Program Guides
How to Redeem Aeroplan Points: Every Option, Ranked
There are six ways to spend Aeroplan points, and the gap between the best and worst is more than 4x. Here's every option ranked by realistic value, using our July 2026 index numbers. For what your specific balance is worth, use the calculator in our Aeroplan points value guide.
The ranking
| # | Redemption | Realistic value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Partner airline business class | 2.5–4.0¢ |
| 2 | Partner airline economy | 1.5–2.2¢ |
| 3 | Air Canada flights (dynamic pricing) | 1.0–1.5¢ |
| 4 | Air Canada seat sales | 0.8–1.2¢ |
| 5 | Gift cards and merchandise | 0.6–0.8¢ |
| 6 | Hotels via the Aeroplan portal | ≤0.8¢ |
1–2. Partner awards: where the value lives
Aeroplan prices partner airlines (United, Lufthansa, EVA, and 40+ others) on fixed distance-based zones. When cash fares are high, the points price doesn't move — that's the whole trick. Search for your route on partner metal before even looking at Air Canada's own flights. Economy partner awards are the realistic sweet spot for most people; business class is where hobbyists earn their 4¢.
One underused feature: on one-way partner bookings, Aeroplan lets you add a stopover for 5,000 points — two destinations for barely more than one.
3–4. Air Canada flights: fine, not exciting
AC's own flights use dynamic pricing that tracks the cash fare, anchoring value around 1.0–1.5¢. This is the "floor with a boarding pass" — never a mistake, never a win. During seat sales the math gets worse: cheap cash fares make points redemptions comparatively poor. Rule of thumb: redeem when cash fares are expensive, pay cash when they're cheap.
5–6. Everything else: don't
Gift cards, merchandise, and portal hotel bookings all price your points below the 1¢ floor you could get on any sensible flight. If you genuinely never fly, Aeroplan is the wrong program to collect — not the right place to redeem badly.
Order of operations before any redemption
- Check the cash fare first. Value = cash price ÷ points price. Below 1¢, pay cash.
- Search partners before Air Canada. Fixed pricing beats dynamic pricing when fares are high.
- Check your card's preferred pricing. Aeroplan co-brand cardholders (like TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite holders) get modest discounts on award pricing.
- Don't hoard. Points devalue; flights don't retroactively cheapen. Redeem when value clears ~1.5¢ and the trip is real.
Earning the points to redeem
The fastest route for most spenders is indirect: earn Amex Membership Rewards with the Amex Cobalt at 5x on food and transfer 1:1 to Aeroplan when you're ready to book. Direct co-brand cards add airline perks instead of earn rate — the full ordering is in our Aeroplan card ranking.
Valuations are editorial estimates based on observable award pricing, not guarantees. Methodology: The Points Standard Index.