Unlike most frequent flyer programs, Air Canada and Aeroplan operated as separate companies. However, that changed November of 2020.
See our best credit card bonuses here.
Air Canada has since acquired Aeroplan and made some big changes. Aeroplan points can be used to fly any Star Alliance airline (like United, Lufthansa, ANA and more) as well as non-alliance partners (notably, Etihad) without any carrier-imposed surcharges. To top it off, you don’t need to fly Air Canada to earn Aeroplan points! Let’s get into all the nitty-gritty details of this rewarding frequent flyer program below.
Update 10/6/22: Aeroplan introduces HotelSavers. Read about it here.
| Hubs | Calgary, Montreal-Trudeau, Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver |
| Alliance | Star Alliance |
| Redemption Options | Award flights, extras & upgrades, hotel stays, car rentals, vacation packages, activities & travel experiences, brand-name merchandise, gift cards |
| Average Point Value | $0.015 |
Aeroplan Elite Status
Aeroplan has five elite status tiers: 25K, 35K, 50K, 75K and Super Elite. To earn status, you’ll need to rack up on enough Status Qualifying Miles (SQM) or Status Qualifying Segments (SQS) in addition to a set number of Status Qualifying Dollars (SQD) in one calendar year.
| STATUS | SQM/SQS REQUIREMENT | SQD REQUIREMENT |
| 25K | 25K SQM or 25 SQS | $3K SQD or $1.5K SQD for non-Canadian residents |
| 35K | 35K SQM or 35 SQS | $4K SQD or $2K SQD for non-Canadian residents |
| 50K | 50K SQM or 50 SQS | $6K SQD or $3K SQD for non-Canadian residents |
| 75K | 75K SQM or 75 SQS | $9K SQD or $4.5K SQD for non-Canadian residents |
| Super Elite | 100K SQM or 100 SQS | $20K SQD or $10K SQD for non-Canadian residents |
Once you qualify for Aeroplan elite status, you’ll enjoy the tier benefits below through to the end of the following calendar year:
| STATUS BENEFIT | 25K | 35K | 50K | 75K | SUPER ELITE |
| Star Alliance level | Silver | Silver | Gold | Gold | Gold |
| Preferred seats (N. America travel) | 50% off | 50% off | Free | Free | Free |
| Preferred seats (International) | 50% off | 50% off | 50% off | Free | Free |
| Priority standby (Air Canada & Star Alliance) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free checked bags on Air Canada | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Mable Leaf Lounge Guest Passes | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Free Maple Leaf Lounge access for member | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Free Maple Leaf Lounge access for member’s immediate family | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Free Star Alliance Gold Lounge access for member | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Free Star Alliance Gold Lounge access for member’s guest | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Access to the Air Canada Cafe | Member | Member | Member | ||
| eUpgrade nominee | 1 | ||||
| Award change & cancellation fees | Waived |
As an Aeroplan elite status member, your Select Benefits lets you customize your travel experience by choosing the perks that matter most to you:
| 25K | 35K | 50K | 75K | SUPER ELITE | |
| BUNDLE 1 | Pick 2 | Pick 1 | Pick 2 | Pick 2 | Pick 2 |
| Bonus w/Air Canada & select partners | 25% | 35% | 50% | 75% | 100% |
| eUpgrade credits | 5 | 10 | 25 | 35 | 50 |
| Maple Leaf Lounge one-time guest passes | 2 | ||||
| Lower SQM requalification | 45K | 70K | 95K | ||
| Lower SQS requalification | 45 | 70 | 90 | ||
| Elite status for a friend | Aeroplan 35K | Aeroplan 50K | |||
| Aeroplan elite Wi-Fi plan | 12 months | 12 months | |||
| Status Pass (gift status) | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| BUNDLE 2 | Pick 1 | Pick 1 | Pick 1 | Pick 1 | Pick 1 |
| eUpgrade credits for eligible Flight Pass activities | 4 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 12 |
| SQM for eligible Flight Pass activities | 750 | 1K | 1.25K | 1.5K | 2.5K |
Having Aeroplan elite status allows you to earn vouchers for 50% off award flights, including partner awards. These are earned every time you reach a SQD threshold: 4K, 7K, 10K, 15K and each 5K thereafter, up to a maximum of 50K SQD. Vouchers are valid for one year from the date you earned them.
| Status | Voucher is limited to… |
| 25K | Canada/US Economy |
| 35K | Canada/US Economy |
| 50K | North America up to Premium Economy |
| 75K | Worldwide up to Premium Economy |
| SUPER ELITE | Worldwide up to Signature/Business Class |
Once you’ve flown more than one million Lifetime Qualifying Miles on eligible flights operated by Air Canada, you’ll enjoy Air Canada Million Mile program benefits, including:
| LIFETIME QUALIFYING MILES | PROGRAM BENEFIT |
| 1 million | Your elite status will always be at least Aeroplan 50K. |
| 2 million | Your elite status will always be at least Aeroplan 75K. The status of a friend will always be at least Aeroplan 50K. |
| 3 million | Your elite status will always be Super Elite. The status of a friend will always be at least Aeroplan 50K. |
| 4 million | Your elite status will always be Super Elite. The status of a friend will always be at least Aeroplan 75K. |
*For up-to-date information, click here for our source.
Earning Aeroplan Points
Aeroplan currently awards points based on airline, flight distance, ticket booking class and destination. The company has announced that sometime in 2021, they will switch from a distance-based program to a spend-based method for awarding points.
Currently, Aeroplan members earn points by flying with Air Canada and the following partner airlines:
- Aegean Airlines
- Aer Lingus
- Air China
- Air Creebec
- Air India
- Air New Zealand
- Air Serbia
- ANA
- Asiana Airlines
- Austrian Airlines
- Avianca
- Azul Brazilian Airlines
- Brussels Airlines
- Calm Air
- Canadian North
- Cathay Dragon
- Cathay Pacific
- Central Mountain Air
- Copa Airlines
- Croatia Airlines
- Egyptair
- Ethiopian Airlines
- Etihad Airways
- Eurowings
- EVA Air
- GOL
- Juneyao Airlines
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Middle East Airlines
- Olympic Air
- Scandinavian Airlines
- Shenzhen Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- South African Airways
- SriLankan Airlines
- SWISS
- TAP Air Portugal
- Thai Airways
- Turkish Airlines
- United Airlines
- Virgin Australia
- Vistara
For more details, check out the Air Canada airline partners page.
Earn Aeroplan points by booking travel with a wide variety of partners, including:
Earn Aeroplan points when you shop your favorite online brands through the Aeroplan eStore and at popular retailers in store.
To maximize your earning potential, read our complete guide to online shopping portals.
There are a number of credit cards that earn Aeroplan points, but you have to be a Canadian resident to apply. They include:
- TD Aeroplan credit cards
- American Express Aeroplan credit cards
- CIBC Aeroplan credit cards
For more information, have a look at the Aeroplan credit cards page.
Aeroplan points cost as low as three Canadian cents each (or USD$0.023), but you can get them at a lower rate during a promotion. Members are limited to purchasing up to 250,000 points per transaction and up to 500,000 points per calendar year. For more information, click here.
Earning Aeroplan Points with American Express Membership Rewards®
As a United States citizen, the easiest way to earn Aeroplan points is by transferring your Amex Membership Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio. The process is quick and painless.
Credit cards that earn Amex Membership Rewards include:
THE PLATINUM CARD® FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Platinum Card® from American Express has a special offer for 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in purchases within your first 6 months.
Membership Rewards® points are some of the most valuable in the market. Redeeming these points by booking travel through American Express or by redeeming for gift cards will give you a standard 1 cent per point value. The 100k bonus points are worth $1,000 going this route.
You can potentially get more value by transferring your points to Membership Rewards travel partners. Using this strategy can get you up to an average value of 2 cents per point. Get around $2,000 in value with 100,000 points this way. Read more on this here.
With this card, earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
The biggest drawback to this card is the $695 annual fee (see Rates & Fees, Terms Apply), which puts it in the premium class of credit cards. The card has a market because it offers premium travel benefits, such as 5X points for flights (up to $500,000 on these purchases) and eligible hotels, access to 40+ Centurion Loung and Studio locations worldwide, up to $200 airline fee credit annually, and an annual Walmart+ membership. These benefits are given as statement credits.
For frequent travelers, the added benefits make sense in terms of value and added luxury.
AMERICAN EXPRESS® GOLD CARD
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The American Express® Gold Card has a welcome bonus for 60,000 Membership Rewards Points when you spend $4,000 within 6 months.
Membership Rewards Points have great flexibility. We value each point to be worth up to an average 2 cents per point. At this value, 60k Membership Rewards Points can be worth up to $1,200.
The Amex Gold Card has plentiful perks. You’ll get:
- Choice between Gold or Rose Gold.
- 4X points at restaurants, including takeouts and deliveries in the U.S.
- 4X points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per year in purchases (1X thereafter)
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- Up to $120 in annual dining credits (get up to $10 monthly statement credits)
- No foreign transaction fees
The annual fee is $250. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
THE BUSINESS PLATINUM CARD® FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has a welcome offer for 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on qualifying purchases within your first 3 months of Card Membership. We value 80k points to be worth around $1,600.
This card earns 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (amextravel.com). Also 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.
This is a premium business card with a $695 annual fee. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
AMERICAN EXPRESS® BUSINESS GOLD CARD
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
For a limited time, the American Express Business Gold Card has an offer for 70,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
This card earns 4 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. These 4X points are capped at the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.
Other card benefits include an Airline Bonus, where you’ll get 25% points back after you redeem points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel. This is capped at up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.
The annual fee is $295 for this card. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
Other transfer partners include:
| REWARDS PROGRAM | TRANSFER RATIO |
| Capital One® Rewards | 4:3 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 3:1* |
| Diners Club® International | 1:1 |
| Barclays Arrival Premier World Mastercard | 17:10 |
*With a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points transferred.
Redeeming Aeroplan Points
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Aeroplan has adjusted their points expiration policy. As of July 20, 2020, Aeroplan points expire after 18 months of inactivity, instead of 12 months. To reset the expiration date, simply earn or burn your points at least every year and a half.
You can redeem your Aeroplan points for Air Canada, Star Alliance and non-alliance partner award flights to over 1,300 destinations. Itinerary possibilities are endless with the ability to mix and match partners.
The new Aeroplan award chart does away with fuel surcharges, introduces stopovers on one-way awards (at a cost) and eliminates blackout dates on Air Canada flights. The redemption rates are the same for all airline partners, so there’s only one partner award chart to refer to. Aeroplan also provides a Predictable Pricing tool to estimate how much a flight will cost.
Award pricing varies from 6,000 points for one-way short hops within North America to as much as 200,000 points for one-way First Class awards to a destination 11,000+ miles away. You can also redeem for an award ticket in part points and part cash. Simply pay cash to reduce the number of points needed to redeem for an award, by up to 40%.
Use your Aeroplan points to make your travel experience even better, such as upgrades, in-flight WiFi and more.
You can use your Aeroplan points a variety of other ways, but we generally do not recommend them. You’ll end up getting far below $0.015 per point when you redeem for the following:
- Hotel stays
- Car rentals
- Vacation packages
- Travel experiences
- Merchandise
- Gift cards
*For more information on redeeming points, click here for our source.
Aeroplan Tips & Tricks
With the new zone- and distance-based award chart, you’ll find the best sweet spots within a single region or short routes from one region to another.
| ORIGIN | DESTINATION | POINTS | EXAMPLES |
| N. America | < 500 mi | 6K in economy 14K in business | New York to Toronto New York to Boston Boston to Washington, DC |
| N. America | 501 – 1,500 mi | 10K in economy 20K in business | Chicago to Cancun Houston to Cancun Washington, DC to Cancun |
| N. America | 1,501 – 2,750 mi | 12.5K in economy 25K in business | Newark to Los Angeles West Coast to Hawaii |
| N. America | Atlantic (under 4,000 mi) | 35K in economy 60K in business | New York to Frankfurt |
| N. America | Pacific (under 5,000 mi) | 35K in economy 55K in business | Seattle to Tokyo Vancouver to Osaka |
A stopover can be added to a one-way award journey for an additional 5,000 Aeroplan points. On round-trip awards, you can have two stopovers for an additional 10,000 Aeroplan points. Layovers, connections of less than 24 hours, are also possible. For example:
- Toronto to Lisbon (layover)
- Lisbon to Rome (stopover)
- Rome to Istanbul (layover)
- Istanbul to Bangkok (destination)
- Bangkok to Seoul (stopover)
- Seoul to New York (layover)
- New York to Toronto
The itinerary above would cost a total of 180,000 Aeroplan points. Not bad for visiting six cities!
The new Aeroplan program features Family Sharing, which allows up to eight family members to pool points together. Each Family Sharing group has a household lead who can invite members to the pool and designate who has the ability to redeem the points in the pool.
Not only does Family Sharing make things more convenient for families who earn and burn points as a unit, but as long as one member of the group has elite status, then the whole family gets to enjoy that member’s preferred pricing benefits as well.
Keep in mind, Aeroplan requires members to stay in a Family Sharing pool for a minimum of thee months. Once you leave a points pool, you won’t be able to join another one until six months afterwards.
Book early. Everyone is looking for award space, especially in the high season and in the coveted long-haul business class cabin. To avoid disappointment, search for space as soon as possible.
Latitude Attitude. If you’re looking to fly Air Canada business class, we recommend booking Latitude fare in economy class instead. Then, use your eUpgrades to instantly confirm your upgrade to business class so you can save your Aeroplan points for other trips.
Schedule change. If the airline adjusts your itinerary due to a schedule change, you can request to get on alternative flights. This won’t incur any change fees or additional partner booking fees.
Lap infant. Aeroplan charges relatively low fees for traveling with an infant. Infant awards are free within Canada, only CAD$25 (USD$19) when traveling between Canada and the United States, and 2,500 Aeroplan points for all other itineraries.
Bottom Line
Overall, the new Air Canada Aeroplan program offers plenty of ways to get terrific value for you points, especially if you’ve racked up some Amex Membership Rewards points, Capital One miles or Marriott Bonvoy points. There’s now a family points pooling program. Elites enjoy discounted awards. The stopover and layover policy is very generous, and you won’t find any carrier-imposed surcharges on award flights. Needless to say, we’re big fans of the revamped Aeroplan program.
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