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Air Canada became one of five founding members of the Star Alliance in May 1997. Today, the alliance is the world’s largest airline network, connecting travelers to more than 1,000 airports in nearly 200 countries.
While Air Canada flies to destinations around the world, its participation in the Star Alliance significantly expands where Aeroplan members can redeem points. Beyond the alliance, Air Canada also partners with dozens of non-alliance airlines, further extending its reach.
Today, travelers can book award flights on every Star Alliance member airline, including Air Canada, plus many of Air Canada’s non-alliance partners — often without picking up the phone. While a handful of partners are limited to earning only, most are available for redemptions.
Below is a look at the airlines you can book with Aeroplan points, along with redemption strategies to help you unlock maximum value.
Page Contents
- Air Canada Partner Airlines
- Aeroplan's Hybrid Award Charts
- Book Air Canada Flights with Points
- Book Star Alliance Partners Using Aeroplan Points
- Aegean Airlines
- Air China
- Air India
- Air New Zealand
- ANA
- Asiana
- Austrian Airlines
- Avianca
- Brussels Airlines
- Copa Airlines
- Croatia Airlines
- EgyptAir
- Ethiopian Airlines
- EVA Air
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Shenzhen Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- South African Airways
- Swiss International Air Lines
- TAP Air Portugal
- Thai Airways
- Turkish Airlines
- United Airlines
- Book Non-alliance Aeroplan Partner Airlines Using Points
- Building Your Aeroplan Balance
- Final Thoughts
Air Canada Partner Airlines
While Aeroplan has an extensive network of Star Alliance and non-alliance partners, not all of its partner airlines are available for award redemptions.
Including Air Canada itself, Aeroplan members can redeem points across dozens of partner airlines worldwide. Here's a look at which airlines you can book with Aeroplan points.
Star Alliance
| Airline | Bookable Online? |
|---|---|
| Aegean Airlines | Yes |
| Air China | Yes, but calling recommended. |
| Air India | Yes |
| Air New Zealand | Yes |
| ANA | Yes |
| Asiana Airlines | Yes |
| Austrian Airlines | Yes |
| Avianca | Yes |
| Brussels Airlines | Yes |
| Copa Airlines | Yes |
| Croatia Airlines | Yes |
| EgyptAir | Yes |
| Ethiopian Airlines | Yes, but calling recommended. |
| EVA Air | Yes |
| LOT Polish Airlines | Yes |
| Lufthansa | Yes |
| Shenzhen Airlines | Yes |
| Singapore Airlines | Yes |
| South African Airways | Yes |
| SWISS | Yes |
| TAP Air Portugal | Yes |
| THAI | Yes |
| Turkish Airlines | Yes |
| United Airlines | Yes |
Non-alliance
| Airline | Bookable Online? |
|---|---|
| Air Creebec | No - Call Aeroplan to book. |
| Air Dolomiti | Yes |
| Air Mauritius | Yes |
| Air Serbia | Yes |
| Air Baltic | Yes |
| Azul Brazilian Airlines | Yes |
| Bamboo Airways | Yes, but calling recommended. |
| Bearskin Airlines | Yes |
| Calm Air | No - Call Aeroplan to book. |
| Canadian North | Yes |
| Cathay Pacific | Yes |
| Discover Airlines | Yes |
| Edelweiss Air | Yes |
| Emirates | Yes |
| Etihad Airways | Yes |
| Eurowings | Yes |
| FlyDubai | Yes |
| GOL | Yes |
| Gulf Air | Yes |
| Juneyao Airlines | No - Call Aeroplan to book. |
| Olympic Air | Yes |
| Oman Air | Yes |
| PAL Airlines | Yes |
| SunExpress | Yes |
| Virgin Australia | Yes |
The remaining eight airline partners are eligible for earning Aeroplan points but not for redeeming points:
- Aer Lingus
- Air Inuit
- Central Mountain Air
- Edelweiss Air
- Harbour Air
- Helijet
- Middle East Airlines
- SriLankan Airlines
Air Inuit and Harbour Air are both new Aeroplan partners. At this time, you can only earn Aeroplan points on Air Inuit or Harbour Air flights. However, redemptions are scheduled to be available in 2026, so keep your eye out.
But a caveat: You'll only earn points on select flights with a 4-digit Air Canada flight number on these five carriers. You'll also only earn toward Aeroplan elite status if you travel with a Star Alliance partner. Unfortunately, non-alliance partners don't count toward your earnings.
Related: The Complete Guide to the Air Canada Aeroplan Program
Aeroplan's Hybrid Award Charts
Aeroplan uses a hybrid zone-and-distance award chart to price flights. Instead of charging a flat rate between broad regions, pricing is based on both the geographic zones involved and the total distance flown.
The loyalty program includes 10 — yes, 10 — award charts (caution: PDF link) to help travelers navigate mileage costs between four regions (shown below).
The award charts have different pricing based on the partner. Air Canada and select partners, including United Airlines, Emirates, flydubai, Etihad Airways, Canadian North, Calm Air, Bearskin Airlines, and Provincial Airlines Ltd (PAL), are dynamically priced. For these airlines, the award charts display a “starting at” price and a median range, meaning the number of points required can fluctuate based on demand and availability.
All other partners still use the fixed award chart, so as long as you know your flight's distance, you'll know exactly how many points are required for a redemption — as long as award space is available.
Here's the award chart for flights within North America:
Between North America and the Atlantic:
Between North America and the Pacific:
Between North America and South America:
Within the Atlantic:
Within the Pacific:
Between the Atlantic and Pacific:
Within South America:
Between the Atlantic and South America:
Between the Pacific and South America:
Book Air Canada Flights with Points
Air Canada makes every seat on its flights available for Aeroplan redemptions. In practice, that means more opportunities to use your points — but with a tradeoff: pricing is fully dynamic.
The good news? Short-haul Air Canada awards start as low as 6,000 miles each way. That's one of the lowest standard award costs offered by any frequent flyer program around!
The bad news? Award costs can vary wildly depending on the distance flown and class of cabin.
Air Canada won't always be the most cost-effective option when booking with Aeroplan points. In most instances, partner awards require fewer Aeroplan points. As a best practice, compare pricing across available carriers before booking — unless you strongly desire to fly Air Canada and try out its in-flight product.
Related: Secret Sweet Spots of Aeroplan Awards
Book Star Alliance Partners Using Aeroplan Points
Aegean Airlines
The largest airline in Greece, Aegean Airlines primarily operates within Europe, with additional service to North Africa and the Middle East. Still, awards operated entirely by Aegean fall within Aeroplan’s Atlantic zone, so travelers only need to reference that region’s award chart when pricing a redemption. Aegean Airlines is a great option for travelers looking to explore Greece and for those starting or connecting within Europe.
On shorter routes, such as Athens (ATH) to Cairo, Egypt (CAI), awards can cost as few as 7,500 points each way in economy. Longer routes, like Athens to Marrakesh, Morocco (RAK), typically price at 12,500 points each way.
Air China
Based in Beijing, Air China operates an extensive domestic and international network as one of two Star Alliance carriers headquartered in the country. The airline offers flights to dozens of domestic and international destinations, including a few in the United States (such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York-JFK, and Washington, D.C.) and two more in Canada (Vancouver and Toronto).
However, availability can be hard to come by — especially in business-class cabins. It's become incredibly challenging to find nonstop Air China-operated flights through Aeroplan, or through other Star Alliance partners like United. If you find seats available on Air China, you can try calling Air Canada to book the flight, but there's no guarantee.
Air India
Headquartered in New Delhi, India's national carrier serves countless domestic and international destinations, including three U.S. and two Canadian airports. Travelers flying between North America and India have multiple Star Alliance options when redeeming Aeroplan points.
Because other Star Alliance carriers operate many of the same routes — including Air Canada — Air India is not always the most efficient option for redeeming points. As always, cost comparison is key.
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand gives Aeroplan members access to destinations across the South Pacific, including the Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, and Niue. Many of these routes come with a fun twist: passengers cross the International Date Line. For example, the flight from Auckland to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands takes just under four hours, yet travelers land more than 19 hours “earlier” than their departure time.
Air New Zealand also flies to five U.S. cities and one Canadian city, a quality number of gateway options to get to the South Pacific.
ANA
All Nippon Airways (ANA) operates an extensive domestic network within Japan and international flights to Europe, North America, Hawaii, and Guam. ANA made waves with its premium cabin refresh a few years ago, and using Aeroplan points could be a great way to fly these products without hefty fuel surcharges. However, availability is limited, especially for premium cabins. While you can book ANA flights through Aeroplan (and technically, United), you can also book the same flights with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for fewer miles but higher fees.
Asiana
Asiana Airlines, South Korea’s second-largest airline, connects passengers to several cities in South Korea and to countless international destinations across Asia, Europe, and the rest of the world. The list of destinations includes a handful of cities in the U.S., like Honolulu (HNL), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Seattle (SEA), Las Vegas (LAS), and San Francisco (SFO).
Asiana can also offer solid value on regional routes within Asia, particularly when cash fares on full-service airlines are high and low-cost carriers aren't appealing. For example, the roughly four-hour flight from Seoul to Manila can price at 12,500 Aeroplan points each way in economy, while cash fares often hover around $175.
Austrian Airlines
Austrian Airlines connects passengers throughout Europe and much of the rest of the world. The Vienna-based carrier serves five U.S. airports (Boston-BOS, Chicago-ORD, Newark-EWR, New York–JFK, and Washington, D.C.-IAD) year-round and a fifth (Los Angeles-LAX) seasonally. The airline also serves Montreal (YUL) in Canada.
Because even its shortest transatlantic routes exceed the 4,000-mile threshold under Aeroplan’s distance bands, awards between Vienna and North America typically price in a higher mileage range.
Avianca
Avianca, one of two Latin American Star Alliance carriers, serves destinations throughout the Americas and Europe. Operating hubs in Bogotá and San Salvador and secondary hubs in Quito and San Jose, Avianca (and its subsidiaries) connects travelers to numerous cities within Latin America.
Pricing varies by distance and route, but flights from the U.S. West Coast to parts of Central America can start around 12,500 Aeroplan points each way in economy, or 25,000 points in business class.
Brussels Airlines
Based out of its hub in — you guessed it — Brussels, the Belgian Star Alliance member offers flights throughout Europe, as well as to select destinations in Africa and even two destinations (New York-JFK and Washington, D.C.-IAD) in the United States. Brussels Airlines' transatlantic routes clock in under 4,000 miles, requiring fewer Aeroplan points for these award redemptions than many other direct transatlantic flights on European Star Alliance carriers.
Apart from the farthest-flung African destinations — think countries such as Kenya and Tanzania — all other Brussels Airlines destinations are within 4,000 miles of the carrier's hub. Europe and Africa fall into the same Aeroplan award region, so most awards should be limited to 25,000 points each way in economy and 45,000 points each way in business.
Copa Airlines
Copa Airlines is Panama's flag carrier and operates a primary hub at Panama City (PTY). The airline serves North, Central, and South America, as well as the Caribbean. All the usual suspects are included among U.S. destinations, along with less common ones such as Denver, Raleigh, Baltimore, and more.
Copa’s extensive route network makes it a strong option for travel within the Americas. Award pricing is often reasonable on routes between Panama City and North American cities, particularly given the distance-based structure of Aeroplan’s chart.
Croatia Airlines
Croatia Airlines is the country’s flag carrier, with hubs in Zagreb (ZAG) and Split (SPU). Compared with many other Star Alliance members, its route network is relatively small and includes a number of seasonal flights.
Most routes are under 1,000 miles, placing them in Aeroplan’s lowest distance band. Economy awards can start at 7,500 points each way. As always with short intra-European flights, compare the award price to cash fares, as paid tickets are often inexpensive.
EgyptAir
Egypt’s state-owned flag carrier, EgyptAir, operates flights from its hub in Cairo to destinations across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. The airline offers nonstop service between Cairo and cities such as New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Toronto (YYZ), and Washington, D.C. (IAD).
Because these routes fall under the 6,000-mile threshold in Aeroplan’s Atlantic zone, economy awards typically price around 40,000 points each way, while business-class awards are often about 70,000 points.
Ethiopian Airlines
Headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Airlines is the country's flag carrier. Among Star Alliance airlines, Ethiopian serves more African destinations than any other carrier. Looking to travel to some off-the-beaten-path spots within the continent? A trip booked through Aeroplan likely includes one or two legs on Ethiopian Airlines. From Cameroon to Comoros and Mali to Mozambique, Ethiopian Airlines can take you there.
The airline serves several cities outside of Africa, too. Ethiopian Airlines flies to five airports in the U.S. (ORD, ATL, EWR, JFK, and IAD), plus Toronto-YYZ in Canada, and to multiple destinations in Asia, Europe, and even two cities in South America. One of the longer direct Ethiopian Airlines flights is the route to Atlanta — an astounding 7,690 miles.
Unfortunately, Ethiopian is one of the airlines that's hard to find availability through Aeroplan. Even when confirming availability through partner airlines like United MileagePlus, it can be challenging to find Aeroplan availability online. This might be a situation where you need to call Air Canada to book your award.
EVA Air
EVA Air is based in Taipei, Taiwan, and serves destinations throughout Asia and Oceania, along with select cities in Europe and North America. Several of its North American routes — including flights to Houston, Dallas, New York, and Toronto — exceed 7,500 miles in distance. That pushes those awards into a higher Aeroplan distance band.
If your schedule allows, positioning to Chicago or a West Coast gateway can reduce the total distance flown and lower the number of points required.
Keeping the itinerary under 7,500 miles can mean saving 10,000 points per person each way in both economy and business class. Those savings may seem modest on a single ticket, but they add up quickly on a round-trip booking.
LOT Polish Airlines
LOT Polish Airlines operates out of a hub in Warsaw, Poland (WAW). The airline primarily serves European destinations, although several Asian and North American cities also receive service from LOT.
LOT Polish Airlines award space is fairly prevalent, especially for business-class awards.
Lufthansa
Lufthansa offers a global route network, serving countless destinations across five continents. The Germany-based airline serves nearly 20 U.S. cities, three Canadian cities, Mexico's capital, and even Costa Rica. That's a lot of North American destinations.
One major gripe travelers have with Lufthansa is the sky-high taxes and fees often levied on award tickets. These surcharges can exceed $500 per ticket each way. Thankfully, Aeroplan doesn't levy carrier surcharges, which means redemptions on Lufthansa won't cost an arm and a leg on top of any points costs.
Your redemption costs will vary depending on where you originate in North America. Routes from certain East Coast cities, such as Boston, to Frankfurt come under the 4,000-mile threshold that bumps award costs into the next tier. Notice the much more reasonable, though still a bit high, taxes and fees.
Routes between Frankfurt and the West Coast (and even Washington, D.C. (IAD)) certainly exceed 4,000 miles, meaning one-way economy flights require 40,000 points (instead of 35,000), and one-way business-class flights require 70,000 points (instead of 60,000).
Related: How To Book Lufthansa First Class Using Miles
Shenzhen Airlines
Shenzhen Airlines operates from its hub in Shenzhen, China. The majority of its network is domestic, with limited service to nearby Asian destinations. Its only long-haul routes are to London (LHR) and Barcelona (BCN) from Shenzhen (SZX).
Short-haul domestic flights can be a reasonable redemption for just a few thousand Aeroplan points, and availability on these routes is typically easier to find. Long-haul award space is more limited, though seats do occasionally open — particularly when booked well in advance.
Singapore Airlines
Based at Changi Airport, Singapore Airlines often ranks among the world's top airlines in annual rankings by Skytrax and others. The airline offers a luxurious way to get to a multitude of destinations across the globe. Its base in Singapore and its fleet of long-range aircraft mean Singapore Airlines is well-positioned to serve the rest of Asia and Oceania, plus destinations in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. Unfortunately, Singapore Airlines routinely blocks other airlines, including Aeroplan, from seeing premium award space in Singapore Suites — the airline's first-class product.
However, if you want to book a seat on one of the longest flights in the world, you can. That's right — the flight from New York (JFK) to Singapore (SIN) spans 9,526 miles and takes close to 19 hours. Or, the flight from New York to Singapore with a quick refueling stop in Frankfurt takes a mind-boggling 21 hours and 35 minutes. However, you can book it for just 60,000 Aeroplan points.
South African Airways
South African Airways operates a streamlined network, with most service concentrated within the African continent. While its long-haul footprint is smaller than in the past, the airline continues to connect select international destinations from its hub in Johannesburg.
For travelers planning to explore multiple cities within Africa — perhaps on the way to or from a safari — SAA can be a useful option. From Johannesburg, the carrier serves destinations such as Accra, Lagos, and Mauritius, along with several other regional routes.
Swiss International Air Lines
Swiss International Air Lines, commonly called SWISS, connects travelers between Switzerland and the rest of Europe, North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The airline operates a primary hub in Zurich, with a focus city in Geneva. Flights between Zurich and several East Coast North American cities span just under 4,000 miles, meaning redemptions require fewer points than other transatlantic routes. Boston, Montreal, New York City, and Newark are all options that qualify for the lower award prices.
Other North American destinations for SWISS include Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco. If your schedule allows, positioning to one of the lower-priced transatlantic gateways can reduce the number of points required. Depending on the route, that could mean saving 5,000 to 10,000 points each way — savings that add up quickly on a round-trip booking.
TAP Air Portugal
TAP Air Portugal is Portugal’s Star Alliance carrier, with operations centered around its Lisbon hub. In addition to serving numerous destinations across Europe, TAP flies to cities in Africa, North America, and South America.
TAP also serves a handful of unique destinations, including the Azores — an autonomous region of Portugal made up of nine volcanic islands several hundred miles west of the mainland. Travelers can connect to Ponta Delgada (PDL), the main gateway to the Azores, via Lisbon.
Finding transatlantic TAP award space through Aeroplan has become more challenging in recent years. However, availability within Europe — including flights to the Azores — is often much easier to secure.
Thai Airways
Operating out of Bangkok, Thai Airways, commonly known as THAI, offers a network of routes across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the South Pacific. At one time, THAI served U.S. cities via Seoul, but these routes ceased operations in 2015, and the airline no longer serves the Americas or Africa. However, THAI offers excellent connectivity between Bangkok and destinations across Asia, Oceania, and Europe.
THAI's network includes some less-traveled destinations in Southeast Asia, many of which are reachable for 8,000 or 12,500 points per person, one-way, in economy. However, some of these destinations are also served by low-cost carriers, which can reduce the value of using Aeroplan points. It's best practice to weigh all carrier options before redeeming points. You can also hop on a nine-hour flight to Sydney for just 45,000 points in business class.
Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines has been the national flag carrier of Turkey for nearly a century — connecting virtually all corners of the earth from its Istanbul hub. The airline serves over 10 U.S. cities, three Canadian cities, and two Mexican cities. Because Istanbul is so far east in Europe, and cities such as Los Angeles are so far west in North America, some of these transatlantic routes require more Aeroplan points than most other options between North America and Europe.
United Airlines
As another founding member of the Star Alliance, United serves countless domestic U.S. airports and destinations worldwide. The United Airlines award search engine sets the gold standard for Star Alliance award searches, due to its ease of use, responsiveness, and advantageous monthly calendar view.
Most award space that shows up on United's website should match the award space that shows up on Aeroplan's website, but that's not always the case. United sometimes shows seats that Aeroplan doesn't show online, so you may need to make a phone call to book specific awards.
With United miles, partner flights are often cheaper than United's own flights on the same route. Aeroplan's chart tends to apply the same in reverse. As a general rule for transatlantic flights (and all other flights, too), for shorter flights between award zones, choose Aeroplan; for longer flights between zones, opt for United or another Star Alliance partner program.
Related: 600-plus United Award Routes That You Can Book for Just 6,000 Aeroplan Points
Book Non-alliance Aeroplan Partner Airlines Using Points
Air Creebec
Air Creebec serves more than a dozen destinations across Ontario and Québec, including Montreal (YUL). Most of its other destinations are in northern communities, some located far from major metropolitan centers.
You can't book Air Creebec online, so you'll have to call. For travelers exploring remote parts of these provinces, however, the airline provides a unique redemption option within Aeroplan’s network.
Air Dolomiti
Aeroplan added this European regional carrier to its list of partner airlines in 2021, and you can redeem your points for flights as far west as Jersey (JER) or as far east as Krakow (KRK). Air Dolomiti primarily serves Germany and Italy from its hub in Frankfurt (FRA), plus flights to Luxembourg, England, Poland, Austria, and Switzerland.
As all flights are within Europe and less than 1,000 miles, you'll pay 7,500 points each way in economy and 15,000 in business.
Air Mauritius
The flag carrier of the island nation Mauritius operates short hops from its base at MRU, including Rodrigues Island (RRG), Réunion (RUN), and Antananarivo, Madagascar (TNR), as well as Johannesburg (JNB) and Cape Town (CPT) in South Africa. Short flights under 1,000 miles will cost 7,500 Aeroplan points, while you'll pay 12,500 to JNB and 25,000 points to CPT.
The airline also runs several interesting long-haul routes, serving Mumbai (BOM), Chennai (MAA), New Delhi (DEL), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Perth (PER), Geneva (GVA), Paris (CDG), and London (LGW). Flights to India are within the Atlantic zone and under 4,000 miles, so you'll pay just 25,000 points in economy or 45,000 in business.
KUL and PER are in the Pacific zone, so you'll pay 40,000 points in economy or 60,000 in business. Going to Europe will cost 35,000 points in economy or 65,000 in business to GVA and CDG. London is just over the 6,000-mile threshold, so you'll pay 50,000 in economy and 80,000 in business each way.
Air Serbia
This flag carrier of Serbia, based in Belgrade, flies to a plethora of destinations in Europe and the Middle East, as well as long-haul flights to China, Toronto, Chicago, and New York. For shorter intra-European flights, award costs start at just 7,500 Aeroplan points, which can be booked online. The best use of points here will be cash-high-points-low bookings.
AirBaltic
Although airBaltic was founded in 1995, it operates one of Europe's youngest fleets with over 50 Airbus A220-300 aircraft. As Latvia's flag carrier, it offers flights from its main hub in Riga, Latvia, and from its secondary hub in Tallinn, Estonia. About half of its flights fall within the 1,000-mile band, while the other half fall within the 1,000-2,000-mile band. However, a handful fall within the 2,000- to 4,000-mile range, including Marrakesh, Dubai, and Tenerife. airBaltic is another new Aeroplan partner, but it is proving to be a useful one.
Azul Brazilian Airlines
Azul Brazilian Airlines (Azul) is a Brazilian-based carrier primarily serving domestic and South American cities. Select destinations outside of South America include Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Orlando (MCO), Lisbon (LIS), Porto (OPO), Madrid (MAD), and Paris-Orly (ORY).
Many intra-Brazil flights, like intra-Europe flights discussed with other airlines, are available for purchase at reasonable cash rates, so it's worth comparing before redeeming. You could spend 10,000 Aeroplan points to go from São Paulo to Salvador, which made our list of the best places to travel in 2026.
Bamboo Airways
Based in Vietnam and partnering with Aeroplan since late 2022, Bamboo Airways flies to a handful of airports in Vietnam. At one time, the carrier flew farther south and into Europe, but downsizing consolidated an otherwise intriguing route map. You'll pay just 8,000 points for short flights within Vietnam, which sounds cheap but might not be the best use of your points. Consider how many ultra-low-cost airlines operate in the region. Plus, availability is scarce, if you can find any at all.
Bearskin Airlines
Bearskin Airlines is another carrier in the long list of Aeroplan partners. But just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Bearskin is listed as a “select partner,” which means dynamic pricing is in full swing. The one-hour flight between Sioux Lookout and Thunder Bay costs around a whopping 15,000 Aeroplan points each way. That's a few thousand points more than the five-and-a-half-hour flight between San Francisco and San Salvador on Avianca.
However, you likely won't see Bearskin Airlines in your search results unless you live in or frequently travel throughout central Canada, as the carrier only operates a handful of routes.
Calm Air
Calm Air operates flights primarily within Manitoba (including Winnipeg (YWG)) and Nunavut. Because these routes fall within Aeroplan’s North America zone and remain under 1,500 miles, awards in economy often start around 6,000 points each way for flights under 500 miles, and around 10,000 points for flights between 501 and 1,500 miles.
However, Calm Air is listed as a “select partner,” which means dynamic pricing applies for these flights. These awards (and many of the airports served) aren't bookable online. You'll need to call Aeroplan.
Canadian North
Canadian North serves several locations in western Canada, primarily in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, but also gateway cities in southern Canada. Some routes are covered by Air Canada as well, but additional flight options offer more opportunities to redeem Aeroplan points on more partner airlines. Canadian North offers an extensive network of routes across Canada. It's also one of the airlines that charges dynamic pricing for awards.
Aeroplan's award search engine won't always recognize all the smaller cities Canadian North serves, but more recognizable city pairings are generally bookable online. If you don't see the airport you are trying to book a flight to or from, give Aeroplan a call.
Cathay Pacific
Although Cathay Pacific belongs to the Oneworld airline alliance, Aeroplan members can redeem their points on a small selection of the Hong Kong-based carrier's flights. Cathay Pacific flights between Hong Kong and Bangkok (BKK), Hanoi (HAN), Manila (MNL), Cebu (CEB), and a few other nearby places are bookable with Aeroplan points.
Cathay Pacific often operates short regional flights on wide-body planes, allowing travelers to fly in a premium cabin and experience premium seats and products at a fraction of the cost of long-haul awards. If you're flying through the region, this is a fantastic way to travel. This is also one of the rare situations in which business class availability might be easier to find than economy.
Discover Airlines
Not to be confused with Eurowings or, previously, Eurowings Discover, Discover Airlines is technically a brand-new airline owned by the Lufthansa Group. The Frankfurt-based carrier flies to a handful of leisure destinations worldwide with an all-Airbus A330 and A320 fleet. However, starting in mid-2027, A350s will help service Discover's long-haul destinations.
Award availability is generally prevalent, making it easy for Aeroplan members to secure a seat to one of Discover Airlines' 60-plus destinations. However, taxes and fees are notably higher than with other partners.
Edelweiss Air
Like Discover Airlines, Edelweiss Air is another leisure-focused airline with a recognizable parent airline: SWISS. With Edelweiss, you can connect to 100-plus holiday destinations worldwide through the carrier's hub in Zurich (ZRH). However, SWISS and Edelweiss are two very different airlines. Don't get confused by the SWISS logo Aeroplan shows on the booking results, as the in-flight products aren't the same.
Emirates
Emirates is the first of two non-alliance airlines from the Middle East that you can book with Aeroplan points. The airline is famous for its ultraluxury service and can shuttle you from more than a dozen airports in North America through its Dubai (DXB) hub to numerous destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and even a few cities in South America.
Unfortunately, you can't book a first-class ticket unless you're willing to redeem a lot of points and significantly overpay. And if you don’t have elite status in Emirates Skywards, you won’t be able to book first-class awards directly through Emirates at all.
Because Aeroplan prices Emirates awards dynamically, premium-cabin redemptions can require a substantial number of points. Business-class bookings between Dubai and North America can climb well into the hundreds of thousands of points each way, and first-class seats, when available, can be even more expensive.
Related: Here's How Much You'll Pay When Redeeming Aeroplan Points for Emirates Flights
Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways, based out of Abu Dhabi (AUH), allows Aeroplan members to connect to many destinations worldwide with a single connection on a single airline. The Middle Eastern carrier serves six U.S. cities (Chicago, New York City, Boston, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C.), plus Toronto, so travelers originating or ending in North America have a few options.
But a caveat: While Etihad awards in economy bookable with Aeroplan points are a dime a dozen, premium cabin awards are not. Don't expect to book premium Etihad awards with Aeroplan points; the award space just isn't there.
Related: Etihad Still Restricting Awards With Partner Airlines
Eurowings
Eurowings is a budget airline based in Dusseldorf, Germany. Owned by the Lufthansa Group, Eurowings flies to 150-plus destinations across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. As is true with the other budget carriers on this list, be sure to compare the cash price to the points price. Generally, Eurowings flights are inexpensive, making your points more valuable elsewhere.
Flydubai
On the surface, flydubai looks a lot like the famed Emirates airline. Despite working closely with one another and sharing the Skywards frequent flyer program, the carriers remain separate entities. With an all-Boeing 737 fleet, flydubai flies to 130-plus destinations across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and more. While award space is prevalent, flydubai awards are pricey — a result of sharing the same dynamically priced award chart with Emirates.
GOL
Aeroplan members exploring Brazil can enjoy the convenience of a second non-alliance partner. GOL operates from several airports in Brazil, serving many domestic destinations and most of South America, as well as flights to Orlando (MCO), Miami (MIA), Punta Cana (PUJ), and Cancun (CUN).
For many of GOL's routes, you'll want to compare the cost of using Aeroplan points with the cash cost for these partner airlines. Routinely, the cash fares are compelling enough to save your Aeroplan points for another, more valuable redemption.
Gulf Air
Here's another Middle Eastern partner airline on the list for using your Aeroplan points: Bahrain-based Gulf Air. The airline flies as far as Manila (MNL) in the East or New York City (JFK) in the West, but it provides concentrated services across the eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent.
Gulf Air doesn't have first class, unlike many other Middle Eastern Airlines. However, it does have a remarkable business-class product. Even better, these cabins are accessible for a reasonable number of points.
Juneyao Airlines
Juneyao Airlines, a Star Alliance Connecting Partner, transports passengers from its primary bases in Shanghai to destinations throughout Asia, as well as select cities in Europe and Australia. Finding award availability, however, can be challenging — even when using search engines from other Star Alliance partners.
Olympic Air
Olympic Air, a subsidiary of Aegean Airlines, is a regional airline transporting passengers entirely within Greece. Aeroplan members can bounce around Greek islands on Olympic Air's fleet of prop planes, which can be a cool experience — especially considering the location. You'll pay 7,500 points in economy or 15,000 points in business class, even on Olympic Air's longest flight.
However, given the time and distance, you're likely better off paying cash for Olympic Air flights. On average, prices run $50–$135 per way, depending on the season. Considering the high taxes and fees, you'd get a poor valuation from your points.
Oman Air
Oman Air is in the process of joining the Oneworld alliance. That said, it's not leaving the list of airlines on which you can use your Aeroplan points. You can fly to and from its hub in Muscat (MCT) in economy, business, or first class. Oman Air serves numerous locations in the Middle East, Europe, India, and Southeast Asia. It even flies to Zanzibar (ZNZ) and Dar es Salaam (DAR) in Tanzania. Finding award space can be a challenge, but it's worth digging for space to try out this boutique airline.
PAL Airlines
Formerly known as Provincial Airlines, PAL serves eastern Canada, operating in Quebec, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Awards to PAL's larger airports are bookable online. However, you'll have to call for award tickets to smaller airports because Aeroplan's website doesn't recognize some of them. PAL is listed as a “select partner,” so pricing is dynamic. A short one-hour hop from Montréal to Quebec City might cost 15,000 Aeroplan points each way.
SunExpress
SunExpress is a joint venture between two other Aeroplan partner airlines (Lufthansa and Turkish), allowing you to use points to fly throughout the Middle East and Europe. All flights route through Turkey, but SunExpress interestingly doesn't serve either of Istanbul's two airports. SunExpress became an Aeroplan partner in 2022, and finding these awards online isn't very reliable. That said, it's still possible.
All SunExpress flights fall within the Atlantic zone, so reference the distance chart to determine how many points you’ll need. A flight from Antalya (AYT) to Zurich (ZRH) lasts nearly four hours and costs 12,500 points in economy.
Virgin Australia
Among the partner airlines you can book with Aeroplan points, few had such a drastic shift to their route offerings in the past few years as Virgin Australia. At present, the airline has reduced its network to domestic flights within Australia and a handful of international routes to New Zealand, Doha, Fiji, Bali, Samoa, and Vanuatu.
On most of the carrier's routes, award availability is generally good in all classes. Next time you're in the region, flying Virgin Australia might be a cost-effective way to get around. But as always, you'll want to compare the mileage costs with the going cash rates.
Building Your Aeroplan Balance
Aeroplan offers several co-branded credit cards in Canada and one in the U.S.
Canadians can earn Aeroplan points with the following credit cards:
- TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite
- TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege Card
- TD® Aeroplan® Visa Platinum
- TD® Aeroplan® Visa Business
Those in the U.S. can apply for the Aeroplan® Credit Card (Rates & Fees) from Chase. For a deeper look at this card, check out our full Aeroplan Card review.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- $95 Annual Fee
- Redeem points for both international and domestic flights with the Aeroplan® Credit Card.
- Fly to another continent and travel the world with the Aeroplan® Credit Card.
- Earn 3X points for each dollar spent at grocery stores, on dining at restaurants, and Air Canada directly. Earn 1X point for each dollar spent on all other purchases.
- 500 bonus points for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month - up to 1,500 points per month.
- Member FDIC
- 3x points directly with Air Canada
- 3x points on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 3x points at grocery stores
- 1x point on all other purchases
It's also possible to top up your Aeroplan balance with transfers from the following points programs:
Related: Do Air Canada Aeroplan Points Expire?
Final Thoughts
We'll admit it: That's a lot of reading. But in a few words, Aeroplan gives you access to dozens of partner airlines worldwide. So, no matter where you want to go, Aeroplan points and Air Canada's deep partner network can get you there. Even better, many of these partners are bookable online, though some require a phone call. In the U.S., dial 888-247-2262. Phone agents are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
When booking, remember two details: the value you place on Aeroplan points and alternative ways to pay for your ticket. On average, AwardWallet users redeem Aeroplan points for 1.87¢ apiece. That can be a good rule of thumb for determining whether a redemption is worth it.
Depending on the airfare cost and routing, other frequent flyer programs might offer a better redemption. Or, for inexpensive tickets, there might be more value to paying in cash and saving your points for later use.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Aeroplan® Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
