It is now nine years that I am in the world of travel points. I earned over a million Aeroplan points, in large part thanks to great promotions offered by American Express. This allowed me to go to beautiful places where the price of a plane ticket is always very expensive, for example: French Polynesia or the Maldives. It is, quite simply, the only way to get cheap travel to these destinations.
My airline rewards under the old Aeroplan program in 2020:
Departure from Montreal for Cebu in the Philippines (1st stop) then Taipei, Taiwan (2nd stop), then a full day stopover in Singapore then to the Maldives (3rd stop) and return to Montreal for $200 in fees and taxes and 100 000 Aeroplan Miles. And yes, only $200 for all those flights, which normally cost several thousand of dollars.
See why, the American Express® Aeroplan® is the best card right now in Canada for accumulating Aeroplan points rapidly.
Remember that the goal of earning points quickly is to save on travel, not to get into debt or spend more than usual, nor to pay high interest in order to get the most points. With a dozen of cards in my pocket, I always pay my accounts in full and on time, and my credit rating has always been very good.
Welcome bonus
New American Express® Aeroplan®* Cardmembers can earn up to 50,000 Aeroplan points:
- Earn 35,000 Aeroplan points after spending $3,000 in net purchases on your Card within the first 6 months of Cardmembership
- Plus, earn 2,500 Aeroplan points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $500 in purchases on your Card for the first 6 months of Cardmembership. That could add up to 15,000 Aeroplan points
French application: Carte AéroplanMD American ExpressMD
Minimum income and card fees
There are several cards available on the market, but some of them require a very high minimum income. For example: you must have a minimum income of $60 000 or a family income of $100 000 per year to apply for the TD Infinite Aeroplan Card. While the American Express® Aeroplan® Card is simply more accessible to everyone since no minimum income is required.
Yes, this card has an annual fee of $120, but it offers you much more in return such as travel insurance, as well as the first piece of checked baggage free of charge on an Air Canada flight for up to 8 of your travelling companions under the same reservation, as well as a preferential rate on airline rewards.
Example of savings on the first piece of free baggage: flying to Europe on Air Canada, the first piece of checked baggage costs approximately $70 per segment, if you are travelling as a couple on the same reservation, and you register two checked luggage round trip, the total cost will be $380. Better to pay the $120 card fee in order to get the first checked bag for free every time you travel to the old continent with AC.
Insurance offered with the card:
- Flight Delay Insurance (up to 500$)
- Baggage Delay Insurance (up to 500$)
- Hotel Burglary Insurance (up to 500$)
- $500,000 Travel Accident Insurance
- Car Rental Theft and Damage Insurance
As you can see, this card is very beneficial for travellers.
Where you could fly with a bonus of 50,000 Aeroplan points
Here are two examples of what you can do with 50 000 Aeroplan points:
Nonstop round trip flight to San Francisco, California from Toronto, November 13th to the 28th, 2022:
22,200 Aeroplan points are needed to get a nonstop round trip to San Francisco. You will therefore need 44,400 Aeroplan points for two round trip tickets.
As you can see below, the price for the same flight with the same dates is $552.57 for one ticket, so for two tickets = $1105.14 round trip. Card fees are $120 + $151.78 in taxes with Aeroplan points = $271.78 instead of $1105.14, that is a saving of $833.36 only with one card.
Nonstop round trip flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida from Montreal, January 16 to January 29, 2023:
19,200 Aeroplan points are needed to get a nonstop round trip to Florida next winter. You will therefore need 38,400 Aeroplan points for two round trip tickets.
As you can see below, the price for the same flight with the same dates is $669,68 for one ticket, so for two tickets = $1339.36 round trip. Card fees are $120 + $164.84 in taxes with Aeroplan points = $284.84 instead of $1339.36
A savings of $1054.52 for two tickets by accumulating points quickly with only one card. Plus, you’ll save more with the free first checked baggage offer with the American Express® Aeroplan® Card® on an Air Canada flights for both tickets.
Conclusion
Whether for a business class flight or a very expensive place like the French Polynesia, I saved over tens of thousands of dollars on flights with the deals published on Yulair, but also with welcome credit card bonuses. Start earning Aeroplan points quickly with one of the best offers on the market by subscribing to the American Express® Aeroplan® Card®.
Click here for more details to subscribe to the: American Express® Aeroplan® Card®
Application in French: Carte AéroplanMD American ExpressMD
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Main photo credit: Air Canada
