6 Best Ways to Redeem Aeroplan Points

Aeroplan is one of Canada’s popular loyalty programs. There are multiple ways to earn points which can be redeemed for flights, hotels, gift cards and more. However, some redemption methods are more fruitful than others. Here’s how to get the most from your points as an Aeroplan collector.

1. Know the value of your points

To maximize the value of your points, you need to know what they’re worth. NerdWallet searched more than 50 flights in 2024 to determine the average value of an Aeroplan point.

More specifically, you can expect to get around:

We used the following formula to calculate the value of a redemption:

Ticket price X 100 / points required for a redemption = Cost per point

For example, let’s say you’re booking a round-trip flight from Toronto to Paris in economy class. The basic fare price is $900.37, while a standard redemption with Aeroplan will cost you 99,137 points, as of this writing.

To determine the value per Aeroplan point for this redemption, let’s calculate:

$900.37 X 100 / 99,137 points = 0.91 cents per pointSince the value of this redemption falls well below the established average of 1.60 cents, it may not be a practical use of your points. You might be better off saving your points for a more worthwhile redemption and paying with cash or an Aeroplan credit card that earns points on purchases.

2. Consider partner airlines

Aeroplan’s redemption chart shows how many points you need for different flight rewards by seat class and distance travelled.

Take a look at how flights are priced within North America

[1]

, for example.

There are point ranges for Air Canada redemptions because Aeroplan uses dynamic pricing. This means that the points required for a flight redemption can fluctuate by market demand, seasonality, seat availability and more. However, partner airlines use a fixed points schedule, which typically falls at the bottom of Air Canada’s range. While it might seem obvious to use point-efficient partner airlines whenever possible, there may be limited availability compared to Air Canada flights, plus a $39 partner booking fee applies.

Conversely, Aeroplan points can be redeemed for any seat available on an Air Canada flight. However, popular routes or times may cost more points. If your travel itinerary is flexible, opt for flights, dates or destinations in lesser demand to take advantage of lower point redemptions.

For example, at the time of this writing, a one-way flight from Toronto to New York departing at 12:00 p.m. cost 14,000 Aeroplan points. But the 6:10 a.m. flight only cost 9,100 points.

» MORE: The best ways to use your credit card overseas

3. Spring for business class

NerdWallet Canada data suggests that business class seat Aeroplan redemptions have an average value of 1.80 cents per point. That means your Aeroplan points are worth 40% more when redeemed for business airfare than when redeemed for economy class seats. Based on this data, it could be worthwhile to save up your Aeroplan points for a business or first-class flight redemption if you want to maximize the value of your points.

An added perk of booking business class seats is the typical inclusion of lounge access and priority boarding, which adds value to the redemption.

4. Look for the sweet spots

Aeroplan uses a zone and distance-based rewards chart, so there will naturally be some sweet spots — specific routes that offer the best value. Typically, these are routes that fall on the cusp of a lower distance band, reducing the number of points required for the redemption.*

For example, a one-way flight from Toronto to Louisville, a distance of approximately 496 miles, falls within the 0 - 500 mile distance band and would cost 6,000 Aeroplan points. However, a one-way flight from Toronto to Nashville, a distance of approximately 641 miles, falls within the 501 - 1,500 distance band and would cost 10,000 Aeroplan points. In this instance, the added flight distance of just 145 miles will cost 4,000 Aeroplan points more.

*When travelling within North America with a partner airline.

5. Use family sharing plans

Aeroplan Family Sharing plans allow you to pool points with eight family members. Although this won’t increase the value of your points, it may help you reach redemption thresholds sooner. For example, if you have 5,000 points and your partner has 5,000 points, neither of you would have enough for a flight. However, if your points were part of a Family Sharing Plan, you’d have 10,000 collectively, enough for flight within Northern America, the Atlantic zone, the Pacific zone or South America. Each person in the Aeroplan Family Sharing pool retains their own Aeroplan account.

6. Stick to flight redemptions

Beyond flights, Aeroplan collectors can redeem their points for hotel stays, vacation packages, car rentals, gift cards and merchandise. While it’s advantageous to have redemption options, points may not be worth as much when redeemed for non-flight rewards.

Let’s look at a few non-flight redemptions:

Of these non-flight redemptions, the hotel stay offers the highest value per point, though it still fails to measure up to the average Aeroplan point value of 1.60 cents when redeemed for flight rewards.

By calculating the cent-per-point value before you commit to an Aeroplan redemption, you determine whether the redemption is a worthwhile use of your points.