Aeroplan Status via Hotels: Hyatt Challenge vs Marriott Match

Updated as of 15 Oct 2026. Rules from Air Canada’s status challenge for Hyatt members and its Marriott partnership page. Rupee figures use CA$1 = ₹66.9.

Aeroplan status used to mean flying a lot of Air Canada, which almost nobody in India does. Now two hotel programmes offer a way in. Marriott’s top elites get Aeroplan 25K just by linking accounts. Hyatt’s elites get a 90-day challenge with a much lower bar than normal. And Aeroplan 50K members get Marriott Gold back. Here’s which route works for you, what it costs, and the cheaper shortcut most people miss.

The two routes side by side

	Marriott match	Hyatt challenge
Who can use it	Marriott Titanium or Ambassador	World of Hyatt Explorist or Globalist
What you must do	Link accounts and register. No flying	Earn Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) on Air Canada within 90 days
Best result	Aeroplan 25K	Explorist: 25K. Globalist: up to 75K
Cost	Nothing	From about ₹1.34 lakh of airfare (see below)
How long it lasts	At least 12 months	To 31 Jan of the second year after you register (31 Jan 2028 if you register in 2026)
Bonus	—	Reach 50K and link Marriott for free Marriott Gold

Route 1: Marriott Titanium or Ambassador to Aeroplan 25K

If you hold Marriott Titanium or Ambassador, register on Marriott’s partnership site and Aeroplan 25K appears in 7–10 business days. Platinum, Gold, Silver and trial status don’t qualify. Your name must match exactly in both accounts, and each account can link to only one in the other programme.

The catch for Indians: Titanium needs 75 nights a year, and no Indian card gives it. If you’re already there, take the free 25K. If not, this route isn’t for you. See how Marriott status works in our Marriott Bonvoy guide.

It also works the other way: Aeroplan 50K, 75K and Super Elite members get Marriott Gold automatically once they link accounts. Gold means 2 pm late checkout (when available), better room upgrades and 25% more Marriott points.

Route 2: the Hyatt challenge

Since 14 Oct 2026, World of Hyatt Explorists and Globalists can register for a 90-day Aeroplan challenge from their Hyatt account, once their accounts are linked. Your Hyatt tier on the day you register decides your targets.

Aeroplan tier	Who	SQC in 90 days	Fare needed on Flex fares (4 SQC per CA$1)	On Standard fares (2 per CA$1)
25K	Explorist or Globalist	8,000	CA$2,000 (₹1.34 lakh)	CA$4,000 (₹2.68 lakh)
35K	Globalist	12,000	CA$3,000 (₹2.01 lakh)	CA$6,000 (₹4.01 lakh)
50K	Globalist	17,000	CA$4,250 (₹2.84 lakh)	CA$8,500 (₹5.69 lakh)
75K	Globalist	25,000	CA$6,250 (₹4.18 lakh)	CA$12,500 (₹8.36 lakh)

What counts: Air Canada flights in Economy Standard or higher, and Star Alliance flights ticketed by Air Canada (ticket number starting 014). So an Air India or Lufthansa flight bought on aircanada.com can count. Check the fare’s SQC on Air Canada’s site before you pay, because partner earning varies by fare. Flights must depart within your 90 days; SQC can take up to 14 days to post.

The realistic Indian case: a Hyatt Globalist flying Delhi or Mumbai to Toronto or Vancouver in business on Air Canada. One round trip on a fare that isn’t the cheapest can clear 17,000 SQC, which gets you 50K. Link Marriott and you add Marriott Gold. That’s Star Alliance Gold, Aeroplan 50K and Marriott Gold, all until January 2028, from one trip you were taking anyway. Not a Hyatt elite yet? Start with our World of Hyatt guide.

Rules to know: one challenge per calendar year; you can’t enter if you already hold equal or higher Aeroplan status valid through next year; and if you don’t finish, nothing changes.

What each tier is worth to an Indian flyer

Aeroplan tier	Star Alliance status	What you’ll notice on Air India, Lufthansa or Singapore Airlines
25K / 35K	Silver	Not much: priority waitlist. 35K can book Emirates first class with points
50K / 75K	Gold	Star Alliance lounges, an extra bag, priority check-in and boarding. Plus Marriott Gold
Super Elite	Gold	All of the above, plus free award changes and cancellations

So 25K on its own is nice to have, not life-changing. The prize is 50K, because that’s Star Alliance Gold.

The cheaper shortcut to lounges, if you fly SkyTeam

If what you really want is lounge access and your Europe trips are on Air France, KLM or SAS, there’s a far cheaper way: SAS EuroBonus’s status match. Indians pay €79 (about ₹8,400) for EuroBonus Gold, which is SkyTeam Elite Plus. SAS is in SkyTeam, not Star Alliance, so this does nothing on Air India, Lufthansa or Air Canada. You need a matching status elsewhere, and two are within reach from India:

• IndiGo BluChip Blu 2 or Air India Maharaja Club Gold matches to SAS Gold.
• Aeroplan 25K or 35K (from Marriott or Hyatt) matches only to SAS Silver (€39). Aeroplan 50K matches to Gold.

SAS says places are limited, so the match closes when its quota fills.

Which route is yours

You are…	Do this
Marriott Titanium or Ambassador	✅ Register for free Aeroplan 25K today
Hyatt Globalist with a Canada trip coming	✅ Register just before you buy, book Flex or business on aircanada.com, aim for 17,000 SQC (50K), then link Marriott
Hyatt Explorist	⚠️ Only if you’d spend CA$2,000+ on Air Canada fares anyway; 25K alone isn’t worth chasing
Want lounges on Air France, KLM or SAS, have IndiGo Blu 2 or Maharaja Club Gold	✅ Skip both; take SAS Gold (SkyTeam Elite Plus) for €79
None of the above	❌ Don’t buy flights for status. Earn Aeroplan points from your card instead (see Aeroplan transfer partners)

DealUni take: the Marriott match is free money for the few who qualify. The Hyatt challenge is the best deal of the two, but only for Globalists already flying Air Canada in business. Everyone else chasing lounges should look at SAS first, as long as they fly SkyTeam.

Hotel ka status, airline ka fayda. (Hotel status, airline perks.)

Sources: Aeroplan status challenge for Hyatt members; Aeroplan and Marriott Bonvoy. Checked 15 Oct 2026.