Aeroplan members will now have more options to fly further than ever before using their points thanks to a new partnership with Eurowings.
Aeroplan Adds Partnership with Eurowings
Aeroplan has announced that as of July 25, 2024, Eurowings has become Aeroplan’s newest air redemption partner, allowing members to redeem points for flights booked across the Eurowings network.
Vice President of Loyalty and Product at Air Canada, Scott O’Leary says “We are thrilled to welcome Eurowings as our newest Aeroplan partner,” adding “with the connectivity of their 20 plus destinations, our (Aeroplan) members can enjoy many more exciting ways to explore the world.”
Eurowings operates a modern fleet of 100+ narrowbody Airbus A320 aircraft, serving short- to medium-haul routes. Its hubs and focus cities are secondary German gateway airports, avoiding an overlap with parent Lufthansa’s megahubs in Frankfurt and Munich.
The newly announced partnership will give Aeroplan members access to far more destinations currently serviced by Eurowings across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Aeroplan says it’s excited about the new relationship which complements the other redemption partnerships it has with the Lufthansa Group of airlines, including Lufthansa, SWISS, Edelweiss Air, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Discover Airlines.
Here’s a look at the key details of the partnership:
- Members will be able to book Eurowings flights online at aircanada.com, through the Air Canada mobile app, or via Aeroplan’s Contact Centre
- Flights will be priced based on Aeroplan’s partner grid
- Flights can be combined with flights operated by Air Canada and its other international airline partners
- Eurowings flights are eligible for redemption in economy and “BIZclass”
- The partner booking fee will apply for flight rewards which include travel on Eurowings
Redeeming Aeroplan Points for Eurowings
Here’s Eurowings’s current route network, according to FlightConnections:
As a short- to medium-haul carrier, your best bet for booking Eurowings within the Aeroplan program is for connecting flights as part of a more complex Aeroplan itinerary.
A good example would be to book Toronto (YYZ) to Lisbon (LIS) on TAP Air Portugal and connect on a Eurowings flight to Hamburg (HAM), Düsseldorf (DUS), Cologne/Bonn (CGN), or Stuttgart (STR).
Another example would be from Newark (EWR), where you can book a transatlantic flight to various points in Europe on United Polaris business class, then connect to Eurowings’s destinations within Germany. Note, however, that Eurowings “BIZclass” might not be offered on certain short-haul flights.
Itineraries like these, which involve only partner carriers, avoid Aeroplan’s dynamic pricing for Air Canada flights.
On the other hand, when booked as standalone or connecting flights, Eurowings awards exclusively fall under the “Within Atlantic zone” chart.
Looking at an example, an award between Düsseldorf (DUS) and Nice (NCE), with a distance of 527 miles, costs 7,500 Aeroplan points in economy and 15,000 points in business class.
We value Aeroplan points at 2.1 cents per point (all figures in CAD). Using this value, we’d estimate that the cost for these flights in points are worth approximately $158 and $315.
Keep in mind, you’ll have to add in taxes and fees, as well as Aeroplan’s $39 partner booking fee. This same flight might cost €60 ($90) in economy and €160 ($240) in business class, which suggests that that Eurowings flights might not be the most valuable way to redeem Aeroplan points when booked as standalone awards.
One final point to consider, Eurowings’s “BIZclass” cabin is simply rows of economy seats with blocked middle seats, also known as European-style business class. Redeeming points for a business class seat that doesn’t really feel like business class might not be the most aspirational use of your points for standalone flights.
Conclusion
Aeroplan has added Eurowings as its newest redemption partner giving members more options to fly further using their points. The discount air-carrier focuses mainly on short- to medium-haul routes across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Aeroplan members can book Eurowings flights directly through the Air Canada website, the Air Canada mobile app, or via Aeroplan’s Contact Centre. We’d recommend using your points towards Eurowings’s network of connecting flights in order to get the best bang for your buck.
