How to Book Partner Airline Awards With Aeroplan

One of the biggest reasons travelers love Aeroplan isn’t flying Air Canada — it’s access to more than 45 partner airlines across the globe. Whether you’re dreaming of flying Lufthansa Business Class to Europe, ANA to Japan, Singapore Airlines to Southeast Asia, or United across the U.S., Aeroplan lets you book these flights using the same balance of points.

Even better, partner awards follow fixed, distance-based pricing, unlike Air Canada-operated flights, which generally use dynamic pricing. That means you can often predict how many points you’ll need and occasionally find outstanding value on premium cabin awards.  

This guide explains exactly how to search for partner award space, build an itinerary, add stopovers, and avoid the mistakes that frustrate many first-time users.

Which Airlines Can You Book With Aeroplan?

Aeroplan partners include nearly every Star Alliance airline plus several independent carriers.

Popular partners include:

• United Airlines
• Lufthansa
• SWISS
• Austrian Airlines
• Brussels Airlines
• ANA
• Singapore Airlines
• Turkish Airlines
• EVA Air
• LOT Polish Airlines
• TAP Air Portugal
• Ethiopian Airlines
• Air India
• Etihad Airways
• Emirates (select redemptions)
• Virgin Australia

Unlike many airline programs, Aeroplan allows you to combine multiple partner airlines on one ticket, provided the itinerary follows Aeroplan’s routing rules.  

Why Partner Awards Are Often Better Than Air Canada Flights

One feature that makes Aeroplan stand out is its dual pricing system.

Flights operated by Air Canada generally use dynamic pricing, meaning award prices rise and fall with demand.

Partner airlines, however, use Aeroplan’s fixed distance-based award charts. Although availability is controlled by the partner airline, the points required for eligible itineraries remain much more predictable.

That makes partner awards particularly attractive for travelers looking for business- and first-class seats.

How to Book Partner Airline Awards With Aeroplan

Step 1: Log Into Your Aeroplan Account

Visit the Air Canada website and sign in to your Aeroplan account.

Select Book with points before searching.

Searching without checking this box will only display cash fares.

Step 2: Search for Your Flight

Enter:

• departure airport
• destination
• travel date
• number of passengers
• cabin class

Click Search.

Aeroplan automatically displays eligible Air Canada and partner flights.

Step 3: Identify Partner Flights

Partner-operated flights display the operating airline, for example:

• Operated by Lufthansa
• Operated by United
• Operated by ANA
• Operated by Turkish Airlines

Don’t assume every itinerary is operated by Air Canada simply because you’re booking on the Air Canada website.

Step 4: Compare Different Dates

Award availability changes daily.

If your preferred date isn’t available:

• search one day earlier
• search one day later
• check nearby airports

Sometimes shifting your departure by just one day can reduce the price dramatically or reveal premium cabin space.

Step 5: Choose Your Fare Option

After selecting flights, Aeroplan presents several fare options, such as:

• Basic
• Standard
• Flex
• Latitude

Higher fare options generally offer more flexibility for changes and cancellations.

Review the cancellation policy before booking, especially if your travel plans may change.  

Step 6: Complete Your Booking

Review:

• passenger information
• taxes and fees
• total Aeroplan points required

Pay the applicable taxes with your credit card and confirm the booking.

You’ll receive:

• an Air Canada reservation number
• the operating airline’s confirmation number (for most partner flights)

Booking Example

Suppose you’re flying from Chicago to Tokyo.

Instead of booking:

Chicago → Toronto → Tokyo on Air Canada,

Aeroplan might offer:

Chicago → Tokyo on ANA.

Although both are bookable with Aeroplan points, the ANA-operated itinerary may require fewer points or provide a better business-class experience because it follows the partner award chart.

How to Find More Partner Award Availability

Experienced travelers rarely rely on a single search.

Instead, they:

• search segment by segment;
• check nearby departure airports;
• search one-way flights first;
• build the itinerary afterward.

For example, instead of searching: New York → Bangkok search: New York → Tokyo then Tokyo → Bangkok

This approach often reveals award space hidden in more complex itineraries.

Can You Mix Multiple Partner Airlines?

Yes. One itinerary might include:

• United → Lufthansa → Turkish Airlines
• ANA → Singapore Airlines
• Air Canada → SWISS → Austrian.

Aeroplan generally allows mixed-carrier itineraries as long as they comply with the program’s routing rules.  

Add a Stopover for Just 5,000 Points

One of Aeroplan’s most valuable features is its stopover option.

For 5,000 additional Aeroplan points, you can add one stopover per direction of travel on eligible international itineraries.

For example:

New York → Zurich

5-day stopover

Zurich → Rome

Instead of purchasing two separate awards, you pay only 5,000 extra points.

Stopovers:

• can last up to 45 days;
• are available on one-way and round-trip bookings;
• are not permitted within Canada, the U.S., or China.  

To book online, choose Multi-city/Stopover during the award search.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming every partner seat is available

Partners decide how many award seats to release.

Even if cash seats remain for sale, partner award inventory may already be gone.

Ignoring Mixed Cabin Warnings

Some itineraries include:

• economy
• premium economy
• business

on different segments.

Always review each flight individually before booking.

Waiting Too Long

Premium partner awards—especially on ANA, Lufthansa, and Singapore Airlines—can disappear quickly.

If you find availability that fits your schedule, it’s often worth booking immediately.

Not Checking Nearby Airports

Searching only one airport may cause you to miss available partner space.

Instead of searching only: New York (JFK) also check:

• Newark
• LaGuardia
• Boston
• Washington D.C.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Aeroplan’s partner airline network is one of the program’s strongest advantages. Instead of limiting you to Air Canada flights, your points can unlock travel on dozens of Star Alliance and non-alliance carriers around the world. By learning how to identify partner-operated flights, searching flexible dates, combining airlines on one itinerary, and taking advantage of the 5,000-point stopover feature, you can stretch your points significantly further. Whether you’re booking a simple domestic United flight or a complex round-the-world journey with multiple partners, understanding how Aeroplan partner awards work is one of the most valuable skills any points traveler can develop.