Air Canada’s Aeroplan program is a goldmine of sweetspots for booking discounted business class flights using points. Whether within North America or to Asia, Europe or Oceania, these valuable sweetspots allow you to enjoy a comfortable journey while saving significantly.
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card you can earn up to 140,000 Aeroplan points as a welcome bonus, an excellent way to finance one or more of these business class itineraries. A personal version of this card, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card is also available with up to 130,000 bonus Aeroplan points. For a couple or a family, this represents an opportunity to earn double the points!
Here are the best routes to aim for with your Aeroplan points.
Although we often associate the best value for money with international travel, there are also excellent business class opportunities for domestic and cross-border flights within North America, notably with Air Canada.
Thanks to dynamic pricing, it’s possible to book a business class flight for as little as 15,000 Aeroplan points one-way on routes like Montreal-Toronto, but it’s not worth it given the short distance involved.
However, prices can be reasonable on longer distances such as Montreal – Vancouver, when compared with the cash price. In practice, it’s more realistic to find this type of trip for as little as 25,000 points, which is still a very good price for crossing the country comfortably.
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card welcome bonus, you can earn enough points for two round-trip business class tickets within North America.
Not all business class flights are created equal. On single-aisle aircraft (such as Airbus A220s or Boeing 737s), the business cabin features wide reclining seats, with more space and better service than economy class, but no flatbed.
The true sweet spot occurs when Air Canada deploys a wide-body aircraft on North American routes. Certain flights between major cities (such as Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, or even Los Angeles) are sometimes operated by Boeing 777s, Boeing 787s, or Airbus A330s. These planes offer a long-haul business class cabin with fully flat-bed seats.
To easily identify the type of aircraft used, consult the cabin plan at the time of booking, or use a tool like ExpertFlyer. If you see a 1-2-1 configuration or individual seats that can be converted into beds, you’re on a wide-body aircraft, this is where your Aeroplan points truly shine.
Europe presents one of the best value regions to use your Aeroplan points, especially when departing from major eastern Canadian airports like Montreal or Toronto. Thanks to the many routes offered by Air Canada’s Star Alliance partners, it’s possible to travel in business class at a very competitive fixed fare, starting from just 60,000 points for a one-way trip.
Here are some concrete examples of sweetspots:
The above itineraries are operated by Air Canada partners, which means that their pricing is fixed in the Aeroplan program. Unlike Air Canada flights, which use dynamic pricing (the points price can vary considerably according to demand), flights with partners such as SWISS, TAP or Turkish are always offered at the same points fare, as long as a seat is available.
A single subscription to the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card can cover a round trip in business class to Europe. Take advantage of this opportunity to discover Zurich, Lisbon or Vienna in total comfort.
Don’t forget that you can add a stopover for just 5,000 Aeroplan points on international flights, allowing you to visit Zurich and Vienna on a single ticket, for example.
If you see available seats but not enough for your group during your online search, make sure to call the Aeroplan center. Sometimes, there are discrepancies in the displayed inventory. We’ve noticed this happening with TAP, so be vigilant.
This is undoubtedly one of the most coveted itineraries in the Aeroplan program. From Vancouver or Seattle, you can fly direct to Tokyo in business class with All Nippon Airways (ANA) for just 55,000 Aeroplan points one-way.
ANA is renowned for offering one of the best business class experiences in the world. The essence of Japanese refinement is also reflected in the onboard meals, which are always elegantly presented and include both local gourmet and Western options.
This fare of 55,000 points is particularly appealing because it is fixed, without variation, as the flight is operated by an Aeroplan partner carrier. It allows travelers from Western Canada to fly to Japan in optimal conditions without having to spend an astronomical amount of points.
However, these ANA business class flights are generally not available via the Aeroplan website. You have to use a little trick: search for availability on Roame by selecting the United Mileage Plus program, where ANA shares its award seats with its Star Alliance partners. Once you’ve located an available business class flight, simply call the Aeroplan contact center to make the reservation. It’s a bit more work, but well worth it.
This flight, which costs 110,000 United Mileage miles, can be booked with just 55,000 Aeroplan points.
An interesting alternative, particularly during the summer, is Air Canada’s direct flight between Vancouver and Osaka, offered from May to October. This seasonal flight may be a good option for those with Aeroplan Elite status, since the business cabin is accessible using eUpgrades especially if you book a Latitude ticket with points or cash. With a little luck and a little flexibility, it is therefore possible to travel in business class on this flight at a lower cost.
India is a fascinating destination, but one that is often difficult to reach due to distance and the high cost of tickets, especially in business class. Fortunately, it is possible to book a business class flight to cities such as Delhi or Mumbai from as little as 90,000 Aeroplan points from Montreal, Toronto or Ottawa.
This fare applies when you travel with Star Alliance partners. You can also fly via other European hubs, such as Zurich with SWISS, Vienna with Austrian Airlines or Munich with Lufthansa.
This sweetspot is particularly valuable as business class tickets to India are rarely cheap when paying cash. Even economy class tickets can be quite expensive! By using your points, you get exceptional value while enjoying a pleasant and relaxing journey. Air Canada operates direct flights to India from Canada, but the prices are often exorbitant.
Business class travel to Southeast Asia with a stopover in Europe or the Maldives is not only possible with Aeroplan, it’s also great value. A basic flight from Canada to Southeast Asia costs 87,500 Aeroplan points. This is already a very attractive fare to fly this far in business class.
However, you can also build a multi-continent itinerary for as little as 92,500 Aeroplan points (including the price of the stopover) one-way in business class. Doing so maximizes the use of your points.
In fact, a flight between Montreal and Zurich requires 60,000 points in business class. So, if you want to visit Switzerland (or any other destination in Europe) as well as Southeast Asia, combining these two trips is optimal for your (points) wallet.
Example of possible itineraries:
These routes, operated entirely by fixed partner carriers, remain under the 11,000-mile total distance threshold.
Even more impressive: it’s possible to visit the Maldives without paying the big bucks. In fact, a one-way ticket from Canada to Malé normally costs 110,000 points if booked as your final destination, in business class since you live in the Atlantic zone. But by designating Singapore as your main destination (Pacific zone) and Malé as your stopover, you can create an itinerary like Montreal – Istanbul – Malé – Singapore, all for just 87,500 points + 5,000 points for the stopover.
It’s an excellent way to maximize your points and enjoy two totally different experiences: the seaside luxury of the Maldives and the urban dynamism of Singapore. The latter is also an excellent gateway to Southeast Asia, with numerous low-cost connections to popular destinations such as Bangkok, Bali, Kuala Lumpur, etc.
Another advantage: as Singapore is located in the Pacific zone of the Aeroplan chart, distances from Canada often fall into a more economical bracket than routes to other Asian cities. This not only allows you to make an optimized stopover, but also to save points while travelling far. Indeed, there are many low-cost airlines serving the region from the Singapore hub.
These distant destinations become more easily accessible thanks to maps like the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card, which can give you a significant boost to reach 92,500 points in no time.
In addition to transcontinental long-haul routes, Aeroplan also offers excellent opportunities on regional flights in Asia, which are often underestimated. Although these routes are shorter, they offer the comfort of business class at a very attractive cost in points.
Here are some examples:
These routes offer a premium experience on flights longer than 5 hours.
These flights are perfect to incorporate into a multi-destination itinerary for exploring several Asian regions with an Aeroplan stopover. For example, an itinerary including Seoul, Tokyo, Bangkok, and Singapore can be crafted with low-cost individual segments, all while staying in business class.
South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia and Namibia are dream destinations for travellers looking for adventure, wildlife and ancient cultures. But these destinations are often among the most expensive to reach, especially in business class. While the Maghreb and North Africa are more affordable, destinations further south can be very expensive. This is where Aeroplan becomes an indispensable part of our strategy: it’s possible to reach many parts of Africa in optimum comfort from as little as 90,000 points, by choosing the right routes and partner carriers.
Examples of business class sweetspots to Africa:
What makes these tickets even more attractive is Aeroplan’s pricing logic: Africa is classified in the Atlantic zone of its award chart. This makes it possible to travel to the very end of the continent, to Cape Town, for example, at prices that remain stable and competitive.
Oceania, particularly Australia and New Zealand, ranks among the most sought-after destinations and the hardest to book with points. These are very long journeys with few direct flights from Canada, making business class seats highly coveted, especially when they are available at a fixed rate.
With Aeroplan, it is possible to book tickets to Sydney or Auckland in business class from as little as 75,000 points from the West Coast of Canada, including Vancouver. These routes fall within the 5,001 to 7,500 mile range, which corresponds to the lowest fixed rate in Aeroplan’s chart for long-haul flights with partners.
Examples of itineraries:
However, you need to be careful, as United also applies dynamic pricing on its points seats, which can make the price rise unpredictably.
To maximize your chances, it’s advisable to use specialized tools such as Roame to track open availability with partners such as Air New Zealand, whose business class seats are rare but not impossible to find. Patience and flexibility, including traveling on weekdays or targeting off-peak periods, are essential strategies.
Another important point: keep to the total distance of the trip. If your itinerary exceeds 7,500 miles, the rate climbs to 87,500 points, which is still reasonable for the distance covered, but puts you one step further up the scale. Sometimes it’s better to opt for a more direct route, even with a long stopover, than to accumulate too many segments and blow up the distance.
Flights between Asia and Oceania also offer excellent optimization opportunities with Aeroplan. These inter-regional routes cover long distances (often more than 8-9 flight hours) while remaining within very accessible point ranges.
Here are a few sample itineraries:
These flights are often overlooked, but they’re very important connections to know about, because we’re talking about quite a long flight after all. They’re particularly useful for linking a trip to Asia with a getaway to Oceania, or as segments of a round-the-world itinerary.
The Middle East is attracting more and more travellers, whether for a stopover in Dubai or to explore the cultural treasures of Abu Dhabi, Muscat or Doha. While these destinations often conjure up images of luxury, the cost of business class tickets can quickly escalate, unless you use your Aeroplan points wisely. From Eastern Canada, you can book a business class flight to the Middle East for as little as 90,000 points one-way.
The key is to take advantage of Star Alliance partners, in particular Turkish Airlines or Lufthansa Group carriers (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines), which efficiently serve this region with an abundance of possible connections in Europe. For example, a typical itinerary such as Montreal – Munich – Muscat or Montreal – Istanbul – Abu Dhabi fits perfectly into Aeroplan’s 90,000-point fixed fare grid, as long as the journey remains under 8,000 miles.
Aeroplan also allows you to book flights with Etihad Airways, a highly popular partner. Although Etihad is now also subject to dynamic pricing, it’s still possible to find reasonable prices, especially if you’re flexible about your dates.
To maximize your chances of stumbling across good availability, tools like Roame can help you create alerts and monitor premium seat openings.
South America evokes spectacular landscapes, vibrant culture and cities rich in history. But it’s also a remote destination, where a direct flight can take more than 10 hours, making business class a real asset for comfortable travel. With Aeroplan, it’s possible to get there for as little as 50,000 points one-way, an excellent sweetspot for travellers.
Thanks to partnerships with Avianca and Copa Airlines, you have access to a wide range of routes to key cities like Bogotá, Lima, Buenos Aires, Santiago, and São Paulo. These flights are often available with just one stop from Montreal, Toronto, or Vancouver, and in business class.
A simple subscription to the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card or the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card could get you a round-trip business-class ticket to Bogotá or Lima.
Routes to consider:
Partner airlines like Avianca and Copa provide excellent connectivity from their hubs in Bogotá and Panama City, with flights to several secondary destinations in South America. This opens up opportunities for off-the-beaten-path discoveries in the comfort of business class, without spending more points than a typical transcontinental flight.
Have you ever dreamed of traveling around the world in business class without spending a fortune? Thanks to the advantageous rules of the Aeroplan program, this dream can become a reality for around 185,000 points. By crafting an itinerary that combines multiple continents, extended stopovers, and optimal comfort throughout the journey, you can enjoy a luxurious global adventure.
This type of itinerary is based on two fundamental pillars of the Aeroplan program:
Think 185,000 points is a lot? You can accumulate up to 140,000 bonus Aeroplan points when you sign up for the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card, you’re already well on your way to a world tour. With the personal version of the card too, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card, you’ll have plenty of points for your journey!
Segment 1: Montreal → Zurich (1st extended stopover) → Istanbul (layover < 24 h, free of charge) → Bangkok (final destination)
Total cost: 92,500 Aeroplan points (87,500 + 5,000 points for the stopover)
Segment 2: Singapore → Dubai (stopover < 24 h, free of charge) → Cairo (2nd extended stopover) → Munich (layover < 24 h, free of charge) → Montreal (final destination)
Combine the two segments and you’ve got a real round-the-world trip in business class for around 185,000 Aeroplan points, while enjoying two extended stops in fascinating destinations (Zurich and Cairo, in this example), as well as several strategic stopovers while pushing as far as you can and staying under 11,000 miles per segment, you can stay within the desired bracket.
This sweetspot is particularly interesting for several reasons. Firstly, the value obtained per point is exceptional. Indeed, when you compare the monetary cost of a similar round-the-world trip in business class, which often exceeds $10,000, the savings achieved by using your Aeroplan points is quite simply remarkable.
Secondly, this option offers great flexibility in the construction of the itinerary: you can choose your stopovers according to your personal preferences, whether cultural, gastronomic or relaxing, as long as the total distance remains within the targeted fare band. Simply adhere to and maximize Aeroplan’s award rules to make the most of your journey.
Here’s another example of an itinerary with Africa and South America at 230,000 points:
Segment 1: Montreal → Munich (1st extended stopover) → Johannesburg (final destination)
Total cost: 115,000 Aeroplan points (110,000 + 5,000 points for the stopover)
Segment 2: Cape Town → Sao Paulo (layover < 24 h, free of charge) → Bogota (2nd extended stopover) → Montreal (final destination)
Considering that a round trip in business class between Montreal and South Africa costs around 220,000 Aeroplan points, it’s quite remarkable to be able to add stopovers in Europe and Colombia, for example, for just 10,000 extra points. And all in business class from start to finish!
The best tool to help you sketch out your round-the-world trip is Flight Connections. Then, to optimize this type of booking, it’s best to use tools like Great Circle Mapper to precisely calculate distances between segments, and Roame to locate award availability on airline partners. Everything can then be booked online or, in some cases, via the Aeroplan contact center.
Finding business class award tickets, especially with popular partners such as ANA or Singapore Airlines, can be a laborious task. Fortunately, tools like Roame make the task much simpler for travellers who want to maximize their points.
Roame is an award availability search platform that allows you to identify at a glance the seats offered by several frequent flyer programs, including those of Star Alliance member carriers. Even if you book via Aeroplan, Roame is particularly useful for locating flights available on both Aeroplan and United MileagePlus, whose inventories are often synchronized.
Here’s how to use it effectively:
3. Analysis of results: Roame will show you the available flights, the operating airline, the number of award seats, and an estimate of taxes and surcharges.
In most cases, Aeroplan results are sufficient. However, some partners like ANA may not always display on Aeroplan, even though they are visible on MileagePlus. That’s why it’s a good idea to check both programs.
SkyView uses cached data, which makes searching broader and faster, especially when activating multiple sources.
4. Alert creation: If no availability matches your criteria, create a personalized alert. You will be automatically notified as soon as a seat becomes available.
5. Book with Aeroplan: Once you’ve located a flight, even if it only appears via MileagePlus, try to find it on the Air Canada website.
If it is not visible, contact the Aeroplan call center with full details (date, itinerary, flight number). Agents can sometimes access availabilities that do not appear online.
Use Roame to monitor the most competitive itineraries mentioned in this article, such as flights to Japan with ANA or to Oceania via Air New Zealand. This saves you hours of checking the Aeroplan website and gives you a head start when availability opens up.
Here are some simple but important strategies to master to maximize the use of your Aeroplan points, especially in business class:
Travelling in business class with your Aeroplan points is not only possible, it’s one of the best ways to get maximum value from your rewards. The Aeroplan program is full of business class sweetspots that are well worth exploring.
The first step to these luxury trips? Earn enough points. And to get there quickly and efficiently, there’s nothing more strategic than signing up for a American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card, whether personal or corporate. These cards offer generous welcome bonuses, highly attractive accumulation rates and a host of benefits such as access to Maple Leaf lounges and free first baggage.
Savings are here (if you don’t see the sign-up form, please click here):
