Air Canada Aeroplan Partner Airlines & Sweet Spots

Key Takeaways

• Aeroplan offers access to 50+ airline partners worldwide.

• Points transfer 1:1 from Amex, Chase, Capital One, and Bilt.

• Partner awards follow a predictable distance-based chart.

• Stopovers cost just 5,000 additional points.

• Partner awards avoid expensive fuel surcharges.

Since Air Canada announced an entirely revamped Aeroplan in 2020, it’s become one of the most popular frequent flyer programs not only in Canada but also in the United States (and our number two pick for best loyalty program in the world).

As a member of the Air Canada alliance with Star Alliance, Aeroplan gives travelers access to one of the largest airline networks in the world. Beyond Star Alliance, Air Canada partner airlines include carriers such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Air Mauritius, giving Aeroplan members more redemption options than almost any other loyalty program. Aeroplan miles are easy to earn, with a straightforward award chart that includes one of the industry's most valuable Aeroplan stopover policies.

Here's everything you need to know about Air Canada Aeroplan's partners, plus tips for earning and redeeming points.

Air Canada partner airlines

As a founding member of the Star Alliance, Air Canada gives Aeroplan members access to one of the world's largest airline networks. Through the Air Canada alliance with Star Alliance and dozens of additional airline partnerships, members can earn and redeem points across more than 50 carriers worldwide.

Air Canada Alliance Partners (Star Alliance)

• Aegean Airlines

• Air China

• Air India

• Air New Zealand

• All Nippon Airlines

• Asiana Airlines

• Austrian Airlines

• Avianca

• Brussels Airlines

• Copa Airlines

• Croatia Airlines

• EGYPTAIR

• Ethiopian Airlines

• EVA Air

• ITA Airways

• LOT Polish Airlines

• Lufthansa

• Shenzhen Airlines

• Singapore Airlines

• South African Airways

• SWISS

• TAP Air Portugal

• THAI

• Turkish Airlines

• United Airlines

Other Air Canada partner airlines

• Aer Lingus

• Air Creebec

• Air Dolomiti

• Air Mauritius

• Air Serbia

• Azul Brazilian Airlines

• Bamboo Airways

• Calm Air

• Canadian North

• Cathay Pacific

• Central Mountain Air

• Discover Airlines

• Edelweiss Air

• Emirates

• Etihad Airways

• Eurowings

• Flydubai

• GOL

• Gulf Air

• Juneyao Airlines

• Middle East Airlines

• Olympic Air

• Oman Air

• PAL Airlines

• SriLankan Airlines

• SunExpress

• Virgin Australia

Other Air Canada travel partners

In addition to airline partners, Air Canada has many other partners with which frequent flyers can earn and redeem miles. 

Air Canada partners with Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One Rewards, and Wyndham, allowing Aeroplan members to earn up to 2 points per dollar spent at Marriott properties. Several other hotel chains, including Shangri-La and Langham, offer between 500 and 1500 Aeroplan points per qualifying stay. While these offers don’t provide outsized value, they might sometimes make sense. Aeroplan also partners with Rocket Miles, which often offers great bonuses for booking hotels.

If you’re renting a car, you can earn 2 Aeroplan points per dollar when renting a car from Avis Car Rental, Payless Car Rental, or Budget Car Rental. Air Canada Vacations allows Aeroplan members to both earn and redeem miles for travel, including package holidays and cruises.

How many Aeroplan points you need for a flight

One highlight of Air Canada Aeroplan is that it is one of the few major frequent flyer programs that continue to publish an Aeroplan award chart, allowing frequent flyers to see exactly how much an award will cost if it’s available. In the Aeroplan award chart, there are four zones and the cost of your award is based on the cumulative distance of your flights and the zone you are arriving and departing from.

This is similar to other programs that use a mileage band-based award chart to determine the cost of a flight. However, in an important distinction from programs like British Airways Executive Club, Air Canada doesn’t count segments separately. 

The cost of flights within the Aeroplan award chart stays constant and notes any differences between partners. You can review Air Canada’s award charts here, but we’ve included the most important ones for frequent flyers based in North America below. You can also check out our guide to booking on Air Canada.

Within North America

While unexpected, short flights within North America can be a place to get some real value from Aeroplan. Economy class flights start at just 6,000 points each way, with most flights between cities in the Northeastern United States and Washington, DC, Toronto, and Montreal falling within this band.

Between North America and Atlantic zones

There’s also a lot of value to be had on transatlantic flights, with most partner redemptions between North America and Europe in business class costing just 60,000 to 75,000 points.

Between North America and Pacific zones

Redemptions between North America and Asia are one of the best sweet spots within the Aeroplan award chart. One popular route is from Seattle to Tokyo, where business class on All Nippon Airways (ANA) costs just 55,000 points or 90,000 points one way in first class.

Between North America and South America

Air Canada has four partner airlines offering connections to South America between Star Alliance members United, Avianca, and Copa Airlines and non-Star Alliance partner Azul, which is based in Brazil. Many flights between North America and closer destinations in South America (such as Colombia or Peru) fall within the 2,501 mile to 4,500 mile band allowing business class to be booked for just 50,000 points. Flights to deep South American destinations such as Argentina and Brazil are a sweet spot that can be booked in business class for just 60,000 points.

How to earn Aeroplan miles

Flying with Air Canada and Aeroplan partners

Flying with Air Canada might not be the fastest way to earn Aeroplan points, but it’s a tried-and-true method. As of January 1, 2026, Aeroplan has officially shifted to a revenue-based earning model for all flights operated by Air Canada or ticketed on Air Canada stock. Instead of earning points based on the distance you fly, you now earn points based directly on the dollars you spend.

Under this system, base members earn 1 Aeroplan point per Canadian dollar (CAD) spent on the base fare and any carrier-imposed surcharges, while government taxes and airport fees are excluded. If you hold Aeroplan Elite Status, your earnings will be amplified by your tier's specific point multiplier, which we break down in the status chart below.

Important Note on Status Qualification: While you earn 1 redeemable Aeroplan point per CAD on base fares, qualifying for future Air Canada elite status tracks on a completely separate metric called Status Qualifying Credits (SQCs). Your elite status level does not multiply your SQCs; instead, your earning rate is determined entirely by the fare type you buy on eligible Air Canada-ticketed flights:

• Economy Basic: 0 SQC per $1 spent

• Economy Standard: 2 SQC per $1 spent

• Flex, Comfort, and Latitude: 4 SQC per $1 spent

• Premium Economy and Business Class: 4 SQC per $1 spent

The rules shift slightly when it comes to partner airlines. If you purchase a ticket directly from a Star Alliance partner (like United or Lufthansa) and credit the flight to your Aeroplan account, your earnings will still be calculated using the traditional distance-based partner charts. However, if you book the same partner flight directly through Air Canada’s website, it will be subject to the spend-based model.

Transfer partners

The easiest way for most points and miles enthusiasts to access Aeroplan points is through Aeroplan transfer partners. Aeroplan is a 1:1 transfer partner with four major transferable points currencies:

• American Express Membership Rewards: Points earned on premier cards like the American Express® Gold Card transfer instantly to Aeroplan. You must transfer a minimum of 1,000 points, with further amounts allowed in crisp 100-point increments.

• Chase Ultimate Rewards: Points from popular cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card transfer instantly. Chase also occasionally runs temporary transfer bonus promotions to Aeroplan, boosting your booking power even further.

• Capital One Miles: If you hold a Venture card (such as the Capital One Venture X Credit Card), your miles transfer seamlessly to Aeroplan at a clean 1:1 ratio, usually within minutes.

• Bilt Rewards: Renters accumulating points on monthly housing payments can transfer their balances directly to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio. Note that Bilt transfers require a minimum of 2,000 points for standard Blue tier members, or 1,000 points if you hold Bilt elite status.

These Air Canada transfer partners make Aeroplan one of the easiest airline loyalty programs for U.S. travelers to earn. Having four major transferable currency partnerships is a big competitive advantage of redeeming with Aeroplan. Better yet, point transfers to Aeroplan are usually instant, meaning there’s less concern that the award seat you want to book disappears while you wait for your points to transfer.

Keep an eye out for periodic Aeroplan transfer bonus promotions, particularly from American Express and Chase. These limited-time promotions offer a premium over the standard 1:1 ratio, giving you significantly more value for your bank points. A transfer bonus can significantly reduce the number of bank points needed for an award, making it worth waiting for a promotion if your travel plans are flexible.

Ready to check your balances? Because Aeroplan lets you combine rewards from Amex, Chase, Capital One, and Bilt, you might be much closer to a premium cabin ticket than you think. You can link your credit card rewards programs directly within your point.me account dashboard to instantly track your combined points balance and see exactly which Aeroplan flights you can book today.

Aeroplan credit card

For Americans, the pièce de résistance of earning points with Aeroplan is using its co-branded credit card issued by Chase. Approved cardholders automatically receive entry-level Aeroplan 25K elite status for the remainder of the calendar year in which they open the card, plus the entire following calendar year.

The Aeroplan card is worth keeping in your wallet long after you trigger the welcome bonus. You can easily extend your 25K elite status year after year by spending $15,000 on the card each year. If you want to jump to the next level, spending $75,000 on the card in a calendar year automatically upgrades you to Aeroplan 35K status.

The card also feeds directly into Aeroplan’s revenue-based status ecosystem. Cardholders automatically receive a 5,000 Status Qualifying Credit (SQC) boost at the start of each year, plus an additional 10,000 SQCs when hitting $25,000 and $50,000 in annual spending thresholds (capped at 25,000 total SQCs per year).

Aside from status, the card offers fantastic day-of-travel perks, including a free first checked bag for you and up to eight companions on your reservation. You will also secure a unique 10% transfer bonus whenever you move 50,000 or more Chase Ultimate Rewards points into your Aeroplan account in a single calendar year (up to a 25,000-point annual bonus cap). That is on top of excellent everyday earning rates: 3 Aeroplan points per dollar spent on grocery stores, dining (including takeout and delivery), and direct Air Canada purchases.

Buying Aeroplan points

Another way to stock up on Aeroplan points is to buy them. While purchasing points at their standard base cost of 2.5 cents per point (plus applicable taxes) rarely makes financial sense for standard economy redemptions, Aeroplan frequently runs promotional sales offering mystery bonuses or discounts up to 80% to 100%. Snagging points during these promotional events can be an incredibly lucrative shortcut if you are just a few thousand points shy of booking a luxury partner business or first-class sweet spot.

Other ways to earn Aeroplan points

If you want to keep your points balances topped off without flying, Air Canada offers an expansive ecosystem of everyday retail, lifestyle, and travel partnerships. Best of all, under the current program rules, earning points through these non-flight activities counts toward Everyday Status Qualification (EDQ). Accumulating 100,000 points across these channels in a calendar year automatically rewards you with Aeroplan 25K status.

You can rack up daily points using the following core channels:

• Shopping portal: Making everyday online purchases through the Aeroplan eStore

  lets you earn points with hundreds of major retail brands, often featuring seasonal promotions that offer 5x to 10x bonus points per dollar spent.

• Uber and Starbucks: You can link your Aeroplan account directly to your Uber and Starbucks Rewards apps. That unlocks seamless point-earning on eligible Uber rides, Uber Eats delivery orders, and Starbucks mobile order transactions.

• Travel Partners: Beyond flights, you can rack up points across a massive network of hospitality partners. This includes earning points or transferring balances from major hotel loyalty programs like Marriott Bonvoy and IHG One Rewards, as well as scoring points on car rentals, airport parking, and vacation packages.

Additionally, your non-flight partner activity can help you climb higher elite tiers by earning Status Qualifying Credits (SQCs). You will earn 1 SQC for every 5 base Aeroplan points accumulated through eligible everyday and travel partners, capped at a maximum of 25,000 SQCs per calendar year. Note that Air Canada strictly limits this to base points; any points accumulated via the Aeroplan eStore, promotional bonuses, or conversions from other programs are completely excluded from SQC accumulation.

Benefits of Aeroplan status

If you travel frequently, climbing the ranks of Air Canada’s five-tier elite status ladder can fundamentally transform your airport experience and supercharge your award points strategy. Following the program overhaul, Air Canada eliminated the old distance-based tracking rules. Elite status is now earned through a single unified metric: Status Qualifying Credits (SQC).

You earn these credits based on the cash amount you spend on Air Canada tickets and specific high-fare classes. However, you can also secure elite status entirely on the ground. Opening the Chase Aeroplan Credit Card or accumulating points through retail partners via the Everyday Status Qualification track allows you to bypass the traditional flight requirements completely.

While the higher tiers naturally offer premium perks like dedicated concierge service, free flight changes, and upgrade privileges, even entry-level status still offers significant value. That is due to Air Canada’s membership in the global Star Alliance network.

Achieving Aeroplan 25K or 35K instantly grants you Star Alliance Silver status, while reaching 50K or higher secures Star Alliance Gold. These alliance designations unlock priority lines, extra luggage allowances, and elite lounge access worldwide, even when you are traveling on an economy ticket booked with your partner points.

The structural chart below outlines the precise qualification requirements, alliance crossovers, and standout perks for each elite tier to help you determine exactly which milestone to target.

The best partners to redeem Aeroplan points on

While Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, Aeroplan members can also redeem points with dozens of Air Canada partner airlines outside the alliance network, so there is no shortage of options for redeeming your miles. That includes unique partnerships with carriers like Oman Air, Air Mauritius, or Gulf Air, which are incredibly difficult to book using other mainstream frequent flyer programs.

The easiest way to discover these niche opportunities to redeem Aeroplan points is to search for the routes you are interested in flying using an award search engine like point.me. That way, you can see all of your alliance and independent options simultaneously, including unique routing opportunities you may have forgotten existed.

Aeroplan has more than 45 airline Air Canada partner airlines, and a few consistently stand out as especially valuable for frequent flyers based in North America.

Emirates

Emirates is unique as a massive, independent airline that is not part of any global alliance. That traditionally limits frequent flyers' options for booking its famously luxurious in-flight experience, particularly in premium cabins. Luckily for points enthusiasts, Air Canada’s partnership with Emirates means you can use Aeroplan points to book flights across the more than 150 destinations it serves.

When redeeming points for Emirates, your flight will be listed under the "Air Canada and/or Select Partners" on the Aeroplan reward chart. That means it still uses the exact same fixed distance bands as other partners, but it features a fixed "Starting at" point price alongside a dynamic median price. While this structure means premium cabins require more points than a standard alliance partner, booking through Aeroplan allows you to completely avoid the massive, cash-heavy carrier fuel surcharges that Emirates tacks onto its own Skywards program redemptions.

SWISS and the Lufthansa Group

SWISS and the broader Lufthansa Group (including Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines) are preferred Aeroplan partners due to the Star Alliance transatlantic joint venture. SWISS is widely celebrated for its punctuality and premium in-flight experience, offering seamless connections through its Zurich hub.

Because Aeroplan uses a fixed, distance-based award chart for standard Star Alliance partners, your transatlantic point cost depends entirely on your departure city. One-way business class awards from the East Coast (covering flights under 4,000 miles) cost 60,000 Aeroplan points. If you are flying from central or western North America, the distance typically jumps into the 4,001-to-6,000-mile band, meaning a business class award costs 75,000 points each way.

If you are planning a multi-city European holiday, utilizing Aeroplan points for short intra-Europe connector flights on Lufthansa Group carriers is an excellent strategy. For short regional hops under 1,000 miles, tickets cost a flat 7,500 points in economy or 12,500 points in business class. For longer regional routes between 1,001 and 2,000 miles, pricing shifts to 12,500 points in economy or 22,500 points in business. When cash rates skyrocket during peak summer seasons, these fixed partner rates deliver exceptional out-of-pocket savings.

All Nippon Airways (ANA)

Japan’s largest airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA), is another top choice for Aeroplan redemptions. ANA was already viewed as one of the world’s best airlines with top-tier service, but it has cemented that reputation with its “The Suite” first class and “The Room” business class seats. As a member of Star Alliance, ANA flights are bookable with Aeroplan points with shockingly good values.

For frequent flyers based in North America, flights from Vancouver, Canada, and Seattle, Washington, fall within the lowest 0 to 5,000-mile distance band, meaning they cost only 55,000 points in business class or 90,000 points in first class. Aeroplan redemptions on ANA may not be as good value when they fall into the 7,500 to 11,000-mile distance bands, with business class flights now costing 102,500 points and first class are 140,000.

If you’re connecting through Tokyo on ANA’s extensive Asian route network, you can add an Aeroplan stopover in Tokyo for just 5,000 points.

Singapore Airlines

No discussion of Aeroplan redemptions would be complete without mentioning Singapore Airlines. The Star Alliance carrier based in Southeast Asia offers excellent connectivity to Southeast Asia and beyond.

According to Aeroplan’s fixed partner chart for the Pacific zone, flights from North America to Southeast Asia falling within the 7,501-to-11,000-mile distance band cost 102,500 points each way in business class and 140,000 points in first class. While these chart rates represent incredible value on paper, there is a major catch: Singapore Airlines severely restricts access to its long-haul premium cabins. The airline blocks virtually all long-haul First Class, Suites, and transpacific Business Class seats from partner programs, reserving them almost exclusively for members of its own KrisFlyer loyalty program.

However, you can still find phenomenal value by using Aeroplan points to book Singapore Airlines’ shorter regional business class flights within Asia. Alternatively, you can occasionally snag business class space on the carrier’s high-profile “fifth-freedom” routes, such as the nonstop flight between New York (JFK) and Frankfurt (FRA). By taking advantage of Aeroplan’s flexible stopover rules, you can add a stop to explore Singapore for just 5,000 additional points before continuing to another destination in the region.

Key Aeroplan sweet spots

With over 45 partner airlines and a distance-based Aeroplan award chart, there are plenty of opportunities to maximize the value of your points. Keep these popular sweet spots in mind as you plan your next redemption.

• Short-haul flights: Under 500 miles for 6,000 Aeroplan points each way in economy class.

• Domestic flights: Under 1,500 miles (e.g., Toronto–Halifax, Vancouver–Los Angeles) for 10,000 Aeroplan points in economy or 20,000 in business class.

• Mexico and the Caribbean: Major Canadian cities to Mexico or the Caribbean for 12,500 Aeroplan points in economy or 25,000 in business class.

• Hawaii: Vancouver to Hawaii for 12,500 Aeroplan points in economy or 25,000 in business class; the rest of Canada for 22,500 points in economy or 35,000 in business class.

• Europe: Toronto or Montreal to Western Europe (under 4,000 miles) for 60,000 Aeroplan points in business class.

• Asia: Vancouver or Calgary to Tokyo (under 5,000 miles) for 32,500 Aeroplan points in economy or 55,000 in business class.

• Long-haul flights: Between North America and the Pacific zones (7,501–11,000 miles) for 85,000 Aeroplan points in business class.

• South America: Central and Eastern Canadian cities to Peru for 50,000 Aeroplan points in business class.

Tip for your next trip: While Aeroplan’s distance-based chart offers incredible value on paper, award seat availability changes by the minute. Before you start moving your credit card rewards around, you can use point.me’s live flight search tool to scan all available partner seats for your exact dates and lock in your itinerary.

How to redeem Aeroplan points on partner airlines

One of Aeroplan’s top features is that miles can be easily redeemed online for most carriers. To book, navigate to aircanada.com, enter your desired travel details, and select the checkbox next to “Book with Aeroplan points.” 

While you don’t need to be logged in to search, it’s beneficial if you are. If you have an Aeroplan credit card or Aeroplan status, you can get preferred pricing and/or availability. However, you can see basic redemption options and pricing whether you’re logged in or not.

If you’re logged in, you can view a weekly award calendar showing the lowest prices and choose from different award levels within your class of service (e.g., Standard, Flex, or Latitude Rewards in economy). Each level has different prices and inclusions. After selecting your flight, just click through and confirm your booking details as you would with a cash flight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you book partner airlines with Aeroplan points?

Yes. You can seamlessly book flights across all 26 Star Alliance member airlines and over a dozen unique non-alliance partners (like Emirates, Etihad, and Oman Air) directly on the Air Canada website or via point.me.

Who is Air Canada partners with?

Air Canada partners with all 26 Star Alliance airlines as well as numerous non-alliance carriers, including Emirates, Etihad Airways, Virgin Australia, Gulf Air, and Oman Air.

Is Air Canada part of Star Alliance?

Yes, Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the largest global airline alliance network. This alliance gives Aeroplan members access to reciprocal elite benefits, synchronized schedules, and massive award availability across global member airlines.

Is Air Canada a Delta partner?

No, Air Canada is not a Delta partner. Delta Air Lines is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, whereas Air Canada is a core member of the Star Alliance. You cannot use Aeroplan points to book Delta flights.

Do Aeroplan points expire?

Aeroplan has extended its points-expiration pause through November 30, 2026. That means no points will expire before that date regardless of account activity. After November 30, 2026, the standard policy resumes: your points stay safe as long as you have qualifying activity (earning, redeeming, or transferring at least one point) every 18 months.

How to use Aeroplan points?

You can use Aeroplan points to book flights on Air Canada and partner airlines, add stopovers, upgrade travel experiences, and redeem select travel products through Air Canada's redemption platform.

How does an Aeroplan stopover work?

Aeroplan offers one of the most generous award routing policies in the travel industry. You can add a stopover of up to 45 days to any one-way international itinerary for just an additional 5,000 Aeroplan points, allowing you to visit two destinations for virtually the price of one.

How much are Aeroplan points worth?

The baseline Aeroplan points value is roughly 1.5 cents per point when redeemed for economy tickets. However, when targeting high-value Aeroplan sweet spots, such as luxury international business and first-class cabins on partner airlines, your true Air Canada points value can easily range from 2.5 to 4.5 cents per point.

Which credit cards transfer to Aeroplan?

Aeroplan points are incredibly easy to earn because the program accepts 1:1 instant transfers from major flexible credit card rewards programs. That includes American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Bilt Rewards.

What's the best way to use Aeroplan points?

The absolute best strategy is to target premium cabins on long-haul partner airlines. Because partner flights use a predictable, distance-based award chart, you can score incredible values on routes like ANA Business Class to Japan or Lufthansa Business Class to Europe while completely avoiding dynamic pricing surges.

Summary

Aeroplan is one of the most popular frequent flyer programs in Canada and the United States. Beyond Star Alliance redemptions, Aeroplan has one of the largest airline partner networks of any frequent flyer program, including unique carriers you won’t find in any other major program. Aeroplan miles are easy to earn with most major transfer currencies, and redemption is straightforward with an award chart that offers excellent value, especially for flights with stopovers. Additionally, Aeroplan members can earn points through hotel stays, car rentals, and various retail partners, making it a versatile and valuable program for frequent travelers.

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