Until now, Aeroplan members could avoid paying fuel surcharges on award tickets by booking flights on partner airlines because Aeroplan tacked on a fuel surcharge on Air Canada flights but not on partner flights. Now, their policy has changed and a fuel surcharge has been added to many Star Alliance partner airlines, including: Adria Airways, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, bmi, Lufthansa, LOT Polish Airlines, South African Airways and Thai Airways. Members who have already booked award flights on the airlines affected by the change will also be subject to a fuel surcharge if they make changes to their award flight after the changes went into effect in November and December of 2011.

Bottom line: Aeroplan is only charging a fuel surcharge on carriers that require their members to pay one when redeeming miles for an award ticket, which explains why a fuel surcharge isn’t being added to Star Alliance carriers US Airways and United. The fuel surcharge is a hefty fee that can add up to hundreds of dollars. Because Star Alliance carriers US Airways and United don’t place a fuel surcharge on award tickets, it is cheaper for Aeroplan members to redeem miles on these airlines instead of Air Canada.