Thursday, April 27, 2023

The Guide to Air Canada Partners

Air Canada could very likely be the most-partnered airline on the planet. At the time of writing, Air Canada partners with 52 other airlines. However, that number could be even higher by the time you’re reading this.

In addition to its airline partners, Air Canada partners with several bank point programs — both in the U.S. and abroad. So if you have transferable bank points, the odds are that you can transfer those points to Air Canada.

There’s a lot to cover about Air Canada partners. Here’s an overview of Air Canada mileage partners and how these partnerships work.

Who are Air Canada’s partners?

Air Canada’s 52 airline partners fall into two buckets: members of the Star Alliance and non-alliance partners.

Although details vary between airline partners, you can generally earn and redeem Aeroplan points (Air Canada calls them points, not miles) on all airline partners. You’ll typically need to fly on a Star Alliance partner to enjoy elite perks. However, Air Canada has also worked out reciprocal elite status agreements with certain non-alliance partners — such as Virgin Australia.

Star Alliance partners

As a member of the Star Alliance, Air Canada partners with the 25 other member airlines in the alliance. On these airlines, you can generally earn Aeroplan points on flights plus enjoy elite benefits guaranteed through the Star Alliance partnership.

  • Aegean Airlines.

  • Air China.

  • Air India.

  • Air New Zealand.

  • All Nippon Airways.

  • Asiana Airlines.

  • Austrian Airlines.

  • Avianca.

  • Brussels Airlines.

  • Copa Airlines.

  • Croatia Airlines.

  • EGYPTAIR.

  • Ethiopian Airlines.

  • EVA Air.

  • LOT Polish Airlines.

  • Lufthansa.

  • Scandinavian Airlines.

  • Shenzhen Airlines.

  • Singapore Airlines.

  • South African Airways.

  • SWISS.

  • TAP Air Portugal.

  • THAI.

  • Turkish Airlines.

  • United.

Non-alliance partners

In addition to its Star Alliance partners, Air Canada partners with 27 non-alliance partners. The agreements vary between partners. You can earn and redeem points on most — but not all — of these partners. But you generally won’t enjoy elite status perks on most non-alliance partners.

  • Aer Lingus.

  • Air Creebec.

  • Air Dolomiti.

  • Air Mauritius.

  • Air Serbia.

  • Azul Brazilian Airlines.

  • Bamboo Airways.

  • Calm Air.

  • Canadian North.

  • Cathay Pacific.

  • Central Mountain Air.

  • Emirates.

  • Etihad Airways.

  • Eurowings.

  • Eurowings Discover.

  • GOL.

  • Gulf Air.

  • Juneyao Airlines.

  • Middle East Airlines.

  • Olympic Air.

  • Oman Air.

  • PAL Airlines.

  • SriLankan Airlines.

  • SunExpress.

  • Virgin Australia.

  • Vistara.

Earning points through Air Canada mileage partners

Airline partners

Aeroplan points are earned on Air Canada airline partners based on the fare class booked, the distance of the flight and the published earning rates for that partnership.

For example, you’ll only earn around 138 Aeroplan points on a United basic economy flight from San Francisco to Portland — assuming you credit the flight to the Air Canada Aeroplan program. That’s the flight distance of 550 miles multiplied by the earning rate of 25%.

However, a United business class flight from San Francisco to London will earn around 8,051 Aeroplan points. That’s the 5,367-mile distance multiplied by the 150% earning rate.

Transferrable point program partners

  • American Express Membership Rewards — 1:1 transfer ratio.

  • Capital One Miles — 1:1 transfer ratio.

  • Chase Ultimate Rewards® — 1:1 transfer ratio.

  • Bilt Rewards — 1:1 transfer ratio.

  • Marriott Bonvoy — 3:1 transfer ratio with a 5,000-point bonus for transferring at least 60,000 Bonvoy points in a single transaction.

Hotel, car rental and other Air Canada mileage partners

In addition to airlines and banks, 14 lodging and seven transportation companies are Air Canada mileage partners.

The number of Aeroplan points you can earn depends on the partnership. With some partners, you’ll earn a set number of points per stay or rental, while other partners earn based on how much you spend. Still, other partners require that you earn points through that partner’s loyalty program and then convert the points to Air Canada.

Here’s a round-up of how you’ll earn Aeroplan points through select Air Canada hotel and car rental partners:

  • ALL – Accor Live Limitless — convert 2 ALL Reward points for 1 Aeroplan point.

  • Best Western — earn 250 Aeroplan points per qualifying stay.

  • Coast Hotels — earn 250 to 500 Aeroplan points per qualifying stay or redeem your points for hotel stays.

  • Hilton Honors — convert 10,000 Hilton Honors points to 1,000 Aeroplan points.

  • IHG Rewards Club — earn up to 2 Aeroplan points per $1 spent.

  • Marriott Bonvoy — earn up to 2 Aeroplan points per $1 spent.

  • Radisson Rewards — convert 10 Radisson Rewards points for 1 Aeroplan point.

  • Wyndham Rewards — earn up to 2 Aeroplan points per $1 spent.

  • Avis — earn up to 500 Aeroplan points per rental.

  • Budget — earn 250 Aeroplan points per rental.

Redeeming Aeroplan points on Air Canada partners

Air Canada rolled out new award charts for all its airline partners in a 2020 program revamp.

The unique award chart bases the cost on both the regions you’re flying between and the combined distances of your flights. So, you’ll first need to examine the program’s region map to determine which award chart to use.

Say you want to fly a United flight from Newark to Amsterdam. Referencing the map, you’d be flying from the North America zone to the Atlantic zone.

Using a tool like Great Circle Mapper, you’ll find that the flight is 3,656 miles long. Checking the award chart, you’ll find that an award would cost 35,000 Aeroplan points in economy or 60,000 Aeroplan points in business class.

Air Canada’s partnership with Emirates works a bit differently.

Instead of using the standard award charts, Air Canada publishes a separate award chart just for Emirates flights. The cost of an award generally varies based on the distance traveled. However, award prices can fall anywhere in a range of prices.

If you’re considering using one of Air Canada’s partners…

Air Canada loyalists can earn and redeem Aeroplan points on over 50 airline partners plus dozens of hotel, transportation and bank partners.

However, the fine print varies between Air Canada mileage partners. That makes checking the exact earning and redemption details on the Air Canada partners page essential.

(Top photo courtesy of Air Canada)

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2023, including those best for:

JT Genter, https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/air-canada-partners
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