Are Air Canada Points still useful ex Australia?

[elanshin]

Any suggestions for which tool works well at the moment ? Seems to be a rapidly changing space


I have a stash of card points that I dumped into AC a few months ago in anticipation of a trip that didn't eventuate. Now trying to use them for late September 2026 to do SYD-mediterranean-SYD, and there is bugger all that I can see...

Are you solo travelling or couple? family?
Lots of options for BNE departure to SIN. From SIN you can go to IST or FCO?

Seat Aero is still a reasonably solid tool to use.

 

[Grrr]

Are you solo travelling or couple? family?

Family, but in guessing it might be too ambitious to get 4 reward seats…

you can search for TK awards via United,

Thanks, will sign up to United to take a look

For your trip in September you could fly air Mauritius via Perth to Europe

I couldn’t see anything from Perth to Istanbul or Athens; but tbh Syd - Perth then another ?2 stops to Europe might be a bridge too far for the family

Seat Aero is still a reasonably solid tool to use.

Thanks, will try this too

 

[Grrr]

Well having trawled through most of those options, I’m coming up with basically nothing for September 2026 SYD to either IST or ATH

Anything I find is either fully Y or at most one short leg J and the rest Y; or if there are full Y legs I assume I’m basically paying cash as the points are 400k per person

Bit disappointed given that I’m looking just under a year out. Does make me wonder whether the points game really only works if you have total schedule flexibility (eg retired) and can book whenever you get an alert ?

 

[luxury-lizard]

@Grrr - there are 2 seats ex-SIN to some European cities on Monday and/or Tuesday in Sept 2026 - you could just buy cheap Y tix PER-SIN then travel on 2 separate days - i.e. split up the family (one adult + 1 child each flight or whatever assuming your children can travel on their own) - of course this adds hotel costs etc along the way. But I agree there seems to be no award seats PER-SIN in Sept in business.

I also agree with a family - this approach gets complicated - might need to buy cash fares.

 

[RooFlyer]

Bit disappointed given that I’m looking just under a year out. Does make me wonder whether the points game really only works if you have total schedule flexibility (eg retired) and can book whenever you get an alert ?

Certainly helps when you are retired, but for me, its not as if I go to Europe or somewhere at any time. I too have preferred times, when there is still plenty of competition.

But family of 4 towards Europe out of Australia, - very, very difficult in J. If I'm looking for long haul, I see how I can get to Asia one way or another and then look for flights out of there. As @luxury-lizard says, hotel and other transit costs start adding up but hopefully overall there's a substantial net saving if you can get 4 Award sears in J.

And do have at least a look at AIr Mauritius (their planes, service, seat etc) - tons of availability on Aeroplan out of Perth whenever I look.

 

[Grrr]

And do have at least a look at AIr Mauritius (their planes, service, seat etc) - tons of availability on Aeroplan out of Perth whenever I look.

But to do this - I'm looking at Sydney to Perth (~5h). Then 24h in a hotel to ensure the next leg is safe. Then Perth - Mauritius - Rome. Another 24h and another hotel. Then Rome to final euro destination...

The hotel cost is not a big deal, but that sort of itinerary makes it a 3-4 day journey one way. So close to a week out of the allocated holiday time, just in transit. That would definitely not make it past the Boss !

 

[elanshin]

Family, but in guessing it might be too ambitious to get 4 reward seats…


Thanks, will sign up to United to take a look


I couldn’t see anything from Perth to Istanbul or Athens; but tbh Syd - Perth then another ?2 stops to Europe might be a bridge too far for the family


Thanks, will try this too

Your problem i think will be getting 4 J seats on any airlines. however you can probably break it up in to 2/2 and say utilise brisbane departure.

The other problem is ATH is just not terribly well connected despite things. SQ mainline doesn't even fly there iirc just Scoot.

You could however consider something like Italy (FCO) as the first stop then hop over to greece fron there.

 

[jase05]

Well having trawled through most of those options, I’m coming up with basically nothing for September 2026 SYD to either IST or ATH

Anything I find is either fully Y or at most one short leg J and the rest Y; or if there are full Y legs I assume I’m basically paying cash as the points are 400k per person

Bit disappointed given that I’m looking just under a year out. Does make me wonder whether the points game really only works if you have total schedule flexibility (eg retired) and can book whenever you get an alert ?

You really are going to struggle to find 4x J award seats to/from Australia. I’ve found breaking up the journey and using stopovers works better with Aeroplan but realise for some that this doesn’t work as they don’t have the time to do multi stops and take a week to get to where they are going.. I tend to look at points now as just a way to save a few bucks and have low to zero expectations that I’ll find awards flights on most direct routes. Occasionally I’ll find I route we need and it may only have 1x J seat, I’ll grab that and pay cash for the other one so at least it’s about half price. As others have said if you can get to Asia then sometimes awards and options open up from there.

 

[Grrr]

The other problem is ATH is just not terribly well connected despite things. SQ mainline doesn't even fly there iirc just Scoot.

Yeah I was thinking of doing IST return and looking at ATH - IST ?even by ferry ?

But bizarrely KUL to IST is coming up with squat via TK (even when searching via United) which is just bizarre as KUL appears to be their main hub out of Australia

Occasionally I’ll find I route we need and it may only have 1x J seat, I’ll grab that and pay cash for the other one so at least it’s about half price

When booking for 4, my other concern is eg if I find 2 award seats, I don't know how many J (paid) seats are actually left. So there is a (possibly small) chance that the whole group may not get tickets on the same flight

Personally I think the two young teens should fly Y, but again, not sure the Boss will allow this

 

[madrooster]

Well having trawled through most of those options, I’m coming up with basically nothing for September 2026 SYD to either IST or ATH

I can see 2 seats on TK in J all throughout Sep 2026 so they are there.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

But to do this - I'm looking at Sydney to Perth (~5h). Then 24h in a hotel to ensure the next leg is safe. Then Perth - Mauritius - Rome. Another 24h and another hotel. Then Rome to final euro destination...

The hotel cost is not a big deal, but that sort of itinerary makes it a 3-4 day journey one way. So close to a week out of the allocated holiday time, just in transit. That would definitely not make it past the Boss !

If all the flights are on one ticket, which they will be, you don’t need to overnight in Mauritius to make sure the next leg is safe. Or the same at any transfer point.

If everything is on the one ticket your connections are guaranteed, and if you miss a flight you’ll be out on the next one, or on another airline.

Air Mauritius gets you into Mauritius at 535pm from Perth, and out again at 935pm same day to London.

We left Melbourne at 930am Wednesday and were in London at 630am the next morning.

 

[RooFlyer]

But to do this - I'm looking at Sydney to Perth (~5h). Then 24h in a hotel to ensure the next leg is safe. Then Perth - Mauritius - Rome. Another 24h and another hotel. Then Rome to final euro destination...

Sorry, I thought you were in Perth - but is clear you are not!

Air Mauritius flies into Geneva, Paris and London (not Rome). if you are heading to the Med, then from Geneva you could probably get Swiss to just about anywhere, bookable with Aeroplan also. Yes, I know with 2 stops that's probably going to be voted down, but just putting it into the mix. The first stop, Perth will be easy though and can get accom cheaply.

Put into the Aeroplan booking engine and see what comes up. Also, with Aeroplan you can get a stopover for ?free so if you wanted to take >24hrs at a stop to rest, it won't xost more (or minimal) with Aeroplan.

 

[Bbjai]

I’ve seen 4 J tickets in Melbourne to IST before so they do exist - just hard to get I think!

 

[Grrr]

If all the flights are on one ticket, which they will be

So are you putting Perth - Mauritius - London into the aeroplan engine to get this on one ticket ?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So are you putting Perth - Mauritius - London into the aeroplan engine to get this on one ticket ?

The connecting flight on Virgin from anywhere in Australia is included in the fare. There is no need to book overnight accommodation in Perth, it’s a short two-three hour connection, same terminal… walk off VA plane, 200m and you’re at the international terminal to check-in for Air Mauritius.

I did mine as a stopover, but yes, SYD-MRU-LGW comes up (I actually had another two flights onwards from London included in my fare… and it all showed up).

If it doesn’t come up on line, and you have found availability Australia-MRU and MRU-xx_ you can call them and they’ll do it for you.

 

[luxury-lizard]

I see a few posters recommending booking via MRU on Air Mauritius (which they have done) - great idea with SQ not available ex-SYD and ex-MEL (and less availability overall using AC points). But - having flown Air Mauritius last year (MRU-PER), I was not impressed - both hard and soft product - I also got food poisoning on the flight (at least that's what I think it was - could have just been another virus). Due the to small fleet - any irregular ops is likely to be quite disruptive. Of course a stopover in Mauritius could be attractive for some (we did a 2 week stopover on our way home from Africa and it was enjoyable but really a once only thing - there are better beach destinations around the world (IMO)).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I see a few posters recommending booking via MRU on Air Mauritius (which they have done) - great idea with SQ not available ex-SYD and ex-MEL (and less availability overall using AC points). But - having flown Air Mauritius last year (MRU-PER), I was not impressed - both hard and soft product - I also got food poisoning on the flight (at least that's what I think it was - could have just been another virus). Due the to small fleet - any irregular ops is likely to be quite disruptive. Of course a stopover in Mauritius could be attractive for some (we did a 2 week stopover on our way home from Africa and it was enjoyable but really a once only thing - there are better beach destinations around the world (IMO)).

Agree… MK is not the best airline. Crews are lovely, but the catering is somewhat limited, and the IFE pretty dire.

The seats hard up against the window are ok, but those on the aisle are truly dreadful.

But… the bed is flat, the champagne is chilled, the crew are good, and the food is edible. You get there with the primary purpose of business class… sleep and arrive refreshed.

If I could get four seats in J I wouldn’t say no!