You have a pile of transferable points and a Star Alliance business class seat in mind, maybe ANA to Tokyo or Lufthansa to Europe. Air Canada Aeroplan is often the cheapest way to book it. So should you wait for an Aeroplan transfer bonus before you move your points, or transfer now? And does a bonus even change the decision?
Here is the data point that shapes the answer. Seven US card programs transfer to Aeroplan at 1:1, yet an Aeroplan transfer bonus is rare. The last broad offer was Chase's 20% bonus, which ended on September 30, 2026. Before that, you have to go back to Bilt's one-day 150% promotion on February 1, 2024. Compared with programs like Flying Blue, where bonuses arrive several times a year, Aeroplan offers are the exception.
In this guide, you'll see every bank that reaches Aeroplan, the full bonus history, and why Aeroplan's fixed partner chart makes any bonus unusually easy to value with simple maths.
Key Takeaways
- Seven US card programs transfer to Aeroplan at 1:1: Amex, Chase, Capital One, Bilt, Wells Fargo, Rove, and Taekus.
- Aeroplan bonuses are rare. No Aeroplan transfer bonus is live as of October 27, 2026, and offers appear far less often than for most Star Alliance programs.
- The partner chart is fixed, so a bonus's value is exact: a 20% bonus turns an 85,000-point business award into about 71,000 bank points.
- Bilt's 150% Rent Day bonus (February 1, 2024) is the standout, cutting a 75,000-point business seat to 30,000 Bilt points.
- Aeroplan adds no fuel surcharges on most Star Alliance partners and charges a flat $39 CAD partner fee, which protects a bonus's value.
Which Banks Transfer to Aeroplan
Before a bonus matters, you need a path into the program. Aeroplan is one of the most reachable Star Alliance currencies in the US, and every route below runs at 1:1. The differences that matter are transfer speed and your point's baseline value.
| Card program | Ratio to Aeroplan | Transfer time | Est. value of source points |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Express Membership Rewards | 1:1 | Instant | 2.0¢ |
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | 1:1 | Instant | 2.0¢ |
| Capital One Miles | 1:1 | 24–48 hours | 1.85¢ |
| Bilt Rewards | 1:1 | Instant | 2.0¢ |
| Wells Fargo Rewards | 1:1 | 24–48 hours | 1.5¢ |
| Rove Miles | 1:1 | Varies | 1.6¢ |
| Taekus Rewards | 1:1 | Varies | 1.5¢ |
Two points on this table change real decisions:
- Speed matters when seats are scarce. Amex, Chase, and Bilt post instantly, so you can confirm a Star Alliance seat and transfer in minutes. Capital One and Wells Fargo usually take a day or two, so do not transfer to them until the seat is held.
- Aeroplan itself is worth about 1.5¢ per point on these estimates, so transferring a 2.0¢ currency like Chase or Amex only pays off when you have a specific premium-cabin redemption in mind.
For the full program picture, including partners and earning, see our Air Canada Aeroplan partner page.
Past Aeroplan Transfer Bonuses
Knowing the history tells you whether waiting is realistic. The table lists US bonuses to Aeroplan that we could confirm through reputable points publications or official announcements. The pattern is the opposite of frequent-bonus programs.
| Program | Bonus | When |
|---|---|---|
| Bilt | up to +150% (tiered by status) | February 1, 2024 (one day, Rent Day) |
| Chase | +20% base, +30% for Air Canada cardholders | Ended September 30, 2026 |
| Chase | +25% | 2025 |
| Amex | +15% | September 2022 |
| Capital One | none recorded | — |
What the Pattern Tells You
A few things stand out, and none of them guarantees a future offer. They simply show how uncommon Aeroplan bonuses have been.
- Bilt is the outlier. Its February 2024 Rent Day promotion ran a single day and scaled from 75% to 150% by Bilt status tier, far above any other Aeroplan offer.
- Chase is the most reliable source. Chase added Aeroplan as an Ultimate Rewards partner in November 2022 and has run occasional bonuses since, usually around 20%.
- Amex rarely bonuses Aeroplan. Its last offer was 15% in September 2022, and nothing broad has followed.
- Capital One, Wells Fargo, Rove, and Taekus have no confirmed US Aeroplan bonus history.
So an Aeroplan transfer bonus is not something you can reliably wait for. You can watch every live offer across all banks on the transfer bonus tracker.
Why Aeroplan Bonuses Are Easy to Value
Here is where Aeroplan differs from dynamic programs. Awards on Star Alliance partners price from a fixed, distance-based chart, so a bonus changes the cost by an exact, predictable amount. The table shows one-way business class on partners such as United, Lufthansa, Swiss, and ANA, verified against Air Canada's Flight Reward Chart effective June 1, 2026.
| Partner business award (one-way) | Distance band | Aeroplan points |
|---|---|---|
| North America to Europe (shorter, e.g. US East Coast) | up to 4,000 miles | 60,000 |
| North America to Europe (longer, e.g. US West Coast) | 4,001–6,000 miles | 75,000 |
| North America to Europe/Middle East (farthest) | 6,001–8,000 miles | 90,000 |
| North America to Asia (e.g. US West Coast to Tokyo) | 5,001–7,000 miles | 85,000 |
| North America to Asia (farther) | 7,501–11,000 miles | 102,500 |
Two features protect the value of a transfer here:
- No fuel surcharges on most partners. Aeroplan does not pass carrier-imposed surcharges on Star Alliance partners such as United, ANA, Swiss, and Turkish. Lufthansa first class is a known exception. You pay a flat $39 CAD partner booking fee plus government taxes.
- Fixed pricing. Because the partner price does not move with demand the way Air Canada's own flights now do, you can calculate exactly what a bonus saves before you transfer.
Link a specific seat to the chart before you act. FlightPoints shows Star Alliance award availability across programs, so you only transfer once the seat exists.
Worked Examples: What a Bonus Actually Saves
Percentages hide the number that matters: how many bank points leave your account. Both examples below use past bonuses to show the maths, because no Aeroplan bonus is live as of October 27, 2026.
Bilt +150% on a 75,000-point business award to Europe (February 2024). At the top Bilt tier, 1,000 Bilt points became 2,500 Aeroplan points, a 1:2.5 ratio.
- 75,000 Aeroplan points ÷ 2.5 = 30,000 Bilt points
- Without the bonus, the same seat cost 75,000 Bilt points, so the promotion saved 45,000 points.
Chase +20% on an 85,000-point business award to Asia (through September 30, 2026). A 20% bonus turns the 1:1 base ratio into 1:1.2.
- 85,000 ÷ 1.2 = 70,833, rounded up to Chase's 1,000-point step = 71,000 Chase points (which yield 85,200 Aeroplan)
- Without the bonus you spent 85,000 Chase points, so the offer saved 14,000 points.
At Aeroplan's estimated value of about 1.5¢ per point, that 85,000-point business seat is worth roughly $1,275. The fixed chart is what lets you calculate the exact bank-point cost, and any bonus saving, before you transfer anything.
Transfer Now or Wait for a Bonus?
Because Aeroplan offers are rare and transfers cannot be reversed, the decision rarely comes down to waiting for a better ratio. It comes down to whether you have a seat.
Transfer now if:
- You have found a Star Alliance business or first class seat at a price you are happy with.
- Your points sit in an instant program (Amex, Chase, or Bilt) and the award seat is scarce.
- A rare Aeroplan bonus happens to be live at a bank you hold.
Wait if:
- You have no specific award in mind. Aeroplan points have no bonus you can count on, and holding flexible bank points keeps more options open.
- Your travel dates are flexible and you would rather watch for partner availability than lock in miles early.
Consider a different program if:
- Your route carries heavy surcharges on Aeroplan, or you can book the same Star Alliance seat more cheaply elsewhere. Our guide to transferring Chase points to United compares two Star Alliance options for the same flight.
Common Mistakes with Aeroplan Transfers
Most costly Aeroplan mistakes happen in the gap between transferring and booking. Each one below is avoidable.
- Transferring before confirming the seat. Partner award space can vanish quickly. Points moved to Aeroplan can only be used within Aeroplan, so a missing seat strands them.
- Assuming every Star Alliance partner is surcharge-free. Most are, but Lufthansa first class carries a surcharge even through Aeroplan. Check the cash total at booking.
- Waiting for a bonus that may not come. Unlike Flying Blue or Avios, Aeroplan rarely bonuses, so holding a seat hostage to a future offer usually backfires.
- Ignoring your point's baseline value. Moving a 2.0¢ currency into 1.5¢ Aeroplan points only makes sense for a redemption worth clearly more than the cash price.
- Letting points lapse. Aeroplan points expire after 18 months of inactivity, though Air Canada has suspended expiration through November 30, 2026.
Track Aeroplan Bonuses with TransferPoints
The hard part of an Aeroplan transfer bonus is not the maths. It is noticing a rare offer in time, across seven programs, and knowing whether it beats simply booking the seat now. Transfers are one-way, so a mistimed move costs real points.
TransferPoints keeps that information in one place:
- Bonus Tracker: every live transfer bonus across all eight bank programs we cover, on the bonus tracker.
- Transfer Calculator: see how many Aeroplan points your balance becomes, with any active bonus applied.
- Partner pages: compare each program's ratio and speed to Air Canada Aeroplan, and check Star Alliance options like United and Lufthansa.
Transfer Calculator
Conclusion
An Aeroplan transfer bonus is worth acting on when it attaches to a seat you would book anyway, not because the headline number looks large. Offers are uncommon, so the realistic skill is valuing one quickly when it appears, not waiting for one that may never come. Aeroplan's fixed partner chart makes that easy: you can calculate the exact bank-point cost before you move anything.
The mistake to avoid is transferring on spec. Find the Star Alliance seat, confirm the surcharges, then let the chart and any bonus tell you the real cost. TransferPoints keeps the ratios, speeds, and live bonuses in one view so you spend less time checking and more time deciding.
Check the live bonus tracker before your next Aeroplan transfer to see whether a bonus changes the maths.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an Aeroplan transfer bonus right now?
No Aeroplan transfer bonus is live as of October 27, 2026. The most recent broad offer was Chase's 20% bonus, which ended on September 30, 2026. Aeroplan bonuses are far less frequent than those for programs like Flying Blue or Avios, so there is often no active offer at all. Track every live bonus across banks on the TransferPoints bonus tracker before you transfer.
Which credit card points transfer to Air Canada Aeroplan?
Seven US card programs transfer to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio: American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, Bilt Rewards, Wells Fargo Rewards, Rove Miles, and Taekus Rewards. Amex, Chase, and Bilt transfers are typically instant, while Capital One and Wells Fargo usually take one to two days. Confirm your award seat before transferring from a slower program.
How much does an Aeroplan transfer bonus save on a business class award?
Because Aeroplan prices partner awards from a fixed chart, the saving is exact. A 20% bonus turns the 1:1 base ratio into 1:1.2, so an 85,000-point business seat to Asia needs about 71,000 bank points instead of 85,000. That is roughly 14,000 points saved on one ticket. Larger bonuses, like Bilt's 150% Rent Day offer, cut the cost much further.
Does Aeroplan charge fuel surcharges on Star Alliance partners?
Aeroplan does not pass carrier-imposed fuel surcharges on most Star Alliance partners, including United, ANA, Swiss, and Turkish. You pay a flat $39 CAD partner booking fee plus standard government taxes and airport fees. The main exception is Lufthansa first class, which carries a surcharge even through Aeroplan, so always check the cash total shown at booking.
Can I transfer Aeroplan points back to my credit card?
No. Transfers from bank programs to Aeroplan are one-way and cannot be reversed. Once your points become Aeroplan points, they can only be used within Aeroplan or pooled through Family Sharing. That is why you should only transfer when you have a specific Star Alliance award ready to book, rather than moving points speculatively.
How this guide was made: The TransferPoints team researched and drafted this guide with AI assistance. Every transfer ratio, transfer time, award price, and bonus was checked against official Air Canada information, reputable points publications, and TransferPoints' own transfer data on October 27, 2026. Award prices and bonuses change often, so confirm terms with your bank and Air Canada before transferring. Spot an error? Email [email protected].