straight from your Aeroplan dashboard.
Sign-in to your Aeroplan account, and head over to the “Benefits” tab. Any available Status Passes will be displayed alongside other benefits you have available to you.
You simply need to enter the booking reference and the last name of someone on the reservation.
Once you’ve shared a Status Pass, you’ll see it under the “Sent” tab.
Note that the system is smart enough to prevent you from “wasting” a Status Pass on someone who’s already travelling in business class.
A recipient of a Status Pass will be notified of their gift upon checking their reservation using the “Manage My Booking” tool on the Air Canada website.
Once a Status Pass has been shared, it can still be revoked up to six hours before the first Air Canada flight on the reservation takes place. Similarly, the Status Pass will be voided if the reservation is cancelled.
In both cases, the Status Pass will be automatically returned to the Aeroplan Elite Status member’s account.
Status Passes have an expiry date of December 31 of the year in which they were earned. However, travel may take place at any point in the future, as long as the Status Pass is applied before it expires.
Are Status Passes a Good Deal?
Unlike the Annual Worldwide Companion Pass, which offers cash savings, Status Passes mostly confer upon the recipient(s) soft benefits instead.
The exception to this is the complimentary baggage allowance of up to three bags at 32kg for each passenger on the booking. If the passengers would’ve otherwise had to pay for checked luggage, then the Status Pass can offer a substantial amount of savings.
The other benefits offered by the Status Pass have less tangible value, instead serving to enhance the travel experience in many ways.
Priority airport services are nice, but if the passengers are travelling from a smaller airport, it may not make that much of a difference. During a busy travel season in a bustling airport like Toronto Pearson, though, these priority airport services could save a significant amount of time.
For those who aren’t accustomed to separate check-in lines and priority security clearance, the Status Pass can offer a glimpse into what it’s like to enjoy status with the airline.
Similarly, having access to Maple Leaf Lounges, including those in the international departures area, gives Status Pass recipients a quieter place to stay as they wait for their flight to depart.
As Status Pass recipients enjoy complimentary food and beverages, and maybe even a pre-flight shower, they can forget about the noise and congestion that everyone waiting at the gate has to deal with.
When it comes time to board, Status Pass recipients are treated to Zone 2 boarding. If they’re travelling in economy, they’ll get first dibs on precious overhead bin space, and can get settled before the rest of the plane boards.
Upon arrival, in an ideal scenario their bags will come out first, alongside the rest of the priority baggage. This completes the priority services afforded by the Status Pass, and perhaps even motivates them to get involved in Miles & Points themselves. 😉
Conclusion
Air Canada Status Passes allow higher-tier Aeroplan Elite Status members to bestow elite-like benefits upon friends and family members when they aren’t travelling together.
It’s a way for Air Canada to reward its most dedicated members with the ability to share the elite experience with their loved ones. Doing so potentially entices more travellers to pursue Aeroplan Elite Status themselves after having gotten a taste of it.
This story originally appeared on princeoftravel
