In terms of redeeming factors for aspirational journeys, we frequently give attention to locations in Europe and Asia, as they’re fashionable locations for a lot of North American travellers, and we will normally hop on a continuous flight to get there.
Whereas there are definitely many distinctive and engaging locations to go to on these continents, there are additionally many different locations – corresponding to deep into the guts of Africa or distant island nations – that you would be able to additionally entry on factors.
On this information, let’s check out some far-flung locations that you would be able to e-book utilizing Aeroplan factors.
TAP Air Portugal to Africa and Brazil
For many people in North America, we consider TAP Air Portugal as a service that may join us to many locations in Europe. In spite of everything, the airline reliably releases award seats on its transatlantic flights to Aeroplan and different Star Alliance packages.
However other than bridging North America and Europe, TAP additionally connects Portugal with the nation’s former colonies in Africa, in addition to Brazil. Apart from bringing in vacationers, these flights ferry immigrants and expatriates, since Portugal points particular visas for residents of the Neighborhood of Portuguese Language International locations (CPLP).
Aside from Portugal itself, Brazil, Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, São Tomé and Principe, and Timor-Leste comprise the CPLP.
Consequently, TAP Air Portugal gives flights to locations in most of those international locations, together with the next:
- Belem (BEL), Brazil
- Bissau (OXB), Guinea-Bisseau
- Boa Vista (BVC), Cabo Verde
- Luanda (LAD), Angola
- Natal (NAT), Brazil
- Maceio (MCZ), Brazil
- Maputo (MPM, Mozambique
- Praia (RAI), Cabo Verde
- São Tomé (TMS), São Tomé and Principe
- São Vicente (VXE), Cabo Verde
Many of those flights, particularly those certain for Africa, are dear if paid with money.
For instance, a one-way ticket from Lisbon (LIS) to Boa Vista (BVC) in Cabo Verde can value as much as $1,000 (CAD) in financial system, regardless of being only a four-hour flight. In spite of everything, many of those African locations are underserved by main airways.
Luckily, you’ll be able to e-book them piecewise or as a part of a complicated itinerary with Aeroplan and save a small fortune.
As an example, you’ll be able to simply discover availability on TAP’s Lisbon (LIS)–São Tomé (TMS) flight, which clocks in at 8 hours 45 minutes. Reserving it as an à la carte flight will set you again 25,000 Aeroplan factors in financial system or 45,000 factors in enterprise class.
Should you add a transatlantic flight from Japanese North America, together with from Montreal (YUL), you’ll pay 55,000 factors in financial system or 90,000 factors in enterprise class. With the itinerary at 6,000+ miles, it’s close to the decrease restrict of the 6,000–8,000 miles band of Aeroplan’s “Between North America and Atlantic zones” chart.
If you wish to maximize the allowable miles inside the identical worth band, you’ll be able to add the fifth-freedom route between São Tomé (TMS) and Accra (ACC), additionally operated by TAP, so that you’re seeing two African nations in a one-way stopover ticket.
Going again from Africa, you’ll be able to leverage TAP’s in depth Brazil community to cross the Atlantic en path to the Americas in an unconventional method. As an example, you’ll be able to join in Lisbon and fly to Fortaleza (FOR) to get pleasure from its seashores, after which enterprise again to North America by way of main hubs.
United Airways to Islands within the Pacific
When United Airways merged with Continental Airways and its subsidiary Continental Micronesia in 2012, the previous inherited the latter two’s operations within the Pacific. This contains Continental Micronesia’s hub in Guam, an unincorporated US territory.
As we speak, United operates a small community within the Pacific out of its hub in Guam (GUM), supplemented by its mainland US routes out of Honolulu (HNL).
Most of United’s Guam flights are to Japan, however the airline additionally bridges islands within the Pacific, particularly by its famend Island Hopper route.
United’s Island Hopper is a direct flight between Guam and Honolulu with intermediate stops in Majuro (MAJ) and Kwajalein (KWA) within the Marshall Islands, and Kosrae (KSA), Pohnpei (PNI), and Chuuk (TKK) in Micronesia. The precise stops differ by day of week and flight quantity.
It’s certainly an extended (and costly) approach to go between Guam and Honolulu, however the journey in itself is a deal with, because it offers you a glimpse of the smallest, least inhabited islands on earth.
The excellent news is, you’ll be able to e-book the United Island Hopper utilizing Aeroplan factors. It’s not as straightforward because it as soon as was, however you’ll nonetheless see the odd pockets availability.
In lots of instances, your complete stretch of the Island Hopper isn’t accessible as a single award, so you might want to chop your journey brief and proceed in another routing.
As an example, you may discover availability till Pohnpei (PNI), the place you’ll be able to keep a couple of days, after which you’ll be able to catch a United flight to Guam or Honolulu.
Should you’re having problem discovering award availability on the Island Hopper, you’ll be able to at all times attempt reserving by United MileagePlus, the place availability is of course extra plentiful.
Apart from the Island Hopper, United additionally gives different novel routes within the Pacific, corresponding to its fifth-freedom flight between Manila (MNL) within the Philippines and Koror (ROR) in Palau.
United is without doubt one of the solely two main airways serving Koror, and its flights from Manila and Guam are your solely approach to discover Palau utilizing Aeroplan factors.
Copa Airways and Avianca to South America
Amongst Star Alliance carriers, Copa Airways and Avianca don’t obtain as a lot love from the Miles & Factors neighborhood. In spite of everything, their enterprise class merchandise are hardly price writing house about.
Nonetheless, by their respective pan-American networks, these two carriers present entry to much less fashionable and costly routes within the Americas.
Luckily, each carriers reliably allocate seats to Aeroplan and different Star Alliance loyalty packages.
With Aeroplan, you’ll be able to enterprise deep into the Amazon rainforest by reserving a flight to Manaus (MAO) in Brazil with each Copa and Avianca. As an alternative of taking an extended route by way of São Paulo, you’ll be able to fly a shorter distance for fewer factors by connecting by Bogota (BOG) or Panama Metropolis (PTY).
In the meantime, if you happen to want to discover the fantastic thing about the Galapagos archipelago, Avianca, by its native offshoot in Ecuador, flies to San Cristobal Island (SCY) and Baltra Island (GPS).
Lastly, if you happen to’re seeking to set foot in each nation in South America, Copa flies to 2 of the lesser-visited nations on the continent: Suriname and Guyana.
The airline flies to Georgetown (GEO) and Paramaribo (PBM) from its Panama Metropolis hub, and each routes are bookable with Aeroplan.
Should you’re flying solely between Panama Metropolis (PTY) and Paramaribo (PBO) in Suriname, you’ll pay 20,000 Aeroplan factors in financial system and 40,000 factors in enterprise class.
Simply needless to say you’ll get higher worth from flights like these when booked as a part of a complicated Aeroplan itinerary.
Intercontinental Flights with South African Airways
After an 18-month hiatus as a consequence of restructuring, South African Airways has been slowly however certainly taking again to the skies.
Just lately, it has gone again to long-haul flying, relaunching the next three routes:
- Johannesburg (JNB)–São Paulo (GRU)
- Cape City (CPT)–São Paulo (GRU)
- Johannesburg (JNB) –Perth (PER)
In response to the airline, its flights to Brazil had been first to be relaunched in November 2023 to “facilitate quite a few export and import alternatives and increase present commerce relations between the 2 international locations.” Recall that Brazil and South Africa are members of the so-called Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) grouping.
In the meantime, the Johannesburg to Perth route was relaunched in April 2024 to serve expats flying between the 2 international locations and to attach relations.
The relaunch of those long-haul routes presents a moderately distinctive alternative for Aeroplan members – you’ll be able to fly between South America and Australia solely inside the Southern Hemisphere.
Plus, since these are continuous flights with shorter distances, you’ll additionally spend fewer Aeroplan factors than taking the great distance round by way of the Center East or Europe.
Falling underneath Aeroplan’s less-used “Between Pacific and South America zones” chart, a one-way ticket between São Paulo and Perth by way of Johannesburg prices 60,000 factors in financial system and 90,000 factors in enterprise class.
By comparability, routings by Europe and Asia value 80,000 factors in financial system and 140,000 factors in enterprise class.
Should you want to begin your journey from North America, you’ll pay 75,000 factors in financial system and 115,000 factors in enterprise class – which aren’t far off from reserving the São Paulo–Johannesburg–Perth flights on their very own.
That’s assuming, after all, that you simply discover low-priced Air Canada awards or fly associate airways, corresponding to Copa Airways or United Airways.
Add 5,000 Aeroplan factors, and also you’ll even get to get pleasure from a stopover both in São Paulo or Johannesburg.
Distant Islands with Air Mauritius, Virgin Australia, and Air New Zealand
One other novel route that goes midway throughout the Southern Hemisphere is Air Mauritius’s thrice-weekly flight between Mauritius (MRU) and Perth (PER).
First operated in 1991, the route apparently sees demand from leisure travellers and worldwide college students from Australia.
You should use this route as half of a bigger, extra complicated itinerary, too. Remember that Air Mauritius additionally flies to 4 locations in Europe, which needs to be straightforward to hook up with from many cities in North America.
For instance, you’ll be able to add this path to a Perth–New York redemption, maybe by flying Perth–Mauritius–Geneva with Air Mauritius, then connecting to a flight to New York with Swiss.
Plus, you’ll be able to add 5,000 Aeroplan factors for an unique stopover within the seashores of Mauritius.
In the meantime, except for United Airways, two different Aeroplan companions – Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand – additionally function networks that hyperlink their respective international locations to smaller island nations.
These companies are a lifeline for the communities on these scarcely inhabited islands, so understandably, award availability on Aeroplan is uncommon, if in any respect accessible.
Among the many routes Virgin Australia operates are Port Vila (VLI) in Vanuatu and Apia (APW) in Samoa, each from Brisbane (BNE).
Virgin Australia additionally gives flights to Christmas Island (XCH) and Cocos/Keeling Islands (CCK), each from Perth (PER), however availability by Aeroplan is close to not possible to seek out.
Then again, Air New Zealand hyperlinks Auckland (AKL) with the next locations, amongst others:
- Alofi (IUE), Niue
- Apia (APW), Samoa
- Noumea (NOU), New Caledonia
- Nuku’alofa (TBU), Tonga
- Rarotonga Island (RAR), Cook dinner Islands
Once more, Aeroplan availability on these routes could be very uncommon, regardless of Air New Zealand releasing awards on different short-haul routes fairly reliably.
Conclusion
With over 45 airline companions, there are fairly a couple of artistic and sudden issues you are able to do with Aeroplan if you happen to look rigorously.
On this article, we’ve highlighted a handful of far-flung locations that may be of curiosity for the journey seekers on the market.
As at all times, discovering award availability can current a little bit of a problem; nonetheless, if you happen to maintain an eye fixed out for awards, you’ll quickly end up in among the most distant outposts on the planet, having paid a fraction of the worth to get there.
