Air Canada’s loyalty program, Aeroplan, is a favourite amongst award vacationers, and for good cause. It is simple to earn Aeroplan factors, and the redemption charges are nice, with loads of candy spots.
This system was independently run for a number of years, however that every one modified in 2020 when Air Canada retook the reins and launched the fully revamped Aeroplan. Naturally, many award vacationers have been apprehensive about how these modifications would have an effect on a helpful and fashionable loyalty program.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t dangerous information; the brand new program’s professionals really outweigh the cons.
Most notably, in contrast to with some main U.S. loyalty packages, the award chart hasn’t disappeared fully, and the lengthy listing of airline redemption companions is spectacular (and has continued to develop).
Listed below are the most effective methods to make use of Air Canada Aeroplan factors for optimum worth.
The right way to redeem Aeroplan factors
You possibly can redeem Aeroplan factors for flights to greater than 1,300 locations on greater than 50 airline companions worldwide. Companions embrace Star Alliance carriers in addition to some non-alliance companions like Azul Brazilian Airways, Bamboo Airways and Etihad Airways. Plus, you may combine and match companions as you see match, which may be helpful if award availability is difficult to come back by.
Aeroplan’s award chart is efficacious for short-haul economic system flights or worldwide premium-cabin seats, significantly on associate airways.
Air Canada’s flights have variable pricing to make each considered one of its seats accessible for award reserving. Companion awards have a hard and fast value primarily based on a chart, and seats could also be restricted.
The Aeroplan program makes use of a hybrid award chart, factoring within the distance you fly and the departure and arrival areas.
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Flights inside North America
The chart beneath reveals the one-way award prices for Aeroplan awards inside North America, with round-trip awards accessible for double the associated fee.
The most effective candy spot right here is for the short-haul economic system flights lower than 500 miles on the likes of United Airways and Air Canada, which price as little as 6,000 factors. TPG values Aeroplan factors at 1.5 cents every, so 6,000 factors are value about $90. Routes underneath 500 miles embrace most flights inside the Northeast of america and to and from Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ).
Brief-haul flights, akin to one-way flights from Montreal-Trudeau Worldwide Airport (YUL) to Washington’s Dulles Worldwide Airport (IAD), may be extremely costly. You possibly can guide these awards for six,000 to 10,000 Aeroplan factors.
Longer economic system flights inside North America usually value out between 10,000 and 12,500 factors every approach, across the business common. The exception is flights over 2,751 miles, akin to from the East Coast to Hawaii, which vary between 17,500 and 25,000 factors. The good thing about utilizing Aeroplan is the versatile switch choices you’ve gotten for incomes factors within the first place.
Associated: 6 award chart candy spots that can prevent cash on home flights
Journey to Europe
Aeroplan shines with award charges for long-haul journey — much more so now that Aeroplan has eradicated gasoline surcharges. Prior to now, you can have paid near $1,000 every approach in charges for a premium-cabin award from the U.S. to Europe, consuming away on the worth of your “free” award, however that is not the case anymore.
Usually, when touring from the continental U.S. to Europe on considered one of Air Canada’s companions, you will pay 35,000 to 40,000 factors for economic system, 60,000 to 70,000 factors for enterprise and 90,000 to 100,000 factors for top notch. To offer you a greater thought, a flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) to Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is roughly 3,900 miles, placing it within the first pricing band. In the meantime, a flight from Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) to Frankfurt is about 5,800 miles, which falls within the second band.
This implies you may guide enterprise class from the East Coast of america to most of Western Europe for simply 60,000 factors in enterprise class, or simply 70,000 factors from the West Coast to, say, Italy.
That is decrease than what you’ll now be charged for a similar flights utilizing United Airways MileagePlus miles following this system’s current devaluation.
Associated: 5 of the most effective methods to redeem 75,000 Air Canada Aeroplan factors
Journey to Asia
You too can get nice offers heading west. Companion awards between North America and the Pacific price 35,000 to 75,000 factors in economic system, 55,000 to 105,000 in enterprise and 90,000 to 140,000 in top notch, relying on the gap.
Take, as an illustration, a flight from Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND) operated by All Nippon Airways. This route is slightly below 5,000 miles in distance, so a business-class ticket would price 55,000 factors. Money fares are often upward of $3,000 every approach, yielding a worth of over 5 cents per level, which is phenomenal.
Associated: Is EVA Air enterprise class value it on the Boeing 787-10?
Use Aeroplan for household journey
Aeroplan is without doubt one of the finest loyalty packages for households. Other than the household factors pooling function, Aeroplan costs among the lowest charges for touring with a lap toddler. Toddler awards are free for journey wholly inside Canada and between Canada and america and price simply 25 Canadian {dollars} ($19) or 2,500 Aeroplan factors for all different itineraries.
You too can add stopovers for simply 5,000 factors every. You possibly can add one stopover for every one-way journey and two for every round-trip itinerary. Simply observe that flights inside North America aren’t eligible for stopovers.
One other wonderful thing about Aeroplan is that it gives an extremely dependable search engine for Star Alliance award availability. Aeroplan additionally highlights mixed-cabin itineraries, so there is no confusion about what class of service you are reserving. Moreover, Aeroplan’s reserving engine was designed to reduce phantom award availability — a reasonably widespread drawback prior to now.
The right way to earn Aeroplan factors
The best strategy to earn numerous Air Canada Aeroplan factors is with the best bank card.
New Aeroplan Credit score Card candidates can at present earn as much as 100,000 Aeroplan factors: 75,000 factors after spending $4,000 within the first three months from account opening, plus an extra 25,000 Aeroplan factors after spending $20,000 complete within the first 12 months from account opening.
TPG values Aeroplan factors at 1.5 cents every, making this sign-up bonus value as much as $1,500.
Regardless of such a helpful welcome bonus, the Chase Aeroplan card has an annual charge of simply $95.
With triple factors in a number of classes, month-to-month bonus factors, assertion credit, Aeroplan elite standing and discounted award pricing, that is an extremely helpful card, particularly in the event you ever fly Air Canada.
Aeroplan switch companions
You too can switch the next bank card rewards to Aeroplan at a 1:1 switch ratio:
Which means the next playing cards all at present provide robust welcome bonuses with rewards you could switch to your Aeroplan account:
Learn extra: Why transferable factors are value greater than different rewards
Backside line
Air Canada’s Aeroplan loyalty program gives strong redemption charges, versatile stopovers and no gasoline surcharges. This implies you will get some glorious offers on award tickets. It additionally companions with most of the largest transferable-points packages, so you could be sitting on numerous rewards that may in the end turn out to be Aeroplan factors.
Do not forget the extremely helpful Aeroplan bank card that provides loads of advantages, particularly in the event you fly with Air Canada.
As main packages change to totally dynamic pricing with eye-watering redemption charges, Air Canada’s Aeroplan program stays an underrated and helpful possibility on your subsequent factors redemption.
