If you have transferable points and want to fly United for less, your first instinct might be to move them to United’s MileagePlus. But Air Canada’s Aeroplan — a Star Alliance partner — often lets you book United-operated flights for the same flights using Aeroplan points, and sometimes for fewer points than United charges.
Why and when to choose Aeroplan for United flights
– Dynamic pricing: Both Aeroplan and MileagePlus now price United-operated awards dynamically, so required points fluctuate with demand. Use a comparison tool like Seats.aero to check both prices side-by-side.
– Close-in, short-haul holiday travel: Aeroplan can be cheaper when United’s MileagePlus prices spike for popular dates (e.g., Thanksgiving).
– Willing to connect on long-haul trips: Nonstop business-class awards on United to Europe typically start around 80,000 points, but by routing through a partner you may save. Example: EWR–LIS via MAD with United and TAP can sometimes be 60,000 Aeroplan points.
– Transfer bonuses: Periodic transfer bonuses to Aeroplan (for example, up to a 25% bonus from Chase Ultimate Rewards during promotion windows) reduce the effective cost in transferable currency.
How to book United flights with Aeroplan points
1. Search on Aeroplan’s website: Enter origin, destination and dates and select “Book with Aeroplan points.”
2. Select flights: On the results page you’ll see flights with points rates plus taxes and fees (displayed in Canadian dollars).
3. Pick points vs. cash: Choose the points/cash split you prefer. The best value is usually the option shown on the search results.
4. Pay taxes and fees: Complete the booking with a credit card; Aeroplan points are deducted from your account.
How to earn Aeroplan points
– Chase Aeroplan® Credit Card: Elevated welcome offers (example: up to 100,000 bonus points with qualifying spend thresholds).
– Transfer partners (1:1): American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles and Chase Ultimate Rewards.
– Strong welcome bonuses on transferable currencies: Cards that transfer to Aeroplan with useful bonuses include Capital One Venture X, Capital One Venture, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred, American Express Gold and American Express Platinum (welcome offers vary by eligibility).
– Aeroplan cardholder perks: Aeroplan credit cardholders can sometimes receive transfer bonuses (e.g., a 10% bonus when transferring at least 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points to Aeroplan, up to an annual cap).
Things to keep in mind
– Not always cheaper: Aeroplan isn’t guaranteed to be cheaper for every United-operated redemption because both programs use dynamic pricing and United doesn’t release all award seats to partners.
– Compare before booking: Always check both MileagePlus and Aeroplan prices, and factor in any current transfer bonuses to Aeroplan from your transferable points.
– Fees shown in CAD: Aeroplan displays taxes and fees in Canadian dollars; convert to USD to understand exact cash costs.
Bottom line
Aeroplan can provide meaningful savings on United-operated flights in certain cases — especially for close-in short-haul travel on peak dates, itineraries where you’re willing to connect, or when transfer bonuses are available. Compare Aeroplan and MileagePlus pricing before you commit, and use transfer bonuses from your preferred currency to maximize value.
Editorial note: Opinions expressed in this article are the author’s alone and not endorsed by any bank, card issuer, airline or hotel.
