Aeroplan vs AAdvantage
Both Air Canada Aeroplan and American AAdvantage are airline loyalty programs. They share enough overlap that travelers regularly compare them, but the right answer depends on your typical trips.
Quick spec comparison
| Spec | Aeroplan | AAdvantage |
|---|---|---|
| Kind | Airline miles | Airline miles |
| Alliance / network | Star Alliance | Oneworld |
| Fixed award chart? | Yes | Yes |
| Fuel surcharges on awards | No | Some partners |
| Expiration | Never expire with any earning/redemption activity in 18 months | Never expire with any earning/redemption activity in 24 months |
| Transfers in from | Chase UR (50K Bilt cards only), Amex MR (Canadian only), Capital One Miles, Bilt | Citi TY, Bilt, Marriott Bonvoy |
| Signature sweet spots | 60K one-way business class US to Europe, 75K one-way business to Asia, Stopovers for 5K points each | Qatar Qsuite at 70K business class one-way US to Europe, Cathay Pacific Business at 70K one-way US to HK, Etihad first class at 50K (when loaded) |
| Flagship benefit | Published award chart with cheap stopovers | Qatar Qsuite access + best Oneworld partner pricing |
Where Aeroplan wins
- Aeroplan doesn't pass fuel surcharges to most awards (AAdvantage does).
- Aeroplan accepts transfers from more bank programs — easier to top up.
- Best transparent Star Alliance award chart with cheap stopovers.
Where AAdvantage wins
- Best for premium-cabin Oneworld redemptions, especially Qatar Qsuite.
Pick Aeroplan if…
You're targeting one of these specific redemptions: 60K one-way business class US to Europe or 75K one-way business to Asia. Aeroplan is the program built for them.
Pick AAdvantage if…
You're targeting one of these specific redemptions: Qatar Qsuite at 70K business class one-way US to Europe or Cathay Pacific Business at 70K one-way US to HK. AAdvantage is the program built for them.
Can you have both?
Yes — and you probably should. Most serious award travelers maintain status (or at least active accounts) across multiple programs because the best partner award for a given route is rarely the same program twice in a row. Find the saver seat first; then book through whichever program prices it cheapest.
Find availability before you transfer
AwardLocker shows live saver award space across every program. Confirm space first, then transfer points only when you're ready to book.
Check availability →