Is Aeroplan Still Worth It in 2026 After the June Devaluation?

Time to read: 8 minutes. No phone calls, no fees. You just need an Aeroplan account and a clear picture of where the value still lives.

Effective June 1, 2026, Air Canada repriced its partner award chart with 32 increases and 9 decreases. Partner business class from North America to Asia jumped from 87,500 to 102,500 points (17%). Partner first class to Europe climbed from 100,000 to 120,000 points (20%). The loudest routes got loudest treatment.

But the program did not detonate uniformly. South America went untouched. Intra-Europe business class got cheaper. The stopover policy held. If you know which five zones survived, Aeroplan still competes. If you don't, you're overpaying by 15,000–25,000 points per ticket.

Use the MileIntel miles calculator alongside this guide to model your specific route before transferring anything.

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Before You Start

Prerequisites:

• An active Aeroplan account (aeroplan.com)
• Points already in your Aeroplan balance, or a transferable currency (Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One miles, Marriott Bonvoy) ready to move
• Award space confirmed on the Aeroplan search tool at aeroplan.com before transferring points
• A clear read of which route band your trip falls into (distance and zone matter — details in each section below)

The misconception that trips people up most: Many travelers assume the June 2026 changes were a flat-percentage devaluation across all routes. They were not. Nine routes actually decreased in price. Transferring points before checking your specific route and distance band is the most expensive mistake you can make right now.

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The Damage Report: What Actually Got More Expensive?

Before the sweet spots, the full picture of what broke.

66% of the price increases targeted premium cabins. Economy long-haul was largely left alone or modestly adjusted. The program's most aspirational bookings — the ones travel bloggers have been citing for years — are now materially more expensive.

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Sweet Spot 1: South America Is Completely Untouched

Didn't every region see some increase?

No. All award flights to, from, and within South America were left at pre-June 2026 rates. Zero changes. This is the only major geographic region with no adjustments whatsoever.

For context: North America to Europe economy dropped slightly, Asia business class rose 17%, intra-Europe business dropped slightly. South America saw none of that movement in either direction — it simply wasn't touched.

Why does this matter now? Because most competing programs did move on South America. United MileagePlus uses dynamic pricing on most South American routes, which means award costs fluctuate with demand. Aeroplan's fixed chart for this region is now a genuine competitive advantage.Step 1: Go to aeroplan.com and click "Book a Flight" in the top navigation. Step 2: Toggle from "Dollars" to "Points" using the selector below the search bar. Step 3: Enter your North American origin and a South American destination (e.g., JFK → GRU for São Paulo). Step 4: Check the points price displayed. It should match the pre-June 2026 chart rates. Step 5: Confirm award space exists before transferring points. Aeroplan shows live availability in the search results.(Screenshot cue: the Aeroplan flight search results page showing a JFK–GRU business class award at the fixed chart rate, with the "Points" toggle activated.)

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Sweet Spot 2: Intra-Europe Business Class Got Cheaper

Isn't this a devaluation? How did anything get cheaper?

Fair skepticism. Nine of the 41 changes were price decreases. The most actionable one: short-haul business class within Europe (under 1,000 miles) dropped from 15,000 to 12,500 points, a 17% reduction.

That's London to Paris. Frankfurt to Amsterdam. Rome to Madrid. Business class, 12,500 points one-way.

The math: If you value Aeroplan points at 1.5 cents per point (a conservative post-devaluation estimate), 12,500 points = $187.50 in redemption value. A same-day business class ticket on that London-Paris route routinely prices at $350–$600 cash. That's a 1.9–3.2 cents-per-point return on a route that just got cheaper.Step 1: At aeroplan.com, click "Book a Flight" → toggle to "Points." Step 2: Enter an intra-European city pair under 1,000 miles (e.g., LHR → CDG, FRA → AMS). Step 3: Select "Business" class in the cabin filter. Step 4: Confirm the price shows 12,500 points one-way. If it shows more, the flight distance may exceed 1,000 miles — verify on a route map. Step 5: Book only after confirming availability; Aeroplan's European partner inventory (Lufthansa, Swiss, Brussels Airlines, etc.) can be thin on short notice.(Screenshot cue: Aeroplan search results showing an LHR–CDG business class award priced at 12,500 points with the distance band visible.)

This sweet spot is particularly useful if you're building a multi-city European trip. Fly transatlantic on a separate award, then connect between cities in business class for 12,500 points each hop. See how Amex Membership Rewards transfers to Aeroplan at 1:1 if you need to top off a balance quickly.

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Sweet Spot 3: North America to Europe Economy Dropped

Economy class? Isn't that too modest to bother with?

For budget-conscious transatlantic travelers, a 7% price decrease is real money. North America to Europe economy for distances under 4,000 miles dropped from 35,000 to 32,500 points one-way. That's JFK to London, New York to Frankfurt, Boston to Paris.

How does this compare to alternatives?

Aeroplan's advantage here is the fixed chart combined with no fuel surcharges on most partner carriers (Lufthansa, United, etc. when booked through Aeroplan). British Airways Avios can look cheaper on paper but frequently adds $200–$400 in carrier-imposed surcharges on BA-operated flights.

For a deeper comparison of transferable currencies that feed Aeroplan, see Chase Ultimate Rewards vs. Amex Membership Rewards.

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Sweet Spot 4: The Stopover Policy Held at 5,000 Points

Does adding a stopover still cost only 5,000 extra points after the devaluation?

Yes. Aeroplan's policy of adding a stopover to a one-way award for 5,000 additional points is completely unchanged. This is more valuable now than it was before June 2026, not less.

Reasoning: the base cost of a long-haul premium award went up 17–20%. The marginal cost of adding a multi-day stopover stayed at 5,000 points. So if you're already spending 102,500 points on a North America–Asia business class ticket, adding a stopover in Tokyo, Hong Kong, or Seoul costs 4.9% more. That's a city break for 5,000 points.

How to add a stopover on Aeroplan:Step 1: Go to ae