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Until Thursday, March 19, you can buy Aeroplan points with up to 90% bonus. The 90% bonus applies when you buy a minimum of 70,000 points, which results in a purchase price of 1.97 cents per point (CAD, not including taxes).
This is a slightly higher purchase price than we saw in January/February earlier this year when there was a 100% bonus, but this one is available on most accounts despite being targeted. Let’s look at the details and various price points.
Buy Aeroplan Points with a 90% bonus
Promotion Link to Aeroplan points purchase
- Buy 4,000–15,000 points, and get a 40% bonus
- Buy 20,000–60,000 points, and get a 60% bonus
- Buy 70,000+ points, and get a 90% bonus
With a 90% bonus, members can buy Aeroplan points for 1.97 cents per point (CPP, not incl. taxes). My very conservative valuation for an Aeroplan point is 2.0 CPP, which makes this a reasonable price point, especially for those looking to redeem on international routes in the premium cabin. While it’s difficult to pinpoint a set value for Air Canada flight rewards due to dynamic pricing, partner flight rewards offer consistent value. A few examples:
- Lufthansa First Class using Aeroplan points
- Singapore Airlines Business Class from Singapore to San Francisco
- TAP Air Portugal Business Class from Toronto to Lisbon
Normally, members can purchase up to 250,000 points before the bonus, but this promotion doubles the limit to 500,000 points. The annual limit remains at 1 million Aeroplan points. The yearly limit to gift points remains at 500,000. Note that bonus Aeroplan points from this offer don’t count toward the transactional purchase limit per Aeroplan account.
Which Credit Card to Use?
Aeroplan points purchase transactions are processed by Points.com and will not code as a travel purchase, so it is best to use a card that offers the highest return on standard daily transactions. Purchases with Canadian cards will be subject to sales tax and may further erode the value of 1.97 CPP. However, purchases with U.S.-based cards with a U.S. billing address are not subject to sales tax, which makes them the best option for Aeroplan points purchases.
For those not in a hurry to purchase Aeroplan points, a better way to earn them is through credit card welcome bonuses. For example, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card offers up to 45,000 points and also comes with an annual fee rebate for the first year of card membership.
Takeaway
While I cannot advise that everyone must buy through this promotion, a purchase price of 1.97 CPP makes it a good time to top-up accounts toward a specific plan, including meeting spending requirements on new credit cards. If you don’t need points right away, you can wait for the next 100% bonus and hope Aeroplan targets you.
Are you buying?
