With a healthy stash of Air Canada Aeroplan points, there’s virtually nowhere you can’t visit for pennies on the dollar. Aeroplan points are astonishingly powerful (part of why we picked the program for the second-best airline rewards program in the world) — not to mention easy to use.
Let’s take a quick tour of the Air Canada Aeroplan program to help you understand how to redeem Aeroplan points for flights and travel.
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About Air Canada Aeroplan
Air Canada Aeroplan is the loyalty program of Canada’s largest airline, Air Canada. Thanks to a few extra customer-friendly policies, such as incredibly cheap lap infants on a flight reward and the ability to build inexpensive stopovers into your journey, it’s a hyper-popular travel currency to collect.
Importantly, you can use Aeroplan points for more than just Air Canada flights; there’s a squad of worldwide airline partners to choose from, meaning you can get to just about anywhere on the planet. Partner airlines include popular carriers, such as United Airlines, Avianca, Swiss International Air Lines, and Singapore Airlines.
All this to say: Aeroplan points are valuable, even if you never plan to step foot on an Air Canada plane.
Can I transfer points to Air Canada Aeroplan?
Air Canada Aeroplan partners with several travel-rewards programs, allowing you to convert flexible credit card rewards into Aeroplan points. The following programs allow you to transfer rewards at a 1:1 ratio:
- American Express Membership Rewards points
- Bilt Rewards
- Capital One Rewards
- Chase Ultimate Rewards
It’s also worth noting that you can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to the Aeroplan program at a ratio of 3:1 (3 Marriott points = 1 Aeroplan point). You’ll also get 5,000 bonus Aeroplan points when you transfer in 60,000-point increments. In other words, transferring 60,000 Marriott points will result in 25,000 Aeroplan points.
The ability to transfer many different types of credit card rewards to Air Canada makes it extremely easy to rack up Aeroplan points in a hurry.
How to redeem Aeroplan points for flights
To use your Aeroplan points for flights, head over to the Aeroplan site and sign into your account. In the search box, tick the box labeled “Book with points.”
You’ll then need to enter your travel details, such as the airports you’re using, your desired dates, and the number of travelers. Press “Search flights,” and you’ll be brought to a page that automatically shows available flights and award prices for Air Canada and its partner airlines.
How many Aeroplan points you’ll need for a flight
The amount of points you’ll pay for your Air Canada flight depends on your origin and destination, the distance you fly, and your travel dates. Aeroplan uses “dynamic pricing,” which is a fancy way of saying you’ll pay whatever Aeroplan feels like charging at the moment based on a number of factors known only to the airline.
Meanwhile, Air Canada uses a more straightforward approach when pricing award seats with its airline partners. You’ll be charged according to your origin, destination, and the distance you fly. Prices don’t change day-to-day as they do with an Air Canada flight.
Aeroplan publishes a “Flight Reward Chart” that helps you estimate how many points you’ll need for a given trip. Here’s how it works.
Planet Earth is divided into four zones — North America, Atlantic, Pacific, and South America. With this map, you can quickly figure out the zone of your destination; then you’ll consult one of the award charts below to see what you’ll spend. Each award chart shows you one-way award prices based on:
- The distance of your flights
- The airline you’re flying
You can use a site like Great Circle Mapper to get an idea as to how long your journey will be.
Of course, the magic of point.me is that you don’t have to think about any of this. Our real-time search and booking engine combs through more than 100 reward programs at once to determine the best use of points based on your specific situation, freeing you up to plan your time on the ground.
Using Aeroplan points for flights within North America
Based on the above chart, you should expect the following flight-reward prices for a one-way Economy flight:
- Newark to Chicago on United Airlines — 10,000 Aeroplan points
- Houston to San Francisco on United Airlines — 12,500 Aeroplan points
- Vancouver, British Columbia, to Cancun on Air Canada — 17,500 to 25,000 points
Using Aeroplan points for flights to Europe
Based on the above chart, you should expect the following flight-reward prices for a one-way Economy flight:
- Miami to Zurich on SWISS — 40,000 Aeroplan points
- Newark to Dublin on United Airlines — 35,000 Aeroplan points
- Calgary to London on Air Canada — 40,000 to 70,000 Aeroplan points
Using Aeroplan points for flights to Asia
Based on the above chart, you should expect the following flight-reward prices for a one-way Economy flight:
- Seattle to Seoul on Asiana Airlines — 50,000 Aeroplan points
- Los Angeles to Singapore on Singapore Airlines — 60,000 Aeroplan points
- Toronto to Tokyo on Air Canada — 45,000 to 80,000 Aeroplan points
Using Aeroplan points for flights to South America
Based on the above chart, you should expect the following flight-reward prices for a one-way Economy flight:
- Miami to Medellin, Colombia — 20,000 Aeroplan points
- Houston to Sao Paulo, Brazil — 40,000 Aeroplan points
- Toronto to Santiago, Chile — 40,000 to 70,000 Aeroplan points
Beyond these rules, there are two other features worth mentioning.
First, you can bring along a lap infant for just CA$25 or 2,500 Aeroplan points. This is exceptionally cheap, as many other airlines will charge 10% of an adult fare for a lap infant when traveling internationally — even for a flight reward.
Second, you can add one stopover to your journey for just 5,000 points each way. This is a rare perk among airline loyalty programs — and an inexpensive way to enjoy other fun destinations during your trip.
How to redeem Aeroplan points for other travel rewards
Flexible booking with points + cash
When booking a flight reward, you’ll see an option to mix your payment with cash and points. You can pay for the entire trip (including taxes and fees) with Aeroplan points, or you can choose to pay thousands of points less in exchange for cash.
This means it’s possible to get a 100% completely free flight with Aeroplan points.
How to redeem Aeroplan points for upgrades
After you’ve purchased an Economy or Premium Economy ticket, you can redeem Aeroplan points to bid on a seat upgrade. Just visit the AC Bid Upgrade page, type in your booking reference and passenger last name, and you can potentially get a much fancier seat.
How to redeem Aeroplan points for merchandise at the Aeroplan eStore
If you’ve got no plans to travel (or you’ve simply got more Aeroplan points than you know what to do with), you can spend your miles at the Aeroplan eStore. This is a shopping portal that allows you to earn bonus points for purchases or redeem points to lower your total at checkout. There are loads of things you can buy with your points, from smartphones to watches to luggage to Air Canada gift cards.
The Aeroplan eStore is generally a very poor use for Aeroplan points. It’s not difficult to get exponentially more value from your rewards when redeeming points for flights. If you think you’ll make a habit of using your points for merchandise, you’re better off collecting cash back instead of Aeroplan points.
How to earn Aeroplan points
Beyond transferring flexible travel rewards to Aeroplan, perhaps the most straightforward way to accumulate Aeroplan points is with the Aeroplan credit card.
You can also earn points by flying with Air Canada and its Star Alliance airline partners. Every flight booked with Air Canada or any of its partner airlines earns Aeroplan points, calculated based on the distance flown and the fare purchased.
Finally, you can earn points by booking hotel stays, car rentals, and vacation packages through other Aeroplan travel partners (Avis, Best Western, Hilton, Marriott, etc.), as well as shopping with the airline’s retail partners.
How do I join Air Canada Aeroplan?
Opening an Aeroplan account is a straightforward process that can be completed in just a few steps. Here’s how to sign up:
- Visit the Aeroplan website and click the prominent “Join Aeroplan” button near the top of the page.
- Fill out the registration form. You will be asked to provide personal information, such as your name, email address, and postal address. The form also includes questions about your travel preferences and whether you want to receive promotional emails.
- Submit your application after you’ve agreed to the terms and conditions. You should receive an instant confirmation of your enrollment.
After you submit your application, you’ll get an email confirming your Aeroplan account. Upon account opening, you’re immediately eligible to earn points on flights, travel, retail purchases, etc.
Using point.me to redeem Aeroplan points
point.me gives you the luxury of completely forgetting everything you just read. With a few clicks of a mouse, your trip will be booked.
To redeem Aeroplan points for flights through point.me, first enter your origin and destination into the search box on the home page.
If your route is operated by Air Canada or one of its partners (which it almost certainly will be!), you’ll have the option to filter your results to show exclusively Air Canada Aeroplan-eligible flights. You don’t have to use this filter; Aeroplan awards will still appear throughout the search results.
Each eligible flight will display an Aeroplan logo. It also shows how many points you’ll need. Choose the flight you want.
At this step, you’ll notice two things. point.me will show you eligible Aeroplan transfer partners if you don’t have enough rewards for your flight. It’ll also suggest other rewards programs you can use to book the exact same flight. As you can see, it’s possible to use United Airlines miles, EVA Air miles, or TAP Portugal miles for your award — though all are more expensive.
If you need more Aeroplan points for flights, choose from the list of transfer partners you’d like to use. point.me will help you through the process and then usher you to the Aeroplan website to complete your booking.
Frequently asked questions about using Aeroplan points
What can I redeem Aeroplan points for?
You can redeem Aeroplan points for flights, hotel stays, car rentals, and merchandise. Additionally, points can also be used for experiences and gift cards.
How do I convert Aeroplan points to cash?
Aeroplan points cannot be directly converted to cash. However, members can redeem points for gift cards or products through the Aeroplan rewards catalog, which can indirectly translate to monetary value.
Do Aeroplan points expire?
Aeroplan points do not expire as long as the Aeroplan account remains active. An account is considered active if at least one qualifying activity (redeeming or earning points) occurs within a period of 18 months.
Can Aeroplan points be transferred to partner airlines?
While you can transfer other points currencies to Aeroplan, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can’t transfer Aeroplan points to other loyalty programs. You can book seats on Air Canada partner airlines directly through the Aeroplan website.
Can I redeem Aeroplan points to fly United?
You can use Aeroplan points to fly on United Airlines. Just search the Aeroplan website for a route that United flies, and you’ll be able to use Aeroplan points for it — as long as there’s an award seat available.
How do I earn Aeroplan points?
You can earn Aeroplan points by opening and using the Aeroplan credit card, and by converting credit-card rewards, such as American Express Membership Rewards points and Chase Ultimate Rewards points, to Air Canada. Another option is earning points by flying with Air Canada and making purchases through its various hotel, car rental, and retailer partners.
Read more about airline loyalty programs and how to use points
- How to book ANA flights with points
- How to book Virgin Atlantic flights with points
- How to book British Airways flights with points
- How to use Delta SkyMiles for travel
- How to use Southwest Rapid Rewards points
- How to use American Airlines AAdvantage miles
- How to use United miles
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