Carla Mavaddat and Ariana Mavaddat Talk Travel for Two

enRoute You grew up between Canada and the United States, and now live on opposite sides of the border. How often do you see each other?

Ariana Mavaddat Between family functions, birthdays and weddings, we end up seeing each other monthly.

Carla Mavaddat We also try to go on a trip together once a year. Last year we went skiing in the Dolomites and this year we went to Dominica.

ER Who has more stamps in their passport?

CM You are opening up a can of worms! We have a competition going between the two of us. I’m at 35 countries and counting.

AM We are pretty competitive about this. I think Carla has been to two more countries than I have, but I tend to go back to places more often.

ER Why does Aeroplan work for you?

CM I enjoy Aeroplan credit card benefits like free first checked bags. I also appreciate the fact that I can pool points with family members. Since my partner and I share a credit card, we pool points for our upcoming trips together.

ER How do you earn most of your Aeroplan points?

AM Living in the United States, I have a U.S. Aeroplan Credit Card. As I’m based in upstate New York, I actually use Montreal as my main airport and I need all the Aeroplan points I can get.

ER What is your sister’s secret travel talent?

AM Carla scouts out restaurants or shops and creates a nice, curated list of where to go.

CM Ariana is the best driver. Be it on the right side or the left side of the road, she can drive anywhere.

ER First travel memory with your sister?

CM We grew up speaking Hungarian with our mom since she is of Hungarian origin. When we visited our distant family in Budapest, my sister and I were so surprised to hear other people speaking Hungarian. We thought it was our secret language.

AM When I was eight, and Carla was six, one of our first trips was to Denmark. Our family friends made a dinner reservation onboard a boat in Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park in Copenhagen. During the dinner, a prince and princess arrived to greet us. We were convinced they were true Danish royalty for longer than we would like to admit.

ER What is your go–to Aeroplan tip?

AM Find the credit card that works best for you. I still have friends who don’t optimize their points and it drives me nuts! In my case, I fly Air Canada more than any other airline, so having a U.S. card that allows me to transfer points is great.

ER Where will your travels take you next?

CM I am planning my wedding, so I will likely go to New York soon for my first fitting.

AM I’ll be going to India for a wedding in February, so I will soon be looking for flight options from Montreal.

Explore all the benefits of the Aeroplan program and join now at: aircanada.com/aeroplan.