I know there are lots of posts about how ridiculous the YQ charges are on Aeroplan but in looking for a reward to Europe for my wife that matches a flight-pass booking I'm on, the point really got driven home. Before anyone blasts me for not booking J or F on a YQ free carrier, I know that Y rewards aren't the best value but I was vainly attempting to use them for a companion type reward.
Aeroplan reward YOW-LHR return is 60,000 miles + $627 YQ
AC Tango fare YOW-LHR return is only $912 ($245 +$627 YQ)
Making the value of Aeroplan rewards on the airline that it pretends to be the frequent flyer program for worth 0.4 cents/mile ($245/60k) while a Birks gift card yields more than double that at 0.82 cents/mile ($500/61k).
Maybe the program should be rebranded cardoplan.
At this rate I'll just buy a ticket, maybe that's what the program wants us to do.
