One of the most valuable and rewarding Star Alliance airline rewards programs, Aeroplan is Air Canada’s loyalty program that lets you earn and redeem points for free flights, travel bookings, upgrades, and more. 

Aeroplan has eight co-branded credit cards with American Express, TD, and CIBC, which allow you to earn points even faster on your everyday spending. 

In this post, we’ll get into how to earn and redeem Aeroplan points for the best value, the best Aeroplan reward credit cards, how to maximize the Aeroplan rewards program, and a few other comparable loyalty programs. 

Before we dive in, subscribe to The Chexy Rundown for weekly updates, travel and credit card news, and the best flight deals you can book with Aeroplan points. 

How to Earn Aeroplan Points 

There are three main ways to earn Aeroplan points. We’ve also included some bonus tips; however, they’re not the fastest way to rack up the points. 

Fly with Air Canada

Booking flights and making purchases directly with Air Canada is one of the fastest ways to earn Aeroplan points. The number of points you earn is based on flight distance and fare class, as shown in the image below:

You can also earn Aeroplan points when flying with partner airlines in the Star Alliance, when making duty-free purchases, and buying in-flight food and beverages. 

Each passenger earns at least 250 Aeroplan points on flights, regardless of the distance and fare class. 

If you have Aeroplan Elite Status, you’ll earn a bonus multiplier on top of the points you’re already getting for your trip, as below:

• 25k member: 25% multiplier 

• 35k member: 35% multiplier 

• 50k member: 50% multiplier 

• 75k member: 75% multiplier 

• Super Elite Member: 100% multiplier 

Book Hotels, Vacation Packages, and Car Rentals with Air Canada

Another great way to earn Aeroplan points is to book your hotel stays, car rentals, and even vacation packages with Air Canada. Aeroplan Members often get special offers and deals, so it can be worth checking the price of your hotel and car rental on Air Canada before other websites. 

Along with earning points, booking with Air Canada is quite flexible. You can book with points, cash, or use some points and some cash. Aeroplan Elite Status Members also earn an additional 3 points per dollar spent on full cash bookings. 

How to Earn Aeroplan Points With Credit Cards 

American Express, CIBC, and TD all have Aeroplan co-branded credit cards, which are a great way to earn Aeroplan points fast. Plus, they almost always have a generous welcome bonus. Signing up for one of these cards and hitting the spending limit to earn the welcome bonus means you can book flights for free in no time! 

Below are our top picks for the 3 best Aeroplan rewards credit cards. Learn more about all Aeroplan co-branded credit cards here. 

Pro tip: Use your Aeroplan credit card to book flights on the Air Canada website and earn 2x the points! 

American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card

Annual fee: $599

The Amex Aeroplan Reserve Card earns you:

• 3x Aeroplan points on Air Canada purchases

• 2x Aeroplan points on dining and food delivery 

• 1.25x Aeroplan points on everything else 

Along with an elevated earn rate, this credit card unlocks exceptional Air Canada travel benefits. You get access to select Maple Leaf lounges, priority treatment at the airport, get a free checked bag, recieve one Annual Worldwide Companion Pass, and more. 

If you travel through Toronto Pearson airport often, this card has got you. It includes access to the Pearson Priority Security Lane, complimentary valet service, and 15% off parking and car care services. 

Of course, this travel credit card doesn’t come without a host of shopping and travel insurance and American Express offers and experiences. 

CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card

Annual fee: $149

The CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card gets you access to select Maple Leaf lounges, a free first checked bag, priority service, and the fourth hotel night free, along with travel insurance. 

You can earn:

• 2x Aeroplan points on Air Canada bookings 

• 1.5x Aeroplan points on gas, EV charging, groceries, travel, and dining

• 1.25x Aeroplan points on everything else 

You can earn points twice at the Aeroplan eStore and get up to 10 cents off per litre at participating gas stations across Canada with Journie Rewards. 

TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card

Annual fee: $599

A higher-tier credit card, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card gets you airport benefits like access to Maple Leaf lounges, an annual round-trip companion pass, priority check-in, boarding, and baggage, and a $100 NEXUS rebate, along with a suite of travel insurance and Visa Infinite benefits. 

You can earn:

• 2 Aeroplan points for every $1 spent on Air Canada bookings

• 1.5 Aeroplan points for every $1 spent on gas, groceries, travel, and dining 

• 1.25 Aeroplan points for every $1 spent on everything else 

Other Ways to Earn Aeroplan Points 

If you don’t book travel directly with Air Canada or have an Aeroplan credit card, here are a few other ways you can earn points: 

Transfer Amex Rewards to Aeroplan Points

If you have an American Express credit card that earns Membership Rewards points, you can redeem those points 1:1 for Aeroplan points. Once transferred, you can use them to book flights with Air Canada and partner airlines. This is by far the best way to use your Amex Membership Rewards points. 

Here’s how you can do so:

1. Log into your American Express account. 

2. Search ‘transfer points to Aeroplan.’

3. Choose the Aeroplan option.

4. Select how many points you’d like to transfer. Keep in mind that a minimum of 1000 points is required to transfer, and it must be done in 100-point increments. 

A few of the best American Express credit cards to earn points and redeem them on flights include the Amex Cobalt and Amex Platinum cards. 

Shop at Partner Stores 

Show your Aeroplan card when shopping at these partner stores to earn Aeroplan points (on top of what you would earn with your credit card!). 

• Starbucks: Earn 100 points for every $75 added to your digital Starbucks Card 

• LCBO: Earn 1 point per $4 spent at LCBO

• Uber and Uber Eats: Earn 1 point per $1 spent on eligible rides with Uber and orders over $40 with Uber Eats 

Buy Aeroplan Points 

The last way you can earn Aeroplan points is by buying them. However, if you have an Aeroplan credit card, this is the last thing you should be doing unless there is a very good offer and you are in dire need of points.

How to Redeem Aeroplan Points for Flights

Now, let’s get into why you are actually here–booking flights with Aeroplan. Aeroplan points have the most value when redeeming them for Air Canada and partner airline flights, valued at 2 cents per point. You’ll get the most out of your points when booking flights at least a few months in advance, as those flights will cost fewer points than flights departing within a few weeks. 

Here’s some insider knowledge: Booking a flight that departs on a Monday or Tuesday will be the cheapest day to fly. Most people are working and don’t want to fly at the beginning of the week, so more seats are available, and flights become cheaper. 

Pro tip: Use the Points Finder Tool to see where your Aeroplan points can take you depending on your travel dates, travel class, budget, and departing airport. 

Let’s say you you have a trip in mind–you want to go to Lisbon, Portugal. Here’s how you should go about it:

1. Figure out how much the estimated cost of the flight would be in points. You can do this with the handy Air Canada Aeroplan flight reward chart. This essentially looks at the miles for the flight and has a pre-determined range for that flight. The farther and higher class you fly, the more points a flight will cost. 

This may be obvious, but you want to look on the lower end of each class. In this case, a flight from YYZ-LIS should cost around 35,000 - 60,000 Aeroplan points.

2. Start searching for deals. Keep your travel dates flexible as this is how you can get the best deal. Simply head to the Air Canada website and log in. You'll be able to search for the destination in question and choose the option to "Book with Aeroplan Points."

Let’s take a look at an example of a flight you could book with your Aeroplan points.

Here’s a flight from Toronto to Lisbon in economy class:

The distance between Toronto and Lisbon is 3,567 miles, and the lower end of the economy class in the Air Canada flight reward chart is 35,000 points, so this is a really good deal. You’re getting a $518 flight for free, essentially!

Here’s another example of Toronto to Istanbul in economy class:

Toronto to Istanbul is 5,090 miles, and the lower end of the economy class in the Air Canada flight reward chart is 45,000 points. This flight would’ve cost $800–which you’re getting for free by redeeming points!

Other Ways to Redeem Aeroplan Points

Besides flights, you can redeem Aeroplan points on hotels and car rentals through the Air Canada travel portal. You can also redeem points on gift cards, merchandise, extras and upgrades, or donate your points to charity. 

However, we do not recommend using your points this way, as you’ll get so much more value out of them by redeeming them for flights. 

Aeroplan Elite Status

Aeroplan Elite Status is a higher level of the Aeroplan rewards program for the most frequent flyers. As an Elite member, you get access to perks such as priority boarding and check-in, flight waitlisting, and preferred seat selection. 

The higher your tier in the Aeroplan Elite Status membership, the more Aeroplan points you’ll earn on each flight. 

How to Qualify for Aeroplan Elite Status

There are 5 levels of Elite Status membership. They can be reached as per below:

SQM means Status Qualifying Miles, which are the percentage of the distance flown on the fare purchased. Lower fares offer a reduced percentage, while higher fares offer up to 150% SQM. 

SQS means Status Qualifying Segments, which are the different flight segments you have on one booking. Each separate flight is one SQS. 

SQD means Status Qualifying Dollars, which are based on the amount of base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges on your flight. 

The fastest way to climb the ranks in the Elite Status membership is to use an Aeroplan credit card and book directly with Air Canada and partner airlines. 

Learn more about Aeroplan Elite Status here.

How to Maximize the Aeroplan Rewards Program

The best way to maximize your points is to redeem them for Air Canada and partner airline flights. Each point is worth 2 cents, so you’ll get more out of your points than any other method of redemption. 

Keep an eye out for flight deals from Canada to Europe in particular, and try booking flights that depart at the beginning of the week rather than the middle or end. 

The best way to earn and rack up Aeroplan points fast by using an Aeroplan credit card, like the three mentioned above. Just by using your credit card for everyday purchases and for paying your monthly expenses like rent, you’ll earn enough points to get you a few free flights every year. 

Alternative Rewards Programs

As good as Aeroplan is, there are a few other comparable travel rewards programs that earn you points and get you free flights, too. Let’s take a look at them: 

Aeroplan vs Air Miles

Air Miles is a more general loyalty program that allows you to earn and redeem points in two ways: Cash Miles and Dream Miles. Cash Miles can be redeemed for cash rewards, such as eVouchers and in-store rebates, while Dream Miles can be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, rental cars, and more. 

The value of Aeroplan points is worth less than Air Miles, but you can earn Aeroplan points a lot faster and in more ways. Air Miles has just two co-branded credit cards with BMO, while Aeroplan has eight. 

Aeroplan vs WestJet Rewards 

With the WestJet Rewards program, you earn WestJet Dollars for flights and travel-related purchases. You can redeem WestJet Dollars like cash when booking directly on WestJet’s website. 

The fastest way to earn WestJet Dollars is to use one of two WestJet RBC credit cards, where you can earn up to 2% back on everyday purchases, plus get perks like free first checked bags and companion vouchers. 

RBC Avion Rewards

Avion Rewards is Canada’s largest bank-owned loyalty program. You don’t have to bank with RBC to sign up, but the best way to earn points is with an Avion Rewards credit card. 

Redeeming Avion points is quite flexible–they can be transferred to airline loyalty programs (like Avion points to Aeroplan), used for merchandise and gift card purchases, used as a statement credit, and more. 

TD Rewards 

Most TD credit cards earn TD Rewards points, which can be used for travel, merchandise, gift cards, and other purchases. To get the most out of these points, redeem them for travel with Expedia For TD. 

When comparing TD Rewards points to Aeroplan, there are more ways to earn and redeem Aeroplan points, and you’ll almost always get better value and more flexibility with the Aeroplan rewards program. 

Do you have an Aeroplan rewards credit card, or are thinking of getting one? Use Chexy to pay rent with your credit card and earn points at an elevated rate. In just a few months, you could have enough points for a free business-class flight. 

Get started with Chexy today. 

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FAQs

How Much Are Aeroplan Points Worth?

Aeroplan points are worth 2 cents each when redeeming them for travel bookings at Air Canada. The point value is higher for business class compared to economy tickets. Check the Aeroplan flight reward chart to ensure you’re getting the best deal. 

Do Aeroplan points expire?

As long as you remain active (which means earning or redeeming at least 1 point within 18 months), your points will not expire. If you are not active after 18 months, your points will expire. They will notify you about Aeroplan points expiry up to 60 days before. Read more about it here. 

What is family sharing Aeroplan?

Family Sharing lets up to 8 members of one family pool their points together, so they can redeem the shared balance of the points at no cost. Note that the ability to create a new Family Sharing account is currently unavailable.