Ultimate Guide
The Ultimate Guide to Air Canada Aeroplan
Aeroplan is the best-designed award program in the business. A transparent distance-based chart, stopovers for 5,000 points, no fuel surcharges, and a partner list that goes beyond Star Alliance make it a planner's program. We value Aeroplan points at 1.4 cents each.
How to Earn Aeroplan Points
Four major US currencies transfer in at 1:1: Amex, Chase, Capital One, and Bilt. That breadth means most readers can assemble an Aeroplan balance from points they already hold, and transfer bonuses appear periodically.
Chase issues the US Aeroplan cobrand card, which adds earning, status perks, and a welcome bonus. Flying Air Canada and Star Alliance partners earns points by fare and carrier.
- ▸Transfers in: Amex, Chase, Capital One, Bilt, all 1:1
- ▸Chase Aeroplan cobrand card available in the US
How Awards Price
Aeroplan publishes a distance-based award chart by zone. Partner awards price at fixed levels within each distance band, so you can know the cost of a trip before searching. Air Canada's own flights price dynamically within ranges, sometimes below chart levels.
There are no fuel surcharges on any award. A flat partner booking fee applies, currently modest, and that is the whole fee story. Combined with the chart, Aeroplan is the most predictable major program in North America.
Sweet Spot Strategy
The 5,000-point stopover is the signature move. On a one-way award you can add a stopover of up to 45 days for 5,000 points, turning one redemption into two destinations. Tokyo on the way to Bangkok, or Istanbul on the way to Cairo, for pocket change.
Aeroplan's partner roster extends beyond Star Alliance to carriers like Etihad and Oman Air, and the chart allows mixing partners on one itinerary. Short-distance bands also produce cheap regional awards, including transatlantic business in lower bands from the East Coast.
Elite Status in Brief
Aeroplan Elite Status runs 25K through Super Elite tiers, earned through qualifying miles or segments plus spend. The Chase cobrand grants some status-adjacent perks, but US-based award bookers can treat status as optional.
Our Strategy
Plan trips against the published chart, then build itineraries with stopovers and mixed partners that other programs simply cannot ticket. The chart rewards study in a way dynamic programs never will.
Earn flexibly across Amex, Chase, Capital One, and Bilt, transfer when the itinerary is confirmed, and let the stopover turn every long-haul redemption into a two-city trip.
Sweet Spots
Stopovers for 5,000 points
Add a stopover of up to 45 days on a one-way award for 5,000 points. One award, two destinations, on partners across and beyond Star Alliance.
Distance-band transatlantic business
Shorter East Coast to Western Europe routings fall into lower distance bands, pricing business class below what most programs charge for the same ocean crossing.
No fuel surcharges on any partner
Lufthansa, Swiss, and other surcharge-heavy carriers book through Aeroplan for taxes plus a small partner fee. The chart price is the real price.
Beyond-alliance partners
Etihad, Oman Air, and other non-Star partners are bookable with Aeroplan points and can be mixed with Star Alliance carriers on a single award.
Mixed-partner round-the-world style routings
The routing rules permit multiple partners and generous connections on one ticket, enabling itineraries that would take three separate awards elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
▸Which banks transfer to Aeroplan?
Amex, Chase, Capital One, and Bilt all transfer at 1:1, the widest bank coverage of any non-Flying Blue airline program.
▸How does the stopover work?
On a one-way award, add a stopover of up to 45 days for 5,000 points when booking a multi-city itinerary. It works on partner awards too.
▸Are there fuel surcharges?
No. Aeroplan awards carry government taxes and a modest flat partner booking fee, nothing more.
▸Is the award chart safe from devaluation?
No chart is permanent, but Aeroplan has kept its structure stable and publishes changes in advance more reliably than most. We still recommend booking rather than hoarding.
Guide last updated 2026-06-09.