Best Points Program in Canada: Which One to Choose for Your Trip
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The best points program for your trip is the one that costs you the least once taxes are converted into points. From Canada, you'll almost always compare Aeroplan, Flying Blue and Avios. With American Express Membership Rewards points, you don't have to choose in advance: they transfer 1:1 to all three.
Two mistakes cost you dearly: comparing points without counting taxes, and picking a program before you know where you're going. This guide helps you avoid both.
To earn this flexible currency day to day, the American Express Cobalt® Card gives you 5 points per dollar on groceries and restaurants. Here's the method we use, in seven steps, with a worked example to Nairobi.
The Best Points Program by Destination
Before you start searching, this table tells you where to look first when departing from Canada. It doesn't replace the step 4 calculation, but it saves you from digging through ten programs.
| Destination | Check first | Why | Also compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | Aeroplan | Air Canada and its Star Alliance partners serve most capitals, with a stopover available for 5,000 points | Flying Blue (Air France, KLM), stopover at no extra Miles |
| Africa | Aeroplan | Ethiopian Airlines, EgyptAir and Turkish Airlines, all Star Alliance members, cover the whole continent | Flying Blue (KLM, Air France, Kenya Airways), Avios (Qatar Airways) |
| Middle East and India | Avios (Qatar Airways) | Qatar Airways links Doha with India and the Gulf, with Qsuites in business class | Aeroplan (Star Alliance partners, Emirates) |
| Japan and South Korea | Aeroplan | Air Canada and ANA link Canada with Japan | Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific), Flying Blue (Korean Air) |
| United States and Hawaii | Aeroplan | United serves most U.S. cities | Avios (American Airlines, Alaska Airlines) |
| Mexico, Caribbean and Central America | Travel credit (flexible points) | Short flights and packages are often cheaper paid in cash | Aeroplan (Air Canada), Flying Blue (WestJet flights) |
| South America | Aeroplan | Avianca and Copa Airlines, Star Alliance members, cover the continent | Flying Blue (Air France, Aeroméxico) |
| Oceania | Aeroplan | Air Canada and Air New Zealand link Canada with Oceania | Avios (Qantas) |
Keep one nuance in mind: on Air Canada flights, the price in Aeroplan points follows the cash price, while partner flights cost a fixed number of points based on distance. In high season, a partner will often cost you fewer points for the same destination.
Aeroplan, Flying Blue or Avios: The Differences That Matter
All three programs take your Membership Rewards points at the same 1:1 ratio, but they don't work the same way. Here's what actually changes for you:
| Criterion | Aeroplan | Flying Blue | Avios (British Airways Club) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer from Membership Rewards | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Partner flight pricing | Fixed, based on distance | Varies by date, with discounted Promo Rewards | Based on the distance of each flight |
| Family sharing | Family Sharing: up to 8 members, shared balance | Flying Blue Family: up to 8 people | Household Account for members of the same household |
| Expiry | After 18 months with no earning or redeeming | 24 months, extended by any earning activity | After 3 years with no activity |
| Strength | Long-haul Star Alliance flights at fixed prices | Promo Rewards to Europe and North Africa | Short oneworld flights and Qatar Airways Qsuites |
In practice, we look at Aeroplan first for a long-haul business class trip, Flying Blue for Europe when a Promo Reward lands on your dates, and Avios for Qsuites or short flights. Our Aeroplan, Flying Blue and British Airways Club pages give you the details of each program.
Which Program Fits Your Profile
You Travel as a Family
Look at points sharing first. Aeroplan Family Sharing pools up to 8 verified members into a shared balance, and a booking by any one of them keeps everyone's account active. Flying Blue offers Flying Blue Family, for up to 8 people, and takes 25% off reward tickets for children aged 2 to 11 on Air France and KLM flights.
You Fly Often for Work
Keep two things apart: elite status and points. Status is earned mostly by flying, so credit your paid flights to the program of the airline you fly most, Aeroplan if it's Air Canada. Your credit card points then pay for your personal trips, and Membership Rewards points let you pick the program case by case.
You're New or Your Dates Aren't Set
Start with Membership Rewards points. They transfer to Aeroplan, Flying Blue and British Airways Club when you find a flight, and they pay for your ticket if cash is cheaper. You don't have to decide anything until you have a destination.
You Mostly Head South
For a package or a short flight to Mexico or the Caribbean, the cash price is often low. The travel credit on your Membership Rewards points, at 1,000 points per $10, will often serve you better than an award ticket.
1. Identify the Airlines Serving Your Destination
Let's say you dream of a safari in Africa, in Kenya. Before choosing a program, look up the routes to Nairobi, the capital.
The ideal tool for this is Flight Connections: it shows you every route, direct or with connections, to a given city.
From Toronto or Montreal, several hubs get you to Nairobi with a single connection, including Amsterdam, Paris, London, Istanbul and Doha.
You'll see that Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is well served: Kenya Airways, KLM, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, EgyptAir and Ethiopian Airlines all land there, among others.
By identifying the airlines, you find their alliances and the programs you can book them with. Nairobi is linked to all three major ones: Star Alliance, oneworld and SkyTeam.
2. Spot a Preferred Stopover or Airline
If you absolutely want to visit Egypt on the way, your choice of program is almost made.
To connect in Cairo, you'll fly EgyptAir, a Star Alliance member. You'll then most likely use Aeroplan and its 5,000-point stopover.
Likewise, if you're set on a specific aircraft or on Qatar Airways' Qsuites, you'll look at Avios and Qatar Airways Privilege Club.
3. Search the Price in Each Program
If you're willing to connect anywhere, the question becomes simple: which program makes you pay the least?
In our example, all three major alliances serve Nairobi. So we compare Aeroplan (Star Alliance), Flying Blue (SkyTeam) and Avios (oneworld).
Why these three? The options are endless, but we limit the search to these three programs because their points are easy to earn in Canada, directly or by transfer. For Qatar Airways, you transfer your points to British Airways Club, then move your Avios to Qatar Airways Privilege Club.
Here are the transfer ratios for American Express Membership Rewards points in Canada:
| Partner program | Ratio (Membership Rewards : partner points) |
|---|---|
| Aeroplan (Air Canada) | 1:1 |
| Flying Blue (Air France-KLM) | 1:1 |
| British Airways Club (Avios) | 1:1 |
| Hilton Honors | 1:1 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1.2 |
| Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific) | 1:0.75 |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1:0.75 |
| Etihad Guest | 1:0.75 |
For a complete search, repeat the exercise with Asia Miles, Delta SkyMiles, American Airlines AAdvantage or United MileagePlus. A tool like Roame searches availability across several programs at once.
Then run the search in each program for your dates. On Air Canada flights, the price in Aeroplan points follows the cash price: the same destination can cost you many more points in high season.
Also look up the lowest cash fare on Google Flights: it tells you whether your points are worth it or whether you'd better pay cash.
4. Convert Every Option Into Membership Rewards Points
Let's take a Montreal–Nairobi round trip in economy class. The figures below are ballpark numbers that illustrate the method: your own searches will give other prices depending on your dates.
| Program | Award price | Taxes and fees |
|---|---|---|
| Aeroplan | 100,000 points | $220 |
| Avios (Qatar Airways) | 85,000 Avios | $425 |
| Avios (British Airways) | 110,000 Avios | $665 |
| Flying Blue | 70,000 Miles | $500 |
| Cash | N/A | $1,180 |
The same Avios cost you more on British Airways than on Qatar Airways, in points and in fees. So we drop British Airways from the rest of the calculation.
Side by side, Flying Blue asks for the fewest points. But a Flying Blue Mile, an Aeroplan point and an Avios aren't worth the same, and taxes can double from one program to the next: you need to bring everything back to one currency.
Since your Membership Rewards points transfer 1:1 to all three programs and also pay for taxes, at 1,000 points per $10, we use them as the common currency. Each dollar of taxes is therefore worth 100 points in the calculation.
| Program | Calculation | Total in Membership Rewards points |
|---|---|---|
| Aeroplan | 100,000 + 22,000 | 122,000 |
| Avios (Qatar Airways) | 85,000 + 42,500 | 127,500 |
| Flying Blue | 70,000 + 50,000 | 120,000 |
| Cash | $1,180 × 100 | 118,000 |
In economy, your best move is therefore to pay the cash fare with your Membership Rewards points: it's the cheapest option, ahead of Flying Blue by 2,000 points.
We wouldn't redeem your Aeroplan points for this flight: each point would get you less than half of the 2¢ in our valuation.
Value per Aeroplan point: ($1,180 – $220) ÷ 100,000 × 100 = 0.96¢
In this example, you're better off keeping your flexible Membership Rewards points and applying them to a ticket paid in cash: 118,000 points cover the $1,180, versus 122,000 points through Aeroplan.
There are also a lot of other programs that will give you a statement credit when you redeem their points on flights you book in cash:
Points prices move from one date to the next: redo the math for your dates, it may point to a different winner.
Switching cabins can change everything. Here's the same exercise in business class:
| Program | Award price | Taxes and fees |
|---|---|---|
| Aeroplan | 165,000 points | $220 |
| Avios (Qatar Airways) | 170,000 Avios | $615 |
| Flying Blue | 190,000 Miles | $1,170 |
| Cash | N/A | $7,300 |
| Program | Calculation | Total in Membership Rewards points |
|---|---|---|
| Aeroplan | 165,000 + 22,000 | 187,000 |
| Avios (Qatar Airways) | 170,000 + 61,500 | 231,500 |
| Flying Blue | 190,000 + 117,000 | 307,000 |
| Cash | $7,300 × 100 | 730,000 |
Value per Aeroplan point: ($7,300 – $220) ÷ 165,000 × 100 = 4.29¢
In business class, Aeroplan wins clearly: it costs you the fewest Membership Rewards points, and each Aeroplan point is worth more than double our valuation of 2¢.
So there's no single answer: we recommend redoing this exercise for every trip and every set of dates. The right program is the one that wins the math that day.
5. Other Factors to Consider
If you want to combine two trips, such as Istanbul and a safari in Kenya, the Aeroplan stopover remains the most convenient route: 5,000 extra points, up to 45 days on the ground, in a city outside Canada and the U.S.
If Paris is your dream instead, Flying Blue's free stopover may suit you better. With Aeroplan, a Toronto or Montreal–Paris flight is often on Air Canada, whose price in points follows the cash price.
If you're travelling with a child aged 2 to 11, Flying Blue takes 25% off reward tickets on Air France and KLM flights, excluding Promo Rewards. Other programs charge you the full price, so redo the comparison with the right number of travellers.
Availability often settles it. If you're aiming for Turkey and East Africa but Turkish Airlines seats are nearly gone on Aeroplan, your Flying Blue Miles can get you to Nairobi with KLM via Amsterdam.
Also think about how easily you can earn the points. For Japan, for example, you'll often hear about Atmos Rewards, the Alaska Airlines program that replaced Mileage Plan, for booking Japan Airlines.
In Canada, these points remain harder to earn than Aeroplan points, which arrive 1:1 from your Membership Rewards. You can buy them during a promotion: if you do, add that option to your comparison.
Finally, look at where you spend. Costco only takes Mastercard in its warehouses, and Loblaw grocery stores such as Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, No Frills and Maxi don't accept American Express. If these stores take a big share of your budget, a card that earns the right program directly will pay you more.
For example, the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card works at Loblaws and No Frills and earns Aeroplan points directly. The National Bank World Elite® Mastercard® is accepted at Costco, and its NBC Rewards points work as a travel credit.
6. Tools That Search for You
If you'd rather not search program by program, award search tools do it for you: Seats.aero, point.me, AwardFares, Roame and ExpertFlyer. Our comparison of award flight search tools helps you pick yours.
These tools show you availability across several programs in a single search, but they don't do the math for you: always bring each option back to the same currency, taxes included. Most offer a limited free version and a paid subscription for alerts and extended searches.
Marriott Bonvoy points also transfer to many airline programs, usually at 3 points for 1 mile. We don't count on them for a flight: your Bonvoy points are worth far more in hotel nights.
7. Which Card Earns the Right Currency?
With Membership Rewards points, you don't need to pick your program in advance: they transfer to a handful of airline and hotel programs.
You decide where to transfer them when you're ready to book, once you've found availability.
And if the cash fare is cheaper, you apply your points to your statement at 1,000 points per $10 on travel charged to the card. Few currencies leave you this many ways out.
They suit you best if you have several trips in mind and dates that aren't set yet.
To earn them day to day, the American Express Cobalt® Card remains the simplest option. Its annual fee is $191.88 and here's what it earns you:
- 5 points per dollar on groceries, restaurants and food delivery, on up to $2,500 in purchases per month
- 3 points per dollar on streaming services
- 2 points per dollar on gas and local transit
- 1 point per dollar on everything else, travel included
Your Membership Rewards points transfer to eight partner programs, including Aeroplan, Flying Blue, British Airways Club, Asia Miles, Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors. The ratio table appears above, in step 3.
American Express also runs welcome offers that quickly top up your Membership Rewards balance before a big trip. The amounts change often: each card's page shows the current offer.
If you travel several times a year, the American Express Platinum Card® goes further: 2 points per dollar on dining and travel, access to more than 1,550 airport lounges and an annual $200 travel credit. Its annual fee is $799, so you need to use those benefits for the card to pay off.
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $799 |
Bottom Line: Convert Before You Choose
Choosing the best points program for your trip feels complicated at first. Think of it as choosing a currency: if someone asks you to pay $100, €100, £100 or ¥100, you convert everything into one currency before deciding. Your points compare the same way, taxes included.
With practice, you'll quickly know which program to turn to for a given trip. We still recommend redoing the math every time you book: that's what settles it.
In short, if you could keep only one currency, we would pick American Express Membership Rewards points. They transfer 1:1 to Aeroplan, Flying Blue and Avios, and they pay for your ticket when cash is cheaper. If American Express isn't accepted where you spend the most, earn the program of the airline you fly most often instead.
Best Points Program - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best points program for travel in Canada?
None wins everywhere. For most travellers, American Express Membership Rewards points offer the most flexibility: they transfer 1:1 to Aeroplan, Flying Blue and British Airways Club, or work as a travel credit at 1,000 points per $10. You pick the program when you book, not before.
Aeroplan, Flying Blue or Avios: which should I choose?
Aeroplan works best for long-haul Star Alliance flights, especially in business class, thanks to its fixed partner prices. Flying Blue becomes attractive for Europe when a Promo Reward lands on your dates. Avios are useful for short oneworld flights and for booking Qatar Airways Qsuites.
How do I compare two award flights from different programs?
Convert each option into one currency, taxes included. With Membership Rewards points, $1 in taxes is worth 100 points, so a 70,000-Mile award with $500 in taxes costs 120,000 points in total. The lowest option wins.
Is it better to pay for a flight with points or cash?
Work out the value you get: (cash price – award taxes) ÷ points required × 100. If the result is below our valuation of the program, for example 2¢ for Aeroplan, pay cash and save your points for a better opportunity.
Which points program is best for a family?
Aeroplan and Flying Blue both let up to 8 family members combine their points. Flying Blue adds 25% off reward tickets for children aged 2 to 11 on Air France and KLM flights. Still compare the total for the whole family, taxes included.
What are the American Express Membership Rewards transfer ratios?
Aeroplan, Flying Blue, British Airways Club and Hilton Honors transfer at 1:1. Marriott Bonvoy is at 1:1.2. Asia Miles, Delta SkyMiles and Etihad Guest are at 1:0.75.
How much does an Aeroplan stopover cost?
Each stopover adds 5,000 points to the award price. A stopover starts after 24 hours on the ground, can last up to 45 days and must be in a city outside Canada and the U.S.
Does Flying Blue offer a discount for children?
Yes. Flying Blue takes 25% off the Miles price of reward tickets for children aged 2 to 11 travelling with an adult, on Air France and KLM flights. The discount doesn't apply to Promo Rewards.
Which card should I choose if my grocery store doesn't take American Express?
Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, No Frills and other Loblaw grocery stores don't accept American Express, and Costco only takes Mastercard in its warehouses. A Visa or Mastercard that earns your target program directly, such as the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card or the National Bank World Elite® Mastercard® shown in step 5, will earn you more.
Do award flight search tools cost money?
Seats.aero, point.me, AwardFares and Roame offer a limited free version, then a subscription for alerts and extended searches. ExpertFlyer is mostly paid. Our comparison of award flight search tools, linked in step 6, details what each one covers.
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