The 2026 guide to Air Canada Aeroplan — how to earn points, how to redeem them across Star Alliance, the stopover trick that makes the chart shine, what your points are really worth, and the smart move when you’re sitting on a balance you’ll never fly.
Air Canada Aeroplan is one of the best-regarded airline loyalty programs in the world — and one of the most flexible. Points open up flights on Air Canada and roughly two dozen Star Alliance partners, the partner award chart is refreshingly predictable, and Aeroplan charges no carrier-imposed fuel surcharges on award tickets. It’s also a rare program that pulls in points from four of the biggest transferable-currency banks at once. This guide covers how Aeroplan works in 2026, how to earn, how to redeem for the most value, what your points are actually worth — and what to do with a balance you’ll never spend.
Aeroplan is Air Canada’s frequent-flyer program. You earn points by flying Air Canada, spending on an Aeroplan co-branded credit card, transferring in points from Amex, Chase, Capital One and Bilt, and shopping through the Aeroplan eStore. You then redeem those points for award flights on Air Canada and across the Star Alliance network — about two dozen airlines including Lufthansa, Swiss, ANA, Singapore Airlines, EVA Air, Turkish and United. Aeroplan is a member of Star Alliance and uses a hybrid distance- and region-based award chart for most partner redemptions, while Air Canada’s own flights (and a handful of partners) price dynamically.
The no-fuel-surcharge advantage. Many programs pass big carrier-imposed surcharges on to award bookings — sometimes hundreds of dollars on a transatlantic business seat. Aeroplan does not add fuel surcharges, so beyond modest taxes and a small partner booking fee, your out-of-pocket on an award stays low. That’s a large part of why Aeroplan is a points-community favorite.
Aeroplan has five published elite tiers, earned through Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) over the calendar year. Higher status means more points per dollar flown, better upgrade and seat priority, lounge access and Star Alliance recognition:
| Tier | Star Alliance recognition | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 25K | Star Alliance Silver | Priority check-in, higher points earn, free checked bags |
| 35K | Star Alliance Silver | Priority baggage, more points per dollar |
| 50K | Star Alliance Gold | Maple Leaf Lounge access, higher earn rate |
| 75K | Star Alliance Gold | Preferred seat selection at booking, priority everything |
| Super Elite | Star Alliance Gold | Top earn rate, complimentary award changes, status passes |
The tier names (25K, 35K, and so on) refer to the SQC thresholds. Some Aeroplan co-branded cards fast-track new cardholders to entry-level status for their first year.
There are four main ways to build an Aeroplan balance, and most members combine them:
Flights, bank transfers and the co-brand cards are where the overwhelming majority of points come from — and because four different banks feed Aeroplan, it’s easy to accumulate a large balance quickly.
Aeroplan uses a distance- and region-based chart for Star Alliance partner awards, which makes pricing predictable: the cost is set by how far you’re flying and the region, not by the cash fare. Air Canada’s own flights and a few partners price dynamically. Every redemption is helped by the no fuel surcharge policy — you’ll pay taxes plus a small partner booking fee rather than hundreds in surcharges.
Aeroplan’s most famous feature is its stopover rule. For just 5,000 points, you can add a stopover of up to 45 days on a one-way award — effectively turning a single ticket into a two-city trip. On a round-trip you can add two. Used well, a stopover lets you see an extra city (say, a few days in Reykjavik, Istanbul or Tokyo en route) for a fraction of what a separate ticket would cost.
Heads-up on expiration: Aeroplan’s temporary no-expiry policy is set to run through November 30, 2026. After that, the standard rule resumes — points expire after 18 months of no account activity. Holding an Aeroplan co-branded card (as primary cardholder) or having Aeroplan Elite Status keeps your points from expiring. If you’re sitting on a large balance with no plan to fly, that clock is one more reason some members choose to cash out.
Aeroplan is well-regarded, and the independent 2026 valuations reflect it. They generally land between about 1.1 and 1.6 cents per point, clustering around 1.4¢: The Points Guy values Aeroplan points at 1.4¢; Frequent Miler’s Reasonable Redemption Value is 1.4¢ (built from roughly 550,000 searches — median observed 1.27¢, mean 1.58¢, as of April 2026); and NerdWallet pegs U.S. economy value at 1.1¢. Redeeming for high-cash-fare international business or first class on a Star Alliance partner can push the value well above 2¢ on a standout booking.
| Balance | As cash | Editorial value |
|---|---|---|
| 50,000 points | ~$700 | ~$700 @ ~1.4¢ |
| 100,000 points | ~$1,400 | ~$1,400 @ ~1.4¢ |
| 250,000 points | ~$3,500 | ~$3,500 @ ~1.4¢ |
| 500,000 points | ~$7,000 | ~$7,000 @ ~1.4¢ |
But those are redemption values — only real if you actually book a trip you wanted anyway, find award space on your dates, and capture a good rate. Points don’t earn interest, award pricing drifts, and the no-expiry pause ends in late 2026. A balance you never burn is worth nothing. That gap between “paper value” and “value you’ll actually capture” is exactly why a cash-out market exists.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No carrier-imposed fuel surcharges on awards | Air Canada & some partners price dynamically |
| Predictable distance-based partner chart | Small partner booking fee applies |
| Cheap 5,000-point stopovers | No-expiry policy ends Nov 30, 2026 (then 18-mo inactivity rule) |
| Transfers 1:1 from Amex, Chase, Capital One & Bilt | Best value takes planning and award-space hunting |
| Access to ~2 dozen Star Alliance airlines | Peak-date and last-minute space can be tight |
Aeroplan points are excellent if you fly Air Canada or Star Alliance. But for a lot of people, the smarter move is to sell their own points for cash — especially in one of these situations:
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Right now, no — Aeroplan’s temporary no-expiry policy runs through November 30, 2026. After that, the standard rule resumes: points expire after 18 months with no account activity (no earning or redeeming). You can keep them alive with any qualifying activity, or permanently by holding an Aeroplan co-branded credit card as primary cardholder or having Aeroplan Elite Status. If you’ll never use yours, cashing out turns idle points into money now.
Independent 2026 valuations generally put Aeroplan points between about 1.1 and 1.6 cents each, clustering around 1.4 cents. The Points Guy values them at 1.4 cents, Frequent Miler at 1.4 cents (its Reasonable Redemption Value), and NerdWallet at 1.1 cents for U.S. economy. International business or first class on a Star Alliance partner can be worth more — but only if you actually book the flight.
Two things stand out. First, Aeroplan charges no carrier-imposed fuel surcharges on award tickets, so your out-of-pocket cost stays low. Second, its distance-based partner chart is predictable, and you can add a stopover for just 5,000 points — turning one award into a two-city trip. Aeroplan also uniquely takes 1:1 transfers from Amex, Chase, Capital One and Bilt.
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This guide is for general information only and reflects program details and points valuations as of 2026; Aeroplan program terms, pricing and the points-expiry policy can change. Cash For My Miles is an independent miles and points buyer and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Air Canada or Aeroplan. Air Canada, Aeroplan, Star Alliance and related marks are trademarks of their respective owners.
