Now that you have become an Air Canada Aeroplan member, let see the many ways you can earn points. The program has seen many changes, mostly positive ones. With new features such as family sharing and lower fees on reward tickets, the program may be considered the best within Star Alliance and a great contender in the ffp market.
Book & fly Air Canada
The Air Canada group comprises of Air Canada, Air Canada Express & Air Canada Rouge. Whether you book online or with a travel agent, make sure you always provide your Aeroplan number. This will spare you a lot of hassle with the retro claim process.
Members will earn Aeroplan points on flights based on the distance flown and fare class. As Air Canada states: “points are earned based on actual miles flown multiplied by the associated booking class accumulation percentage or the minimum points rule“. It’s pretty clear.
Make sure you always log in www.aircanada.ca if you book direct with the airline. There are many ways to add your Aeroplan number to your booking.
Air Canada Bonus Offers
The carrier will issue bonus offers on its network or on specific regions. You can double your points, or earn a bonus fixed-amount on specific fares or destinations. Another reason to sign-up to Air Canada/Aeroplan’s newsletters.
Fly Star Alliance Partners
Air Canada is part of the Star Alliance. It’s a global airline alliance of 26 members and their affiliates founded in 1997. Member airlines cooperate in a significant way on many levels including earning points.
Therefore if you book with one of the following members add your Aeroplan number to the reservation:
- Aegean Airlines
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air India
- Air New Zealand
- ANA
- Asiana Airlines
- Austrian Airlines
- Avianca
- Brussels Airlines
- Copa Airlines
- Croatia Airlines
- EGYPTAIR
- Ethiopian Airlines
- EVA Air
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Scandinavian Airlines
- Shenzhen Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- South Africa Airways
- SWISS
- TAP AirPortugal
- Thai Airways
- Turkish Airlines
- United Airlines
Fly Air Canada’s Other Codeshare & Interline Partners
Air Canada has codeshare partners outside of Star Alliance. Codesharing a flight means Air Canada can use its flight number on a flight operated by its partner. It allows members to earn Aeroplan points on the partner flight.
The codeshare partners are: Aer Lingus, Cathay Pacific, Central Mountain Air, Etihad Airways, Eurowings/Germanwings, GOL, Jet Airways India, MEA, Oman Air & Sri Lankan Airlines.
Also, Aeroplan members can earn points with these airlines: Air Creebec, Canadian North, First Air & Chinese Juneyao Airlines.
Air Canada Vacations
The same principal applies. Always add your Aeroplan number when booking online on aircanadavacations.com or with a travel agent.
Car Rentals
Avis
Rent with Avis can earn you 500 Aeroplan points per airport location rental. Non-airport location rentals will get you only 250 points. This applies across Avis worldwide. On top of that, get 25% off rentals when you quote AWD # C682300.
Budget
Earn 250 Aeroplan points on any car rental. The Aeroplan dedicated page allows members to enjoy a 25% discount. Make sure you quote BCD # A258200.
Payless
A meagre 50 Aeroplan points per rental. Is it really worth it? I’ll let you judge by the length of this paragraph 😉
Hotel Stays
If you don’t care for hotel points and prefer Aeroplan, then you can earn points with your favorite hotel brands. Each hotel loyalty program allows you to earn Aeroplan points but in their own way. Therefore, make sure you abide by their accrual procedures before staying.
You can refer to Aeroplan hotel partners page and check your preferred brands.
Rocketmiles
As long as the rate makes sense and the hotel not part of a major chain your earn points with, then Rocketmiles is a good way to earning a good chunk of points.
Hotel Points Transfers
If you earn hotel points through your stays or some credit cards, you can transfer those points to Aeroplan. I’m personally not a big fan of transferring hotel points to an airline program. Here’s why:
- Hotel points are valuable. They can save you hundreds of dollars if not thousands on most trips. Why would I give up one week of hotel stay for a small change of airline miles;
- The transfer rate is just abysmal. 3 for 1 is not what I call a deal. Unless you don’t care for hotels (why would earn hotel points in the first place), the rate doesn’t make sense even with the periodical transfer bonuses.
Retail Partners
Aeroplan eStore
Shopping on your favorite online retailers such as Apple, Etsy, GAP is made even sweeter when you click through the Aeroplan eStore. Not only do you get 1 Aeroplan mile per $1 spent, but often times bonus promotions will come out on a regular basis, in some cases up to 10X.
Aeroplan has 202 retail partners!
Make sure you sign-up to Aeroplan’s newsletter to receive updates on these promotions. These bonus offers can definitely grow members balances faster. Access the Aeroplan eStore here.
TD Aeroplan Cards
TD Aeroplan cards allow members to earn points & bonus points. TD offers 4 cards: TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card, TD Aeroplan Visa Platinum card, TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege card & TD Aeroplan Visa Business card.
CIBC Aeroplan Visa Cards
CIBC Aerogold Visa Infinite card comes with some interesting benefits: 35,000 bonus Aeroplan points, one-time lounge access with Air Canada reward ticket and insurance.
American Express Cards
Amex Canada offers many cards linked or associated to Aeroplan. American Express has the biggest selection of reward cards associated with the ffp: from Aeroplan Rewards Cards series to the Travel Reward Cards.
The American Express Gold card offer a 25,000 points bonus transferable to Aeroplan. Whereas the American Express Platinum card will get you 50,000 bonus points.
Canadian Airports Parking
Members can earn Aeroplan points when they park their cars at major Canadian airports. Different services have different offers with specific dates.
Montreal YUL Parking Offers
ValetParc has these Aeroplan offers:
- Earn 100 points for a stay of 0-48 hours;
- Earn 400 points for a stay of 3-13 days;
- Earn 1,000 points for a stay of 14 days and more.
Multi-Level parking offers 350 Aeroplan points on stays (minimum of 48 hours). Members need to book their spot here.
HotelParc earns you 450 Aeroplan points on a stay of a minimum of 48 hours. Again, you need to reserve online.
EconoParc & AeroParc earn you 250 points per usage. They are the furthest parking lots from the YUL terminal.
Park’N Fly
Park’N Fly offer 50% bonus points on valet and self-parking in Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver. You can refer to the Park’N Fly pdf.
Park & jet Calgary (YYC)
Park & Jet Calgary at YYC allows to earn:
- 150 Aeroplan points on 1 to 3-day parking (minimum of a 4-hour stay);
- 250 Aeroplan points on 4 to 7-day parking;
- 500 Aeroplan points on 8-day+ parking;
The UPS Store
UPS Store customers earn 1 Aeroplan mile for every $1 spent in-store. There’s a maximum of $1,000 per transaction for 1,000 points. Some transactions are excluded, particularly those associated with non -UPS products and services.
To know more about the details, you can refer to the FAQ section.
Conclusion
There you go!
You’re all set to grow your Aeroplan balance agressively. The program got back under Air Canada and it is more generous on the earning side but aslo on the burning side. You can definitely score some great domestic and international reward flights with the program as fees have significantly cut.
But start planning and see what are your favorite earning sources to reach your next reward flight(s).
