🐑 Direct to Auckland 🐨 Sydney stopover on the way 💺 lie-flat in Business Class. Let your points take you further with Aeroplan.
Cheap and cheerful or flying in style, we have great options.
🌋 Volcanoes, fjords, black sand beaches🍷 Marlborough Sauvignon straight from the source 🐑 More sheep than people. Auckland is your starting point to this playground down under.
No fuel surcharges on Air New Zealand via Aeroplan. Taxes and fees are the only cash cost.
Privilege cardholders who spend $25,000/year on the card earn an Annual Worldwide Companion Pass. This is a separate redemption mechanism — nothing to do with Aeroplan points. When it applies to a New Zealand trip, it changes the math entirely.
Important constraint: the companion pass applies to Air Canada cash economy bookings only. It cannot be combined with Aeroplan point redemptions. It's a parallel path — not a stack on top of points.
🦘 Sydney first, then Auckland. A 45-day stopover built into the same ticket. Two countries, two coastlines, one booking.
No fuel surcharges on Air New Zealand via Aeroplan. Taxes and fees are the only cash cost.
🌙 Twelve hours overnight in lie-flat pods✈️ Air New Zealand business class, direct to Auckland. Arrive rested, not wrecked.
Economy is more consistently available year-round.
The Privilege costs $460 more per year than the Infinite. Whether that gap closes depends on which perks you'd realistically use, and how much you spend.
| Category | Rate | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Groceries & gas ($1,200/mo) | 1.5× | 21,600 |
| Everything else ($1,300/mo) | 1.0× | 15,600 |
| Annual earn | 37,200 pts | |
| Category | Rate | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Groceries, gas & travel ($1,200/mo) | 1.5× | 21,600 |
| Everything else ($1,300/mo) | 1.25× | 19,500 |
| Annual earn | 41,100 pts | |
Based on $2,500/mo. Privilege earns ~3,900 more points/year. The welcome bonus gap (40,000 pts extra = ~$600 in NZ flight value) is the bigger accelerator in year one.
Points have a floor value and a ceiling. New Zealand sits near the ceiling, especially in business class. Here's what the same points actually buy depending on how you use them.
The business class redemption is where Aeroplan earns its reputation. 340,000 points buys two lie-flat seats that would cost $12,000–$16,000 in cash. That's over 4¢ per point in real flight value. Economy is still excellent value. Gift cards are always the wrong choice.
Two Aeroplan cards sit on opposite ends of the value spectrum. Here's how they compare across every dimension that matters for a NZ trip.
| Feature | Aeroplan Visa Infinite | Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege |
|---|---|---|
| Fees & Eligibility | ||
| Annual fee | $139/yr | $599/yr |
| Income requirement | $60k personal | $150k personal / $200k household |
| Earn Rates | ||
| Air Canada purchases | 1.5 pts/$1 | 2.0 pts/$1 |
| Groceries & gas | 1.5 pts/$1 | 1.5 pts/$1 |
| Travel & dining | 1.0 pts/$1 | 1.5 pts/$1 |
| Everything else | 1.0 pts/$1 | 1.25 pts/$1 |
| Welcome Bonus | ||
| Welcome bonus | Up to 45,000 pts | Up to 85,000 pts |
| Bonus value at 1.5¢/pt | ~$675 | ~$1,275 |
| Airport & Travel Perks | ||
| Maple Leaf Lounge access | No | ✓ Unlimited + 1 guest |
| Airport lounge passes | No | 6 DragonPass visits/yr |
| Priority services | No | ✓ Boarding, baggage, standby |
| Annual companion pass | No | ✓ From $599 to NZ (requires $25k spend) |
| Free first checked bag | ✓ Up to 8 companions | ✓ Up to 8 companions |
| Insurance | ||
| Travel medical (65+) | 4 days (top-up available) | 4 days (top-up available) |
| Trip cancellation / delay | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| NEXUS rebate | Up to $100 / 48 months | Up to $100 / 48 months |
Verify current offers with the card issuer. Card benefits and welcome bonus amounts change.