Airline
Aeroplan is the loyalty program of Air Canada and one of the most useful flexible-currency transfer targets for US-based readers. Aeroplan transfers 1:1 from Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Bilt Rewards, and Capital One Miles. It is also among the rare programs that charges no carrier-imposed (fuel) surcharges on partner-airline awards (Air Canada eliminated them in 2020), which makes it one of the safest currencies for booking premium cabins on long-haul partners like Lufthansa, ANA, Singapore, and EVA where surcharges through other programs can run hundreds of dollars per ticket.
In 2026, Aeroplan went through two major resets. Effective January 1, 2026, earning shifted from distance-based to spend-based on Air Canada flights, and a new Status Qualifying Credit (SQC) system replaced the old elite-status math. Effective June 1, 2026, the partner award chart was updated, raising premium-cabin pricing across most transatlantic and transpacific bands - some bands moved up 5,000-15,000 points one-way, partner first-class on certain bands rose 20,000-25,000 points, and a few Air Canada-operated bands rose materially more. Still competitive overall, but the cheapest-on-the-block reputation is no longer quite so cheap. Intra-Americas pricing was unchanged.
The Aeroplan award chart for partner flights uses region pairs (e.g. North America to Atlantic) combined with distance bands within each region; each chart cell is a fixed point value rather than a range. Air Canada-operated flights use dynamic pricing with a published "starting from" floor that can rise based on demand. There is no alliance restriction beyond the Star Alliance core; you can mix Star Alliance partners on a single award.
The actual numbers. Get your nerd on, memorize the cheap ones.
The cheat sheet.
Aeroplan uses two pricing models depending on the operating carrier:
Carrier-imposed surcharges: $0 on partner airline awards (Aeroplan eliminated fuel surcharges/YR on partner bookings in 2020 - one of the program's biggest structural advantages over United, Lufthansa M&M, and most other Star Alliance currencies).
Partner booking fee: $39 CAD on awards that include a non-Air Canada segment.
Optional stopover: 5,000 points per direction, available only at points outside the US, Canada and China.
No close-in award booking fee.
The full distance-banded chart was updated effective June 1, 2026 (some premium-cabin transatlantic and transpacific bands rose 5,000-15,000 points one-way). For exact per-route pricing, use the official Flight Reward Chart linked below or the upcoming Booking Tool, which prices your route across all currencies that can book it.
Official chart: https://www.aircanada.com/content/dam/aircanada/loyalty-content/documents/flight-rewards-chart-en.pdf
Chase Air Canada Aeroplan Card:
(Canada has 11 separate Aeroplan-branded cards via TD, CIBC, and Amex; out of scope for this US-focused page.)
Where your points punch above their weight.
Where this currency genuinely shines.
Programs that transfer points in.
13 programs that transfer in.
Programs that transfer points or miles into Air Canada Aeroplan.
| From | Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Aeroplan points | |
| 1:1 | 1,000 UR = 1,000 Aeroplan points (Air Canada) | |
| 1:1 | No transfer fee. Free stopover on partner awards. | |
| 1:1 | No transfer fee. Free stopover; strong Star Alliance business-class value. | |
| 2:1 | 4,000 Reward points = 2,000 Aeroplan Miles (Air Canada). | |
| 5:1 | Air Canada Aeroplan. 5,000 Best Western points = 1,000 Aeroplan points (5:1) via the Redemption Mall. Poor value - top-off only. No transfer tax. | |
| 5:1 | Choice Rewards Exchange (powered by Points.com). Starts at 5,000 Choice points for 1,000 Aeroplan points. Airline-miles exchanges are generally weak value. | |
| 10:1 | Air Canada Aeroplan. 10,000-point minimum. | |
| 2:1 | World of Hyatt conversion at 2 points to 1 Aeroplan point (2:1), so 5,000 points gives 2,500 Aeroplan points. Minimum 5,000 points, then 1,000 point increments. Part of the Air Canada and World of Hyatt partnership that launched July 15, 2026, and separate from the standard points to miles conversions. | |
| 5:1 | Convert IHG points to Air Canada Aeroplan by calling IHG One Rewards. Airline transfers are phone only, never online. Standard rate is 5,000 IHG points for 1,000 miles and can take up to six weeks to arrive. Airline conversions are usually weak value, so keep IHG points for hotel nights unless topping off a specific balance. | |
| 3:1 | Base 3:1 with a 5,000-mile bonus per 60,000 points transferred (effectively ~2.4:1 in 60K increments). | |
| 1:1 | Air Canada Aeroplan, 1:1. | |
| 5:1 | Standard Wyndham airline transfer at 5:1. Minimum 6,000 Wyndham points converts to 1,200 partner miles. |
Shopping, hotels, car rental and more — earning without a transfer.
3 partners that pay in miles.
Ways to earn Air Canada Aeroplan miles without transferring bank points. Rates are as the program states them and can change without notice — check the partner before you book.
| Partner | Earn rate | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Aeroplan eStore | Up to 10 points per $1 | Shop through the eStore or its shopping button to earn on 200 plus online retailers. |
| Partner | Earn rate | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Marriott Bonvoy | Up to 2 Aeroplan points per $1 USD spent | Earn Aeroplan points on eligible stays at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels worldwide. |
| World of Hyatt | 500 Aeroplan points per eligible stay | Choose Aeroplan points instead of World of Hyatt points at participating Hyatt hotels. |
The status ladder. 5 rungs, each unlocking better lounges, bags, and bragging rights.
5 status levels.
25,000 SQC (Status Qualifying Credits) in a calendar year, or automatically for the primary cardmember of the Chase Air Canada Aeroplan Card
35,000 SQC in a calendar year
50,000 SQC in a calendar year
75,000 SQC in a calendar year
125,000 SQC in a calendar year
Where to vanish before takeoff. Your status (or ticket) opens which doors.
Who gets in, who doesn't, and the carve-outs.
Aeroplan members at the 50K tier or above receive Star Alliance Gold status, which provides lounge access on all Star Alliance member airlines worldwide for the member plus one guest when traveling on a Star Alliance flight (regardless of cabin or fare).
Air Canada operates its own Maple Leaf Lounge network at major Canadian airports plus a handful of US gateway airports (LGA, YYZ-bound flights). Maple Leaf Lounge access rules:
Single-visit passes: Maple Leaf Lounge day passes are sold to anyone with a same-day Air Canada or Star Alliance ticket (no Aeroplan status required); price varies by location, typically CA$50-80 per visit.
Discounted-cabin exclusion: Air Canada's Basic fare class on transatlantic flights does not earn lounge access through co-brand cards or status; the same-day-flight requirement applies but Basic fares are excluded from some perks.
The high-leverage moves. Read this before you transfer a single mile.
The smart-money plays.
What to do when plans move: how to change or cancel an award, the fees, and your rights when a flight is delayed.
When plans change.
Stopover rules, surcharges, the stuff nobody tells you until you've been burned once.
The fine print, decoded.
Calm Air awards are now bookable online (as of July 22, 2026). Aeroplan redemptions on Calm Air, the northern-Canada regional carrier, moved to aircanada.com and the Air Canada app, and can now be combined with Aeroplan's other partners on a single award booking (they previously could not). Calm Air prices dynamically as a Select Partner.
No carrier-imposed (fuel) surcharges on partner awards as of the program's current policy. Aeroplan eliminated fuel surcharges/YR on partner bookings in 2020 and they have not returned. This is one of the program's headline advantages.
$39 CAD partner booking fee on flight awards that include any partner-airline segment (waived on Air Canada-only itineraries).
5,000-point optional stopover per direction. Only valid at points outside the US, Canada, and China. Stopover = 24+ hours, up to 45 days. No open-jaw at the stopover point.
12-hour maximum layover within the US and Canada (otherwise it counts as a stopover, which is not permitted in those countries).
Aeroplan Family Sharing lets up to 8 family members combine points (relaunched 2025 after a 2023 suspension). Eligible relatives: spouses, partners, children, siblings, parents, grandparents. 6-month account requirement to join, 3-month minimum stay in a pool.
Earning shifted to spend-based on Air Canada flights effective January 1, 2026. Members earn at least 1 Aeroplan point per CA$1 of base fare + carrier surcharges, with elite multipliers up to 6 points per CA$1 for Super Elite. Partner-flight earning remains distance-based.
Status earning uses Status Qualifying Credits (SQC), also new for 2026. Members can earn SQC through eligible flight purchases, Aeroplan credit card spending, and activity with the program's travel and everyday partners.
Award chart updated June 1, 2026 - premium-cabin pricing rose on most transatlantic and transpacific routes by 5,000-15,000 points one-way. Intra-Americas pricing was unchanged.
Partner award pricing is a fixed value per region + distance band cell (unlike Air Canada-operated flights which use a "starting from" dynamic-pricing model). Aeroplan's partner chart organizes routes by region pair first (e.g. North America to Atlantic), then by distance bands within that region.
No close-in booking fee. Award bookings within 21 days of departure carry no extra charge.
Marriott Bonvoy Gold automatic at 50K - rare program-level reciprocal status with a hotel program.
Points expiry currently suspended through November 30, 2026. No Aeroplan points are expiring before that date regardless of activity. From November 30, 2026 the normal 18-month rule applies again, so an account with no activity in the previous 18 months can lose its points.
New World of Hyatt partnership (July 2026). Link accounts for two-way conversions at 2:1 in each direction. World of Hyatt to Aeroplan starts at 5,000 points; Aeroplan Elite to World of Hyatt starts at 500 points, capped at 100,000 Aeroplan points per day. Because you give 2 to get 1 either way, the conversion itself is lossy - use it only for a redemption you have in mind. Aeroplan Elites can also fast-track Hyatt Globalist via a 20-night challenge.
World of Hyatt Explorists and Globalists can fast-track Aeroplan status. Link your World of Hyatt and Aeroplan accounts and you can register for a 90 day Aeroplan Status Challenge. Explorists need 8,000 SQC for 25K, and Globalists need 8,000, 12,000, 17,000 or 25,000 SQC for 25K, 35K, 50K or 75K. Only eligible flights that depart inside the 90 days count, and you get one challenge per calendar year. It ends if you earn Aeroplan status on your own that matches or beats the top tier your challenge offers, and you keep what you earn. Status earned through a challenge registered in 2026 runs through January 31, 2028.
Premium Economy Basic and Business Basic fares (launched July 28, 2026): these lower priced fares in the Premium Economy and Business cabins earn Aeroplan points and Status Qualifying Credits at the same rates as any other fare in those cabins (spend based earning, at least 1 point per CA$1 of base fare plus carrier surcharges, elite multipliers up to 6x for Super Elite). The catch is in the fare rules, not the earning: both are non refundable (changeable for a fee), do not include free advance seat selection, and are not eligible for eUpgrades. Business Basic keeps Maple Leaf Lounge access, while Premium Economy Basic includes no lounge access.
Emirates awards now bookable in all four cabins (2026). Emirates is the first Aeroplan partner you can redeem for in First, Business, Premium Economy, and Economy. Premium Economy became available July 21, 2026, but both Premium Economy and First Class are restricted to Aeroplan 35K elite members and above, and First Class also requires every passenger in the cabin to be at least 9 years old. Business and Economy remain open to all members.
ITA Airways works with Aeroplan for awards and earning. Awards have been bookable since February 5, 2026, across ITA's network of more than 70 destinations, on aircanada.com, in the Air Canada app or through the Aeroplan Contact Center, on ITA alone or combined with Air Canada and other Aeroplan partners. Aeroplan's partner page also lists earning on most scheduled ITA flights for travel from April 1, 2026, in eligible booking classes, so check your booking class before you count on points. Aeroplan's announcement said status credit would follow once ITA joined Star Alliance, so confirm that separately: Aeroplan partners. More on ITA Airways.
Cards that earn Air Canada Aeroplan directly, or that transfer into it from a flexible-currency program.
Marriott Bonvoy points transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan get a 15% bonus on the Aeroplan points through October 31, 2026.
Link your World of Hyatt and Aeroplan accounts and register by November 11, and eligible Hyatt stays earn 1.5 Aeroplan points per eligible U.S. dollar on top of your regular Hyatt points.
Hold World of Hyatt Explorist or Globalist status and Aeroplan will put you on a 90 day challenge for its own status, from 25K up to 75K depending on your Hyatt level and how much you fly. Status earned through a challenge registered in 2026 lasts through January 31, 2028.
Aeroplan is giving a bonus of up to 90% on points purchases from October 14 through October 29, 2026. The offer is personalized, so log in to see what your account gets.
Air Canada's new Premium Economy Basic and Business Class Basic fares still earn full Aeroplan points and status credits, unlike Basic economy. The trade off is no eUpgrades, no refunds, paid seat selection, and reduced lounge and bag perks.
Chase refreshed its Aeroplan card, now called the Chase Air Canada Aeroplan Card. For a limited time, new cardmembers can earn up to 115,000 points (75,000 after $4,000 in 3 months, plus 40,000 after $20,000 in 12 months), up from a 60,000 point offer. The annual fee is $195, and the primary cardmember gets automatic Aeroplan 25K status for as long as the account is open.
Air Canada is selling a 25% minority stake in its Aeroplan loyalty program to a group led by Blackstone and pension fund La Caisse, while keeping full operational control.
World of Hyatt and Air Canada's Aeroplan launched a partnership: convert Hyatt points to Aeroplan at 2:1, or book Hyatt free nights with Aeroplan points from 25,000. Most useful for Amex and Capital One holders, since Chase and Bilt already transfer to Hyatt directly.
Last reviewed: September 2026
Loyalty programs change rules, fees, transfer ratios, and award pricing all the time — sometimes without warning. We do our best to keep these pages current, but the program's own site is always the final word. Always confirm specifics directly with Air Canada Aeroplan before transferring miles or booking an award. Treat anything on this page as a starting point, not a guarantee. Crazy4Points is not responsible for actions taken based on information here — see our Terms of Service for full details.
