Episode Description

Have you ever transferred miles into a program and then realized you only ever use it to book the same handful of flights everyone else does?

Air Canada Aeroplan might be the most useful airline program that US travelers consistently overlook, and after this conversation I think you’ll see why so many experienced points and miles enthusiasts treat it as a core part of their strategy. Today I’m talking with Anshul Singh of Points, Miles, and Bling, who has spent years inside the Aeroplan ecosystem and has used it to book everything from business class to Europe to trips most people never imagine points can unlock.

Anshul and I get into why Aeroplan hits a rare balance between being easy to use and deep enough to reward the people who dig in, and why its network of close to 50 airline partners is where the real opportunity lives. Listen as we talk about the overlooked partner bookings most travelers walk right past, like Brussels Airlines business class out of Washington Dulles and Emirates and Air Mauritius routes you would never expect through a Star Alliance program, how Aeroplan’s stopover rules let you build a single ticket that visits more than one place, and the Hotel Savers chart that points airline miles at high-end hotels like Six Senses and Fairmont. 

We also cover the smart way to think about buying Aeroplan points around a promotion, and my favorite part of the whole conversation, how the same program that flies you to Europe can take you to see polar bears in Churchill, the northern lights over the Canadian Arctic, and whale pods up and down both coasts. Whether you’re brand new to Aeroplan or you’ve transferred miles into it before and never looked past the obvious flights, this episode will change how you see the whole program.

Turn your expenses into points and save tens of thousands of dollars a year on your travel wishlist. Don’t miss out! Click here to know more about my comprehensive online program, Points Made Easy.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• Why chasing a fixed cents-per-point value can hold you back, and what to measure instead when you judge a redemption
• How Aeroplan’s huge partner network opens up flights most award travelers never think to search for
• Which overlooked partner airlines lead to some of the strongest business class availability out of North America
• How to use a single Aeroplan ticket and its stopover rules to visit more than one destination on one award
• Why Aeroplan can fly you to polar bears, northern lights, and whale pods closer to home than you’d expect
• When buying Aeroplan points actually makes sense, and how to time a purchase around promotions and devaluations

Featured On the Show

• Follow Anshul Singh on Instagram
• Check out Points, Miles, and Bling here 
• Follow Points, Miles and Bling on Facebook here
• Follow me on Instagram
• Get on the waitlist for the Points Made Easy Course here!
• If you have any questions or you want me to dive deeper into a specific topic, email me here: podcast@pointmetofirstclass.com 

Click here to download the full episode transcript

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