Chase Will Add Air Canada As a Transfer Partner

Late last night, Doctor of Credit (H/T) reported that Chase will add Air Canada as a transfer partner. This is fantastic news for those with credit cards that earn Ultimate Rewards (UR) points. Air Canada will become Chase’s 11th airline transfer partner starting in late 2021. Chase is also partners with three hotel chains for a total of 14 partners (including Air Canada). This post explores the new Chase Air Canada partnership.

What’s Going On?

Chase’s Newest Transfer Partner

Brendan from Million Mile Secrets (H/T) has reported that those with at least one premium Chase credit card can transfer UR points to Air Canada in late 2021. Air Canada has recently revamped their Aeroplan program and ended a partnership with TD Bank for their credit cards.

Furthermore, the transfer ratio will likely be 1:1 as with every other Chase transfer partner. Making the transfer ratio 1:1 would be excellent for maximizing the value of UR points. It would also place Chase on par with American Express, whose Membership Rewards (MR) points can also be transferred to Air Canada. Plus, it would also place Chase ahead of Capital One whose miles can be transferred to Air Canada at a 4:3 ratio.

For some cardholders, Chase UR points are easier to earn than Amex MR points. This is because Chase’s credit card categories align better than Amex’s categories for those cardholders’ spending patterns. The Chase-Air Canada partnership will give Chase cardholders the opportunity to indirectly earn Air Canada Aeroplan miles through non-Amex bonus categories.

A New Credit Card

Moreover, Chase and Air Canada are extending their partnership to create a new co-branded Air Canada credit card. This card will succeed the old Air Canada cards issued by TD Bank. Not much else has been revealed so far about this new card. But multiple sources have said that the new card will be a MasterCard and it will have some cool perks. It will also earn Air Canada’s Aeroplan miles just like the old TD Bank cards.

The new Chase Air Canada credit card will not be launched until late 2021.

Final Draw

It is nice to see Chase adding a new transfer partner in Air Canada. This is especially true since the Bank of Morgan lost a few airline partners in the late 2010s. The points and miles industry oftentimes complains about Chase not having enough transfer partners. But the addition of Air Canada should be a welcome sight for many international travelers and Chase cardholders.