MONTRÉAL, May 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — This month marks the 20th anniversary of the Aeroplan Member Donation Program. For two decades, the program has empowered approved Canadian charities to set fundraising goals and redeem donated points for air travel, hotel stays, car rentals, merchandise, and more. Charities also use donated points to support fundraising activities, including offering travel or redeemed merchandise as prizes.
“Since 2006, Aeroplan Members have donated more than 1.8 billion points to 1,554 charitable organizations, helping to fund critical travel, essential goods, and community-building initiatives,” said Craig Landry, Executive Vice President & Chief Innovation Officer at Air Canada and President of Aeroplan. “The scale of this impact speaks to the power of collective giving. As we celebrate two decades of the Aeroplan Member Donation Program, we remain committed to helping charities reach farther and do more.”
Today, more than 100 active charities participate in the program, supported by 11 corporate partners, including three original partners that have remained since 2006: the Air Canada Foundation, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders, and the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
Key milestones from the program’s 20-year history include:
- Program launch in 2006, establishing one of Canada’s first loyalty-based charitable giving platforms
- Over 1.8 billion points donated to date, supporting 1,554 charitable organizations
- 11 corporate partnerships, including three original partners still active today
- More than 100 active charities are currently receiving Aeroplan point donations
- Points Matching Week, introduced in 2010, enables members to double their impact, with Aeroplan matching up to 500,000 points per campaign
- Since its inception, over 350 million points have been donated during Points Matching Weeks.
Aeroplan has several Points Matching Weeks currently planned throughout the remainder of 2026, giving members the opportunity to amplify their impact:
- War Child Canada: May 25-31
- Indspire: June 15–21, 2026
- Welcoming Initiative for Newcomers (WIN): July 6–12, 2026
- The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking: July 27–August 2, 2026
- Second Harvest: September 7–13, 2026
- Air Canada Foundation’s Hospital Transportation Program: October 5–11, 2026
- Rainbow Railroad: November 9–15, 2026
- Give a Mile: December 7–13, 2026
Charities interested in joining the program can apply here. Additional details are available in the Aeroplan Donation Program FAQ.
About the Air Canada Foundation
The Air Canada Foundation, a not-for-profit organization focused on the health and well-being of children and youth, was launched in 2012. It offers both financial and in-kind support to Canadian-registered charities. Core programs include the Hospital Transportation Program (HTP), which redistributes Aeroplan points to partners of the Air Canada Foundation HTP, including 15 pediatric hospitals across the country, Hope Air and the David Foster Foundation. All donated points enable sick children to access the medical care they need away from home. The Air Canada Foundation, in collaboration with the airline, also engages directly in fundraising activities, such as the Every Bit Counts program, which encourages customers to donate loose change of all denominations on board flights or through collection containers available in Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges. The Foundation also offers continued support to major health-related causes that benefit Canadians and is an active participant in international humanitarian relief activity as the need arises. For more information about the Air Canada Foundation, please read the 2024 Impact Report.
About Air Canada
Air Canada is Canada’s largest airline, the country’s flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network. Headquartered in Montréal, Air Canada provides scheduled service directly to more than 180 airports in Canada, the United States and Internationally on six continents. It holds a Four-Star ranking from Skytrax. Air Canada’s Aeroplan program is Canada’s premier travel loyalty program, with more than 10 million members worldwide. Members can earn or redeem points on the world’s largest airline partner network of more than 50 airlines, plus through an extensive range of merchandise, hotel and car rental partners. Through Air Canada Vacations, it offers a selection of vacation and Flight & Hotel packages, tours, cruises, car rentals, excursions, and a variety of activities and experiences. Its freight division, Air Canada Cargo, provides air freight lift and connectivity to hundreds of destinations across six continents using Air Canada’s passenger and freighter aircraft. Air Canada’s climate-related ambition includes a long-term aspirational goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. For additional information, please see Air Canada’s TCFD disclosure. Air Canada shares are publicly traded on the TSX (AC) in Canada and the OTCQX (ACDVF) in the US.
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