Where to go with Aeroplan points - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Sylvanfan · 03-05-2005, 08:44 PM

So I've collected like 160,000 aeroplan points with Air Canada. Paranoid me is convinced that they'll either scrap the program altogether or increase the amount of points needed to get to destinations from their current values so I better make up my mind fast. I get 4 weeks hollidays every year, but can usually weasel more time off by trading OT worked in busier periods for time off later. I am married and own a house so I don't have a lot of extra money and budget type backpacking travel is what I actually prefer. My wife is a student right now and will start working fulltime in the summer hopefully. So she won't be getting much for time off anytime soon. I've done a bit of travelling in my days with Western Europe, Australia, and Brazil already covered. In order to use the points up I'm likly looking to take my wife and I to a place like Mexico or the Carribean for the boring one week resort vacation, and using 3 weeks to do a more adventurous backpacker trip for myself.

Some places I was looking at to visit include Argentina, Chile, Peru, Croatia, Spain/Morrocco. Right now I'm leaning towards either Peru or Chile. Heck I might even try to do both in the same trip if I can and likely in April or May of next year. Anyone been to any of these places, or have other destinations to reccommend? Thanks in advance for any comments or advice you may have.

Mango · 03-05-2005, 08:53 PM

Check your PM

Cowperson · 03-05-2005, 10:40 PM

We flew on points a few years ago to San Francisco then drove the coast highway, very slowly, down through Monterrey, Pebble Beach, Carmel, Big Sur, Morro Bay, Santa Barbara and onward to Malibu, Santa Monica, LA in general . . . . then flew home from LA.

Go in the spring. The hills are alive with flowers blooming. Lots of hiking in the Big Sur area.

Since you have so many points though and indicating a willingness for adventure hiking, fly to Nairobi then onward to Kiliminjaro and hike to the summit, something I want to do before I'm too old . . . Kiliminjaro is just a big long hike that happens to end at 19,000 feet. It seems to be getting crowded though. A Quebec lady died a few weeks ago when her local guides didn't recognizer her altitude sickness quickly enough.

Cowperson

I-Hate-Hulse · 03-05-2005, 11:23 PM

Tel Aviv and Sydney are the farthest places you can fly on Air Canada I believe... 75,000 points I think.

Claeren · 03-05-2005, 11:55 PM

Bangkok? South East Asia is CHEAP and right now pretty empty comparativily.

You can get a nice hut on the beach in many incrediable places in the region for $3-$6/night, no problem....

Claeren.

jam26 · 03-06-2005, 12:05 AM

I went to Barbados for Cropover last year....45,000 miles I believe. Worth every one of them.

TheCommodoreAfro · 03-06-2005, 01:18 AM

I would recommend flying first class somewhere far (SE Asia, Eastern Europe, etc) to get max value for your points. I had somewhere in the neighbourhood of 200,000 points at one time, and used up them on upgrades, and roundtrip first class tickets for me and the wife back to Japan. In terms of dollar value, that whole trip cost us 175,000 points (there was a free upgrade thing at the time) but would have cost us $12,000 dollars had we paid for it ourselves.

What ever you do, do it first class...and hurry...

Neeper · 03-06-2005, 01:15 PM

Just make sure they fly to where ever you want to go, when you want to go. I always have trouble finding specific flights. It's not very flexiable at all. Sometimes it's hard finding a flight to Vancouver.

Displaced Flames fan · 03-06-2005, 03:00 PM

I've never been anywhere Sylvanfan, so I can't tell you based on firsthand experience. I'm like you, would love to do an extended backpacking/hiking deal. Of course, we live(d) where many people not as fortunate as ourselves go every year to do the same. Glacier and the Yoho/Banff/Jasper aren't going to do it for you in this scenario, though they do IT for me every single time I visit.

In any case, again...no first hand experience.....but of all that's been mentioned, I think your Peru idea is by far the best. I would imagine that a day at Macchu Pichu (sp?) would blow away pretty much anything else you could come up with at some beach. Couple that visit with actually walking to get there and you'll have an experience of a lifetime.

Go with your gut and visit Peru!

Sylvanfan · 03-06-2005, 07:21 PM

Well thankyou to all for your suggestions. Based on current values I could use my points to fly my wife and I both to a place like California somewhere in the U.S. for 50,000 points. I could than use 50,000 to fly myself to South America but to go to Peru or Chile I'd have to likely have to use United so I'd have to check with the Aeroplan folks regarding milage amounts for StarAlliance partners. Than I could use the remaining 60,000 to get to Europe and than actually buy one other ticket and take my wife on a vacation up the Croatian coast in September. That way I use them all up, get three pretty nice trips and get to take my wife on two of them. Now all I have to do is make some calls, save a few more bucks, and convince the wife that she'd hate South America.

Although the hike to Kilamanjaro is something I should put on my must do list too.