Gulf Air becomes Aeroplan's 45th airline partner — here's what you should know

Air Canada's Aeroplan has built an impressive roster of partner airlines. And that's not only within the Star Alliance network.

Today, you can add the frequent flyer program's 45th airline to the list. Gulf Air becomes the latest non-alliance carrier to partner with Aeroplan, allowing passengers to both earn and redeem Aeroplan points.

Gulf Air is the national carrier of Bahrain, serving 55 cities in 30 countries — primarily in the Middle East, Europe and Asia — with a fleet of narrow-body Airbus A320 and widebody Boeing 787 aircraft.

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Earning Aeroplan points

Aeroplan members flying on Gulf Air flights can now earn Aeroplan points by adding their Aeroplan frequent flyer number to their reservations. Here's how many points you'd earn, based on the booking class.

Redeeming Aeroplan points

You can redeem Aeroplan points on Gulf Air flights the same way you would with any other partner carrier. Flights are priced based on the Aeroplan award chart, updated late last year, so longer flights cost more points. You will also be charged a $29 partner booking fee on Gulf Air flights booked with Aeroplan points.

This all comes on the heels of a completely revamped Aeroplan loyalty program Air Canada introduced in late 2020. From the elimination of fuel surcharges to generous stopover rules and some new sweet spots, there were plenty of updates to be excited about.

Earning Aeroplan points

Aeroplan partners with several transferable points programs, letting you instantly top up your account when you’re ready to book an award. You can transfer points to Aeroplan with the following programs:

• American Express Membership Rewards (1:1 ratio)
• Capital One Rewards (2:1.5 ratio)
• Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 ratio with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points transferred)
• Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1 ratio)

In fact, it was just earlier this month that it became possible to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio (1 Ultimate Rewards point is equal to 1 Aeroplan point).

Now, those points can get you further with Gulf Air as the latest addition to Aeroplan's roster.