Aeroplan Family Sharing: How it Works, Join and Use It, and How to Cancel

What is the main problem with booking a large family trip? Points are scattered across multiple accounts, there aren’t enough in one place to book a trip, and you’re worried that some of those hard-earned miles may expire before you have a chance to use them.

At this point, questions arise: “Can Aeroplan points be transferred to a family member?” or “How can Aeroplan points be combined for a group booking?”

Here’s the answer. Aeroplan family sharing was created specifically to address these issues—so you can combine points with your family, get great reward prices for everyone, and keep everyone’s points active. But, as with all loyalty programs, there are pitfalls and restrictions. 

In this guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about Aeroplan Family Sharing—who is eligible, how to set up the program (including children), how the points exchange actually works, and how to get the most benefit for your family. I’ll also explain how to cancel Family Sharing if necessary. After this detailed breakdown, you’ll have no more questions about Aeroplan Family Sharing. 

Let’s get started.

What is Aeroplan Family Sharing?

Aeroplan Family Sharing is a feature of the Air Canada Aeroplan program that allows 2–8 family members to combine their Aeroplan points into a single pool without transfer fees or loss of value. Once set up, any eligible program member can use the shared balance. Another nice bonus is that if at least one member has a shared Aeroplan credit card (such as TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite or American Express Aeroplan Reserve), all members of the pool get access to lower “preferential” prices on Air Canada flights.

This means that by pooling your points, you can reach the required number of rewards for redemption faster, use up your remaining points, and avoid losing points. Access to “preferential” prices can also save you thousands of points on each booking — sometimes this determines whether a trip happens or not.

Below, we’ll break down how it works.

Key Terms Explained

Before we get technical, let’s pin down the essential terms you’ll encounter:

• Family Lead: The person who creates and manages the Family Sharing pool. Must be at least 18 and has authority to invite up to 7 others, set permissions, and dissolve the pool.
• Family Member: An Aeroplan member who joins the pool. Can be set as a “contributor only” (can earn but not redeem) or “contributor-and-redeemer” (can both earn and redeem).
• Pool: The group itself—2 to 8 Aeroplan members (including the Family Lead) who are genuinely related (spouse, partner, child, parent, sibling, etc.).
• Verified Aeroplan Member: Every member must complete Air Canada’s identity verification process (2FA and government ID check) before joining a pool. This “Verified” status is required for both the Lead and invitees.

Aeroplan Family Sharing Eligibility Checklist

Before creating a pool, you must ensure that you meet the requirements for this feature.

• Aeroplan account age (all members): Each member’s Aeroplan account must have been open for at least 6 months.
• Account verification (all members): All members must have a “verified” Aeroplan account (complete two-factor authentication and Air Canada identity verification). Log in and complete the Aeroplan verification process. This involves setting up two-factor authentication and uploading a valid ID (passport or birth certificate for minors). As of February 2025, this will be required for everyone (including children) before they can join the pool
• Head of household (pool creator): The head of household must meet the above requirements and be at least 18 years old.
• Family relationships (all members): The program is intended for close relatives. Air Canada’s materials clearly state that you can invite your spouse, children, siblings, in-laws, etc. However, friends or tenants are not eligible under the terms of the program.
• Pool size: 2-8 members in total, including the family head.
• Residency requirements: Once you join a pool, you must remain in it for at least 3 months.
• Restrictions on leaving and rejoining: Once you leave a pool, you must wait 6 months before joining another or creating a new one.

Just for your information: Aeroplan Family Sharing was temporarily suspended in August 2023 (due to fraud) and reopened for new registrations only on February 27, 2025.

Setting Up Aeroplan Family Sharing: Step-by-Step (Including Kids)

Once you are sure that your account has passed all checks and meets the requirements of the feature, you can create a pool to combine family points. Below, we will explain how to create a pool, how to set it up, how to invite participants, and how they can accept the invitation.

1. Creating a Pool (Instructions for the Head of the Family)

• Log in to your Aeroplan account (website or app).
• Go to the “Family Sharing” or “Manage My Account” section.
• Click “Create a Family Sharing Pool” (or “Get Started”). The system will ask you to confirm that you are a verified Aeroplan member (18+, 6+ months).
• Enter the details of each invitee (name, Aeroplan number, relationship). You can invite up to 7 additional members if needed.

• Select the rights for each member: “Earn and use” or “Earn only.” Send the invitation.

2. Accepting the Invitation (for other family members)

• Each invited family member will receive an invitation by email.
• They must log in, click “Accept Invitation,” and follow the on-screen instructions to join.
• If the invitation is lost, the manager can resend it.

Please note that immediately after accepting the invitation, all of the invited person’s Aeroplan points will be immediately combined into a shared balance. Partial joining is not possible — it’s all or nothing.

3. How to cancel Aeroplan family sharing

You cannot leave the pool for at least 3 months after joining. To leave the pool, you must call Aeroplan; there is no “leave pool” button online. After finally leaving the pool, you must wait 6 months before joining another pool.

Aeroplan can suspend a pool if it suspects misuse (e.g. including non-family or a rapid series of redemptions). Keep documentation of your family ties (birth certificates, marriage license) handy, just in case.

How Does Aeroplan Family Sharing Work? (Pooling, Redemption, and Proportional Deductions)

Here’s where things get interesting — and where most confusion happens, especially around how points are split.

Pooling Points

• When someone joins a pool, their entire Aeroplan balance (and all future earnings) is added to the shared balance.
• Any pool member can use the pooled points to redeem for flights, hotels, car rentals, or merchandise through Aeroplan.
• The shared balance is displayed on all members’ accounts after setup, so you can check it at any time.

Proportional Deduction

When you redeem points from the pool, the cost is distributed proportionally based on each member’s share of the total pool at that time. The amount is not deducted only from the balance of the member making the exchange; everyone contributes.

Example:

• Before booking, the pool has 3 members:
• Alice: 6,000 points
• Bob: 9,000 points
• Carol: 15,000 points

Total pool: 30,000 points

They book a flight that costs 12,000 points. Each member’s share is:

• Alice: 6,000/30,000 = 20%
• Bob: 9,000/30,000 = 30%
• Carol: 15,000/30,000 = 50%

Points deducted:

• Alice: 20% of 12,000 = 2,400 (3,600 remaining)
• Bob: 30% of 12,000 = 3,600 (5,400 remaining)
• Carol: 50% of 12,000 = 6,000 (9,000 remains)

Although Alice and Bob booked tickets, Carol’s balance was most affected because she had the largest share. This means that you must completely trust the other members and coordinate your actions with them, as any use of points affects the points of all participants.

You can always check the current pool distribution on your Aeroplan dashboard to see who is contributing and how much.

Expiration Protection

Every time someone uses the pool, the 18-month expiration period for all pool members is reset (since the pool’s cumulative activity is considered account activity for all members). In effect, a single use of the pool will keep all accounts active. This is great for preserving points on inactive accounts.

Discounted Award Prices for Everyone

As I mentioned above, if any member of the pool is the primary holder of an Aeroplan credit card (for example, has a TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite or Amex Aeroplan Reserve card), the ENTIRE pool enjoys discounted prices on Air Canada flights. In other words, one card unlocks lower award fares for all family members. This can be very beneficial — sometimes you can save 20-30% on the cheapest seats.

For example, if your mother has a TD Aeroplan Infinite card, when you search for Air Canada flights from any account in the pool, the award table will show discounted prices (the same ones your mother sees). You can immediately book a ticket at a lower price.

Important limitation: this only applies to flights operated by Air Canada. Reward prices for partner airlines remain based on their own tables.

Partner Airlines & Award Pricing

You can also use points in the family pool for partner reward flights. This is very convenient, unlike, for example, the United family pool, where points can only be used for United flights.

As mentioned above, the preferential pricing advantage for cardholders in the pool does not apply to award flights with partner airlines. This means that you will pay the regular published cost of points for this partner flight. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you transfer Aeroplan points to a family member directly?

No – but Family Sharing effectively lets you pool for free, which is far better than paid point transfers. Once(points) are in the pool they can be redeemed for anyone.

How do I add my child to my Aeroplan account for family sharing?

Have them sign up for their own Aeroplan number (even as a child) well before you plan to set up sharing. Complete their account verification with a parent/legal guardian and ID (birth certificate or passport). Once it’s Verified and 6 months old, you can invite it into the pool.

What happens if the Family Lead leaves the pool?

The pool is dissolved. Each member keeps whatever points remain in their individual balance at that moment (there is no automatic point transfer back). You’d have to form a new pool later if needed.

If one member has an Aeroplan credit card, do all of us get the benefits?

For Air Canada flights, yes. Everyone in the pool sees the lower “preferred pricing” award costs. This does not extend to partner airline bookings, nor does it grant other card perks (like free checked bags) to other members.

What if I leave a pool?

Call Aeroplan to exit. You keep your remaining points but cannot join another pool for 6 months. Also, remember you must have already been in the pool for 3 months before you can even leave.

Can minors join a pool?

Yes. The child’s account must meet the same criteria: it needs to be at least 6 months old and Verified (you handle the verification for them). Then you can invite them normally.

Bottom Line

Aeroplan Family Sharing is a powerful tool for families who want to combine their Air Canada points, get better reward prices, and prevent miles from expiring. As you can see, coordination and trust between members are very important, because the feature combines all the points in your wallet and deducts them proportionally from each member. But for most families, the advantages — greater benefits, better prices, and protection against expiration — far outweigh the disadvantages.

Just make sure everyone is eligible, understands the blackout rules, and is aware of non-Air Canada flights (which won’t get the “great value” discount).

Ready to pool your points and take your next family trip further? Check your eligibility, confirm all participants, and create your Aeroplan Family Sharing pool today.