AIR MILES Points Guide

AIR MILES is one of Canada’s biggest reward programs. But how do the rewards work? How many AIR MILES to fly are needed? And what is the actual value of an AIR MILES point? Read on to find out.

About AIR MILES

AIR MILES just might be the most popular rewards program in Canada. The program is free and easy, allowing members to earn AIR MILES when making purchases at participating stores and businesses. AIR MILES can be redeemed for a variety of rewards including travel, merchandise, tickets, and even discounts on your groceries.

Each retail partner offers a different number of AIR MILES points earned depending on the purchase, but the average seems to be about 1 Mile earned for every $20 spent. Of course, you can ‘double-dip’ and earn even more by using an AIR MILES credit card (more on that later).

New users should note that AIR MILES rewards are divided into two different categories, and you get to choose which you’d prefer to collect: Cash Miles or Dream Miles. You can split how you want to earn your Miles per category (e.g. 50/50, 80/20, etc.), but once you’ve earned Miles in a specific category, they can’t be transferred. While you can switch at any time, it’s in your best interest to choose the best option for your needs right away.

Using AIR MILES Cash Miles

AIR MILES Cash Miles are meant to be used towards any purchases of your typical everyday in-store items at businesses such as Rexall, Metro, Starbucks, and more. With AIR MILES Cash, it’ll cost you 95 cash miles to claim $10 at participating stores. You’ll need to redeem, at minimum, $10 worth and up to a maximum of $750 per account per day. Increments will increase at $10 levels.

AIR MILES Cash Miles can also be redeemed online for e-vouchers (in the same increments as you would use for in-store purchases. However, it is important to note that Cash Miles cannot be redeemed for gift cards or pre-paid credit cards.

Interested in learning what stores you can redeem your Cash Miles at? Take a look at this directory.

AIR MILES Dream Miles Program

AIR MILES Dream Miles is the program to choose if you want to use your rewards towards experiences and merchandise. Think bigger ticket items like flights and hotels, though they can also be used for car rentals and travel insurance as well. The number of points it takes to redeem a flight depends on where you’re flying to and what season it is. In general, flights offer good value for your Miles, but cashing in your Miles for events (such as concert tickets) can give you even more value.

Another popular way to redeem Dream Miles is with a vacation package through RedTag.ca. The value placed on Dream Miles: 909 Dream Miles is equal to $100 off on these packages. Cruisers will be excited to know that you can now book cruise packages with your Dream Miles as well.

The Best Way to Earn AIR MILES

So, now that you’ve figured out what exactly you can use your AIR MILES for, you’ll no doubt be wanting to know the best way to earn AIR MILES. After all, the faster you earn, the faster you can redeem. You can earn them by shopping at AIR MILES partner stores, but the best way to earn AIR MILES is to combine shopping at partner stores with an AIR MILES credit card.

How it works: you earn AIR MILES on every $1 that you charge to your AIR MILES credit card, plus twice the AIR MILES if it’s a purchase from a participating AIR MILES partner. All you have to do is scan or enter your AIR MILES membership card at check out, and then use your AIR MILES credit card to pay. Using an AIR MILES credit card is the fastest way to accumulate AIR MILES.

There are a few AIR MILES credit cards on the market, but based on our research, we think that these Air Mile credit cards are the best picks in Canada.

BMO AIR MILES®† World Elite®* Mastercard®*

Sign up for the BMO AIR MILES®† World Elite®* Mastercard® and get 2,000 AIR MILES as a welcome bonus when you charge a minimum of $3,000 to your card in the first three months of card membership*. Plus, the annual fee of $120 is waived for the first year*.

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The BMO AIR MILES®† World Elite®* Mastercard®* has a great welcome bonus for new cardholders. Get 2,000 AIR MILES Bonus Miles and the $120 annual fee waived for the first year*. It also has some of the best points-earning potential on the market. Get 3x the Miles for every $12 spent at participating AIR MILES Reward Partners* and 2x the Miles for every $12 spent at any eligible grocery store*. Earn 1 reward mile for every $12 in credit card purchases, everywhere you spend*. Additional perks include a complimentary membership in Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass*, comprehensive travel insurance (including travel medical up to 15 days)*, and an exclusive 25% discount on one worldwide AIR MILES flight redemption during the calendar year.* The annual fee of $120 is a bit high, but it’s waived for the first year* and when you consider the perks and how quickly this credit card will allow you to earn points, you’ll still end up ahead.

The Details:

• Annual Fee: $120 (first year free)*
• Income Eligibility: Minimum $80,000 (individual) or $150,000 (household)
• Credit Score Required: Excellent
• Welcome Offer: Get 2,000 AIR MILES Bonus Miles and the $120 annual fee waived for the first year*.
• Additional Perks: Travel insurance*, Complimentary membership in Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass*
• Purchase APR: 20.99% | Cash Advance APR: 23.99% (21.99% for Quebec residents)

*Terms and conditions apply.

BMO AIR MILES®† Mastercard®*

Get 800 AIR MILES Bonus Miles* (when you spend $1,000 in net card purchases within the first three months of card membership). That’s enough for $80 towards purchases with AIR MILES Cash*. Plus, for the first 9 months, enjoy a 0.99% introductory interest rate on Balance Transfers (2% fee applies)*.

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A great no annual fee credit card is the BMO AIR MILES®† Mastercard®* which comes with a decent sign-up bonus: Get 800 AIR MILES Bonus Miles!* That’s enough for $80 towards purchases with AIR MILES Cash*. Get 3x the Miles for every $25 spent at participating AIR MILES Partners and 2x the Miles for every $25 spent at any eligible grocery store*. Get 1 Mile for every $25 spent everywhere else*. This credit card also comes with an extended warranty* and purchase protection*. Not bad for a no annual fee credit card with a rewards program!

The Details:

• Annual Fee: $0
• Minimum Income Eligibility: Minimum $15,000 (individual)
• Credit Score Required: Good
• Welcome Offer: Get 800 AIR MILES Bonus Miles!* That’s enough for $80 towards purchases with AIR MILES Cash*.
• Additional Perks: Extended warranty* and purchase protection*
• Purchase APR: 20.99% | Cash Advance APR: 22.99% (21.99% for Quebec residents)

*Terms and conditions apply.

Other Ways to Earn AIR MILES Fast

In addition to getting an AIR MILES credit card, there are a few simple ways you can boost your AIR MILES earnings:

• Shop regularly at AIR MILES partners: AIR MILES has hundreds of retail and service partners that give you Miles when you purchase from them. It’s pretty easy to earn Miles through these partners with everyday spending, as they include popular stores such as Metro, Safeway, Sobeys, Shell Canada, the LCBO, Staples, Rona, and others. Focus your spending on these partners and you’ll quickly see more Miles added to your rewards statements.

• Shop online at AirMilesShops.ca: One way to earn AIR MILES fast is to shop online with AirMilesShops.ca – an online shopping portal of 200+ retailers where you can earn AIR MILES for every dollar you spend. By shopping through this site, you’ll earn 1 Mile per $20 spent at most participating retailers. In addition, there are often bonus offers that allow you to multiply your AIR MILES and get 2X (or even 3X) the Miles.

• Hunt for promos: AIR MILES partners sometimes offer special promotions where you can earn as much as 20X the Miles on purchases. Keep your eye out for these offers, and you can really maximize your earn rate.

How Many AIR MILES Do You Need to Fly?

One of the biggest questions when it comes to AIR MILES is: how many AIR MILES for a flight is needed? Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward answer. The value of your AIR MILES depends on where you are flying, the airline class (economy/premium economy/business), and when you are flying.

So if you are wondering, for example, how many AIR MILES for a flight from Vancouver to Toronto is needed, it will depend on whether you are travelling during high season or low season:

• Low season falls under the following dates: January 8th -February 28th, April 1st -May 31st, or September 16-December 15
• High season is: March 1st– March 31st, June 1st –September 15th, December 16th-January 7th

The AIR MILES program charges clients a fixed mileage level depending on whether they are travelling during the high or low season, and where they are going. You can take a look at the AIR MILES “Where Can I Fly” page to get more ideas of how many points you will need to get to your chosen destination. The following chart will also give you an example:

AIR MILES Reward Mile Value

You can figure out the exact value of an AIR MILES Reward Mile if you’re willing to do a bit of research and some math. Just follow these steps:

• Search flight prices on the route you are interested in on a site like Kayak.com
• Search for the same flight route on your AIR MILES account, and make note of the points required PLUS the dollar value for additional taxes and fees.
• Take the price you found online via Kayak, and subtract the taxes and fees that would be charged if you used your AIR MILES. This will give you your net gain.
• Then, take your net gain and divide it by the number of AIR MILES required to find the value of a single AIR MILES Reward Mile for the flight you are looking at.

This same process can be used for all rewards, not just flights.

For those not interested in doing the math, know that several personal finance experts have calculated that the average AIR MILES Reward Mile value is somewhere between $0.10 to $0.15. However, when number-crunching, we recommend using the lower estimate just to be safe. By the way, if you’re wondering how AIR MILES stacks up against Aeroplan, take a look at our Aeroplan vs. AIR MILES comparison guide.

How to Redeem AIR MILES

Redeeming your AIR MILES is quite easy, though the process will be different depending on whether you chose to collect Cash Miles or Dream Miles.

If you chose Cash Miles, you can redeem them both in-store or online. In-store, you can ask at the checkout to redeem your points. Just show the individual at the register your AIR MILES collector card. If you would rather redeem them online for an e-voucher, it can be done through the official AIR MILES website.

If you have Dream Miles, you will need to redeem them online. Log into your AIR MILES account and use their travel portal. You will find a rewards catalogue here with over 1,000 options to choose from.

Getting The Most Out of AIR MILES Points

AIR MILES is one of Canada’s most popular rewards programs, and it’s easy to see why; with so many Canadian retailers and services involved as partners, AIR MILES are quite easy to collect. However, to really get the most out of your AIR MILES points your best bet is to sign up for one of the best AIR MILES credit cards. Not only will you get bonus AIR MILES just for signing up, but you can also earn points even faster, just by charging your everyday shopping onto the card. It’s that easy!

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