Aeroplan: Award charts for reward flights (price tables)

Aeroplan’s award charts are price tables that determine the number of points required for many reward flights (and for almost all good uses of Aeroplan points). There are now multiple award charts, which makes it seem complicated… but it’s really simpler than it looks (if you take a few minutes to understand).

Here are the Aeroplan award charts.

Aeroplan award charts — Basics

To understand the Aeroplan award charts, you need to first understand the basics of how Aeroplan reward flights work.

Here are the 2 completely different Aeroplan pricing systems:

• On the 47 Aeroplan partner airlines
  • Prices are fixed and guaranteed
    • No matter the cash price
    • Set by the award chart
    • So more valuable (potential value is unlimited)
  • Available seats are limited
    • So less simple (this option requires flexibility)
• On Air Canada
  • Prices are not fixed and not guaranteed
    • Related to the cash price (dynamic and variable)
    • Can be above (or below) the partner award chart
    • So less valuable (outsized value impossible)
  • Available seats are not limited
    • So more simple (this option gives you flexibility)

You can either have unlimited value OR unlimited available seats… both together just can’t make sense for any rewards program. If you want more information and don’t want to wait for our complete guide to the Aeroplan program soon (sign up for free to get it), you can read this introduction to understand how it all works. 

As for the Aeroplan award charts themselves, it’s very simple. 

Here are the 2 things the Aeroplan award charts are based on:

• Regions
• Distance

(Whereas the old Aeroplan award charts pre-November 2020 were only based on regions!)

Here is how the Aeroplan award charts work:

• The world is divided into 4 travel zones
• There are separate award charts based on these travel zones
• Each award chart sets prices for those travel zones
• Each award chart sets prices based on the distance traveled

Here are the logistical details:

• All flights are priced as one-ways
  • Add up 2 one-ways to make 1 roundtrip
• The distance is the cumulative distance flown
  • Layovers are therefore taken into account
• Tickets can combine partners and Air Canada
  • Price will be calculated (relatively) proportionally
• There is a separate award chart for partner airline Emirates
  • It’s at the end of this post

Here’s how to use the Aeroplan award charts:

• Look at the travel zones map to determine the region you are flying from
• Look at the travel zones map to determine the region you are flying to
• Calculate the cumulative distance flown (one-way) on Great Circle Mapper
• Look at the appropriate award chart for those 2 travel zones
• Look at the price for that distance on the appropriate award chart

Aeroplan award charts — Travel zones

The world is separated into 4 zones in the Aeroplan program:

• North America
• South America
• Atlantic
• Pacific

So there are now 10 separate Aeroplan award charts:

• 4 for flights within each zone
• 6 for flights from one zone to another

Some travelers complain that it’s more complicated because there are 10 award charts… but it’s really not. Many things in travel rewards are complicated and this is absolutely not one of them.

You’ll only ever use 1 award chart at a time, so you just need to figure out which zones you are flying from and flying to. That’s it. That’s not rocket science. Once you know that, there’s just 1 award chart to look at.

Aeroplan award charts — North America-North America

Aeroplan award charts — North America-Atlantic

Aeroplan award charts — North America-Pacific

Aeroplan award charts — North America-South America

Aeroplan award charts — Atlantic-Atlantic

Aeroplan award charts — Pacific-Pacific

Aeroplan award charts — South America-South America

Aeroplan award charts — Atlantic-Pacific

Aeroplan award charts — Atlantic-South America

Aeroplan award charts — Pacific-South America

Aeroplan award charts — Emirates only

Want to get more content to learn about Aeroplan?

Summary

The Aeroplan award charts determine the number of points required for flights on partner airlines, which often provide the best value for your Aeroplan points precisely thanks to these fixed and guaranteed prices.

What would you like to know about the Aeroplan award charts? Tell us in the comments below.

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Featured image: Travel zones for Aeroplan award charts(photo credit: Aeroplan)

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