Air Canada has announced significant modifications to its Aeroplan loyalty program, set to take effect on March 25, 2025. These changes involve the adoption of dynamic award pricing for select partner airlines, aligning their redemption models with Air Canada’s existing dynamic system.

  • Effective Date: March 25, 2025
  • Key Partners Affected: United Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Flydubai, Calm Air, Canadian North, and PAL Airlines.
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What is Dynamic Award Pricing?

Dynamic award pricing means that the number of Aeroplan points required for a flight redemption will vary based on factors such as demand, route popularity, and booking time. Unlike fixed award charts, where point requirements are predetermined, dynamic pricing allows for fluctuations, potentially leading to higher or lower point costs depending on the specific circumstances of each flight.

Aeroplan Updates (March 2025): What’s Changing?

Expansion of Dynamic Pricing to Select Partners

Starting March 25, 2025, Aeroplan will extend its dynamic pricing model to include the following partners:

  • United Airlines
  • Emirates
  • Etihad Airways
  • Flydubai
  • Regional Canadian partners: Calm Air, Canadian North, and PAL Airlines

Previously, these airlines operated under a fixed award chart, providing predictable point requirements for redemptions. With the shift to dynamic pricing, the points needed for award flights with these carriers may now vary.

Aeroplan Flight Reward Chart in 2025. Aeroplan Flight Reward Chart in 2025.

Introduction of “Air Canada and Select Partners” Reward Chart

To accommodate this change, Aeroplan is introducing a new reward chart category titled “Air Canada and Select Partners.” Key features of this chart include:

  • Starting Point Values: Each route will have a “starting at” point value, indicating the minimum number of points required. These starting values remain consistent with current minimums.

  • Median Point Values: For flights within North America, a median point value will be displayed, reflecting historical redemption data. This provides members with an estimate of typical point costs. Notably:

    • Median values will not be shown for first-class awards or routes outside North America due to limited redemption data, which could lead to significant fluctuations.
    • Median amounts will be updated quarterly, based on data from the previous four quarters, to ensure accuracy.

Impact on Award Availability

One of the anticipated benefits of this transition is increased award seat availability on the affected partner airlines. Aeroplan has indicated that while redemption rates may be higher and vary between itineraries, the move to dynamic pricing is expected to enhance the number of reward seats accessible to members.

Aeroplan adopts dynamic pricing for partners in March 2025: impact on availability.

Etihad Airways Business Class Awards

A notable development is the reinstatement of Etihad Airways business class award availability across Aeroplan’s network. Starting March 25, 2025, members will once again have the opportunity to redeem points for Etihad’s business class seats. However, there are no changes to Etihad first class reward availability at this time.

Aeroplan adopts dynamic pricing for partners in March 2025: Etihad Business Class.

Preferred Pricing for Elite Members and Credit Cardholders

Aeroplan Elite members and holders of co-branded Aeroplan credit cards will continue to enjoy discounted redemption rates. This benefit remains unchanged and will apply to the new “Air Canada and Select Partners” reward chart.

No Changes to Fixed Pricing for Other Partners

It’s important to note that the fixed award chart for Aeroplan’s other partner airlines remains unaffected. Flights booked with these partners will continue to follow the existing fixed point structures, providing predictability for members who prefer stable redemption rates.

Aeroplan adopts dynamic pricing for partners in March 2025.

How to Maximize Aeroplan Points Before the Changes

While the shift to dynamic pricing may lead to variability in point requirements, it also “promises” greater flexibility and increased access to award seats (following what other airlines seem to be doing such as Air France-KLM, Qantas, etc.).

Before the new dynamic pricing model takes effect, it’s crucial to make the most of your Aeroplan points. AwardFares can help you find sweet spots, plan redemptions more strategically, and optimize your point usage. Here’s how:

1. Identify Current Sweet Spots

Aeroplan still offers some of the best redemption options for long-haul business and first-class flights with partners like ANA, Turkish Airlines, and Lufthansa. Use AwardFares to explore these sweet spots before dynamic pricing impacts partner award availability and rates.

For example, under the fixed pricing model:

  • Business class to Asia with ANA can start at just 75,000 Aeroplan points.
  • Flights from North America to Europe with Turkish Airlines may be as low as 60,000 points.

AwardFares enables you to quickly search multiple routes and partners at once, saving you hours of manual searching.

👉 Explore sweet spots:

How To Find Aeroplan Award Flights (9 Sweet Spots)

2. Track Availability with Real-Time Data

One of the biggest challenges with redeeming Aeroplan points is finding award availability. AwardFares allows you to:

  • Search across multiple airlines and dates simultaneously.
  • Set alerts for specific routes or cabin classes so you never miss out on new availability.
  • Monitor historical data to predict the best booking windows for your desired itinerary.

This feature is especially valuable as Aeroplan’s dynamic pricing may cause fluctuations in availability closer to the departure date.

3. Book Before March 25, 2025

Since the changes will only affect bookings made after March 25, 2025, you still have a limited window to lock in partner awards at current fixed rates. Use AwardFares to:

  • Compare partner award options and pricing across different airlines.
  • Prioritize high-value redemptions on airlines like United, Emirates, and Etihad before dynamic pricing is applied.
  • Make informed decisions based on detailed award charts and flight search results.

Booking early ensures you get the best value for your Aeroplan points while avoiding potential price hikes.

4. Optimize Stopovers for Additional Value

Aeroplan offers a unique stopover policy where you can add a stopover for just 5,000 points. This is a great way to maximize your travel experience by visiting multiple destinations on a single award ticket. AwardFares helps you find routes that support stopovers and calculate the total points needed.

Example itineraries:

  • Toronto → Frankfurt (stopover) → Tokyo
    Redeemable under the current fixed chart with partners like Lufthansa and ANA.
  • Vancouver → Dubai (stopover) → Cape Town
    An excellent value when booked on Emirates before dynamic pricing kicks in.

Maximize Your Aeroplan Points with AwardFares

Looking to get the most value out of your Aeroplan points? Try AwardFares for free and unlock powerful tools to simplify your award travel planning. We regularly introduce new features and enhancements, so make sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter for updates, expert travel tips, and exclusive announcements.

Upgrade to our Gold or Diamond tiers to supercharge your travel hacking. Premium members enjoy access to advanced features like:

  • Unlimited daily searches – Explore as many routes and flights as you want.
  • Custom alerts – Get notified when award seats become available.
  • Detailed seat maps – View seating options to choose the perfect spot.
  • Comprehensive flight schedules – Stay on top of airline timetables for better planning.

Take control of your travel strategy and make every point count!

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