How to book Aeroplan stopovers and open jaws

Where do you book an Aeroplan flight reward?

Flight rewards are redeemed on Air Canada's own website, where members can use Aeroplan points for Air Canada flights and for flights operated by the programme's partner airlines. [5] Air Canada presents this as one of several redemption families: flights, extras and upgrades, and hotels, car rentals and more. [5]

The non-flight options sit alongside the flight reward rather than inside it. Members can redeem points for hotel stays, with Air Canada advertising savings of up to 30% on hotel redemptions through HotelSavers, and for car rentals at more than 11,000 locations worldwide. [5] Points also cover Air Canada Vacations packages, activities and travel experiences, merchandise and gift cards. [5] Extras and upgrades are a separate category again, covering items such as in-flight Wi-Fi and AC Bid Upgrades. [5]

Because a flight reward is a points transaction, the itinerary has to be priced and confirmed at the point of booking on that site, and the balance and account status at that moment determine what can be issued. [5] For the booking walk-through itself, see how to book Aeroplan awards.

Can you pay with points plus cash?

Yes. Air Canada lists Points + Cash as a payment route for flight rewards, so a member can pay part of the cost in points and part in cash rather than redeeming entirely in points. [5]

For Air Canada's own flights, the programme makes two specific promises: every seat on every Air Canada flight is available as a reward with no restrictions, and flight rewards with Air Canada carry no cash surcharges. [5] Both statements are made about Air Canada flight rewards, so they describe that part of the reward inventory and should not be read across to every flight a partner airline operates. [5]

How a multi-leg itinerary is structured — which segments are flown, where the journey breaks, and whether the ticket is issued as one journey or several — is what decides whether a routing behaves like a through trip, a stop or a surface break. Stopovers and open jaws explains those shapes, and award routing rules covers the general principles that programmes apply to them.

What should be in order in your account before you book?

The points have to be there, and the account has to be alive. Aeroplan points expire only if the account has been inactive for 18 months, and staying active means earning or redeeming at least one Aeroplan point inside an 18-month period. [3] Earning options Air Canada lists include flying with Air Canada or its airline partners, including the Star Alliance network, hotel and car rental bookings, and shopping through the Aeroplan eStore or retail partners. [3] Redeeming options include flight rewards, hotel and car rentals, gift cards, events, and extras and upgrades. [3]

Air Canada says it emails members up to 60 days before points expire, and members can see their points inactivity date in the Activity tab of the Aeroplan dashboard. [3] The expiry clock is currently stopped: Air Canada has paused the expiry of Aeroplan points until 30 November 2026, so points that would have expired between now and 29 November 2026 will not, and from 30 November 2026 the normal expiration policy applies again, with points expiring where an eligible transaction has not been completed before that date. [6]

Two further protections are worth knowing. Points will not expire while the member is the primary holder of a TD Aeroplan credit card, an American Express Aeroplan card, or a CIBC Aeroplan credit card, or while the member holds Aeroplan Elite Status. [3] If points do expire, Air Canada says they can be recovered within six months, by buying them back for a fee or by flying with Air Canada within six months of expiry. [3]

Do Aeroplan reward flights count towards Elite Status?

No. Air Canada's worked example is explicit that flights redeemed with Aeroplan points do not accumulate SQC. [4] SQC are the single path to Aeroplan Elite Status, with thresholds set inside a calendar year: 25,000 SQC for Aeroplan 25K Status, 35,000 for 35K, 50,000 for 50K, 75,000 for 75K and 125,000 for Super Elite Status. [4]

Earning has also changed for travel on or after 1 January 2026, with SQC on Air Canada flights based on the amount spent and the fare purchased: 4 SQC per $1 on Economy Flex fares or higher and 2 SQC per $1 on Economy Standard fares, calculated on the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges. [4] Flights booked in the Economy Basic fare option earn no SQC at all. [4] SQC earned with Aeroplan partners are capped at 25,000 per calendar year, and SQC earned with Aeroplan credit cards are capped at a combined 25,000 per calendar year across all Aeroplan cards and issuers. [4]

Exceptions and limits

• Programme scope. This guide covers awards issued by Aeroplan and booked through Air Canada's redemption pages, where Air Canada and partner airline flights can be redeemed with points. [5]
• Air-Canada-only promises. The every-seat, no-restrictions and no-cash-surcharge statements are made about flight rewards with Air Canada, not about every partner-operated flight. [5]
• Expiry timing. The pause covers points that would have expired up to 29 November 2026; from 30 November 2026 the normal policy applies and points expire where no eligible transaction has been completed first. [6]
• Status protection. Points are protected from expiry for primary holders of the named Aeroplan credit cards and for members holding Aeroplan Elite Status, which is a narrower group than all Aeroplan members. [3]
• Award flights and status. Points redeemed for a trip do not build Elite Status, and Economy Basic tickets earn no SQC, so an award trip and a status run work in opposite directions. [4]

Frequently asked questions

Can Aeroplan points be used on partner airlines?

Yes. Air Canada says members can redeem points for flights with Air Canada and with its partner airlines, booked right at aircanada.com. [5]

Can you pay for an Aeroplan reward partly in cash?

Yes, through Points + Cash, which Air Canada lists as a way to pay for flight rewards. [5]

Do award tickets earn Aeroplan Elite Status credits?

No. Air Canada states that flights redeemed with Aeroplan points do not accumulate SQC, the credits used to qualify for Elite Status. [4]

When will Aeroplan points start expiring again?

Air Canada has paused expiry until 30 November 2026; from that date the normal policy applies and points expire where an eligible transaction has not been completed before it. [6] The underlying rule is 18 months of account inactivity. [3]

What counts as keeping an Aeroplan account active?

Earning or redeeming at least one Aeroplan point within an 18-month period, including through flights, hotel and car bookings, the eStore, donations, transfers to another member, or converting points from another loyalty programme. [3]

Related pages

Guides: book Aeroplan awards, stopovers and open jaws, award stopover rules compared. Terms: award routing rules, multi-city award, one-way award, and the full glossary.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Other programmes, including United MileagePlus, Flying Blue, British Airways Club and Emirates Skywards, are not covered here.

1. Air Canada Aeroplan — keeping your points active, checked 18 October 2026
2. Air Canada Aeroplan Elite Status, checked 18 October 2026
3. Air Canada Aeroplan — redeem points for great rewards, checked 18 October 2026
4. Air Canada Aeroplan — points expiry suspended until November 30, 2026, checked 18 October 2026