How to redeem Aeroplan points for maximum value
Air Canada's loyalty program, Aeroplan, is a favorite among points and miles enthusiasts ... and for good reason. It's easy to earn Aeroplan points, and the redemption rates are great, with plenty of sweet spots.
Unlike some major U.S. loyalty programs, Aeroplan still publishes award charts for most partner flights. However, Air Canada flights and flights operated by a group of "select partners" now use variable pricing, while most other partner awards remain fixed according to Aeroplan's distance- and region-based charts.
Aeroplan's Star Alliance membership also makes it a highly valuable rewards program.
Given its many pluses, we've rounded up the best ways to use Air Canada Aeroplan points for maximum value.
How to redeem Aeroplan points
You can redeem Aeroplan points for flights to more than 1,300 destinations on 45-plus airline partners worldwide. Partners include Star Alliance carriers and some nonalliance partners like Azul Brazilian Airlines, Bamboo Airways and Etihad Airways. Many partner airlines can also be combined on the same award itinerary, though some carrier-specific restrictions apply.
Aeroplan's award chart is valuable for short-haul economy flights or international premium cabin seats, particularly on partner airlines.
Air Canada makes every seat it operates available for redemption, but award pricing varies. Aeroplan also uses variable pricing for flights operated by select partners, including United Airlines, Emirates, Flydubai, Etihad, Canadian North, Calm Air, Bearskin Airlines and PAL Airlines. Most other partner awards continue to be priced at fixed rates according to the published award chart.
The Aeroplan program uses a hybrid award chart that factors in the distance you fly and the departure and arrival regions.
Aeroplan does not impose carrier surcharges on award tickets. However, awards that include a partner-operated flight incur a 39 Canadian dollar (around $28) partner booking fee per ticket, in addition to applicable taxes and third-party charges.
Travel within North America
The chart below shows the estimated one-way award costs for Aeroplan awards within North America; round-trip awards are available at double the cost.
One of the best sweet spots is still short-haul economy travel of up to 500 miles. Air Canada and select partner awards start at 6,000 points, while awards operated by other partners cost a fixed 6,000 points. TPG values Aeroplan points at 1.5 cents each, per our September 2026 valuations, so 6,000 points are worth $90. Routes under 500 miles include most flights within the Northeast and to and from Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ).
Short-haul flights, such as one-way flights from Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) to Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C., can therefore start at 6,000 Aeroplan points. Just keep in mind that United is now one of Aeroplan's select partners, so its awards are no longer necessarily fixed at the chart's starting price.
Related: 6 award chart sweet spots that will save you money on domestic flights
Travel to Europe
Aeroplan shines with award rates for long-haul travel — even more so, as Aeroplan does not impose fuel surcharges.
This means you can book business class on most fixed-price partners from the East Coast to Western Europe for 60,000 points, while longer journeys from the West Coast cost 75,000 points, one of the best sweet spots across the Atlantic of any program.
Air Canada and select partner flights use the same distance bands but variable pricing, so the figures in the chart are starting rates rather than guaranteed prices.
Travel to Asia
You can also get great deals heading west. Fixed-price partner awards between North America and the Pacific cost 32,500 to 70,000 points in economy, 55,000 to 115,000 points in business class and 90,000 to 150,000 points in first class, depending on the distance. Air Canada and select partner awards use variable pricing, with starting rates shown in Aeroplan's award chart.
Take, for instance, a flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Tokyo's Haneda Airport (HND) operated by All Nippon Airways. This route is just under 5,000 miles; therefore, a business-class ticket would cost 55,000 points when partner award space is available. Cash fares are usually upward of $3,000 each way, giving your Aeroplan points a value of over 5 cents each, which is phenomenal.
Related: I finally flew ANA's The Room business-class product to see if it lives up to the hype
Use Aeroplan for family travel
Aeroplan is one of the best loyalty programs for families. Existing Aeroplan Family Sharing accounts allow up to eight family members to pool their points, though creating new Family Sharing accounts is currently unavailable.
Aside from the family-points-pooling feature, Aeroplan charges some of the lowest fees for traveling with a lap infant. Infant awards are free for travel wholly within Canada and between Canada and the U.S. and cost just CA$25 ($19) or 2,500 Aeroplan points for all other itineraries.
You can also add stopovers for just 5,000 points each. You can add one stopover for each one-way trip and two for each round-trip itinerary. Stopovers can last up to 45 days and are not permitted within Canada, the U.S. or China.
How to earn Aeroplan points
The easiest way to earn a lot of Air Canada Aeroplan points is with the right credit card.
For a limited time, new Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card (see rates and fees) applicants can earn up to 115,000 bonus Aeroplan points: 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, plus an additional 40,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening.
At TPG's September 2026 valuation of 1.5 cents per point, the full welcome offer is worth up to $1,725. The card now carries a $195 annual fee for new applicants.
The refreshed card also provides automatic Aeroplan 25K status for as long as the primary cardmember keeps the account open and in good standing, with no spending requirement. Cardmembers can also save 15% on eligible flight rewards where the applicable direction of travel is fully operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express or Air Canada Rouge.
Cardmembers receive up to $100 in Air Canada statement credits each calendar year, with up to $50 available from January through June and up to $50 from July through December on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada. For the remainder of 2026, eligible cardmembers can receive one $50 credit.
Aeroplan transfer partners
You can also transfer the following credit card rewards to Aeroplan at a 1:1 transfer ratio:
- American Express Membership Rewards points
- Bilt Points
- Capital One miles
- Chase Ultimate Rewards points
This means that the following cards all currently offer strong welcome bonuses with rewards that you can transfer to your Aeroplan account:
- American Express Platinum Card®
- American Express® Gold Card
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees)
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees)
Related: Why transferable points are worth more than other rewards
Bottom line
Air Canada's Aeroplan loyalty program continues to offer attractive redemption rates, flexible stopovers and no pesky carrier-imposed surcharges. Most partner awards retain predictable, fixed chart pricing, though Air Canada and a growing group of select partners now use variable pricing, for which it is harder to know in advance how many points you will need. Aeroplan also partners with many of the largest transferable points programs, so you may already be sitting on various rewards that can ultimately become Aeroplan points.
The refreshed Chase Air Canada Aeroplan Credit Card adds another way to maximize the program, particularly with automatic Aeroplan 25K status, a 15% discount on eligible Air Canada-operated award journeys and up to $100 in annual Air Canada statement credits.
Even if you rarely fly Air Canada or have no plans to visit Canada, Aeroplan remains a terrific program to consider when booking Star Alliance and other partner awards.