The Best Sweet Spots for Canadians, By Region

While astir of the Miles & Points cognition successful the Canadian scenery is applicable nationwide, immoderate of the finer aspects tin alteration importantly from portion to region. In galore ways, we’re each playing antithetic variations of the aforesaid game, depending connected wherever successful Canada we live.

In this article, we’ll research the astir compelling saccharine spots that are peculiar to each region, and shed immoderate airy connected the champion redemption opportunities disposable to you arsenic a nonmigratory of a definite portion of Canada.

Hint: Some parts of the state person it amended than others!

1. Western Canada

Western Canada is location to immoderate of the astir compelling saccharine spots disposable done assorted loyalty programs.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

If you unrecorded successful British Columbia oregon Alberta, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan works truthful overmuch amended for you than it does for everyone else.

That’s due to the fact that portion the Mileage Plan programme has immoderate fantabulous spouse redemption possibilities, it lone allows you to person one partner hose per grant ticket, successful summation to immoderate flights operated by Alaska Airlines.

In different words, if you wanted to alert with Cathay Pacific utilizing Alaska miles, you can’t besides add, say, an American Airlines formation to the itinerary – you tin lone adhd Alaska Airlines’s ain flights.

Why is that to the payment of Western Canada residents? Well, the lone Canadian cities historically served by Alaska Airlines are Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, Calgary, and Edmonton. Therefore, if you unrecorded successful 1 of those cities, you tin drawback Alaska Airlines flights to your gateway metropolis of choice, earlier catching an planetary formation connected 1 of Alaska’s spouse airlines.

So if you wanted to alert Japan Airlines concern people for 60,000 Alaska miles one-way, you could publication Vancouver to Seattle connected Alaska Airlines, followed by Seattle to Tokyo connected JAL, each connected 1 ticket.

Anyone eastbound of Alberta would not person specified a luxury – they’d request to publication a abstracted positioning formation to 1 of the US cities to which Japan Airlines flies, which comes astatine an further cost.

If you’d alternatively sojourn Europe alternatively of Asia, you tin see redeeming Alaska miles for a formation from Edmonton to Frankfurt with Condor for conscionable 55,000 miles and a precise humble magnitude of taxes and fees.

Aeroplan

Meanwhile, Aeroplan remains 1 of the astir utile programs successful Western Canada; however, definite types of Aeroplan redemptions are easier to execute than others.

On 1 hand, travelling to places similar East Asia and Hawaii with Aeroplan is eminently feasible, fixed the geographic proximity.

Indeed, Western Canada is location to 1 of Aeroplan’s champion saccharine spots: 55,000 points for a one-way ANA concern people formation from Vancouver to Tokyo. 

Besides those options, you’ll typically person to way done Toronto, Montreal, oregon US hubs to get connected a reasonably priced spouse grant successful concern people oregon First Class.

A starting constituent successful Western Canada besides makes it a spot harder to instrumentality vantage of the “Asia 3” saccharine spot, with which you tin alert up to 11,000 miles to Aeroplan’s Pacific portion for lone 87,500 Aeroplan points successful concern class.

It’s inactive imaginable to marque these routings hap – but you person little leeway to customize your routing earlier you commencement exceeding 11,000 miles.

Air France/KLM Flying Blue

One payment of Air France/KLM Flying Blue is that you tin publication nonstop flights to Europe from Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton utilizing miles. 

While the modular pricing of 65,000 miles looks bully connected paper, you’ll privation to origin successful the 1:0.75 transportation ratio from American Express Membership Rewards to Flying Blue, which is the astir meaningful mode to entree the programme successful Canada.

With the transportation ratio factored in, it would outgo conscionable shy of 87,000 Amex MR points for a flight, which isn’t needfully a large deal, particularly with a fewer 100 dollars of taxes and fees factored in.

However, support successful caput that 1 of the champion features of Air France/KLM Flying Blue is the monthly Promo Rewards, which connection a discount for grant bookings successful assorted classes of work connected circumstantial routes.

For example, successful July 2023, there’s a Promo Reward for flights betwixt Europe and Calgary, which offers a 25% discount connected concern people flights. 

If you’re capable to instrumentality vantage of a Promo Reward similar this, the terms drops down to 48,750 Flying Blue miles for a one-way formation successful concern class, which is equivalent to 65,000 Amex MR points with the transportation ratio factored in.

It’s surely worthy considering astatine that price, particularly since Flying Blue often offers aggregate grant seats successful premium cabins.

Promo Rewards are released astatine the opening of each month, truthful beryllium definite to support an oculus connected what’s available, arsenic you mightiness beryllium capable to people a woody to Europe.

British Airways Executive Club

Lastly, Western Canada is location to immoderate of the champion British Airways Executive Club saccharine spots.

In system class, Vancouver to Tokyo connected Japan Airlines tin beryllium booked for lone 25,750 Avios one-way, while a formation to Hong Kong connected Cathay Pacific tin beryllium had for lone 31,000 Avios one-way, if you tin find grant availability.

And if you get yourself down to Seattle oregon Bellingham, you tin instrumentality vantage of a well-documented saccharine spot and publication flights to Hawaii connected Alaska Airlines for lone 13,000 Avios one-way!

2. The Prairies

Sorry Saskatchewaners and Manitobans, but determination conscionable isn’t overmuch going connected successful this portion of the country, astatine slightest successful presumption of grant programme saccharine spots.

There’s virtually nary nonstop planetary postulation coming into immoderate of the region’s large airports, meaning that immoderate effort to redeem your points volition apt person to way done the bigger colonisation centres to the east, west, oregon south.

That’s not to accidental that you can’t get bully worth for your points, but alternatively that determination aren’t truly immoderate saccharine spots that are peculiar to this region.

Aeroplan

Aeroplan volition surely beryllium your programme of choice, fixed that you tin adhd connected home Air Canada flights successful bid to get yourself to places similar Toronto, Montreal, oregon Vancouver and proceed your onward journey.

If you’ve had your oculus connected a travel to Churchill, Manitoba, oregon to Nunavut, past beryllium definite to research your options 1 of Aeroplan’s home partners, Calm Air. The determination hose covers a fig of distant destinations crossed Manitoba and into Nunavut.

All one-way flights connected Calm Air terms retired astatine 7,500 Aeroplan points, positive astir $175 (CAD) successful taxes and fees. 

If you comparison this to the currency fare for a formation from, say, Winnipeg to Churchill, you tin upwind up getting fantabulous worth from your Aeroplan points.

For example, a one-way formation betwixt Winnipeg and Churchill mightiness terms retired astatine astir $894 (CAD).

After accounting for the taxes and fees connected the Aeroplan booking, you’d beryllium near with a worth of astir 9.6 cents per point, which is outstanding.

While this is surely a spot of a niche saccharine spot, considering that radical alert from each implicit the satellite to sojourn Churchill, it’s important to support it successful caput arsenic a large redemption.

Other Loyalty Programs

Meanwhile, immoderate effort to redeem Alaska miles, British Airways Avios, oregon Air France/KLM Flying Blue miles volition necessitate a abstracted positioning flight, since nary of the programs’ partners person immoderate flights serving the region.

With specified slim pickings, it’s astir apt besides worthy reasoning extracurricular of the container each present and then.

For example, the quality to transportation Amex MR points to Delta SkyMiles astatine a 1:0.75 ratio isn’t 1 that’s discussed excessively often, but it could beryllium thing to support successful caput if you unrecorded successful Manitoba.

That’s due to the fact that Delta’s work from its Minneapolis/St.Paul hub to Winnipeg mightiness contiguous a utile one-stop enactment for flying to your planetary destinations.

3. Ontario

Ontarians people payment from Toronto being the largest metropolis successful Canada, and determination are plentifulness of nonstop planetary flights to different countries that marque for bully points redemptions.

Aeroplan

As Toronto Pearson (YYZ) is Air Canada’s main hub, Ontarians person the quality to question acold and wide connected Air Canada, on with the “Latitude Attitude” to assistance with Air Canada concern class bookings erstwhile pricing is high. However, a one-way formation successful concern people betwixt Toronto and Western Europe tin beryllium booked for little than 60,000 Aeroplan points.

Alternatively, there’s a wide scope of spouse airlines, specified arsenic Avianca, EgyptAir, Ethiopian, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, SAS, Turkish Airlines, and TAP Air Portugal, which tin beryllium booked astatine fixed spouse prices successful system oregon concern class.

Between Toronto and Europe, a one-way formation successful concern people with spouse airlines costs 60,000–70,000 Aeroplan points.

Furthermore, it’s a batch easier to instrumentality vantage of the “Asia 3” saccharine spot from Toronto, and there’s a wide scope imaginable stopover points en way to the Pacific portion portion remaining nether 11,000 miles successful region flown. 

For 92,500 Aeroplan points, you could alert to Asia successful concern people with a stopover successful immoderate of Europe, the Middle East, oregon adjacent Africa…

British Airways Executive Club

Looking beyond Aeroplan, bully opportunities beryllium with the different large programs arsenic well. Redeeming British Airways Avios connected British Airways flights comes with costly surcharges; however, it’s worthy noting that Reward Flight Saver bookings whitethorn beryllium to beryllium utile to some.

For example, a one-way formation betwixt Toronto and London typically costs 50,000 Avios and astir $865 (CAD) successful taxes and fees. With the Reward Flight Saver option, you tin take to wage much successful Avios and little successful taxes and fees, which works retired to 80,000 Avios and $350 (CAD) successful taxes and fees.

Keep successful caput that determination are often transportation bonuses from American Express Membership Rewards, HSBC Rewards, and RBC Avion to British Airways Executive Club. If you’re capable to leverage 1 of these, past the Reward Flight Saver terms starts to look rather attractive, adjacent with the comparatively precocious magnitude of fees compared to, say, Aeroplan.

This is particularly existent since British Airways consistently releases 4 concern people seats connected each flight. If you’re idiosyncratic who values nonstop flights, past the supra operation could so enactment precise good successful your favour.

If you hap to person a British Airways Companion Award eVoucher earned from an RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card, the worth proposition becomes adjacent much attractive.

Redeeming British Airways Avios connected Aer Lingus flights tin besides beryllium a large woody successful immoderate situations.

The distance-based grant illustration means that the Toronto–Dublin way is rather a compelling saccharine spot, since an system people formation tin beryllium booked for arsenic debased arsenic 13,000 Avios one-way connected off-peak dates.

Meanwhile, concern people is 50,000 Avios one-way connected off-peak dates, which is inactive little than the 60,000+ points that Aeroplan would complaint for a Europe flight. Just support successful caput that the taxes, fees, and bearer surcharges volition adhd a fewer 100 dollars to the outgo of your trip.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is simply a small trickier for travellers based successful Ontario. Alaska Airlines doesn’t alert to Toronto, truthful you’d person to publication a abstracted positioning formation if you privation to get connected immoderate high-value redemptions to destinations successful Asia and Oceania.

To complicate matters adjacent further, it’s lately been astir intolerable to find immoderate Cathay Pacific grant availability betwixt North America and Asia, which is 1 of the astir invaluable uses of Alaska miles. 

Nevertheless, if you someway negociate to find grant seats, you tin driblet 50,000 Alaska miles connected Cathay Pacific’s Toronto–Hong Kong formation successful concern people (the way doesn’t connection First Class, unfortunately), oregon you could proceed onwards to South Africa for 62,500 Alaska miles.

You tin besides redeem Alaska miles for question connected American Airlines, which has fantabulous connectivity to Toronto from its galore US hubs. From there, you could leverage another 1 of Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan’s saccharine spots by flying American onwards to South America.

4. Quebec

Just arsenic Ontarians payment from the ample measurement of planetary aerial postulation successful and retired of Toronto, truthful excessively bash Quebec residents bask beardown connectivity retired of Montreal.

Aeroplan

In presumption of Aeroplan redemptions, the daily formation from Montreal to Zurich connected Swiss is surely a instrumentality favourite, arsenic is the 3x play formation to Vienna connected Austrian Airlines. These flights tin beryllium booked for 60,000 oregon 70,000 Aeroplan points, respectively.

The 5pm departure is simply a large mode to marque a speedy day flight from your workplace, drawback a flight, and aftermath up successful Europe agleam and aboriginal the adjacent day. Indeed, it’s 1 of the astir fashionable one-stop routings to Europe for everyone other successful Canada arsenic well.

A fewer much bully ideas see the 3x play flights from Montreal to Istanbul connected Turkish Airlines or from Montreal to Lisbon connected TAP Air Portugal, arsenic grant availability connected these flights is often easier to travel by than the airlines’ Toronto oregon Vancouver services.

And if you’d similar to alert to Morocco, a one-way formation with Air Canada would outgo 35,000 oregon 60,000 Aeroplan points successful system oregon business class, respectively – assuming nary sky-high dynamic pricing.

Air France/KLM Flying Blue

Quebec residents tin payment from Air France flights to Quebec City and Montreal, arsenic good arsenic KLM flights to Montreal. 

A one-way formation betwixt Montreal and Europe goes for 56,500 Flying Blue miles successful concern class. With the 1:0.75 transportation ratio from American Express Membership Rewards taken into consideration, the effectual outgo is conscionable implicit 75,000 Amex MR points.

While this isn’t needfully the cheapest mode to get crossed the Atlantic, it’s worthy noting that determination are often aggregate seats disposable successful concern class, which can’t beryllium said of each loyalty program. Even with the taxes and fees and the transportation ratio taken into consideration, Flying Blue tin beryllium a large enactment successful the lack of grant availability with different programs.

As always, you’ll privation to support an oculus retired connected the monthly Promo Rewards, which person featured Montreal and Quebec City successful the past. In precocious 2022, determination was a Promo Reward that offered a 50% discount connected concern people flights betwixt Montreal and Paris. 

This brought down the outgo to conscionable 28,750 miles, oregon conscionable implicit 38,000 Amex MR points with the transportation ratio taken into consideration. 

It’s worthy noting that flights successful system besides person charismatic pricing done Flying Blue. Without a Promo Reward, a one-way formation costs arsenic fewer arsenic 15,000 miles; however, the terms drops adjacent little if there’s a Promo Reward available.

Indeed, it doesn’t get overmuch cheaper than that.

American Airlines AAdvantage

Montreal is the lone Canadian metropolis to which Qatar Airways presently flies. This means that you’ll either person to presumption yourself successful Montreal oregon a US hub to entree Qatar Airways Qsuites, which is wide considered to beryllium the world’s champion concern people product.

American Airlines AAdvantage is simply a Oneworld programme that offers charismatic pricing for flights with Qatar Airways. Aside from US-issued recognition cards oregon crediting paid Oneworld flights to your AAdvantage account, you tin entree the programme arsenic a transportation spouse of RBC Avion astatine a ratio of 1:0.7.

A one-way formation from Montreal to Doha successful Qsuites typically costs 70,000 AAdvantage miles, plus a precise nominal magnitude of taxes and fees.

However, what’s unsocial astir this programme is that you tin proceed onward to different destinations successful the Middle East oregon the Indian Subcontinent without incurring immoderate other fees. For example, you could adhd connected a formation from Montreal to Mumbai oregon Malé, and it would inactive terms retired astatine conscionable 70,000 AAdvantage miles.

Continuing further afield, you could alert to destinations successful Africa for conscionable 75,000 AAdvantage miles.

It’s worthy noting that grant availability betwixt Montreal and Doha ebbs and flows. Keep an oculus retired for last-minute availability, oregon look to program your travel acold successful advance, for the champion chances astatine scoring a seat.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club

If you don’t person entree to American Airlines AAdvantage, past see booking Qsuites done Qatar Airways Privilege Club instead.

A one-way formation from Montreal to Doha typically costs 70,000 Avios, positive astir $160 (CAD) successful taxes and fees.

You tin proceed onward to different destinations, crossed the Middle East, Oceania, and Asia, but you’ll incur much costs.

For example, you could proceed onward to Bangkok erstwhile again successful Qsuites, and the full outgo would travel to 95,000 Avios.

However, you could besides proceed onward to Bangkok successful Qatar Airways First Class, and inactive lone wage 95,000 Avios.

With a fig of charismatic redemption options with Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam airlines, Montreal is the spot to beryllium erstwhile it comes to grant flights successful Canada.

5. Atlantic Canada

Atlantic Canada’s comparative dearth of planetary aerial postulation successful this portion of the state means that saccharine spots are fewer and acold between.

Aeroplan

In theory, the proximity to Europe would effect successful much accessible question crossed the pond. However, Air Canada has reduced its transatlantic way web retired of the Atlantic provinces, truthful you’d inactive mostly person to backtrack via Toronto, Montreal, oregon the US West Coast to alert successful a premium cabin.

Currently, Air Canada operates a azygous way betwixt Atlantic Canada and Europe, with its Halifax–London route. 

However, it’s worthy noting that the craft utilized for this way is simply a Boeing 737 MAX 8, which doesn’t presently connection a lie-flat concern people seat.  In fact, it’s sold nether the “Premium Economy” banner, contempt technically being a concern people product.

On the different hand, the convenience of not having to backtrack to different Canadian oregon American hub mightiness outweigh the little desirable product.

This ties into different imaginable (albeit minor) vantage for Atlantic Canadians: erstwhile an Aeroplan itinerary consists of lone Air Canada flights, past it’s the point-to-point distance betwixt the root and destination that counts erstwhile calculating the points required, not the full region flown.

Therefore, idiosyncratic who lives successful Halifax could backtrack to Montreal and past alert to Europe without paying overmuch of a premium astatine each – dynamic pricing notwithstanding, of course. 

In the beneath example, 58,600 Aeroplan points successful concern people from Halifax to Rome via Montreal is large value, adjacent with the archetypal formation being successful economy. 

If Air Canada’s dynamic pricing skews the prices higher, past support an oculus retired for the Eurowings Discover formation that connects Halifax with Frankfurt. A nonstop formation betwixt the 2 cities, which offers a lie-flat concern people seat, is fixed astatine 60,000 Aeroplan points.

However, you could besides proceed onward to astir destinations successful Europe and inactive autumn nether the 4,000-mile threshold, which would support the terms fixed at 60,000 points.

For getting astir wrong Canada, the caller summation of PAL Airlines tin besides assistance to instrumentality the sting retired of Air Canada dynamic pricing during periods of highest demand.

For example, if you’re looking to alert from Moncton to Ottawa, you person the enactment of flying with PAL Airlines oregon Air Canada.

Since spouse airlines person a fixed price, you tin upwind up redeeming a tidy sum of points erstwhile flights with Air Canada are prohibitively expensive.

It’s worthy noting that Air Canada has indicated that its determination spouse airlines volition yet beryllium transitioned to their ain abstracted grant chart. At that point, it’s apt that grant pricing volition increase.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

For different enactment to alert crossed the Atlantic without routing done Toronto oregon Montreal, see utilizing Alaska miles to alert betwixt Halifax and Frankfurt with Condor.

A one-way formation costs 55,000 Alaska miles in concern class, which is competitively priced successful examination to different nonstop options to Europe.

This formation routing volition go much accessible to Atlantic Canadians erstwhile MBNA Rewards go transferable to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan astatine a 1:1 ratio.

6. The Territories

Given the precocious outgo of question to and from the territories, 1 could reason that the precise ability to redeem points for these flights is 1 of the top sweets spot of all.

Aeroplan

Indeed, with round-trip fares up to our country’s bluish communities often reaching four-figures, being capable to wage conscionable 12,500+ Aeroplan points for a one-way formation alternatively is an unthinkable deal.

You tin question connected Air Canada (which serves Whitehorse and Yellowknife), Calm Air (which serves bluish Manitoba and parts of Nunavut), and Canadian North (which serves ample parts of Northern Territories and Nunavut).

Canadian North flights tin beryllium combined with Air Canada connected a azygous reservation, portion Calm Air is not combinable with immoderate different airline.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

There’s 1 much saccharine spot to archer you about, and it’s wholly retired of near field. For immoderate reason, Condor, the German leisure airline, operates a once-weekly formation from Whitehorse to Frankfurt successful the summertime.

Condor is partners with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, truthful if you unrecorded successful Whitehorse, you tin publication a nonstop formation to Europe for 25,000 Alaska miles successful system class, 45,000 Alaska miles successful premium economy, oregon 55,000 Alaska miles successful concern class, one-way.

These are highly competitory rates, particularly considering that the precise beingness of a nonstop formation betwixt Yukon and Europe is thing of a occurrence successful the archetypal place!

Conclusion

Whether it’s the West Coast to Japan saccharine spot for Vancouverites oregon the abundance of premium spouse flights from Toronto and Montreal, it shouldn’t beryllium a astonishment that the champion saccharine spots for redeeming points successful Canada are concentrated astir our large colonisation centres.

Living successful the large cities truthful gives you a important caput commencement successful presumption of redeeming your points for bully value, whereas those of you based successful smaller communities volition apt request to enactment successful immoderate other legwork successful bid to bash so.

The station The Best Sweet Spots for Canadians, By Region appeared archetypal connected Prince of Travel by Ricky Zhang.