Aeroplan just wrapped a targeted 100% points bonus that dropped the effective cost to about 1.88 CAD cents per point (roughly 1.35–1.40 USD cents after exchange and before provincial taxes). The offer expired September 25, 2026, but if you were targeted and still have time on any lingering window—or if you're staring at the next one—it's one of the better buying opportunities this year. At that price, manufactured redemptions start looking dangerously rational.

The Math That Matters

Base price sits at 3.75 CAD cents per point. With a full 100% bonus on purchases of 80,000+ points (up to 500,000 per transaction this round), you effectively halve the cost. Most US-based readers paid around 1.35–1.40 US cents per point after currency conversion. Add Canadian taxes and it creeps toward 1.45–1.55 cents depending on your card's billing province. Still cheap.

Compare that to typical revenue business class fares. A decent shoulder-season round-trip from the East Coast to Europe runs $2,400–$3,200 per person through consolidators. West Coast to Asia sits in the $3,400–$5,000 range. At 1.4 cents per point, a 70,000-point one-way to Europe costs about $980 in out-of-pocket spend. The award itself often has $250–$400 in taxes and fees. You're beating cash by a mile on the right routes.

Where the Sweet Spots Actually Live

Post-June 2026 chart changes, partner business class from North America to Europe (4,001–6,000 miles) lands at 75,000 points one-way. East Coast to London, Frankfurt, Zurich, Vienna, or Munich on Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, or United routinely shows at this level. Taxes stay reasonable because Aeroplan doesn't pass through partner fuel surcharges on most carriers.

To Asia, the 5,001–7,500 mile band now costs 85,000 points one-way for Japan, Korea, and parts of Southeast Asia on ANA, Asiana, EVA, or United. It's no longer the giveaway it was, but at 1.4 cents per point the effective cost is still under $1,200 per leg before fees—competitive with cash fares that often exceed $4,000 round-trip in peak periods.

The real cheat code remains the stopover rule: add one stopover per one-way (two on a round-trip) for just 5,000 extra points each, anywhere except Canada, the US, or China, up to 45 days. Turn a simple JFK–ZRH into JFK–ZRH (stop in Lisbon) for effectively the same price. Or do Europe on the way to Asia. The program still lets you stitch together multi-city trips that look like you hired a routing specialist who was drunk on good wine.

Lufthansa first class redemptions have gotten tighter in 2026 (partner space is stingier and some products are blocked), but when available it's still one of the few programs that can access it without absurd surcharges. At bought-point pricing, the value can exceed 4–6 cents per point on the right date. Don't count on it, but have Seats.aero alerts set.

Is Buying Actually Worth It?

Yes—if you have a specific redemption locked in or highly likely within the next 12–18 months. No—if you're just topping off an account "for flexibility." Points sitting idle are a depreciating asset, especially with annual increases and capacity cuts. This promo got points cheap enough to manufacture 2.5–4+ cents per point on good Star Alliance business redemptions to Europe and Asia. That's the bar.

Most readers here already hold premium cards and transfer bonuses from Chase, Amex, or Capital One. Buying should be the last resort to close a gap, not the primary earning engine. But when the math works this cleanly and the promo is time-limited, hesitation is expensive.

The window closed September 25. Log in now anyway—targeting is unpredictable and Black Friday tends to bring another round. If you see 100% again, run the exact numbers for your target route before pulling the trigger. The difference between a 75,000-point Europe award and a $2,800 cash ticket is real money.

Action item: Check your Aeroplan account for any lingering or new targeted offers today. Identify your top two sweet-spot redemptions (Europe business with a stopover is the safest bet), calculate the all-in cost per point including taxes, and buy only what you will redeem in the next year. Everything else is just collecting digital dust.