Aeroplan is raising award prices again, and, as expected, the biggest devaluation for U.S.-based travelers is longhaul business and first class awards.
Air Canada Aeroplan Raises Award Prices, With Longhaul Premium Cabins Hit Hardest
Air Canada Aeroplan will update its flight reward chart for travel booked on or after June 1, 2026, and while not every sweet spot is being gutted, many of the best longhaul premium cabin redemptions are becoming more expensive.
The most consequential change for most U.S.-based readers is between North America and Europe. Flights between North America and the Atlantic zone of 4,000 miles or less are spared in business class, meaning shorter transatlantic routes will remain 60,000 points in business class and 90,000 points in first class.
But flights between 4,001 and 6,000 miles, which include much of the USA to Europe, will increase from 70,000 to 75,000 points in business class and from 100,000 to 120,000 points in first class.
A 20% devaluation is painful, but it was expected…we’ve gone some years without a steep devaluation of partner awards (other than United Airlines, which now has a variable award chart like Air Canada and Emirates flights).
Aeroplan Award Chart Changes Effective June 1, 2026
You can review the old chart here and new chart here. I’m not going to replicate the entire chart, but I did create a table with old and new prices for partner awards Live And Let’s Fly readers are most likely to book, particularly between North America and the “Atlantic” zone, which includes Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent, and between North America and the Pacific, which includes Australia and East Asia (including the eastern half of Russia).
All prices below are one-way starting prices. “Partner” refers to all other partners outside Air Canada and “select” partners including United Airlines, Emirates, Flydubai, and Etihad Airways.
| Region / Distance | Cabin | Old Price | New Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America – Atlantic 0–4,000 miles |
Business | 60,000 | 60,000 | No change |
| North America – Atlantic 0–4,000 miles |
First | 90,000 | 90,000 | No change |
| North America – Atlantic 4,001–6,000 miles |
Business | 70,000 | 75,000 | +5,000 (+7%) |
| North America – Atlantic 4,001–6,000 miles |
First | 100,000 | 120,000 | +20,000 (+20%) |
| North America – Atlantic 6,001–8,000 miles |
Business | 85,000 | 90,000 | +5,000 (+6%) |
| North America – Atlantic 6,001–8,000 miles |
First | 130,000 | 150,000 | +20,000 (+15%) |
| North America – Atlantic 8,001+ miles |
Business | 100,000 | 110,000 | +10,000 (+10%) |
| North America – Atlantic 8,001+ miles |
First | 140,000 | 165,000 | +25,000 (+18%) |
| North America – Pacific 0–5,000 miles |
Business | 55,000 | 55,000 | No change |
| North America – Pacific 5,001–7,500 miles |
Business | 75,000 | 85,000 | +10,000 (+13%) |
| North America – Pacific 7,501–11,000 miles |
Business | 87,500 | 102,500 | +15,000 (+17%) |
| Within Atlantic 4,001–6,000 miles |
Partner Business | 60,000 | 70,000 | +10,000 (+17%) |
| Within Atlantic 6,001+ miles |
Partner Business | 80,000 | 95,000 | +15,000 (+19%) |
Economy prices are also changing, with most going up slightly but some going down in price, like North America – Atlantic flights between 0–4,000 miles dropping from 35K to 32.5K one-way on non-select partners.
Pacific Awards Also Take A Hit
I tend to focus on Europe awards since that is where the best value lies, but the Pacific region also takes a hit, with many premium cabin awards are going up.
The 5,001–7,500 mile North America–Pacific band increases from 75,000 to 85,000 points in business class. Partner first class in that band rises from 110,000 to 120,000 points.
Longer partner business class awards between North America and the Pacific also become more expensive, with the 7,501–11,000 mile band rising from 87,500 to 102,500 points.
The worst devaluation of all, though, is for business class award travel between the Atlantic and Pacific between 2,501–5,000 miles, which rises from 60,000 to 75,000 miles, an increase of 25% (first class awards rise from 80,000 to 95,000 miles, an increase of 18.8%).
The Best Devaluation We Could Have Hoped For?
While this is certainly a devaluation, it is not a total bloodbath.
Some awards are unchanged. A few economy awards even become cheaper. Within North America, the core business class chart remains intact. Shorter transatlantic business class remains intact. Shorter North America–Pacific business class also remains intact.
The overall direction is clear: Aeroplan is increasing the price of many longhaul premium cabin awards, but it is hardly unique to Aeroplan. As MileagePlus has become a comparatively worse choice for partner redemptions, I’d still rather redeem 120K Aeroplan miles for a Munich – Los Angeles first class ticket than 165K United miles…
It’s interesting that the changes do push Aeroplan closer to MileagePlus, which may have been by demand request from United and perhaps even Chase, which wants to “spread the wealth” across its many card products and not create outsized value in any one loyalty program.
I’m not saying Untied and/or Chase ordered this devaluation, but it works into a broader strategy in which loyalty is a key part of the business and plugs what has been outsized value in Aeroplan…the sort of “sweet spots” that rarely last.
CONCLUSION
Aeroplan remains one of the more useful Star Alliance programs, especially because of its broad partner access, stopover option, and generally rational distance-based structure.
But this is still a devaluation. The most painful change for most of us will be North America to Europe in the 4,001–6,000 mile band, where business class rises from 70,000 to 75,000 points and first class jumps from 100,000 to 120,000 points.
That is not enough to make Aeroplan useless, since we are always deal in comparative value, but it’s still a steep devaluation in many categories.
Book before June 1 if you have a redemption in mind.
i would say the point is moot since there’s never any space. but i’m not very familiar with the program.
*meow* For real, they’ve nerf’d what used to be the best part of the program… partner awards in J/F.
I’m very familiar with the program and you’re exactly right. A couple of years ago Aeroplan had good-to-great business and first class availability to both Europe and Asia; now it has neither.
Surcharges with Aeroplan are still relatively low. Meaningful notice given and an extra 5k for 4,000+ TATL isn’t outrageous. So all in all, this really isn’t too bad. Still a program I frequently check, and when you can get those 60k TATL J redemptions, it’s great. Booked 4 of them for the family this week for next year and with the chase 20% transfer bonus was 50k/pp.
Thanks much, Matthew for the chart comparison. I was expecting worse. Agree with Peter that surcharges are reasonable compared to other programs (and congrats for landing J redemptions for the whole family at 50k points per).
More bad news from the ever-changing points and miles system! What’s next?
IF these were the rates, then ok, but they are not. Anything with Air Canada included is priced at farcical rates. I expect they will now use similar rates for any routing that includes UA, and its only a matter of time before LH group are added. Once that happens, its game over
My reward miles will be regularly devalued. I accept it, but, of course, don’t like it. My taxes will increase while my services will decrease. I get what I can through FF programs. I prefer to relish not paying for some things than worrying about the diminished value. I’m not saying it’s right, I’m admitting lack of control.