Best Redemptions: How to Travel to Paris from Canada on Points

You can easily travel to Paris from Canada on points

Paris is a very popular travel destination. It’s known as a hotspot for honeymooners, art enthusiasts, history buffs, and those who enjoy best-in-class wine & cheese. From the museums, art galleries, and the Eiffel Tower, Paris certainly has something for everyone. 

Unfortunately, traveling to Paris is expensive, and many Canadians view the City of Light as out of their price range.

Fortunately, here in Canada, we have access to travel programs that can reduce the cost of your Parisian vacation by upwards of 80%, leaving more money in your pocket, and more freedom to experience some of the world-class excursions that Paris has to offer. 

In this post, we’ll show you how you can travel to Paris from Canada on points, and the different ways to earn and use your travel points to ensure you’re getting MAXIMUM value on your redemption. 

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Our Theoretical Vacation

For the purposes of this exercise, we’ll be booking a 5 night, 6 day vacation focusing on a stay in downtown Paris

We’ll be using the dates of October 3rd – October 8th. 

Our theoretical stay will be 5 nights at the COURTYARD PARIS ARCUEIL in Paris, a 4 Star hotel operated by Marriott.

We’ll show an itinerary for 1 individual. If you are traveling with someone, your traveling companion can use the same credit cards suggested below to earn even more points.

Flight Cash Value

Below, we can see the cash value of an Air Canada economy, and business class ticket from Canada’s 3 major hubs (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal).

Note: prices are subject to change

How to Travel to Paris from Canada on Points

Flight Option #1: Fly to Paris From Canada on Points with Air Canada Using Aeroplan

Average value of 1 Aeroplan point is 2.1 cents. We will hope to receive a higher value when redeeming with Aeroplan points. Going forward, we’ll be using these values to determine the value of redeeming your points for this itinerary. 

Your Complete Guide to Aeroplan

Aeroplan (and Air Canada) is the most popular travel currency in Canada, so it only makes sense that we determine the amount of Aeroplan points required for our flight to Paris.

Note: redemptions are subject to change

Aeroplan leverages dynamic pricing, meaning redemptions show a range of points for Air Canada flights. More popular flights cost more.

Flight Option #1.B: Using Aeroplan Partner Airlines to Fly to Paris from Canada on Points

While dynamic pricing can be terrible, the good news is that Aeroplan has several partner airlines that only require a fixed number of points.

All Aeroplan partner flights to Europe are subject to this award chart:

While this seems like an easy way to redeem your points, there are a limited number of award seats made available by partner airlines, and certain airlines only release economy-class award space.

There are a few partner airlines you can leverage for your trip to Paris

Lufthansa Airlines

Germain airline Lufthansa operates flights from Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver to both Frankfurt and Munich, which in turn connect to Paris.

As mentioned above, Lufthansa leverages the Aeroplan partner carrier award chart, which usually means a cheaper flight. This is great for Economy class tickets with Lufthansa.

Unfortunately, Lufthansa only releases award space for business class flights 14-20 days in advance of the flight. While waiting for award space to open up may be difficult when planning a vacation, it usually provides the best use of your points in terms of value

Other Aeroplan Partners You Can Take to Paris

• Austrian Air flies out of Montreal to Vienna, and on to Paris
• Swiss Air flies out of Montreal to Zurich, and on to Paris
• United Airlines flies out of Toronto to the Eastern United States, and on to Paris
• TAP flies out of Toronto & Montreal, and on to Paris
• LOT Airlines flies out of Toronto, and on to Paris

Earning Aeroplan Points

There are 2 ways to earn a large number of Aeroplan points here in Canada:

• Transferring American Express Membership Rewards to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio
• Earning Aeroplan points directly with a co-branded Aeroplan credit card. 

What Credit Cards do You Need to fly to Paris From Canada on Points

Regardless of whether you’re flying economy or business class, you’ll need to focus on collecting Membership Rewards and/or Aeroplan points. There are 2 credit cards that we’ll be focusing on to get you to Paris 

Note: credit card signup bonuses vary over the year. Please check for the latest signup offer.

1. American Express Platinum Card

The American Express Platinum Card is a great way to earn Membership Rewards, which can be transferred to Aeroplan.

The $699 annual fee (Reduced to $549 with a $150 rebate via Great Canadian Rebates) is offset by the following perks & benefits:

• Sign-up Bonus:
  • 60,000 MR points upon spending $6,000 in the first three months
  • 20,000 MR points upon spending $1 during months 14-17 of card-membership
• Earn Rate: 
  • 3 MR points per dollar spent at grocery stores & at restaurants 
  • 2 MR points per dollar spent on travel and 
  • 1 MR point everywhere else
• Insurance:
  • Emergency Medical Travel Insurance – up to $5,000,000
  • Car rental damage insurance 
  • Trip Canacellation Insurance- up to $3,000
  • Hotel Burglary insurance – up to $1,000
  • Baggage delay insurance – up to $1,000
  • Lost or stolen baggage insurance – up to $1,000
• Perks
  • $200 Annual Travel Credit
  • Special discounts for cardholders, which are sent via email
  • $100 Nexus Credit
  • Instant Gold Status at Marriott Bonvoy
  • Instant Gold Status at Hilton Honours
  • Access to Pearson Priority Security Lane during peak operating times
  • Complimentary valet service at the Express Park and Daily Park at Pearson Airport
• Lounge Access
  • Priority Pass (+1 guest)
  • Plaza Premium Lounges (+1 guest)
  • Delta Sky Club
  • Airspace Lounges (+2 guests)
  • Centurion Lounges
  • SwissPort Lounges (+1 guest)

While the $699 annual fee seems daunting initially, the 80,000 Membership Rewards will get you to Paris with one of Aeroplan’s partner airlines. Canadians will have to make a personal decision as to whether or not the $699 (minus the $200 travel credit) annual fee is worth spending after year two.

2. TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite. 

You can earn Aeroplan points with co-branded credit cards. The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card is a great way to earn FREE Aeroplan points.

The Cost for the Card is $0 for the first year, and then $139 annually, & comes with the following benefits:

• Sign-up Bonus:
  • 10,000 Aeroplan points upon first purchase
  • 30,000 Aeroplan points upon spending $1,500 in the first three months
  • 15,000 Aeroplan points on renewal after spending $7,500 in the first year
    • Total of 55,000 Aeroplan points
• Earn Rate: 
  • 1.5 Aeroplan points per dollar spent on food, beverage, gas & travel
  • 1 Aeroplan point everywhere else
• Insurance:
  • Emergency Medical Travel Insurance – up to $1,000,000
  • Car rental damage insurance 
  • Trip Canacellation Insurance- up to $5,000
  • Baggage delay insurance – up to $1,000
  • Lost or stolen baggage insurance – up to $1,000
• Perks
  • First bag free on Air Canada flights
  • Preferred pricing when redeeming Aeroplan points on Air Canada flights
  • $100 NEXUS credit
  • Earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles and 1 Status Qualifying Segment for every $10,000 you spend on the card

While this card isn’t as strong as some of American Express’ top cards, we live in a world where AMEX isn’t accepted at many retail locations in Canada. As a result, it’s good to have a solid visa in your wallet as well. The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite provides a great, FREE way to earn a large amount of Aeroplan points, and it can be a great backup to the high annual fee cards in the market. the 55,000 Aeroplan points will get you a free economy ticket with Air Canada.

Canadians will have to make a personal decision as to whether or not the $139 annual fee is worth taking into the second year.

You can read which other cards offer Aeroplan points here

Credit Card Round-up

Based on the sign-up bonus’ above, you’ll be able to earn 115,000 Aeroplan points by paying $549 in credit card fees. You’ll also receive several cost saving benefits through these cards including: 

• Priority Pass lounge access (AKA free food & drink)
• Discounts on award flights 
• 1st checked bag free with Aeroplan
• Gold status (and potential room upgrades) with Marriott Bonvoy

Flying to Paris with Aeroplan – Financial Summary

The average value of 1 Aeroplan point is 2.1 cents per point. We will hope to receive a higher value when redeeming Aeroplan points.

	Economy	Redemption Value	Business	Redemption Value
Cash Fare	$894		$8,061
Aeroplan Points with Air Canada	53,400	1.60 cents/point	248,700	3.24 cents/point
Aeroplan Points with Partner Airlines	35,000	2.44 cents/point	70,000	11.52 cents/point

	Economy	Redemption Value	Business	Redemption Value
Cash Fare	$668		$7,230
Aeroplan Points with Air Canada	34,800	1.91 cents/point	242,100	2.98 cents/point
Aeroplan Points with Partner Airlines	35,000	1.90 cents/point	70,000	10.32 cents/point

	Economy	Redemption Value	Business	Redemption Value
Cash Fare	$668		$7,230
Aeroplan Points with Air Canada	34,800	1.91 cents/pont	242,100	2.98 cents/point
Aeroplan Points with Partner Airlines	35,000	1.90 cents/point	70,000	10.32 cents/point

As you can see, the best option to fly to Paris from Canada on points is to leverage Air Canada’s partner airlines, especially if you can source a business-class ticket (which will take some travel flexibility on your end).

I would personally focus on Lufthansa, United & LOT Airlines if you fly out of Toronto, Lufthansa, Swiss & Austrian Air if you fly out of Montreal, and Lufthansa if you fly out of Vancouver

Flight Option #2: Fly Using Air France Flying Blue Miles

In the world of points redemptions, you need a certain level of flexibility. Sometimes, you’ll be planning a vacation only to find out that there is no award availability on a particular flight, or that the number of points needed has increased drastically (especially in the case of Air Canada’s dynamic pricing).

That’s why it’s great to have another option. 

We mentioned above the value of transferring your American Express Membership Rewards to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio. Thankfully, Membership Rewards can also be transferred to Air France/Flying Blue miles at a 1:0.75 ratio. 

Air France has flights to Paris out of Toronto and Montreal

Note: Air France also flies from Ottawa, Quebec City & Vancouver.

What Credit Cards do You Need to fly to Paris From Canada on Points with Air France

Given that we need 70,000 Flying Blue Miles for 1 one way ticket, there are 2 credit cards that we’ll be focusing on to get you to Paris 

1. American Express Platinum Card

The American Express Platinum Card is a great way to earn Membership Rewards.

The $699 annual fee (Reduced to $549 with a $150 rebate with Great Canadian Rebates) is offset by the following perks & benefits:

• Sign-up Bonus:
  • 60,000 MR points upon spending $6,000 in the first three months
  • 20,000 MR points upon spending $1 during months 14-17 of card-membership
• Earn Rate: 
  • 3 MR points per dollar spent at grocery stores & at restaurants 
  • 2 MR points per dollar spent on travel and 
  • 1 MR point everywhere else
• Insurance:
  • Emergency Medical Travel Insurance – up to $5,000,000
  • Car rental damage insurance 
  • Trip Canacellation Insurance- up to $3,000
  • Hotel Burglary insurance – up to $1,000
  • Baggage delay insurance – up to $1,000
  • Lost or stolen baggage insurance – up to $1,000
• Perks
  • $200 Annual Travel Credit
  • Special discounts for cardholders, which are sent via email
  • $100 Nexus Credit
  • Instant Gold Status at Marriott Bonvoy
  • Instant Gold Status at Hilton Honours
  • Access to Pearson Priority Security Lane during peak operating times
  • Complimentary valet service at the Express Park and Daily Park at Pearson Airport
• Lounge Access
  • Priority Pass (+1 guest)
  • Plaza Premium Lounges (+1 guest)
  • Delta Sky Club
  • Airspace Lounges (+2 guests)
  • Centurion Lounges
  • SwissPort Lounges (+1 guest)

2. American Express Gold Card

The American Express Gold Card is another great way to earn Membership Rewards.

The $250 (Reduced to $125 with a $125 rebate with Great Canadian Rebates) annual fee is offset by the following perks & benefits:

• Sign-up Bonus:
  • 40,000 MR points upon spending $3,000 in the first three months
  • 10,000 MR points upon spending $1 during months 14-17 of card-membership
• Earn Rate:  
  • 2 MR points per dollar spent on travel, grocery, drugstore & gas stations 
  • 1 MR point everywhere else
• Insurance:
  • Emergency Medical Travel Insurance – up to $5,000,000 (15 days of coverage)
  • Car rental damage insurance 
  • Trip Cancellation Insurance- up to $1,500
  • Trip Interruption Insurance – up to $1,500
  • Flight Delay Insurance – up to $500
  • Hotel Burglary insurance – up to $500
  • Baggage delay insurance – up to $500
  • Lost or stolen baggage insurance – up to $500
• Perks
  • $100 Annual Travel Credit
  • Special discounts for cardholders, which are sent via email
  • $100 Nexus Credit
• Lounge Access
  • Plaza Premium Lounges (4 passes)

While the $250 annual fee seems daunting initially, the 40,000 Membership Rewards will earn you potentially multiple free flights. Canadians will have to make a personal decision as to whether or not the $250 (minus the $100 travel credit) annual fee is worth spending after year two.

Credit Card Round-up

Based on the signup bonus’ above, you’ll be able to earn 100,000 Flying Blue points by paying $674 in credit card fees, enough for a business-class ticket. You’ll also receive a number of cost-saving benefits through these cards including: 

• Priority Pass lounge access (AKA free food & drink)
• Gold status (and potential room upgrades) with Marriott Bonvoy

Flying to Paris with Flying Blue – Financial Summary

The average value of 1 Flying Blue is 1.2 cents per point. We will hope to receive a higher value when redeeming with Flying Blue points.

	Economy	Redemption Value	Business	Redemption Value
Cash Fare	$894		$8,061
Flying Blue Miles with Air France	15,000	5.9 cents/point	70,000	11.5 cents/point

	Economy	Redemption Value	Business	Redemption Value
Cash Fare	$668		$7,230
Flying Blue Miles with Air France	15,000	4.49 cents/point	70,000	10.33 cents/point

As you can see, once a week, Air France provides a 70,000 business-class flight to (and from) Paris. If this flight aligns with your plans, I strongly encourage to you hop on the deal, as this would be a great redemption for your Flying Blue Miles

The 15,000-point economy flight also provides a great redemption.

Hotel Option #1: Marriott Bonvoy Points

Marriott Bonvoy points are the easiest hotel currency to collect in Canada. They also have the benefit of being a transfer partner of American Express. If you want to use points for your hotel stay, this is the easiest way to do it

If you’re traveling on points for an extended period, it’s ideal to leverage Marriott’s “Fifth Night Free” promotion, which can go a long way in enhancing the value of your vacation. 

4 nights paid for with points = 5th night free.

If your goal is to use Bonvoy points for the entire duration of your hotel stay, staying 5 nights enhances your redemption by 20%. It’s something you should seriously consider if you’re going the points route

Below we can see the cash & points value of a 5 night stay at the COURTYARD PARIS ARCUEIL

What Credit Cards Do You Need to Stay 5 Nights in Paris on Points

1. The American Express Marriott Bonvoy Card

The American Express Marriott Bonvoy Card is Marriott’s sponsored card in Canada. 

Sign up here

The annual fee of $120 (reduced to $60 if you sign up through Great Canadian Rebates) is offset by the following benefits:

• Sign-up Bonus:
  • 50,000 Bonvoy points upon spending $1,500 in the first 3 months
• Eaimagern Rate: 
  • 5 Bonvoy Points per dollar spent on Marriott Bonvoy properties
  • 2 Bonvoy Points per dollar spent everywhere else
• Insurance:
  • Emergency Medical Travel Insurance – up to $500,000
  • Car rental damage insurance 
  • Baggage delay insurance – up to $1,000
• Perks
  • 15 Elite qualifying nights & instant Silver status within Marriott’s loyalty program
  • Annual free night, up to 35,000 points

2. American Express Business Edge

The American Express Business Edge card offers a strong signup bonus, along with strong everyday earnings.

The cost for the card is $99 ($24 with a $75 rebate through Great Canadian Rebates), & comes with the following benefits:

• Sign-up Bonus:
  • 45,500 Membership Rewards upon spending $5,000 in the first 3 months
  • 1,000 Membership Rewards each month in which you spend $3,000
  • 10 Membership Rewards on office supplies & electronics, rides & gas, eats & drinks within 6 months of cardmembership (up to 10,000 points)
    • Total of 67,000 Membership Rewards
• Earn Rate: 
  • 3 Membership Rewards per dollar spent on eligible food & drink (groceries not included), office supplies, electronics & gas
  • 1 Membership Reward for everywhere else
• Insurance:
  • Car rental damage insurance 
  • You can be insured for eligible items charged to your American Express Business Edge Card for 90 days from the date of purchase in the event of accidental physical damage or theft
  • Automatically extend the manufacturer’s original warranty up to one additional year 
• Perks
  • Occasional discounts on select products

Traveling to Paris on Points – Summary

Every person’s idea of a best-in-class vacation will vary, and by no means am I trying to limit you to one airline, or one hotel. This exercise is meant to provide an understanding as to the simple steps you can take to drastically reduce the cost of a Paris vacation. 

Here are a few considerations you should make for your trip:

1. One of the best (and cheapest) ways to fly business class to/from Paris with Aeroplan points is with Lufthansa Airlines (one of Aeroplan’s partner airlines). Lufthansa only releases award availability for business class seats 14-28 days before departure. It can be stressful/difficult for people to wait until the last minute to book a flight. If you’re one of these people, you can always book a refundable economy ticket (either with cash or points), see if any business class seats open up on a Lufthansa airline, and then subsequently cancel your refundable ticket. 

2. If you have Aeroplan status, this would be a great opportunity to leverage your e-upgrade credits, and the cost of Business class Air Canada tickets can be extremely high given Aeroplan’s dynamic pricing. 

3. If you’re focused on solely flying business class, you can book an Air France award flight up to a year in advance. As you can see from the Air France table, it is in your best interest to book the discounted (70,000 points) award flight. This will require some flexibility, as these discounted flights are not offered daily

4. If are satisfied with economy bookings, the American Express Platinum and the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite will be all that you need to fly to (and from) Paris

financial summary table 

Credit Cards	Sign up Bonus	1st Year Annual Fee
American Express Platinum
TD (or CIBC) Aeroplan Visa Infinite	55,000 Aeroplan Points	$0
American Express Gold
American Express Marriott Bonvoy	50,000 Bonvoy Points	$60
American Express Business Edge	57,000 Membership Rewards (68,400 Bonvoy Points	$24
Total		$84

Flying economy, you can fly to Paris from Canada on Points, and stay 5 nights at the COURTYARD PARIS ARCUEIL, all for $84 + taxes & fees.

Credit Cards	Sign up Bonus	1st Year Annual Fee
American Express Platinum
TD (or CIBC) Aeroplan Visa Infinite	55,000 Aeroplan Points	$0
American Express Gold	40,000 Membership Rewards	$125
American Express Marriott Bonvoy	50,000 Bonvoy Points	$60
American Express Business Edge	57,000 Membership Rewards (68,400 Bonvoy Points	$24
Total		$209

Flying business, you can fly to Paris from Canada on Points, and stay 5 nights at the COURTYARD PARIS ARCUEIL, all for 209 + taxes & fees

Things to do in Paris

There are a number of amazing things to do in Paris including:

• Taking a river tour
• Attending a sporting event
• Visiting the museums
• Taking a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower
• Seeing the opera

View More Tourism Destinations in Paris

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