Aeroplan books far more than Air Canada. The whole Star Alliance network plus a handful of other partners are open to your points, and partner seats are often where the points stretch furthest. The hard part is finding the space. The price, once you find it, is usually fixed.
Your Aeroplan points work on Air Canada and on 40-plus airline partners. That includes the full Star Alliance group, the largest airline alliance in the world, plus several partners outside it.
The practical effect is that almost any city you can think of has more than one way to reach it on points. If one airline has no space, another partner on the same route often does.
Air Canada's own flights are priced dynamically. The points cost rises and falls with cash demand, so a busy route in a busy season can cost a lot of points. Partner flights are different. They are priced on a fixed, distance-based award chart, so the cost depends on the region and the distance flown, not on what the cash fare happens to be that day.
This is why a long-haul business class seat on a partner can cost dramatically fewer points than the same trip on Air Canada metal. Finding the seat is the effort. The price is set the moment you find it.
Most partner space can be searched and booked online. A minority of itineraries still need a phone call. Here is the order of operations.
On aircanada.com, switch the search to "Use points" before you search. Results then show the points price for each option, including partner flights, instead of cash fares.
Filter the results by airline and by cabin. Partner business and economy awards appear alongside Air Canada's. Compare the points cost between a partner seat and the Air Canada seat on the same route. The gap is often large.
Award space moves daily. Open your date window, check the day before and after, and look at nearby airports. Two seats together are harder to find than one, so flexible dates matter more the larger your party.
If a partner is not bookable online, or you want a complex routing the site will not build, call the Aeroplan Contact Centre. You earn nothing extra by phoning, and a service fee can apply when the trip could have been booked online. That fee is generally waived when the booking genuinely cannot be done on the site, and for higher status tiers.
Search on aircanada.com with "Use points" on, then filter to the partner you want. Most partner space shows and books online. For partners that are not online, or for complex routings, call the Aeroplan Contact Centre. Calling earns you nothing extra and can carry a service fee when the trip could have been booked online.
Air Canada flights are dynamically priced, so the points cost tracks cash demand. Partner flights use a fixed, distance-based chart, so a long-haul partner business seat can cost far fewer points. The challenge is finding the partner award space, not the price.
Usually. A business class ticket on a Star Alliance partner generally includes lounge access at departure and eligible connections, whatever points you used. Access follows the cabin and the operating airline, not the program. Confirm the specific lounge on the day.
It is route-specific and changes daily, so no one partner is always best. Check more than one partner on the same route, widen your dates, and look at nearby airports. The Star network reaches almost everywhere, so there is usually more than one option.
Come in for a free conversation. We can help you read partner award space, weigh routings, and work out whether the points price in front of you is a good one.