The 8 Best Ways To Redeem Air Canada Aeroplan Points [2023]

Air Canada Aeroplan has become a fan-favorite loyalty program over the years thanks to its strong redemption opportunities with Star Alliance carriers and the ease of earning miles in the program.

The program has gone through some changes in recent years, most recently introducing a revamped award chart, elimination of carrier-imposed surcharges, the introduction of a points-pooling program, and more.

There are many ways to leverage the Aeroplan program, but we think the best way to do it is by focusing on long-haul business class flights and using the program’s stopover rules to get amazing value for your miles.

In this article, we’ll cover how to earn Aeroplan points, how to leverage the Aeroplan network of airline partners, and, of course, the best ways to use your Aeroplan points.

Table of contents

Best Ways To Earn Aeroplan Points
Use the Aeroplan Award Charts To Plan Travel
The 8 Best Ways To Use Your Aeroplan Points
List of Star Alliance Partners
List of Non-Star Alliance Partners
Car Rental and Hotel Partners
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

Best Ways To Earn Aeroplan Points
Use the Aeroplan Award Charts To Plan Travel
The 8 Best Ways To Use Your Aeroplan Points
List of Star Alliance Partners
List of Non-Star Alliance Partners
Car Rental and Hotel Partners
Final Thoughts

Best Ways To Earn Aeroplan Points

Aeroplan points can be transferred from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Chase Ultimate Rewards at a 1:1 ratio, or from Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio, with a 5,000-point bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred.

Aeroplan points can also be earned directly with the Aeroplan® Credit Card issued by Chase.

Recommended American Express Cards

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Earn Points With Partners

Aeroplan has several travel partners. You can find the full list in our post covering the best ways to earn lots of Aeroplan points.

You can earn extra miles by linking your Aeroplan account with the Aeroplan eStore, your Starbucks account, and various hotel and car rental partners to “double-dip” in your mileage earnings.

For example, if you book a car rental with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you will earn both Chase Ultimate Rewards points for the rental plus Aeroplan points from your account that you linked.

Use the Aeroplan Award Charts To Plan Travel

Aeroplan uses 10 award charts to determine redemption rates between and within its 4 travel zones.

The new Aeroplan award rates are determined by zone and by flight distance. To find out how many miles you’ll need for a specific flight, first locate your destination on Air Canada’s zone map.

Then, you can input your origin and destination cities into a service like The Great Circle Mapper to find out the distance between the cities. Finally, reference the Aeroplan award chart that applies to the appropriate zone of your destination and you’ll be able to find the cost of your flight.

Aeroplan’s terms and conditions contain a number of rules that are important to review. For simplicity, here are some of the most important rules to keep in mind as you’re searching for award flights:

Mileage is determined by the region, class of service, and whether the redemption is round-trip or one-way.
Award flights must be confirmed at the time of booking. There’s no waitlisting permitted.
Aeroplan does not charge a close-in (within 21 days) booking fee.
Award flights booked over the phone require a CA$30 booking fee (~$23).
Partner flights require a booking fee of CA$39 (~$30).
You can cancel within 24 hours of booking for a full refund.
You can refund awards up to 2 hours before departure (this was previously 21 days).
Award refund fees are as follows:
- CA$125 (~$97) for refunding online
- CA$150 (~$117) for refunding over the phone
- Free for Air Canada Aeroplan Super Elite 100K members

The 8 Best Ways To Use Your Aeroplan Points

The Star Alliance has an extensive network in Europe as well as strategic partners in Asia, Africa, and South America that allow you to travel all over the world seamlessly.

While the number of miles required for many of these redemptions is high compared to other award programs, there’s still great value to be found with your Aeroplan points.

1. Fly Between the East Coast and India From 85,000 Points One-way in Business Class on a Star Alliance Partner

Turkish Airlines 777-300ER business class. Image Credit: Turkish Airlines

A one-way business class flight between the East Coast of the U.S. and India using Aeroplan is likely not at the top of your list of redemptions, but in our opinion, it really should be.

From just 85,000 Aeroplan points, you can book a one-way business class flight on any Star Alliance partner from the East Coast to India, which is classified as part of the “Atlantic” zone on the new Air Canada Aeroplan award chart.

In economy, you’ll spend at least 55,000 Aeroplan points to book a one-way economy ticket on Star Alliance partners:

Here’s an example of a flight you can book:

New York (JFK) to Mumbai (BOM) for 85,000 points one-way in Air India or Turkish Airlines business class

One of the benefits of the new Aeroplan program is that it doesn’t pass on carrier surcharges, so you don’t have to worry about forking over a lot of out-of-pocket cash on top of the points you use.

Hot Tip: While you won’t get outsized value, you can also use your points to pay yourself back on travel expenses with the Aeroplan card at 1.25 cents each through December 31, 2023.

2. Fly Between the East Coast and South Africa From 170,000 Points Round-trip in Business Class on a Star Alliance Partner

Swiss Air business class cabin. Image Credit: Swiss Air

Africa is on many a traveler’s bucket list, but it’s typically challenging to get to.

However, you can book a round-trip business class flight between the East Coast of the U.S. to South Africa from 170,000 points. One-way flights are half the price. If economy makes more sense, you can book a round-trip flight from 110,000 Aeroplan points.

Here are some example itineraries you can book:

New York (JFK) to Johannesburg (JNB) via Zurich (ZRH) for 85,000 points one-way in SWISS business class
Newark (EWR) to Cape Town (CPT) nonstop for 85,000 points one-way in United business class

3. Fly Between the U.S. and Europe From 120,000 Points Round-trip in Business Class on a Star Alliance Partner

United Polaris Middle Seats — United’s Polaris business class is sure to please. Image Credit: United Airlines

Using your points and miles to fly to Europe in business class may not yield you the greatest value for them, per se, but we still think it’s a great way to put them to good use.

With 120,000 Aeroplan points, you can book a round-trip business class flight from many U.S. cities to destinations across Europe.

All of Europe is located in the same zone according to Aeroplan, but remember that within each zone, redemption rates vary by flight distance, so you’ll have to check the mileage of your specific destination to accurately calculate how many miles you’ll need to spend.

Here are some examples of itineraries you can book with Aeroplan:

Chicago (ORD) to Athens (ATH) via Istanbul (IST) for 70,000 points one-way in Turkish Airlines business class
Los Angeles (LAX) to Frankfurt (FRA) nonstop for 70,000 points one-way in Lufthansa business class
Newark (EWR) to London (LHR) nonstop for 60,000 points one-way in United business class

4. Fly Between the U.S. and Australia or New Zealand From 150,000 Points Round-trip in Business Class on a Star Alliance Partner

Air New Zealand Business dining — Regardless of what plane you fly, Air New Zealand business class is a great product. Image Credit: Air New Zealand

While it’s natural to get pumped about flying to Australia or New Zealand in business class, the reality is that award space is very limited, no matter which program you hope to book with.

If you can find availability, you could book a round-trip business class flight from the West Coast of the U.S. to Australia or New Zealand from 150,000 Aeroplan points. One-way flights require half the points.

Here are some examples of itineraries you can book:

San Francisco (SFO) to Auckland (AKL) nonstop for 75,000 points-one way in Air New Zealand business class
San Francisco (SFO) to Sydney (SYD) nonstop for 75,000 points one-way in United business class

Hot Tip: You may have better luck finding award space by using United’s search engine. If you’re successful, you can call Aeroplan to confirm the booking.

5. Fly Within North America on United From 12,000 Points Round-trip in Economy

United economy multimedia view — Enjoy United economy from just 6,000 points one-way. Image Credit: United

You can book round-trip economy flights on United Airlines within the continental U.S. and Canada from just 12,000 Aeroplan points. Again, the exact rates depend on the distance of the flight.

Flights between the West Coast of the U.S. and Hawaii will require 25,000 points round-trip in economy and 50,000 points round-trip in business class, while flights between the East Coast and Hawaii will cost 45,000 points round-trip in economy and 70,000 round-trip in business.

Here are some examples of itineraries you can book:

Newark (EWR) to Boston (BOS) nonstop for 6,000 points one-way in United economy
Newark (EWR) to Los Angeles (LAX) nonstop for 25,000 points one-way in United business class
San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL) nonstop for 12,500 points one-way in United economy

Hot Tip: Check out all the best ways to fly to Hawaii using points and miles!

6. Fly Between the U.S. and Southern South America From 120,000 Points Round-trip in Business Class on a Star Alliance Partner

United Polaris Lounge Houston IAH wine and Champagne — Enjoy access to United’s Polaris Lounge when flying in Polaris class. Image Credit: Chris Hassan

The Star Alliance has a solid presence in South America with several airlines providing nonstop flights, such as Avianca, Copa Airlines, and United Airlines.

You can book a round-trip business class flight from the U.S. to cities across southern South America from 120,000 Aeroplan points.

Here are some examples of itineraries you can book:

Houston (IAH) to Buenos Aires (EZE) nonstop for 60,000 points one-way in United business class
Houston (IAH) to Rio de Janeiro (GIG) nonstop for 60,000 points one-way in United business class

7. Fly Between the U.S. and Asia From 110,000 Points Round-trip in Business Class on a Star Alliance Partner

ANA's New 777-300ER Business Class "The Room" — ANA’s new business class seating is excellent. Image Credit: ANA

The Star Alliance has several Asian carriers that allow you to access many cities across the region with nonstop flights or easy 1-stop itineraries.

Partners based in Asia include All Nippon Airways (ANA), Asiana Airlines, EVA Air, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways.

You can book a round-trip business class flight from the U.S. to destinations in Asia from just 110,000 Aeroplan points.

Keep in mind that most of Asia falls into the Pacific zone in Aeroplan’s award chart and it’s a vast region, so mileage rates will vary depending on your origin and destination cities.

Here are some examples of itineraries you can book:

Los Angeles (LAX) to Singapore (SIN) nonstop for 85,000 points one-way in Singapore Airlines business class
San Francisco (SFO) to Seoul-Incheon (ICN) nonstop for 75,000 points one-way in United or Asiana business class
Seattle (SEA) to Tokyo-Narita (NRT) nonstop for 55,000 points one-way in ANA business class

Hot Tip: You can snag a round-trip economy flight from the West Coast of the U.S. to select destinations in Asia from just 70,000 points, which can be a great way to stretch your miles for a long-haul flight.

8. Fly Between the U.S. and the Middle East for 85,000 Points One-way in Business Class on Etihad

Etihad Airways Airbus A380 Business Class Seat Mood Lighting — Etihad Airways Airbus A380 business class. Image Credit: Greg Stone

While Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways isn’t a Star Alliance partner, Aeroplan maintains a partnership with the airline that opens up some amazing redemption opportunities.

Thanks to this partnership, you can redeem 85,000 Aeroplan points to fly one-way in Etihad business class from cities on the U.S. East Coast, such as New York (JFK) and Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Abu Dhabi (AUH).

Want to up the luxury ante a notch (or 3)? You can fly the same routes in Etihad’s spectacular first class product for 120,000 points each way.

List of Star Alliance Partners

Below is a list of all Star Alliance member airlines:

Aegean	Ethiopian
Air Canada	EVA Air
Air China	LOT Polish Airlines
Air India	Lufthansa
Air New Zealand	Scandinavian Airlines
ANA	Shenzhen Airlines
Asiana Airlines	Singapore Airlines
Austrian	South African Airways
Avianca	SWISS
Brussels Airlines	TAP Air Portugal
Copa Airlines	Thai Airways
Croatia Airlines	Turkish Airlines
Egypt Air	United Airlines

List of Non-Star Alliance Partners

Below is a list of airlines that partner with the Aeroplan program but are not full Star Alliance members:

Aeromar
Air Creebec
Air Dolomiti
Air Mauritius
Air Serbia
Azul Brazilian Airlines
Calm Air
Canadian North
Cathay Pacific
Central Mountain Air
Etihad Airways
Eurowings/Eurowings Discover
GOL
Gulf Air
Juneyao Airlines
Olympic Air
Oman Air
Virgin Australia
Vistara

Car Rental and Hotel Partners

Aeroplan offers numerous opportunities to earn points through spending at its car rental and hotel partners.

Final Thoughts

The Aeroplan program has gone through some changes recently, but there are still many opportunities for maximizing your points. In addition to eliminating carrier-imposed surcharges, the program’s stopover and open-jaw allowance can help boost the value of your points even more.

Aeroplan shouldn’t be overlooked when you’re planning your next bucket-list getaway!

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Featured Image Credit: Air Canada

Frequently asked questions

What are Aeroplan points?

Aeroplan points are the points you earn from flying Air Canada, crediting partner flights to Aeroplan, transferring points to Aeroplan, or earning miles from non-airline partners like hotels and car rental companies.

Can Aeroplan points be transferred to partner airlines?

Once you earn or transfer points to Aeroplan, the points cannot be transferred out of the program.

Can Aeroplan points be transferred to another person?

You can transfer miles from one Aeroplan account to another instantly online at a rate of 2 cents per mile.

How do you earn Aeroplan points?

Fortunately, Aeroplan points are very easy to earn. You can earn them directly by spending on the Aeroplan card issued by Chase, or you can transfer points from a number of programs, including Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.

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About Michael McHugh

Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Michael took his first international trip in 2013 with friends to the Bahamas. Although he didn't travel much in his younger years, on that trip, he caught the travel bug and has been hooked ever since. Michael first caught wind of the points and miles game in 2014 while at a bar in Washington, DC where the conversation amongst friends was quickly derailed because of an alert on a friend's phone about a mistake fare. That's where the love affair with points and miles began.

Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.

28 comments

HoKo June 29, 2018

“Taxes and fees for round-trip business class will be between $76-$104 while first class will be around $1,184.”

Is this a typo? How is first class so much more than business? Also I thought AC charged significant YQ on some *A partners for TATL (And other redemptions as well)?

Reply
- Michael McHugh July 3, 2018
  
  Hi HoKo
  
  Lufthansa and Swiss are the only two Star Alliance partners that offer transatlantic first class. First class is that much more expensive than business because of the fuel surcharges passed on by both airlines to Air Canada.
  
  When flying business class, you can get around fuel surcharges by flying a partner like United.
  
  If you’re looking to fly transatlantic first class and avoid the fuel surcharges, consider using Avianca.
  
  Reply
Kamal April 23, 2019

I have almost 600k Aeroplan points I’ve been saving for years. I plan to use them to fly from YYZ to DXB this summer but can’t find anything on Turkish Airlines or anyone else. AC is charging almost $700 each for taxes and surcharges! Any tips? I have to book 6 tickets

Reply
- Stephen Au April 26, 2019
  
  Kamal,
  
  Booking 6 tickets in business class is going to be incredibly difficult, especially for a niche route like yours. The best way to increase your chances is to separate the travelers to a day or two apart.
  
  Thanks for reading.
  
  Reply
Gantt Cookson June 10, 2019

Looks like Turkish Biz Class awards from USA have all but disappeared. Hate that because I love flying on TK!

Reply
Jean-Marc Pelletier July 14, 2019

Hi,

Using Aeroplan with departure from Canada is nonsense… For instance a flight from Montreal to London (regular cost of $867 CDN), using 60,000 miles, costs $701 CDN. Why? Because a “special carrier’s fee” is charged on top of other fees and brings total to $701. Nonsense.

Now, this article [sorry French] points to such a case and this gentleman was able to book same flight specifying United (shared flight Air Canada + United) at booking time without incurring special carrier’s fee.

Now, as far as I’m concerned, I’ve traveled from Montreal to Geneva (Air Canada + 60,000 miles) and incurred hefty fees.

So, my comment: how about an article detailing ways, for Canadians departing from a Canadian airport, not to incur those “special carrier’s fees” while using their Aeroplan miles?

Reply
- Stephen Au July 17, 2019
  
  Hey Jean-Marc,
  
  Thanks for reading. We are not Air Canada, so we have no control of the fuel surcharges that they levy. Arguably, the best way to avoid fuel surcharges on Aeroplan is to fly on carriers that don’t levy them. Check out our guide on fuel surcharges for more information:
  
  https://upgradedpoints.com/airline-fuel-surcharges/
  
  Reply
Robin Finley July 22, 2019

I am trying to use some Aeroplan miles for a family trip from Calgary to anywhere somewhat tropical mid August. i.e Mexico, Hawaii etc. The Aeroplan site has terrible availability. Am I able to use these miles and search United for a better selection?

Thank you!

Robin

Reply
- Stephen Au July 23, 2019
  
  Robin,
  
  If you’re intending on flying on Air Canada, the best availability is going to be on Aeroplan’s search engine. United will not provide the best availability. Keep searching for flexible dates!
  
  Reply
Sam K October 5, 2019

Does Aeroplan allow manual booking over the phone? I was able to piece together some flights with availability, however, they don’t show up as a whole itinerary. Thanks.

Reply
- Jarrod West October 5, 2019
  
  Hi Sam,
  
  Yes, you can contact an agent at 1-800-361-5373.
  
  Thanks for reading!
  
  Reply
Umesh December 13, 2019

I’m traveling AC to Japan. Should I get Aeroplan miles or ask for United miles? Is one more advantageous than the other?

Reply
- Jarrod West December 14, 2019
  
  Hi Umesh,
  
  Generally speaking, I’d say that Aeroplan miles are more useful than United miles, but it is entirely subjective! It really depends on which currency you would get more use out of.
  
  Reply
Peter January 2, 2020

Hello. Can you book an economy United flight with Aeroplan, and then upgrade to business through United? Aeroplan does not have any direct flights with United available in business for my available travel dates.

Reply
- Stephen Au January 4, 2020
  
  Peter, it depends. If you intend on booking an economy award flight, you can’t upgrade it to business. You must book an eligible revenue flight paid for with cash in order to even think about upgrading a flight.
  
  Reply
JJ January 9, 2020

I transferred 25k miles from my AMEX rewards to Aeroplan and tried to book a domestic flight on United. Aeroplan’s website gets me all the way through the booking process, I put in my credit card info for the $10.14 charge and get an error “Flight Redemption Failure”. I’ve attempted with multiple browsers, computers, and the Aeroplan App. I cannot get through to their customer service. Have I just wasted 25k miles?

Reply
- Jarrod West January 10, 2020
  
  Hi JJ,
  
  Not necessarily, it might be the case that the availability was no longer there. Were you able to get ahold of their customer service team? Did you try any other bookings with different dates or flight times?
  
  Reply
- David January 12, 2020
  
  If you search that specific error message, it’s plaguing Aeroplan. I have been on hold with them for 2 hours today. I was able to book one seat for me via my aeroplan account, but get the same message as you for the same flight that still has a number of seats available at the ward class I’m looking at.
  
  From what I’ve read, you’ll need to call in.
  
  Reply
Barbara O'Connell February 20, 2020

I live in New Zealand and am very disgusted with Aeroplan as I have been a member for a long time and been ‘ topping up ‘ with partner Air New Zealand flights to refresh. When I try to use the same, Air N Z and flight advisors will have nothing to do with Aeroplan. Any help in redeeming my 55,000 odd miles would be appreciated.

Reply
Liz December 14, 2020

Would you please guide me through donating reward miles to MFS charity?

Reply
- Christine Krzyszton December 14, 2020
  
  Hello Liz. Here is a link to the list of charities on the Aeroplan website. Log in to your Aeroplan Miles account then select the charity to which you’d like to contribute and the number of miles you’d like to donate. https://donatepoints.aircanada.com/
  
  Reply
Jenny August 1, 2021

Do I need to call Aeroplan to book a free stopover? I’ve tried to search online from Rome to SFO and stopover Paris for 1 week, the stopover is not free as I see. By the way, do you know if Aeroplan allows reserving a trip without miles for 24hrs as United? I don’t want to transfer the points over without certainty. Thanks.

Reply
- Jarrod West August 10, 2021
  
  Hi Jenny,
  
  As of now, yes you do need to call Air Canada to book, and the stopover should cost 5,000 miles. As far as I know, Air Canada does not usually offer award holds, but there is certainly no harm in asking!
  
  Reply
Gabbie April 29, 2022

We booked a code share flight with Air Canada but operated by ANA, can we use Aeropoints to upgrade to premium or business class? How can we upgrade ?

Reply
- Jarrod West May 2, 2022
  
  Hi Gabbie,
  
  Unfortunately, you cannot use Air Canada points to upgrade on another airline, even if it was booked through Air Canada.
  
  Reply
- JoAnne June 3, 2022
  
  So how do I find partner flights that may be cheaper? Areoplan is my “home” program. Should I join other FF programs to find better deals? If so do I then have to book by phoning?
  
  Reply
Rob Moriello September 5, 2022

Can I book a flight on United for a flight within the USA? It doesn’t give me that option on the Aeroplan site.

Reply
- Jarrod West September 6, 2022
  
  Hi Rob,
  
  Yes, you should be able to book this on Air Canada’s site. If it is not working I suggest you contact Air Canada directly.
  
  Reply

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8 Best Ways To Redeem Air Canada Aeroplan Points for Maximum Value