Aeroplan points guide for 2024

By Hannah Logan & Tyler Wade

Fact Checked: Scott Birke

🗓️

Updated: April 01, 2024

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Learn how many Aeroplan points you need to fly, how to redeem Aeroplan points, Aeroplan points value and full list of Aeroplan partners

Aeroplan points are easy to amass and simple to redeem and arguably the best loyalty points program in Canada. As of 2023, your Aeroplan rewards never expire (so long as you stay active).

Below, we break down how to earn and redeem Aeroplan points, how to determine the value of an Aeroplan point, and how to maximize your Aeroplan rewards for luxury travel. 

How to earn Aeroplan points

How to collect Aeroplan rewards points hasn’t changed much (though Air Canada is continually adding new retail partners and has said it will add more travel partners in the next year). It’s quite easy to collect Aeroplan points, partly because it’s such a popular program for Canadians.

You can earn Aeroplan points in the following primary ways:

• Use an Aeroplan credit card.
• Earn points when you fly Air Canada flights, and on extra in-flight purchases like food and beverages and duty-free purchases.
• Earn Aeroplan points on partner airlines (NOTE: there is a new charge of $39 per ticket when you book a flight reward on another airline, but you can use points to pay the new fee).
• Get points with other travel partners like hotels (Hilton, Marriott, etc.) and rental car agencies (Avis, Budget, etc.), select airport parking lots (Park'N Fly, Park &Jet Calgary), and more partners are being added all the time). 
• Shop with Aeroplan partner merchants in person or online.
• Pool points with family members (read more about this new feature here).
  

Earn Aeroplan points with credit cards

TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card

Apply now

4.0

• Highlights
• Rates & Fees
• Details

1.5 points for every $1 spent on eligible gas, grocery and direct through Air Canada® purchases (including Air Canada Vacations®)†

1 point Earn 1 point for every $1 you spend on all other purchases†

2x Earn points twice with Aeroplan partner brands and on the Aeroplan eStore.†

50% Earn 50% more Aeroplan points at Starbucks when you link your card to your account.†

1 NEXUS application fee rebate every 48 months†

1st checked bag free for you and up to 8 travel companions†

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$139 Annual Fee Additional cardholder is $75.†

20.99% Purchase APR APR for purchases 20.99%†

22.99% Cash Advance APR APR for cash advances 22.99%†

22.99% Balance Transfer Rate APR for balance transfers 22.99%†

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2.50% Foreign Transaction Fee Foreign transaction fee: 2.50%†

Excellent Recommended Credit Score

$60,000 Required Annual Personal Income

$100,000 Required Annual Household Income

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Welcome Offer Ends Jun 3, 2024

Earn up to $1,200 in value† including up to 50,000 Aeroplan points†. Conditions Apply. Account must be approved by June 3, 2024.

Learn more

American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card

Apply now

4.0

• Highlights
• Rates & Fees
• Details

3X the points on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada®* and Air Canada Vacations®*

2X the points on eligible Dining and Food Delivery purchases in Canada

1.5X the points on everything else

$599 Annual Fee

20.99% Purchase APR

21.99% Cash Advance APR on funds advances

2.50% Foreign Transaction Fee

Good Recommended Credit Score

$0 Required Annual Personal Income

Welcome Offer

New American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Cardmembers can earn up to 85,000 Aeroplan points.

Learn more

Compare more Aeroplan rewards credit cards by category

There are many Aeroplan credit cards. We thought it'd be helpful to break it down a little deeper to help you make a wise choice. For a full list, read our best Aeroplan credit cards guide.

There are Aeroplan credit cards, co-branded Aeroplan cards (like TD Bank and CIBC), and there are credit cards that earn Aeroplan points (e.g. Amex Membership Rewards transfer points at a 1:1 ratio). We can't forget the generous welcome bonuses eitherm which could have you flying as soon as you qualify. 

Who are Aeroplan partners?

Aeroplan has many partner merchants which you probably use and shop with on a regular basis.  Some notable partners include Starbucks, Uber & Uber Eats, LCBO, Amazon, and a range of other brands across various sectors like electronics, fashion, home decor, and health. Each Aeroplan partner offers unique ways for Aeroplan members to earn and redeem points through purchases or promotions. Below we break down Aeroplan partners by their respective categories.

Aeroplan earn tip: Double dip with an Aeroplan credit card

Remember that you can "double dip" the Aeroplan points you earn when shopping with Aeroplan Partners or travelling with a Star Alliance member by showing your loyalty card and then paying with an Aeroplan credit card. This allows you to earn Aeroplan points twice with the same purchase.

Aeroplan partners for hotels and accommodation

You can convert your hotel points to Aeroplan points at hotels like Fairmont, Sofitel, Hilton, Le Germain, and Omni hotels. Below we list hotel partners where you can earn points. 

You can also earn 1 point per dollar at Clique Hotels & Resorts (Blackcomb, Acclaim, and Applause), and 250 points per stay at Nova hotels (Nova Inn, Chateau Nova), and more. 

If you're travelling, be sure to check out Aeroplan's complete list of accommodation partners¹. 

Aeroplan partners for travel:

• Air Canada
• Star Alliance Members
• Budget Car Rental
• Courtyard by Marriott
• Fairmont Hotel and Resorts

Aeroplan partners for retail: Full list

Keep in mind that some of these merchants only allow you to earn Aeroplan points when shopping online. For example, you may be able to earn Aeroplan points when making onlin purchases ut you won’t earn any Aeroplan points for anything bought in-store.

The Aeroplan eStore is a great resource if you shop a lot online, as it showcases more than 260 retail and other partners who partner with Aeroplan. Each retailer has its own earning rate and some merchants may occasionally have extra mile promotions. Some popular brands you can find on the Aeroplan eStore include amazon.ca, chapters.indigo.ca, Bed Bath & Beyond, Etsy, Dyson, and more.

The full list of Aeroplan partners as of January 10, 2024 is below:

1-800-Flowers.ca, 123Ink.ca, 24S, Adidas, Aerie, Aldo, AliExpressAllSaints, Altitude Sports, Amazon.ca, American Eagle, AmeriSpec of Canada, Ancestry.ca, Anker, Anthropologie, Aosom Canada, Apple, Armani Beauty, Ashley HomeStore, AskingCanadians, Asos, Athleta, Atlas Van Line, Atmosphere, Aveda, Banana Republic, Bench, Bentley, Best Buy, Biotherm, Bloomingdales, Bobbi Brown, Bodum, Bogs, Boohoo, Book Outlet, Bose, Bouclair, Breville, Brother, Buffalo David Bitton, Bumble and Bumble, Canadian Down & Feather Company, Casper, Chef's Plate, Clarins, Clearly, Clinique, Club Monaco, CoachCoast Appliances, Columbia, Crocs, Decathlo, Dell Refurbished, Dell Technologies, Design Within Reach, Desigual, Deux par Deux, Diggs, Diono, Disney +, Dynamite, Dyson, e-Rewards, Ecco, Echelon, Ecobee, Endy, Estée Lauder, Etsy, Ever New Melbourne, FinalCut, FitFlop, Foot Locker, Forever 21, Free People, FTD, fuboTV, Gap, Garage, GetYourGuide, GLOBO, Go City, GoDaddy, Gymshark, H&M, Harrods, Harry Rosen, Hatley, HelloFresh, Herschel, Hillberg & Berk, Holt Renfrew, Homes & Villas by Marriott, HP, HP Small Business, Hudson's Bay, Hunter, Indigo, Indochino, Instacart, iRobot, IT Cosmetics, Jabra, Jamieson Vitamins, JD Sports, JENNY BIRD, Journeys, JTV, Kate Spade, Kenzo, Kerastase, Keurig, Kiehl's, Kit and Ace, KiwiCo, L.L. Bean, L'Equipeur, L'Occitane, La Canadienne, La Roche-Posay, La Senza, Lacoste, Lancome, Land's End, LCBO, LCBO GIFT CARDS, Le Chateau, Lego, Lenovo, Lenovo Pro, LensCrafters, LEO Rewards, Linen Chest, Little Burgundy, Lole, Longchamp, LookFantastic, Lorex, LUISAVIAROMA, Lululemon, LXR, MAC, Macy's, Madewell, Maje, Marcelle, Mark's, Marriott Bonvoy, Matt & Nat, Meyer, Michael Kors, Michaels, Microsoft, Molton Brown, Moores, Mountain Warehouse, Mr. Porter, MyTheresa, NET-A-PORTER, Newegg, Nike, Nixon, Noom, NordVPN, Novus, Nutri-lawn, NYX, Oakley, Old Navy, Origins, Overstock, Pandora, Paula's Choice, Penningtons, Peoples, Persol, Persona, PrettyLittleThing, PRFO Sports, PrimeCables, Pro Hockey Life, Psycho Bunny, Puma, Quickbooks, Rakuten Kobo, Ray-Ban, Redbubble, Reitmans, Rocky Mountaineer, Rosetta Stone, Ruggable, RW&Co, Saatchi Art, Sail, Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Off 5th, Samsonite, Samsung, Sandro, SAXX Underwear, Sennheiser, Sephora, Sheertex, shop Disney, ShopBop, Shopper+, Shu Uemura, Simba Sleep, Simons, SiriusXM, Size?, SkinStore, Smash + Tess, Smashbox, Society6, Sonos, Sorel, Sport Chek, SSENSE, Starbucks, Steve Madden, Sukoshi Mart, Sunglass Hut, Superdry, Suzy Shier, Switch Health, TELUS, The Body Shop, The Globe and Mail, The Last Hunt, The Source, The UPS Store Canada, Theory, Therabody, Tilley, Toms, Tory Burch, TSC, TurboTax Canada, Uber, Uber + Uber Eats, UGG, Umbra, Under Armour, Uniqlo, Vans, Vestiaire Collective, Viator, Vichy, VistaPrint, Warby Parker, Watier, WaySpa, WeCook, Weightwatchers, Well.ca, YETI, YSL Beauty, Yves Rocher.

What is the Aeroplan points chart?

Aeroplan has completely overhauled its chart system. Previously, you had two options when booking flights with your Aeroplan points. You could book with the fixed mileage option or with market fare rewards. Now the new Aeroplan chart is based on a dynamic pricing model and is divided into four different zones:

• North America
• Atlantic
• Pacific
• South America

How many points you need to redeem for a specific flight will now depend on the market value of the flight, the travel distance between where you take off and where you land, and whether or not the flight is in high demand. Fixed point redemption values remain only for partner airlines. For Air Canada flights, Aeroplan members will see a range of possible points needed for redemption, and you won’t actually know how many points you specifically need until you go to select your flight.

So, for example, note in the chart above that for each class of ticket for an Air Canada flight, there is a given range of possible points needed for redemption. Whereas for the partner airlines, there is a clearly allotted fixed number of points needed. Obviously, to get the best value for your points, you want to aim for the lower range of points needed for a flight. Keep in mind that while the simplicity of the partner airline redemption fixed point system is attractive, this often means you’ll have to take longer routes because of stopovers. There’s also limited seat selection.

When you look at the new Aeroplan Chart, you may also notice that there have been some increases in the points needed for many routes (especially in the Atlantic and Pacific zones). However, there are now no more carrier surcharges, and you will have much better availability of flights because blackout dates and seat availability limitations have been eliminated under the new Aeroplan Points program.

How many Aeroplan points does it take to fly?

Unless you are using a partner airline with fixed points, there’s no real way to know how many points it will take to fly somewhere because all Air Canada flights are now based on a variable points model. Luckily Air Canada has provided a Points Predictor Tool so you can get at least an idea of how many points you’ll need to redeem for your flight.

Below is a chart showing the range of points needed for flights from North America to the Atlantic zones. So, for example, a flight (of a distance of approximately 3700 miles) from Toronto to somewhere in Europe, like Paris, could cost you anywhere from 35,000 to 60,000 points in economy each way. And a partner airline seat on a similar flight will cost a fixed amount of points of 35,000. Of course, as mentioned above, you will likely get much more selection, and fewer stopovers with the Air Canada flight since flight reward redemptions no longer have any restrictions. That means you’ll have plenty more options than you would via booking a flight with the partner airline.

How do travellers redeem Aeroplan points?

How you redeem Aeroplan Points has also been simplified. You no longer need to go to a separate website (aeroplan.com) to redeem your points. Now you can search and redeem your flight rewards just like you would any other booking at aircanada.com or on the Air Canada app. The aircanada.com address is also where you can redeem your points for other items like merchandise, rental cars, hotel stays, gift cards, and more.

Travel redemptions include flights with any Star Alliance member (including Air Canada) and other travel-related purchases such as hotels, car rentals, or vacation packages. As for merchandise options, there’s a large selection of items to choose from, ranging from fashion accessories to cookware. Alternatively, you can use your Points for gift cards rather than actual products.

Also, it’s important to note that under the new Aeroplan Points program, you can book with a combination of points and cash, giving you more booking flexibility.

What is an Aeroplan point’s value?

With the new chart update, an Aeroplan point’s value is not concrete when it comes to flights and varies depending on what the points are redeemed for, and the time of year they’re redeemed. Generally speaking, when it comes to travel, you’ll receive the highest value for your Aeroplan Points if you use them for flights and the lowest value if you use them for car rentals.

Outside that broad rule of thumb, there are several other redemption factors that affect the value of points. Under the old Aeroplan program, we could confidently state that you’ll get better value for your points if you use them for a domestic flight in Canada or the US rather than an international one. Now, however, given the wide range between possible points needed for every flight (aside from partner airlines), the value you get for a point doesn’t just depend on distance. It depends on miles travelled, how popular the flight is, and the time of year (i.e., whether it’s high or low season).

When redeeming your Aeroplan Points, you’ll want to make sure you get the best CPM (cost per mile), which means aiming for the lowest possible end of the points range for Air Canada flights.

Generally speaking, under the old Aeroplan Miles program, we valued 1 average Aeroplan point at 1.4 cents. If you can get an equal or greater value than that when making a redemption, you’re getting a good return. Without the fixed pricing model of redemption, it becomes much harder to calculate a reliable set value for a new Aeroplan Point. The best way to calculate and be absolutely certain whether or not a rewards flight is good value is to follow this example.

If I booked a flight from Toronto to Paris in November 2020 with Air Canada, the ticket, according to the website, would be approximately $905.97. To figure out the net value of my flight, I would first subtract $141.97 (the amount for taxes and third-party charges like airport fees, which aren’t included under the “no more surcharges” exception. I subtract that amount because I would have to pay with cash or points when redeeming a flight reward, and I want to know the overall net value of a point).

The total price I will use to calculate the value of my rewards is now $764. Now we compare that price to what it would cost me to get to Paris using my Aeroplan points. If I can get a rewards economy ticket on the low range of the scale for 70,000 (35,000 each way) Aeroplan Points, that means that the value of one Aeroplan Point is approx. .0109 or 1.09 cents (764 ÷ 70,000=.0109), which is somewhat below what the average Aeroplan Point was worth under the old plan (.014). If I had to redeem in the higher range of points to get a flight, such as high as 60,000 each way, the value of each point would be even lower.

Can Aeroplan points be transferred?

Luckily, Aeroplan has made it very easy to pool points by introducing the new Aeroplan Family Sharing (and don’t let the name fool you; you don’t have to be family members). This sharing plan allows you to create a group of up to 8 members. All points earned by the members are combined into a shared balance. Any group member can redeem a flight reward using points from your shared balance. Better yet, if there is an Elite Status Member or a primary Aeroplan Credit Cardholder in your group, everyone benefits from the associated preferred pricing, so you can often redeem for fewer points.

Preventing expiration

One of the most common Aeroplan-related questions we get at Money.ca is, “What happens when Aeroplan points expire?”

Before 2013, Aeroplan members had seven years to use their points before they expired. This is no longer the case today; your points will not expire so long as you actively collect them. But your points will expire if your Aeroplan account goes unused for a period of 18 months (note that until recently, it used to be 12 months but was updated). It’s worth noting that this is a relatively short expiry period compared to competing travel rewards programs like Air Miles.

The best way to avoid losing points to expiration is to ensure that you keep collecting them. With so many Aeroplan credit cards and partners across Canada, it should be relatively easy to do. For more, read our Aeroplan Mistakes to Avoid guide.

And to read more about new Aeroplan changes unrelated to the aforementioned topics — like the new family sharing option, no more surcharges, and the new stopover policy — check out our comprehensive article on Aeroplan changes.

American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.

About our authors: faces of finance

Hannah Logan, Freelance Contributor

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Hannah Logan is a freelance writer, blogger, and content creator from Ottawa. She spends half the year in Canada and half the year travelling around the world. A self-described wannabe Indiana Jones, Hannah first developed an interest in personal finance in an effort to prolong her travel lifestyle. Today, she shares her stories from her travels as well as finance tips, tricks, and knowledge to help others fulfil their savings and travel goals as well. You can keep up with Hannah’s adventures on her personal travel blog, EatSleepBreatheTravel.com or find her on Instagram @hannahlogan21.

Tyler Wade, Content strategist & writer

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Tyler Wade has worked in personal finance for over 5 years writing for brands like Ratehub, Forbes, KOHO, and now Money.ca. He was the host and producer of the Real Money Talk podcast. He's the father of two, husband to one, and loves all things tiny.

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