AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. Terms Apply to the offers listed on this page. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
In late 2022, Air Canada started letting us redeem Aeroplan points for Emirates flights. This was welcome news, considering Emirates' fantastic in-flight product, expansive route network, and the ease of getting Aeroplan points via transfer partners. Plus, this made Aeroplan one of only a few programs that you can still use to book Emirates first-class awards
Unfortunately, Air Canada implemented an award chart for Emirates redemptions based on distance bands, leaving travelers wondering if awards would actually be astronomically expensive.
We dove into the data to provide travelers with an idea of what Emirates awards actually cost. That way you'll know what to expect to pay the next time you redeem Aeroplan points for Emirates flights. Here's all you need to know.
Aeroplan Award Chart for Emirates Award Flights
Air Canada Aeroplan uses a separate award chart for redemptions on Emirates-operated award flights, grouped into five distance bands. Unlike Aeroplan's other award charts, Emirates awards are priced anywhere in a range of prices, varying by class of travel. You can find the award chart below.
As you can see, there's a vast range of prices for each distance band, and this makes it hard to understand what you should expect to pay when redeeming Aeroplan points on Emirates flights. Here's what the numbers suggest you can expect to pay between distance bands two through five, which accounts for flights between the United States and Emirates' many destinations.
Aeroplan pricing for Emirates awards from the U.S. to Europe
The second distance band applies to flight itineraries between 2,001 and 5,000 miles. Emirates-operated itineraries within this band include:
- Newark (EWR) to Athens (ATH)
- New York (JFK) to Milan (MXP)
The table below shows the lowest rate, average rate, and highest rate for flights within the second distance band.
| Class | Published Rate Range | Lowest Rate | Average Rate | Highest Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 21,000–65,000 points | 34,000 points | 34,193 points | 35,000 points |
| Business | 45,000–140,000 points | 78,500 points | 78,500 points | 78,500 points |
| First | 110,000–325,000 points | 177,000 points | 196,500 points | 200,000 points |
Flying from the U.S. to Europe in Emirates business class for as few as 45,000 Aeroplan points sounds like an incredible deal. Sadly, we couldn't find an award seat on one of these flights for anywhere near the minimum of the published range.
In each cabin, the actual lowest rates are substantially higher than the lower end of the Aeroplan chart. As you'll see below, that's a common theme for Aeroplan awards for Emirates flights.
Aeroplan award pricing for Emirates awards between 5,000 and 9,000 miles
The third distance band applies to flight itineraries between 5,001 and 9,000 miles. Emirates-operated itineraries within this band include:
- Miami (MIA) to Dubai (DXB)
- New York (JFK) to Malé (MLE) via DXB
- Houston (IAH) to Karachi (KHI) via DXB
- Boston (BOS) to Athens (ATH) via DXB
You can find the lowest, average, and highest rates for flights within the third distance band below.
| Class | Published Rate Range | Lowest Rate | Average Rate | Highest Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 40,000–85,000 points | 45,000 points | 56,917 points | 66,500 points |
| Business | 80,000–185,000 points | 100,500 points | 131,073 points | 141,500 points |
| First | 225,000–475,000 points | 263,000 points | 340,287 points | 366,000 points |
Aeroplan award pricing for long-haul Emirates awards
The fourth distance band applies to flight itineraries between 9,001 and 12,000 miles. Emirates-operated itineraries within this band include:
- San Francisco (SFO) to Munich (MUC) via Dubai (DXB)
- New York (JFK) to Taipei (TPE) via DXB
- Los Angeles (LAX) to Beijing (PEK) via DXB
- Seattle (SEA) to Hanoi (HAN) via DXB
You can find the lowest, average, and highest rates for flights within the fourth distance band below.
| Class | Published Rate Range | Lowest Rate | Average Rate | Highest Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 60,000–110,000 points | 69,500 points | 77,970 points | 93,500 points |
| Business | 120,000–225,000 points | 147,000 points | 165,472 points | 197,000 points |
| First | 300,000–600,000 points | 385,000 points | 443,340 points | 488,000 points |
Aeroplan award pricing for ultra-long-haul Emirates awards
The fifth distance band applies to flight itineraries greater than 12,001 miles. Emirates-operated itineraries within this band include:
- Los Angeles (LAX) to Bali (DPS) via Dubai (DXB)
- Houston (IAH) to Brisbane (BNE) via DXB
- Miami (MIA) to Tokyo (HND) via DXB
- Dallas (DFW) to Manila (MNL) via DXB
You can find the lowest, average, and highest rates for flights within the fifth distance band below.
| Class | Published Rate Range | Lowest Rate | Average Rate | Highest Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 85,000–150,000 points | 86,000 points | 93,822 points | 111,500 points |
| Business | 180,000–300,000 points | 183,000 points | 195,428 points | 230,500 points |
| First | 400,000–750,000 points | 487,000 points | 521,962 points | 666,000 points |
Themes, Trends, and Value
One key conclusion is that the actual lowest rate for any distance band consistently prices higher than the bottom end of the range specified by Aeroplan's chart for Emirates awards. Economy awards are within a couple of thousand points of the award chart's lowest amounts but never reach them. Ultimately, if you spend your time looking for an award priced at the chart's minimum — in any class — the data suggests you won't find it.
Business- and first-class awards typically see more variation in pricing than economy awards. Considering that Aeroplan award ranges vary by up to 350,000 points, this isn't a novel finding. However, it provides a helpful suggestion. Patience and date flexibility are essential if you're trying to redeem Aeroplan points for an Emirates flight. The prices fluctuate a lot.
Considering averages, expect to find flights roughly in the middle of the range for all classes. Economy flights feature average prices slightly closer to their Aeroplan-specified minimums, but not to a substantial degree.
Here's an updated award chart, showing average award prices only.
| Distance in Miles (Award Chart Band) | Economy | Business | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,001 - 5,000 (Band 2) | 34,193 points | 78,500 points | 196,500 points |
| 5,001 - 9,000 (Band 3) | 56,917 points | 131,073 points | 340,287 points |
| 9,001 - 12,000 (Band 4) | 77,970 points | 165,472 points | 443,340 points |
| 12,001+ (Band 5) | 93,822 points | 195,428 points | 521,962 points |
Where can I find the most value when redeeming Aeroplan points for Emirates flights?
Despite the wide price range for awards, there's still plenty of value when using Aeroplan points for Emirates-operated flights. Here are a few ideas.
If you value consistency, book flights in the second distance band. Emirates flights between the U.S. and Europe in business class are priced consistently at 78,500 Aeroplan points plus taxes and fees.
If you value a better deal, book economy flights in the third distance band. You can consistently find flights starting at 45,000 Aeroplan points plus taxes and fees, which is close to the minimum amount specified by the award chart.
If you value long-haul premium cabin awards, book business-class flights in the fifth distance band. On average, you can find Emirates flights for 195,428 Aeroplan points, close to the award chart minimum of 180,000 points. You won't find a better premium cabin deal on Emirates on a cost-per-mile basis than booking business class in the fifth band.
If I book early, will I find lower award prices?
Unfortunately, there isn't much evidence to support the concept of booking Emirates flights with Aeroplan points early to receive the best price. Comparing award prices and dates doesn't provide an observable trend. Prices fluctuate, but this is primarily due to the dynamic pricing model Air Canada has levied on Emirates routes.
Related: How Far in Advance Can You Book Airline Award Tickets?
For those who may not know, dynamic pricing means that airlines adjust award prices based on a ticket's demand and cash price, instead of defining how many miles it costs to fly from city A to city B. On days of higher demand or higher cash fares, you'll see a higher mileage requirement to book that ticket with miles should space exist.
Earning Aeroplan Points
Aeroplan points are relatively easy to earn, which is helpful if you want to take advantage of an award redemption on Emirates or any of Air Canada's other airline partners. Here are a few ways you can earn them:
- Fly on an Air Canada or Star Alliance-operated flight.
- Earn the sign-up bonus and make purchases on the Aeroplan® Credit Card.
- Take advantage of Aeroplan transfer partners like Chase, American Express, and Capital One.
- Transfer points from an Aeroplan hotel partner, such as Marriott Bonvoy.
Bottom Line
Air Canada Aeroplan lets members redeem points for Emirates-operated flights. This functionality is nice since Emirates offers a great product, but it can be somewhat challenging to find reasonably priced awards. To help manage expectations, we've looked into the numbers and shed some light on what you can expect to pay for Emirates flights when redeeming Aeroplan points.
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.