Where have you been? Yes, Aeroplan is useless. Except perhaps for SE types with access to much watered down IKK.
It's not a fuel surcharge, it's a co-pay.
On this sort of itinerary, my formula says that using miles in J yields about 1.4 cent/mile.
Surely, in Y, considerably less. Perhaps less than the toaster rate of around 0.8 cents.
If one does not have SE status, Aeroplan is more or less worthless. No point in bothering. Just like Air Miles, on which I gave up ages ago.