Finally, we continue our testimonials. This time, it’s the United Polaris business class; it’s bookable with Aeroplan, the best rewards program for Canadians. We’ll have lots of good examples in economy class very soon, but I wanted to start with something more “aspirational,” since I just took this flight a few days ago and since we just shared our updated guide on how to travel in business class for less.
Welcome to Flytrippers’ new feature with concrete examples of travel rewards redemptions, including testimonials from YOU, our beloved fans. We know you’ve earned at least 3 million dollars just with the travel rewards deals we shared, so we want to share your testimonials!
Here’s another extreme example to show the extremely amazing value travel rewards of the more lucrative type can provide after the extreme example in the world’s best business class. Remember that you can keep things simple too, and it’s actually a great option right now, with the current amazing deal that gives you $1025 for free (a great way to get started if you prefer that).
Me
This section will be especially useful for when our fans, like you, will share a testimonial — so you can know at least a little bit about them.
In my case, for those who haven’t been following my travel stories over the last 8 years since I co-founded Flytrippers, my priority is traveling more — I used to travel about 10 times per year. So I made decisions accordingly and tried to save on almost everything. But now I’ve slowed down somewhat. And finally, I travel solo more often than with my girlfriend or friends.
My trip
To take advantage of the amazing Marriott promotion that makes it easier to reach the higher levels of elite status, I decided to return to Asia… also because my round-the-world trip this fall reminded me how everything is infinitely better there than anywhere else.
There have been so many great welcome bonus deals in recent years that I simply have too many points, so I decided to splurge and fly in business class (my 3rd long-distance flight in business class in my lifetime). I haven’t decided yet whether I’ll come back in business class too; that’s my eternal dilemma as a thrifty cheapskate coming back to haunt me. To be continued.
The United Polaris business class is considered to be among the best in the world, the 17th best to be more specific (I’ll share the full ranking with you very soon). But I booked it for another reason.
As we explained to you recently, some of Aeroplan’s 40+ airline partners will become less interesting soon. They will have the same less interesting pricing system that is already in effect for Air Canada flights; that’s why you should use your Aeroplan points on partners.
(Sorry if you are one of those who have understood this because we have been saying it for 8 years, but there are still sooooo many people who don’t know it that I want to repeat it to make sure the message gets through: the best value is very often on partners; NOT on Air Canada!)
United is one of the few airlines affected.
When I saw availability for a nice transpacific United Polaris flight at the guaranteed fixed price for my exact preferred date, I thought it might be my last chance, so I jumped at it (even though EVA Air’s superior business class was also available).
The United Polaris lounge in San Francisco, reserved for business class passengers only, was also voted the best business class lounge in the world, so I felt like trying it, as a fan of airport lounges. I had also missed out on Seoul due to a snowstorm in November, so it was perfect.
My business class flight experience (United Polaris)
Here are the details of my business class flight:
- From: San Francisco (SFO)
- To: Seoul (ICN)
- Type: One-way
- Stops: None
- Airline: United
- Aircraft: B787-9
- Seat: 9L
- Length: 12 hours 55 minutes
- Date: February 5, 2025
Because the Aeroplan award chart works by distance, for the same price, I was also able to add a Vancouver-San Francisco business class flight on Air Canada (I was in Whistler for an Amex Platinum exclusive event). But I’m going to keep that flight separate and focus only on the long transpacific flight here.
Overall, United Polaris business class was terrific.
Not as marvelous as my previous business class flights on Turkish Airlines (also with Aeroplan points) or Qatar Airways (Avios points), but that’s obviously what I expected. Still, it was a solid flight experience!
The lie-flat pod seat itself was perfect, as it’s one of the best out there. The seat is 1.5 inches wider on the 777s compared to the 787s, though. But I was flying a 787 and it was comfortable.
United’s 76 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft all have Polaris business class seats installed in a slightly staggered 1-2-1 layout, with all seats having direct aisle access. But it’s only called Polaris when operating long-distance flights, as that’s the marketing name for the entire experience (hard and soft products).
The 787-9 is nice because it has a 2nd, smaller, and more intimate Polaris cabin with just 4 rows. That’s what I chose. I had also done my research and chose the bulkhead seat, which offers a bit more footrest room than others. It was great. And there was still room left, for those who are taller than my 6 feet.
Unlike the Qatar Airways Qsuite, though, there’s no door for privacy. Still, doors are very rare and given the cabin layout, you still have as much privacy as it’s possible to have without having a door, as you have no neighbor or seatmate (unless you want one; the middle seats have a partition you can lower for those traveling together).
The food was very good, at least for a non-Asian airline. I chose the beef short rib and the Korean Gochujang chicken pancake as my 2 meals, and both were delicious.
The portions were small however. And the food didn’t seem to be unlimited like on other airlines. Snack options were very minimal.
That said, I had eaten a lot of good food in the great lounge right before, so I didn’t really need to eat more.
The champagne and alcohol are obviously free too. The pre-flight champagne is served in a plastic cup rather than a real glass, a little detail that differentiates other airlines. First-world problems much, I know. It’s really not the end of the world. But we’re comparing amazing products here, so I have no choice but to nitpick.
Drinks after takeoff were served in real glassware.
Service is where North American airlines generally lag (just like North American hotels). The flight attendants were very nice, but it was certainly not a warm and luxurious hospitality experience like with Asian airlines.
Still, it wasn’t bad service by any stretch of the imagination. It was good. Just not *exceptionally good* like my 2 other experiences were.
I didn’t even try asking for my bed to be made for me like the other airlines gladly offered. I did it myself, as I kind of had the feeling I was bothering them rather than them being glad to make my flight the absolute best it could be.
It was very comfortable Saks Fifth Avenue bedding; that part was very very good. There was a mattress, a sheet, a comforter, a lumbar support cushion, and a regular pillow. I slept very well.
The pajamas had to be requested specifically, as they weren’t on the seat by default.
The amenity kit was by Therabody and included all the usual.
The seat is roomy and comfortable. Lie-flat pod seats like this are really the pinnacle of luxury in flight, and I can’t recommend it enough.
I absolutely loved the United Polaris experience!
I’ll share an even more detailed flight review separately soon.
My business class flight’s cash price ($4074)
Prices for business class flights are always completely insane in cash; don’t ever pay that.
My one-way was actually much more expensive than $4074. The real price was $5885 for my exact flight.
But that’s just because long-distance one-ways are often more expensive.
So instead of that, I used half of the regular roundtrip price of $8148 to be more realistic and fair in my valuation.
For simplicity, let’s ignore the added Vancouver-San Francisco business class flight, because it’s hard to value it correctly: that specific itinerary combining those 2 flights is not sold by either airline (Air Canada or United) in cash; it’s only offered when paying in points.
And while you might think the fact that I got a couple extra hours in business class on the connecting flight adds even more value, business class flights (like all flights) are more expensive when they’re nonstop. So the real actual value is probably even a bit *lower*!
But I don’t want to get bogged down in the details. The takeaway: business class flights are crazy expensive when paid in cash. Someone paying for the seat I got had to pay $4074 each way. This is luxury.
My travel rewards redemption ($133)
Here are the details of my travel rewards redemption:
- Program: Air Canada Aeroplan
- Price: 75,000 Aeroplan points
- Taxes/fees: $133
- Cash price: $4074
- Savings: $3941
- Value obtained: 5.3¢/pt
- Flytrippers Valuation: ≈ 1.5¢/pt
Transpacific flights are one of the best business class sweet spots to get many hours in a lie-flat seat for not too many Aeroplan points. Just 75,000 points is a really good price, and the taxes/fees are very reasonable at $133.
(It’s 12,500 more points from Eastern Canada, given that it is a longer distance that moves the flight into the next line of the award chart… but it’s still amazing value because then you can fly all the way into Southeast Asia for the same price for even more hours in business class!)
That’s an amazing value of 5.3¢/pt because I saved $3941 (ticket at $4074 in cash minus $133 in taxes/fees paid) with 75,000 points. If you don’t understand that important math, you can read the basics of reward value.
That’s why it’s so bad to waste points of the more lucrative type at the terrible 1¢/pt value like so many people sadly do. I got 5 times more value! I even got way more value than our conservative Flytrippers Valuation, which is ≈ 1.5¢/pt for Aeroplan points.
My strategy to earn these travel rewards (Aeroplan points)
Aeroplan points are the easiest to earn in Canada!
There are 11 cards that earn Aeroplan points and you can get them all (despite the *official* rules). That’s not it: there are also 6 cards that earn Amex points (transferable to Aeroplan at a 1-to-1 ratio) and you also can get all those (but those you can only get once each; or rather once each *for a period of a few years*).
So my strategy was simple (and continues to be simple for the next flights): I got those cards often! It’s as simple as that.
How you too can do the exact same thing right now
In Flytrippers’ infographic with all the basics of travel rewards, you can read THE most important thing to understand in the entire wonderful world of travel rewards: the best way to earn a lot of rewards is always with welcome bonuses.
Here’s Flytrippers’ ranking of the best credit cards for Aeroplan points right now.
| Best credit cards for Aeroplan points |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Valuation (BONUS)(≈ 5.9% back on $7.5k)
Rewards: ≈ $1041
Card fee: $599
Spend required:$7.5k in 3 mos.
Best for: 69,375 pts + unlimited AC lounges & other AC benefits
 LUCRATIVE
|
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|
Valuation (BONUS) (≈ 8.3% back on $9k)
Rewards: ≈ $900
Card fee: $156
Spend required:$9k in 12 mos.
Best for: 60,000 pts + 5X the points best card in Canada
 LUCRATIVE
|
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|
Valuation (BONUS) (≈ 5.3% back on $12k)
Rewards: ≈ $641
Annual fee: $0 $139
Spend required:$12k in 12 mos. (incl. $7.5k in 180 days)†
Best for: 40k pts with bonus (52,000 pts total) 40k + 12k on min. spend
LUCRATIVE
60k/100k
|
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| Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Financial institutions are not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "See More" to see most up-to-date information. |
| Best credit cards for Aeroplan points |
WELCOME BONUS ( VALUATION) |
Aeroplan points |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Min. income (card):
Min. spend (bonus): $7.5k in 3 mos.
|
Rewards: ≈ $1041
Card fee: $599
|
69,375 pts
+ unlimited AC lounges
& other AC benefits
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Min. income (card):
Min. spend (bonus): $750/month for 12 months
|
Rewards: ≈ $900
Card fee: $156
|
60,000 pts
+ 5X the points
best card in Canada
|
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|
Min. income (card):
Min. spend (bonus): $12k in 12 mos. (incl. $7.5k in 180 days)†
|
Rewards: ≈ $641
Annual fee: $0 $139
|
40k pts with bonus
(52,000 pts total)
40k + 12k on min. spend
|
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|
Min. income (card):
Min. spend (bonus): $3k in 3 mos. + $1k
|
Rewards: ≈ $540
Card fee: $120
|
44,000 pts
+ a free bag
on Air Canada
|
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|
Min. income (card):
Min. spend (bonus): $10k in 3 mos.
|
Rewards: ≈ $1451
Card fee: $799
|
110,000 pts
+ unlimited PP lounges
and $200 travel credit
|
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|
Min. income (card):
Min. spend (bonus): $1k/month for 12 months
|
Rewards: ≈ $1180
Card fee: $250
|
72,000 pts
+ 4 lounges
and $100 travel credit
|
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|
NEW 
|
Min. income (card):
Min. spend (bonus): $24k in 12 mos. (or $12k for lower bonus)
|
Rewards: ≈ $1126
Annual fee: $599
|
85k pts with bonus
(115,000 pts total)
85k + 30k on min. spend
|
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|
Min. income (card):
Min. spend (bonus): $1k in 3 months
|
Rewards: ≈ $315
Annual fee: $0 $89
|
20k pts with bonus
(21,000 pts total)
20k + 1k on min. spend
|
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|
Card: no business required
Min. spend (bonus): $7.5k in 3 mos.
|
Rewards: ≈ $713
Card fee: $199
|
47,500 pts
+ simpler
min. spend structure
|
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|
Min. income (card):
Min. spend (bonus): $1k in 3 mos.
|
Rewards: ≈ $165
Card fee: $0
|
11,000 pts
+ no fees
but way less value
|
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| Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Financial institutions are not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "See More" to see most up-to-date information. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The highest amount you can get in a quick timeframe is with the Amex Aeroplan Reserve Card (it also has unlimited free access to Air Canada lounges as well as free carry-ons and checked bags)!
If you don’t want a premium-level card, your best bet is a combination of the Amex Cobalt Card (to get 60,000 points after a year if you do the minimum spend in grocery stores; including gift cards) and the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card (to get 52,000 points, or likely a still great 42,000 points if you’ve had this level of Aeroplan card before).
Don’t miss our detailed guide on Aeroplan, our invitation for a free webinar about airline points, and so much more soon! In the meantime, you can read how to fly in business class for less.
Learning how to travel for less
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Summary
Flytrippers is launching a new feature showcasing concrete examples of travel rewards redemptions. My impressive 13-hour business class flight on United Polaris is a great way to kick off this initiative for Aeroplan points specifically. You are now invited to reach out to us by email if you have a travel rewards testimonial to share so you can inspire others and even receive a $25 gift card.
What would you like to know about sharing your examples of travel rewards redemption? Tell us in the comments below.
See the flight deals we spot: Cheap flights
Discover free travel with rewards: Travel rewards
Explore awesome destinations: Travel inspiration
Learn pro tricks: Travel tips
Featured image: Me in United Polaris business class (photo credit: Andrew D’Amours/Flytrippers)
