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Smart Travel Podcast
In this episode of the BoldlyGo Podcast, DeAndre Coke sits down with Aeroplan expert Moli to take a deep dive into one of the most powerful and flexible airline loyalty programs in the points and miles world. After hearing Moli's presentation at the Points Travel Festival in Toronto, DeAndre realized there were still layers of Aeroplan he had not fully explored, despite having transferred and redeemed hundreds of thousands of points through the program. Together, they break down why Aeroplan can be incredibly valuable for US-based travelers, from its roughly 50 airline partners and access to Star Alliance awards to its flexible routing rules and broad range of transferable points partners.
The conversation goes beyond the basics, exploring some of Aeroplan's most powerful strategies. Moli explains how distance-based award pricing works, where premium cabin sweet spots can be found, and how the program's stopover rules can turn a single award into a much bigger trip. DeAndre shares his own booking for Malta, Zurich, and New York as an example of adding another destination for only 5,000 additional points per person. They also discuss creative international routings, booking larger families into business class, finding partner availability that does not always appear online, and the role Aeroplan status and credit cards can play.
The episode also tackles Aeroplan's frustrating side, including long call center wait times, change and cancellation fees, married-segment availability, and inconsistent online award searches. Most importantly, Moli reveals a clever strategy to avoid change and cancellation fees by converting an existing award into a flexible fare, plus another opportunity to make free changes or cancellations when an airline schedule change occurs. From beginners learning Aeroplan for the first time to experienced travelers seeking advanced booking strategies, this episode is packed with practical ways to unlock more value from one of the most versatile points programs.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro: Why Aeroplan Is More Powerful Than I Realized
(02:09) Welcome to the Podcast and Introducing Moli
(05:23) Moli's Points and Miles Journey
(07:43) Why Aeroplan Is So Valuable for US Travelers
(10:45) How Aeroplan Award Pricing Actually Works
(13:00) Aeroplan's Biggest Frustrations and Call Center Problems
(15:35) Business Class Sweet Spots and Unique Partner Awards
(18:00) Aeroplan Stopovers Explained
(24:01) Adding Another Destination for Just 5,000 Points
(27:33) Changing Stopovers, Destinations, and Existing Awards
(31:03) The Aeroplan Trick That Could Save Cancellation Fees
(35:19) Using Schedule Changes to Cancel or Rebook for Free
(39:34) Finding Business Class Awards for Larger Families
(43:21) Aeroplan Status, Credit Cards, and Upgrade Benefits
(46:53) Married Segments, Hidden Award Space, and Final Aeroplan Tips
Key Highlights:
- Aeroplan's Partner Network: Access to roughly 50 airline partners gives travelers an enormous range of options beyond flying Air Canada itself.
- Transferable Points: Aeroplan partners with major transferable currencies, making its points relatively easy for US travelers to accumulate.
- Distance Based Awards: Redemption pricing depends heavily on regions and total distance flown, creating valuable sweet spots on certain international routes.
- Premium Cabin Value: Business class between the East Coast and Europe can start around 60,000 Aeroplan points each way, with other strong opportunities around the world.
- 5K Stopovers: Aeroplan allows travelers to add an international stopover to a one way award for just 5,000 additional points.
- Creative Routings: Flexible routing rules can make it possible to combine multiple destinations into one larger award trip.
- Cancellation Fee Trick: Moli explains how changing an award into a flexible fare could potentially eliminate the usual cancellation fee.
- Schedule Change Strategy: Even a small airline initiated schedule change can potentially open the door to free changes or cancellations.
- Family Award Travel: Larger families may find multiple premium cabin seats by targeting the right partners, booking far in advance, or searching close to departure.
- Aeroplan Quirks: Long call center waits, married segments, hidden partner availability, and inconsistent online changes remain important limitations to understand.
Resources:
Need Global Travel Insurance? We recommend World Nomads
Some of Our Favorite Tools For Elevating Your Points & Miles Game:
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