Find the best Aeroplan credit cards without impacting your credit score

Aeroplan is one of the largest and most popular airline loyalty programs in the country with over five million active loyalty members. First launched in 1984, the program was completely revamped in 2020 and is currently under the helm of Air Canada. 

As a member of Aeroplan, you’ll earn Aeroplan points which can be redeemed for flights on Air Canada (and 26 partner airlines) to over 1,300 destinations as well as a mix of other rewards including merchandise, hotel stays, vacation packages, gift cards, and rental cars.

The average dollar value of 1 Aeroplan point is approximately $0.0155 (or 1.55 cents) when redeemed for travel, according to Ratehub.ca’s own calculations. We arrived at this average by running the numbers for 35 round-trip economy flights departing from Canada to multiple destinations across the world at different times of the year.

The truth is, however, Aeroplan points aren’t fixed and can vary quite considerably depending on the particular destination you’re travelling to, whether you’re flying economy, business or first-class, as well as when you’re flying (e.g. during high-or-low demand seasons).

You can redeem Aeroplan points for gift cards and merchandise too, though points values will be considerably lower versus if you redeemed for travel. For instance, you’ll get about $0.0071 (or 0.71 cents) per point when redeeming for retail gift cards and potentially even less when redeeming for merchandise like jewellery or kitchenware.

You can earn Aeroplan points in one of two key ways.

Either as an Aeroplan loyalty member, in which case you’ll earn points only when booking flights on Air Canada and a Star Alliance Member airline or when shopping in-store at select retailers partnered with the program or online from the Aeroplan e-store.

The other, far more lucrative method is as a holder of a co-branded Aeroplan credit card.

With an Aeroplan credit card, you’ll earn points on all your everyday purchases. For instance, the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card earns 1.5 points per dollar spent on groceries, gas, and Air Canada purchases, and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else. Better yet, with a co-branded Aeroplan credit card, you can double dip and earn points twice when shopping from retailers partnered with Aeroplan when you pay with your credit card while also providing your Aeroplan loyalty number.

TD, CIBC, and American Express all issue co-branded Aeroplan credit cards.

You can redeem Aeroplan points for:

• Flights to over 1,300 destinations worldwide
• Hotel stays
• Car rentals
• Vacation packages
• Merchandise
• Gift cards

The number of points needed to book a flight can vary, as you can use a combination of points and cash when redeeming points.

That said, according to Aeroplan’s Flight Reward Chart, you’ll need at least 6,000 points to book a one-way flight within North American for travel distances of 500 miles or less.

Aeroplan points can be redeemed for any flight on Air Canada, as well as on over two dozen airlines that make up the Star Alliance network, including:

• United Airlines
• Lufthansa
• Air China
• Virgin Australia
• Air India
• Austrian Airline
• Etihad
• And more

You can redeem points for flights on Air Canada (as well as on Star Alliance member airlines) online from aircanada.com. You can also redeem points for other rewards like hotel stays or merchandise here.

In terms of airline redemptions, Aeroplan operates according to a rewards chart that splits up the world into four major travel zones: North America, Atlantic, Pacific, and South America. Travel between and within zones requires a different range of points, and the larger the distance (in kilometres) between the departure and travel destinations, the more points you'll need to redeem.

The redemption rules do vary slightly when using points to book a flight on Air Canada versus a Star Alliance airline, and each offers its own pros and cons.

On Air Canada, the number of points needed to redeem a flight isn’t fixed and can fluctuate within a pre-set range depending on whether you’re flying during a high-or-low demand season. For instance, a one-way flight from Toronto to Vancouver may require anywhere from 12,500 points to 17,500 - depending on travel demand. When you fly on Air Canada and have an Aeroplan credit card, you can also get the first bag checked free for you and up to eight companions when travelling to most destinations in North America (that can add up to several dozens of dollars saved on baggage fees).

When booking on Star Alliance member airlines, there’s an additional $39 booking fee for each passenger that you’ll need to account for and a first checked bag isn't included. Unlike on Air Canada, however, the number of points needed to redeem a Star Alliance flight are fixed and won’t fluctuate. For instance, a one-way flight from Toronto to Vancouver on a Star Alliance airline will always require the same 12,500 points.

You’ll want to run the numbers to see which option offers a higher return for your particular flight.

No, Aeroplan doesn’t have blackout dates.

Yes, Aeroplan points can be transferred to a number of other popular points programs (and vice versa), including:

• American Express Membership Rewards:
  • 1,000 points = 1,000 Aeroplan points
• Marriott Bonvoy:
  • 3 points = 1 Aeroplan point (plus, get an extra 5,000 Aeroplan points when you convert at least 60,000 points)
• Best Western Rewards:
  • 5 points = 1 Aeroplan point
• Hilton Honours:
  • 10,000 points = 1,000 Aeroplan points

Unfortunately not. While some loyalty programs allow you to purchase flight tickets on your card and apply your points at a later date as a statement credit, Aeroplan points must be redeemed as you’re booking your flight and not any later.

Yes, you can use points (or a combination of points and cash) to pay off the entire cost of the travel booking, including taxes and fees.

No, your Aeroplan points don’t have a fixed expiry date as long as you have an Aeroplan credit card.

If you’re simply an Aeroplan loyalty member but don’t carry a co-branded credit card, your points will expire if there’s been no activity on your account over a consecutive 18 month period. To ensure your Aeroplan points never expire, make sure you earn, redeem, donate, or transfer your Aeroplan points at least once every 18 months.

Yes, a flight booked on Aeroplan points can be cancelled or changed up to two hours before the departure date. However, there may be cancellation and change fees you’ll need to factor for.

Changing a flight can cost anywhere from $25-$100 depending on whether you book a standard or flex ticket. Meanwhile, a full cancellation/refund may result in a fee of between $75 to $175. Generally, cancellation fees will be lower if you request the changes online from aircanada.com versus calling over the phone via the program’s Contact Centre. More details here.

Aeroplan points can be maximized in a handful of ways. Since points values aren’t fixed - and can vary depending on where and when you fly according to a Flight Rewards Chart - you can often reap higher values well above the standard $0.01 per point offered by other programs. You’ll just need to put in some effort and strategize your travel bookings.

Tip 1 Use stopovers: Aeroplan has a unique stopover policy that allows you to add 1 stop on each one-way flight and it’ll only cost you an incremental 5,000 points. By adding the right stopovers, you can create elaborate itineraries, travel further, and see more destinations, all while redeeming fewer points than a conventional one-way flight. And the fewer points you use, the more value you get. Just note: there are some restrictions, like the fact you can’t add stopovers on flights within North America.

Tip 2 Save for business class: On average, you’ll earn a far higher return on a per-point basis when redeeming Aeroplan points for business class flights versus economy. So considering saving up points to fly in luxury for less.

Tip 3 Compare airline options: As we covered earlier in the FAQ, redemption rules vary slightly depending on whether you fly on Air Canada or a Star Alliance. So be sure to compare your options.

Tip 4 Use a co-branded Aeroplan credit card: Holders of co-branded Aeroplan credit cards can often get access to better redemption rates on flights, and will often require fewer points to redeem a booking versus generic Aeroplan loyalty members. And the fewer points needed to redeem, the more your points will be worth on average.

Tip 5 Check the Aeroplan e-store: The program’s online shopping portal offers a ton of promotions on everyday purchases from brands like Adidas, Sephora, and more. Mae sure to check https://aeroplan.rewardops.com/en-CA/home/promotions for opportunities to rack up even more bonus points on your everyday spending.