Aeroplan Card: How to Get the 15% Discount on Your Rewards

Aeroplan credit cardholders get a 15% discount on the points required for an Air Canada flight reward, applied automatically once they are signed in. The discount covers the base fare in points, not the taxes, and only when every flight in a direction is operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or Air Canada Express.
The simplest way to use it is to hold an Aeroplan credit card: no registration, no promo code, the booking engine shows the reduced price on its own.
How the discount shows up when you book
The discount appears directly in the search results, with no extra step. Sign in to the Aeroplan account linked to your card, then choose to book with Aeroplan points.
While the results load, the booking engine states that cardholders save 15% on Air Canada flight rewards. Every eligible flight then carries two labels:

- "Exclusive savings for Aeroplan Cardholders", above the itinerary;
- "15% savings applied", above the price of each cabin.

The price already includes the discount, with no crossed-out price beside it. To measure the savings, run the same search while signed out.
A priced example on Toronto to Frankfurt
On a one-way Toronto to Frankfurt trip on December 19, 2026, an Air Canada non-stop flight costs 101,680 points plus $80 in Economy, discount included. The prices below are the ones displayed for that date to a cardholder.
| Itinerary | Operated by | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | 15% discount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-stop | Air Canada | 101,680 pts + $80 | 142,400 pts | 358,400 pts | Yes |
| Via Montreal | Air Canada | 91,600 pts + $85 | 134,100 pts | 336,500 pts (mixed cabin) | Yes |
| Via Munich | Air Canada and Lufthansa | 99,200 pts + $152 | 135,400 pts | 345,600 pts | No |
| Via Barcelona | Lufthansa | 84,300 pts + $149 | 122,300 pts | 317,200 pts | No |
On the non-stop flight, the Flex Reward fare costs 115,300 points and the Latitude Reward fare 144,200 points, both discounted as well.

What the discount saves, cabin by cabin
The discount is worth far more in Business Class than in Economy. On the December 19, 2026 non-stop flight, 15% takes off roughly 17,900 points in Economy, against nearly 63,200 points in Business Class. The 358,400 points displayed correspond to a regular price of about 421,600 points.
One Business Class booking to Europe therefore saves more points than three one-way Economy tickets on the same route.
A Montreal connection is worth 10,080 points
Accepting a connection drops the price from 101,680 to 91,600 points, a gap of 10,080 points. Taxes and fees rise from $80 to $85, five dollars more for one extra flight.
The trade-off is worth running whenever the schedule allows it, especially if the connection starts from your own city.
Which itineraries qualify
The discount is assessed direction by direction: the outbound and the return are priced separately. A direction flown entirely by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or Air Canada Express gets the reduction.
As soon as one flight in that direction is operated by a partner airline, the discount label disappears for the whole direction. In the example above, the itineraries routing through Munich on Lufthansa, through Vienna on Austrian Airlines or through Milan on Air Dolomiti show the regular price.
When a partner flight still costs less
The best price of the day comes from comparing both families of itineraries. Air Canada prices its own flight rewards according to demand, while partner flights follow a steadier chart.
On the Toronto to Frankfurt search for December 19, 2026, the cheapest itinerary routes through Barcelona on Lufthansa, at 84,300 points with no discount. That is 7,300 points below the best Air Canada option, at 91,600 points with the discount.
Three checks before booking:
- Sort by price rather than by recommended, so partner flights appear next to Air Canada flights.
- Look at the duration: the Barcelona routing takes 31 hours, with a layover of more than 21 hours.
- Add up the fees: they reach $149 on that partner itinerary, against $80 on the Air Canada non-stop.

When the lowest price in your search is a partner flight, the discount changes nothing to the cheapest number on the screen.
The choice between Air Canada and a partner comes down to one division. The Barcelona routing costs 7,300 points less but $64 more in fees. Paying those $64 to keep 7,300 points values each Aeroplan point at 0.88 cents.
Compare that threshold with the value you usually get from your points: above it, keep the points and pay the fees; below it, the discounted Air Canada flight wins.
Which Aeroplan card unlocks the discount
Every Canadian Aeroplan credit card unlocks the discount, including the one with no annual fee. The choice comes down to the other perks, above all the free first checked bag and Maple Leaf Lounge access.
- TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card: $139 annual fee, rebated the first year, free first checked bag, $60,000 personal income required. Welcome bonus up to 50,000 points, about $1,000 in value the first year, fees deducted.
- American Express Aeroplan Card: $120 annual fee, no minimum income. Bonus up to 45,000 points, about $780 the first year once the fee is deducted.
- CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card: no annual fee, the least expensive way in. Bonus of 10,000 points, about $200 the first year.
These figures use 2 cents per Aeroplan point, the reference value from our comparison tool.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to activate the 15% Aeroplan discount?
No. It applies automatically when you are signed in to the Aeroplan account linked to your credit card. It does not appear in the Offers section of your Aeroplan account, and there is no code to enter.
Does the discount apply to taxes and fees?
No. It only reduces the points of the base fare. Taxes, fees and carrier surcharges stay payable in cash, at the same amount as before.
Why did my points price stay the same?
Two possible reasons. Either your itinerary includes a flight operated by a partner airline, which cancels the discount for that direction. Or the lowest price in your search is itself a partner flight, which never received the discount.
How do you tell who operates each flight?
Open the details of the itinerary. The line naming travel operated by another carrier identifies the partner airline, and the green cardholder savings banner appears only on eligible directions.
Does the discount work on a mixed round trip?
Each direction is priced on its own. An outbound flown entirely by Air Canada keeps its reduction even when the return routes through a partner airline, and the total adds up both directions.
Does the no-fee CIBC Aeroplan card qualify?
Yes. The discount comes from holding a Canadian Aeroplan credit card, not from the tier of the card. A no-fee card and a Visa Infinite Privilege card get the same 15% reduction.
Does the discount apply in Business Class?
Yes. In the Toronto to Frankfurt example, the "15% savings applied" label shows on all three cabins: Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class.
Do you have to book on aircanada.com?
Yes, the booking happens in the Aeroplan flight reward engine while signed in. The discount cannot apply to a search run without signing in, since the system cannot see your card.
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