Aeroplan Family Sharing lets two to eight verified members pool their points into one balance for free. One person creates the pool as the Family Lead and decides who can redeem, and members with redemption rights can book awards for anyone, including people outside the pool.
That makes it a good fit for a household that wants one big balance for a long-haul trip. It also comes with a three-month commitment and a lead who holds the controls, so the setup deserves a little thought before you invite anyone.
What Aeroplan Family Sharing Is
A pool has between two and eight members. The person who creates it is the Family Lead, and the lead can invite up to seven other verified members. Everyone keeps their own Aeroplan account, and the points they earn feed the shared balance.
Joining and sharing points is free, and redemptions from the pool carry no extra cost. Transferring points to someone outside the pool does cost a fee, which is a different thing from pooling.
Who Can Create or Join a Pool
To create a pool you must be 18 or older and have been an Aeroplan member for at least six months. To create, join, invite or change permissions you must be a verified Aeroplan member and not have been in another pool in the past six months. You can only be in one pool at a time.
Aeroplan's FAQ says there is no minimum age to join a pool, which sits oddly beside the 18-plus rule for creating one. If a child is joining, confirm the current rule with Aeroplan before you send the invite.
Who Can Redeem
The Family Lead sets each member's role and permissions when inviting them, and can change redemption permissions at any time. A member can either earn into the pool and redeem from it, or only earn for the pool.
Members with redemption privileges can book for anyone, not only for people in the pool. If you're pooling with someone you don't know well, the earn-only role is the safe default.
How to Set It Up
Start from the Family Sharing page on aircanada.com while signed in to the lead's Aeroplan account. Invite each member, choose whether each can redeem, and have them accept from their own account. Everyone needs to be verified before the invite works, so check that first.
Leaving and Ending a Pool
Members must stay at least three months before leaving. After leaving, a member must wait six months before joining or creating another pool. To leave, contact Air Canada by phone. The Family Lead can request removal on a member's behalf.
If the lead leaves, the pool is dissolved. If the lead dies, becomes incapacitated or loses Aeroplan membership, Aeroplan says it will dissolve the pool automatically. The pool also ends when all members have left or been removed.
Points Expiry
Family Sharing doesn't change expiry. Each member has 18 months to keep their own account active, and redemptions from the pool keep every member's account active. A single award booking from the pool can therefore protect several balances at once.
Why Pooling Helps
Pooling matters most when one trip needs more points than any single member holds. A long-haul award for several travelers can take a balance that is hard to build alone, and a pool lets each member's earning go toward the same booking.
The strongest use is combining welcome bonuses. If several members each qualify for a card that earns Aeroplan points, the bonuses land in one balance. Each bonus has its own spend requirement and eligibility rules, so read each issuer's terms before applying. U.S. readers can start with how to earn Aeroplan points in the U.S..
Risks to Plan Around
The lead holds the controls. A member who wants out has to wait out the three-month commitment, and a member who leaves can't join another pool for six months. If the lead leaves, the whole pool ends.
Pick the lead the way you'd pick the person holding a joint account. Choose someone who will stay in the arrangement, who is comfortable searching for awards and who your members trust. Anyone unsure about the arrangement should start with the earn-only role.
What I'd Do
I'd decide who the lead is first, then invite members one at a time with the redemption role set deliberately. I'd line up card applications around one planned trip rather than applying all at once, and I'd confirm the current rules on Air Canada's page before sending invites.
Updated October 17, 2026: pooling rules.
