World of Hyatt Explorist and Globalist members can now register for a 90-day challenge to earn Aeroplan elite status, starting at 8,000 Status Qualifying Credits. That’s about CA$2,000 (roughly US$1,400) of Air Canada Flex fares for Aeroplan 25K, a third of the usual target. Globalists can go as high as Aeroplan 75K, and registering after January 1, 2027 gets you an extra year of status.
The deal
- Offer: a one-time, 90-day Aeroplan elite status challenge for linked World of Hyatt members, per Air Canada’s challenge page.
- Explorists: 8,000 Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) in 90 days earns Aeroplan 25K.
- Globalists: 8,000 SQC earns 25K, 12,000 earns 35K, 17,000 earns 50K and 25,000 earns 75K.
- Who qualifies: Hyatt Explorists and Globalists with linked accounts. Discoverists and base members can’t join.
- Dates: registration opened October 14, 2026. You get one challenge per calendar year.
- Direct link: link your accounts through Aeroplan’s Hyatt partner page, then press Register on Hyatt’s challenge offer page while logged in to Hyatt.
Key terms
The challenge terms sit at the bottom of Air Canada’s challenge page. The ones that change the math:
- Flights only: SQC count only from eligible Air Canada activity. Credit card SQC, partner SQC and “flight-related promotions, campaigns, or offers” don’t count.
- Earning rates: Air Canada pays 4 SQC per $1 on Flex fares and above and 2 SQC per $1 on Economy Standard. Economy Basic and award tickets, including Points + Cash, earn none.
- Partner flights: Star Alliance and select partner flights count when Air Canada issues the ticket, with a number starting with “014”.
- Start date: the 90 days start when Aeroplan processes your registration, which takes up to 48 hours. The flights must depart inside the window, and SQC posting up to 120 days later still count.
- Status length: challenge status “will be valid until January 31 of the second calendar year following the one during which you registered,” per the terms.
- Locked tier: your Hyatt status on the day you register sets your challenge. An Explorist who reaches Globalist mid-challenge stays in the 25K challenge.
What the thresholds cost
Normal Aeroplan qualification runs on the calendar year. Aeroplan’s status page sets 25K at 25,000 SQC, 35K at 35,000, 50K at 50,000 and 75K at 75,000, and credit card and partner earning count toward them. The challenge asks for about a third of each target, from flying alone.
| Aeroplan tier | Normal target | Hyatt challenge | Flex fare spend at 4 SQC per $1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | 25,000 SQC | 8,000 SQC | CA$2,000 (about US$1,400) |
| 35K | 35,000 SQC | 12,000 SQC (Globalists) | CA$3,000 (about US$2,100) |
| 50K | 50,000 SQC | 17,000 SQC (Globalists) | CA$4,250 (about US$2,975) |
| 75K | 75,000 SQC | 25,000 SQC (Globalists) | CA$6,250 (about US$4,375) |
Economy Standard fares earn half as much, so 25K takes CA$4,000 of them. SQC count the base fare and carrier surcharges, not taxes, so the ticket total will run higher than these figures.
What each tier gets you
Aeroplan’s tier benefits page lists the perks. Aeroplan 25K comes with one free checked bag, 5 eUpgrade credits for moving up a cabin on Air Canada, and Star Alliance Silver. Aeroplan 35K doubles that to 10 eUpgrade credits.
Aeroplan 50K is the tier worth chasing. It adds Star Alliance Gold, which opens Star Alliance Gold lounges when you fly internationally on any member airline, United included. Aeroplan says 50K and 75K members are also eligible for Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status.
Register now or in January
The registration date sets how long your status lasts, and the completion date doesn’t. Register in 2026 and finish, and your status runs to January 31, 2028. Register on January 1, 2027 or later, and it runs to January 31, 2029. The terms allow one registration per calendar year, so a 2026 challenge doesn’t block a 2027 one once its 90 days end.
Hyatt is also paying Aeroplan points on stays. The Points Guy reports that linked members who register by November 11, 2026 earn 1.5 Aeroplan points per $1 on eligible Hyatt stays through February 14, 2027, on top of Hyatt points. Outside that offer, Hyatt’s July partnership announcement says members “can elect to earn 500 Aeroplan points per stay in lieu of earning World of Hyatt points.”
Our take
We’d register only with Air Canada flights already on the calendar. The math works best for a Globalist in a city Air Canada serves well, such as Seattle, San Francisco, Boston or New York. One business-class Flex round trip to Europe on Air Canada priced at CA$6,250 before taxes clears 75K in a single trip. Two or three Flex trips to Toronto or Vancouver get an Explorist to 25K.
A free checked bag and 5 eUpgrades aren’t worth CA$2,000 of fares you wouldn’t otherwise buy. For comparison, our United 2027 status post shows United will ask 6,000 PQP for its lowest tier from 2027. The prize here is 50K, because Star Alliance Gold lounge access on a United ticket is worth real money to anyone flying internationally twice a year.
Timing is the part most people will get wrong. If your Air Canada trips fall between now and January 12, register now, because flights before your registration date earn nothing toward the challenge. If your big trip is next spring, wait until January 1 and collect an extra year of status. Hyatt’s airline lineup is shifting, with American Airlines and Hyatt splitting up, and this challenge is the first Aeroplan perk built for Hyatt’s own elites. Other airlines run similar shortcuts, and our status match coverage lists the ones open now, including United’s match for Delta and American elites.
FAQ
Who can join the Hyatt Aeroplan status challenge?
Hyatt Explorist and Globalist members with linked Hyatt and Aeroplan accounts. Discoverists and base members can’t join, and you can’t enroll if you already hold the top tier your challenge offers through next year.
How many SQC do I need for Aeroplan 25K?
8,000 SQC in 90 days. On Air Canada Flex fares at 4 SQC per $1, that’s CA$2,000 of base fare and carrier surcharges, about US$1,400.
Do credit card SQC count toward the challenge?
No. Only eligible Air Canada flights and Air Canada Vacations packages count. Card, partner and promotional SQC don’t.
How long does challenge status last?
Until January 31 of the second calendar year after the year you registered. A 2026 registration runs to January 31, 2028, and a 2027 one runs to January 31, 2029.
Do United flights count?
Only on a ticket Air Canada issues, with a ticket number starting with “014”, in Economy Standard or higher. A United ticket bought from United doesn’t count.
Subscribe to the TravelPointsPro newsletter to get status challenges like this one, with the costs worked out, every week.
