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The Best Ways To Fly to Canada With Points and Miles [Step-by-Step]

BY 

Stephen Au

- UPDATED: November 10, 2021

1. Travel

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Canada is one of the world’s most visited countries, and with such close proximity to the U.S., it should be one of your first choices for a vacation spot close to home. Fully vaccinated Americans with a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival are now welcome to visit with no quarantine.

It doesn’t necessarily have the best beaches due to its colder climate, but it does have some jaw-droppingly beautiful scenery, fantastic culture, the northern lights, and adventure sports like skiing and snowboarding.

Whether you’re going to Canada for fishing season, ski season, poutine, French-Canadian culture, or some of the best hikes in the world, you’ll want to avoid paying out-of-pocket for your flights.

In this guide, we’ll show you all of the best ways you can fly to Canada with points and miles. Let’s get into it!

Nonstop Flights Between the U.S. and Canada

In general, since the U.S. and Canada are right next to each other geographically, you’ll see a ton of point-to-point routes being offered.

That being said, it would be an extremely difficult task to identify all of the nonstop routes between the U.S. and Canada.

Instead, we’ve identified the top international airports that operate nonstop flights between the U.S. and Canada:

Out of all these airports, there are a handful of major airlines that operate nonstop flights, and these airlines allow for award redemptions in economy or business class:

• Air Canada
• American Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• United Airlines

You’ll notice we excluded WestJet, Flair Airlines, Porter Airlines, and others since they either do not offer award redemptions outright or premium cabin options are ineligible for award redemptions.

Here are all of the nonstop U.S.-Canada routes for each airline mentioned:

Air Canada

American Airlines

Delta Air Lines

United Airlines

You’ll notice that all 4 of the above airlines have diverse route networks. While there are other airlines like Alaska Airlines, Porter Airlines, and WestJet that offer nonstop flights, these airlines either do not permit business class awards or do not even offer a premium cabin product.

Bottom Line: In general, you should be optimizing your flight redemptions for the most convenient route, ideally nonstop flights only, unless you’re looking to book a premium-cabin lie-flat product worth going out of the way for, such as Air Canada’s lie-flat business class.

Best Programs for Booking Flights to Canada

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles might not seem like a relevant loyalty program for flights to Canada, but what you’ll need to remember is that any Star Alliance loyalty program can book flights on other Star Alliance airlines.

And since each loyalty program constructs its mileage pricing program differently, you’ll often find that seemingly random programs have fantastic award prices.

This is especially true with Turkish Airlines miles because for flights within North America, you’ll pay according to this award chart:

In this case, we’d recommend booking flights on either Air Canada business class — here are some great example redemptions:

• Los Angeles (LAX) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in Air Canada business class for 15,000 Turkish Airlines miles + ~$78 in taxes and fees
• Newark (EWR) – Vancouver (YVR) one-way in Air Canada business class for 15,000 Turkish Airlines miles + ~$78 in taxes and fees
• San Francisco (SFO) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in Air Canada business class for 15,000 Turkish Airlines miles + ~$78 in taxes and fees

Because of how difficult it is to search for Star Alliance flights on Turkish Airlines’ website, we generally recommend finding availability on United.com first and then calling Turkish Airlines to book the ticket.

Here are the steps to do so:

1. Visit United.com.
2. Perform your desired award search and find a suitable Air Canada flight option.
3. Call Turkish Airlines at 800-874-8875 and feed the agent your Air Canada flight details.
4. Redeem your Turkish Airlines miles and pay for any taxes and fees using a credit card.

Earning Turkish Airlines Miles

Earning Turkish Airlines miles doesn’t require being a regular customer on Turkish Airlines flights.

Instead, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles is transfer partners with 2 currencies: Citi ThankYou Rewards and Capital One Miles.

Citi and Capital One transfer at a 1:1 ratio in 1 to 2 business days.

Recommended Citi Cards

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO
Citi Premier® Card Learn More (at our partner's secure site)	Earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases. Annual Hotel Savings Benefit 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $95 UP's Bonus Valuation*: $1,280
Citi Rewards+® Card Learn More (at our partner's secure site)	Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 13.49% – 23.49%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5). The Citi Rewards+® Card – the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase – with no cap. Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases. The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 13.49% – 23.49%, based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi’s discretion. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $0 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $320

Singapore KrisFlyer

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles has the best award chart for U.S.-Canada flights by a significant amount, but what if you don’t have Citi ThankYou Points or Capital One miles available to transfer?

Singapore KrisFlyer is the next-best option because as a fellow Star Alliance frequent flyer program, it also offers the ability to book Air Canada and United flights using KrisFlyer miles.

In this case, KrisFlyer charges 8,000 more miles for a one-way business class flight and 2,500 more miles for a one-way economy class flight than Turkish Airlines.

However, you’ll find out below that it’s much, much easier to earn Singapore Airlines miles.

Nevertheless, here are some fantastic sample redemptions you can make:

• Atlanta (ATL) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in Air Canada business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$78 in taxes and fees
• Boston (BOS) – Montréal (YUL) one-way in Air Canada business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$78 in taxes and fees
• Chicago (ORD) – Vancouver (YVR) one-way in Air Canada business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$78 in taxes and fees
• Denver (DEN) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in Air Canada business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$78 in taxes and fees
• Houston (IAH) – Calgary (YYC) one-way in Air Canada business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$78 in taxes and fees
• Las Vegas (LAS) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in Air Canada business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$78 in taxes and fees
• Memphis (MEM) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in Air Canada business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$78 in taxes and fees
• Miami (MIA) – Québec City (YQB) one-way in Air Canada business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$78 in taxes and fees
• Orlando (MCO) – Halifax (YHZ) one-way in Air Canada business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$78 in taxes and fees
• Palm Springs (PSP) – Vancouver (YVR) one-way in Air Canada business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$78 in taxes and fees
• San Francisco (SFO) – Calgary (YYC) one-way in Air Canada business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$78 in taxes and fees
• Tampa (TPA) – Ottawa (YOW) one-way in Air Canada business class for 23,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$78 in taxes and fees

To be frank, because of how expansive Air Canada’s route network is, the possibilities are almost endless.

Once you’re ready to book, follow these steps:

1. Find partner-level availability by searching on United.com.
2. Any tickets that are Business Class Saver Awards should be bookable with KrisFlyer miles.
3. Call Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer at 312-843-5333.
4. Feed the agent your desired Air Canada flight information and book the ticket with KrisFlyer miles and a credit card for taxes and fees.

Earning Singapore KrisFlyer Miles

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles are among the easiest to earn because KrisFlyer is transfer partners with American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Brex Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Marriott Bonvoy.

KrisFlyer receives transfers at a 1:1 ratio from Amex and Chase (1 to 2 business days), Citi (2 business days), Capital One (up to 36 hours), and Brex (up to 5 business days).

Marriott Bonvoy also transfers at a 3:1 ratio to KrisFlyer with a bonus of 5,000 miles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Also, Marriott Bonvoy transfers take around 2 business days.

Recommended American Express Cards

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO & BENEFITS
New 100k Welcome Offer The Platinum Card® from American Express Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 60,000 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 10x points on eligible purchases on the Card at restaurants worldwide and when you Shop Small in the U.S., on up to $25,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership. Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. $200 Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Enrollment required. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status available to Basic Card Member only. $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $25 back each month on select Equinox memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. $179 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $179 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $695 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $2,200
New Welcome Offer American Express® Gold Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Rose Gold is here to stay. Card Members can choose between a Gold or Rose Gold Card. Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months. Earn 4x Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, including takeout and delivery, and earn 4x Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x). Earn 3x Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year. $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $250 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $1,320
New Welcome Offer The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Welcome Offer: Earn 85,000 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, 0% Intro APR for 12 months from the date of the account opening on purchases eligible for Pay Over Time. After that, your APR will be 14.24% to 22.24% based on your credit worthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening. Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com. Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else. Cap applies. Unlock over $1,000 in value per year for statement credits on select purchases with your Card, including up to $400 with Dell Technologies, up to $360 with Indeed, up to $150 with Adobe and up to $120 on wireless telephone purchases. Enrollment required. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year toward baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline. $179 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $179 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. Access to more than 1,300 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting with The American Express Global Lounge Collection®. More lounge options than any other credit card on the market as of 8/2020. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $595 ($695 if application is received on or after 01/13/2022) Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $2,640
American Express® Business Gold Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Welcome Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.* MORE REWARDS: Get 4x Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. 1x is earned for other purchases.** **4x points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.* AIRLINE BONUS: Get 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.* PAY OVER TIME OPTION: Decide whether you want to pay eligible purchases in full each month—or pay over time with interest.* Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $295 *Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $1,540

Air Canada Aeroplan

For flights to Canada, it only makes sense that we include Air Canada’s Aeroplan frequent flyer program in our discussion.

Because of how complicated Aeroplan is and the craziness of its award pricing structure, we’ve boiled down the award chart to flights within North America, which are priced based on the flight distance of your itinerary:

Aeroplan employs a range of prices, and the price is generally correlated with the revenue cost of the ticket.

Sure, it’s possible to find business class award tickets on the lower end of each range above, but this is absolutely more the exception than the norm.

For example, nonstop flights between Vancouver and Toronto are around 2,085 miles in flight distance, but you’ll find that the vast majority of these business class award tickets are around 50,000 to 60,000 points, which is very pricey.

Still, there’s 1 unique feature of Aeroplan that could make it a worthwhile program to consider, and that’s the ability to get access to Air Canada’s incredible Signature Suite airport lounges through an award ticket.

Specifically, if you book a Business Class Flexible Reward ticket, which may be slightly more expensive than a Saver award ticket, you’ll get access to this lounge. In fact, this is the only way to get access to the exclusive Signature Suite!

Not to mention that you can actually access much better award availability if you’re tied to certain dates and plans — both Turkish Airlines and Singapore KrisFlyer don’t have that option.

The cherry on top is that Air Canada flights can be booked 100% online with Aeroplan points:

1. Visit Air Canada’s website.
2. Hovering over the button in the top-right corner that says Sign in and click Sign in.
3. Enter your Aeroplan number and password and log in.
4. Toggle the slider that says Points in the homepage’s center search box.
5. Choose One-way or Round-trip or One-way, enter your flight details, and click Find.
6. Find your desired flight, redeem your Aeroplan points, and use a credit card to pay for taxes and fees.

Earning Air Canada Aeroplan Points

Air Canada Aeroplan has 4 transfer partners: Chase (1:1), Amex (1:1), Capital One (1:1), and Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 with a 5,000-point bonus when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to Aeroplan).

Transfers from Chase, Amex, and Capital One are almost instant. Transfers from Marriott Bonvoy take around 5 business days to complete.

Recommended Capital One Cards (Personal)

Credit Card	Benefits & Info
Capital One Venture Rewards Card Learn More (at our partner's secure site)	Enjoy a one-time bonus of 60,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $600 in travel Earn unlimited 2x miles on every purchase, every day Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get our best prices on thousands of trip options Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs No foreign transaction fees Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $95 Must Reads: For more info on the CapOne Venture card, see our thoughts on its benefits and our full review.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card Learn More (at our partner's secure site)	Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel Earn unlimited 1.25x miles on every purchase, every day Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn Earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get our best prices on thousands of trip options Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 14.99% - 24.99% variable APR after that No foreign transaction fees Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $0 Must Reads: For more info on the VentureOne Card, see our thoughts on its benefits and our full review.
Capital One Venture X Card Learn More (at Capital One's secure site)	Earn 100,000 bonus miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases within the first 6 months from account opening. Receive up to $300 in statement credits when booking through Capital One Travel. Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary. Earn unlimited 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel, plus unlimited 2x miles on all other purchases. No foreign transaction fees. Add cardholders to your account for no fee — they can enjoy benefits and you will earn rewards on every dollar they spend. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $395 Must Reads: If you're looking for more information about the CapOne Venture X Card, explore our full review.

Hot Tip: Check out our step-by-step guide on the best ways to book Air Canada business class with points.

Delta SkyMiles

Delta SkyMiles isn’t without its flaws. Although the airline itself is very popular among U.S. travelers, its frequent flyer program comes with incredibly high price tags, particularly for long-haul business class flights.

But the good news is that Delta SkyMiles has been structured to get you a minimum redemption value of around 1 cent per mile, which means you’ll never be liable for high redemption prices if your flight is affordable.

Usually, flights between the U.S. and Canada aboard Delta are relatively reasonable, unless you’re booking a last-minute flight and are a hub captive (e.g. Detroit or Minneapolis).

Delta doesn’t publish an award chart, so the only way to find out how much an award flight will cost is to try to search for it on Delta.com. Generally speaking, Delta does have a Saver-level award for most of these flights, which gives you an idea of how much these award flights start at.

Here are some great example redemptions you can make with Delta SkyMiles:

• Atlanta (ATL) – Montréal (YUL) one-way in Delta first class for 31,500 Delta SkyMiles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Atlanta (ATL) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in Delta first class for 27,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Detroit (DTW) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in Delta first class for 25,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Minneapolis (MSP) – Calgary (YYC) one-way in Delta first class for 29,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Minneapolis (MSP) – Winnipeg (YWG) one-way in Delta first class for 24,500 Delta SkyMiles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Salt Lake City (SLC) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in Delta first class for 40,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees

Follow these steps to redeem Delta SkyMiles 100% online:

1. Visit Delta’s homepage.
2. Populate the search box at the top banner on the homepage. Check off the box that says Shop with Miles and click First Class under Best Fares For.
3. Search for your flights.
4. Find the best flight options, redeem your SkyMiles, and use a credit card to pay for taxes and fees.

Earning Delta SkyMiles

Delta SkyMiles are easy to earn, thanks to transfer partners in Amex Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy.

Amex transfers at a 1:1 ratio almost instantly, while Marriott Bonvoy transfers at a 3:1 ratio in 1 business day. Plus, when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to Delta, you’ll get a bonus of 5,000 miles.

Also, there are many Delta-branded credit cards available, all issued exclusively by American Express, which earn SkyMiles directly.

Recommended Delta SkyMiles Cards (Personal)

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $50 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Earn 2x Miles on Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets. Earn 1x Mile on all other eligible purchases. $100 Delta Flight Credit: After you spend $10,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year, receive a Credit to use toward future travel. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $99. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Delta Gold Card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $400 Must Reads: For more info on the Delta Gold Card, see our thoughts on its benefits and our full review.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership. Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights. Earn 3x Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. Earn 2x Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets. Earn 1x Miles on all other eligible purchases. Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card.*Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®. Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $250 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Delta Platinum Card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $600 Must Reads: For more info on the Delta Platinum Card, see our thoughts on its benefits and our full review.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership. Earn up to 60,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 15,000 MQMs four times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights. Receive a Domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+® or Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. *Payment of the government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details. Complimentary access into the Delta Sky Club® for you when traveling on a Delta flight. Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge or Escape Lounge – The Centurion® Studio Partner when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card. Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Earn 3x Miles on Delta purchases. Earn 1x Mile on all other eligible purchases. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $550 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $600 Must Reads: For more info on the Delta Reserve card, see our insights on its benefits and our full review.

British Airways Executive Club

British Airways is a member of the Oneworld alliance, and it’s extremely handy for booking flights on American Airlines.

Currently, British Airways Executive Club has favorable award pricing for short-haul flights and terrible award pricing for long-haul flights.

Since flights between the U.S. and Canada are generally short-haul flights, you can access some great deals on American Airlines flights using British Airways Avios.

American Airlines flights don’t travel any further than 2,000 miles in flight distance, which is why we’ve included up to Zone 3 in this table above.

Also, Zone 1 Avios awards aren’t permitted within/to/from the U.S., even though there are flights within the U.S. that are 650 miles or shorter in distance.

Here are some great redemptions you can make on American Airlines with British Airways Avios:

• Chicago (ORD) – Montréal (YUL) one-way in American Airlines economy class for 9,000 British Airways Avios + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Dallas (DFW) – Calgary (YYC) one-way in American Airlines business class for 22,000 British Airways Avios + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Dallas (DFW) – Vancouver (YVR) one-way in American Airlines business class for 22,000 British Airways Avios + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Miami (MIA) – Montréal (YUL) one-way in American Airlines business class for 22,000 British Airways Avios + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Miami (MIA) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in American Airlines business class for 22,000 British Airways Avios + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in American Airlines business class for 22,000 British Airways Avios + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• New York (LGA) – Montréal (YUL) one-way in American Airlines business class for 22,000 British Airways Avios + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• New York (LGA) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in American Airlines business class for 22,000 British Airways Avios + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Philadelphia (PHL) – Montréal (YUL) one-way in American Airlines economy class for 9,000 British Airways Avios + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees

With British Airways Avios, you can book your American Airlines award flight completely online following these steps:

1. Go to the British Airways homepage.
2. Click Log in in the top-right corner, enter your BA Executive Club account information, and log in.
3. In the top banner under the Book area, click Book a flight with Avios.
4. Fill in the search form, and click Get flights.
5. Redeem your British Airways Avios, use a credit card for taxes and fees, and confirm your ticket.

Earning British Airways Avios

British Airways Executive Club is transfer partners with Chase, American Express, Capital One, and Marriott Bonvoy.

Amex, Capital One, and Chase transfer almost instantly at a 1:1 ratio.

Marriott Bonvoy transfers at a 3:1 ratio in approximately 5 business days. For every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points you transfer to British Airways, you’ll get an extra 5,000 Avios.

In addition, Chase is the co-branded credit card issuer of the British Airways Visa Signature® Card that earns British Airways Avios directly.

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Earn up to 14x total Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Card. 2x Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains). 1x point for every $1 spent on all other purchases. Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, qualifying you for Silver Elite Status. Restrictions apply. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Earn unlimited Marriott Bonvoy points and get Free Night Stays faster. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $0 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $210
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 3 Free Nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases + 10X total points on eligible purchases in select categories. 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary. Earn up to 17x total Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card. 2x Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases. Automatic Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year. Path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year. 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Earn unlimited Marriott Bonvoy points and get Free Night Stays faster. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $95 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $1,050
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $200 in Statement Credits for eligible purchases at U.S. Restaurants within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Enjoy up to $300 in statement credits each year of Card Membership for eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. 3 points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2 points on all other eligible purchases. Receive 1 free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points) at a participating hotel. Certain hotels have resort fees. Enjoy unlimited airport lounge visits when you enroll in Priority Pass™ Select membership. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $450 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $525
Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Welcome Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn up to $150 back in statement credits on eligible purchases made on your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. 6x points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. 4x points at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. 2x points on all other eligible purchases. Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Certain hotels have resort fees. Enjoy complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status with your Card. Plus, earn Gold Elite status after making $35,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual fee: $125 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $525

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Even though Cathay Pacific Asia Miles redemptions to Canada are focused exclusively on American Airlines flights, just like British Airways Executive Club, we’re discussing Asia Miles as a backup if you can’t access British Airways Avios through transfer partners or co-branded cards.

In particular, if you have Citi ThankYou Rewards Points, Asia Miles will be a good redemption option for American Airlines flights.

Asia Miles allows you to price out award flights online, but there’s no specific award chart for American Airlines flights. Here’s the general award chart for American Airlines flights between the U.S. and Canada:

Here are some example redemptions you can book using Asia Miles on American Airlines:

• Boston (BOS) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in American Airlines business class for 20,000 Asia Miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Chicago (ORD) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in American Airlines business class for 20,000 Asia Miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Dallas (DFW) – Montréal (YUL) one-way in American Airlines business class for 30,000 Asia Miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Dallas (DFW) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in American Airlines business class for 30,000 Asia Miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Philadelphia (PHL) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in American Airlines business class for 20,000 Asia Miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Washington, D.C. (DCA) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in American Airlines business class for 20,000 Asia Miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees

Asia Miles reservations on American Airlines are best booked over the phone:

1. Find American Airlines’ partner-level award space on British Airways’ or Qantas’ website.
2. Call Asia Miles at 866-892-2598 and feed the agent your American Airlines flight information you’d like to book.
3. Use Asia Miles to book the ticket and provide a credit card for all taxes and fees.

Earning Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles is currently transfer partners with Amex Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Capital One Miles, Brex Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.

Amex transfers within a few hours and Citi transfers almost instantly, both at a 1:1 ratio. Brex transfers at a 1:1 ratio within 1 business day. Capital One transfers at a 1:1 ratio, which takes around 36 business hours.

Marriott Bonvoy transfers at a 3:1 ratio in 5 business days. There’s a bonus of 5,000 Asia Miles whenever you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to Asia Miles.

Also, Cathay Pacific has a co-branded credit card that is issued by Synchrony Bank.

United MileagePlus

The very last program we’ll discuss is United MileagePlus. We’d generally recommend United MileagePlus if you need access to extra award availability and plan on booking a flight on United Airlines.

We would recommend using any of the Star Alliance programs above for Air Canada flights but using United MileagePlus for United flights is the best way to go.

That’s because United MileagePlus reserves most of its award availability for its own loyalty program members and very rarely releases adequate Saver-level award availability to warrant an investigation.

Here’s what United MileagePlus awards cost for United flights between the U.S. and Canada:

One thing you’ll inevitably notice is that the price charged in United miles will fluctuate a lot, thanks to United’s dynamic award pricing scheme.

Here are some great example redemptions you can make using United miles to fly to Canada:

• Chicago (ORD) – Vancouver (YVR) one-way in United business class from 27,500 United miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Chicago (ORD) – Winnipeg (YWG) one-way in United business class from 27,500 United miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Denver (DEN) – Edmonton (YEG) one-way in United business class from 27,500 United miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Houston (IAH) – Calgary (YYC) one-way in United business class from 27,500 United miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Houston (IAH) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in United business class from 27,500 United miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Newark (EWR) – Halifax (YHZ) one-way in United business class from 27,500 United miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Newark (EWR) – Québec City (YQB) one-way in United business class from 27,500 United miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• San Francisco (SFO) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in United business class from 27,500 United miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Ottawa (YOW) one-way in United business class from 27,500 United miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees

Once you’re ready to book your flight, follow these instructions:

1. Visit United’s homepage.
2. Check off the box that says Book with miles in the homepage’s search box.
3. Fill in the search details, click Find flights, and find a flight option you’d like to book.
4. Click the option you’d like to book, redeem your United miles, and use a credit card to pay for taxes and fees.

Earning United MileagePlus Miles

United MileagePlus miles are easy to earn due to transfer partnerships with Chase Ultimate Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy.

Chase transfers instantly at a 1:1 ratio while Marriott Bonvoy transfers in 3 business days at a 3:1.1 ratio. Plus, when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, you will earn a bonus of 5,500 United miles added to your transferred amount.

Additionally, Chase has a suite of co-branded United MileagePlus credit cards that will enable you to earn United miles directly.

Recommended United MileagePlus Cards

CREDIT CARD	BENEFITS & INFO
United℠ Explorer Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays, and United purchases Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® fee Credit 25% back on United inflight purchases Check your first bag for free (a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip) when you use your card to purchase your ticket Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club℠ with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining including eligible delivery services Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $0 intro for the first year, then $95. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $960
UnitedSM Business Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months you account is open. Receive a 5,000-mile "better together" bonus each anniversary when you have both the UnitedSM Business Card and a personal United credit card. Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on United purchases, dining (including eligible delivery services), at gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting. Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. Plus, employee cards at no additional cost - miles earned from their purchases accrue in your account so you can earn rewards faster. Enjoy a free first checked bag - a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip (terms apply), 2 United ClubSM one-time passes per year, and priority boarding privileges. Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for one year with DashPass, DoorDash's membership service. Activate by 12/31/21. $100 United travel credit after 7 United flight purchases of $100 or more each anniversary year. Annual Fee: $0 introductory for the first year, then $99.
United Club℠ Infinite Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles Earn 4 miles per $1 spent on United purchases including tickets, Economy Plus, inflight food, beverages and Wi-Fi, and other United charges Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining including eligible delivery services Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® fee credit Free first and second checked bags – a savings of up to $320 per roundtrip. Terms Apply 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights when you pay with your Club Infinite Card. Excellent Credit Recommended (740-850) Annual Fee: $525 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $1,600
United Gateway℠ Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 20,000 bonus miles Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on United purchases, at gas stations and on local transit and commuting Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on United purchases Earn 2 miles per $1 spent at gas stations Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on local transit and commuting Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $0 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $320
United QuestSM Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open Earn 3x miles on United® purchases, 2x miles on dining, select streaming services & all other travel, 1x on all other purchases Earn 3x miles on United purchases Earn 2x miles on dining and select streaming services Earn 2x miles on all other travel Earn 1x mile on all other purchases Each year, receive a $125 credit on United® purchases and two 5K-mile anniversary award flight credits. Terms apply. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $250

Final Thoughts

The best frequent flyer program to use to fly to Canada will ultimately depend on which airline and route you want to take going to Canada.

If you’re wanting to book Air Canada business class in a lie-flat seat, one of the best ways to get maximum value is to redeem Turkish Airlines or KrisFlyer miles after finding partner-level availability.

And if you want to experience Air Canada’s Signature Lounge, you’ll have no choice but to redeem Aeroplan points, as this is the only way to access this experience with points and miles.

If you want to fly on Delta, one of the best ways to do so is by using Delta SkyMiles.

For American Airlines flights, consider using British Airways Avios or Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.

Lastly, if you’re looking at United flights, you’ll have a tough time finding availability on any partners — instead, redeem United MileagePlus miles to access better award availability.

The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Card, Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, and Capital One Venture X Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. 

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, click here.