Aeroplan is offering a transfer bonus from many different hotel programs, allowing you to transfer hotel points to Aeroplan with a 20% transfer bonus.

This offer ends November 13, 2022, and while it may appear tempting on the surface, note that Marriott Bonvoy is the only hotel transfer program excluded from this transfer bonus.

Let’s take a look at all the options, and which hotel points currencies you might want to transfer to Aeroplan and which are better off kept in their original form.

20% Transfer Bonus From Select Hotels to Aeroplan

Aeroplan has a total of 10 hotel transfer partners, and nine are included in this 20% transfer bonus promotion:

• Hilton Honors
• Accor Live Limitless 
• Best Western Rewards
• Choice Privileges
• Coast Rewards
• IHG One Rewards
• Radisson Rewards Americas
• Shangri-la Circle
• Wyndham Rewards

Note that the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program is excluded from this transfer bonus.

As a reminder, the standard transfer for each program is as follows:

• Hilton Honors: 10 points = 1 Aeroplan point
• Accor Live Limitless: 2 points = 1 Aeroplan point
• Best Western: 5 points = 1 Aeroplan point
• Choice Privileges: 5 points = 1 Aeroplan point
• Coast Rewards: 1 point = 1 Aeroplan point
• IHG One Rewards: 5 points = 1 Aeroplan point
• Radisson Rewards Americas: 10 points = 1 Aeroplan point
• Shangri-La Circle: 1 point = 1 Aeroplan point
• Wyndham Rewards: 5 points = 1 Aeroplan point

Points will typically post within 24 hours, but could take up to 72 hours. 

The name and address of your Aeroplan and hotel loyalty account should match, and you can complete the transfer via your chosen loyalty program’s website. Registration is not required.

Is It a Good Deal to Transfer Hotel Points to Aeroplan?

With the 20% bonus in play, the effective transfer ratios are as follows:

• Hilton Honors: 10 points = 1.2 Aeroplan points
• Accor Live Limitless: 2 points = 1.2 Aeroplan points
• Best Western Rewards: 5 points = 1.2 Aeroplan points
• Choice Privileges: 5 points = 1.2 Aeroplan points
• Coast Rewards: 1 point = 1.2 Aeroplan points
• IHG One Rewards: 5 points = 1.2 Aeroplan points
• Radisson Rewards Americas: 10 points = 1.2 Aeroplan points
• Shangri-La Circle: 1 point = 1.2 Aeroplan points
• Wyndham Rewards: 5 points = 1.2 Aeroplan points

For hotel rewards programs where there is a fixed redemption chart or even a quasi-fixed redemption structure like Hilton Honors, it generally make sense to keep these points as hotel rewards, since these programs offer the opportunity to redeem for outsized value during high season or at luxury properties. 

Also, while it may be tempting to compare Points Valuations, keep in mind that the valuations represent a target redemption value without taking into account earning rates.

For example, we value Hilton points at 0.6 cents per point (cpp) and Aeroplan points at 2.1cpp (both figures in CAD).

Therefore, 10 Hilton Honors points would be valued at $0.60 and 1.2 Aeroplan points would be valued at $0.0252, and it seems like an terrible deal to transfer all your Hilton points to Aeroplan.

But what if you only have, say, 20,000 Hilton points, and it’s not enough for a free night at any hotel you’re planning to visit next year?

Overall, when considering which points are a good deal to transfer or which points you could be looking to transfer, be sure to think about your hotel stays for the next year and how many of those points you’ll be using.

Furthermore, consider how long you’ve held these points – for any orphaned hotel points that aren’t enough for a free night anywhere, transferring them to Aeroplan would be an excellent use.

The following two programs have no minimum points required for transferring:

• Best Western Rewards
• Choice Privileges

The following seven programs have a minimum amount required for transferring:

• Hilton Honors: 10,000 points
• Accor Live Limitless: 4,000 points
• Coast Rewards: 1,000 points
• IHG One Rewards: 10,000 points
• Radisson Rewards Americas: Increments of 2,000, 50,000, or 100,000 points
• Shangri-La Circle: Minimum of 2.500 points, increments of 500
• Wyndham Rewards: 6,000 points

As you can see, the minimum is usually quite low, so transferring your hotel points to Aeroplan during this 20% bonus period is a great way to be rid of orphaned points that you may have picked up from occasional hotel stays over the years and held in your account for a while. 

Of course, the most attractive hotel rewards points to transfer to Aeroplan with a conversion bonus would be Marriott Bonvoy, so it’s a shame that it’s excluded from this bonus. Hopefully we’ll see Marriott make an appearance in future Aeroplan transfer bonus.

Special Offer from IHG One Rewards

Simultaneously to this hotel transfer bonus, IHG One Rewards will be strengthening their relationship with Aeroplan by offering a special deal: if you join IHG One Rewards between now and November 30, 2022, you’ll be eligible to earn 1,000 bonus Aeroplan points.

In order to earn the bonus Aeroplan points, you will need to complete a stay of two or more nights before January 31, 2023. 

This isn’t exactly a screaming deal, but worth taking note of if you do have any IHG stays coming up and haven’t yet registered for their loyalty program, allowing you to collect 1,000 Aeroplan points for a stay you were planning to make anyway.

Conclusion

Until November 13, 2022, Aeroplan is offering a 20% transfer bonus from all hotel transfer partners except Marriott Bonvoy, making nine eligible hotel programs in total.

Depending on your upcoming travel plans and how scattered your points are, it’s worth transferring any chunks of orphaned hotel points over to Aeroplan to be able to book flights if there aren’t enough to book a free night.