Air Canada reintroduces family points pooling for Aeroplan members

According to Aeroplan's site, "Spouses, partners, children, siblings, in- laws, parents, and grandparents can all join. " Up to eight family members can join a points pool while maintaining their separate Aeroplan accounts.

Once part of a pool, an individual's existing points balance and any future earnings will contribute to the shared balance. Unlike some other airline programs like United MileagePlus where contribution amounts can be decided by users, Aeroplan automatically adds all balances into the pool.

Pooled Aeroplan points are versatile; they can be used toward any redemption rather than being restricted to specific airlines. Members with redemption privileges within the pool can book award tickets using shared points. If any member holds a primary Aeroplan Credit Card, everyone in the pool benefits from preferred pricing—a potential saving on redemptions.

Points in shared accounts will expire after 18 months of inactivity; however, redeeming points resets this expiration clock. Additionally, one must have been an Aeroplan member for at least six months before joining or starting a new pool.

To set up an Aeroplan family pool:

- Log into your account and navigate to your dashboard.

- Click on 'Aeroplan Family Sharing' and follow prompts to accept terms.

- Enter names, numbers, and relationships of family members.

- Choose which members get redemption privileges.

- Send invitations via email.

Each invited member must respond by logging into their own account and enabling two-factor authentication for verification purposes. Adults need to provide a live selfie along with government ID photos while minors require parental input for ID verification.

This relaunched feature suits various scenarios:

- Utilizing small balances from infrequent travelers.

- Facilitating credit card point transfers within families.

- Leveraging preferred award pricing offered by select credit cards.

- Simplifying bookings under single tickets rather than multiple reservations.

However, there are limitations: once you join a pool you must remain for three months minimum; additionally your account needs at least six months' activity prior to joining.