Air Miles vs. Aeroplan: Which Is Better?

Air Miles and Aeroplan’s status as two of the biggest rewards programs in Canada invites the obvious question – which is better? While Air Miles offers more flexibility, Aeroplan boasts superior earning rates, benefits, and excellent credit cards, making it the better program for frequent travellers and general spenders.

This certainly doesn't mean that Air Miles isn't also a valuable program. Especially for BMO clients, earning and redeeming Air Miles is pretty straightforward and very beneficial.

This article examines the similarities and differences between these two points programs, compares their top credit cards, offers tips on choosing the right program for you, and more.

What is Air Miles?

The Air Miles rewards program is open to anyone with a free membership or BMO Air Miles credit card. Collectors earn their choice of Cash Miles, Dream Miles, or both by shopping at partner stores, scanning receipts, and using BMO credit and debit cards.

Pros:

• 300+ hotel chains, 60 airlines, and 5 rental car agency partners offering points
• 250+ online stores awarding Miles through AirMilesShops.ca
• 70+ online and in-store partners
• 6 ways to collect Miles
• 6 ways to redeem Miles
• 3 Air Miles credit cards
• 3 membership tiers with simple point or credit card requirements
• Travel rewards are easy to redeem and have consistent value

Cons:

• Can’t convert Cash Miles to Dream Miles (or vice versa)
• Only BMO Mastercard credit cards available
• No airline perks or benefits included

What is Aeroplan?

Aeroplan is the official frequent flyer and credit card rewards program of Air Canada, the country’s largest airline and founding member of the Star Alliance airline group. Members earn Aeroplan Points by buying flights, booking travel, using Aeroplan credit cards, and converting points from other rewards programs, but you can get started with a free account, too.

Pros:

• 250+ online stores awarding points through the Aeroplan eStore
• 53 airlines, 15 hotel chains, and 3 rental car agency partners offering points
• 11 Aeroplan credit cards
• 9 point conversion partners
• 7 online and 4 in-store partners
• 6 ways to earn points
• 6 ways to redeem points
• 5 membership tiers with exclusive perks on Air Canada and Star Alliance flights

Cons:

• Advanced membership requires points, miles, and flights
• Economy Basic flights don’t earn flights
• Travel rewards have inconsistent value

Air Miles vs. Aeroplan

In our opinion, the ideal travel rewards program offers excellent benefits, credit cards, earning opportunities, and redemption options. After comparing and contrasting both rivals in all 4 categories, the winner is clearly Aeroplan.

Aeroplan offers superior benefits, credit cards, and earning opportunities. While we like Air Miles’ valuable and user-friendly travel options, we wish it was easier to consistently earn Miles.

That said, Aeroplan might not be the best travel rewards program for you. You can check our work, learn the ins and outs of each program, and make an informed decision by reading further.

Best benefits: Aeroplan

Boasting airport lounge access, gratuitous freebies, and plenty of perks, Aeroplan offers frequent flyers a better array of benefits than Air Miles.

Both Air Miles Collectors and Aeroplan members begin with a free membership and advance to higher tiers by collecting Miles (or a combination of points, miles, and flights). Air Miles Collectors start at Blue and move to Gold and Onyx Status, while Aeroplan members begin with a free account and advance to Elite Status 25K, 35K, 50K, 75K, and Super Elite.

You can access travel rewards, online purchase rewards, and free contests and giveaways with a free membership in either program. The gap in benefits is most obvious at the top membership tiers.

Air Canada’s sponsorship makes this contest a no-brainer – advanced Aeroplan members get VIP treatment on Air Canada and Star Alliance flights that Air Miles can’t replicate. The downside is that it takes a significant amount of investment and travel to reach each membership tier.

Best credit cards: Aeroplan

Featuring 16 cards across 3 banks, plus high returns for premium travellers and general spenders, Aeroplan has better credit cards than Air Miles.

The right travel credit card can make all the difference between the occasional free coffee and an all-expenses-paid trip to the Caribbean. The average Canadian uses their credit card to pay for 68% of all transactions – so why not get rewarded for the money you’re already spending?

American Express, CIBC, and TD issue a combined total of 11 official Aeroplan credit cards in Canada. Our top pick is the luxurious TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Credit Card, but Aeroplan has a secret weapon: points conversions.

Amex credit cardholders can convert unlimited Amex Membership Rewards points to Aeroplan points at a 1:1 ratio for free, expanding your total options to 16. As always, we recommend the American Express Cobalt Card, the best overall credit card in Canada.

Air Miles credit cards cover just 3 categories: premium, no fee, and student. With no points conversion partners, you’re stuck with BMO – and even our top pick, the BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard, isn’t known for its high returns.

Value of rewards in CAD / money spent in CAD = returns in %

Every 1% in returns means $1 in rewards per $100 spent. It’s an easy way to compare the 2 best Aeroplan credit cards and the best Air Miles card in Canada.

	American Express Cobalt Card	TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Credit Card	BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard
Annual fee	$191.88	$599	$120
Welcome bonus	$100 GeniusCash + Up to 15,000 bonus points (terms)	Up to 85,000 bonus points (terms)	$150 GeniusCash + Up to 9,000 bonus miles, first year free (terms)
Rewards program	American Express Membership Rewards	Aeroplan	Air Miles
Rewards	* 5 points per $1 spent on eligible groceries and restaurants (up tp $2,500 spent per month) * 3 points per $1 spent on eligible streaming services * 2 points per $1 spent on eligible gas, transit, and ride share purchases * 1 point per $1 spent on foreign currency purchases * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases	* 2 points per $1 spent on Air Canada * 1.5 points per $1 spent on eligible gas, electric vehicle charging, groceries, travel & transit and dining * 1.25 points per $1 spent on all other purchases	* 1 Mile for every $12 spent * 3x the Miles for every $12 at participating Air Miles partners * 2x the Miles for every $12 spent at any eligible grocery, liquor, and wholesale stores
Average returns	4.5%	2.78%	1.35%
Types of insurance included	10	12	14
Income requirements	None	$150K personal or $200K household	$80K personal or $150k household
Credit card benefits	* Amex Experiences * Amex Front of the Line * Amex Offers * The Hotel Collection	* $100 NEXUS credit every 4 years * 6 complimentary airport lounge visits per year * Visa Infinite Privilege benefits	* Up to 20% off Alamo and National car rentals * Up to 7 cents off per litre at Shell * Up to 7% off hotels on Booking.com * World Elite Mastercard benefits
Travel rewards program benefits	* Convert Amex Membership Rewards Points to Aeroplan Points 1:1	* 1K Miles and 1 flight toward Elite Status per $5K spent * 1 $99+ annual worldwide companion pass (after $25K minimum spend) * 1 guest per Maple Leaf Lounge visit * Premium Air Canada travel perks	* 25% off 1 Air Miles Travel flight per year * Automatic Onyx Collector Status

In summary, the Amex Cobalt Card is the highest-earning rewards credit card, the TD Aeroplan VIP is the best perks and benefits card, and the BMO Air Miles WEM is the best travel insurance credit card. Despite the latter’s high insurance value and automatic Onyx status, it just can’t match the returns provided by either of Aeroplan’s best credit cards.

Best earning opportunities: Aeroplan

Although it has fewer partner stores and opportunities to earn bonus points, Aeroplan’s credit cards, travel rewards, and online shopping portal yield higher returns than Air Miles.

Let’s set aside credit cards for a moment and consider a scenario in which two Canadians set out to earn as many travel rewards as possible. In one year, they spend $24,000 on sundries, $2,000 on online shopping, and $3,000 flying within Canada, plus $1,000 on hotels.

By checking their inbox, mobile app, and local flyers, the Air Miles Collector seizes every sale and promotional offer they can find to earn:

• 5 Miles per $5 spent by booking hotel and flight packages on Air Miles Travel
• Up to 3 Miles per $12 spent by using a BMO Air Miles World Elite Mastercard
• 1 Mile per $20 spent by using AirMilesShops.ca
• 25 Bonus Miles per month by opening a BMO Air Miles Chequing Account
• 3,125 Bonus Miles by stacking Air Miles Receipts, Card Linked Offers, Multipliers, and other bonus offers throughout the year

At the end of the year, the Air Miles Collector has gathered a grand total of 10,185 Miles.

Meanwhile, the Aeroplan member spends the year shopping and travelling to earn:

• Up to 5 points per $1 spent by using an American Express Cobalt Card and transferring the points to Aeroplan
• 1.5 points per mile flown on domestic, Premium Economy flights with Air Canada
• An average of 2.5 points per $1 spent by using the Aeroplan eStore
• 2,100 points by shopping at the LCBO and feeding a regular Starbucks habit

The Aeroplan member has fewer promotions, partner stores, and bonus offers to choose from, but they earn points on miles flown and dollars spent. By the end of the year, they’ve collected 105,700 points and reached Elite Status 25K.

To be fair, we’ll add each spender’s budget for bonus offers to the other’s total, resulting in a total yearly spend of $33,031 for each one. But who earned the most rewards?

Take our estimate with a grain of salt – we made some assumptions surrounding dollars and distances and it’s hard to calculate how many Air Miles you can collect in one year. It all depends on how diligently you check and use your available offers and promotions.

Meanwhile, if you’re an Aeroplan member, you can rely on a steady stream of credit card rewards to make up most of your value. And if you can achieve Elite Status 25K (like our hypothetical member did), spending the same amount on travel next year will earn you a 25% point bonus worth $188!

Best redemption options: Air Miles

Air Miles offers an easier booking process, consistent value, and a larger variety of travel options and partners than Aeroplan.

The best flexible rewards programs offer a variety of appealing redemption options and fairly consistent value. Nothing sours our opinion faster than finding out the rewards we’ve worked so hard to collect are worth less than a measly cent per mile (or cent per point).

Cost of reward in $CAD / cost of reward in miles or points x 100 = value in cents per mile (CPM) or cents per point (CPP)

Thankfully, that’s not the case for Air Miles and Aeroplan. Air Miles Collectors can choose to collect Dream Miles – which have a maximum value of 13 CPM – or Cash Miles worth up to 10.53 CPM. Aeroplan points are worth about 2 CPP, but you can earn a lot more of them.

Unsurprisingly, you can get the best value out of each program by spending your miles or points on travel.

Let’s put aside merchandise, charity, and cash-like redemption options for now and focus on what’s important: travel.

It’s easy to redeem Air Miles for flights, hotels, and activities on Air Miles Travel and get a consistent 10 CPM, or 11 CPM if you book a cruise. It takes a little more work to calculate the value of travel packages and car rentals, but you’ll be rewarded with up to 13 CPM and 20+ CPM, respectively, if you can find the right bargain. You can use your Air Miles to book flights with all three major Canadian airlines: Air Canada, WestJet, and Porter.

Redeeming Aeroplan points is much more complicated. Getting the best deal depends on booking ahead, picking the right route, and choosing the right fare. According to our calculations, short-haul, domestic Economy flights yield up to 4 CPP – but you’ll need a spreadsheet to make sure.

If the point of a travel rewards program is to take you where you want to go, Air Miles does it with less hassle.

How to choose the right travel rewards program for you

Still on the fence? The benefits, credit cards, earning opportunities, and redemption options we’ve covered won’t appeal or apply to everyone, but they do tell us a few things about each rewards program.

For example, Air Miles is likely the best program for you if you aren’t a frequent flyer and you like:

• Buying Economy flights on different airlines
• Buying travel packages
• Hunting for bonus offers and promotions
• Shopping at Air Miles partner stores

If you prefer to fly Air Canada and carry a rewarding credit card, Aeroplan is probably the best choice for you. You won’t have to hunt regularly for bargains and promotions to earn rewards, but you’ll have to put more effort into finding a valuable use for your points.

Pro Tip: Pick the program that best rewards your existing shopping habits with options that excite you. It’ll make it easier to tolerate each program’s quirks.

Alternatives to Air Miles and Aeroplan

Naturally, Air Miles and Aeroplan aren’t the only travel rewards programs in Canada. You could also earn points and travel with CIBC Aventura, RBC Avion, or TD Travel Rewards. For the sake of brevity, we’re going to explore one rival with fantastic rewards: the American Express Membership Rewards program.

Amex Membership Rewards can only be earned by select American Express credit cards, including the Cobalt, Gold Rewards, and Platinum Card. Amex cards offer above-average earning rates, incredible travel perks, and decent insurance – their only downside is somewhat limited acceptance.

We recommend transferring your Amex Membership Rewards points to Aeroplan or using the user-friendly Amex Fixed Points Travel Program to get up to 2 CPP. You can also trade them for statement credits (1 CPP), gift cards (0.91 CPP), or merchandise (up to 1.1 CPP).

FAQ

Are Aeroplan and Air Miles the same?

While Aeroplan and Air Miles are similar, the former is owned by Air Canada and the latter by the Bank of Montreal.

Can you convert Air Miles to Aeroplan?

You can’t convert Air Miles Cash Miles or Dream Miles to Aeroplan points or vice versa.

Is the Air Miles program worth it?

Air Miles offers consistent value and easy travel rewards, but you have to put a lot of effort into shopping at partner stores and qualifying for bonus offers to make up for its uncompetitive credit card options.

What’s better, Air Miles or Aeroplan?

Aeroplan offers frequent flyers and general spenders better benefits, credit cards, and earning opportunities than Air Miles.

What airlines can I use Air Miles on?

The Air Miles Travel website partners with 60 airlines, including Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat, Porter, Delta, Emirates, Lufthansa, American Airlines, and more.