Air Canada and Parkland Corporation have jointly announced a new upcoming loyalty partnership, launching in the fall of 2023.
While the full details have yet to be released, Canada’s national airline and its largest fuel retailing company plan to link their respective loyalty programs: Aeroplan and Journie Rewards.
For members of both programs, this represents new ways to earn points, redeem points, and access benefits on the horizon. Let’s take a look at what we know so far.
What Is Parkland & Journie Rewards?
Parkland Corporation is Canada’s largest supplier and marketer of fuel and petroleum products, as well as a leading convenience store operator.
You might not be familiar with Parkland itself, but you’ll certainly know its consumer-facing brands quite well: Ultramar, Chevron, Pioneer, Fas Gas, On the Run, and Marché Express.
Parkland operates a loyalty program called Journie Rewards, which can be used across 1,100 participating gas stations and convenience stores.
The program’s most compelling perk is known as Gas Discount, which offers members a 7-cent (CAD) rebate per litre for up to 100 litres. You can get one fill-up discount for every 300 Journie Rewards points earned (1 litre of gas purchased = 1 point; $1 of merchandise purchased = 2 points).
Journie Rewards also has a partnership with CIBC: with a CIBC credit and debit card, members get to save a higher amount of up to 10 cents (CAD) per litre.
Aside from gas discounts, Journie Rewards also allows members to redeem points for merchandise at the gas station’s attached convenience store, including drinks and snacks.
What Might an Aeroplan & Journie Rewards Partnership Look Like?
While full details are yet to come, it’s highly likely that this new partnership between Aeroplan and Journie Rewards will ultimately allow Aeroplan members to earn points on gas purchases at Parkland locations across Canada, including Ultramar, Chevron, Pioneer, and Fas Gas.
Aeroplan members may also have the ability to redeem points for gas, likely at a modest redemption value, fuelling their journeys by car in addition to by plane.
We could see additional benefits for CIBC cardholders given the existing shared partnerships in place, as well as some form of reciprocal benefits for Aeroplan Elite Status members at Parkland locations.
The benefits wouldn’t only accrue to drivers of gas vehicles, either. As of late 2022, Parkland has launched an electric vehicle (EV) charging network across Chevron locations in Western Canada, with plans to double the footprint by early 2024, and Aeroplan members can surely expect to benefit when charging their vehicles as well.
Overall, a partnership like this between a gas giant and a major Canadian loyalty program isn’t new: Esso/Mobil and PC Optimum have already perfected the model.
Upon the launch of Esso and PC Optimum’s partnership in 2018, the two respective loyalty programs continued to operate separately. Back then, customers can choose to earn either Esso Extra points or PC Optimum Points.
Come 2021, Esso Extra was discontinued, and PC Optimum became the sole loyalty program for all Esso/Mobil gas stations.
PC Optimum points then became redeemable for gas, merchandise, and even car washes, making PC Optimum points one of the most widely usable loyalty currencies in Canada.
During the initial phases of the Aeroplan and Journie Rewards partnership, we can expect a similar arrangement, perhaps with customers given a choice between earning Aeroplan or Journie Rewards points.
At this stage, it’s anyone’s guess if Aeroplan and Journie Rewards will continue to operate side-by-side in the long run, or if there’s a view that Aeroplan will eventually absorb the loyalty function at Parkland gas and charging stations.
Either way, this new partnership expands Aeroplan’s roster of “everyday earning” partners to yet another core element of Canadians’ daily lives, following the program’s successful launches with Starbucks, LCBO, and Uber in previous years.
Conclusion
Air Canada and Parkland Corporation have announced a partnership between their respective loyalty programs, Aeroplan and Journie Rewards, launching this fall.
While details are scarce at this time, the partnership promises to provide members of both programs with new ways to earn and redeem points at Parkland’s Ultramar, Chevron, Pioneer, Fas Gas, On the Run, and Marché Express locations.
With the ability to earn points on gas and EV charging on the horizon, Aeroplan members can look forward to yet another way to engage with the program on a day-to-day basis en route to unlocking outsized travel rewards.
