Often buying points strategically can be a good value, especially for first and business class travel. Air Canada Aeroplan has just launched its latest promotion on purchased points, and it has the potential to be quite an attractive offer. The program is offering up to a 110% bonus, which is among the best deals we’ve…
Continue reading: Buy Air Canada Aeroplan Points With 110% Bonus (1.27 Cents Each): Worth It?
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
As someone who does this personally and professionally, I gotta say that Aeroplan availability is a shell of what it used to be. Air Canada virtually never releases any space on their own metal except at extortionate, Skymiles-esque prices, and *A partner space markedly diminished.
So I really wouldn't buy anything speculatively
I wouldn't mind about United space being dynamic, just any availability at all would be acceptable.
As much as we complain about AA, they are the only remaining airline who cares about a frequent flyer program with global benefits.
I wouldn't; you can buy aeroplan miles at final point of sale on award bookings for around 0.0139 as long as you have at least 60% of the miles required for an award ticket.
Yep, also can be some compelling partial points / cash deals on that last page (although they become a bit less compelling when a transfer bonus is on). As always, figure out what flight you want, then figure out if buying miles this way, buying miles on last screen, or transferring miles into Aeroplan is the best deal.
Yep, also can be some compelling partial points / cash deals on that last page (although they become a bit less compelling when a transfer bonus is on). As always, figure out what flight you want, then figure out if buying miles this way, buying miles on last screen, or transferring miles into Aeroplan is the best deal.
Nope. I only buy when there is at least a 100% bonus. But they can be great value - Swiss business class (yeah it’s mediocre) YUL-ZUR for 70,000 points is a still a steal.
It really SHOULD be mentioned in this article as it's key info.
Skeptical side of me thinks it's deliberately not mentioned as it would affect his affiliate profits....
Weird, after I log in on Air Canada it clearly shows the offer for me to buy prints with up to 90% bonus, but then when I get to the purchase page it only shows me an offer with up to 75% bonus. I wonder what's going on and if there is a way to fix it.
I'm trying to find decent redemptions for all the points. I got already in Aeroplan. It's been tough to find anything decent.
Apart from the upcoming devaluation, which really is in theory only given how little non-AC space there is to begin with.
With several airlines still blocked for redemption (even if available with other points), and others simply not releasing space, Aeroplan is dead anyway.
Flying on AC given how bad it is can make anyone cry, even if point redemptions were reasonable 😛
Same issue as some other people, it shows only 75% for me when I am on the buying points page. Any explanation?
Which credit card you should use-please note that if you have the Chase Aeroplan card and it is link to your account,you will receive special price from Points.com.
If you buy the full 500000 points,you will receive the additional 450000 points but your cost is only 17500 Canadian.(12668 USD -$1.33 per mile)
As someone who does this personally and professionally, I gotta say that Aeroplan availability is a shell of what it used to be. Air Canada virtually never releases any space on their own metal except at extortionate, Skymiles-esque prices, and *A partner space markedly diminished.
So I really wouldn't buy anything speculatively
Flying on AC given how bad it is can make anyone cry, even if point redemptions were reasonable 😛
I wouldn't mind about United space being dynamic, just any availability at all would be acceptable.
As much as we complain about AA, they are the only remaining airline who cares about a frequent flyer program with global benefits.
No mention of the pending devaluation?
It really SHOULD be mentioned in this article as it's key info.
Skeptical side of me thinks it's deliberately not mentioned as it would affect his affiliate profits....
I wouldn't; you can buy aeroplan miles at final point of sale on award bookings for around 0.0139 as long as you have at least 60% of the miles required for an award ticket.
Yep, also can be some compelling partial points / cash deals on that last page (although they become a bit less compelling when a transfer bonus is on). As always, figure out what flight you want, then figure out if buying miles this way, buying miles on last screen, or transferring miles into Aeroplan is the best deal.
Yep, also can be some compelling partial points / cash deals on that last page (although they become a bit less compelling when a transfer bonus is on). As always, figure out what flight you want, then figure out if buying miles this way, buying miles on last screen, or transferring miles into Aeroplan is the best deal.
Nope. I only buy when there is at least a 100% bonus. But they can be great value - Swiss business class (yeah it’s mediocre) YUL-ZUR for 70,000 points is a still a steal.
Weird, after I log in on Air Canada it clearly shows the offer for me to buy prints with up to 90% bonus, but then when I get to the purchase page it only shows me an offer with up to 75% bonus. I wonder what's going on and if there is a way to fix it.
I'm trying to find decent redemptions for all the points. I got already in Aeroplan. It's been tough to find anything decent.
Apart from the upcoming devaluation, which really is in theory only given how little non-AC space there is to begin with.
With several airlines still blocked for redemption (even if available with other points), and others simply not releasing space, Aeroplan is dead anyway.
Same issue as some other people, it shows only 75% for me when I am on the buying points page. Any explanation?
Which credit card you should use-please note that if you have the Chase Aeroplan card and it is link to your account,you will receive special price from Points.com.
If you buy the full 500000 points,you will receive the additional 450000 points but your cost is only 17500 Canadian.(12668 USD -$1.33 per mile)
I got a 110% bonus - thanks for the heads up!
Debating how many miles to buy (clearly 90K+), but this will help me hit the $15k spend on my Surpass! LOL
Despite it advertised as 110%, I’m only being offered 90%. Tried multiple browsers and computers. False advertising, Aeroplan/Points.com
Hmm, I can buy 300000, enough for both our flights to Cairo for the eclipse next year. (We then fly down to Luxor).
We have the points but already but if we save those points for a high value Delta flight at 1.4-1.7cpp we are ahead.
I am only getting a 90% bonus offer. So I will sit on my hands this time
While you can purchase up to one million Aeroplan points per account per calendar year, there’s ordinarily a per-transaction limit of 250,000 points pre-bonus. However, during this promotion that has been doubled, to 500,000 points.
Family plan, can stack higher hence?
This is seriously a 2-3 day "sale" F-off Aeroplan. Most people don't even see the notification in time.
Still seems to be out there, but with a 100% bonus. Just click through the same link.
"Limited time offer: Up to a 100% bonus on points
Get closer to your next reward with up to a 100% bonus when you buy points. Offer ends August 12, 2026."
I would be reluctant to buy aeroplan points. They now block so much partner inventory that the value of the program is greatly diminished. For instance, Ethiopian is now fully absent and unbookable on aeroplan. Recently tried to book something on LOT, and it was also not there, but completely available on Lifemiles and United. Have a couple hundred aeroplan points that have been stranded for more than a year now because they block everything I want to book.
I feel the same way. I am "this" close to moving all my spend to a 2% cash back card. I always end up buying cash tickets. Can book anything with aeroplan anymore.
Just get a Citi DoubleCash for the 2% and pair with a Citi Strata Premier for $95. You'll then have great optionality to either redeem the ThankYou points as cash back or transfer the ThankYou points out to whomever.
The list of blocked partners is indeed very long. Sad to see LO joined it - but makes sense - competing directly with 500k AC metal flights to Europe.
ET is bookable by phone - if you can stand 4+ hour hold times, and then bend over and pay the phone booking fee.
Rakuten looks to be offering 2x on Aeroplan Points purchases as well - so that's an easy stack and brings down the cpp by, uh, something.
Hoping Ben will also comment on the new Chase Aeroplan card changes, soon enough (increased AF to $195; automatic 25K status, etc.) Got any thoughts on the card updates yourself, Peter?
@retiredatlatc I'm in the same boat; fee just hit before this, may just close anyway. Bah!
They changed it from a card that could make sense for people who use Aeroplan and not really AC to a card that only makes sense if you are a regular AC flyer. So they are targeting a pretty narrow subset now given that it's issued by a US bank and targeted for the US market (certainly plenty of Canadians with dual citizenship I suppose). Don't get it, but it's their card - it's just no longer on my radar.
@1990 - I imagine for business reasons that may not happen until affiliate links go live. Which is fine. A later review might be better since the 15 percent discount isn’t really 15 percent , the 5x on air Canada isn’t really 5x, and early blog reviews hadn’t noticed the 10 percent transfer bonus is going away.
Right but then also mixing/matching ecosystems, and also could take advantage of an Amex transfer bonus to Aeroplan for the MR points you'd get through Rakuten. Of course time-value of money with Rakuten delayed points transfer by ~3 months or whatever. Anyway, yeah, let's go with 1.30 cents - it's really not bad if you have an immediate use for the points!