Chef Chuck Hughes on Sharing Points and Surfing with the Kids

enRoute What motivated you to first join Aeroplan?

Chuck Hughes I joined while working on my first TV show, Chuck’s Day Off. When it was picked up in over 80 countries, I started going on promo tours and taking more long–haul flights. Luckily, I was not paying for those flights, but I was gaining points.

ER How often do you travel now?

CH I’m working on a few TV shows, including Chuck and the First Peoples’ Kitchen on APTN. I travel to different communities across Canada and learn about food, culture and what it’s like to be Indigenous in the modern world. I was recently in Winnipeg filming an episode with Zach Whitecloud from the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, who won the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights. I also have two kids, now six and nine years old, and my eldest son loves surfing. I’m not very good at it, but I love it. So, every vacation is pretty much a surf vacation. We usually go to Punta Mita in Mexico, but this year we might try Costa Rica or Barbados. Next summer, we are going back to Tofino.

ER What is your favourite food destination?

CH My favourite burrito in the world is from a hole in the wall in Puerto Vallarta called Tacón de Marlin. Their smoked marlin burrito will change your life.

ER Why does Aeroplan work for you?

CH I travel a lot. Frequent flyers look for the little comforts and reminders of home that make travel easier. When I can find an Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge, whether in Hong Kong or Munich, hop on a flight, and often get bumped up to Air Canada Signature Class — it means the world to me.

ER What is your go–to Aeroplan tip?

CH Pool points with your family, through Aeroplan Family Sharing, and sign your kids up as fast as possible. The best thing about Aeroplan is being able to share with family and friends to get rewards even faster.

ER What was your most recent Aeroplan redemption?

CH I used my points to treat my girlfriend and her sister with flights and a hotel for a wedding they were attending in Dallas. That’s one of the perks of having Aeroplan: you get to treat your loved ones. They got to go to the wedding, and I stayed home with the kids and had a boys’ weekend.

ER Do you have a dream destination?

CH The Maldives is really our dream. It’s far, so we have to go for a good amount of time. But as much as I want to go halfway across the planet to surf crystal blue waters, travelling within Canada is also amazing. I was just in Terrace, B.C., which is not a destination most people think of, but it’s probably one of the most beautiful places in the world. I also want to go to Tofino and surf the waves in my own country, visit the East Coast, and go skiing in Banff.

ER What is your secret travel talent?

CH Extreme zen. I must admit: I have my Aeroplan status, points perks, and lounge access, so my comfort level is pretty high, and I’m lucky in that sense. But it’s within reach for everyone. You just have to sign up and capitalize on every chance you get to engage with the program.

That secret talent actually comes from one of my earliest trips. I arrived in Jamaica really late, my hotel room wasn’t reserved, and things just weren’t going well. When I got into the taxi, the driver said, “No matter how mad you get, you can’t stop the rain from falling.” It’s stayed with me and is a rule I live by.

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