To the point
When you travel, you can save on car rentals with AIR MILES. Here's how to make the most of your Dream Miles.
Car Rental With AIR MILES
Car rentals with AIR MILES are only available with DREAM miles (not CASH miles).
We compared the different car rental rates to get a fair picture of the value of our DREAM Miles!
To do this, we conducted a search:
- For one week
- On the AIR MILES Website
- Directly on the rental site chosen by AIR MILES
- On the Costco Travel website (reputed to be one of the cheapest on the market)
AIR MILES allows you to rent a car anywhere in North America and in some parts of Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America.
At least 50% of the total amount of the car rental reservation can be paid with AIR MILES Dream Miles. If you add extras (child car seat, GPS, insurance, etc.), they must be paid for with a credit card. With Alamo and Enterprise, you’ll have to pay fees and taxes with a credit card.
We used 2 examples: Orlando and Hawaii (Honolulu).
Renting a Car in Orlando With AIR MILES
Orlando is one of the world’s favourite family destinations for its many theme parks, including Walt Disney World.
In fact, we’ve written a number of articles on how you can save money on a family trip to Disney World, covering all the major expenses:
- Hotels or other accommodations(Marriott Bonvoy / Best Western / travel credits for Airbnb)
- Theme Park Admission
- Spending in amusement parks
- Airline tickets (Aeroplan / travel credits)
- Car rentals (AIR MILES / travel points)
Let’s find out how much a car rental costs with AIR MILES DREAM Miles.
On the AIR MILES Website
Go to the Travel section of the AIR MILES site, under the Car rentals tab.
A car rental in Orlando at the end of June costs 4,782 DREAM miles and CAD 197 (fees and taxes), for 7 days.
Check the cancellation policy when making your reservation. For example, if the free cancellation rate is selected and you change your mind, the miles will be returned to your account.
AIR MILES rental partners are varied and include major companies such as Budget, Avis, Alamo, Enterprise and National.
On the Alamo Website
On the Alamo website, a car rental in Orlando costs around CAD 695, payable at the counter.
On the Costco Travel Website
On the Costco Travel website, the same car rental in Orlando costs US 442 (or about CAD 638 ) with Alamo.
Summary of a Car Rental in Orlando
With these 3 components, and adding the current US$>CA$ conversion rate, we are able to see how much our AIR MILES DREAM Miles are worth for a car rental!
| Company | Rate (CA$) | Miles |
| AIR MILES | $197 | 4,782 |
| Alamo | $695 | – |
| Costco | $638 | – |
Thus:
- $638 – $197 = $441
- $441/ 4,782 miles = $0.092/mile
- or 9.2 cents /mile
It may be worthwhile to use AIR MILES miles for a car rental in Orlando, since we get a value of 9.2 cents per DREAM mile, very close to what we’d get with CASH Miles (10.5 cents).
To avoid paying taxes and fees, try renting a car that isn’t Alamo or Enterprise. The number of miles required will increase, but you won’t pay anything in the end.
With the bonus of signing up for just one credit card, the BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard, you could earn up to 3,000 AIR MILES Miles. Plus travel and car rental insurance.
Featured
BMO AIR MILES®† World Elite®* Mastercard®*
Up to 7,000 miles + save up to 32¢/L at Shell!
Ends Jun 1, 2025
First year value : $1,146
Best of April 2025
-
3X miles at participating AIR MILES partners
-
Premium Insurance
-
Accepted at Costco
Renting a Car in Hawaii With AIR MILES
Hawaii is a very popular destination, but with a higher cost of living.
Let’s find out how much a car rental in Hawaii costs with AIR MILES DREAM Miles.
On the AIR MILES Website
On the AIR MILES website, a mid-size (cheapest) car rental in Hawaii costs 5,476 DREAM Miles and $215.
On the Alamo Website
On the Alamo website, a compact car rental in Hawaii costs around $769.
On the Costco Travel Website
On the Costco Travel website, a mid-size car rental in Hawaii costs US 471 (or about CAD 680) with Alamo.
Hawaii Car Rental Summary With AIR MILES
With these 3 components, and adding the current US$>CA$ conversion rate, we’re able to see how much our AIR MILES DREAM miles are worth for a car rental:
| Company | Rate ($CA) | Miles |
| AIR MILES | $215 | 5,476 |
| Alamo | $769 | – |
| Costco | $680 | – |
Thus:
- $680 – $215 = $465
- $465 / 5,476 miles = $0.085/mile
- or 8.5 cents /mile
The return on this car rental is 8.5 cents per mile, less than what we value CASH Miles at 10.5 cents/mile. So, this is less interesting. However, if it gives you access to a vehicle during your vacation and lowers your travel budget, why not!
Featured
BMO AIR MILES®† World Elite®* Mastercard®*
Up to 7,000 miles + save up to 32¢/L at Shell!
Ends Jun 1, 2025
First year value : $1,146
Best of April 2025
-
3X miles at participating AIR MILES partners
-
Premium Insurance
-
Accepted at Costco
Bottom Line
BMO is the only financial institution to offer credit cards that earn AIR MILES miles. Check here to see which of these different AIR MILES credit cards is right for you.
Next, check which insurance options to take or avoid when renting a car.
Discover other ways to redeem and collect AIR MILES Miles with our guides and tutorials:
