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Air Canada Aeroplan: 'Round the World' in Business Class For 100,000 Miles and 120,000 in First

Jan. 11, 2011
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3 min read
Air Canada Aeroplan: 'Round the World' in Business Class For 100,000 Miles and 120,000 in First
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Update: Aeroplan increased their award charts July 15, 2011

Air Canada is known for having a pretty flexible frequent flyer program, Aeroplan (which is actually a separately operating company). Some of the things I love about Aeroplan are:

1) 80,000 mile business class awards from North America to most of Western Europe

2) 100,000 mile business class awards from North America to Asia 1 (China, Hong Kong, Japan, North Korea, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam)

3) The ability to do a "Round the World" trip for 100,000 miles. That's right- and you can stopover in two continents as well.

4) You can book these awards online. Aeroplan recently introduced a new online booking engine that includes a lot of Star Alliance partners.

5) Aeroplan is an American Express Membership Rewards partner, so you can transfer instantly at a 1:1 ratio. Most US card members are unaware of this and don't leverage Aeroplan nearly enough. So for example, 80,000 Amex points = business class to most of Europe, with relatively low taxes/surcharges as long as you don't fly on Air Canada flights. Yes, Aeroplan charges more when you redeem for Air Canada flights, so avoid them like the plague.

Some tips for the search engine:

1) Be slow- make sure when you enter an airport code that the system has a couple seconds to recognize it, otherwise it will error out

2) The system doesn't allow co-terminals. So for example a JFK-FRA-NRT-JFK award is valid, however EWR-FRA-NRT-JFK is not- it won't allow it to price out (and EWR results won't populate when you do a JFK search).

3) Scroll down to see business and first class results

4) For some reason it sometimes doesn't show nonstop options and it will make you connect. I haven't been able to find a workaround, so if you only see options with 1 stop, try calling to see if something better exists.

So play around with the online search engine and try to push it to its limits. I did a sample New York to Munich (spend a couple days), Munich to Tokyo (spend a couple days), Tokyo to New York in Lufthansa and ANA first class class for 120,000 total miles. Not a bad deal!

[card card-name='Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express ' card-id='22035076' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.