How (and why) to e book United flights with Aeroplan factors

Should you’re sitting on a wholesome stash of transferable factors and miles and need to fly United Airways for much less, your first intuition could also be to maneuver them to United’s MileagePlus program. However due to Star Alliance companion Air Canada’s Aeroplan loyalty program, you’ll be able to usually e book the identical United-operated flights utilizing Aeroplan factors as an alternative — and in some conditions, you’ll pay fewer factors than in the event you booked with United miles.

This is when it is smart to make use of Aeroplan factors to e book United flights, find out how to really make these bookings on-line, and the perfect methods to earn Aeroplan factors.

Associated: Why Air Canada Aeroplan has turn into my favourite Star Alliance loyalty program

Why and when you need to select Aeroplan to e book United flights

Each Aeroplan and MileagePlus now value United-operated award flights dynamically, which means the variety of factors or miles required fluctuates relying on demand.

In case you are contemplating whether or not to redeem United MileagePlus miles or Aeroplan factors in your subsequent United-operated flight, you’ll be able to shortly and simply examine the costs of each on the similar time utilizing the useful Seats.aero software.

Listed here are some events when it could be a greater deal to e book United flights with Aeroplan factors than different factors and miles, equivalent to United’s personal MileagePlus miles:

• For close-in, short-haul flights on well-liked vacation dates: MileagePlus might select to cost greater than Aeroplan, as we lately noticed forward of the Thanksgiving vacation interval.
• In case you are completely satisfied to attach on long-haul itineraries to avoid wasting 1000’s of factors: Whereas nonstop flights in United Polaris enterprise class to Europe often begin from 80,000 Aeroplan factors or 80,000 MileagePlus miles, in the event you e book by means of Aeroplan and are keen to attach, you could possibly save. For instance, in the event you go from Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) to Lisbon Airport (LIS) through Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) with the primary leg on United and the second, quick hop on TAP Air Portugal, you may e book your itinerary for simply 60,000 Aeroplan factors.
• When there’s a switch bonus to Aeroplan: Transferable rewards applications supply bonuses on transfers to pick airline loyalty applications every so often. For instance, till Jan. 5, 2026, you’ll be able to earn as much as 25% bonus factors while you switch your Chase Final Rewards factors to Air Canada’s Aeroplan program, which means you have to fewer Chase factors to e book United-operated flights.

Associated: United unveils gorgeous next-generation Polaris cabins with caviar service and rather more

The way to e book United flights with Aeroplan factors

You’ll be able to e book United-operated flights with Aeroplan factors on-line by means of Aeroplan’s web site. Enter your origin, vacation spot and journey dates, and be sure you choose “Ebook with Aeroplan factors.”

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Then, on the subsequent web page, you’ll be able to choose the flights you need with the factors charges and taxes and charges listed. Please notice that these costs are in Canadian {dollars}; CA$47 is roughly $34.

Then, select the proportion of factors versus money you need to pay. You may usually get the perfect worth out of your factors and miles by selecting the mixture on the earlier web page’s search outcomes (on this case, 15,000 factors).

You may then pay any taxes and charges by card, and the related Aeroplan factors will probably be deducted out of your account.

The way to earn Aeroplan factors

New Chase Aeroplan® Credit score Card (see charges and charges) candidates can earn an elevated welcome supply of as much as 100,000 bonus factors: 75,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening and a further 25,000 bonus factors after spending $20,000 within the first 12 months from account opening.

You too can switch the next bank card rewards to Aeroplan at a 1:1 switch ratio:

The next playing cards all at present supply robust welcome bonuses with factors and miles that you could switch to your Aeroplan account:

• Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 on purchases inside six months of account opening.
• Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 within the first three months from account opening.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and charges): Earn 125,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
• Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card (see charges and charges): Earn 75,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 on purchases inside three months from account opening.
• American Categorical® Gold Card: Discover out your supply and see in case you are eligible for as excessive as 100,000 Membership Rewards Factors after spending $6,000 on purchases inside the first six months of card membership. Welcome affords range and also you will not be eligible for a proposal.
• American Categorical Platinum Card®: Discover out your supply and see in case you are eligible for as excessive as 175,000 Membership Rewards Factors after you spend $8,000 on purchases inside the first six months of card membership. Welcome affords range and also you will not be eligible for a proposal.

As well as, holders of the Aeroplan Credit score Card can obtain a ten% bonus after they switch at the least 50,000 Final Rewards factors to Aeroplan (as much as 25,000 bonus factors yearly).

Associated: Why transferable factors are value greater than different rewards

Backside line

Air Canada’s Aeroplan program is not a assured cheaper different for each United-operated redemption, as each Aeroplan and United’s personal MileagePlus program now dynamically value United awards, and United will not launch all award seats to companion applications.

Nevertheless, there might be nice alternatives to avoid wasting by means of Aeroplan while you’re reserving close-in, short-haul flights on peak dates, are completely satisfied to attach on a long-haul itinerary or can use a switch bonus.

Earlier than you lock in a United-operated award, examine the pricing in each MileagePlus and Aeroplan after which consider any present switch bonuses to Aeroplan out of your most well-liked transferable forex.

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