Air Canada Aeroplan is not just for Canadians. Aeroplan offers a wide range of rewards and benefits to its members, plus Aeroplan points are relatively easy to earn and obtain. Aeroplan is a transfer partner of most major transferable points programs, which gives you a quick and readily available source of Aeroplan points when you need them.
Since Air Canada is a member of Star Alliance, Aeroplan points can be redeemed for flights with any of the Star Alliance airlines. In addition, Air Canada partners with over 20 more airlines which further expands redemption opportunities.
Find the Best Airline Credit Cards of 2024
How To Redeem Aeroplan Points
Redeem for Flights
With its expansive network of partners, Aeroplan can give you both a huge selection of routing options and award availability. Its fixed award chart—a rarity these days—has some high-value redemptions for certain routings.
Redeeming Aeroplan points for flights is pretty straightforward. You can book most flights directly online. Start by navigating to aircanada.com, enter in your desired travel details and click the checkbox next to “Book with points Aeroplan.”
While you don’t need to be logged in to search, it may be better if you are. Those with an Aeroplan co-branded credit card or Aeroplan status may be eligible for preferred pricing on eligible flights.
Whether you log in or not, you’ll be able to see redemption options and prices. Be aware that in the points pricing view, Aeroplan will display numerous mixed-cabin itineraries as premium-cabin redemptions. Some of these itineraries may be as low as 3% of the trip in business class. By hovering over “mixed cabin,” you can see what percentage of the itinerary is in the premium class.
If you are logged into your account, you’ll be able to see a weekly award calendar indicating the lowest prices.
When you find an itinerary you like, you can choose between different award levels available within that class of service. For example, if you’re booking an economy ticket, you’ll be able to choose between a Standard Reward, a Flex Reward and a Latitude Reward.
Each award level has different pricing, inclusions and restrictions.
After selecting your reward level, you can choose to pay for a larger portion of your trip with cash. In this case, the normal redemption is 39,600 Aeroplan points plus $33.80 Canadian dollars (around $25). If you don’t have enough points, you could opt to pay fewer points and more cash. If you wanted to cover the taxes with points, you could also do so for an additional 3,380 points.
After you’ve selected your pricing breakdown, click through and enter all of the passenger details. Here you’ll have the opportunity to select your seats. Finally, you’ll be presented with the payment page to confirm your booking details are correct and the option to enter your payment information.
That’s it. Your award redemption with Aeroplan is complete—your miles will be deducted and the award itinerary will be on its way to your inbox.
Redeem for Upgrades
Upgrading paid flights with miles is often viewed as an easy way to fly in business or first class and it is possible to upgrade with Aeroplan points. However, it’s not all guaranteed: Air Canada offers the option to bid for an upgrade, meaning you aren’t guaranteed to get that seat.
The other upgrade option is to use eUpgrade points for upgrades in business or first class, which only Aeroplan Elite Status holders are eligible to earn. These points can be earned during annual benefit year selections or when crossing status qualifying thresholds. In addition, not all flights are eligible for upgrades.
Redeem for In-Flight Wi-Fi
You can use your Aeroplan points to pay for in-flight Wi-Fi. Once onboard, you can log in to your Aeroplan account and you’ll see the pricing in Aeroplan points for the various Wi-Fi plans. Wi-Fi pricing varies by route and duration.
Redeem For Hotels
Aeroplan HotelSavers allows you to book hotel stays with select partners using Aeroplan points. The redemption rate varies by hotel property but generally returns less than a penny a point, so not an optimal redemption. Something to consider is that booking a hotel through a third party does not usually qualify you for earning points within a hotel loyalty program or for receiving elite benefits through status.
Redeem for Car Rentals
Aeroplan’s car rental portal features several major rental companies. You can either rent for cash and earn Aeroplan points, pay with part Aeroplan points and part cash, or redeem Aeroplan points to pay entirely for your rental.
If you opt for paying with Aeroplan points, the redemption rate differs by rental company but generally falls below one cent a point.
Redeem for Vacation Packages and Cruises
Aeroplan points can be redeemed for a cash credit toward purchasing vacations packages or cruises. 5,000 points equates to a $50 credit towards your trip package which works out to 1 cent per point. A minimum 5,000 points is required to make a redemption. You’ll have to call Aeroplan at 1 866-529-2079 to redeem points for a cruise.
Redeem for Merchandise and Gift Cards
Aeroplan points can be used to purchase a variety of merchandise including golf equipment, grills, toys and tools. Gift cards are also available. They are denominated in Canadian dollars and can only be used in Canada or on Canadian websites if you purchase a digital gift card.
Aeroplan points are worth roughly 0.5 cents per point when redeemed for merchandise and gift cards, so not a particularly good use of points unless you have orphaned points that you might want to use up.
Redeem for Charitable Donations
Aeroplan also partners with several charitable organizations where you can donate your points. You can search participating charitable organizations based on categories, which include miles for social good and miles for our planet.
Aeroplan® Credit Card
Up to 3x Reward Rate
Earn 3x points for each dollar spent on grocery stores, dining at restaurants including takeout and eligible delivery services, andRead More
Welcome Bonus
Earn 60,000 points
Annual Fee
$95
Regular APR
21.74% - 28.74% Variable
Credit Score
Good, Excellent (700 - 749)
The solid reward-earning potential of the Aeroplan® Credit Card makes the card an excellent option for those loyal Air Canada passengers who also regularly spend on food and travel.
- Excellent rewards earning
- No foreign transaction fees
- Travel benefits including perks for Air Canada flyers
- $95 annual fee
- Lacks non-travel related benefits
- Earn 60,000 bonus points
- Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- $95 Annual Fee
- Redeem points for both international and domestic flights with the Aeroplan® Credit Card.
- Fly to another continent and travel the world with the Aeroplan® Credit Card.
- Earn 3X points for each dollar spent at grocery stores, on dining at restaurants, and Air Canada directly. Earn 1X point for each dollar spent on all other purchases.
- 500 bonus points for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month – up to 1,500 points per month.
- Member FDIC
Best Ways To Use Aeroplan Points
Short-Haul Flights Within North America for 6,000 Aeroplan Miles
Aeroplan charges 6,000 miles for economy flights under 500 miles flown within North America on partner airlines. North America is defined as the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean—which gives you a lot of options.
For example, here’s a New York (NYC) to Toronto (YYZ) flight on United for 6,000 Aeroplan points.
It can be even cheaper on Air Canada, due to Aeroplan’s dynamic pricing. And what’s more is the fees are lower, since there’s no partner booking fee involved.
Other routes under 500 miles include San Francisco (SFO) to Las Vegas (LAS), Houston (IAH) to New Orleans (MSY) and Panama City, Panama (PTY) to San José, Costa Rica (SJO).
Flights Under 1,500 Miles Within North America for 10,000 Aeroplan Miles
For itineraries under 1,500 miles within North America, an Aeroplan economy award is 10,000 miles. Like the short-haul award, North America includes the U.S., Canada, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean, so that really opens up the possibilities. Sunseekers and ski fanatics can both make use of this award.
Examples of routes less than 1,500 miles include Orlando, Florida (MCO) to Montreal, Canada (YUL), Detroit (DFW) to Denver (DEN) and Dallas (DFW) to Roatán, Honduras (RTB).
West Coast to Japan for 55,000 Aeroplan Miles
Travelers who live on the west coast can take advantage of Aeroplan’s very reasonable business-class award to Japan. Flights under 5,000 miles from North America to the Pacific Zone are 55,000 Aeroplan miles on partner airlines. Itineraries that meet this criteria are Seattle (SEA) to Tokyo (NRT) and Vancouver (YVR) to Tokyo.
For Vancouver departures, Osaka (KIX) is still within 5,000 miles so it also prices out at 55,000 Aeroplan miles. This example has a business-class segment from Vancouver to Tokyo Haneda and an economy segment to Osaka.
West Coast to Hawaii for 12,500 Miles
Hawaii is considered part of North America by Aeroplan, so economy flights from the west coast to Hawaii within 2,750 miles cost 12,500 Aeroplan miles on partner airline United. That includes departures from Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), San Diego (SAN) and Seattle (SEA).
East Coast to Western Europe for 60,000 Aeroplan Miles
If you’re departing from the east coast, western Europe destinations within 4,000 miles price out at 60,000 Aeroplan miles for business-class seats. Example city pairs are New York (EWR) to London (LHR), Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Paris, France (CDG) and Boston (BOS) to Brussels, Belgium (BRU).
Stopovers for an Extra 5,000 Aeroplan Miles
Aeroplan generously allows a stopover to be added in each direction of travel for 5,000 miles per stopover as long as the stopover is not in the U.S. or Canada. Stopovers may be up to 45 days. You are allowed one stopover on a one-way ticket and two on a return ticket.
This option works well for both regional flying or for adding a completely different country or continent to your travels. It’s easy to add a stopover online. Choose the Multi-city/Stopover option for your search and enter the origin, destination, stopover and length of stopover.
How about combining both Tokyo and Singapore into one trip? Visit two awesome destinations and fly both All Nippon Airways’ and Singapore Airlines’ superb business-class products on one itinerary. This example adds a nine-day stopover in Tokyo (HND) to a New York City (JFK) to Singapore (SIN) flight. The JFK to SIN flight prices out at 87,500 Aeroplan miles. By adding the Tokyo stop, the price increases to a reasonable 92,500 miles given the amount of premium cabin flying.
The stopover feature can be useful for short-haul flying within a region. Here’s a Mediterranean swing through Dubrovnik, Istanbul (three-day stopover) and Athens for 12,500 Aeroplan miles in economy. Without the Istanbul stopover, the Dubrovnik to Athens flight would be 7,500 miles in economy.
How To Maximize Aeroplan Points
Flight redemptions are the clear winner in terms of maximizing your Aeroplan points. In order to maximize your flight redemptions, here are some tips:
- Focus on partner flight redemptions. Partner redemptions represent the best value for your points.
- Think creatively when it comes to stopovers and layovers. Aeroplan allows six segments per direction of travel, which means a roundtrip can have up to 12 segments. Internationally, layovers can be up to 24 hours, so it’s possible to construct some fun itineraries using stopovers and layovers.
- Make use of Aeroplan’s family sharing feature. Pooling with your family allows consolidation of smaller quantities of points so you can redeem for a broader range of award flights. You can share your points with up to eight family members.
Featured Partner Offers
How To Earn Aeroplan Points
You can earn Aeroplan points every time you fly Air Canada or any of Air Canada’s partners. Partner flights earn varying amounts of points based on the fare class and distance traveled.
But the fastest way to build your Aeroplan balance is through taking advantage of Aeroplan’s co-branded credit cards offered in the U.S. and Canada. The Aeroplan® Credit Card, available in the U.S., typically offers a generous welcome offer. On top of that, the Chase Aeroplan Card helps you ramp up your point earning through its category spending bonuses, such as 3 points per dollar on groceries and restaurants.
Since Aeroplan is a partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards® and Marriott Bonvoy, you can quickly acquire Aeroplan points through transferring points from one of these programs. Here are the transfer ratios for each:
- American Express Membership Rewards – 1:1
- Bilt Rewards – 1:1
- Capital One Rewards – 1:1
- Chase Ultimate Rewards – 1:1
- Marriott Bonvoy – 3:1 plus 5,000 bonus points on transfers of 60,000 points
You can also earn Aeroplan points by shopping through the Aeroplan eStore portal, through purchasing Aeroplan vacations or through booking car rentals or hotels through Aeroplan’s travel portal. Canadians can get extra Aeroplan miles by linking their account to Starbucks and Uber.
Quick Guide To Understanding Aeroplan Rewards
Aeroplan differentiates between award flight pricing for Air Canada flights and that of flights on partner airlines. Awards using Air Canada flights are priced dynamically and can fluctuate between being cheaper than partner awards to being astronomically expensive. Aeroplan provides excellent availability for awards on Air Canada flights since every available seat is open but you pay a price for that availability.
In contrast, partner awards are priced according to a fixed award chart and this is where you are going to find the most value for award flights.
Geographically, Aeroplan divides the world up into four large travel zones. Award ticket prices are determined by the number of flown miles and zones transited.
Here you can find Aeroplan flight award charts. To quickly see how many points you’ll need for a flight, try the Aeroplan Point Predictor Tool for an approximate range.
Aeroplan has a large network of airline partners. Some of Aeroplan’s 25 other Star Alliance partners include:
- Aegean Airlines
- Air New Zealand
- All Nippon Airways (ANA)
- Avianca
- EVA Air
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Singapore Airlines
- Swiss
- Turkish Airlines
- United Airlines
Outside of Star Alliance, Aeroplan partners with another 26 airlines including:
- Air Serbia
- Bamboo Airways
- Cathay Pacific Airways
- Emirates
- Etihad Airways
- Gulf Air
- Oman Air
- Virgin Australia
Fees
Booking Fee
Aeroplan charges a $39 booking fee per ticket for partner awards.
Carrier-imposed or Fuel Surcharges
There are no carrier-imposed or fuel surcharges on Aeroplan awards.
Cancellation and Change Fees
Changing or canceling an Aeroplan award can be expensive. Aeroplan charges $100 to change a ticket, per direction of travel if you fly economy. Cancellation fees are $150 if you cancel online or $175 if you use the call center. Certain Aeroplan Elites receive waived award cancellation fees.
You can avoid award cancellation fees by booking a Latitude or Flexible award, which can be fully refundable. However, the points surcharge for a Latitude or Flexible economy award ticket is onerous. On a business-class ticket, the surcharge is much more reasonable. For example, the Flexible ticket surcharge is 16,000 Aeroplan miles for a business-class flight between New York and Singapore.
Find the Best Travel Credit Cards for 2024
Find the best travel credit card for your travel needs.
Bottom Line
Aeroplan points are easy to get due to its large network of transfer partners and the various co-branded credit cards available. You’ll get the most bang for your points by redeeming for flights with Air Canada partners as opposed to Air Canada itself. Aeroplan has its share of sweet spot redemptions like those we’ve highlighted above that give you outstanding value for your Aeroplan points.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many Aeroplan Points are needed for free flights?
To quickly find out how many Aeroplan points you need for an award, use the Aeroplan Point Predictor. Enter your origin and destination and you’ll get an estimate of how many points you need. Aeroplan partner redemptions start at 6,000 points for flights under 500 miles within North America.
Which transferable points programs transfer to Aeroplan?
Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Rewards, Bilt Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy all transfer to Aeroplan.
Do Aeroplan Points expire?
Aeroplan points expire after 18 months of no activity. Activity is defined as earning, redeeming, donating, transferring or converting points so it should be fairly easy to keep your points active. Points never expire if you are an Aeroplan credit cardholder or if you have Aeroplan elite status.
Can you get expired Aeroplan points back?
If your points do expire, Aeroplan will reinstate them if you fly with Air Canada within six months of expiry. You can book the flight after your points expire but must fly within the six months.
Can I cancel an Aeroplan award ticket for free within 24 hours?
Aeroplan flights, paid or award, can be refunded for free within 24 hours of purchase.
Will Aeroplan hold an award while I transfer my points?
Aeroplan will not hold an award—they must be ticketed immediately. Luckily many of the transferable points are converted quickly, if not instantly.
What is the infant or lap child charge on Aeroplan award tickets?
Infants under the age of two may travel as a lap child for free within Canada and between Canada and the U.S on award itineraries. For travel elsewhere, a fare of CAD$25 (about $18) or 2,500 Aeroplan points will apply. In all cases, the infant will need their own ticket and taxes and fees are still payable on the ticket.
How far in advance can I book an Aeroplan award?
Air Canada opens its schedule for reservations 355 days prior to departure.
