How (and why) to book United flights with Aeroplan points

If you’re sitting on a healthy stash of transferable points and miles and want to fly United Airlines for less, your first instinct may be to move them to United’s MileagePlus program. But thanks to Star Alliance partner Air Canada, you can often book the same United-operated flights using Air Canada Aeroplan points instead — and, in some situations, you’ll pay fewer points than if you booked with United miles.

Aeroplan can be particularly useful if you earn American Express Membership Rewards points or Capital One miles since both transfer to Aeroplan but not directly to United MileagePlus.

Here’s when it makes sense to use Aeroplan points to book United flights, how to make these bookings online and the best ways to earn Aeroplan points.

Why and when you should choose Aeroplan to book United flights

Both Aeroplan and MileagePlus now price United-operated award flights dynamically, meaning the number of points or miles required fluctuates depending on demand.

If you are considering whether to redeem United MileagePlus miles or Aeroplan points for your next United-operated flight, you can quickly and easily compare the prices of both at the same time using the handy Seats.aero tool.

Here are some occasions when it may be a better deal to book United flights with Aeroplan points than other points and miles, such as United’s own MileagePlus miles:

• For short-haul flights on popular holiday dates: Aeroplan’s current North America chart starts at 6,000 points each way in economy for flights of up to 500 miles. United-operated awards aren’t guaranteed to be priced at that level because United is a Select Partner, but Aeroplan can still undercut MileagePlus on some dates, which can be especially handy during peak travel.
• For transatlantic United awards when Aeroplan prices favorably: For travel between North America and Aeroplan’s Atlantic zone, business-class awards operated by Air Canada or Select Partners currently start at 60,000 points for journeys of up to 4,000 miles, 75,000 points for journeys between 4,001 and 6,000 miles, 90,000 points for journeys between 6,001 and 8,000 miles and 110,000 points for journeys over 8,000 miles. These are starting prices, not guaranteed rates, but can be much cheaper than what MileagePlus charges.
• When there is a transfer bonus to Aeroplan: Transferable rewards programs offer bonuses on transfers to select airline loyalty programs from time to time that can include transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan. For example, through Dec. 31, Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card (see rates and fees) members can receive a 10% bonus when transferring at least 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to their Aeroplan account in a single transaction, up to 25,000 bonus points per calendar year.

How to book United flights with Aeroplan points

You can book United-operated flights with Aeroplan points online through Aeroplan’s website. Enter your origin, destination and travel dates, and make sure you select “Book with Aeroplan points.”

Because United awards are dynamically priced through Aeroplan, don’t assume that a United seat available through MileagePlus will be available through Aeroplan at the same price — or at all. Compare both programs before transferring any points.

Then, on the next page, you can select the flights you want with the points rates, and taxes and fees listed. Note that these prices are in Canadian dollars; CA$47 is approximately $34.

Then, choose the proportion of points versus cash you want to pay. You’ll normally get the best value from your points and miles by choosing the combination shown in the search results on the previous page (in this case, 15,000 points).

You’ll then pay any taxes and fees by card, and the relevant Aeroplan points will be deducted from your account.

United awards booked through Aeroplan include Aeroplan’s CA$39 (about $27) partner booking fee per ticket in addition to applicable taxes and third-party charges. If you book through the Aeroplan Contact Center instead of online, a nonrefundable service fee of CA$30 (about $21) also applies.

How to earn Aeroplan points

New Aeroplan Credit Card applicants can earn up to 115,000 bonus points: 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, plus an additional 40,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening.

You can also transfer the following credit card rewards to Aeroplan at a 1:1 transfer ratio:

• American Express Membership Rewards points
• Bilt Points
• Capital One miles
• Chase Ultimate Rewards points

The following cards all currently offer strong welcome bonuses with points and miles that you can transfer to your Aeroplan account:

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, plus receive a $300 credit to use on hotel and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel in the first cardholder year.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees): Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card(see rates and fees): Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• American Express® Gold Card: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
• American Express Platinum Card®: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $12,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.

Additionally, holders of the Air Canada Aeroplan Credit Card can receive a 10% bonus when they transfer at least 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points to Aeroplan (up to 25,000 bonus points every year). This perk will be available through Dec. 31 and then removed.

Bottom line

Air Canada’s Aeroplan program isn’t a guaranteed cheaper alternative for every United-operated redemption, as both Aeroplan and United’s own MileagePlus program now dynamically price United awards, and United won’t release all award seats to partner programs.

It can still make sense to book through Aeroplan when its dynamic price undercuts MileagePlus, particularly if you hold transferable currencies that don’t transfer directly to United or can take advantage of a transfer bonus.

Before you lock in a United-operated award, compare the pricing in both MileagePlus and Aeroplan and then factor in any current transfer bonuses to Aeroplan from your preferred transferable currency. Remember that transfers to programs like MileagePlus and Aeroplan cannot be reversed.

• United teases ‘really big ideas’ for future of MileagePlus program
• Air Canada Aeroplan moves to spending-based points earning and elite status — what it means for US travelers
• Complete guide to United’s revenue, award and upgrade fare classes

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Source: thepointsguy.com