Flying Blue vs Aeroplan for Flights to Europe

Planning a trip and trying to decide between the Flying Blue vs Aeroplan rewards programs for travel to Europe? This guide offers a detailed comparison of their networks, the number of points required, fees, and special offers to help you maximize your miles and minimize your costs. Find out which option gives Canadian travellers the best value for their points.

Flying Blue vs Aeroplan Network to Europe

The first major difference between Flying Blue and Aeroplan for travel to Europe is the size and reach of their networks.

Flying Blue is part of the SkyTeam alliance. From Canada, the direct connections offered are limited:

With a connection through a European hub like Paris or Amsterdam, your options increase significantly. However, for direct flights, the selection remains more limited.

Aeroplan, on the other hand, relies on Air Canada and the vast Star Alliance network. The result: a significantly wider choice of non-stop transatlantic connections from several Canadian cities, including Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver, to dozens of major European destinations (Frankfurt, Zurich, Lisbon, Rome, etc.). Partners like Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, or TAP Air Portugal complete this direct flight coverage.

Points Required: Flying Blue vs Aeroplan to Europe

Flying Blue applies a fully dynamic award chart. One of the biggest advantages of this program is that adding a connection to another European city does not increase the price, even if the distance travelled is greater. This flexibility makes it a considerable asset for those who wish to combine several destinations on the same trip.

Specifically, you can generally expect to pay:

Let’s look at an example: if you book a Montreal-Paris flight and then add a Paris-Rome segment to reach Italy, the cost in miles remains the same, even if the itinerary now includes two segments and an increased distance. This feature makes Flying Blue particularly interesting for exploring several European cities during a single trip. Here’s an example in Economy Class:

For Aeroplan, the logic is different. The program combines a dynamic award chart for flights operated by Air Canada and a fixed award chart for most Star Alliance partners such as Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, or TAP Air Portugal. Here, pricing is based on the total distance travelled. Consequently, adding a connection can increase the price in points, especially when mixing several carriers.

Typical price ranges are as follows:

It is therefore entirely possible to find a direct flight between Canada and Europe, for example Montreal-Lisbon, for less than 35,000 points in Economy Class, as Air Canada’s pricing is dynamic. Conversely, a Business Class ticket on Air Canada can easily exceed 60,000 points, while an itinerary with a partner like TAP Portugal will remain at the established fixed rate, making it more predictable and easier to plan.

Even if the cost in miles for a one-way economy flight seems lower with Flying Blue compared to Aeroplan, it is essential to consider the real value of the points before deciding. To compare on a fair basis, convert everything to American Express Membership Rewards, since the transfer rate is not identical:

So, if you’re choosing between a flight for 25,000 Flying Blue miles and another for 30,500 Aeroplan points for a one-way to Paris, here’s the real calculation:

This exercise clearly demonstrates that, once converted to the same points currency, Aeroplan practically requires fewer Membership Rewards points for the same itinerary.

Flying Blue Promo Rewards vs Aeroplan to Europe

One of the main advantages of the Flying Blue program is its monthly Promo Rewards. Every month, Air France-KLM releases a new list of cities with significant discounts on the number of miles required for a reward flight. These deals are especially popular among Canadian travellers who can plan ahead or have some flexibility in their travel dates.

In practice, these promotions usually grant between 25% and 50% off the mileage rate, and they can apply to economy class, Premium Economy class, or even business class, depending on the routes highlighted that month. Destinations vary constantly, making it possible to regularly find deals to Europe and even beyond.

For example, in August 2025, one-way Europe-Montreal connections were available from 18,750 Flying Blue miles, representing a discount of approximately 25% compared to the regular fare. For a couple or a family, the total savings can amount to tens of thousands of miles on a single trip.

To compare effectively with Aeroplan, it’s useful to convert this offer into American Express Membership Rewards points to determine the best program. Since the transfer rate to Flying Blue is 1:0.75, a ticket for 18,750 Flying Blue miles represents approximately 25,000 Membership Rewards points. This calculation puts the real value of the promotion into perspective for those who primarily earn this type of points.

Conversely, Aeroplan does not offer an equivalent promotion where the number of points required for an award flight is temporarily reduced; there is no official monthly discount program comparable to Flying Blue’s Promo Rewards.

Taxes and Fees to Pay

When redeeming miles for a ticket with Flying Blue, you should expect variable taxes, fees, and surcharges depending on the cabin. The higher the service class you travel in, the higher the bill. Generally, you can expect to pay between $100 and $350 per person per direction, depending on the class booked and the airports involved.

For example, for a Montreal–Paris itinerary, fees amount to approximately €110 in Economy Class and €230 in Business Class, which is equivalent to about $160 to $335 depending on the current exchange rate.

With Aeroplan, the pricing of taxes and fees is much more stable. On the same route, the cost remains practically identical, regardless of the chosen cabin, whether you travel in economy, Premium Economy, or business. This makes budget planning simpler, as the price in points and dollars is predictable.

The difference becomes even more apparent when looking at the return journey from Paris to Montreal (taxes and fees vary by route and are often dictated by the country itself). With Flying Blue, fees rise to approximately €166 in Economy Class and reach €386 in Business Class, which can represent over $550 for a one-way premium cabin ticket.

Aeroplan also imposes higher airport taxes departing from Paris than from Canada, but the amounts remain lower than those required by Flying Blue for a comparable ticket.

There are other countries that impose higher taxes when departing from them (such as the United Kingdom, Germany, etc.), but with Aeroplan, it’s also possible to avoid them by using a different departure point compared to Flying Blue, where there are fewer options.

Families: Children and Infants Flying Blue vs Aeroplan to Europe

When travelling as a family, the rules for children, especially for infants travelling on a parent’s lap, can have a significant impact on the total cost of a reward ticket. In this area, Aeroplan and Flying Blue have very different policies, which directly affect how much parents will pay.

Aeroplan stands out for its simple, transparent, and particularly advantageous policy for families travelling with young children.

Aeroplan charges a flat rate of 2,500 points per one-way trip for infants, regardless of the distance, destination, or itinerary. This rate applies to all cabins, from economy to business class, which can mean significant savings on long transatlantic flights.

Another notable advantage: booking an infant using this fixed rate can be done directly online, without having to contact customer service.

Once the child is 2 years old or older, Aeroplan requires the same number of points as an adult, which eliminates any specific reduced pricing for children. For large families, this can quickly increase the total points required, especially during peak season.

Flying Blue adopts a more complex pricing structure, which can be advantageous in some cases, particularly for children between 2 and 11 years old, but significantly less appealing for infants.

Unlike Aeroplan, Flying Blue does not offer a fixed mileage rate for infants. An infant travelling on a parent’s lap will be charged about 10% of the adult ticket price, plus any applicable taxes and fees.

This means that:

Flying Blue does, however, offer a significant advantage: award tickets for children benefit from a 25% reduction compared to the adult fare (excluding Promo Rewards). For a family, this reduction can generate significant savings, especially when booking multiple tickets in Economy Class or even Business Class on a long transatlantic flight.

Stops

One of the major benefits of Flying Blue is the ability to book a stopover lasting anywhere from 24 hours to one year on a reward ticket. This feature can be added at no extra cost, making it a great option for travellers looking to visit multiple destinations. For example, you can plan a flight from Montreal to Paris to Rome and spend a few days in Paris before continuing to your final destination in Europe, all without using any additional Flying Blue miles.

This flexibility lets you explore two or more cities on the same transatlantic trip, maximizing the value of your miles. It’s especially beneficial for travellers who want to visit a major European capital before heading to a more remote region or another country.

With Aeroplan, the stopover option is also available, but with a slightly different structure. You can add a stopover of up to 45 days on a reward itinerary for a fixed supplement of 5,000 Aeroplan points. This pricing remains attractive for those looking to plan multi-city vacations, especially since the Star Alliance network offers a much wider selection of direct flights from Canada. This opens up more possibilities for European stopovers, such as Frankfurt, Zurich, Lisbon, or Vienna, in addition to the more traditional destinations.

In practice, the choice between the two programs will depend on your strategy: Flying Blue stands out for its completely free stopover, while Aeroplan shines with the diversity of its European hubs and the simplicity of its fixed fee for adding a stopover.

Availability and Searchability: Flying Blue vs Aeroplan to Europe

Flying Blue regularly releases reward seats, but its pricing is fully dynamic. One of its biggest advantages is its search tool: you can view a full calendar for an entire month and quickly scroll through several months at once. This makes it very easy to spot the lowest fares at a glance.

With Aeroplan, all Air Canada seats can be booked with points, but pricing is also dynamic. However, the search tool is less user-friendly: there is no calendar view available. Instead, you have to use a scroll bar that only shows a few days around your selected date. For Star Alliance partner flights, award availability is limited to a set number of reward seats, and searches are also done without a monthly view, making it harder to find the best deals.

Quick tip: regardless of the program, using a third-party tool like Roame can be smart. It allows you to simultaneously search multiple itineraries and compare the two programs, without being limited to a single route or booking site.

Flying Blue vs Aeroplan Earning

Both programs are partnered with several Canadian credit cards. In fact, the common source is your American Express Membership Rewards points, which can be transferred to either Flying Blue or Aeroplan. The transfer ratios are different, but with a credit card like the American Express Cobalt Card, this means you can get up to:

Then, if you want to earn a lot of Membership Rewards points fast, consider looking at the generous Amex welcome bonuses.

Then, there are the co-branded cards for each program:

Earning via credit cards is the easiest, fastest, and most sustainable way, but it’s also possible to earn miles and points on flights and through partners (hotels, car rentals, retailers).

Bottom Line

Aeroplan stands out thanks to its extensive selection of direct flights, easier points earning, and generally lower fees. However, Flying Blue still has major advantages, including its monthly Promo Rewards and discounts for children aged 2 to 11, two features that can make a big difference for flexible travellers.

Depending on your priorities, whether you want to reduce costs, maximize points earning, or enjoy more flexible routes, it’s best to use your American Express Membership Rewards points strategically and keep an eye out for promotions to get the best value for your flights to Europe.