Linked with Air Canada, Aeroplan is a loyalty program that gives Canadians travel rewards for international and domestic trips. While the program has evolved over the years, this post breaks down all you need to know about the updated Aeroplan rewards program.
What is Aeroplan?
With more than five million active members, Air Canada’s Aeroplan is one of Canada’s most popular travel rewards programs.
The Aeroplan program originally launched independently in 1984 and its members redeemed more than 30 million flights. Over the years, Aeroplan has evolved to a loyalty program with a global outreach, where members can redeem points on over 35 airlines and fly to over 1,300 destinations around the world.
Aeroplan went through a big transition in November 2020 when it was acquired by Air Canada. Now, Aeroplan members in 2023 can get access to over 50 airline partnerships that work with Canada’s biggest airline.
What happened with Aeroplan and Air Canada?
Aeroplan was initially created by the flag carrier as its official loyalty program. In 2002, they began operating as a subsidiary, and in 2005, it was spun off as a separate entity that was eventually acquired by Aimia Inc.
In January 2019, Air Canada re-acquired Aeroplan from Aimia Inc. and announced plans to launch its own loyalty program, which happened on November 8, 2020.
How does Aeroplan work?
Aeroplan is Air Canada’s multi-faceted traveller rewards program. As a coalition loyalty program, it allows members to earn points when they fly on Air Canada as well as using their Aeroplan card or the new Aeroplan credit card with any participating travel or retail business. These points can then be redeemed for a variety of travel rewards, including flights, hotels, car rentals, and even redeeming gift cards at the new Aeroplan eStore.
Most people think only frequent flyers stand to benefit from Aeroplan rewards. In fact, the majority of members are not frequent flyers, they are frequent spenders. From hotel chains to car rental companies to online retailers, here are some of the 200+ partners that help Aeroplan rewards members earn points:
- Apple
- The Body Shop
- Hello Fresh
- LCBO
- Rocky Mountaineer
- Roots
- Sephora
- Starbucks
- Uber
How does the new Aeroplan loyalty rewards program work for travel?
Through travel and retail purchases, Canadians can continue to collect points on their Aeroplan card which they can then use to redeem for travel. And because the program now belongs to Air Canada, Aeroplan is connected with a global network of travel partners. This means that card users have a lot of choice when it comes to choosing an airline to fly with if you want to redeem those points. Here’s a little breakdown:
- The total cost of a flight using your Aeroplan points will depend on if you book with Air Canada directly (including Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express), any Partner Airlines (excluding Emirates), and Emirates.
- Any seat on Air Canada that is available to purchase in cash, travellers are able to use their points to redeem for it: no blackout dates and you can buy any cabin class available.
- If you book a flight with Air Canada using your Aeroplan points, you’ll have to factor in two things when it comes to the cost in points: Distance travelled (in miles) and the time of booking.
- Partner airlines on the other hand go by a simple rate. So booking an Air Canada flight with your Aeroplan points at the last-minute during the December holiday period, for instance, will cost you much more in points.
What are some of the main features of Air Canada’s new Aeroplan rewards program?
One key factor is that Air Canada’s Aeroplan is designed to provide members with the best value when redeeming flights with the airline. Here are some of the other main highlights of the updated loyalty rewards program:
- More flexibility with flights: Aeroplan members can use their points to redeem any flight on Air Canada that’s available for purchase. There won’t be any blackout periods or restrictions, and no distinctions between Fixed Mileage Rewards and Market Fare Flight Rewards as with previous versions of this loyalty program.
- Family sharing: Members of the same family/household (up to 8 members) can bundle and share their Aeroplan points with each other for free.
- No more surcharges: If you buy a flight on Air Canada using your Aeroplan points, you won’t be subject to any additional airline surcharges (including fuel surcharges). There will still be third-party fees and taxes to pay when redeeming your points for flights, however.
- Points prediction: Aeroplan members can head to the Air Canada Aeroplan website to use a Points Predictor Tool, which estimates how many points needed to purchase a flight with your Aeroplan card. There’s also a Points Finder Tool where you can see on the map some popular travel destinations and how many points they would cost you (one-way fares displayed).
- Easy upgrades: Members will have the flexibility to redeem their points to bid on seat upgrades to higher cabin classes like Premium Economy and Business Class.
- Simple booking: All Aeroplan points can be redeemed using Air Canada’s website or via the Air Canada app.
- Points for WiFi: Aeroplan members can now redeem points to buy WiFi while in-flight.
- Extras: Under the updated loyalty program, Aeroplan points can be redeemed for perks in-flight like WiFi access and a pass for the Maple Leaf Lounge.
For more information, head to Air Canada’s Aeroplan homepage.
The new Aeroplan flight rewards chart: travel zones
Another major difference with the new Aeroplan loyalty program is that there’s no distinction between Fixed Mileage Flight Rewards or Market Fare Flight Rewards any more.
Once the new Aeroplan loyalty program came into effect, the old tier-based rewards system was replaced by travel zones. There are four zones, including:
- North America (including the Caribbean and Central American countries)
- Atlantic (all of Europe, Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, India)
- Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, South Pacific, Australia, New Zealand)
- South America
The Air Canada’s Aeroplan points cost program is basically divided into 9 sections, all based on zones/distance travelled with a separate table for points redeemed on Emirates.
There’s a chart for travel within North America, between North America and the Atlantic zones, between North America and the Pacific, and so on. The cost in points also range from Economy to First Class, and vary whether the flight is booked on Air Canada or with any Partner airlines.
You can see a full breakdown in the new Aeroplan Flight Rewards Chart here.
How much do Air Canada flights cost with Aeroplan points?
Want to know how many Aeroplan points a flight on Air Canada will cost you? Check out the Points Predictor Tool to get a closer look.
For example, a one-way flight from Toronto Pearson to Tokyo Narita International Airport will currently cost you between 45,000 – 80,000 Aeroplan points if you fly directly with Air Canada (Economy Class). The same route is 50,000 points with Partner airlines.
As you can see, because the Partner airlines work on a single fixed point value system, in many cases booking a flight with points on one of their Partner airlines will work out to a better deal.
According to the Air Canada website, a partner booking fee will apply for flight rewards including travel. It’s also important to factor in taxes and any third-party charges that may apply to the total cost of the flight. But, remember that there is limited seating with Partner airline flights.
And remember that unlike with the old Aeroplan loyalty rewards plan, carrier surcharges aren’t being added to the cost of the flight when you book a flight with your Aeroplan rewards. So your points redeemed will actually be worth it, especially those longer haul flights.
All about Aeroplan’s Elite Status
Aeroplan’s new Elite Status (and its tiers) is designed to reward Air Canada and Star Alliance frequent flyers with priority reservations, priority airport services, Maple Leaf lounge access, and much more. The Elite Status tiers range from 25k to 100k (Super Elite status).
See below for what it takes to earn different tiers of Elite Status.
| Altitude Status | Prestige 25K | Elite 35K | Elite 50K | Elite 75K | Super Elite 100K |
| Altitude Qualifying Miles (AQM) or Altitude Qualifying Segments (AQS) | 25,000 AQM or 25 AQS | 35,000 AQM or 35 AQS | 50,000 AQM or 50 AQS | 75,000 AQM or 75 AQS | 100,000 AQM or 95 AQS |
| In addition to: Altitude Qualifying Dollars (AQD) | $3,000 | $4,000 | $6,000 | $9,000 | $20,000 |
What is the Aeroplan eStore?
Aeroplan flight rewards help you spend less money on airplane tickets, but there are also other items available for redemption.
In the new Aeroplan eStore, you can start earning and redeeming points with dozens of global retail and other partners, not to mention airline and travel partners.
Best Aeroplan credit cards
Consider one of these credit cards to earn more Aeroplan flight rewards. Members can earn extra miles when they pay with these Aeroplan affiliated cards.
TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite: Cardholders can earn 1.5 miles for every $1 spent on eligible grocery, gas, drugstore and aircanada.com purchases. For every $1 spent elsewhere, cardholders earn one mile. Additionally, this card offers a welcome bonus: 25,000 miles. Other benefits include one complimentary checked bag on eligible flights, travel insurance, priority check-in, one-time access to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, and more TD Aeroplan rewards.
CIBC Aerogold Visa Infinite: Like TD Aeroplan rewards, CIBA Aerogold Visa Infinite cardholders earn 1.5 miles for every $1 spent on eligible grocery, gas, drugstore, and aircanada.com purchases, and one mile for every dollar spent elsewhere. Purchases made certain Aeroplan partners can earn up to twice the miles. In addition to coverage and travel benefits, this card offers up to 20,000 miles as a welcome bonus and a $120 Air Canada gift card.
American Express Gold Rewards Card: Amex Canada Gold Rewards points transfer 1:1 as Aeroplan rewards, but remain as cardmember rewards. New cardholders earn a welcome bonus of up to 25,000 miles. Members earn two miles for every dollar spent on eligible travel and purchases, and one mile for every dollar spent elsewhere. Additional benefits include travel insurance, complimentary hotel room upgrades when available, and advance tickets to entertainment.
Disclaimer: This article is meant for general guidance only, and last updated June 15, 2023. To check the latest updates on Air Canada’s Aeroplan loyalty rewards program, head to AirCanada.com.
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