When to Book United Awards Through Aeroplan Points

Air Canada’s Aeroplan program offers a clever routing option for booking United-operated flights that sometimes costs fewer points than redeeming through United’s own MileagePlus program. If you’re holding a stack of transferable points, particularly American Express Membership Rewards or Capital One miles, this approach can unlock access to better award values than waiting for a direct transfer to United.

Both loyalty programs now use dynamic pricing for United-operated flights, which means availability and costs shift based on demand. The number of points required fluctuates at the same rate, whether you’re booking through Aeroplan or MileagePlus. This creates both an opportunity and a challenge: the same flight might cost more through one program than the other, or it might not be available at all on the Aeroplan side.

Comparing Aeroplan and MileagePlus Pricing

Since United releases different award inventory to partner programs than it reserves for its own members, not every MileagePlus award seat appears on Aeroplan’s booking engine. When a seat does show up on both platforms, the point cost can differ significantly depending on the moment you search and current demand.

The fastest way to compare both programs side-by-side is using Seats.aero, a tool that pulls pricing from MileagePlus and Aeroplan simultaneously. Enter your route, date and cabin preference, then see which program offers the better rate. This saves time hunting through two separate websites.

Aeroplan displays all pricing in Canadian dollars. A redemption quoted as CA$47 in taxes and fees translates to approximately $34 in US currency, so convert accordingly when comparing to MileagePlus prices, which are typically shown in dollars.

Who Gains the Most from Aeroplan Bookings

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Aeroplan shines for holders of American Express Membership Rewards points and Capital One miles, both of which transfer into Aeroplan at 1:1 but cannot be moved directly into MileagePlus. If you’ve accumulated Amex points through personal or business spending, routing them through Aeroplan opens United award availability without burning a third-party transfer opportunity elsewhere.

The program is less compelling if you already hold MileagePlus miles and the pricing is identical between both programs. In those cases, redeeming your United miles directly involves no additional steps or fees. However, Aeroplan becomes worth considering again if its dynamic price undercuts what MileagePlus is charging for the same flight.

Booking United Flights Through Aeroplan Online

Start at the Aeroplan website and select your origin, destination and travel dates. Make sure the “Book with Aeroplan points” option is selected before searching. The search results will show available flights with their point prices listed clearly.

On the results page, you’ll see both a pure-points redemption price and a mixed option combining points and cash. The example shown in The Points Guy Articles featured a pricing of 15,000 Aeroplan points for one leg of a booking. Aeroplan typically displays the points-only option as the better value, but you can choose your preferred split between points and cash on the next screen.

After selecting your flight and your points-to-cash ratio, you proceed to payment. Taxes and fees are paid by credit card, while the relevant Aeroplan points are withdrawn from your account balance.

Fees and Charges to Expect

Aeroplan attaches a CA$39 partner booking fee (roughly $27 USD) to each ticket when you book online. This fee appears on top of applicable taxes and third-party charges from airlines and payment processors.

If you prefer to phone the Aeroplan Contact Center instead of booking online, a nonrefundable service fee of CA$30 (about $21) also applies per ticket. The online route is therefore cheaper by about $6 per ticket. Ensure you factor these costs into your points-per-dollar math when deciding between Aeroplan and MileagePlus.

Earning Aeroplan Points for United Redemptions

Credit Card Welcome Bonuses

New applicants for the Aeroplan Credit Card can earn up to 115,000 bonus points through the welcome offer structure. The first milestone comes after you spend $4,000 in purchases during the first three months, awarding 75,000 points. An additional 40,000 points come once you hit $20,000 in total purchases over the first 12 months.

Transferring Other Cards’ Rewards to Aeroplan

American Express Membership Rewards and Capital One Venture points both transfer to Aeroplan at a flat 1:1 ratio, making these programs efficient feeders into Aeroplan without ratio dilution. If you hold these credit cards, any sign-up bonuses or everyday spending credits can flow directly into your Aeroplan account.

Transfer Bonuses on Ultimate Rewards

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 in a single transfer. This bonus allows you to earn up to 25,000 additional points annually. For example, transferring 50,000 points would credit 55,000 to your Aeroplan account. This promotion is available through December 31, after which it will be discontinued.

The Limitations of the Aeroplan Route

Aeroplan is not a guaranteed cheaper option for every United redemption. United controls which award seats it makes available to each of its partner programs, and Star Alliance partners don’t always get access to the full inventory that MileagePlus members can see. A flight showing zero available seats through Aeroplan might have award availability through United’s own program, or vice versa.

Because both programs now price dynamically, a United award booked through Aeroplan today could cost significantly more or less than it did yesterday, or will tomorrow. The pricing you see is the pricing you lock in only at the moment of purchase.

Making Your Final Decision

Before committing to any United award redemption, check both MileagePlus and Aeroplan pricing for your exact flight. Factor in any current transfer bonuses available from your loyalty programs, particularly the 10% Aeroplan bonus on Ultimate Rewards transfers if you hold that card.

Remember that transfers to programs like MileagePlus and Aeroplan cannot be reversed once completed. Point transfers are final. This makes the comparison step essential: once you move points into either program, reversing the decision is impossible.

For those holding transferable points that don’t feed directly into United, Aeroplan delivers genuine value as an alternative redemption path. Check the pricing, calculate the total cost including fees, and compare against MileagePlus before you transfer.

Source: The Points Guy Articles