Earlier this year, Air Canada and Emirates launched a strategic partnership, through which the airlines began a codeshare agreement on flights.

At the time, it was hinted that the partnership would deepen in the future, with the possibility of earning and redeeming points on both airlines.

As of today, it is now possible to earn and redeem Aeroplan points on Emirates flights, which will eventually include Emirates First Class!

Redeem Aeroplan Points on Emirates Flights

The most intriguing part of this partnership is the ability to redeem Aeroplan points on Emirates flights, which is possible as of this morning (December 7, 2022). Emirates Skywards members are also now able to redeem Skywards miles on Air Canada flights.

At the outset of the partnership, Aeroplan members will have access to economy class and business class flights with Emirates. Beginning in early 2023, Emirates First Class flights will become available on Aeroplan, which we will discuss in detail below. 

There are a few key differences between Emirates and other Aeroplan partners to know about, as the redemption side of this partnership is structured in a very unique way.

Aeroplan’s Emirates Flight Reward Chart

Aeroplan’s redemption partnership with Emirates isn’t the same as we’ve seen in the past. Rather, redemptions on Emirates flights will be subject to a standalone redemption chart that is separate from the standard Aeroplan Flight Reward Chart we’ve all come to know and love.

The Emirates redemption chart is not subject to the different zones that are found on the Flight Reward Chart, such as “Within North America” or “Between North America and Pacific zones”.

Instead, the pricing for Emirates flights will simply be based on the distance flown and the class of service, as per the following chart:

There are several observations to note about the above chart.

The first is that there is a range of price points for each distance band. Unlike every other Aeroplan partner, which has a fixed price depending on the class of service, distance flown, and geographical regions, Emirates flights have a range of values that can be thought of as similar to how dynamic pricing affects Air Canada flights.

What this means is that you may be able to book a one-way business class flight of 5,500 miles in distance for as few as 80,000 Aeroplan points, but that same flight may also cost up to 185,000 Aeroplan points.

To help visualize how far a particular route to or from Dubai will be, refer to the below map. Each darker shade represents the next distance band according to the Emirates redemption chart.

From Dubai, there are a number of cities in the Middle East, Eastern Africa, and the Indian Subcontinent that fall within the first band.

In the second band are destinations across Europe, the rest of Africa, and Asia, and in the third distance band are destinations in North America, South America, and Oceania. 

The fourth and fifth distance bands would therefore represent longer itineraries between two cities that connect through Dubai (for example, Toronto–Dubai–Sydney). 

Emirates flights can be combined with other Aeroplan airline partners

With the above distance bands in mind, you’ll be happy to know that Emirates redemptions will be fully combinable with Air Canada and the 45+ airline partners.

This means that you’ll be able to, say, fly from Toronto to Dubai via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, and then continue onward to Mauritius with Emirates on the same booking.

We’ve learned that we can expect flight redemptions that include both Emirates and other partner airlines to price out in line with the Emirates chart, rather than the regular Flight Reward Chart or as a hybrid of the Emirates chart and the regular Flight Reward Chart. This means that having an Emirates flight on your booking will likely skew the cost of a redemption upwards.

Emirates redemptions are also subject to Aeroplan’s routing rules, change and redeposit fees, and stopover policy. This opens the door for some very creative redemptions going forward, given the vastness of Emirates’s route network.

Emirates will have a range of prices with Aeroplan and no carrier surcharges

Another striking aspect of the chart is that the pricing is clearly above and beyond what we’d find on similar routes in the Aeroplan Flight Reward Chart. 

Part of the reason for the pricing being different than other carriers is that there won’t be any carrier surcharges added to Aeroplan redemptions. Unlike booking Emirates flights with its own program, which might incur additional fees of over $1,000 (CAD), Aeroplan will charge the standard $39 partner booking fee and no other carrier-imposed surcharges (you’ll still have to pay the standard government-imposed taxes and fees).

So, while a flight from Toronto to Dubai might cost 136,250 Skywards miles and $1,097 (CAD) in taxes and fees: 

We can estimate that the same flight will cost between 225,000–475,000 Aeroplan points, but with significantly less taxes and fees. 

For another example, let’s consider two similar routes: Etihad Airways First Class from Abu Dhabi to Washington, and Emirates First Class from Dubai to New York.

A First Class flight measuring just over 7,000 miles with Etihad Airways prices out at a fixed cost of 130,000 Aeroplan points, as we can see on the “Between North America and Atlantic zone” chart.

Referring back to the new Emirates chart, the First Class flight from Dubai to New York will price out anywhere between 225,000–475,000 Aeroplan points.

Indeed, that’s substantially more than Etihad Airways, but given the highly sought after nature of Emirates First Class reward bookings, it’s a price that we’ll have to pay once the forward cabin becomes available in early 2023.

Emirates redemptions will roll out in stages

We’ve also learned that Aeroplan redemptions for Emirates flights will roll out in stages. 

For the opening weeks during December 2022, we can expect redemptions for Emirates economy class and business class flights to price out more in line with the current Flight Reward Chart.

This means that if you’d like to enjoy a flight with Emirates in either cabin, your best bet is to book now before the Emirates chart goes fully live in the near future, when you’ll likely pay more for the same flights.

Depending on award availability, this opens the doors for some very intriguing redemptions in 2023. For example, you could fly from Toronto to Malé via Dubai with Emirates, have a stopover of up to 45 days, and then continue onwards to Singapore for just 92,500 Aeroplan points in business class.

Or, you could maximize your flying time by booking from Seattle to Melbourne with a stopover in Dubai for 120,000 Aeroplan points in business class.

The possibilities are almost endless, as long as you can find the business class award availability.

The second phase of the Emirates partnership will roll out in early 2023. At this point, we can expect Emirates First Class flights to be loaded into Aeroplan’s booking engine, and this is when all Emirates flights will price out according the new Emirates chart.

It appears that this phase will be marked by relatively “fixed pricing” for Emirates flights; however, we aren’t sure exactly where on the pricing spectrum the flights will price out. Ideally, it will be towards the lower end of the spectrum, which could be a good time to lock in some Emirates First Class flights for less than what they’d be anywhere else. 

If this is the case, then you may want to keep an eye out for First Class flights on any of Emirates’s “fifth freedom” routes. For example, flights between New York JFK and Milan measure just under 4,000 miles.

Should the pricing work out at the lower end of the range, we might be able to score a flight in First Class for somewhere in the area of 110,000 Aeroplan points. 

(While this is more than the 85,000 Skywards miles it would cost for the same flight, keep in mind that Aeroplan points are arguably much easier to come by, especially from a Canadian perspective.)

In the third and final phase of the roll-out, which will take place later in 2023, all Emirates flights will still price within the ranges found in the Emirates chart, but the pricing will begin to vary a bit more. At this point, we can expect to see a wide range of prices for Emirates flights in all classes of service, and this is how the pricing will settle. 

Earn Aeroplan Points on Emirates Flights

Aeroplan members will now be able to earn Aeroplan points when flying paid fares on Emirates. Similarly, Emirates Skywards members are now able to earn Skywards miles on paid Air Canada flights.

Aeroplan members will earn Aeroplan points on Emirates flights according to the following chart:

If you have any paid flights with Emirates in the future, and you wish to earn Aeroplan points instead of Skywards miles, you’ll just need to attach your Aeroplan number to the booking.

Similarly, if you have any paid flights with Air Canada and you’d like to earn Skywards miles instead of Aeroplan points, you’ll just need to attach your Skywards number to the booking.

Note that Emirates flights won’t count towards earning Aeroplan Elite Status. This means that you’ll only earn Aeroplan points on Emirates flights, and you won’t earn Status Qualifying Miles (SQM), Status Qualifying Segments (SQS), or Status Qualifying Dollars (SQD). 

Therefore, if you don’t have any aspirations to attain status with Air Canada, you’ll simply earn more Aeroplan points on any paid Emirates flights going forward.

Reciprocal Lounge Access Benefits in Toronto and Dubai

Certain passengers with elite status with either airline also stand to benefit from reciprocal lounge access agreements in Toronto and Dubai.

In Dubai, Aeroplan 50K, 75K, and Super Elite members travelling in economy class with Emirates will enjoy access for themselves and one guest in the Emirates Business Class lounge. This benefit will also extend to passengers departing Dubai on Air Canada flights later in 2023 when it relocates to Terminal 3.

Likewise, Emirates Skywards Gold and Platinum members travelling in economy class or business class on Air Canada or Emirates flights from Toronto will enjoy complimentary access for themselves plus one guest to Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges and the Air Canada Café. 

Passengers travelling in Emirates First Class from Toronto will have access to the Air Canada Signature Suite for themselves and up to one guest departing on the same flight.

Given the depth of the partnership between Air Canada and Emirates, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing comprehensive reciprocal lounge access agreements in both hub airports. 

Conclusion

Air Canada and Emirates have singificantly strengthened their partnership by adding reciprocal earning and redeeming privileges.

As of today, Aeroplan members are able to book award flights in Emirates economy class and business class, with Emirates First Class set to become available in the new year.

The Emirates redemptions will eventually be subject to an entirely separate award chart, with costs that depend on a host of factors. The partnership is set to roll out in three stages, with pricing for economy class and business class flights aligning closely with the current Flight Reward Chart to begin with. 

This is a very exciting partnership indeed, and Emirates becomes the latest heavyweight redemption option to join Aeroplan’s ever-growing ranks of airline partners. 

If you have any trips planned for 2023, be sure to keep an eye out for award space on Emirates flights in the next few weeks to snag the best possible pricing.