One of the lesser-known ways to use Marriott Bonvoy points is transferring them to dozens of airline partners.
Yes, dozens.
On a normal day, Marriott offers transfers to the majority of these partners at a 3:1 ratio. So, transfer 60,000 Marriott points to an airline partner and receive 20,000 miles or points. But for a limited time, one of those partners is getting a boost.
Through October 31, Air Canada is advertising the “only chance this year” to snag a 15% bonus on Marriott Bonvoy point transfers to Aeroplan.
60,000 Marriott Points Become 28,750 Aeroplan Points
This month only, Marriott Bonvoy point transfers to Aeroplan are 15% more rewarding.
Here’s how it works. Aeroplan will add 15% more points to an account after a transfer from Marriott Bonvoy. And there’s already a 5,000-point bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred.
In other words, transferring 60,000 Marriott points to Aeroplan at the standard 3:1 ratio nets 20,000 Aeroplan points. The 5,000-point bonus brings that total to 25,000, and then the 15% transfer bonus gets tacked on top.
So, transfer 60,000 Marriott points to Aeroplan during October and the final total is 28,750 Aeroplan points.
Program members can transfer up to 240,000 Marriott points per day, and the bonus points may take between eight and 10 weeks to land in an account.
Generally speaking, the 3:1 transfer ratio should at least give some pause before automatically transferring Marriott points, especially without a specific use in mind. But even without a transfer bonus on the table, these Marriott conversions offer a backdoor way to earn more airline miles.
It just so happens that transferring to one particular partner is a little more rewarding this month.
The Aeroplan Credit Card is getting an overhaul, and it’s going to cost quite a bit more.
Chase and Air Canada announced the changes on September 10. The newly renamed Air Canada Aeroplan Card will carry a $195 annual fee, up from $95, while adding automatic Aeroplan 25K status, a 15% discount on eligible Air Canada flights booked with points, up to $100 back on Air Canada purchases each year, and 3X points on travel.
There are some tradeoffs. Grocery store and restaurant purchases will earn fewer points, and a standing 10% bonus on large transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Aeroplan is going away at the end of the year.
It’s a fairly substantial rethink of a card that has been around since 2021. And the new name offers a pretty good clue about where Chase and Air Canada are taking it.
The Air Canada Aeroplan Card Will Cost $195
The annual fee is jumping from $95 to $195.
To help make up the difference, Chase is adding up to $100 in Air Canada statement credits each year. The benefit is split into two $50 credits, one every six months, so getting the full $100 back requires making at least two eligible Air Canada purchases during the year.
There are more reasons to use the card when flying Air Canada, too.
Cardmembers will automatically receive Aeroplan 25K status without a spending requirement. That comes with perks including priority check-in, Zone 2 boarding, and five eUpgrade credits each year.
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Perhaps more interesting is a new 15% discount on eligible Air Canada flights booked with Aeroplan points. A flight that would otherwise require 50,000 points, for example, would drop to 42,500 points if eligible for the discount.
That’s potentially useful even without much interest in elite status. The catch is that the discount is limited to eligible Air Canada flights. Aeroplan points can be used with more than 45 partner airlines, and those flights aren’t included.
Everyday Spending Is Changing, Too
The card isn’t just getting new benefits.
Grocery stores and restaurants currently earn 3 Aeroplan points per dollar. That’s dropping to 2X.
Travel, meanwhile, becomes a new 3X category, and gas purchases will earn 2X. Air Canada purchases continue to earn 3X.
Chase is also advertising up to 5X points on eligible Air Canada flights. The card itself isn’t earning all five, though. Three points per dollar come from paying with the card, while another two come from Air Canada on eligible flights as part of the Aeroplan 25K status that now comes with it.
For anyone who has been using the Aeroplan Credit Card heavily at grocery stores or restaurants, the math gets worse. Spending on travel gets more rewarding instead.
Two Existing Benefits Are Disappearing
As the new benefits arrive, two existing ones are heading for the exit.
Through December 31, 2026, cardmembers can still receive a 10% bonus when transferring at least 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Aeroplan. The benefit can provide up to 25,000 bonus points per calendar year, but it disappears after that.
The monthly spending bonus is going away at the same time. It currently awards 500 bonus points for every $2,000 spent on the card during a calendar month, up to 1,500 bonus points per month.
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One more benefit arrives in January. Cardmembers will get a fourth day free on eligible four-day rental car reservations booked with Aeroplan points, joining an existing fourth-night-free benefit for eligible hotel bookings.
There’s also a new welcome offer. New cardmembers can earn 75,000 Aeroplan points after spending $4,000 in the first three months, plus another 40,000 points after spending $20,000 in the first 12 months, for up to 115,000 points in total.
Aeroplan Is Still Bigger Than Air Canada
The name change is easy to overlook among everything else, but it fits neatly with what’s happening to the card.
Aeroplan points aren’t just for Air Canada. They can be used to book flights with dozens of other airlines, which has long made the program useful even without much reason to fly Air Canada itself. The old $95 Aeroplan Credit Card fit comfortably into that world, too.
That’s not changing. The Air Canada Aeroplan Card still earns Aeroplan points, and those points still work with the program’s airline partners.
But the card itself is becoming more closely tied to Air Canada. The fee is higher, grocery and dining earning is lower, and the Chase transfer bonus is disappearing. In their place are a $100 Air Canada credit, automatic status, and a 15% discount that specifically rewards booking Air Canada flights with points.
Even the name now says Air Canada.
For someone who regularly flies the airline, there’s considerably more here than before. For someone who liked the old Aeroplan Credit Card mostly because Aeroplan points are useful elsewhere, the overhaul isn’t nearly as straightforward.
Air Canada is planning a major international expansion for next summer.
On September 3, it announced that it plans to add five destinations to its network and launch seven new routes across Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
The additions touch all three of Air Canada’s major hubs in Toronto (YYZ), Montréal (YUL), and Vancouver (YVR). And several of the new routes will put the airline’s growing Airbus A321XLR fleet to work on thinner routes across the Atlantic.
All of the new flights are already on sale for travel in 2027.
Air Canada’s New International Routes for 2027
Five destinations are completely new to Air Canada’s network.
From Toronto, Air Canada will add seasonal flights to Oslo (OSL), Shannon (SNN), and Nice (NCE). Montréal gets new seasonal service to Basel (BSL) and Dubrovnik (DBV), while Vancouver will get a new year-round route to Guangzhou (CAN).
Route
Starts
Aircraft
Vancouver (YVR) → Guangzhou (CAN)
May 4
Boeing 787
Toronto (YYZ) → Oslo (OSL)
June 2
Airbus A321XLR
Toronto (YYZ) → Shannon (SNN)
June 10
Airbus A321XLR
Toronto (YYZ) → Nice (NCE)
June 16
Airbus A330-300
Montréal (YUL) → Dubrovnik (DBV)
May 11
Boeing 787
Montréal (YUL) → Basel (BSL)
June 16
Airbus A321XLR
Air Canada is also bringing back its Toronto to London Heathrow (LHR) daytime flight. This will give it seven new routes in total.
There are several other schedule changes coming. Toronto to Shanghai (PVG) will increase to daily service, while Toronto to Guatemala City (GUA) will become year-round.
Air Canada is also extending its Montréal flights to Tenerife (TFS), Lima (LIM), and Guatemala City to operate year-round.
The A321XLR Is Opening New Doors
Three of Air Canada’s five new destinations will be served by the Airbus A321XLR.
That’s notable because the XLR is much smaller than the widebody aircraft traditionally used for long-haul international flying. Its range allows Air Canada to connect cities across the Atlantic without committing a Boeing 787 or another large aircraft to the route.
For 2027, that means Toronto gets nonstop flights to Oslo and Shannon, while Montréal gets a new connection to Basel. The aircraft will have two cabins, including Air Canada Signature Class with lie-flat seats.
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This is a strategy we’re seeing play out elsewhere, too. American and United both announced new international routes in August for next summer that will make use of their own A321XLR fleets.
And Air Canada isn’t done expanding. The airline says more network announcements are coming and teased that details about its first Boeing 787-10 routes will be revealed in the coming months.
