As the second-largest country in the world, one could spend a lifetime exploring Canada and still have a lot left to see.
From the coastal rainforests of British Columbia to the endless summer nights and pristine fjords of Canada’s north, from the rugged peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the majestic icebergs floating by the coast of Newfoundland – adventures abound for those who seek them.
Accessing remote places can be a difficult task, especially as major airlines may not cater to very remote destinations. In Canada, Air Creebec, Calm Air, Canadian North, and PAL Airlines are four airlines that serve Northern and remote communities – and luckily, they’re also Aeroplan partners.
As these airlines fly to very remote locations that cost a small fortune to travel to, you are likely to get significant value by using your Aeroplan points rather than booking a cash fare.
1. Canadian North
Canadian North connects 25 communities in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Nunavik (Northern Quebec) with several territorial and provincial hubs. The Inuit-owned airline is headquartered in Kanata, Ontario (just outside of Ottawa), and its fleet consists of Boeing 737 and ATR 42 turboprop aircraft.
As depicted in the above route map, passengers can access Canadian North’s flight network in Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonton. Earlier this year, Canadian North also launched the Arctic Capital Express route, as well as flights to Calgary from Yellowknife.
It’s possible to combine a reservation with Air Canada with a Canadian North flight, which is a valuable option for those who don’t live in any of the provincial hubs that the airline serves.
If you’re a revenue passenger, you can earn Aeroplan points , but not Status Qualifying Miles , on Canadian North-operated flights. The airline also has an in-house loyalty program called Aurora Rewards , and interestingly, you can double-dip and earn both Aeroplan and Aurora Rewards points on paid bookings.
Canadian North is also a redemption partner with Aeroplan. You can search for and book award space on the Aeroplan website. Or, you can search for availability one week at a time using ExpertFlyer .
As flight schedules can involve overnight stops that exceed the usual 12-hour layover rule for domestic bookings, you may have to add a stopover to make the itinerary valid.
Redemptions with Canadian North are subject to the “Within North America” section of the Aeroplan Flight Reward Chart. However, Aeroplan has indicated that regional airlines will be subject to their own pricing chart at some point in the future, so it’s likely worthwhile to book sooner rather than later.
For example, a one-way flight from Ottawa to Iqaluit clocks in at 1,305 miles, placing it in the second distance band on the Within North America chart. This means that a one-way flight in economy should cost 10,000 Aeroplan points.
A search on Aeroplan confirms this, along with a modest $87 in taxes and fees .
The lowest cost for a cash ticket on this same flight prices out at $566, which after taking into account the $87 in taxes and fees, would equate to a value of around 4.8 cents per point. This is well above our current valuation of Aeroplan points at 2.1 cents per point.
Iqaluit, Nunavut
It’s also possible to combine Air Canada or other partner airlines with Canadian North right on the Aeroplan search engine. If you’re connecting from another Canadian city that Canadian North doesn’t serve, it will show in the search results and will be subject to dynamic pricing.
If there’s not an Air Canada flight on your itinerary, the cost won’t be subject to dynamic pricing, as you’d be flying with partner airlines only.
There are many opportunities to explore remote destinations with Canadian North. And since cash prices for these flights are usually quite high, you can stand to get excellent value from an Aeroplan redemption.
2. Calm Air
Calm Air operates flights within and between Manitoba and Nunavut, with hubs in Winnipeg and Rankin Inlet. The airline has a fleet of ATR 42 and ATR 72 turboprop aircraft, and also has access to a Canadian North Boeing 737, which it uses to fly between Winnipeg and Rankin Inlet.
Calm Air is a redemption partner with both Aeroplan and Air Miles . Unlike with Canadian North, you cannot earn miles from paid Calm Air flights; however, you can earn points through an in-house program called Calm Rewards .
Unfortunately, Calm Air redemptions cannot be combined with any Air Canada flights, so you’ll have to do two separate redemptions if you need to get to any of the Calm Air destinations.
Calm Air handles all inquiries for Aeroplan and Air Miles redemptions. To check for award availability, you’ll need to look up your desired flights and then call the Calm Air contact centre to inquire about award space. In my experience, the agents are friendly and knowledgeable, with a minimal wait time.
Once you have found award space, Calm Air processes everything from their end, meaning that you won’t be subjected to the dulcet tones of Aeroplan’s hold music for once.
