Book Canadian North Awards On Aeroplan Website

Small fly in the ointment: Canada is closed to Americans. You can thank the Trumpist morons.

Try again next summer.

Who's paying cash for these flights? I assume the flights exist to provide a life-line to these communities, but do the people really have the fund to take these flights?

This is very interesting to me. Many of these very small remote communities don't have hotels, restaurants, or much visitor infrastructure, so there would be a lot of challenges in arranging a visit. An internet search suggests it might be possible to find an informal guest house arrangement in some communities. This is quite far from typical One Mile at a Time luxury hotel terrain!

I have stayed in Moose Factory Island (James Bay, Ontario) at the EcoLodge and highly recommend it. That's still well south of the Arctic, but I think would serve as a great groundbreaker introduction to the Canadian north.

Worth mentioning that NWT and Nunavut are closed to non-residents (including Canadians) for the foreseeable future, most likely well into next year.

@Dick Bupkiss And places like Nunavut are also closed to all other Canadians except non-essential workers. What's your point?

Even though I could travel right now to the US and other countries as a Canadian, our government's 14-day quarantine on return makes that an impossibility for most people. As far as most Canadians are concerned, Americans can realistically travel more than us because of the quarantine rule and as most of Canada is closed off to other Canadians.

I live in Ottawa. You can't fly to most of the arctic unless you live there or are an essential worker. Even if you're Canadian.

I'm flying Calm Air to see the polar bears in Churchill, northern Manitoba next month, which you can book through Aeroplan, but not online.

I also have to quarantine upon arrival in Manitoba from eastern Ontario.

Stephen nailed it, the flight part of the experience would be interesting but unless you are an extremely avid outdoor adventurer there probably won't be much to do in the smaller communities besides take a brief look around and then wait around for the flight out. Most communities will have a small hotel or guest house, although they may not have an internet presence.

@alex Maybe locals get a special discounted price, subsidized by the government?

Used to fly them constantly. Be prepared for cancellations even at the best of times. On-time departure just doesn't happen in this region, and yes you can get stuck for days in the smaller communities waiting for a weather window. And of course if you can't get out, you'll be able to get another night at the hotel because the other people couldn't get in! They always had a hot meal, even on the Dash-8s.

Good times, but add lots of days to your schedule and be flexible. And bring money. Lots of money.

@Alec: It's usually incorporated into your pay if you work up there. Most people earn well enough for a trip or two out a year, or rotate in and out. But many, many Inuit are very poor and the only time they might get on a plane is for medical treatment at a regional hub.

Bonus points? OMAAT has its own point currency now? 😉

As Jay says, Canadians are even more restricted for travel. I live in Toronto. Any travel abroad requires a 14 day quarantine, even if you went somewhere like Iceland with basically no Covid. Domestically, it is not possible to visit 9 of the 14 provinces/territories without a 14 day quarantine when you get there: the territories, Newfoundland, the 4 Maritimes, and Manitoba. I was hoping to visit Churchill for polar bear season as well, but as of today, it is not possible, and since cases are rising in much of Canada right now (in Ontario, though relatively low, they have doubled in the past week), it's hard to imagine anything will open.

I don't understand it, honestly. Surely it is better for the government to force you to do a rapid Covid test - cost of about 10 bucks - when you get to Winnipeg, than to kill off a 42 million dollar industry in the six week polar bear season. But like NZ and a few other countries, government leaders who have successfully held Covid down would rather isolate their people for...who knows how long, rather than figure out how to open safely.

I went to Iqaluit in August about 3 years ago. I highly recommend it. There are several hotels and a brewery recently opened up within the last year. I think there are a few reasons to go. 1. Just to see the town of iqaluit. It’s amazing how different the architecture is—Buildings on stilts, no windows, etc. there are a surprising amount of immigrants driving taxis so it’s probably one of the more diverse cities in Canada. 2. Collect Inuit artwork which is one of my favorites and the prices are good there. If you go out to eat you will be approached by someone trying to sell artwork. 3. Launch point for more remote arctic communities. This place is all about the wild outdoors—if you’re looking for a good company we used this one: https://inukpakoutfitting.ca/en/

Kayaking in Frobisher bay with the icebergs floating by in August was an amazing experience.

I had to call to book an award (although award space was available to view via expert flyer) so I’m very happy this new option is available.

7000 miles is heck of a deal. Those flights from Iqaluit to Ottawa often costs in the tune of C$3k+ return.

Nunavut residents complains about high airfares for decades, even after the flight is heavily subsidized by Canadian government.

Maybe they should be the one to care about Aeroplan miles and points, and especially with high grocery costs up in Nunavut (unfortunately), they'll accumulate points for flights to lower Canada in no time.

As Iqaluit is the capital of Nunavit it has a bit more infrastructure and heft than the smaller communities. Population of 7000+ and a handful of sites to see - best for the Northern Lights if you can time it appropriately. There is at least one "real" hotel the Frobisher Inn - that is actually quite nice, several stories tall and affords some excellent views of the surrounding arctic landscape. My niece did her medical residency in Iqualuit and I visited her - it was a great, and eye-opening trip to the only Canadian territory i had not yet visited. Recommend it - and the 7500 points each way is a steal to get there from YOW.

So would that be 30K Aeroplan points round trip from Ottawa.

From what I understand, residents of the north are able to offset some of the costs of the airfare you're seeing (some airlines serving the north will offer discounts solely to residents, plus there is a tax credit they can also file for a virtual government subsidy). But often with the discounts, airfares are way higher than "down south".

I remembered flying to Yellowknife with someone who was heading to Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. She was telling me about how she couldn't get an airfare from her town to Toronto for less than $3000 (her child goes to school about 80 miles west of Toronto). And even with the lowest fare, she had an overnight layover in Yellowknife (her luxury accommodations supplied by a generous friend of hers). Meanwhile I was on a $700 ticket going to Yellowknife and Vancouver from Toronto and thought that was expensive.

Canadian North has an awesome history. It's the descendant of the long-lost Canadian Airlines (who originally set it up) but was sold just as Air Canada took over. There were days at Toronto's Pearson airport when I used to steal luggage tags from Canadian Airlines... good times.

Omg. I paid over $5000 for Canadian North RT flights for 2 for an arctic safari to the floe edge this summer (which was cancelled of course). No refunds, had to fight with them for a credit through 2021 but now that isn't even likely to be enough.

And to think I could have booked it with Aeroplan ... excuse me while I go vomit!

I've never been to the northern territories in Canada, but as others have mentioned Iqaluit (capital of Nunavut) might be a good experience for you while still having most of the modern conveniences (they have a new modern airport and modern hotels). I believe you went to Whitehorse on your trip with Condor and Air North, so beyond Iqaluit, another option might be Yellowknife - the capital of the Northwest Territories. Canadian North got its start in Yellowknife and while the city is not as Arctic as Iqaluit, it'd be an opportunity to try Canadian North and the city has modern hotels and facilities.

So if you were to book say, BOS>YOW>YFB, is that the same points as YOW>YFB one way?