How to earn and use the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass

The Air Canada Buddy Pass allows you to travel with a guest at a reduced price anywhere in the world. Here’s how to use it to its full potential.

You must purchase an economy class ticket (one-way or round-trip) for yourself.

Then, you can bring a guest with you at a fixed base fare between $99 and $599 depending on the destination. However, you must pay taxes and other surcharges on the second ticket.

To qualify for the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass, all flight segments must be operated by Air Canada (and its Rouge and Jazz subsidiaries). In addition, it only applies to flights paid for with cash and not with Aeroplan points.

The cost of the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass depends on your destination:

• $99 for Canada or the continental United States (Hawaii excluded),
• $299 for Hawaii, Mexico, Central America or the Caribbean,
• $499 for South America, Europe, Middle East or Africa,
• $599 for Asia, Australia or New Zealand.

To better understand how the Air Canada Buddy Pass works, here is an illustration of how it would be used for a trip to Disney World during the 2024 holiday season, from December 22 to December 31, 2024:

So 2 plane tickets from Montreal to Orlando cost $1,992.62.

With the Annual Worldwide Companion Pass :

The Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass saves you $645 ($1,992.62 – $1,291.63).

Before we get into the analysis of where to best use it, let’s first look at how to get it.

You can receive the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass after making $25,000 in net purchases (not including annual fees) on select “premium” credit cards. These purchases must be made before the anniversary date of your Card membership.

The terms and conditions state that this pass will be deposited into the Aeroplan account 8 to 10 weeks after the anniversary date of the Card membership. Therefore, you must pay the annual fee for the second year to receive this Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass. Indeed, it is a retention offer.

The credit cards that offer the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass are:

There are no restrictions on when it can be used, and it is valid for one year after the deposit to the account. Bookings can be made beyond the expiry date of the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass, so you have a 2-year window to use it after purchase.

However, if you cancel your trip after the expiry date of the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass, the pass cannot be added back to your account and will disappear.

In addition, the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass is linked to the credit card from which you earned it; if you no longer hold that card, you lose your pass.

At American Express, the net purchase amount is displayed on each statement. With TD and CIBC, you have to do the counting yourself to determine whether or not you have met the threshold.

The steps to make a reservation with your Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass are as follows:

• Log in to your Aeroplan account
• Search for a destination served by Air Canada with a minimum of 2 passengers
• Click on “Credits and Discounts” at the bottom of the search results page

• Check the option for the Annual Worldwide Companion Pass, then “Submit”;
• Choose your flights.

Then you’ll see that the Annual Worldwide Companion Pass is applied.

Proceed with payment as usual.

The basic principle of the Annual Worldwide Companion Pass is that the higher the cost of the ticket for the first passenger, the more you save on the cost of the second ticket.

First of all, we need to know which routes Air Canada flies worldwide to facilitate our research. The best tool to proceed is Flight Connections where we can see their flights on a map.

It is not uncommon to find cash deals on flights to Europe. Indeed, a fare between $600 and $1000 (taxes and fees included) is very realistic to go there, especially during less busy periods.

In these cases, the use of an Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass is not very optimal as you will not save a lot of money after paying the base fare of $499.

Indeed, don’t forget that you can use Google Flights to find the best flights to the Old Continent. Then, the combination with a low-cost airline is often very advantageous to travel cheaper. Here is an example with Italy.

However, since everything depends on the base fare of the first ticket; obviously, you will not deliberately choose to pay more.

However, if you are restricted to travelling only during spring break, construction holidays or during winter holidays, the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass can be very useful to save on the family vacation budget!

Likewise, if you’re the type of person who doesn’t book in advance, the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass can come to your rescue and help you avoid the exorbitant costs of last-minute travel.

In this region, base fares range from $500 to $1,000 (excluding taxes and fees); paying a base fare of $299 will save you between $200 and $700 with the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass.

An excellent tool to view prices quickly is Google Flights; you can apply filters so that only Air Canada flights are displayed.

You will see the total price (base rate + taxes and fees), but it can give you an idea. For example, we can see here that it will be more profitable to use the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass to travel to Mexico than to Costa Rica.

Then, you can go to the Air Canada website afterwards to find out the exact amount of taxes to calculate the real price for two people travelling with an Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass.

When we look at the possible savings on the South American side, still on Google Flights, we can save about $400 to $700 depending on the ticket price, which varies between $900 and $1,200.

For example, the fares for Lima can be around $600 while those for Buenos Aires are more than around $1,200.

The Annual Worldwide Companion Pass would be more interesting to go to Patagonia via Santiago or Buenos Aires.

Africa is vast, but Air Canada only serves Morocco and Egypt. However, it is not uncommon to find low fares to these destinations in the $900 and $1,200 range.

So again, taking into consideration the base fare of the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass at $499, we are talking about savings of between $400 and $700.

Similarly, the base fares to Dubai and Tel Aviv are in the same price range. Therefore, the savings remain around $400 and $700 with the use of an Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass.

All of these savings of $400 to $700 are far from negligible! Then, in times when it’s more expensive… you’ll simply save more like in the following screenshot!

On the Asian side, the savings with an Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass is very variable since prices also fluctuate greatly depending on the destination and dates.

To get to Japan in the middle of the Sakura season, I found base fare tickets at $1,100 on a direct flight!

While in Bangkok, the gateway to SoutheastAsia, prices are significantly more expensive. Therefore, the pass becomes more advantageous.

When looking at the above options, one could say that using a pass to go to Tokyo is not that cost-effective since it saves us only $500 compared to $1500 if we go to Bangkok.

However, keep in mind that to save $1,500 with the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass, you will also be paying more out of pocket. Finally, one must also ask oneself: where do I really want to go during my vacation? Going to see the Sakura in bloom in Japan with a direct flight for $950 per person is not bad even if you only save $500.

Then, for Asia, there is India which is a very good choice to use an Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass. Indeed, Air Canada flights are generally over $2,000 per person to India. Then, the taxes and fees are extremely low. Therefore, it is a sweetspot.

Of course, there are other airlines that sell tickets for around $1,200 to $1,500 to India, but keep in mind that the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass only applies to flights operated by Air Canada. Then, $1,600 per person for a direct flight on the 787 to that area is still sweet.

Finally, the Oceania region is also a good destination to use an Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass, as the cost is around $1,600 per person in the end.

I’ve noticed that prices are at least around $2,000 if you’re lucky, and that’s with several matches. So, the pass allows you to get to Australia via the fastest route (1 stopover) and in a much more affordable way!

If you plan to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Sydney, the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass will definitely save you a lot of money, as prices are very expensive during this period! Then, you don’t want to go solo anyway!

The Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass can be used to book tickets in Standard, Comfort, Flex and Latitude class; it cannot be used for the Premium Economy and Business cabins.

The advantage of doing this is when chasing Aeroplan Elite status; earning more Status Qualifying Dollars (SQD) at a higher base fare status.

Then, both passengers could move closer to status and earn more Aeroplan points in the process. However, the second passenger will receive fewer Status Qualifying Dollars (SQD) since his or her base fare paid is lower.

Then, you can use the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass at the Latitude Economy fare and use eUpgrade credits to business class. The benefits of an Aeroplan Elite status apply; for example, if both passengers have a 25K status, they could have immediate confirmation of the upgrade.

Companion pass cannot be used with premium cabin fares

Aeroplan Elite status benefits and upgrades apply if the traveller holds the appropriate status and the fare purchased allows it.

Air Canada

Since the dynamic pricing of tickets in Aeroplan points, prices have skyrocketed and this can be hard on the wallet when travelling together. So always calculate the value of the points before booking.

The Annual Worldwide Companion Pass can be a great alternative for obtaining business class tickets via eUpgrades, although a latitude economy class ticket can still cost several thousand dollars.

Here is an example between Montreal and Lisbon for a trip to Portugal in latitude:

Then you will need to use 44 eUpgrade credits (11 credits per segment, per person) in this case to upgrade to business class.

Using the famous technique of booking an award ticket in Economy Latitude and eUpgrade credits, we would still need 145,400 Aeroplan points per person.

And 360,000 Aeroplan points in business class per person when we are well ahead of schedule! Ideally, we hope to find availability directly in business class with a partner with ExpertFlyer to have a fixed fare of 120,000 Aeroplan points!

When comparing prices, we can see here that business class costs $5,548 per person for the same trip on the same dates.

So the choices to get to two business class tickets in this situation are:

• Use of the Annual Worldwide Companion Pass + $4,033 + 44 credits eUpgrades ;
• 290,800 Aeroplan points in latitude economy + $216 + 44 credits eUpgrades ;
• Pay 760,000 Aeroplan points in business class + $216 in taxes and fees ;
• Pay $11,096 for business class in cash.

The cheapest way to get the pass is to use the same credit cards that offer the possibility of earning eUpgrade credits.

The Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass can be a great tool for saving money when travelling together; with potential savings of $200 to $1,500 based on the examples in this article, there are situations that really advocate its use.

Since you need to make $25,000 in net purchases on your card to unlock it, a savings of $1,500 equals a 6% return on top of the rewards points on your purchases. Keep in mind that you are already earning Aeroplan points on this amount and that the savings generated by the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass are added to your “investment”.

Credit cards that offer this benefit are “premium” cards. So, they initially cater to people with a higher-than-average volume of purchases. For someone who has “only” $25,000 in annual purchases, I would instead suggest splitting your purchases across multiple credit cards as a strategy to give you the best return with your one $25,000.

On the other hand, if you have a huge amount of annual spending, it’s definitely a good idea to throw a little $25,000 (especially in the “other” category) at a card like the TD^MD Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Credit Card.

This amount will also be used to achieve Aeroplan Elite status! In this situation, you have so many expenses that it will be easy to divide the rest on other cards and maximize the various categories.

Then, in addition to granting an Annual Worldwide Companion Pass, there are a multitude of advantages for the holder and his or her tribe, including :

• Priority passage at security checkpoints in Canadian airports ;
• A first bag free of charge for the cardholder and each of his 8 companions on the same reservation;
• Priority baggage handling;
• Up to $100 discount on Nexus membership;
• Priority boarding in zone 2 to ensure you have room for your cabin baggage.

Then, with the rush in the airports, there is nothing better than having a drink in a Maple Leaf Lounge away from the crowd! These days, these benefits are highly coveted.

Plus, to get you started, these cards have generous welcome bonuses if you’re not yet convinced of their many benefits.

In any case, we must look at and compare all our opportunities.

Is it better to use an Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass or Aeroplan points?

In the Orlando example earlier in this article, we were able to determine that the total amount for two people is $1,292 with the use of the Annual Worldwide Companion Pass. Following a search for the same flights in Aeroplan points, we can see that the cost would be 97,200 points + $319 in taxes for two.

Therefore, we can calculate the valuation of the points as follows:

($1,292 – $319) ÷ 97,200 Aeroplan points x 100 = 1 cent / Aeroplan point

Given that 1 Aeroplan point is worth 1 cent in this example, this is well below Milesopedia’s valuation of 2 cents. In fact, the higher the value of an Aeroplan point is above 2 cents, the more worthwhile it is to use your points for travel.

So it’s much better to pay cash with the pass and keep your Aeroplan points at a higher value, for another trip.

In the case of Australia, two people will pay $3091.9 with the pass compared to 195,600 Aeroplan points + $352.90 in taxes.

($3,091.90 – $352.90) ÷ 195,600 Aeroplan points x 100 = 1.4 cents

Similarly, as long as I’m using my Aeroplan points at a 1.4 cent/point value, I prefer to save them for another situation. Then I would use the Air Canada Annual Worldwide Companion Pass.