Aeroplan's $100 Stopover Trick: Add a Second Destination to Any Award (2026)
Aeroplan's $100 stopover charge unlocks a free destination on award redemptions. The optimal routings make this one of the highest-value tricks in points travel.
- Mixed-cabin awards — entire ticket must be in same cabin (or progressively higher).
- Awards under 600 miles — short-haul awards have different rules.
- Some peak dates — Aeroplan applies dynamic pricing on certain peak windows.
Most loyalty programs charge for stopovers in the form of additional miles. Aeroplan charges $100 CAD (~$73 USD) flat for a stopover of any length up to 45 days on most awards — including in business and first class. The math turns this into one of the strongest single tricks in points travel.
How the Aeroplan stopover works
Aeroplan award rules permit one stopover per ticket on a one-way award, exceeding 24 hours, for a flat $100 CAD surcharge. The carrier on each segment must be Aeroplan or a Star Alliance partner with award space. The stopover applies on round-trip awards with one stopover allowed in either direction.
Award rates remain at the published distance-based saver rate. The $100 stopover charge is incremental on top.
The classic Aeroplan stopover route
Toronto → Frankfurt → (stopover) → Zurich
Cost: 70,000 Aeroplan points + ~$25 in taxes + $100 stopover charge. Toronto-Zurich one-way business is normally 70,000 points alone. The $100 buys you Frankfurt as a stopover destination — visit Frankfurt for 7-30 days before continuing to Zurich.
The high-value North America stopover
San Francisco → Honolulu → (stopover 30 days) → Tokyo
Cost: 75,000 Aeroplan points + ~$30 + $100 stopover. SFO-HND one-way business via Star Alliance is 75,000 points. The $100 stopover charge converts a Tokyo trip into a Honolulu trip + Tokyo trip in the same ticket.
Round-trip stopover stacking
The strongest application: round-trip awards with one stopover on the outbound and one stopover on the inbound, doubling the number of destinations.
Example: Toronto → London → Paris → London → Toronto
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Configured as YYZ-LHR (stopover in London 5 days) → CDG-LHR-YYZ. Single round-trip ticket. 100k Aeroplan points + ~$50 + $100 stopover. London + Paris on one ticket.
The Aeroplan stopover restrictions
Aeroplan stopovers don't apply on these:
- Mixed-cabin awards — entire ticket must be in same cabin (or progressively higher).
- Awards under 600 miles — short-haul awards have different rules.
- Some peak dates — Aeroplan applies dynamic pricing on certain peak windows.
Best transfer partners to Aeroplan in 2026
- Amex MR: 1:1 to Aeroplan; periodic 20-30% transfer bonuses (4-5x per year).
- Chase UR: 1:1 to Aeroplan; rare transfer bonuses.
- Capital One Miles: 1:1 to Aeroplan; periodic bonuses.
- Bilt Rewards: 1:1 to Aeroplan; Rent Day periodic bonuses.
- Marriott Bonvoy: 3:1 to Aeroplan with 5k bonus per 60k transferred.
The award space pattern for stopovers
Aeroplan saver award space loads:
- +355 days for most carriers
- Last-minute releases at -14 to -3 days
- Strong saver space: ANA, Lufthansa (released closer to departure), Air Canada (most consistent), Singapore (limited), Turkish (limited).
For stopover bookings, build the routing first against Star Alliance saver space, then verify both segments are available on the dates you want.
Why Aeroplan stopovers beat United stopovers
United Excursionist Perk also allows stopovers (free) on round-trip awards but with strict rules: same award region, free segment must be the cheapest, etc. Aeroplan's flat $100 charge is more flexible — applies on one-way awards, no region restrictions, no cheapest-segment rule.
For travelers who can hold flexibility on routing, Aeroplan stopovers produce double-destination award value at marginal incremental cost.
Aeroplan transfer partners on Pointify →
Last verified by the Pointify research team on May 1, 2026, against current Aeroplan award rules and stopover policy.
About the author
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The Pointify team analyzes loyalty programs, fare data, and booking strategies across 300+ airlines and major award programs. Our goal: help you get maximum value from every point and mile.
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