Aeroplan members can now earn and redeem with 2 new airline partners

There's lots to love about Air Canada’s Aeroplan program. It has pretty reasonable award charts, doesn't pass on fuel surcharges and offers some unique features like family points sharing. Moreover, it offers an impressive roster of more than 45 partner airlines.

Outside of the Star Alliance network, Aeroplan partners with a handful of non-alliance carriers like Etihad, Azul and Gulf Air. And now, there are two more airlines to add to the list.

Oman Air and Air Mauritius have just become the latest non-alliance carriers to partner with Aeroplan. Passengers can now earn and redeem Aeroplan points with Oman Air. For now, they can only redeem points with Air Mauritius, but the ability to earn points on Air Mauritius should come online early in 2022.

Here's what else we know about these new partnerships for now.

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Earning Aeroplan points with Oman Air

Aeroplan members flying on Oman Air flights can now earn Aeroplan points by adding their Aeroplan frequent-flyer number to their reservations. Unfortunately, though, Oman Air flights do not count toward qualifying for Aeroplan elite status.

Here’s how many points you’d earn, based on the booking class:

As mentioned, the accrual of Aeroplan points with Air Mauritius will not launch until early 2022. As of now, we don't know what the earning rates will look like for these flights.

Related: The best ways to maximize Air Canada’s Aeroplan program

Redeeming Aeroplan points on Oman Air and Air Mauritius

You can redeem Aeroplan points on Oman Air and Air Mauritius flights the same way you would with any other partner carrier. Flights are bookable online and priced based on Aeroplan's hybrid distance- and region-based award chart. You will also be charged the usual CA$39 ($30) per-person partner booking fee on these awards.

Just to give you an idea, a flight from London (LHR) to Muscat (MCT) — Oman Air’s hub — is 3,629 flight miles. Since the flight is under 4,000 miles and within the "Atlantic Zone," the Aeroplan chart indicates that a one-way flight will cost 25,000 points in economy, 45,000 points in business class or 65,000 points in first class. Neither Oman Air or Air Mauritius fly directly to North America, but you can combine these flights with flights operated by Air Canada or its other international airline partners.

Although not all Aeroplan partners allow first-class award redemptions, Air Canada has confirmed that they will be available for Oman Air flights. With Air Mauritius, you'll only be able to redeem for economy or business class as the airline doesn't offer a first-class cabin.

What makes these additions so exciting is that it historically hasn't been very easy to book award flights on either of these airlines. Previously, the only practical way to snag award tickets on Oman Air was through Etihad Guest, but the program doesn't actually allow first-class redemptions on Oman Air. Meanwhile, Air Mauritius awards could only be booked through Air France/KLM Flying Blue or Emirates Skywards.

Related: Why Aeroplan’s higher redemption rates may actually be a better deal

Boosting your Aeroplan balance

If you're looking to book one of these awards and are short Aeroplan points, it's pretty easy to top off your account.

For starters, if you carry a travel rewards card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or the new Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, you can transfer points to Aeroplan at the following ratios:

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

Additionally, Chase just launched the all-new Aeroplan Credit Card for U.S.-based customers. It’s quite strong on the earning side, offering 3 Aeroplan points per dollar spent at grocery stores, on dining, and on purchases made directly with Air Canada; and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. New cardholders can currently earn 70,000 points. Earn 70,000 points after you spend $3,000 in your first three months from account opening.

Other ways to earn Aeroplan points include crediting points earned from flying partner airlines to Air Canada, purchasing points during a buy-miles promotion and using the carrier’s online shopping portal. Aeroplan also allows you to pool your points with your family, where you can link up to eight Aeroplan accounts and share your points for award redemptions.

Related: How to earn miles with the Aeroplan program

Bottom line

While we knew Oman Air was joining Aeroplan as a partner, details were scant, and the addition of Air Mauritius had not been previously announced. Neither carrier offers direct flights to the U.S., but these are valuable additions nonetheless, considering that redemption options for these airlines have historically been quite limited.

Oman Air and Air Mauritius are the ninth and tenth new partners for Aeroplan in the last two years alone, demonstrating the program's ongoing commitment to delivering value for its members. Other recent non-alliance additions include Gulf Air and Virgin Australia.