Hey {{first name | reader}},
Happy Wednesday! Coffee's ready. Three things on my mind this week: an Aeroplan points sale that's worth knowing about, a few redemptions I think are great in that program, and a personal note on what's happening in the Middle East regarding aviation.
Here's what's inside:
Aeroplan's 90% bonus sale — and when it actually makes sense to buy
Aeroplan redemptions worth having on your radar
The Middle East situation
Aeroplan is running a points sale — here's when it actually makes sense to buy
Until March 19, Aeroplan is selling points with up to a 90% bonus, which works out to roughly 14.4 USD per 1000 points at the top tier.
It's fine, but not amazing. We've seen better 100% bonus sales before. It's not the worst deal as many sales land around 80%, so this one may be a decent buy.
I think this sale makes sense if you need to top up your balance for something specific, or if you've already found award space for a trip you want to take. That's really the framing I'd use.
You already know I am not always trying to squeeze maximum value out of every single point. Sometimes you find award space for a trip you really want, the math works well enough, and the right move is just to book it, and not to spend weeks hunting for a marginally better option. If this sale gets you over the line for a redemption you already want to make, that's a completely valid reason to buy.
On my end, Aeroplan is one of the programs I keep a consistent stack of points in. It's one of the best airline programs out there for premium redemptions, with strong Star Alliance coverage and some genuinely creative routing options, so I like having points ready when something good shows up and makes sense.
One practical note: the annual purchase limit for Aeroplan is up to 1,000,000 base points, which is unusually high. Most people will never need that, but if you're planning something big, it's good to know the ceiling is basically a non-issue.
A few Aeroplan redemptions worth knowing about
Continuing on the Aeroplan topic, this is one of the programs I love redeeming points in the most. They offer wide partner access across Star Alliance and beyond, and the pricing on certain long-haul routes can be amazing. Here are a few examples worth having on your radar.
Lufthansa First Class:
This is one of those redemptions that still feels a little surreal when it actually comes together. You can get a First Class flight for 90,000 points one-way, for example, from New York to Frankfurt. You can also redeem between 100k and 130k points to fly to destinations in South America or Asia. The catch is that Lufthansa First can only be booked about 3 days in advance through Aeroplan. So the best thing to do is to watch for it, not to plan your whole trip around it as a certainty. You can always set an alert, stay loose, and book if something appears. In this case, it is useful to keep some points in your account, enough to make this redemption.
Singapore Airlines business class:
It is no secret that I love Singapore Airlines. They offer a consistently excellent product, and Aeroplan is one of the more realistic ways to get there on points. Availability varies by route and time of year, but it's an amazing option, especially if you're flexible on dates. If Singapore is on your list for this year or the next one, you could snatch some great tickets. I actually helped a client book 2 tickets from England to Singapore round-trip on points a few weeks ago, and they are super happy they are going to fly this product straight from home to their vacation in Southeast Asia.
The stopover trick:
This one doesn't get enough attention. Aeroplan lets you add a stopover on an international one-way award for just 5,000 extra points. So if you're flying North America to Europe, you can add a week in Lisbon, Zürich, or Copenhagen before continuing onward. If the routing works for where you're going anyway, it's almost a no-brainer. I often use this strategy to get a two-city trip for basically nothing extra, and I love using it to explore cities I wouldn’t visit otherwise.
Other uses I love:
I also find very useful to redeem Aeroplan points on partners like EVA, Gulf Air and Thai Airways. All these different uses let you fly all around the world on their points, and that is why I love this program so much.
The Middle East situation — a careful note
I want to be straightforward here: we all know this is a serious and fast-moving situation, and it doesn't deserve a breezy "here's your travel tip" treatment. I debated whether to include it at all, but given how many of you have connections routed through the Gulf, it felt wrong to leave it out.
This situation affects aviation broadly, even for people not traveling anywhere near the region. Just for context, Dubai (DXB) processed around 95 million passengers last year. Doha (DOH) handled over 54 million. These aren't just regional hubs, they're major connectors for flights between Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas.
If you have flights routed through the Gulf in the coming weeks, a few practical things:
Keep a close eye on your airline's official updates. Social media moves fast but isn't always accurate, and official channels will be more reliable for actual schedule changes.
Be mentally prepared for last-minute disruptions, even if your specific flight looks fine right now.
If you have flexibility in your routing and the situation worsens, it might be worth looking at alternatives proactively.
Even though some people ask me, I can’t recommend whether to cancel or rebook. There is no way of knowing what is going to happen, and things are still evolving. Use your judgment, and if your airline is offering free rebooking, at least check what your options look like.
More than anything, my thoughts are with the people actually in the region. Everything else is secondary to that.
That's it for today. More deals and strategies coming your way on Friday.
Catch you in the clouds,
Tomi from Points Master