What happens to Aeroplan points when the owner dies
Air Canada has a formal process for transferring points after an account holder dies
Air Canada Estate Solution (Aeroplan estate transfers)
Aeroplan does not publish a processing timeline for estate transfers. The request is submitted by email to the estate mailbox rather than through a self-serve form, so timing depends on Aeroplan's review of the documentation provided. Expiry interacts with the request: points that expired before the member passed away fall under the standard 18-month expiry policy, and points that expired after the member passed away can be requested within 6 months of the expiry date. Aeroplan has paused points expiry until November 30, 2026, and its normal expiry policy applies again from that date.
When a Aeroplan account holder dies, Air Canada provides a process for transferring points to the estate or designated heirs.
How to request a transfer
Here is the process for transferring Aeroplan points after the account holder dies:
- •First and last name
- •Complete mailing address, including postal code
- •Telephone number
- •Email address
- •Aeroplan number
- •A scanned copy of the death certificate
- •A scanned copy of the portion of the will that names the beneficiaries
- •First and last name
- •Complete mailing address, including postal code
- •Telephone number
- •Email address
- •Aeroplan number (a beneficiary who is not an Aeroplan member can enroll at aircanada.com to receive the points)
- •A sole beneficiary receives all of the points
- •Multiple beneficiaries split the points equally
- •A beneficiary who does not want the points must provide written, signed documentation; that share is then divided equally among the remaining beneficiaries
Required Documents
- Scanned copy of the late member's death certificate
- Scanned copy of the portion of the will that names the beneficiaries
- Late member's first and last name, complete mailing address (including postal code), telephone number, email address, and Aeroplan number
- For each beneficiary: first and last name, complete mailing address (including postal code), telephone number, email address, and Aeroplan number
- Written, signed documentation from any beneficiary who does not want to receive the points (only if applicable)
Timeline
Aeroplan does not publish a processing timeline for estate transfers. The request is submitted by email to the estate mailbox rather than through a self-serve form, so timing depends on Aeroplan's review of the documentation provided. Expiry interacts with the request: points that expired before the member passed away fall under the standard 18-month expiry policy, and points that expired after the member passed away can be requested within 6 months of the expiry date. Aeroplan has paused points expiry until November 30, 2026, and its normal expiry policy applies again from that date.
Frequently asked questions
Aeroplan's Estate policy states that although Aeroplan points cannot be willed, a named beneficiary of the late member's estate may request that the member's points be transferred into that beneficiary's Aeroplan account. A beneficiary who is not already an Aeroplan member can enroll to receive the points. This makes Aeroplan an exception among airline programs, most of which forfeit points at death. Aeroplan reviews each request.
The Aeroplan Estate policy asks for a scanned copy of the late member's death certificate and a scanned copy of the portion of the will that names the beneficiaries. It also asks for the late member's first and last name, complete mailing address including postal code, telephone number, email address, and Aeroplan number, plus the same set of details for each beneficiary. The complete package is submitted by email to estate.solution@aircanada.ca.
Aeroplan's Estate policy provides that the executor of an estate may request the transfer of points on behalf of the beneficiary or beneficiaries. The executor supplies the information the policy lists for the late member and for each beneficiary, and submits it to the Aeroplan estate mailbox.
A sole beneficiary receives all of the points. If there are multiple beneficiaries, the points are divided equally among them, unless there is written, signed documentation stating that one or more beneficiaries do not want the points. In that case, the points are divided equally among the remaining beneficiaries.
Regular expiry rules apply to a late member's points. If the points expired before the member passed away, the standard 18-month expiry policy applies to them. If the points expired after the member passed away, the Estate policy allows the transfer to be requested within 6 months of the expiry date. Aeroplan has paused points expiry until November 30, 2026.
Not directly. Aeroplan does not allow points to be donated from the account of a member who has passed away. The points must first be transferred into a beneficiary's Aeroplan account, after which the beneficiary can donate them to a participating charity.
Section 9 of the Aeroplan Terms and Conditions provides that Aeroplan membership terminates upon the death or personal bankruptcy of a member. Section 12 provides that Aeroplan points and other benefits are personal to the member and cannot be assigned, traded, bartered, willed, exchanged for cash, or otherwise transferred, except as may be authorized by Aeroplan at its sole discretion. The Estate policy is the authorized path for moving a late member's points to a named beneficiary of the estate.
Once transferred, points are subject to the program's standard terms. Having the deceased account holder's details documented in advance makes the transfer process significantly easier for the family.
Sources
Data sourced from Air Canada primary sources (6 pages reviewed). How we research.
Air Canada Estate Solution (Aeroplan estate transfers)
Aeroplan does not publish a processing timeline for estate transfers. The request is submitted by email to the estate mailbox rather than through a self-serve form, so timing depends on Aeroplan's review of the documentation provided. Expiry interacts with the request: points that expired before the member passed away fall under the standard 18-month expiry policy, and points that expired after the member passed away can be requested within 6 months of the expiry date. Aeroplan has paused points expiry until November 30, 2026, and its normal expiry policy applies again from that date.
