If you’ve ever searched for flights using Aeroplan points, you’ve probably seen something shocking: Air Canada charging 300,000+ points for a business-class seat… while a partner airline offers the exact same route for 60,000 points.

Yep — that happens all the time.

In one recent example, Air Canada wanted 352,000 points for a Toronto–Frankfurt business class ticket. Right below it? Lufthansa for just 60,000 points.

Same route. Same day. Same travel time. Six times cheaper.

Why?

Because Air Canada uses dynamic pricing, which can skyrocket on popular dates, while Aeroplan partners use fixed award pricing from the Aeroplan chart — giving you some of the best value in the entire points world.

So today, we’re breaking down very simply EVERY major Aeroplan partner airline, from worst to best, so you know exactly who to book… and who to avoid.

By the way…

I made a video on this exact subject. If you’d prefer to watch the video instead of reading the blog, see below. Otherwise, continue onwards!

---

How to Book Aeroplan Partner Flights (Quick Guide)

Booking partner airlines is easier than you think:

1. Search normally on aircanada.com
2. Look for flights labelled “Operated by [Airline]” with the partner’s logo
3. Select, book, done.

Two tools to make life easier:

• FlightConnections – See the full route map of any partner airline
• Aeroplan Award Chart – Understand exact fixed prices by distance zone

---

🛑 F Tier — Avoid

These airlines offer either poor value, are leaving the program, or have become unpredictable.

Asiana Airlines

Leaving Star Alliance due to its merger with Korean Air. Don’t plan future redemptions with them.

Emirates & Etihad

Switched to dynamic pricing in March 2025. Unpredictable, often wildly expensive.

Regional Northern Carriers (Air Creebec, Calm Air, etc.)

Extremely niche. Great if you’re headed north — useless for most travellers.

---

⚠️ D Tier — Below Average

Air India

There’s plentiful availability but they have extremely inconsistent service and hard product. It can be good for cheap-ish India business class (90,000 pts), but expect surprises

Croatia Airlines / Aegean Airlines

Small networks, mostly short-haul, often not worth using points.

Brussels Airlines

Limited usefulness with no long-haul Canadian routes.

SunExpress

Award space is unreliable and rarely appears on Aeroplan.

---

😐 C Tier — Decent (But Not Ideal)

Avianca

Useful for South America connections, but quality varies.

Edelweiss Air

Seasonal, leisure-focused routes. Occasionally good out of Vancouver.

Air Canada

Dynamic pricing = mostly bad value. But don’t ignore them completely — occasionally reasonable on off-peak dates.

United Airlines

Also dynamic pricing (as of March 2025). Good product, but not fixed pricing.

Air New Zealand

Ultra-limited award space, but good value if you can find it.

---

👍 B Tier — Solid Options

Turkish Airlines

They have a decent business class with amazing food and an extensive global network. Typical cost: 70k–90k points to Istanbul.

Austrian Airlines

Reliable lie-flat seats and great hub in Vienna. Typical cost: 60k–70k points to Europe.

TAP Air Portugal

Good for travelling from Montreal or Toronto to Lisbon. The major downside is that there is usually only 1 business class seat released per flight.

Copa Airlines

It has strong connections through Panama, good for travelling to Central/South America.

EgyptAir

Plenty of Toronto–Cairo award space. The downsides include it being a dry airline, it has a lot of mixed reviews and its seats are inconsistent.

---

🌟 A Tier — Excellent Choices

Gulf Air

Fantastic business class via Bahrain. The airline only releases one seat per flight, so this is better for solo travellers.

Lufthansa

Seats are aging, but 60k–70k points for business class to Europe with great availability is major value.

SWISS

Consistent service, decent availability. 60k from Montreal → Zurich is a money-saving sweet spot.

Singapore Airlines

World-leading business class but extremely limited award space to Aeroplan partners.

Thai Airways

Amazing service and quality product. There are no direct flights to Canada, but great availability via Europe.

LOT Polish Airlines

Strong Eastern Europe hub and excellent Toronto–Warsaw availability.

---

🥇 S Tier — The Absolute Best Aeroplan Redemptions

1. ANA (All Nippon Airways) — The Crown Jewel

ANA (All Nippon Airways) is truly the crown jewel of airline experiences. Their “The Room” business class offers private suites, combining impeccable Japanese hospitality with incredible food for an experience that feels both luxurious and thoughtful.

The value is insane, with flights like Vancouver to Tokyo available for just 55,000 points, while other Canadian cities typically range from 75,000 to 110,000 points.

Availability is rare, so if you want to snag one of these suites, plan to book either 11 months in advance or at the very last minute.

2. EVA Air — Criminally Underrated

EVA Air is criminally underrated in the world of business class travel. Their Royal Laurel business class can rival first-class products, with direct flights from both Vancouver and Toronto.

Recently, they’ve even been offering two or more business class seats for last-minute bookings, making this an especially attractive option.

A flight from North America to Taipei costs about 75,000 points, and passengers can expect exceptional service, great lounges, and outstanding reliability throughout the journey.

3. Oman Air — The Hidden Gem

Oman Air is the hidden gem that many travelers overlook. Their world-class business class product is complemented by one of the best lounges on Earth, located in Muscat.

They offer excellent routing between Europe and Asia, with the added benefit of great availability and fixed pricing, making it a dependable choice for savvy travellers seeking comfort and value.

---

Quick Booking Tips to Maximize Aeroplan Value

1. Target S-Tier + A-Tier
2. Book 11 months out or last-minute (especially ANA, EVA, Singapore)
3. Be flexible — airports & dates matter
4. Use FlightConnections to map partner routes
5. Add a stopover for 5,000 points
6. Avoid peak travel (summer + holidays)

---

Final Thoughts

Aeroplan remains one of the most powerful points programs in the world — if you know which airlines to book. Dynamic pricing can make Air Canada and United brutally expensive, but partner airlines offer extraordinary fixed-value redemptions that can save you hundreds of thousands of points.

Choose the right partners, stay flexible, and you’ll unlock some of the best business-class deals on earth.