Air Canada’s Aeroplan loyalty program is undoubtedly among the best within the trade and a favourite amongst award vacationers — for good cause.
Between its commitment to having an award chart, lack of gas surcharges, laundry checklist of companions, capacity so as to add stopovers and ease of incomes factors, it is simple to see why frequent flyers love the Aeroplan program, even when they do not stay in Canada.
Currently, the Aeroplan® Credit Card has a welcome bonus of 70,000 factors after you spend $3,000 on purchases with the cardboard within the first three months of account opening, making now an amazing alternative to start out collaborating within the Aeroplan program when you aren’t already doing so. After all, with this newest sign-up provide, you will have the possibility to accrue not less than 73,000 Aeroplan factors when you meet the spending requirement and earn your welcome bonus.
And even when you do not wish to open an Aeroplan cobranded card, you may switch factors from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One and Chase Ultimate Rewards to Aeroplan, all at a 1:1 ratio.
But what are you able to do with hundreds of Aeroplan factors? For simplicity’s sake, we’ll have a look at a few of the finest methods to make use of 75,000 Aeroplan factors so you may put the Aeroplan Credit Card’s bonus to good use.
Aeroplan fundamentals
Before diving into Aeroplan’s finest redemptions for 75,000 factors (or much less), let’s first check out what makes this Air Canada program so invaluable.
Offering partnerships with each Star Alliance and non-Star Alliance carriers, Aeroplan offers members a number of methods to redeem factors because of its in depth community of companions. An added bonus is that you’re going to pay no gas surcharges on companion award tickets booked by means of Aeroplan. However, there are some slight variations between Air Canada flights and its partner-operated flights to be aware of.
Air Canada’s personal flights have variable pricing to make each one in all its seats obtainable for award reserving, however not like totally dynamic applications, there are caps on award prices. Aeroplan makes use of award charts to find out redemption charges between and inside its journey zones for companion awards. This is primarily the place Aeroplan factors present their true worth.
The program breaks up the world into 4 areas: North America, the Atlantic, the Pacific and South America. To know precisely what number of factors your award ticket will value, it is essential to know what zone you are flying to and from.
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For journey inside and between areas, there are distance-based award charts. The farther you fly, the costlier your award redemption shall be. You can get artistic along with your routing, however you’ll pay extra factors for longer itineraries.
To assist you to simply calculate the miles wanted to fly between your beginning and ending factors, you should use websites like Great Circle Mapper. Aeroplan additionally has a Points Predictor device to indicate you precisely what number of factors your award flight will value based mostly on the zones and distance flown.
It’s additionally price noting which you could add a stopover to your Aeroplan award ticket for simply 5,000 factors. The ticket value shall be calculated based mostly on the full mileage based mostly on the award chart, plus an extra 5,000 factors. This is a enjoyable technique to maximize your Aeroplan factors and see two locations for barely greater than the worth of 1.
With that out of the best way, let’s get began on some Aeroplan redemptions.
Related: Your final information to looking award availability for the main airways
Fly to Europe one-way in enterprise class
No matter what time of 12 months it’s, there’s all the time an amazing cause to journey to Europe. Whether you wish to see gaze on the northern lights in Norway, drink a beer within the Czech Republic or eat paella in Spain, the area has a ton to supply.
If you are keen to go to Europe quickly, what higher technique to fly there than in a premium cabin? Aeroplan’s award chart is effective for worldwide premium-cabin seats, notably on companion airways.
With Aeroplan’s award chart, all of Europe is inside the Atlantic zone. However, redemption charges fluctuate by flight distance, so you have to to calculate the bodily mileage between your origin and vacation spot airports.
Based on our search, listed below are just a few stable choices which you could guide for 75,000 factors or much less.
Turkish Airlines enterprise class
You can fly nonstop from many cities on the East Coast and within the Midwest to Istanbul Airport (IST) through Turkish Airlines for 70,000 Aeroplan factors, as these routes fall within the award chart’s 4,001- to six,000-mile distance band.
U.S. airports with flights to Istanbul embrace Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR); New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK); Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport (IAD); Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD); Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL); and Miami International Airport (MIA).
Turkish flies a wide range of plane to and from the U.S., however when you’re hoping to attain a seat within the airline’s extra fashionable enterprise class, know that you’re going to solely discover it on the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350. On these plane, seats are in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration, permitting for considerably extra consolation and privateness.
The 787 Dreamliner is mostly discovered on routes to and from ATL, however you may also discover it from ORD and IAD.
Related: 10 issues to find out about flying Turkish Airlines
Lufthansa enterprise class
With each Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Munich Airport (MUC) in Germany being significantly nearer to the U.S. than Istanbul, there are various extra viable business-class choices obtainable, particularly from the West Coast and Texas.
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Fransisco International Airport (SFO), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to both Munich or Frankfurt all fall in the identical 4,001- to six,000-mile distance band. Each of those metropolis pairs could be booked for 70,000 factors one-way on Lufthansa.
In my expertise, Lufthansa’s transatlantic business-class product provides an amazing eating expertise and attentive service.
Related: So candy: Review of Lufthansa enterprise class on the 747-8 from New York to Frankfurt
United Airlines enterprise class
Another choice to get to Europe in enterprise class with Aeroplan factors is with United Airlines.
United’s long-haul fleet consists of many various kinds of planes. However, most have been retrofitted with the Polaris business-class seat. This product provides premium, lie-flat seats, bedding and a multi-course inflight meal.
The best technique to see in case your flight will provide Polaris seats is by checking the seat map to your flight. Polaris cabins will all the time have both have a 1-2-1 or 1-1-1 configuration.
Related: A 16-hour red-eye: Reviewing United Polaris on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Australia or New Zealand in enterprise class one-way
Flying in enterprise class to Oceania is commonly tough as a result of lack of award area. Fortunately, there are sometimes instances when you could find award area.
Aeroplan prices 75,000 factors for flights between North America and the Pacific zones so long as flights fall within the 5,001- to 7,500-mile distance band. There are some candy spots from the West Coast, primarily from LAX and SFO.
For instance, you may fly nonstop from LAX or SFO to Sydney Airport (SYD) on United. Or, when you’d somewhat go to New Zealand as a substitute of Australia, you may fly nonstop from SFO to Auckland Airport (AKL) on United or from LAX to AKL on Air New Zealand. You might also be capable to discover flights on Air Canada and United.
Since discovering award area to Oceania could be tough, you will wish to leap on these flights after they’re obtainable, as these award redemptions are a steal given the prolonged flight time lasting 13-plus hours. Just observe that solely flights from the West Coast will worth at 75,000 miles, as longer flights fall into the next pricing band.
Related: It’s Kiwi to me: A assessment of Air New Zealand’s 777-300ER in enterprise class
Business class to East Asia
Flying to Asia in enterprise class is arguably the easiest way to redeem factors for optimum worth. This is as a result of money fares on companion airways, together with All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines and EVA Air, to call just a few, could be ridiculously excessive.
With the gap band restrictions, most of Aeroplan’s candy spots to Asia come from the West Coast. From LAX and SFO, you may fly nonstop to many Asian locations like Tokyo, Taipei and Seoul, South Korea, for simply 75,000 factors one-way.
ANA enterprise class
ANA’s enterprise class is extensively thought-about among the best business-class merchandise on the earth because of its unparalleled service and unbelievable menus.
However, money costs for these tickets sometimes value upward of $4,000 per individual. Since dropping hundreds of {dollars} on a seat is never an possibility for a lot of vacationers, utilizing 75,000 Aeroplan factors is commonly the far more possible technique to go.
By utilizing Aeroplan factors to guide this airline’s business-class cabin, you will take pleasure in a top-notch product on a long-haul route whereas netting greater than 5 cents per level in worth.
If you might be based mostly in Seattle, it’s possible you’ll even rating a greater deal, as flying from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Tokyo in ANA’s enterprise class is feasible for simply 55,000 factors one-way as a result of route falling into the shorter distance band for flights lower than 5,000 miles.
Related: Feels like top notch: Flying ANA The Room enterprise class from LA-Tokyo
EVA Air enterprise class
Taipei is commonly missed for extra glamorous Asian cities like Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong nevertheless it should not be, as town is dwelling to a few of Asia’s most interesting delicacies, bubble tea and bustling evening markets.
If you resolve Taiwan is the place to go to subsequent, think about using your Aeroplan factors to guide a business-class seat on EVA Air, a provider usually considered among the best on the earth as a consequence of its nice service and attractive meals. You can fly with EVA Air from LAX or SFO for 75,000 factors.
Related: 7 causes EVA Air is essentially the most missed transpacific business-class possibility
Short-haul flights inside North America
Now that we have checked out some choices for utilizing your Aeroplan factors overseas, let’s think about some inside North America, since an unimaginable candy spot with Aeroplan’s program simply occurs to be proper right here at dwelling.
Flights inside North America with a bodily distance of 500 miles or much less could be booked for less than 6,000 factors one-way or 12,000 factors spherical journey on United. This opens up so many choices for flights the place money costs can fluctuate considerably.
For instance, you may fly to Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) from New York, Boston or Chicago for simply 6,000 factors one-way in case your flight is operated by United. If you might be based mostly in San Francisco, you may fly to Los Angeles, San Diego or Las Vegas for a similar one-way price of 6,000 factors.
If you are flying to/from Canada, hold an eye fixed out for Air Canada awards. These can typically worth decrease than the award chart’s pricing bands. For instance, this flight from New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) prices simply 5,800 factors in February.
You can even leverage Air Canada’s dynamic pricing to get a reduction on home flights inside Canada. It’s not unusual to seek out these flights for underneath 5,000 factors.
These awards could be very helpful for these based mostly in cities that sometimes have costly money fares, particularly across the holidays. For occasion, as a substitute of spending round $240 for a nonstop, one-way ticket from Chicago to Toronto, you may redeem 6,000 Aeroplan factors. This would provide you with 4 cents per level, which is considerably increased than TPG’s Aeroplan valuation of 1.5 cents per level.
Round journey for 3 in economic system to Hawaii from the West Coast
Another nice perk of Aeroplan’s program is that it doesn’t think about Hawaii a part of a special area than the contiguous U.S. However, award pricing depends upon the place you might be coming from within the mainland U.S. as a result of distance bands within the award chart.
Flights between 1,501 and a pair of,750 miles could be booked for 12,500 factors one-way in economic system. Round-trip flights are priced at 25,000 factors.
Options inside this distance band embrace flying nonstop from SFO or LAX to Hawaiian airports like Honolulu’s Daniel Ok. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Kauai’s Lihue Airport (LIH) and Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG). Instead of spending twice as a lot per business-class seat — these go for 25,000 factors one-way or 50,000 factors spherical journey — you should use 75,000 factors to purchase three round-trip tickets in coach.
Related: United’s upgrading 8 Hawaii routes with its nicest wide-body jets
Other methods to earn Aeroplan factors
If you wish to prime off your Aeroplan factors for a redemption requiring extra factors, you may simply switch factors at a 1:1 ratio from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One and Chase Ultimate Rewards. Additionally, Marriott Bonvoy makes it doable to switch factors at a 3:1 ratio, with a 5,000-point bonus for each 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors you switch.
Adding a brand new bank card to your pockets could possibly be one other technique to enhance your Aeroplan stability. Here are some choices with notably interesting welcome bonuses:
- American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases along with your new card inside the first six months of card membership.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 factors after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the cardboard within the first six months of card membership.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Earn 80,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Related: How (and why) you must earn transferable factors in 2022
Bottom line
There are loads of methods to get terrific worth from the Aeroplan factors you will obtain after qualifying for the Aeroplan Credit Card’s welcome bonus, whether or not you wish to fly a brief, home route in economic system or guide long-haul worldwide flights in a premium cabin.
While premium cabin award redemptions to worldwide locations will often provide the very best worth, that’s to not say that redemptions in economic system class aren’t a great worth. Because of this number of choices, Aeroplan factors could be a good way to get from level A to level B.