Aeroplan vs Alaska
Both Air Canada Aeroplan and Atmos Rewards 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 | Alaska |
|---|---|---|
| Kind | Airline miles | Airline miles |
| Alliance / network | Star Alliance | Oneworld |
| Fixed award chart? | Yes | Yes |
| Fuel surcharges on awards | No | No |
| Expiration | Never expire with any earning/redemption activity in 18 months | Never expire (lifetime miles) |
| Transfers in from | Chase UR (50K Bilt cards only), Amex MR (Canadian only), Capital One Miles, Bilt | 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 | Cathay Pacific First Class at 70K US to HK, JAL business class at 60-85K US to Asia, Free stopover on every one-way partner award, Qantas business at 55K to Australia |
| Flagship benefit | Published award chart with cheap stopovers | Free stopover on every one-way partner award |
Where Aeroplan wins
- Aeroplan accepts transfers from more bank programs — easier to top up.
- Best transparent Star Alliance award chart with cheap stopovers.
Where Alaska wins
- Premium-cabin partner award sweet spots and free stopovers — uniquely valuable.
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 Alaska if…
You're targeting one of these specific redemptions: Cathay Pacific First Class at 70K US to HK or JAL business class at 60-85K US to Asia. Alaska 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 →