Travelling to the Maghreb using points and miles is an increasingly popular option for those wishing to save on travel, whether to visit the region or to visit family. Indeed, this region is particularly attractive to Canadians, especially those from the Maghreb community, which is well represented in Montreal and in other major cities across the country.
Airline and hotel loyalty programs offer an excellent opportunity to discover North Africa without breaking the bank. But how can you maximize your points for a trip to the Maghreb, and what are the most advantageous options? Discover the best strategies for travelling to the Maghreb while making the most of your miles and points.
The Maghreb refers to a region in north-west Africa, made up of several countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania. The region is known for its rich history, diverse landscapes, bustling souks, Mediterranean beaches, and vast deserts. Whether you’re drawn to culture, history or beaches, the Maghreb offers a multitude of opportunities for a memorable trip.
There are several ways to travel to the Maghreb countries in North Africa, using points and miles. All the major airlines, alliances and frequent flyer programs allow you to book award flights to this region, whether for a direct flight or a stopover.
Aeroplan AirCanada‘s frequent flyer program offers several interesting options for travelling to the Maghreb with points. Although Air Canada does not directly serve all Maghreb destinations, you can use your Aeroplan points to book direct flights to major cities such as Casablanca or Algiers.
And thanks to airline partners such as Lufthansa and Swiss, you can easily find connections with award flights to any city in the Maghreb.
Aeroplan works by zone and distance. Here are some examples:
These distances will determine the price in points of the plane ticket according to the following grid:
A flight to Casablanca costs 35,000 points, while a flight to Tunis costs 40,000 points, due to the greater distance between the two destinations, which puts Tunis in a higher price category.
It’s also important to note that flights operated by Air Canada are subject to dynamic pricing. So, while all seats are eligible to be booked with points, this is not the case for all airline partners. As a result, prices may sometimes be lower or higher than those originally planned. For example, the price may even be lower than the estimated 35,000 points.
As far as airline partners are concerned, with a few exceptions, award ticket prices remain fixed. However, it sometimes happens that there are no more seats available on these flights, which is why it’s important to book well in advance.
In business class, flights to North Africa start at 60,000 points one-way.
The major advantage of Aeroplan lies in its flexibility and the numerous options for booking award tickets with its airline partners. This allows you to maximize your points thanks to features such as the Aeroplan stopover, which lets you visit another city en route, or the possibility of booking tickets for babies at a reduced cost.
To earn enough Aeroplan points for your trip to the Maghreb, you can subscribe to one of these cards with generous bonuses:
Flying Blue, the Air France and KLM frequent flyer program, offers superb coverage for travel to the Maghreb. Air France offers direct flights to several popular destinations in the region, such as Marrakech, Casablanca and Tunis, making it easy to reach the Maghreb from Canada, via Paris or Amsterdam. Thanks to its extensive network, Flying Blue allows miles to be used for these routes, benefiting from particularly good flight coverage from Paris.
From Montreal, it is possible to reach popular Maghreb destinations such as Casablanca, Algiers and Tunis from 25,000 Flying Blue miles in economy class and 60,000 miles in business class. Taxes and fees can be significant, however, starting at around $200 per person compared to what you’d pay with the Aeroplan program.
However, it is important to note that Air France fares are dynamic, which means that they are not guaranteed and may vary according to the dates chosen. It is therefore advisable to book in advance, up to 1 year before the desired date, to maximize your chances of benefiting from these attractive fares.
For children aged 11 and under, Flying Blue offers a 25% discount on award tickets. This represents a great opportunity to save, especially for families travelling to the Maghreb.
In addition, Flying Blue offers monthly promotions called “Promo Rewards“, which sometimes offer substantial discounts on award flights to the Maghreb and other destinations. These promotions can enable you to travel at a much lower cost, making a trip to this region even more accessible. Keep a close eye on these offers to take advantage of the best opportunities.
To earn Flying Blue miles in Canada, you can subscribe to the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard® or transfer points from an American Express Membership Rewards card.
The Oneworld alliance is also an interesting option for travelling to the Maghreb with points, thanks in particular to British Airways Executive Club. Alliance member Royal Air Maroc offers direct flights to Casablanca, your gateway to major Maghreb destinations. British Airways also offers direct flights to several major Maghreb destinations, including Marrakech, Casablanca and Tunis. As a member of the Avios frequent flyer program, you can use your points to book award tickets on all these routes.
Indeed, a particularly advantageous option is the ability to book direct flights on Royal Air Maroc between Montreal and Casablanca. You can find tickets starting at 20,750 Avios points for a one-way economy class flight, and 62,000 Avios points for a business class flight. These rates are quite attractive, but it’s important to note that taxes and fees can be fairly high. In fact, fees amount to about $300 in economy class and $400 in business class, which can significantly increase the total cost of the trip.
However, despite these additional fees, using Avios for these journeys remains an attractive option, especially if you have already accumulated a substantial number of Avios points (or RBC Avion points, which are very easy to earn and can be transferred during promotions). What’s more, the possibility of finding direct flights with Royal Air Maroc adds extra comfort, reducing connections and flight times to Morocco, your gateway to the Maghreb. In fact, you can use your Avios points to fly to any other destination in the Maghreb with Royal Air Maroc.
American Express Membership Rewards and RBC Avion Rewards are transfer partners that make it very easy to earn Avios in Canada, in addition to the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite, where you can earn Avios directly. Plus, there are recurring transfer bonuses to look out for.
Some credit cards and rewards programs, such as NBC Rewards, Scene+, CIBC Aventura, TD Rewards, and many others, offer the possibility of using travel points to book flights to the Maghreb. These programs are particularly advantageous, as they are much more flexible than traditional loyalty programs, not being limited to a single airline or alliance.
In fact, you can use your points to book tickets on flights operated by a variety of airlines, giving you greater choice and the freedom to compare the options available. Plus, some of these programs allow you to use your points as a credit on your account, which can be applied to reimburse part or all of your airfare purchase.
This flexibility is particularly useful in situations where the use of points from airline programs is not optimal. Indeed, the value of airline points can vary, and it is not always advantageous to use them if their exchange value is low at a given moment. In this case, it may be preferable to keep the points for later use, when their value will be more attractive, and to pay in cash.
However, “paying cash” doesn’t necessarily mean taking money out of your pocket. It actually means turning to other types of points or cash back, which can be used to reimburse the purchase of your plane ticket, making the process more flexible and often more advantageous in the short term.
Here’s an example of how NBC Rewards points can be used to purchase a flight to Algiers on Air Algérie, which flies direct from Montreal, but is not a member of the major alliances that use Aeroplan, Flying Blue, or Avios.
Choosing the best points program for travel to the Maghreb depends on several important criteria: availability of award seats, ease of points accumulation and flexibility of booking options. Programs such as Aeroplan, Flying Blue, and Avios offer unique benefits depending on your priorities. Added to this are more flexible points programs, which can be tailored to your specific needs.
The key lies in how your travel goals align with the points accumulation opportunities offered by each program. Programs vary in their approach to earning and using miles, which can have a direct impact on your travel experience.
If you want to optimize your search and quickly identify the best points offers for your departure dates, tools like Roame can be particularly useful. They make it easy to compare the options available and find the most advantageous program for your trip.
In addition to flights, you can also book accommodation in the Maghreb with your points. Several international hotel chains, such as Marriott, Accor or Hilton, offer attractive options in must-see cities such as Marrakech, Casablanca or Tunis. Programs such as Marriott Bonvoy, Accor Live Limitless or Hilton Honors allow you to redeem your points for quality stays.
Here are a few examples of Marriott hotels where you can redeem your points:
You could also benefit from discounted rooms, such as with the fifth night free in points with Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors, which is a great way to maximize your use of points.
What’s more, annual one-night free certificates can be particularly advantageous in certain destinations. For as little as $120 or $150 when you renew your Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card and Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card, you’ll enjoy exceptional value when you use them for a stay at selected hotels.
If you’re looking for something more authentic or local, travel points programs like those from NBC Rewards or TD Prime also offer the option of booking independent hotels, traditional riads, or Airbnbs in the major cities of the Maghreb. These programs are highly flexible, allowing you to transform your points into travel credits, which can be used for any type of travel-related expense, giving you greater freedom in your choice of accommodation.
The Maghreb is an accessible destination thanks to the use of points and miles. Whether with Aeroplan, Flying Blue, Avios, or a travel points program, there are many options for organizing a trip to this magical region. By optimizing your points for flights and accommodations, you can explore this part of the world while making significant savings. Be sure to plan ahead and compare the various options to make the most of your rewards.
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