Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.Fortune Recommends™ has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Fortune Recommends™ and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.Aeroplan is the credit card transfer partner you didn’t know you needed. Here’s why.
Aeroplan is the Arrested Development of airline programs. Let me explain. In the classic TV show, the corrupt patriarch George Bluth Senior used to tell his son Michael “welp, there’s always money in the banana stand.” We, the audience, were meant to interpret this as “welp, at least our frozen banana stand is still making money.”
But we later found out that he meant there was literally $100,000 cash lining the walls of the banana stand. Of course, this was revealed after Michael had already burnt it down for the insurance money.
Anyways, that’s why I often tell my friends “welp, there’s always a transfer to Aeroplan” in my best George Senior voice. Because for lack of a better idea, transferring credit card points to Air Canada’s loyalty program often results in a win—even if you have no plans to fly to Canada.
So without further ado, here’s exactly why Air Canada Aeroplan is a massively underrated transfer partner where you can score some amazing deals on domestic and international flights —no burning banana stand required.
What is Air Canada Aeroplan?
As the name not-so-subtly implies, Air Canada is Canada’s largest airline and the flagship carrier for the entire country. Headquartered in Montreal, Air Canada flies to 51 different destinations in Canada alone, 52 in the U.S. and 80 total overseas. Its main hubs are Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, with smaller hubs in Calgary and Halifax that still offer a handful of international routes to and from.
Air Canada has committed to net-zero emissions by 2050, and to help them get there, they plan to put 30 all-electric ES-30 airplanes from Heart Aerospace into regular flight service by 2028. Pretty neat stuff.
Aeroplan is the name of the rewards program Air Canada utilizes. The airline is also known for being a member of Star Alliance, which is a big deal because it means you can use Aeroplan points to book select flights on the following partner airlines:
Aegean
Air China
Air India
Air New Zealand
ANA
Asiana Airlines
Austrian
Avianca
Brussels Airlines
CopaAirlines
Croatia Airlines
EGYPTAIR
Ethiopian Airlines
EVA AIR
LOT Polish Airlines
Lufthansa
SAS
Shenzhen Airlines
Singapore Airlines
South African Airlines
SWISS
Air Portugal
Thai
Turkish Airlines
United Airlines
Did you see it? That last one on the list? Yep – having United Airlines on the list means you can book domestic U.S. flights using high-value Aeroplan points. In fact, you may get better deals booking United flights via Aeroplan as you’ll see below.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s briefly cover how Aeroplan works in general.
How does Air Canada’s Aeroplan program work?
Aeroplan is Air Canada’s official loyalty rewards program. It doesn’t have a fancy name for its currency like Miles, Credits or Republic Dataries—it simply uses the term “points.”
You can earn Aeroplan points by making purchases with Aeroplan itself (e.g. flights, upgrades and extras), making purchases with the airline’s retail partners like Starbucks and Uber Eats, booking with Air Canada’s travel partners and by using an Aeroplan-branded credit card.
Once you’ve accumulated enough Air Canada points, you can then redeem them for the usual suite of options you’d see in an airline loyalty rewards program. That means flights, upgrades, hotels, car rentals, gift cards, merchandise, and as we see often, wildly-overpriced Apple products.
But per usual, 9 times out of 10 your best redemption option is going to be for flights.
Aeroplan keeps things relatively simple by publishing Flight Reward Charts for each of its zones of operation. Here, for example, are the redemption rates for flights that stay within North America, ordered by distance. Note that short flights under 500 miles (e.g. LA to San Francisco) start at just 6,000 points one-way on both Air Canada and its partner airlines.
Air Canada
On the international side of things, a one-way flight from North America to Europe starts around 35,000 points one way. That’s also a pretty solid deal.
Air Canada
Air Canada states that these rates are “for informational purposes only,” but they do give us some idea of how far your Aeroplan points can take you (quite literally).
So is it worth transferring points from your credit card to Aeroplan?
Is it worth transferring your credit card reward points to Aeroplan?
Air Canada’s redemption charts seem to imply that there’s a “sweet spot” where you can get cheap domestic flights on Air Canada or United for as little as 6,000 points one way. 35,000 for international long-haul flights isn’t bad, either.
But in order to take advantage, you’ll need to move some points over first. So which cards support transfers to Aeroplan – and is the ratio good enough to justify it?
Which credit cards transfer to Aeroplan?
Here’s a list of cards and card issuers that play ball (hockey?) with Air Canada. In each case the transfer ratios are all 1:1.
American Express
American Express® Gold Card
See Rates and Fees
Intro bonus
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership
Annual Fee
$250
Purchase APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Foreign Transaction Fee
None
To view rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, see this page
Bilt Rewards
Bilt Mastercard®
See Rates and Fees
Special feature
The Bilt Mastercard offers the unique ability to earn points on rent.
Our take
The Bilt Mastercard®’s single biggest advantage is the ability to generate points from rent payments. As of June 2023 the median rent in a major U.S. city was $2,029, and if the average renter paid using their Bilt Mastercard instead of a bank transfer, they’d generate over $300 in travel rewards each year.
The Bilt Mastercard is an excellent choice if you’re looking to generate travel rewards or points that can go toward a down payment fund through rent payments. If you’re looking to maximize short-term cash back, however, consider a card with a $200 – $600 cash welcome bonus like the Citi Double Cash Card or the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Rewards
Rewards Rates
Make at least 5 transactions in a statement period, in order to earn points on rent and qualifying net purchases (purchases minus returns /credits) for that statement period.
3X3X Bilt Points on dining
2X2X Bilt Points on flights, hotels, rental cars, and cruises when booked directly with airlines, hotels, and car rental agencies
1X1X Bilt Points on rent paid through the Bilt App with your card account up to a maximum of 100,000 points each calendar year
1X1X Bilt Points on purchases
Rewards and benefits terms.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Uniquely earns points on rent
Rent Day bonus every first of the month offers double points (excluding rent)
Robust travel transfer partners
Cons
Cash redemption rate is poor
No traditional welcome bonus
Card details
Travel perks: Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection, Trip Delay Reimbursement, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver. See this page for details.
Foreign Transaction Fee: None
View offer
at Bilt
In the past, Bilt has actually featured a transfer bonus with Aeroplan during its once-monthly “Rent Day” promotion. On February 1st, 2024, Bilt members could transfer at a ratio as high as 1 to 2.5, meaning they could fly from New York to London with as few as 14,000 Bilt Rewards points.
Point being, if you’re a Bilt Rewards member and/or hold the Bilt Mastercard, you may want to check the upcoming Rent Day promotions to see if Aeroplan is slated to make another appearance.
Chase
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Intro bonus
Earn 100,000 points after spending $8,000 in the first three months of card opening
Annual fee
$95
Regular APR
21.24%–26.24% variable
Our take
The Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a business rewards powerhouse, offering a welcome bonus that will stop you in your tracks and bonus rewards on common business expenses, all with an affordable annual fee. Depending on your company’s spending profile, however, it may not be the right fit.
Rewards
Rewards Rates
3x3x points for $1 (up to $150,000 combined) spent on purchases like shipping purchases, internet, cable, phone, and advertising
1x1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases
5x5x points on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025
Pros and Cons
Pros
Sizable welcome bonus
Appealing rewards on categories businesses use
Extensive list of transfer partners
Extra value on travel redemptions
Cons
No premium travel perks
Has an annual fee
Card details
Additional perks: Free employee cards, trip cancelation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, cell phone coverage
Foreign transaction fee: None
Learn More
at Cardratings.com
Capital One
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Intro Bonus
Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
Annual fee
$95
Regular APR
19.99%–29.99% variable
As for the rest of the cards listed above, if you happen to have one with some points waiting to be spent, is it time to transfer them to Aeroplan? How much extra value—if any—would you get out of them if you did?
What are Aeroplan points worth?
Credit card nerds tend to agree that Aeroplan points are worth about 1.5 cents per point. That absolutely makes sense, given that you can book a ~$90 one-way domestic flight for a mere 6,000 points and a trans-Atlantic economy ticket for a mere 35,000.
The unusually high value of a single Aeroplan point is also why Air Canada tends to be a pretty popular transfer partner within the travel rewards community. Like U.S. Dollars, Aeroplan points are accepted in lots of places and tend to carry higher-than-average value.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should start converting your Capital One Miles or Chase Ultimate Rewards to Aeroplan points just yet. First, you’ll want to find a deal.
How to find deals and sweet spots on Aeroplan
In a broad sense, Air Canada has four “sweet spots” where you can generally find good deals:
Short domestic flights (<1,000 miles)
Flights from the U.S. to Canada
Trans-Atlantic flights (e.g. JFK to London-Heathrow)
Flights to Central and South America on Copa Airlines
To find specific options, you can check out Air Canada’s flight deals and great fares page and choose “Explore [Region]” to see what’s on sale.
Air Canada
Air Canada
On the next page, once you see a flight option you like, you can see the cost in Aeroplan points by clicking Book Now > Book with Points > Find.
Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada also pulls in deals from its Star Alliance partners here, too. Case in point, we found a direct flight from New York to London – via United – for 35,000 points one way (plus the usual cash fees).
Air Canada
Air Canada
To sum it all up, the best way to score deals through Aeroplan might be to start with the general award charts (linked above) to get a broad idea of how far your current pool of miles can take you. Then, head to the flight deals and great fares page to see if anything jumps out at you.
If not, you can still find some solid deals by going to the main Air Canada page and searching for more specific flight options. Just be sure to check the Book with points (Aeroplan) box to see exactly how many points you’ll need to transfer!
The takeaway
Whether you’re looking to book a short domestic award flight or find your next in-budget overseas adventure, Air Canada Aeroplan is a great place to start. With high point values and a long list of Star Alliance parts, it’s a worthy transfer partner for your hard-earned credit card points.
For more tips, tricks and travel hacks, check out our Beginner’s guide to travel rewards: How to travel with credit card points and miles.
Frequently asked questions
Can you transfer Aeroplan points?
Yes, you can transfer Aeroplan points to another Aeroplan member, but it may not be worth your while since Air Canada charges $0.02 per point plus additional processing fees.
Does Amex transfer to Aeroplan?
Yes, if you have an American Express card that generates points versus straight cash back (e.g. Gold, Green, Platinum) you can convert Membership Rewards Points into Aeroplan points at a rate of 1,000:1,000.
Can Aeroplan points be used for other airlines?
Yes. When you search for flights on Air Canada’s regular (or discount) booking pages, you’ll see flight options from both Air Canada and its partners – even if you check the “use points” option.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefits guide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Fortune Recommends™ has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Fortune Recommends™ and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.
