Aeroplan just raised business class to Asia 67 percent overnight with no grace period

Quick summary

Aeroplan‘s revised Flight Reward Chart is live as of June 1, 2026, raising the cost of most long-haul awards by 10–20% and hitting one specific band with a 67% increase. The steepest jump falls on the 7,001+-mile Atlantic–Pacific business class band for Air Canada and select partners, which climbs from 60,000 to 100,000 points one-way. Partner business class between North America and the Pacific in the 7,501–11,000-mile band — covering carriers like ANA, EVA Air, and Singapore Airlines — rises from 87,500 to 102,500 points.

The new rates apply to all bookings and reissues from today. Existing ticketed awards are grandfathered at the old pricing — but any change triggers repricing at the higher rates.

Air Canada has repriced its Aeroplan Flight Reward Chart effective June 1, 2026, delivering one of the program’s most significant devaluations since its 2020 relaunch. The changes affect every major long-haul zone, with premium cabin awards between North America and both the Atlantic and Pacific regions absorbing the sharpest increases.

If you did not book before today, you are now paying the higher rates. There is no grace period, no phased rollout — the new chart applies to every booking and reissue processed from this date forward.

The scope is broad. Across the Atlantic zone, transatlantic business and first class awards rise by 5,000 to 25,000 points per one-way ticket depending on distance and carrier type. Across the Pacific zone, premium economy on Air Canada and select partners in the 7,501–11,000-mile band jumps 21%, from 70,000 to 85,000 points. The single worst outcome — a 67% increase on the 7,001+-mile Atlantic–Pacific business class band for Air Canada and select partners — affects travelers routing between Europe and Asia-Pacific on Air Canada metal or aligned carriers. A handful of economy bands do improve slightly, but they are the exception in a chart that overwhelmingly moves in one direction.

North American travelers with Aeroplan balances or transferable bank points earmarked for aspirational Asia-Pacific or European trips are the primary losers. The program’s value proposition for premium long-haul redemptions has materially narrowed overnight.

What the new chart actually costs you

Air Canada’s official announcement framed the changes as an alignment of reward pricing with partner costs — language that obscures where the real damage lands. The full June 2026 chart tells a clearer story.

For transpacific itineraries, the most-used partner business class band (7,501–11,000 miles) now costs 102,500 points one-way, up from 87,500. That is the band covering nonstop or one-stop flights from North America to Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and Australia on carriers like ANA, EVA Air, and Singapore Airlines. For travelers who have been accumulating Amex or Capital One points specifically to transfer into Aeroplan for these awards, the math just got worse by 15,000 points per ticket — roughly one to two months of additional earning for most cardholders.

The Atlantic–Pacific band, used for routings between Europe and Asia-Pacific, is where the 67% increase lives. Business class on Air Canada and select partners at 7,001+ miles moves from 60,000 to 100,000 points one-way. That is not a rounding error — it is a structural repricing of what was one of the chart’s more accessible long-haul business sweet spots. Our earlier coverage of Aeroplan’s award chart devaluation impact on key routes detailed how Australia–Asia and Australia–Europe bands are also absorbing significant increases, with the 7,001+ mile Australia–Europe partner band rising from 110,000 to 130,000 points.

Why this devaluation follows a familiar pattern

Aeroplan’s last major structural overhaul came when Air Canada relaunched the program in late 2020, replacing the old award tables and introducing the current zone-and-distance chart. That change similarly raised premium long-haul costs while preserving some fixed-rate partner sweet spots — particularly to Asia and Europe. The June 2026 update is the third devaluation since that relaunch, and it continues the same pattern: gradual erosion of high-value premium awards with token improvements in a handful of economy bands.

The mechanism is straightforward. Aeroplan’s fixed-rate partner awards — the ones covering ANA, Singapore Airlines, and EVA Air redemptions — were priced below what Air Canada’s partner cost agreements could sustain long-term. Raising them closes that gap, but it also closes the arbitrage window that made Aeroplan attractive to US and Canadian cardholders holding Amex Membership Rewards or Capital One Miles.

One common mistake is assuming an existing award ticket will automatically reprice on June 1. It will not — grandfathered bookings keep their original point cost. The trap is making any change to that ticket after today, which triggers a full reissue at current chart rates. Sit on confirmed bookings. Do not touch them.

Another pitfall: focusing only on the headline 67% increase and missing the few bands that actually improved. Ultra-long-haul economy redemptions — the 11,001+-mile partner band to the Pacific, for instance — dropped from 75,000 to 70,000 points. Savvy travelers should still run the Aeroplan numbers against United MileagePlus or Avios before writing off the program entirely for specific routes.

How to protect your remaining Aeroplan value

The old rates are gone — every new booking and reissue from today carries the higher chart pricing. Here is how to navigate what remains.

• Do not touch existing ticketed awards. Grandfathered bookings keep their original point cost indefinitely, but any change — date, routing, passenger name correction — triggers a full reissue at June 2026 rates. Treat confirmed Aeroplan tickets as untouchable.
• If you missed the deadline on a premium transpacific booking, run the same itinerary through United MileagePlus and Avios before transferring points. The 17% increase on the 7,501–11,000-mile partner business band means Aeroplan is no longer automatically the cheapest option for ANA or Singapore Airlines business class from North America.
• For Atlantic–Pacific routings specifically, the 67% jump on Air Canada and select-partner business class at 7,001+ miles makes this band uncompetitive versus alternatives. Price the same itinerary on Avios or partner programs before committing Aeroplan points.
• Ultra-long-haul economy is now marginally better. The 11,001+-mile partner economy band to the Pacific dropped to 70,000 points. If economy class on routes like North America to Australia or New Zealand is your target, Aeroplan just became slightly more attractive for that specific use case.
• Hold transferable bank currencies. Do not move Amex, Capital One, or Chase points into Aeroplan speculatively. Transfer only when you have confirmed award space and a clear itinerary — the program’s trajectory suggests further adjustments are possible.

Watch: Air Canada’s next Aeroplan communication — particularly any language about “future alignment” or “ongoing review of partner costs” — will signal whether additional devaluations are planned. If no follow-up appears within 60 days, assume the June 2026 chart is stable and plan redemptions accordingly.

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