Aeroplan is Canada’s most popular airline rewards program — and for good reason. It lets you earn points and redeem them for flights across 40+ airline partners worldwide, including major Star Alliance carriers like United, Lufthansa, and Singapore Airlines, as well as premium options like Emirates, Etihad, and Oman Air.
Used strategically, Aeroplan points can unlock serious travel savings — from economy flights to luxury business class experiences — all while helping you stretch your budget way further. Whether you’re just starting your travel hacking journey or looking to get more out of your everyday spending, understanding how Aeroplan works is one of the smartest moves you can make.
Let’s break it down step by step.
Why Choose Aeroplan for Travel Rewards?
If you’re in Canada and want to travel more while spending less, Aeroplan is a smart place to start. It’s the most popular airline rewards program in the country — and one of the most powerful in terms of flexibility and value.
Aeroplan points aren’t limited to Air Canada. With access to 40+ airline partners, you can redeem for flights almost anywhere — from quick U.S. getaways to bucket-list international trips.
One of the biggest perks? Earning potential. With just a couple of strategic credit card signups and smart spending, it’s possible to rack up 300,000+ points in a year — enough for over $6,000 in economy flights or $20,000+ in business class when booked right.
And if you’re earning with a partner or spouse, it gets even easier. Aeroplan lets you combine points and refer each other, helping you reach big rewards faster.
What really sets Aeroplan apart is how easy it is to use — with tons of ways to earn and redeem, strong Canadian support, and real travel value. Whether you’re planning a family trip or aiming for luxury, those points can take you a long way.
How to Redeem Aeroplan Points
Aeroplan points are most valuable when used strategically — and the way you redeem them can make a huge difference in what you get.
While flights offer the strongest value, how you book matters. Air Canada flights use dynamic pricing, meaning point costs change with demand. In contrast, partner airlines follow a fixed chart, which can lead to better deals — especially on long-haul and premium cabin routes.
Beyond flights, you can also redeem points for hotel stays, car rentals, vacation packages, and merchandise. These options are convenient but usually offer less value per point, so they’re best reserved for situations where flexibility or simplicity is more important than maximizing value.
What’s the Value of an Aeroplan Point in CAD?
One of the first questions people ask when getting into travel rewards is: What’s an Aeroplan point actually worth?
The answer? It depends — but we can estimate a general range.
Different experts assign slightly different values to Aeroplan points, based on average redemptions and real-world examples. Here’s a quick breakdown:
| Ratehub | 1.44 Cents |
| Nerdwallet | 1.5 Cents |
| Prince of Travel | 1.5 – 2 Cents |
These numbers are great benchmarks — especially for economy flights — but the value can jump significantly when you redeem for premium travel. In my experience, business class redemptions often reach 4 cents per point (cpp) or more, especially on long-haul international flights. That’s where the real magic happens — turning points into $6,000+ flights for a fraction of the cost.
As a general rule:
- 1.5 cents per point is a solid target
- 2+ cpp is considered a great redemption
- 4 cpp+ is often achievable with business class, especially if you’re flexible and book strategically
- Anything under 1 cpp is typically poor value (like gift cards or fixed-value travel portals)
The key takeaway? The smarter your redemption, the more value you’ll squeeze from every Aeroplan point — and the more travel you’ll unlock without spending cash.
How to Find Aeroplan Flight Deals
The secret to getting amazing value from your Aeroplan points isn’t just about having a big balance — it’s about knowing how to find the right flights. And that comes down to three things: flexibility, smart searching, and using the right tools.
Some of my go-to tools for finding Aeroplan award flights are:
- AwardTool.com – Think of it as your personal points detective. It helps uncover hidden redemptions, highlights sweet spots, and compares point value across dates.
- Roame.travel – This one’s a game-changer. You can explore available award flights by region, airline, date, and points required — all at a glance.
But tools alone aren’t enough. Flexibility is key. Often, just shifting your travel dates by a day or two can save you thousands of points — or unlock better flight times and cabins. Try searching from nearby airports too. A short drive or train ride might open up far better deals than your home airport.
And when it comes to premium cabin flights, earlier is often better — but don’t ignore those last-minute surprise openings. Aeroplan sometimes releases business class seats a few days before departure, so it pays to keep checking.
The best way to get better at this? Practice. Seriously. Log in, run searches, try different dates and destinations. The more time you spend poking around the Aeroplan search tool (or those third-party sites), the faster you’ll start spotting great redemptions — and avoiding the bad ones.
High-Value Redemption Examples
To help you visualize what’s possible with Aeroplan points, here are real-world examples of high-value redemptions — the kind of flights that turn everyday spending into incredible travel experiences.
Here’s a breakdown of the points, fees, and why each deal stands out:
Toronto → Tokyo (with 4-Day Stopover) → Singapore
Points: 54,600
Taxes/Fees: Varies by segment
Why it’s great: You can include an international stopover (up to 45 days) for just 5,000 extra points — perfect for turning one trip into two major destinations.
Toronto → Vancouver
Economy: 10,400 points + $53
Business: 26,200 points + $53
Why it’s great: A short-haul domestic flight that often costs $1500+ in a lie-flat business class (btw not all business class seats on this route are lie-flat) — this redemption gets you excellent value, especially in premium cabins.
Toronto → Manila
Economy: 41,900 points + $77
Why it’s great: Long-haul redemptions to Southeast Asia under 50,000 points are a steal — especially when cash prices are often $1,000+ for a standard (non-basic) fare
Montreal → Lisbon
Economy: 35,000 points + $120
Why it’s great: Europe for 35k points is a solid deal, and Lisbon is one of the most affordable and vibrant cities to visit in Western Europe.
Toronto → New York
Economy: 6,500 points + $85
Why it’s great: Great value for short-haul travel — especially if booked early. A solid way to save on spontaneous weekend trips or business travel.
Toronto → London
Economy: 25,100 points + $77
Business: 60,000 points + $149
Why it’s great: This route often retails for $3,000–$4,000 in business class. At 60k points, you’re getting 4–6 cpp — a dream value for premium travel.
Watch Out for Dynamic Pricing
One of the most common mistakes with Aeroplan is not accounting for dynamic pricing. While the program offers great value, the number of points required for an Air Canada flight can vary drastically based on demand.
For example, a Toronto to Vancouver flight in economy might cost 10,400 points one day and over 37,000 the next — for the exact same seat. That’s more than triple the cost with no added value.
To avoid overpaying, try to be flexible with dates and always compare the points price to the cash fare. A strong redemption typically gives you at least 1.4–1.5 cents per point (cpp) in economy, and even more in business class. The more flexible you are with dates, the easier it is to find better deals.
Aeroplan can offer incredible value — but only if you understand how dynamic pricing works and use your points strategically.
How to Book Flights with Aeroplan Points
When it comes time to actually book a flight using your Aeroplan points, you’ll notice that Aeroplan gives you a range of points + cash combinations. This is great for flexibility — but it also means you’ll want to choose carefully to get the best value.
Let’s walk through a real example to see how it works:
As you select to redeem this flight, you will see you have several points + cash options.
- Option 1: 49,523 points (no additional cash)
- CPP = $1,039 / 49,523 = 2.1 cpp (lowest value)
- Option 2: 41,900 points + $77 fees
- CPP = ($1,039 – $77) / 41,900 = 2.3 cpp (excellent value!)
- Option 3: 33,500 points + $236 fees
- CPP = ($1,039 – $236) / 33,500 = 2.4 cpp (even better!)
- Option 4: 25,100 points + $395 fees
- CPP = ($1,039 – $395) / 25,100 = 2.6 cpp (highest cpp!)
As you can see, the fewer points you use, the more value you often get per point — though it comes at the cost of more cash out of pocket. In most cases, paying entirely with points gives you the lowest cents-per-point (cpp), while a points + cash combo can give you a much higher return.
So, which option is best?
That depends on your situation. If you’re sitting on a huge stash of points and want to avoid cash costs altogether, Option 1 might feel like the right call. But if you’re looking to stretch your Aeroplan points as far as possible, paying a little cash to reduce the number of points needed can give you much better overall value.
💡 Tip: Before finalizing any Aeroplan booking, take a moment to calculate the cpp of each option. A few seconds of math can mean hundreds of dollars in extra travel value.
In short, booking with Aeroplan isn’t just about using points — it’s about using them wisely.
How to Earn Aeroplan Points
There are tons of ways to earn Aeroplan points — and the best part is, you don’t need to fly to start building a serious balance.
The fastest way? Credit cards that earn Aeroplan points directly or earn points that can be transferred to Aeroplan, like Amex cards that earn Amex Membership Rewards Points. Many come with massive welcome bonuses (sometimes 50,000–100,000+ points) just for meeting a minimum spend in the first few months. You’ll also earn points on every dollar you spend, with bonus rates on categories like groceries, dining, and travel.
You can also earn points by:
- Shopping through the Aeroplan eStore (with bonus points at 200+ retailers)
- Renting cars through partners like Avis and Budget
- Transferring hotel points (like Marriott Bonvoy) into Aeroplan
- Earning with everyday brands like Uber, Uber Eats, Starbucks, LCBO, and Chexy
- Buying Aeroplan points during promotions for top-up redemptions
- Booking vacation packages, cruises, and hotels through Air Canada Vacations
Final Tips and Key Takeaways for Aeroplan Beginners
Aeroplan remains Canada’s top airline rewards program, offering incredible value when used strategically — whether you’re flying across the country or across the world. The key to getting the most out of it? Calculate your cpp to understand the real value of your points, stay flexible with your travel plans, and use tools like AwardTool and Roame.travel to uncover the best redemptions.
Don’t sit on your points forever — they lose value over time. Use them smartly and often, especially when the deal makes sense for your travel goals.
By now, you’ve got a solid grasp of how Aeroplan points work — from earning to booking to avoiding common mistakes. You don’t need to be an expert to start seeing real results, just someone who’s willing to learn and take a few smart steps.
👉 Looking for a real example of how this all comes together? Check out how I’m booking a family trip to Japan using points and how you can too.
🎯 Want to earn points faster? Don’t miss my breakdown of the best travel credit cards in Canada to supercharge your points strategy right from the start.
🚀 Ready to go even deeper? Grab my Ultimate “0 to 1 Million Points” Guide and start building toward unforgettable travel experiences — without draining your savings account or losing your mind.
You’ve got this. Let’s turn your everyday spending into extraordinary travel.