Aeroplan explained: how to earn, redeem and what a point is worth

Aeroplan is Air Canada's loyalty program and the most common points currency in Canadian wallets. Points come from flying, from co-branded credit cards at TD, CIBC and American Express, and from transferring American Express Membership Rewards. They go out mostly as flights.

How earning works

• Flying Air Canada or a Star Alliance partner earns points based on the fare.
• Co-branded cards from TD, CIBC and Amex earn Aeroplan points directly on everyday spending.
• Amex Membership Rewards transfer to Aeroplan at 1:1, so an Amex Cobalt is effectively an Aeroplan card too.
• Aeroplan eStore and partners (Uber, LCBO and others) add points on top of whatever your card earns.

How redeeming works

Flight prices in points come from a reward chart based on distance and region. Partner airline flights follow the chart closely. Air Canada's own flights use dynamic pricing, so the chart price is a floor and a popular date can cost more.

The chart changed on June 1, 2026. It applies to tickets booked or reissued on or after that date. A few short routes got cheaper (economy from North America to Europe over 0 to 4,000 miles dropped 2,500 points to 32,500). Most long-haul business class seats got more expensive, with some partner redemptions over 7,001 miles rising from 40,000 to 100,000 points. Flights within North America were not listed as changed.

What a point is worth

There is no fixed value. Prince of Travel estimates about 2¢ per point as of May 2026, down from 2.1¢ because of the chart change. CreditCardGenius puts it nearer 1.6¢. In practice a cheap economy seat often returns around 1.1¢ a point and a business class seat can return closer to 2¢. Treat any single number as a rough guide.

Expiry

Points expire after 18 months with no activity on the account. Any earn or redemption resets the clock. Primary cardholders of a TD, CIBC or Amex Aeroplan card are exempt, as are elite members. As of October 2026 Aeroplan's own page says expiry is temporarily paused, but it has not published an end date, so don't rely on the pause.

Family Sharing

Up to 8 family members can pool points into one balance so nobody is stuck with a small, unusable amount. As of October 2026 Aeroplan is not creating new pools; existing ones still work.

One thing to check before applying for a card

Aeroplan card terms can withhold a welcome bonus if you already received one on an Aeroplan card in the same category from another bank. If you have had a TD Aeroplan card, read the fine print before applying for a CIBC or Amex one. More on this in how welcome bonuses work.