Let me share with you my redemption story of how I went to 3 countries and ended up only paying $300 in total for the flights and hotels. I did this by redeeming 119,350 Aeroplan points through Aeroplan’s Worldwide Priority Rewards (238,700 without Priority Rewards), paying $300 in total for taxes on those flights and using Marriott Points along with a free night certificate for the hotel stays on my stopovers.
I have been wanting to take a solo trip to Asia, as I haven’t been there since the onset of the pandemic. As I only had limited time off from work my plan was to maximize the number of business class flights with stopovers in my desired destinations for an 8 day trip. Through my planning I chose to go to Singapore, Vietnam, and Japan. One of the reasons I chose this trip was because Aeroplan had partnered with Etihad, allowing for point redemptions for Etihad flights.
Singapore
Ho Chi Minh
Tokyo
I began my search for flights in December 2022 for this vacation that took place in May 2023. The journey had to start in Toronto so I could fly on Etihad and end in Vancouver. One of the significant advantages of redeeming flights through the Aeroplan program is the ability to book an open-jaw itinerary and add a stopover for an additional 5,000 points. This way, I could enjoy three destinations under one booking. I’ve always liked the stopover feature offered by the Aeroplan program, and I’m glad they brought it back to their website booking feature.
One key difference with the new Aeroplan program that launched in 2020 is that Air Canada flight rewards are now based on dynamic redemption, which means that there is no fixed cost for bookings. Having this in mind I avoided international business class rewards seats with Air Canada and instead opted for partner airlines with fixed redemption costs. Booking flights on partner airlines can be challenging due to limited availability, and airlines tend to release their reward seats almost a year in advance, which can fill up quickly. However, more reward seating does tend to become available to Aeroplan members within approximately two to three weeks of departure, depending on the airline partner.
I booked my trip through the Air Canada website and made minor changes with Aeroplan customer service for flight changes. I searched for a flight from Toronto to Da Nang, Vietnam, with a one-day stopover in Singapore. For the return flight, I searched for a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Vancouver with a two-day stopover in Tokyo.
Aeroplan Booking
Booking example on AirCanada.com
Here’s a breakdown of my itinerary:
YYZ-AUH-SIN: I found availability on Etihad Airways for May 6, with a layover in Abu Dhabi before continuing to Singapore for a one-day stopover.
Toronto to Abu Dhabi – Etihad Airways 777-300Er
Abu Dhabi to Singapore – Etihad Airways 787-10
SIN-DAD: There were a couple of available options for Da Nang on May 9 in Business class with Singapore Airlines. I chose the 737 Max flight departing at 12 pm because I wanted to experience the lie-flat seats on a narrow body Boeing!
Singapore to Da Nang – Singapore Airlines 737 Max 8
HCM-SGN-ICN-NRT: Departing from Ho Chi Minh City on May 11, there were several options available. To get to Tokyo there was a direct flight offered but I opted for the longest route possible to experience different business class seats and airport lounges on Singapore Airlines and Asiana Airlines.
Da Nang to Singapore – Singapore Airlines A350-900
Singapore to Seoul – Singapore Airlines A350-900
Seoul to Tokyo – Asiana Airlines A330-300
HND-SFO-YVR: Initially, I had an economy seat booked on Air Canada from NRT to YVR, but within one week of my departure date, ANA had availability open up for a direct flight from NRT to YVR or HND to YVR with a layover in SFO. I chose the non-direct flight via San Francisco to try their highly recommended ANA business class, “The Room.”
Tokyo to San Francisco – ANA 777-300Er
Marriott Bookings
Now, for my hotel stays in Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, and Tokyo, I planned to use my Marriott Points and my Annual Free Night award from my Marriott Bonvoy American Express credit card.
In Singapore, I chose to stay at The Westin Singapore, which had a nightly rate of $694 CAD. However, the redemption rate for this hotel for a great deal of only 33,000 points. I was able to use my free night certificate for this stay.
For my stay in Ho Chi Minh City, I selected the Vinpearl Landmark 81, Autograph Collection, the city’s tallest building. I was able to redeem 22,000 for one night, the standard room rate for this hotel is $331 per night.
Finding an affordable hotel in Tokyo during this time was challenging. I was able to book the Tokyo Marriott, a hotel I have stayed at before. I was able to redeem 127,000 points to book two nights, the room rate was $689 per night.
Recommended reading: Marriott Bonvoy Bonus Points offers in Japan
Wrapping it up
This trip would have been quite expensive if I had paid in cash. The business class tickets alone would cost over $10,000, and the four-night hotel stays would have been over $2,300. Thanks to my Aeroplan and Marriott points, I was able to cover these expenses for just $300 in taxes and fees. There was a flight and a one-night hotel stay where I did pay cash, but the rest of the trip was a redemption success story. Keep an eye out for my reviews to come soon on all the business class flights and hotels I stayed at on this eight day trip!