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Why Air Canada Aeroplan has become my favorite Star Alliance loyalty program
Ben Smithson is a senior writer for TPG and is based in London. Originally from Australia and a qualified lawyer with a financial services background, he has almost a decade of experience writing about a broad range of travel and loyalty topics.
October 10, 2024 • 10 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
Aeroplan stands out as a top Star Alliance loyalty program due to its extensive airline partner network, including both alliance and nonalliance carriers.
The program allows points transfers from several major transferable currency programs, making it accessible for many travelers.
Aeroplan partner awards follow a unique hybrid award chart with no carrier-imposed surcharges, often resulting in competitive redemption rates.
A valuable stopover feature lets members add extra destinations to award tickets for a modest points supplement.
What to consider
Some offers and transfer bonuses mentioned may no longer be available, so current details should be confirmed.
Stopovers are not permitted in Canada or the U.S., and specific routing and duration rules apply.
Partner award pricing is based on distance and region, while flights operated by Air Canada may use dynamic pricing.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of how to maximize Aeroplan points for premium cabin redemptions and unique partner airline opportunities.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Even if you travel on many different airlines, it makes sense to focus on just one loyalty program in each of the Big Three airline alliances: Oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam.
By focusing on one program per alliance, you can earn rewards faster by crediting everything to one program, as your points and miles won't be spread across multiple programs within the same alliance. If you fly enough (or hold the right credit card), you might earn elite status in the program, making your travel more comfortable, convenient and rewarding.
Many of these programs offer cards that feature generous welcome bonuses. Here's just a sample of the travel rewards credit cards that earn transferable points or miles that can be converted to Aeroplan points at a 1:1 rate:
The Platinum Card® from American Express: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $12,000 on purchases in your first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Find out your offer and see if you're eligible for as high as 300,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
American Express® Gold Card: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible to earn as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 75,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first three months of account opening.
Card issuers, especially American Express and Chase, have offered occasional transfer bonuses, usually around 20%, when transferring credit card points to Aeroplan.
This means you'll receive even more than a 1:1 transfer rate during these limited-time promotions, boosting your Aeroplan points balance and making earning the points for that dream redemption easier.
Earn and redeem Aeroplan points on many different airlines
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
The best feature of the Aeroplan program is the jaw-dropping number of airlines on which you can earn and redeem Aeroplan points. At the time of writing, there are 50 different airline redemption partners. I can't think of another airline loyalty program with this many partners, and most are bookable online.
You can earn and redeem Aeroplan points on the following Star Alliance members:
You can earn and redeem Aeroplan points on all of the above airlines as well as four additional earn-only airlines:
Aer Lingus
Central Mountain Air
Middle East Airlines
SriLankan Airlines
Aeroplan partner awards follow an award chart with no surcharges
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
While redeeming Aeroplan points for flights operated by Air Canada is now priced dynamically, often at absurd rates like 550,000 points for a single flight, fortunately, redemptions for flights operated by partner airlines are priced using a unique and generous hybrid award chart.
You'll pay based on your flight length, but pricing varies based on the regions you fly to and from, with regions being very broadly defined. For example, the "Atlantic" region covers everything from Norway to South Africa to India.
AIRCANADA.COM
Once you have decided which region(s) you want to travel to, you can check the distance of your itinerary (using a tool like Great Circle Mapper). Then, based on the award charts, you can determine how many Aeroplan points you will need to redeem for the flight.
For example, you could fly on Singapore Airlines' fifth-freedom route from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in Germany for just 60,000 Aeroplan points in business class plus about $57 in taxes and fees.
AIRCANADA.COM
This is an incredible deal on one of the world's best airlines in business class to Europe.
You can also book economy flights on United Airlines within the continental U.S. and Canada from just 6,000 Aeroplan points for flights up to 500 miles in length, such as from Dulles International Airport (IAD) to many Northeast destinations.
Aeroplan also does not have carrier-imposed surcharges, which can save you hundreds of dollars compared with redeeming through a program that does impose these surcharges.
Add a stopover for just 5,000 extra Aeroplan points
MATTEO COLOMBO/GETTY IMAGES
The Aeroplan loyalty program has a lesser-known but valuable perk that allows you to add a stopover on the way to your destination for just 5,000 additional points. For round-trip Aeroplan redemptions, you can add a stopover on your outbound flight and another stopover on your return flight for 5,000 points each.
There are some stopover rules to keep in mind; however, I do not consider them to be onerous:
You can't include a stopover in Canada or the U.S.
The distance you fly between your origin and destination in one direction must be less than double the nonstop distance.
You cannot backtrack through the same airport, city or country when traveling in one direction.
Best way to book Lufthansa first class with points and miles
KYLE OLSEN/THE POINTS GUY
Following Avianca LifeMiles' unexpected increase of redemption rates to Europe, Aeroplan is now the cheapest option to book Lufthansa's famous first-class product to Europe and beyond.
Compared with 130,000 LifeMiles, Aeroplan charges just 90,000 points from the East Coast to Europe in Lufthansa first class, or 100,000 points from the West Coast to Europe each way, plus minimal taxes and fees of around $50.
You may not realize just how many benefits this card has, including some rarely seen on an airline-branded credit card. Here are some of the best benefits of this card:
Earn a welcome bonus of 75,000 points: New Air Canada Aeroplan credit card applicants can earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Earn triple points in key categories: Cardholders earn 3 Aeroplan points per dollar spent at grocery stores, on dining (including takeout and delivery) and on purchases made directly with Air Canada, and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Monthly bonus points: For every $2,000 spent on the card, cardholders receive up to a 500-point bonus — up to 1,500 points per month.
Redeem points for any travel purchase: Cardholders can redeem Aeroplan points toward any airline, hotel or car rental at a rate of 1.25 cents each.
Statement credits: Cardholders receive up to $120 in statement credits for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus applications every four years.
Aeroplan elite status: Cardholders receive automatic Aeroplan 25K elite status in the calendar year the cardmember opens the card and the following year. Benefits include priority check-in and boarding, discounted pricing on some award redemptions when flying with Air Canada, a 50% discount on Preferred Seats, two one-time guest passes to Air Canada's Maple Leaf Lounges located in the domestic and U.S. zones of Canadian airports, and 20 eUpgrade credits each year.
No airline program is perfect in the ever-changing world of customer loyalty. But while 2024 has seen other popular programs increase redemption rates without notice, Air Canada's Aeroplan program has remained a solid choice for my Star Alliance loyalty.
Not only are Aeroplan points easy to earn, but the redemption rates across many partner airlines have helped me obtain real value from this loyalty program.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
