Chase Ultimate Rewards is running a 20% transfer bonus to Air Canada Aeroplan through April 30, 2026. That turns 50,000 Chase points into 60,000 Aeroplan points. If you hold the Chase Aeroplan card, it stacks with the existing 10% cardholder bonus on transfers of 50,000 or more, pushing the effective rate to 30% and netting you 65,000 Aeroplan miles.

This isn't some marginal airline miles boost. It's the cheapest current path into Star Alliance business class cabins, particularly for North America to Europe routes that routinely price out at 55,000–70,000 Aeroplan points one-way on partners like Lufthansa, Swiss, or Turkish Airlines. With the bonus, you're looking at effective costs as low as 42,000–54,000 Chase points. That's the kind of math that makes summer travel feel less like a punishment.

Aeroplan's distance-based chart still delivers here. Short-hop transatlantic awards (under 4,000 miles) start around 50,000–60,000 points in business on partner metal. Longer hauls creep to 70,000–85,000. Recent chart tweaks have nudged some North America–Atlantic business prices up slightly—85,000 to 90,000 in certain bands for longer routes—but the partner fixed pricing remains far more palatable than the alternatives.

Beating United and the Rest of the Star Alliance Pack

Compare that to United MileagePlus. Transatlantic business on partners now starts at 80,000 miles one-way in many cases, with dynamic pricing frequently pushing it higher during peak summer. Asia runs 100,000+ on United for similar routes. Aeroplan routinely undercuts by 20–40% on the same Lufthansa or Swiss flights, especially if you're willing to hunt availability on carriers like TAP or Austrian.[[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/loyalty-programs/united-aeroplan-redemption-rates/)[[2]](https://awardtravelfinder.com/award-charts/aeroplan)

Domestic sweet spots hold too. Short-haul North America business clocks in at 15,000–30,000 Aeroplan points one-way depending on distance—often cheaper and more available than burning United miles on your own metal. Asia falls in the 62,500–87,500 range, with nice options on EVA Air or ANA where United wants 100,000+.

The real edge is partner availability. Aeroplan has maintained decent release on Lufthansa, Turkish, and Swiss business seats, though Lufthansa's infamous 85-day window for partner awards still applies. Use tools like Seats.aero to scan; the program's hybrid fixed/dynamic model (dynamic mostly hits Air Canada-operated flights) keeps partner redemptions predictable. Recent program shifts moved earning to a revenue-based model in 2026, but redemptions on partners remain largely untouched. Availability hasn't collapsed like some feared.[[3]](https://www.aircanada.com/content/dam/aircanada/loyalty-content/documents/flight-rewards-chart-en.pdf)[[4]](https://awardwallet.com/airlines/air-canada-aeroplan/)

Of course, nothing's perfect. Aeroplan still charges a partner booking fee (usually modest), and summer award space is competitive. But if you're staring at 80k–110k United miles for a lie-flat seat to Europe this July, the Chase transfer with bonus looks like a sarcastic middle finger to dynamic pricing everywhere else.

Why This Deadline Matters

Aeroplan has been quietly raising the floor on certain partner bands, and broader summer demand is only going to make award space tighter. This 20% (or 30%) bonus is likely the last easy discount before those increases fully bite. Transfer now, search later—points don't expire as long as your account stays active.

Don't overthink it. If you have upcoming premium cabin plans on United, Lufthansa, Swiss, Turkish, or any Star Alliance carrier, move points before April 30. Book the obvious winners: East Coast to Europe in business for effectively ~50k Chase points, or tack on a 5,000-point stopover for a two-city itinerary that costs less than most people pay in taxes on cash tickets.

The window is closing. Transfer the points, lock in the rate, and go find yourself some actual good availability instead of complaining about it later.

Action item: Log into your Chase account today, transfer at least 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points (more if you have a big trip planned), and start searching Aeroplan awards for your preferred dates and routes. Prioritize partner metal over Air Canada for the best pricing and product.