If you want to become a frequent flyer this year, Air Canada offers travellers a way to lock in prices and get cheap flights from Canada to tons of vacation-worthy destinations.
Air Canada's Flight Pass allows travellers to prebook credits that can later be redeemed for flights, and you can even book unlimited passes that let you travel as much as you want for one fixed fee.
The flight passes allow you to lock in deals for future travel, and since they can be used within Canada and to destinations in the U.S. and internationally, you can use them to snag a deal on your next vacation.
How do Air Canada flight passes work?
When you purchase an Air Canada flight pass, you pay a flat fee for a certain amount of travel, enabling you to lock in prices rather than paying for each flight separately.
The pass is worth a certain number of credits, with each credit redeemable for a one-way trip, including connecting flights.
So if, for example, you purchase a pass with eight flight credits, you're paying a flat fee for eight one-way trips, rather than paying for each flight individually.
You must be an Aeroplan member to purchase a flight pass with Air Canada, however, it's free to sign up.
Flight passes are valid for 12 months, meaning you have to use your credits within this time, although you can also purchase a three-month extension.
According to Air Canada, with the flight pass, you can book up until one hour before the flight for any destination in North America and up to two hours before the flight for international travel.
The flight passes are available for several different routes and regions, with passes for travel between the U.S. and Canada, within Canada, and between Canada and other countries, including those in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean and South America.
Here are just a few Air Canada flight passes where you can get a great bang for your buck.
Weekend pass
Details: Perfect for the spontaneous traveller, the Weekend Pass allows you to book trips between Canada and the U.S. and lock in low prices.
The pass is available in three zones: the Western short haul, which is meant for travel between Alberta and B.C. and California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington; the Eastern short haul, which allows for travel between New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and PEI and District of Columbia, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin; and the Transcontinental pass, which allows for travel between 10 Canadian provinces and 15 U.S. states.
Packages of 8 flight credits are available with this pass, with prices starting at $2,296.
Sun pass
Details: This flight pass includes some of Air Canada's top sunny destinations, so you can lock in prices and plan a warm getaway later.
If you love to jet off to Florida frequently, the Florida pass allows for travel between several provinces in Canada and seven cities in the Sunshine State, including Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa.
Flights are available in packages of six credits from either Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa and Toronto, Eastern Canada, or Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, and can be purchased for standard, flex, comfort, latitude or business class.
For travellers who love to visit the U.S. desert, the Southwestern zone allows for travel between Western Canada and Nevada, California and Arizona.
Travellers also have the option of purchasing the Florida and Southwestern zone pass, which essentially combines the offerings of the two aforementioned flight passes.
If you want to go beyond the U.S., the Florida Plus zone is designed for travellers flying frequently between select Canadian cities and Florida, Nevada, Arizona, Louisiana and select destinations in the Caribbean, including Aruba, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos and more.
Finally, travellers can also purchase the Hawaii sun pass, which allows for travel between Canada and Arizona, California, Nevada and Hawaii.
Pricing for the Sun Pass starts at $1,883 for six flight credits.
Student pass
Details: Air Canada's Student Pass is a convenient package of one-way flight credits that can be used to travel within North America or to international destinations.
Flights are available in either standard economy or flex economy in several zones, for travel within provinces, within Canada and internationally.
For example, the Vancouver commuter zone is designed for students who travel between Vancouver and several destinations in British Columbia, including Castlegar, Cranbrook, Fort St. John, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo and Victoria.
The Eastern Canada and United Kingdom zone, on the other hand, enables travel between cities in eastern provinces like Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. and cities in France, Ireland, the U.K. and more.
The passes are available in packages of four or six flight credits, with prices starting at $714.
Europe and North Africa pass
Details: If you want to get out and see the world, the Europe and North Africa pass allows you to fly from Canada to 27 international cities in the two regions.
The flight pass allows you to lock in prices to countries including France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, the U.K., Portugal, Algeria and more.
The pass is available in packages of six flight credits from Eastern or Western Canada.
The Eastern Canada pass allows for travel from Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan, while the Western Canada pass allows for travel from these provinces plus Alberta, B.C., Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
Prices for the Europe and North Africa passes start at $5,994.
Across Canada pass
Details: For those looking to explore home, the aptly named Across Canada pass allows you to travel to 50 Canadian cities.
The pass is available in packages of 10 flight credits, with prices starting at $7,119 for this option, and fare classes in flex, latitude or business class.
The pass is also available in an unlimited travel option with prices at $4,508 for three months of unlimited travel, and $4,301 for six months of unlimited travel.
Transcontinental pass
Details: This pass is perfect for those who want to do a lot of travelling both within Canada and between Canada and the U.S.
The Transcontinental pass offers the ability to travel within B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec and between these provinces and select cities in the U.S., including Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Washington, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, New Orleans, Las Vegas, New York, Austin, and more.
Travellers can purchase a package of 10 flight credits with this pass for $7,480 in Air Canada's flex fare.
However, if you really intend to become a frequent flyer, you can also purchase an unlimited version of the pass, which allows for unlimited travel within Canada and between Canada and the U.S. for three or six months, starting at $4,805.
Bon voyage!
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
