Top Aeroplan hacks every traveller should know

Aeroplan is considered Canada's top loyalty program and one of the most lucrative frequent flier programs available today. Recent changes have come into play that have added a lot of value to being a member, including family sharing and the fact that every seat is now available. However, no program is perfect, and Aeroplan has a couple of downsides too—the biggest drawback being the dynamic pricing which means, in some cases, flights will cost more points than they did before.

That being said, Aeroplan is worth joining because once you understand the ins and outs of the program, you can really maximize your miles—especially with some of the recent changes. With that in mind, Money.ca shares some handy Aeroplan hacks that every traveler should know.

1. Enjoy Aeroplan's Stopover Policy

One of the biggest perks of the new Aeroplan program is the new stopover policy. Previously, you could only have one stopover (more than 24 hours) and up to 15 layovers (under 24 hours). However, you couldn't exceed the maximum permitted mileage, or MPM, which prevented you from coming up with some creative routes.

Under the new program, you can add two stopovers, one in each direction (although you are no longer allowed a stopover in Canada or the USA when departing from North America). There is an added cost of 5,000 miles for each stopover but the layover rules are still the same (up to 15). However, the big perk here is that MPM is no longer in place, which means you can truly create a proper round-the-world ticket. For example, Toronto-London-Dubai-Singapore-Sydney-Toronto.

As long as you continue to go in the right direction, you shouldn't have a problem. Now, it may end up being quite expensive as you are essentially building your itinerary with one-way flights. However, if this is what you have been saving for—you can make it happen. Even if you don't plan on doing a round-the-world trip, it's still worth taking advantage of those layovers and/or stopover opportunities to explore somewhere new.

2. Earn Miles Quicker With an Aeroplan Credit Card

How do you earn miles faster? The easiest way is to get an Aeroplan credit card. Aeroplan credit cards will earn users points on all purchases, but also allow them to double dip with Aeroplan partners.

Air Canada's Aeroplan offers credit cards for both the Canadian and U.S. markets. One of the reasons to love the Aeroplan program is because there are so many associated credit card options available, which makes it a very accessible loyalty program for Canadians. TD Bank, CIBC, and American Express are all Aeroplan credit card providers. In the United States, Chase is the Aeroplan credit card partner, with the Aeroplan Credit Card offering a huge welcome bonus, a first checked bag free, and no foreign transaction fees.

3. Take Advantage of Family Sharing

Under the old program, you could share points by paying a fee but thankfully, that isn't the case anymore thanks to Family Sharing. This feature allows up to eight people to merge their points into one big pool so points can be redeemed faster.

Say you and your partner are planning a trip to Europe. You have enough points to cover your flight and then some. They don't have quite enough points. You can create a pool with family sharing so that, together, there are enough points to book flights for each of you. No more waiting, no paying to transfer points. It's fast, efficient, and easy, which means you can travel faster.

Another big perk to family sharing; You can share benefits with those you are traveling with. So, if you have status or preferred rates and your partner doesn't, he/she will be able to take advantage of those benefits as well.

Key points to keep in mind:

• The term "family" is loose. You can choose to pool your points with whoever you want (up to a maximum of eight people).
• Points redeemed are taken from everyone, not just the individual. This is done on a percentage basis, depending on how many points each person brings into the pool.
• You must be part of a group for at least three months and if you leave, you can't join another for at least six months.
• When you leave, you take any points you brought and earned with you, minus any that have been redeemed.

4. Don't Forget About Partner Airlines

With the old Aeroplan program, fuel surcharges (also known as carrier surcharges) were a nightmare. Air Canada especially was known for its horrifically high fuel surcharges, which often added hundreds of dollars to the cost of the ticket. In order to avoid this, travel experts would suggest avoiding Air Canada and instead recommended choosing various partner airlines such as Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, and Brussels Airlines.

While the fuel surcharges have now been eliminated for all airlines under Aeroplan bookings, there is a $39 partner booking fee. Now, while this fee isn't necessarily large, it could be enough to convince some buyers to stick with Air Canada flights. But, hold on.

Unlike Air Canada flights which now have dynamic pricing, partner airlines still have fixed pricing. Often, these fixed prices are on the lower end of the points range. Now, there is the downside to being limited with seats when redeeming with partner airlines, however, even with that added $39 fee, partner airlines may come in at a better value in the end.

Aeroplan points also transfer to more than 45 airlines in the Star Alliance global airline alliance. Prominent Star Alliance member airlines include United Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Turkish Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Thai Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Air India, and more.

5. Shop Online With Aeroplan Partners

Aeroplan has more than 170 online retail partners that make collecting Aeroplan points while doing regular shopping a breeze. Partners include businesses such as Hudson's Bay, Indigo, Sephora, GAP, and more. 

Make sure to keep an eye out for special promotions and sales, too, as you can find some pretty great deals. For example, for Black Friday 2020, online purchases from Sephora earned Aeroplan members 10 times the points, and online orders from Indigo earned members seven times the points.

To see what brands are Aeroplan online partners, log into your Aeroplan account at Aircanada.ca or Aircanada.com, or via the app. From there, you can browse by category, brand, or even current promotions. Money.ca has compiled a full list of Aeroplan partners in our guide to Aeroplan Points.

Final Word

This loyalty program may seem a bit daunting, but as per the new Aeroplan changes, these hacks are sure to help you stretch those miles further. Whether you're planning on traveling anytime soon or holding on to your points for future use, there is nothing holding you back from maximizing the power of your points.