Air Canada Aeroplan: Everything to know about earning and redeeming points

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Air Canada’s Aeroplan program flies beneath the radar, but it surely is among the Most worthy and rewarding Star Alliance airline packages.

The Aeroplan program is the loyalty program supplied by Canada’s largest airline, Air Canada. It permits vacationers to earn and redeem factors for varied travel-related rewards.

Aeroplan nonetheless makes use of printed award charts for companion flights — a rarity in a loyalty world more and more pushed by dynamic pricing.

Even in case you by no means plan to go to Canada, this program is value figuring out about as a result of it’s straightforward to earn and redeem Aeroplan factors, particularly on companion airways like United Airlines.

Right here is the whole lot you’ll want to find out about Air Canada Aeroplan.

Associated: Why Air Canada Aeroplan has become my favorite Star Alliance loyalty program

Air Canada Aeroplan companions

Air Canada is a Star Alliance member, so you may earn and redeem Aeroplan factors with any collaborating provider. Greater than two dozen airways worldwide are full members, providing you with huge geographical protection.

Among the largest Star Alliance hubs embrace Chicago’s O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD), Frankfurt Airport (FRA), Istanbul Airport (IST) and Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND).

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The following airways are a part of Star Alliance:

• Aegean Airways
• Air Canada
• Air China
• Air India
• Air New Zealand
• All Nippon Airways
• Asiana Airways
• Austrian Airways
• Avianca
• Brussels Airways
• Copa Airways
• Croatia Airways
• Egyptair
• Ethiopian Airways
• EVA Airways
• LOT Polish Airways
• Lufthansa
• Shenzhen Airways
• Singapore Airways
• South African Airways
• Swiss
• TAP Air Portugal
• Thai Airways
• Turkish Airways
• United Airways

Nonetheless, Aeroplan additionally has relationships with many carriers outdoors of Star Alliance. In actual fact, Air Canada has leaned closely into these partnerships in recent times, even winning a TPG Award for this funding in 2021.

The next airways are nonalliance Aeroplan companions — although some advantages solely apply when reserving a flight with an Air Canada flight quantity:

• Aer Lingus (codeshare solely)
• Air Creebec
• Air Dolomiti
• Air Mauritius
• Air Serbia
• Azul Brazilian Airways
• Bamboo Airways
• Calm Air
• Canadian North
• Cathay Pacific
• Central Mountain Air (codeshare solely)
• Uncover Airways
• Edelweiss Air (codeshare solely)
• Emirates
• Etihad Airways
• Eurowings
• Flydubai
• Gol Airways
• Gulf Air
• Juneyao Air (Star Alliance connecting companion)
• Lufthansa Metropolis Airways
• Center East Airways (codeshare solely)
• Olympic Airways
• Oman Air
• PAL Airways
• SriLankan Airways (codeshare solely)
• SunExpress
• Virgin Australia

Remember to evaluation the data on Air Canada’s airline partner page to know the total scope of every provider’s partnership.

Air Canada Aeroplan elite standing

Air Canada Aeroplan rewards frequent Air Canada and Star Alliance flyers with helpful perks like seat upgrades, free checked bags and different advantages throughout 5 completely different standing tiers.

To qualify, you will must earn a set variety of status-qualifying miles or status-qualifying segments along with accruing a minimal quantity of status-qualifying {dollars}. Standing Qualifying Miles (SQMs) are calculated primarily based in your flight distance, Standing Qualifying Segments (SQSs) are primarily based on what number of flights you credit score to Aeroplan and Standing Qualifying {Dollars} (SQDs) are primarily based on how a lot you spend on tickets. Word that SQDs are primarily based on Canadian {dollars}.

Here is a have a look at the necessities for every standing tier:

• Aeroplan 25K: 25,000 SQMs or 25 SQSs, plus 3,000 SQDs
• Aeroplan 35K: 35,000 SQMs or 35 SQSs, plus 4,000 SQDs
• Aeroplan 50K: 50,000 SQMs or 50 SQSs, plus 6,000 SQDs
• Aeroplan 75K: 75,000 SQMs or 75 SQSs, plus 9,000 SQDs
• Aeroplan Tremendous Elite: 100,000 SQMs or 100 SQSs, plus 20,000 SQDs

The upper your standing, the extra advantages you may take pleasure in when flying with Air Canada and its companion airways. Advantages embrace:

• Aeroplan 25K: Complimentary most popular seats at check-in for all locations with the acquisition of a Commonplace of Flex fare, precedence airport standby, two checked luggage, precedence boarding, two one-time Maple Leaf visitor lounge passes, 5 further eUpgrade credit, Avis Most well-liked Plus standing, Star Alliance Silver standing, 3 bonus factors per Canadian greenback spent on lodge stays and automotive rental reserving in addition to 2 bonus factors per Canadian greenback spent on the Aeroplan eStore and extra
• Aeroplan 35K: All advantages of 25K plus three checked luggage whole, precedence safety and baggage dealing with, 15 eUpgrade credit and extra
• Aeroplan 50K: All advantages of 35K plus complimentary seat choice, most popular seats on the time of reserving with a Commonplace of Flex fare for journey inside Canada or between Canada and the US, Maple Leaf lounge entry, an extra one-time Maple Leaf visitor lounge move, Star Alliance Gold standing together with lounge entry, Air Canada Cafe entry, 20 eUpgrade credit, 5,000 SQMs and 5 SQSs and extra
• Aeroplan 75K: All advantages of 50K plus most popular seats on the time of reserving with a Commonplace of Flex fare for all itineraries, 35 eUpgrade credit, present 35K standing to a good friend, Avis President’s Membership standing and extra
• Aeroplan Tremendous Elite: All advantages of 75K plus complimentary most popular seats on all bookings, concierge service, an extra one-time Maple Leaf visitor lounge move, arrivals lounge entry at London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR), 50 eUpgrade credit, share your eUpgrade profit with a nominee, present 50K standing to a good friend, complimentary modifications and cancelations to Aeroplan flight rewards and extra

The way to earn Air Canada Aeroplan factors

It is surprisingly straightforward to earn Air Canada Aeroplan factors, even in case you’re not flying Air Canada.

Flying with Air Canada

In contrast to most U.S. carriers, Air Canada has continued to award factors primarily based on flight distance. You additionally must issue your fare class into your calculations. Some fares earn as little as 10% of miles flown, whereas business-class fares earn 150% of miles flown.

Here is a have a look at how a lot every fare earns:

Flying with Star Alliance and nonalliance companions

You will earn factors the identical method when flying with an Air Canada companion, however the variety of factors you will earn per mile flown varies by airline. Your companion’s incomes chart is on Air Canada’s airline partner page. Simply discover your companion on the record and click on on it.

Earn factors with the Air Canada Aeroplan bank card

New Chase Aeroplan® Credit Card candidates can earn as much as 100,000 bonus factors: 75,000 factors after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus an extra 25,000 factors after spending $20,000 on purchases within the first 12 months of account opening.

In our December 2024 valuations, TPG values Aeroplan at 1.5 cents every, making this sign-up bonus value $1,500. Regardless of such a helpful welcome bonus, the Chase Aeroplan card has an annual payment of simply $95.

With triple factors in a number of classes, month-to-month bonus factors, assertion credit, Aeroplan elite standing and discounted award pricing, this card is incredibly valuable, particularly in case you ever fly Air Canada.

Transferring bank card factors to Aeroplan

You may switch the next bank card rewards to Aeroplan at a 1:1 switch ratio:

The next playing cards all presently supply sturdy welcome bonuses with factors and miles that you would be able to switch to your Aeroplan account:

You will generally even discover limited-time transfer bonuses with these currencies. As well as, holders of the Aeroplan Credit Card can obtain a 10% bonus after they switch a minimum of 50,000 Final Rewards factors to Aeroplan (as much as 25,000 bonus factors yearly).

Associated: Why transferable points are worth more than other rewards

Incomes with retail companions

Air Canada has a web based shopping portal that allows you to earn Aeroplan factors with third-party distributors, reminiscent of Apple, Uber Eats and different fashionable retailers. You may click on by way of the product owner’s hyperlink on the Air Canada eStore earlier than you make a purchase order, and you will earn a set variety of factors per greenback spent in your buy. This may be a good way to earn bonus factors on on a regular basis purchases.

Word: Not all Air Canada retail companions are legitimate for points-earning purchases within the U.S. and Canada. Some are Canada-only, so double-check on the companion web page earlier than buying.

Air Canada has a enterprise rewards program dubbed Air Canada for Business.

Companies can use this program to earn further Aeroplan factors for each journey flown, take pleasure in as much as a 5% low cost on all Flex fares and better for enterprise journey bookings, and for a restricted time, for each $50,000 in flown journey spend, workers earn double Aeroplan factors and the corporate will obtain 10,000 bonus SQMs.

The way to redeem Air Canada Aeroplan factors

You should use your Aeroplan factors to fly worldwide; Air Canada affords an enormous route community by itself, however its lengthy record of alliance and nonalliance companions expands this record even additional.

In contrast to many U.S. carriers, Air Canada has stored a normal award chart with fastened flights operated by companion airways and flights operated by Air Canada priced dynamically (inside a variety of the award chart). This implies you may guide award flights at predictable costs, particularly if you’re flying with companions. It additionally eliminated fuel surcharges, so you will solely pay minimal taxes plus a 39 Canadian greenback (about $27.60) companion reserving payment (if relevant).

Aeroplan’s award chart

Aeroplan employs a hybrid distance- and region-based award chart. You will pay primarily based in your flight size, however pricing varies primarily based on the area you fly to and from. You will discover that every may be very broadly outlined.

To search out the price of an award, decide the areas you are flying from and to. Then calculate the gap between your origin and vacation spot utilizing a device like Great Circle Mapper. Subsequent, discover the award chart to your area pair within the Air Canada award chart to find out the price of your flight.

Right here is the chart for journey inside North America:

Air Canada flights with Commonplace award area shall be priced on the decrease finish of the spectrum, whereas flights with out this shall be priced increased.

The most effective methods to redeem Air Canada Aeroplan factors

The Aeroplan award chart is stuffed with fascinating candy spots and nice offers. Listed below are a number of the finest methods to maximise the award chart and this system’s fascinating options, reminiscent of stopovers on one-way award tickets.

Fly Air Canada off-peak

Aeroplan’s system of dynamically pricing flights operated by Air Canada but nonetheless inside the confines of an award chart can result in some distinctive pricing. On peak dates, reminiscent of summer season flights to Europe, the costs might be unreasonably excessive and never an important redemption choice.

Nonetheless, if you’re keen to journey off-peak, nice offers might be had. Try seasonal flights within the first and final month of the season (you need to use Air Canada’s Wikipedia web page to test which locations are seasonal) for enticing pricing on low-demand dates, with long-haul business-class flights as little as 60,000 Aeroplan factors and even cheaper in case you have the Aeroplan credit card.

Associated: A review of Air Canada business class on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Montreal to London

E-book a mini round-the-world journey with stopovers

For five,000 factors apiece, you may add one stopover to one-way tickets and two stopovers to round-trip tickets. These stopovers might be anyplace worldwide, and Aeroplan permits you to get artistic along with your routing.

The one main restriction to recollect is that your connecting flight can not require greater than double the mileage value of a nonstop flight to your ultimate vacation spot. This opens up plenty of fascinating bookings. For instance, you may guide a mini round-the-world journey that takes benefit of a stopover, two round-trip tickets and a number of 24-hour layovers. Even higher, now you can guide stopover tickets on-line, however you might must name in to guide extra advanced itineraries with further layovers.

Associated: The complete guide to Aeroplan’s stopover and routing rules

Fly domestically on United from 6,000 factors

You may guide financial system flights on United Airways inside the continental U.S. and Canada from simply 6,000 Aeroplan factors for flights as much as 500 miles in size, reminiscent of from Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) to many Northeastern locations. Saver availability is restricted, however in case you’re versatile in your journey dates, this is usually a improbable worth.

Fly companion airways from the East Coast to Europe

Many flights from the East Coast to Europe fall into the zero to 4,000 miles tier on the North America-to-Atlantic award chart, and there are many companion airways flying throughout the Atlantic who repeatedly launch seats to Aeroplan, together with Lufthansa, United, Swiss, LOT Polish and Austrian Airways.

These flights value simply 60,000 factors in enterprise class and 90,000 factors in top quality, so that they’re a good way to hop throughout the Atlantic. And even when your routing is longer, the business-class award price is simply 70,000 factors for as much as 6,000 miles flown.

These choices are cheaper than what different Star Alliance packages, reminiscent of Avianca LifeMiles and United MileagePlus, cost for a similar flights, particularly since LifeMiles increased their rates for Lufthansa top quality to Europe.

Fly enterprise class to India for 90,000 factors

You may guide Star Alliance companions like United, Air India and Turkish Airlines between the U.S. and India for simply 90,000 factors every method in enterprise class or 55,000 factors in financial system class. Better of all, there aren’t any gasoline surcharges.

Air Canada’s Aeroplan loyalty program is nice. Strong redemption charges, versatile stopovers and no gasoline surcharges imply you will get some glorious offers on award tickets. It additionally companions with lots of the largest transferable points programs, so you might be sitting on rewards that may finally turn into Aeroplan factors.

Even in case you aren’t planning to go to Canada or fly on Air Canada, you need to contemplate this system to your subsequent factors switch or main redemption.