Why Air Canada Aeroplan Is My Favorite Airline Loyalty Program

While there are numerous loyalty programs nowadays, some are clearly better than others for one reason or another. While there is no “best” airline loyalty program, one stands out as my personal favorite: Air Canada Aeroplan.

The Aeroplan program is a favorite among many award travelers — and for good reason. The program has a long list of partner airlines and award charts for partner redemptions, which makes it easy to earn and redeem Aeroplan points.

Over the last 5 years, I have redeemed more than 1 million Air Canada Aeroplan points for incredible first and business class experiences on some of the best airlines in the world. However, I have also used the points for short flights within North America when cash prices were high.

Here’s a look at some factors that make Air Canada Aeroplan so valuable and why it is my favorite airline loyalty program.

Why Air Canada Aeroplan Is So Valuable

Although there are many airline loyalty programs, few offer as much as Air Canada Aeroplan. Here are some reasons why Aeroplan is so valuable for award travel.

1. Many Partner Airlines

Air Canada is a member of Star Alliance, the largest airline alliance in the world, with 25 members, including popular airlines such as United Airlines, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, and Singapore Airlines. This means you can redeem Air Canada Aeroplan points on numerous airlines.

However, Aeroplan also has a long list of nonalliance partners, including world-class airlines like Emirates, Etihad, Gulf Air, and Oman Air. These additional partners create even more ways to redeem Aeroplan points.

With so many partner airlines, Aeroplan gives members numerous ways to redeem points for award travel. Best of all, Aeroplan seems to add new partner airlines consistently.

Over the years, I have redeemed Aeroplan points for premium cabin flights on 9 different airline partners, including well-known airlines like Singapore Airlines and All Nippon Airways.

2. Award Chart for Partner Redemptions

Although Air Canada Aeroplan is my favorite airline loyalty program and may seem like the obvious method for booking Air Canada flights, it is a poor choice. This is because Aeroplan uses dynamic pricing for its own flights.

This makes it extremely difficult to know exactly how many points you need for an award redemption. I have seen transatlantic business class flights that can be booked for as few as 70,000 points on some dates and as high as 400,000 on others. That is more than 4 times the price for the exact same flight!

However, this is significantly different for partner award redemptions. Aeroplan uses a zone-based award chart where redemption rates depend on the total mileage flown between 2 zones. Here’s a look at how Aeroplan divides the world into travel zones:

With award charts in place, I know exactly how many points I need for a redemption. If I wanted to fly from my home airport of Chicago O’Hare (ORD) to anywhere in Europe, I would go to the North America-Atlantic award chart. I would need to calculate the total miles flown, which would show me exactly how many points I would need for the partner redemption.

3. You Can Book Stopovers for 5,000 Points

Aeroplan also has an incredibly generous stopover policy. You can add a stopover for just 5,000 points, including one-way award redemptions. This is highly valuable, as Aeroplan has many partner airlines and can add a second destination to your itinerary for very few points.

I’ve utilized Aeroplan stopovers multiple times in the past. My most recent trip was in United Polaris business class from Chicago to Barcelona (BCN), with a stopover in Rome (FCO). The total cost for the itinerary was 75,000 Aeroplan points, which was only 5,000 points more than the 70,000 points for a direct flight to Barcelona.

Just so you know, you will want to be careful as you still need to factor in the total distance flown. Adding a stopover for just 5,000 points is incredible as long as the additional distance flown does not move the redemption into the next distance band, as this increases the total Aeroplan points needed.

4. No Fuel Surcharges

Another excellent perk of the Aeroplan program is that it does not pass on fuel surcharges for partner redemptions. This is incredibly important when booking travel using points with the lowest possible out-of-pocket costs.

However, Aeroplan does have a partner booking fee of CA$39 (about $28), which is negligible compared to carrier-imposed surcharges.

5. It Is Easy To Earn Aeroplan Points

Lastly, earning Air Canada Aeroplan points is also easy, making it simple to accumulate points for award redemptions.

Air Canada Aeroplan is a transfer partner of nearly every major transferable points program, including American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Marriott Bonvoy.

All programs transfer at a 1:1 rate to Aeroplan, aside from Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy points transfer at a 3:1 ratio to Aeroplan — and for every 60,000 Bonvoy points you transfer, you get a 5,000-point bonus.

Additionally, there is also the cobranded Aeroplan^® Credit Card. With the Aeroplan card, you can earn 3x Aeroplan points at grocery stores, dining at restaurants, and with Air Canada directly. 

Aeroplan^® Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Aeroplan card is a great option for Air Canada flyers looking to earn more points and receive automatic elite status.

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Aeroplan^® Credit Card

The Aeroplan card is a great option for Air Canada flyers looking to earn more points and receive automatic elite status.

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Plus, 25,000 bonus points after you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months.

Up to 100,000 bonus points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,500

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.99% - 27.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

Flyers based in the U.S. may think they wouldn’t have a need for a card like the Aeroplan^® Credit Card, it might be much better suited for you than you think.

Not only does Air Canada offer fantastic award redemptions, but adding the card to your wallet makes the program even more rewarding by offering elite status, more points, travel coverage, and more. Let’s take a closer look and see why the Aeroplan card might make a lot of sense for you.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points per $1 on Air Canada purchases, at grocery stores, and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services)
• 500 bonus points for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month (up to a maximum of 1,500 bonus points)
• Receive Aeroplan 25K status for the remainder of the calendar year, plus the following calendar year, and continue to extend it beyond that by spending $15,000 on the card per calendar year

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• Does not earn transferable rewards

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Card Highlights

• Earn up to 100,000 bonus points
• Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, 25,000 bonus points after you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months.
• $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

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.99% - 27.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Final Thoughts

Air Canada’s Aeroplan loyalty program provides members with plenty of value and has become my favorite loyalty program. The program makes it easy to redeem points for partner award redemptions and even easier to earn those points.

With an established award chart for partner redemptions, numerous airline partners, lack of carrier-imposed surcharges, and the ability to book stopovers for just 5,000 points, no airline loyalty program is as valuable to me as Air Canada Aeroplan.