Aeroplan® is our favourite frequent flyer program in Canada because it’s so rewarding.
You can earn Aeroplan® points quickly through flights, credit cards, shopping partners and even family accounts.
Whether you’re after an Economy seat or a lie-flat Business Class pod, you have plenty of ways to redeem your Aeroplan® points.
Star Alliance business class flights are most lucrative, but seats are more limited. That’s when a tools like PointsYeah and Seats.aero come in super handy.
Since Aeroplan® points expire again as of November 30, 2026, knowing how to find the best seats is key so you can put those points to use.
You can also let us do all the work of finding award seats with points for your next flight.
Here’s my guide to finding the best Aeroplan® award flights.
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Travel more using points
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How to Earn Aeroplan® Points
It’s easy to earn plenty of Aeroplan® points in Canada, making it simple to reach flight rewards faster.
You’ll earn points when you fly with Air Canada or one of its 48 partner airlines in the Star Alliance network.
The number of points you earn depends on your fare and Aeroplan® Elite Status level.
You’ll also earn points with a great lineup of personal and business Aeroplan® credit cards from TD, CIBC, and American Express.
These cards come with generous welcome bonuses and strong earning rates on dining, groceries, and Air Canada purchases.
Plus, they include valuable travel benefits like a free checked bag, priority boarding, and travel insurance.
That’s not all. You can earn more Aeroplan® points through partners. With the Aeroplan® eStore you earn points when you shop online with hundreds of retailers.
Best Credit Card Offers for Earning Aeroplan® Points
Welcome Points: 85,000
Welcome Value: $3,580
Annual Fee: $599
Welcome Points: 120,000
Welcome Value: $5,100
Annual Fee: $799
Welcome Points: 40,000
Welcome Value: $1,719
Annual Fee:$139. 1st Year Rebate
Welcome Points: 15,000
Welcome Value: $590
Annually Fee: $191.88 ($15.99 Monthly)
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Let us find your award seats: You’ve earned your points, now let us do the work of finding your next flight.
We’ll take care of finding the best available seats, saving you time and maximizing your Aeroplan® points value so you can just get to your trip.
Check out our Award Booking Service and let’s make your dream trip a reality.
Start with a Search Tool
Before you go to the Aeroplan® website to redeem your points, start with a search tool like PointsYeah or Seats.aero.
These tools are for anyone who doesn’t have the time to click through the Aeroplan® calendar one day at a time.
They save you hours of manual work by showing you availability across dozens of airlines at once.
Once you find availability on PointsYeah or Seats.aero, make sure to check for availability directly on Aeroplan® before transferring any points from your Amex® cards.
PointsYeah For Beginners
PointsYeah is an excellent option if you are just starting out. The interface works like a traditional travel site and results are in real time.
PointsYeah supports multiple airline loyalty programs, and you can filter results for Air Canada Aeroplan
The Day View is great because it shows you four days at once. You’ll see right away if flying a day earlier or later saves you points which is super valuable if you have some flexibility.
As an added bonus, you can also search for Marriott and Hilton hotel stays with points.
With the free version of PointsYeah, you get unlimited live searches within a four-day window. You also get four flight alerts to track seat availability or price drops via email. These features are usually enough for most beginners
If you need more, the Premium version of PointsYeah offers an 8-day search window, 32 flight alerts, and a Travel Radar tool to monitor routes for a full year.
Seats.aero for Power Users
Seats.aero is the best choice once you are comfortable with award searching and want to see a lot more information at once.
The interface allows you to search for entire regions and countries at once, as well as multiple airports.
The Seats.aero Explore tool is great because it shows you availability across an entire continent on a single page. You’ll see right away if repositioning to a different city saves you points, which is super valuable if you are willing to be flexible.
Results are fast because the tool uses cached data, so you alsways double-check availability on the Aeroplan® site before transferring points.
With the free version of Seats.aero, you get searches for flights departing within a 60 window. You’ll also get access to the Routes tool and unlimited email alerts to track specific flights. These features are usually enough for most last-minute travellers.
I highly recommend Seats.aero Pro if you want to maximize your points and find trips quickly.
The Pro version of Seats.aero lets you search for a full year ahead, which is a huge benefit when searching for business class seats. You can also search for multiple seats at once, which is super valuable for families travelling together.
With the Seats.aero Pro version, you can also use advanced filters like direct flights only, selected cabin and filter out by fees.
You also get 32 flight alerts, and SMS notifications for faster snagging of rare seats.
New to Points? Start Here
From points newbie to booking your first trip
Learn everything you need to know to start using credit cards, points, and travel loyalty programs. Make your first redemption with points for nearly free travel.
New to Points? Start Here
From points newbie to booking your first trip
Learn everything you need to know to start using credit cards, points, and travel loyalty programs. Make your first redemption with points for nearly free travel.
Look for One-Way Flights
When you’re paying cash, round-trip tickets are more affordable than one-way.
That’s not the case with award flights, like Aeroplan®. One-way flights are half the points of a round-trip.
You’ll find the best seats by searching and redeeming for one-way flights.
Most airlines release their space 355 days out. Booking one-way means you can book your flight as soon as it’s available without waiting for the return dates to open and risk losing your award seat.
You can also mix and match different loyalty programs and cabin classes for each direction.
We sometimes redeem for a lie-flat Business Class seat on the overnight flight to get some sleep, then fly back in Premium Economy to save points on the way home.
Plus, if you ever need to change just one part of your trip later, it’s way easier to do it for one way only.
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If you find an award flight in a higher class like Premium Economy or Business after you’ve already booked, you can make the change with no fee.
Since you are “up-faring” to a higher cabin, you just pay the difference in points, if any.
Top Offers
Wondering which credit card to get next?
Our recommendations for the best credit card offers in Canada for February 2026.
Top Offers
Wondering which credit card to get next?
Our recommendations for the best credit card offers in Canada for February 2026.
Consider Adjacent Airports
You can expand your search and get way more options by not sticking to just one airport. You’ll find a lot more seats when you check nearby airports for both your departure and arrival.
With Aeroplan®, you can search some metropolises like Toronto all at once by selecting “Toronto All airports (YTO)”. This is also the case for Miami, New York, and London.
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Sometimes flights from Toronto Island (YTZ) are a lot more convenient or require fewer points.
We love the gorgeous view, how quick the security lines are there, and the great Aspire Lounge.
Focus on Star Alliance Sweet Spots
You’re going to get the best value when you redeem your Aeroplan® points with Star Alliance partners versues Air Canada.
Air Canada uses dynamic pricing, which means points go up with cash prices.
However, Star Alliance partners like Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, TAP, LOT and ANA use a fixed chart.
You can fly with them in Business Class to Europe for a flat 70,000 points or to Japan for 75,000 points, regardless of the cash price.
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You can quickly find award seats using Seats.aero.
I recommend searching from your nearest major departure city in Canada to Star Alliance hubs like Munich, Zurich, Vienna, and Lisbon all at once to see your best options.
The AWP Community
Get more tips & ideas for travelling with points.
Join the AWP community to get guidance, updates, and practical tips on using points for travel.
The AWP Community
Get more tips & ideas for travelling with points.
Join the AWP community to get guidance, updates, and practical tips on using points for travel.
The 5,000 Points Stopover
One of the best ways to redeem your Aeroplan® points is by adding a stopover to any one-way international flight for only 5,000 points.
This lets you visit two cities for the price of one, as long as the stop is outside of Canada or the U.S.
And you can stay in your stopover city for up to 45 days. So for example, you can fly into Rome, but stop in Lisbon for up to 45 days first for only 5,000 extra Aeroplan® points.
To book this, just select the multi-city option on the Aeroplan® site. Enter your start and end points, then use the add stopover button to choose your middle city and how many days you want to stay.
The Bottom Line
You’ll get the most from your Aeroplan® points when you search for one-way flight redemptions on tools like PointsYeah and Seats.aero. They let you find wider Aeroplan® award space easily.
By keeping your departure cities flexible, it is even easier to find more availability.
Star Alliance partners at fixed Aeroplan® rates let you book lie-flat Business Class seats for the best value.
Plus, the Aeroplan® Point Stopover feature gives you an opportunity to see two cities for only an extra 5,000 points.
Ready to book your flight? Check out our Aeroplan® redemption guide.
