Air Canada Aeroplan stands out in the world of travel rewards, particularly when it comes to accessing coveted award flights with partner airlines. My recent experience booking a trip using Aeroplan miles highlighted a significant advantage: Air Canada often reveals award availability with partners, like Singapore Airlines, that remains hidden from other programs. This expanded access can be a game-changer for travelers seeking premium cabin experiences.
Singapore Airlines Business Class seats on flight SQ24 from Singapore to JFK, showcasing premium cabin comfort.
Air Canada Aeroplan: Your Secret Weapon for Singapore Airlines Business Class
It’s a well-known secret among savvy travelers: Air Canada Aeroplan frequently displays more Singapore Airlines business class award space than other partner airlines. While this has been observed for some time, it’s worth illustrating just how significant this advantage can be and provide actionable tips for leveraging it to book your dream flights.
Consider a flight from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) on Singapore Airlines. Air Canada Aeroplan might show business class award availability for an impressive nine passengers on this very flight. Initially, one might suspect this to be “phantom availability”—award space that appears available online but cannot actually be booked. However, my own experience booking for four passengers on a similar JFK-FRA Singapore Airlines flight (on a different date) proves otherwise. The booking process was seamless, and the tickets were confirmed without any issues.
This is particularly noteworthy because other Singapore Airlines partners often don’t display the same availability. For example, United Airlines, another Star Alliance partner, only shows its own Newark-to-Frankfurt nonstop flights when searching for award travel options.
Screenshot of United Airlines flight schedule showing business class availability from Newark (EWR) to Frankfurt (FRA) but not from JFK.
Similarly, Avianca LifeMiles, another Star Alliance program, doesn’t return any nonstop results for JFK-FRA on Singapore Airlines. Instead, it only displays connecting itineraries, often on European carriers like Swiss or Lufthansa (which, notably, are also available through United).
Screenshot of Avianca LifeMiles search results for JFK to FRA, displaying connecting flights but missing Singapore Airlines nonstop option.
While Avianca LifeMiles and Air Canada both access United’s Newark-Frankfurt flights, searching specifically from New York JFK on either platform will not surface these Newark departures. Interestingly, searching from “NYC” on AirCanada.com broadens the search to include both Newark-based United flights and the JFK-based Singapore Airlines flight, highlighting Air Canada’s comprehensive search capabilities.
Other Star Alliance partners like Alaska Airlines and ANA Mileage Club also typically fail to display these Singapore Airlines flights when searching for award space. In fact, while round-trip searches on Air Canada might reveal availability in both directions, ANA often returns no results on dates where Air Canada confidently shows award seats.
Cross-referencing with Singapore Airlines’ own website, SingaporeAir.com, further underscores Air Canada’s advantage. Air Canada seems to mirror the saver availability that Singapore Airlines offers to its own KrisFlyer members. Although Singapore Airlines limits searches to a maximum of six seats, Air Canada can display and book up to nine seats on dates where Singapore Airlines shows saver availability for six, making it incredibly convenient for families or larger groups to travel together in business class.
Singapore Airlines flight availability calendar for August 2023, JFK to FRA route, highlighting saver availability and potential for booking multiple seats.
Historically, Singapore Airlines has prioritized its own KrisFlyer members with greater access to business class award seats. Air Canada Aeroplan appears to have unlocked access to this same pool of seats, representing a significant win for Aeroplan members and anyone leveraging programs that transfer points to Aeroplan, such as American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Bilt Rewards. Keep an eye out for transfer bonuses to Aeroplan, which can further enhance the value of your points.
The Undeniable Appeal of Expanded Singapore Airlines Award Access
Why is this expanded access to Singapore Airlines award space so desirable? Several factors contribute to its appeal for award travelers.
Firstly, Singapore Airlines is globally recognized for its exceptional service and top-tier business class product. While debates about the “best business class” may continue, Singapore Airlines’ 777-300ER business class, commonly operating this JFK-FRA route, is undeniably outstanding. The spacious, 1-2-1 configured seats offer ample personal space and comfort. Having experienced Singapore Airlines first class previously, and glimpsing the equally impressive business class cabin, the value proposition of business class becomes strikingly clear.
Interior view of Singapore Airlines Business Class cabin on SQ24, emphasizing spacious seating and premium ambiance.
Beyond the acclaimed service and comfort, securing Singapore Airlines business class award space through Air Canada Aeroplan offers tangible advantages for award booking enthusiasts:
- Fewer Miles Required: Air Canada typically charges fewer miles for this route than Singapore Airlines itself (60,000 Aeroplan miles + ~$56 CAD versus 81,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$5.60 USD). Aeroplan also often requires fewer miles than most other Star Alliance airlines for the same nonstop flight, even if they were to display the availability (with a few program-specific exceptions). Keep in mind connecting itineraries may increase mileage costs.
- Stopover Flexibility: Air Canada Aeroplan allows stopovers on one-way award tickets for a mere 5,000 miles. This valuable feature opens up opportunities to explore multiple destinations on a single award.
- Partner Airline Mix-and-Match: Aeroplan permits combining flights from various partner airlines within a single award ticket. Frankfurt, a major European hub, offers extensive onward connectivity with Air Canada’s vast network of partner airlines, providing seamless access to destinations across Europe and beyond.
While the mileage savings are significant, the stopover and partner mixing flexibility are equally compelling. Frankfurt’s strategic location as a hub, combined with Aeroplan’s stopover policy, empowers travelers to construct intricate and rewarding itineraries.
In my own booking scenario, Frankfurt wasn’t the final destination. However, securing the New York to Frankfurt Singapore Airlines flight unlocked a range of onward connection possibilities, simplifying the journey to my intended destination.
It’s important to remember that Air Canada Aeroplan employs a distance-based and region-based award chart. Connecting beyond Frankfurt, even within Europe, can potentially push you into a higher distance band, increasing the required miles to 70,000 one-way. Connections to Africa, Asia, or further afield will naturally incur even higher mileage costs.
This expanded access isn’t limited to eastbound travel. When searching for award tickets to Australia months prior, I observed similar patterns. Air Canada displayed Singapore Airlines availability closer to the schedule’s end that was absent from other programs. This extended to routes like San Francisco to Singapore, with Air Canada showing sufficient seats for family travel. While specific availability fluctuates, the underlying point remains: Air Canada often enjoys broader access to Singapore Airlines award space across various routes and regions.
Navigating Award Booking Tools and the Phone Booking Maze
My experience booking Singapore Airlines business class through Air Canada Aeroplan also highlighted a couple of key points regarding booking methods and tools.
Firstly, it reinforced the importance of directly searching on AirCanada.com, even when utilizing award search tools or United.com. While award search tools significantly streamline the search process, relying solely on them might lead to missed opportunities. Air Canada’s extensive partner network and unique access arrangements mean that certain award space, like the Singapore Airlines examples discussed, might be overlooked by some tools.
For instance, Point.me, a popular award search tool, initially failed to display the Singapore Airlines award space via Aeroplan for my travel dates, and also missed it for the example date used in this article (August 15, 2023). Conversely, Roame.Travel, Award Logic, and Pointsyeah accurately identified the Singapore Airlines flight bookable through Air Canada Aeroplan. It’s worth noting that Point.me did show Singapore space via Air Canada on other dates, indicating it wasn’t a complete blind spot but rather an inconsistency. My practice of cross-referencing on AirCanada.com proved invaluable in uncovering the Singapore Airlines availability that ultimately facilitated my transatlantic journey.
Secondly, attempting to add a stopover to my award booking presented challenges. While theoretically possible online via AirCanada.com, the website’s search tool didn’t produce the desired stopover itinerary. Phone booking with Aeroplan customer service should have been an alternative, but the notoriously long hold times became a significant deterrent. My previous hold time experiences and time constraints prevented me from pursuing this option for the Singapore Airlines booking.
Speaking of hold times, this remains a major pain point with Air Canada Aeroplan. Complex award bookings often necessitate phone interaction with customer service, and lengthy hold times are a common complaint, both in my personal experience and echoed by numerous fellow travelers.
To illustrate the hold time frustration, consider my weekend booking attempts:
- Award A (United): Booked online on Friday for Europe, with 24-hour cancellation window.
- Award B (Complex Itinerary): Found Saturday morning, website couldn’t combine legs, attempted phone booking.
- Cancellation of Award A: After phone hold frustrations, cancelled Award A online.
- Phone Booking Failure (Award B): Agent unable to book Award B.
- Discovery of Award C (Singapore): Found Singapore space online (Award C), booked online without stopover due to time constraints and hold time aversion.
The detailed timeline reveals the extent of the issue. Seeking to book Award B on Saturday morning, I faced an hour-long hold, only for the call to disconnect. A subsequent call, utilizing the callback feature, still resulted in a protracted wait. Even with the callback, the eventual call came approximately 2.5 hours after the initial call attempt, and the caller ID misleadingly displayed “Siberian Outfitters,” nearly causing me to miss the call altogether. Ultimately, the agent couldn’t fulfill the Award B booking request. It was only after this unsuccessful phone interaction that I discovered and booked the Singapore Airlines space (Award C) online, forgoing the desired stopover due to the anticipated hold time for phone assistance.
A crucial tip for Aeroplan bookings: online cancellations within 24 hours of booking are straightforward and result in relatively immediate mileage redeposit. I successfully cancelled Award A online within the 24-hour window. While the miles weren’t instantly visible in my account balance, they were reflected in recent activity and readily available for booking Award C shortly after.
Beyond Singapore Airlines: Potential with Other Air Canada Partners?
This exploration naturally raises the question: Does Air Canada’s expanded award access extend to other partner airlines beyond Singapore Airlines? While definitive data is limited, anecdotal evidence suggests this might be the case, particularly with United Airlines.
For example, consider a United Airlines flight from Anchorage to Denver. This flight is often bookable via Air Canada Aeroplan.
Air Canada Aeroplan flight search result showing United Airlines availability for Anchorage to Denver, highlighting partner award booking options.
In this specific instance, award search tools might display this flight as available through multiple Star Alliance programs. However, there are instances where Air Canada shows access to such routes when other Star Alliance partners, like Avianca LifeMiles, do not.
Avianca LifeMiles search result showing no availability for United Airlines Anchorage to Denver flight, contrasting with Aeroplan's access.
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, another Star Alliance program known for sometimes missing available award space, also doesn’t display this flight. Interestingly, instead of the typical “no flights available” error, Turkish Airlines accurately displays the mileage cost (7,500 miles) but indicates no suitable flights in the search results.
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles search result for Anchorage to Denver, indicating mileage cost but no available flights, suggesting potential booking issues.
This differs from the standard Turkish Airlines “no results” error message, suggesting a potential system-level recognition of availability that isn’t fully bookable online.
Turkish Airlines website error message indicating no flight results found, representing typical no availability response.
While LifeMiles and Turkish Airlines are known to occasionally miss award availability, there have been instances where United Airlines award flights bookable via Air Canada Aeroplan were absent from all other Star Alliance programs and even some award search tools. Even in the Anchorage-Denver example, while some tools show availability now, just recently, Point.me missed the Aeroplan availability that was visible on AirCanada.com and Pointsyeah.
While concrete examples beyond Singapore Airlines and anecdotal United cases are less readily apparent, it’s plausible that Air Canada’s expanded access extends to other partner airlines within the Star Alliance and potentially beyond.
Final Takeaway
Air Canada Aeroplan demonstrably offers expanded award access with select partners, most notably Singapore Airlines. The consistent and significant availability of Singapore Airlines business class, sometimes with up to nine seats on routes like New York to Frankfurt, is a powerful advantage for Aeroplan members. My personal booking experience underscores the value of directly cross-referencing award availability on AirCanada.com, even when utilizing award search tools. Air Canada’s broad partner network and ability to construct complex itineraries warrant this extra step in your award search process. While award search tools remain invaluable for efficient searching, especially with flexible travel plans, periodically running searches directly on AirCanada.com can uncover hidden gems and maximize your award travel potential with Air Canada Partners.
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