Air Canada Aeroplan: The Ultimate Guide for Indians

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Overview

Aeroplan is the loyalty program of Air Canada, Canada’s flag carrier, and stands out as one of the most versatile airline mileage programs due to its partnership with over 50 airlines. Established in 1984 to reward frequent flyers, Aeroplan became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air Canada in 2002. Starting in 2003, Air Canada began selling off parts of Aeroplan, and by 2008, it had completely divested its stake to third parties. Aeroplan then started developing its in-house loyalty program but eventually reacquired Aeroplan, completing the acquisition in 2019. In 2020, Air Canada overhauled the Aeroplan program to enhance flexibility and member satisfaction. This revamp included eliminating fuel surcharges on award flights and introducing dynamic ticket pricing, which increased availability but with variable mileage costs.

Aeroplan Elite Status

Air Canada Aeroplan rewards frequent Air Canada and Star Alliance flyers with valuable perks such as seat upgrades, free check-in bags, and other benefits across five distinct status tiers.

As of 2023, Air Canada elite members can choose Select Benefit Bundles that offer additional rewards, such as bonus points, upgrade certificates, and lounge passes, with different options available at each status level.

Additionally, as you progress through the status tiers, you’ll earn eUpgrade certificates, which allow you to upgrade flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express, and Air Canada Rouge from economy class to premium economy or business class.

To qualify for these tiers, you need to earn a certain number of status-qualifying miles (SQMs) or status-qualifying segments (SQSs), along with a minimum amount of status-qualifying dollars (SQDs). SQMs are based on your flight distance, SQSs on the number of flights you credit to Aeroplan, and SQDs on your ticket expenditure, calculated in Canadian dollars.

Let’s explore the extensive benefits and qualification criteria offered to each Aeroplan Elite Tier below:

Aeroplan 25K

Star Alliance equivalent: Silver

Qualifying Criteria: 25,000 SQMs or 25 SQSs, plus 3,000 SQDs

Benefits

Priority assistance, waitlist, seat selection, check-in, and boarding with Air Canada
Ability to select complimentary Preferred Seating at check-in for all destinations
Two complimentary checked bags (up to 23kg each) and no extra fees for sports equipment
20 eUpgrade credits, which can be used towards flight upgrades with Air Canada
A Priority Rewards voucher valid for 50% off Economy travel within Canada and to the USA.
Status extension for parental leave

25K members can also select two of the following Select Benefits:

25% Elite Status bonus with Air Canada and select partners.
Five extra eUpgrade credits.
Two single-use passes to the Maple Leaf Lounge.

Aeroplan 35K

Star Alliance equivalent: Silver

Qualifying Criteria: 35,000 SQMs or 35 SQSs, plus 4,000 SQDs

Benefits

In addition to 25K benefits, 35K members receive:

Three complimentary checked bags, up to 32kg each
Ability to select complimentary Preferred Seating at check-in for all destinations
Priority security screening
Two Maple Leaf Lounge passes every year

35K members can also select one of the following Select Benefits:

35% Elite Status bonus with Air Canada and select partners
10 additional eUpgrade credits

Aeroplan 50K

Star Alliance equivalent: Gold

Qualifying Criteria: 50,000 SQMs or 50 SQSs, plus 6,000 SQDs

Benefits

50K status is considered the sweet spot in the program, offering:

Complimentary preferred seats on Flex fares within North America
Ability to select complimentary Preferred Seating any time when travelling within Canada and the U.S. (including Hawaii) or at check-in for all other destinations
Priority baggage handling
Complimentary access to Maple Leaf, Air Canada Cafe, and partner Star Alliance lounges.
Three Maple Leaf Lounge one-time passes, which are useful for bringing in additional guests
A Priority Rewards voucher valid for 50% off Economy and Premium Economy travel within North America and to other selected destinations

50K members can also select two of the following Select Benefits:

50% Elite Status bonus with Air Canada and select partners
20 additional eUpgrade credits
Lower requalification level of 45,000 SQM or 45 SQS
Two Status Passes, allowing non-elites to experience the benefits of your status for one itinerary

Aeroplan 75K

Star Alliance equivalent: Gold

Qualifying Criteria: 75,000 SQMs or 75 SQSs, plus 9,000 SQDs

Benefits

In addition to the perks of 50K status, 75K members enjoy:

A Priority Rewards voucher valid for 50% off Economy and Premium Economy travel worldwide (including on eligible partner airlines).
Ability to select complimentary Preferred Seating anytime for all destinations

75K members can also select two of the following Select Benefits:

75% Elite Status bonus with Air Canada and select partners.
35 eUpgrade credits.
Lower requalification level of 70,000 SQM or 70 SQS.
Gift Aeroplan 35K elite status to a friend.
A 12-month Aeroplan Elite Wi-Fi plan.
Three Status Passes, allowing non-members to experience the benefits of your 50K status for one itinerary.

Aeroplan Super Elite

Star Alliance equivalent: Gold

Qualifying Criteria: 1,00,000 SQMs or 100 SQSs, plus 20,000 SQDs

Benefits

As the top published tier, Super Elite members receive these benefits in addition to everything else:

Complimentary preferred seats on all Air Canada flights
Ability to select complimentary Preferred Seating anytime for all destinations, including on basic economy fares
Access to the Air Canada Concierge Service for monitoring flight disruptions and handling special requests
Four Maple Leaf Lounge one-time guest passes, for bringing additional guests
Access to the London Heathrow Arrivals Lounge
One eUpgrade nominee, allows you to share your upgrade privileges with this person even when travelling separately
A Priority Rewards voucher is valid for 50% off travel up to Business Class worldwide, including on eligible partner airlines
Complimentary changes and cancellations with Aeroplan flight rewards.
Complimentary in-flight refreshments in Air Canada Economy

Super Elite members can also select two of the following Select Benefits:

100% Elite Status bonus with Air Canada and select partners.
50 eUpgrade credits.
Lower requalification level of 95,000 SQM or 90 SQS.
Gift Aeroplan 50K elite status (Star Alliance Gold) to a friend.
A 12-month Aeroplan Elite Wi-Fi plan.
Four Status Passes, allowing non-members to experience your status for one itinerary per pass.

Starting January 1, 2024, elite members will receive both eUpgrade credits and bonus SQMs instead of having to choose between them:

Aeroplan 25K: 4 eUpgrade credits and 750 SQMs
Aeroplan 35K: 6 eUpgrade credits and 1,000 SQMs
Aeroplan 50K: 8 eUpgrade credits and 1,250 SQMs
Aeroplan 75K: 10 eUpgrade credits and 1,500 SQMs
Aeroplan Super Elite: 12 eUpgrade credits and 2,500 SQMs

Please note that SQM (Status Qualifying Miles) and SQD (Status Qualifying Dollars) are valid only for the calendar year. This means that all your progress will reset at the end of the year. Your status for the next year will be assessed based on your tier qualification by December 31st of the current calendar year.

Partner Airlines of Aeroplan

Air Canada is a founding member of the Star Alliance, which allows you to earn and redeem Aeroplan points with any participating carrier. This extensive network includes over two dozen airlines worldwide, offering vast geographical coverage.

The following airlines are part of the Star Alliance:

In addition to these Star Alliance members, Aeroplan partners with a notable selection of non-alliance airlines. This allows you to earn redeemable Aeroplan points when flying with any of these partners. However, note that in some cases, you’ll only earn Aeroplan points on codeshare flights. Status Qualifying Miles (SQM) can be earned with select non-alliance partners, so check with the partner airline before booking if earning SQMs is important to you.

The following airlines are non-alliance Aeroplan partners:

Aer Lingus (EI)
Air Creebec (YN)
Air Dolomiti (EN) (Star Alliance affiliate)
Air Mauritius (MK)
Air Serbia (JU)
Azul Brazilian Airlines (AD)
Bamboo Airways (QH)
Calm Air (MO)
Canadian North (5T)
Cathay Pacific (CX)
Central Mountain Air (9M)
Discover Airlines (4Y) (Star Alliance affiliate)
Edelweiss Air (WK)
Emirates (EK)
Etihad Airways (EY)
Eurowings (EW) (Star Alliance affiliate)
Flydubai (FZ)
GOL Airlines (G3)
Gulf Air (GF)
Juneyao Air (HO) (Star Alliance connecting partner)
Middle East Airlines (ME)
Olympic Air (OA)
Oman Air (WY)
PAL Airlines (PR)
SriLankan Airlines (UL)
SunExpress (XQ)
Virgin Australia (VA)
Vistara (UK) (soon to be merged with Air India)

How to Earn Aeroplan Miles

Fly with Air Canada

Air Canada’s award earning is based on the distance flown, with additional consideration given to your fare class. For example, Economy Saver fares within Canada earn as little as 10% of the miles flown, whereas business-class fares can earn up to 150% of the miles flown. Additionally, individuals with Air Canada elite status are eligible for bonus points on Air Canada flights. The bonus points for each tier are as follows:

Aeroplan 25K: 25% bonus points
Aeroplan 35K: 35% bonus points
Aeroplan 50K: 50% bonus points
Aeroplan 75K: 75% bonus points
Aeroplan Super Elite: 100% bonus points

Fly with Star Alliance and Non-Alliance Partner Airlines

Earnings with partner airlines may vary, but generally, points are awarded as a percentage of the distance flown based on the fare class, similar to Air Canada’s flights. To check the specific earning rates for individual partners, click here and select your preferred partner airline.

Banking Transfer Partners

Air Canada Miles can be transferred from two major banking partners in India, namely Axis Bank and HDFC Bank. The transfer ratios are as follows:

Axis Bank

Axis Burgundy Private Credit Card, Axis Magnus Burgundy: 5:4
Axis Reserve, Axis Magnus: 5:2
Axis Atlas: 1:2 (Edge Miles)
Axis Olympus: 1:4 (Edge Miles)
Axis Horizon: 1:1 (Edge Miles)
Axis IOCL Premium: 2:1 (Edge Miles)
Axis Select, Privilege & REWARDS: 10:1
Other Edge Reward Points Earning Cards: 20:1

HDFC Bank

HDFC Infinia, HDFC Diners Club Black, HDFC Diners Club Black Metal: 2:1
HDFC Regalia Gold: 3:1

While Air Canada offers an advantageous program, there is currently no co-branded credit card available in India for Air Canada.

Hotel Transfer Partners

You can transfer hotel loyalty program points to Aeroplan. While these conversions aren’t always the best value, they can help you save cash if you have plenty of points. Here are the transfer conditions:

Marriott Bonvoy:

Conversion rate: 3 Marriott Bonvoy points = 1 Aeroplan point
Transfer time: Within 24 hours (up to 72 hours)
Minimum transfer: 3,000 points
Bonus: Get an extra 5,000 Aeroplan points for every 60,000 points converted

Hilton Honors:

Conversion rate: 10,000 Hilton Honors points = 1,000 Aeroplan points
Transfer time: Within 24 hours (up to 72 hours)
Minimum transfer: 10,000 points, in increments of 10,000

ALL – Accor Live Limitless:

Conversion rate: 2 ALL points = 1 Aeroplan point
Transfer time: Within 24 hours (up to 72 hours)
Minimum transfer: 4,000 points, in increments of 4,000

Best Western Rewards:

Conversion rate: 5 Best Western Rewards points = 1 Aeroplan point
Transfer time: Within 24 hours (up to 72 hours)

Choice Privileges:

Conversion rate: 5 Choice Privileges points = 1 Aeroplan point
Transfer time: Within 24 hours (up to 72 hours)

Coast Rewards:

Conversion rate: 1 Coast Rewards point = 1 Aeroplan point
Transfer time: Within 24 hours (up to 72 hours)
Minimum transfer: 1,000 points, in increments of 1,000

IHG One Rewards:

Conversion rate: 5 IHG One Rewards points = 1 Aeroplan point
Transfer time: Within 24 hours (up to 72 hours)
Minimum transfer: 10,000 points, in increments of 10,000

Shangri-La Golden Circle Award:

Conversion rate: 1 Golden Circle Award point = 1 Aeroplan point
Transfer time: Within 24 hours (up to 72 hours)
Minimum transfer: 2,500 points, in increments of 500

Wyndham Rewards:

Conversion rate: 5 Wyndham Rewards points = 1 Aeroplan point
Transfer time: Within 24 hours (up to 72 hours)
Minimum transfer: 6,000 points

These options can provide flexibility and help maximize the value of your hotel loyalty points by converting them to Aeroplan points.

Aeroplan eStore

You can earn Aeroplan miles when shopping through Air Canada’s eStore. While many of the brands may not be particularly useful for Indians, there are several that offer valuable opportunities to maximize your miles:

Home & Villas by Marriott: Earn 1 point per USD spent
Marriott Bonvoy: Earn 2 points per USD spent
Samsonite: Earn 1 point per USD spent
Viator: Earn 5 points per USD spent
IHG One: Earn 2 points per USD spent
Wyndham Rewards: Earn 2 points per USD spent

Buy Air Canada Miles

One of the quickest ways to gain Air Canada miles is to buy them during promotional offers. While we usually recommend transferring points from your credit cards, buying points can be a very cost-effective option, especially given Air Canada’s minimal point requirements. You can click here to be redirected to the points purchase link.

Promotional offers often provide 80% to 100% bonus miles. For instance, if you buy the maximum amount of 250,000 points for about $6,300, you’ll receive a total of 500,000 points. This makes the cost per point approximately ₹1, but the value during redemption can be significantly higher. Additionally, you can maximize your benefits by using cards like Axis Reserve, which earns bonus points on international purchases. With a 5:2 transfer ratio, you could get about 31,200 more Air Canada Miles, so that’s 5,31,200 Air Canada Miles in total.

How to Use Air Canada Points

Air Canada boasts an extensive route network on its own, and its numerous alliance and non-alliance partners further expand this reach. Unlike United and other airlines, Air Canada maintains a standard award chart. It has eliminated fuel surcharges, so you’ll only need to pay minimal taxes plus a 39 Canadian dollar partner booking fee, if applicable. This is why Air Canada is favoured among loyalty program enthusiasts.

Aeroplan uses a hybrid distance and region-based award chart. Your payment is based on the flight length, but the pricing also varies depending on the region you fly to and from. These regions are very broadly defined. You can view the Air Canada Award Chart by clicking here.

Air Canada Award Redemption Sweet Spots

Although Air Canada has removed some highly lucrative award redemptions, such as Etihad First Class to and from India, it still offers excellent international redemption options. Here are a few examples:

Short-Haul Flights

Delhi to Dubai in Air India Business Class: 20k Aeroplan miles
Mumbai to Dubai in Vistara Business Class: 20k Aeroplan miles

You can also redeem super rare Lufthansa First Class from Munich to Delhi for only 65k Aeroplan miles and the availability of these seats is very rare, as Lufthansa releases only one seat, sometimes as late as two hours before departure, starting from at least 14 days before the departure. You can opt for Business Class at a cost-effective 45k Aeroplan miles. Additionally, the same route can be taken to BOM with equivalent miles requirements.

Popular routes like Delhi to Bali can be booked on Vistara Business Class for just 60k Aeroplan miles.

Delhi to Sydney flights with Singapore Airlines Business Class are also a great value at 80k Aeroplan miles.

Long-Haul Flights

Delhi to Auckland, New Zealand: 110k Aeroplan miles in Business Class and 65k in Economy.
Delhi to London on Air Canada: 58.1k Aeroplan miles in Business Class, 35.2k Aeroplan miles in Economy.

Tropical destinations like Mauritius can be reached for 45k Aeroplan miles in Air Mauritius Business Class from Mumbai, or 25k Aeroplan miles in Economy.

For travel to the USA, book Air India’s First Class for 135k Aeroplan miles, or Business Class for 90k Aeroplan miles to San Francisco from Delhi.

Travel from Canada and indulge in luxury with Air Canada’s Business Class, followed by Air India’s First Class on the B777-300ER. This incredible journey from Vancouver (YVR) to Delhi (DEL) can be experienced for just 118,100 Aeroplan Miles. It’s one of the longest routes available, offering unparalleled comfort and service.

For Middle Eastern to European routes, such as Muscat, Oman to Frankfurt, fly Oman Air’s First Class for just 65k Aeroplan miles, or Business Class for 45k miles.

You can book economy flights on United Airlines within the continental U.S. and Canada for as few as 6,000 Aeroplan points for flights up to 500 miles in length. This includes routes such as from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to various destinations in the Northeast.

Infant Lap Fare

Infants under the age of two who aren’t occupying a seat (i.e., flying on an adult’s lap) can fly free on Aeroplan award tickets within Canada or between Canada and the U.S. For all other flights, they can travel at a discounted fare of 2,500 Aeroplan points or $25. This is an excellent deal compared to what other airlines charge for flying with an infant on points.

Stopovers

Additionally, Aeroplan allows you to add stopovers for only 5k Aeroplan miles, enabling you to plan cross-country vacations with minimal points. For instance, if you’re planning to fly to London, consider adding a stopover in Dubai. While Air India operates direct flights on the Delhi-London route, adding a destination can enhance your journey. The direct flight from DEL to LHR costs 60k Aeroplan miles, but for an additional 5k miles, you can fly with Gulf Air’s Business Class. This option allows you to experience two different Business Class cabins—A320neo and B787-9—as you’ll be transiting through Bahrain.

Air Canada Aeroplan’s Stop-Over Demonstration

Family Pooling

Up to eight family members can share a single pool of Air Canada Aeroplan points while maintaining separate accounts. The person who creates the pool is known as the Family Lead.

The Family Lead is responsible for setting each family member’s rewards and permissions upon inviting them to the pool. This ensures that, for example, children can earn points for the family without having the ability to redeem them.

Points Expiry

Aeroplan points expire after 18 months of inactivity, meaning you must earn, redeem, donate, or convert points within that period to keep them active. The program will notify you 60 days before your points expire. Alternatively, if you hold elite status, your points do not expire as you are continually earning or redeeming points.

Bottomline

Aeroplan is a comprehensive rewards program that partners with dozens of airlines worldwide and hundreds of retailers, not just Air Canada. With its extensive network, Aeroplan is one of the top points programs globally for booking flights on a vast number of airlines. Additionally, it is one of the few programs that still publishes an award chart, detailing the points required for flights to specific regions, rather than using a dynamic pricing model based on demand.

Subhankar Dutta

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Air Canada Aeroplan: The Ultimate Guide for Indians

Overview