To the point
Aeroplan members can now redeem Aeroplan points with SunExpress of Turkey.
New Air Canada Partner
SunExpress is the new Aeroplan partner! The Turkish airline follows a long list of new Aeroplan airline partners over the past two years: Aeromar, Air Mauritius, Oman Air, Gulf Air, Eurowings Discover, Air Dolomiti, Virgin Australia, Vistara, Azul, Air Serbia, Etihad. And it is the second Turkish airline to partner with Aeroplan (the other being Turkish Airlines via Star Alliance).
SunExpress is a joint venture between Lufthansa Group and Turkish Airlines. You will be able to use points for travel with SunExpress beginning November 8, 2022.
Founded in 1989, SunExpress is based in Antalya, Turkey.
According to Flightconnections, SunExpress serves 90 destinations with 62 aircraft:
How to use Aeroplan points with SunExpress
You can’t earn Aeroplan points with SunExpress. However, you can redeem your points for a flight with this airline!
Here are the details you need to know about booking Aeroplan award tickets on SunExpress:
- Flights are priced according to Aeroplan’s airline partner pricing
- Members will be able to book SunExpress flights on aircanada.com, on the Air Canada mobile app or through the Aeroplan Centre
- These flights may be combined with flights operated by Air Canada or other international airline partners
Here is the price list in the Atlantic zone:
Based on the Aeroplan reward chart and a quick calculation via the GCMAP tool, here are some examples of fares you can get with SunExpress using your Aeroplan points:
| Departure | Arrival | Distance | Cost in Aeroplan points |
| Antalya AYT | Tel Aviv TLV | 409 miles | 7,500 points |
| Antalya AYT | Paris CDG | 1,640 miles | 12,500 points |
| Antalya AYT | Dubai DXB | 1,653 miles | 12,500 points |
| Antalya AYT | Edinburgh | 2,056 miles | 25,000 points |
As you can see, flights to/from Antalya will be priced between 7,500 points and 25,000 points as this is a fixed fare for Aeroplan partners and is a short distance. Don’t forget that it may be worthwhile to include an Aeroplan stopover on your international flight for 5,000 points.
This means, for example, that with a welcome offer like the one currently in effect with the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, you could get multiple tickets from Antalya to several destinations in Europe and the Middle East with SunExpress using your Aeroplan points!
Bottom line
Now that the pandemic is behind us, Europe and the Middle East are once again popular destinations for Canadian travellers. This partnership offers better connections via Turkey.
Finally, Aeroplan told us that another partner would be announced next week and asked us to make a bet on this airline. The clue is that this airline serves an aspirational destination with an aircraft acquired explicitly for this flight. And is the only airline to serve this destination regularly.
According to us, it will be Bangkok Airways. This airline serves Koh Samui. And is the only one to serve this destination with an A319 from Hong Kong!
Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!
