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Last summer, United Airlines and Air Canada entered an agreement to make traveling between the U.S. and Canada much more effortless. Now, the details of the agreement have become clearer.
Here’s what you need to know.
United announced on February 23 that it would begin offering a flight between Washington-Dulles (IAD) and Calgary (YYC) on an Airbus 319. Additionally, Air Canada will also operate a flight between Washington-Dulles (IAD) and Vancouver (YVR) on a Boeing 737 Max 8.
The new flights begin June 1 and 2, respectively. Here’s a look at the schedule:
Flight | Departs | Arrives | Frequency |
UA 1125 | Washington 9:00 | Calgary 11:59 | Daily |
UA 2221 | Calgary 13:30 | Washington 19:54 | Daily |
AC 1036 | Vancouver 8:15 | Washington 16:16 | 5x weekly |
AC 1037 | Washington 17:10 | Vancouver 20:01 | 5x weekly |
All told, the agreement would see both carriers add 80 transborder codeshare routes and more than 260 daily flights this summer.
“Our coordinated schedules will provide business travelers with the convenience of hourly service and the additional comfort of a business cabin on all flights between Toronto and New York and Chicago, as well as Vancouver and San Francisco,” said Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President Network Planning and Revenue Management at Air Canada.
United and Air Canada first announced its agreement last year, which allowed U.S. and Canadian travelers to connect to 46 transborder codeshare destinations with more than 400 daily frequencies in 2022. The agreement also gave the option to add more codeshare destinations for domestic routes within Canada and the U.S.
Plus, travelers will still be able to enjoy MileagePlus and Aeroplan loyalty program benefits and will see more flight options scheduled on both websites at more convenient times.
According to the 2 airlines, the U.S.-Canada transborder market was the second-largest international passenger air transportation market in the world in 2019. It was also the largest international market for Canada and the U.S., as measured by seats.
While you can learn more about the best ways to fly to Canada with points and miles in our detailed guide, let’s quickly review what award redemptions between the U.S. and Canada will cost you on both United and Air Canada.
When redeeming United MileagePlus miles for United flights between the U.S. and Canada, dynamic pricing takes into effect, but you can expect these estimated rates:
Cabin Class | United Miles Cost |
Economy | From 12,500 miles |
Business | From 27,500 miles |
The award chart for Air Canada’s Aeroplan program, however, is priced based on the flight distance of your itinerary:
Flight Distance (Miles) | Economy Class Aeroplan Points Cost | Business Class Aeroplan Points Cost |
0 to 500 | 6,000 to 10,000 | 15,000 to 25,000 |
501 to 1,500 | 10,000 to 15,000 | 20,000 to 35,000 |
1,501 to 2,750 | 12,500 to 17,500 | 25,000 to 60,000 |
2,751+ | 17,500 to 25,000 | 35,000 to 70,000 |
Hot Tip: If you are paying for your flight with cash, consider a United-branded credit card to earn up to 4x miles on your United purchase, or the Aeroplan® Credit Card to earn 3x points on Air Canada purchases.
Flying on Star Alliance airlines between the U.S. and Canada will become much easier with this new agreement. Travelers will have more flight options and better flight schedules and, most importantly, still enjoy MileagePlus and Aeroplan benefits.
