Air Canada’s new Aeroplan program eliminated fuel surcharges on award travel and introduced a region and distanced-based award chart.
Two years after the new program’s award pricing was announced they’re making several changes, in general reducing the price of partner short-distance awards between different regions of the world while increasing the price of the longest trips in premium cabins. These go into effect September 1.
- Premium cabin partner awards to Europe (that are over 6000 miles) and Asia (that are over 7500 miles) are getting more expensive
- Short-haul awards North America to South America are getting cheaper in all cabins
- Short-haul Europe – Asia partner awards are getting cheaper in all cabins, while 7000-plus mile partner trips get more expensive in all cabins
- Short-haul intra-South America awards are getting cheaper in all cabins, while awards over 1600 miles in economy and business get more expensive
The price of a single one-way New York – Istanbul trip is less than 6,000 miles. It remains a 60,000 mile one-way redemption in business class. Los Angeles – Frankfurt is similarly less than 6,000 miles. So the price of that trip wouldn’t change. However, Los Angeles – Istanbul clocks in at 6,851 miles so it goes up 5000 miles – from 85,000 to 90,000 miles.
Similarly, New York JFK – Tokyo is less than 7,500 miles and so award prices aren’t changing. But a flight to Bangkok is going to be longer distance and go up 2,500 miles from 85,000 to 87,500 one-way in business class.
Aeroplan offers that the changes aren’t to increase program margins but tweaks to “better align our reward pricing to our costs.” There are new lower costs for shorter flights, but the awards I’m most interested in stay the same or go up. I don’t love that but the increases aren’t huge, so don’t cause me alarm.
Here’s the full list of changes:
Between North America and Atlantic
- 6,001 – 8,000 mile distance band
- Business (Partner): Increases from 85,000 to 90,000
- First (Partner): Increases from 120,000 to 130,000
- 8,001+ mile distance band
- Business (Partner): Increases from 100,000 to 110,000
- First (Partner): Increases from 130,000 to 140,000
Between North America and Pacific
- 7,501 – 11,000 mile distance band
- Business (Partner): Increases from 85,000 to 87,500 pts
- 11,001+ mile distance mile band
- Business (Partner): Increases from 105,000 to 115,000 pts
- First (Partner): Increases from 140,000 to 150,000 pts
Between North America and South America
- 0 – 2,500 mile distance band (new band with reduced pricing)
- Economy (Air Canada): 20,000-45,000 pts
- Economy (Partner): 20,000 pts
- Premium Economy (Air Canada): 35,000-100,000 pts
- Business (Air Canada): 40,000-150,000 pts
- Business (Partner): 40,000 pts
- First (Air Canada): 60,000-175,000 pts
- First (Partner): 60,000 pts
- 2,501-4,500 mile distance band (no change vs. original 0-4,500 distance band)
Between Atlantic and Pacific
- New 0-2,500 mile distance band (new band with reduced pricing)
- Economy (Air Canada): 25,000-50,000 pts
- Economy (Partner): 25,000 pts
- Premium Economy (Air Canada): 30,000-65,000 pts
- Business (Air Canada): 40,000-75,000 pts
- Business (Partner): 40,000 pts
- First (Air Canada): 50,000-100,000 pts
- First (Partner): 50,000 pts
- 2,501-5,000 mile distance band (updated from 0-5,000 miles)
- Premium Economy (Air Canada): 50,000-75,000 (new; not currently offered)
- 5,001-7,000 mile distance band
- Premium Economy (Air Canada): 65,000-80,000 (new; not currently offered)
- 7,001+ mile distance band
- Economy (Partner): Increases from 60,000 to 65,000 pts
- Premium Economy (Air Canada): 80,000-110,000 pts (new; not currently offered)
- Business (Partner): Increases from 100,000 to 110,000 pts
- First (Partner): Increases from 130,000 to 140,000 pts
Within South America
- New 0-1,600 mile distance band (new band with reduced pricing)
- Economy (Partner): 10,000 pts
- Business (Partner): 20,000 pts
- First (Partner): 30,000 pts
- 1,601+ mile distance band (updated band with increases in partner pricing)
- Economy (Partner): Increases from 15,000 to 20,000 pts
- Business (Partner): Increases from 30,000 to 35,000 pts
- First (Partner): 50,000 pts (no change)
These new prices apply not just to new awards booked September 1 onward, but also existing tickets that are (voluntarily) re-issued from that point forward.
Mostly I’m happy because Aeroplan still has an award chart, their prices remain reasonable and without fuel surcharges, and their points can be easily accessed in the U.S. via a Chase-issued credit card and transfers from Chase, Amex, Capital One, and Bilt.
