Air Canada aeroplan It is the latest loyalty program that says goodbye to its fixed awards charts, at least for some partner redemptions. Instead, the program is currently operating using dynamic pricing models from Star Alliance Partners, such as United Airlines.
This new awards chart will bring prices for some partner airlines with a “start” range and a new median. So, if you are trying to exchange your Aeroplan Points with a partner airline, the costs have become a little more predictable. It becomes more expensive from what TPG saw.
This is something you need to know about booking redemptions with partner airlines. United Airlineswith Aero Plan Points.
Related: How to redeem Aero Plan Points for Maximum Value
Aeroplan will begin dynamic award pricing for select partners
As of March 25th, Aeroplan is using Dynamic Award pricing for its next partner airlines:
- United
- Emirates
- Etihad Airlines
- Flydubai
- Regional Partners: Calm Air, Canadian North, Pal Airlines
We knew this was coming. Air Canada has announced plans You can remove fixed awards charts from some airlines and switch to dynamic pricing models. You can see that it “starts” at price and median price ranges, as you can see on the North American Awards chart below.
The median price is intended to give Aeroplan members a possible estimate of the cost of reimbursement based on previous data. Please note that the median value only appears on the award chart for flights occurring or ending in North America. Additionally, the median is updated quarterly, with prices reflecting the previous four quarters.
Prices for the Aeroplan Partner Award have risen
Switching to dynamic pricing is hardly a good thing. This change doesn’t seem to be an exception. We saw various United Award tickets available for booking through Aeroplan and the prices rose across the board.
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Among the most intense awards were short-distance domestic flights of less than 500 miles, and only 6,000 points in the economy on the old Aeroplan awards chart. Currently there is a consistent price of 10,000 points for these, with a 67% jump.
I’ve seen similar price spikes on long routes ranging from 11% to 50%.
| Flight distance | Prices until March 25th | Prices after March 25th | Percent Change | Sample flight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-500 miles | 6,000 points | 10,000 points | 67% | Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Chicago to Toronto |
| 501-1,500 miles | 10,000 points | 15,000 points | 50% | Denver to San Francisco, Los Angeles to Seattle, Houston to Mexico City |
| 1,501-2,750 miles | 12,500 points | 15,000 points | 20% | From Chicago to San Francisco, Dallas, Panama City, Los Angeles to Honolulu |
| Over 2,751 | 22,500 points | 25,000 points | 11% | Denver to Honolulu |
Of course, these numbers are subject to fluctuations as the awards charts no longer remained fixed for these partner airlines. However, since this is something you can see on various sample flights, you should expect to pay more for these partner award flights booked through Aeroplan in the future.
Hard to find Business class fares There is no immunity either, but so far these devaluations have not been very consistent. I checked the next International Business Class tickets on multiple dates, but some dates showed price increases and others remained the same.
- From Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Washington, DC to Frankfurt Airport (FRA): 70,000 or 80,000 points depending on date.
- From Newer Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Heathrow Airport (LHR) in London: 60,000 or 80,000 points depending on date.
None of our sample flights dropped in prices, but remained a handful for at least for now. These include the following one-way international routes:
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Sydney Airport (SYD): 60,000 Economy Class Points
- Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Murtaramhammad International Airport (LOS) in Lagos, Nigeria: 40,000 points in economy class
- From IAD to Frankfurt Airport (FRA): 40,000 points in economy class, 70,000 points in business class
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Haneda Airport (HND) in Tokyo: 60,000 points in economy class
- Newar Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Dubai International Airport (DXB): 55,000 Economy Class Points
- From George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston to Sao Paulo/Guarljos and Andre Franco Montro International Airport (GRU): 40,000 points in economy class, 60,000 points in business class
- From Johannesburg EWR to Tambo International Airport (JNB): 90,000 points in business class
If these prices are kept, they could still be sweet spots for the Aeroplan program. However, it is possible that Aeroplan has not finished rolling out its new pricing schemes, and these could also be cut down quickly. Until then, it’s the best time to book one of the tickets for the awards mentioned above.
Additionally, if you have Aeroplan status or are a credit card holder, you can save on award redemptions. In addition to the new reward chart, Aeroplan will also be available if you have loyalty program status or have an AiRoplan card. Aeroplan® Credit Cardyou can access the award fare reduction.
Related: Aeroplan stopovers and routing rules complete guide
Conclusion
Air Canada’s aeroplans still offer good value, especially on long partner flights Domestic and international routesWhat we found was the lowest devaluation and in some cases there was no change. However, shorter routes tend to be consistently much more costly Aero Plan Points.
Aeroplan was a reliable way Book United Award Flights It may not be the case for less points than the United website. Here we recommend checking out sites from multiple airlines to find the best rates.
