***March 10, 2023: BMO has indicated its intention to purchase the AIR MILES program, following the impending bankruptcy of LoyaltyVentures, the owner of the AIR MILES program. More details will be forthcoming but for now, the program features below remain the same.
The first thing you need to know about AIR MILES is about AIR MILES reward miles.
CASH miles are used to earn cash rewards for everyday purchases such as gas and groceries.
The value is fixed and it is the easiest currency to use in the AIR MILES program.
DREAM miles are used to earn dream rewards such as travel, theme park tickets or merchandise.
The value is variable and is the currency that can provide the best return in the AIR MILES program.
It’s up to you to make your choice of accumulation based on your goals. To find out what’s best for you between Cash or Dream, keep reading!
Before you can collect AIR MILES Reward Miles you will need to define your accumulation type. 100% cash or 100% Dream… or a combination of both.
You can change the accumulation level whenever you want (the change will be taken into account at 3:00 a.m. (EST) the next day).
AIR MILES has severalpartners and about 100 online sponsors.
Miles earning rate will be different for each partner. For example:
Watch for flyers from each AIR MILES Sponsor. By purchasing certain products, you could earn many AIR MILES Reward Miles bonus miles!
*Updated March 10, 2023: **Note: As of March 23, 2023, IGA, Marchés Tradition and Rachelle Béry stores will no longer be connected to the AIR MILES program. See this article on Scene+, the new rewards program from IGA, Rachelle Béry and Les Marchés Tradition.
To view the full list of AIR MILES retailers, it’s here!
AIR MILES has an online shopping portal called airmilesshops.ca.
By using this portal before shopping online, you will get 1 mile / $20 of purchases. This is called “the basic offer.”
Then, during promotions, comes the “multiplier”of partner shops AND from the whole site airmilesshops.ca.
Regularly, AIR MILES partner stores offer mileage earning promotions through a multiplier.
For example, if it is indicated that you will earn 5x the miles, it means that:
That’s 5 miles / $20 in purchases.
That’s why AIR MILES indicates 5x the miles.
Knowing that 1 mile = $0.105 then 5 miles = $0.525. This makes a cash return of 2.6% in this example ($0.525 / $20).
What’s interesting is when AIR MILES also offers a multiplier on the entire airmilesshops.ca portal.
In this case, the multiplier offered by the store and the one offered by airmilesshops add up on the basic offer:
For example, if it is indicated that you will earn :
This means that for the 5x miles with the store :
In addition, there is the 10x from the airmileshops.ca portal:
That’s 15 miles for every $20 you spend.
With 1 mile = $0.105 then 15 miles = $1,575. This makes a cash return of 7.9% in this example ($1,575 / $20).
AIR MILES partners with BMO, which issues several AIR MILES credit cards.
Each of these cards will have a welcome bonus when you apply for it. This is a good way to earn many AIR MILES bonus miles quickly!
BMO has many AIR MILES credit cards
BMO also offers two AIR MILES credit cards for self-employed individuals, professionals and small businesses. View their presentation here.
To earn AIR MILES reward miles faster, it’s best to use your AIR MILES credit cards(see the choices above) as often as possible!
The miles earning rate will often depend on the issuer and the type of card:
Be sure to double-dip by paying with your AIR MILES credit card and showing your AIR MILES loyalty card at the checkout.
Apart from the credit cards welcome bonuses, events are one of the best opportunities to earn hundreds of miles.
Throughout the year, AIR MILES runs promotional events during which you can earn many miles.
Let’s discover together all the possibilities of using CASH Rewards for :
AIR MILES Cash miles can be used directly in store (IGA until March 22, 2023, Jean Coutu until May 2023, Shell…) for an instant rebate at checkout.
95 miles = $10, or 10.5 cents / mile.
Update March 10, 2023: **Note: As of March 23, 2023, IGA, Marchés Tradition and Rachelle Béry stores will no longer be connected to the AIR MILES program. See this article on Scene+, the new rewards program from IGA, Rachelle Béry and Les Marchés Tradition.
Sometimes banners like Jean Coutu and IGA run promotions to encourage you to use your Cash Miles.
Thus, it is common to be able to use only 85 miles for $10.
Like 85 miles = $10 or a value of 11.8 cents / mile
There is also the option of using an electronic voucher to be picked up online. It’s perfect for a gift for someone, for example.
95 miles = $10, or 10.5 cents / mile
A little more complex to use than CASH rewards, Dream Miles can however get you a better return on your miles.
Here are all the possibilities of using the DREAM miles for the :
With The Dream Miles, it is possible to book flights directly from the AIR MILES website. It acts as a travel agency.
The best use of AIR MILES Dream Miles is on short-haul flights.
That is to say, local flights (usually destinations within 2 hours flight) such as Montreal to New York, Boston, Toronto, Halifax, St John…
The number of miles required depends on membership status (Blue, Gold or Onyx). In addition, the cost in miles now varies according to market fare prices.
A single AIR MILES credit card in Canada provides a one-time, annual 25% discount, up to a maximum of 750 miles. This is the BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite Mastercard®*.
This card also offers excellent travel insurance.
It allows you to accumulate 1 AIR MILES mile / $12 in purchases, everywhere, including Costco.
In addition, for a limited time, it is offered the first year .
To learn more about this excellent AIR MILES credit card check out this article!
AIR MILES reward miles can be redeemed for car rentals.
Here is an example of a compact size car rental for a week in Orlando.
On the AIR MILES website, a compact car rental in Orlando costs 2,970 DREAM miles and $10.33 CAD ($10 AIR MILES reservation fee + taxes).
On the Costco Travel website, this same compact car rental in Orlando costs US$ 571 at Budget (or $733 CAD).
To find out the value of an AIR MILES mile, here is the calculation.
Thus:
This is a very good use of the Dream Miles. At more than 20 cents per mile, you double the valuation compared to Cash rewards (10.5 cents/mile).
To learn more about renting a car with AIR MILES, check out this article!
AIR MILES allows Dream Miles to be used on its travel portal, thanks to Redtag.
With your miles, you can purchase all-inclusive vacations, cruises or theme park tickets (such as the popular Disney and Universal Studios parks).
The Dream Miles redemption rate will always be the same: 909 miles = $100
Here is an example of an all-inclusive week in Mexico:
It is possible to apply miles to save several hundred dollars. For example, I could use 8,181 miles from my account to save $900.
Here, 1 Dream mile = 11 cents
This is a use case for Dream Miles that comes closest to the value of Cash Miles. It’s still interesting to be able to put your toes in the hot sand!
To learn more about booking an all-inclusive with AIR MILES Reward Miles, read this article.
It is also possible to redeem Dream Miles to book hotel nights.
The value is not always optimal, but these miles can help you have a relaxing, inexpensive vacation.
In its awards catalogue, AIR MILES has a “Events and Attractions” section. The rewards available vary with the seasons.
Finally, it is possible to redeem Dream Miles on AIR MILES’ rewards catalogue to buy products.
On the Dream Rewards catalogue , there are discounts based on status:
Let’s take the example of an easily comparable item, for someone with an Onyx status. All taxes and shipping are included.
To compare the price, let’s take the same product on amazon.ca. The price is $535.27, including taxes:
To find out the valuation of the AIR MILES mile, here is the calculation:
Cash Price / Number of miles used
535 / 5,158 miles = 10.4 cents / mile for Onyx members
535 / 5,742 miles = 9.3 cents / mile for members without status
This purchase by an Onyx member is close to our 10.5 cent/mile valuation. However, an AIR MILES member without status would lose out.
But if you have a goal in mind or a gift to give to please, why not!
A basic tip: you don’t buy products with miles. However, depending on the status, some members may find it OK!
As you saw above, there are 2 types of miles… but several valuations!
So, we agree to say:
This means that the BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard or BMO AIR MILES Business Mastercard®* Welcome Bonus is worth between $270 and $750.
You understand this: if you want to play it safe, you will earn CASH reward miles. If you are more flexible = miles of DREAMS.
It is impossible to transfer miles from a Cash account to a Dream account and vice versa.
It is possible – but very expensive – to transfer miles from one AIR MILES member to another AIR MILES member: 15 cents/mile!
When you sign up for an AIR MILES credit card, you can give any account number you like. It’s convenient for earning welcome bonuses and miles from credit card spending on the SAME account.
AIR MILES miles no longer expire.
AIR MILES has 3 levels of status:
Each of these status will offer its own benefits:
The most interesting status to get is the Onyx status which offers:
Simply call a personal assistant and use your Dream Miles to treat yourself to almost anything! Even what is not in the award catalog.
Welcome bonuses from credit cards count towards the higher status. This makes it very easy to achieve Gold and even Onyx status very quickly. What’s more, the BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite Mastercard automatically gives the cardholder Onyx status.
Create your Collector Profile on the AIR MILES website or request an enrollment form at the customer service desk of any AIR MILES Partner.
Swipe your AIR MILES card when making in-store purchases at over 120 partners (IGA until March 22, 2023, Shell, Jean Coutu until May 2023, etc.).
Register your card number on the airmileshops.ca shopping portal before you shop.
Use Bank of Montreal credit cards affiliated with AIR MILES. Take advantage of their welcome and purchase bonuses.
Finally, participate in small or large promotions.
CASH MILES are used to earn cash rewards for everyday purchases like gas and groceries.
AIR MILES Silver miles can be used directly in-store at participating partners for an instant rebate at checkout (IGA until March 22, 2023, Jean Coutu until May 2023, Shell, etc).
You can also use the same strategy for e-vouchers for these same partners on the AIR MILES website.
With the search tool, directly on the AIR MILES website.
Search for your favorite destination and use your miles to fly, stay in hotels, book an all-inclusive trip, rent a car, buy tickets for various attractions or purchase various items.
This is impossible.
However, you can change your percentage allocation preference from now on. If you prefer concrete and immediate rewards, it will be best to choose the CASH rewards
If you are more flexible with your dates, it is advisable to go for the DREAM miles.
No, AIR MILES miles do not expire.
As a general rule, base points are paid out after 60 days and special offer points (bonus, promotion) after 120 days.
If you still don’t have them after that time, apply at airmiles.ca.
A good valuation is measured as follows: 1 Cash Mile = 10.5 cents to 11.8 cents and 1 Dream Mile = 9 cents to 25 cents
Ask at the customer service desk, with your bill and your AIR MILES card.
Depending on the partner, you may need to have your receipt initialized before leaving the store, or you may have a maximum of a few days at the same store to claim your missing miles. Other partners simply can’t give it back to you.
Yes Returned miles will be prorated to your refund.
Take advantage of occasional promotions and multipliers from partner stores on Airmileshops, sign up for the AIR MILES newsletter to receive targeted offers and take advantage of credit card welcome bonuses with Bank of Montreal.
No, except in the case of very rare specific promotions.
Base and bonus miles can take up to 60 days to be credited to the account and 120 days if they are special offers.
With Dream Miles: useful for airfare, park tickets, possibly hotels or car rentals.
With Cash Miles: Redeem 95 Silver Miles for a $10 discount at IGA or Jean Coutu. Deposit the amount you save into a Disney World savings account.
Check out this strategy on Disney to learn more.
Savings are here (if you don’t see the sign-up form, please click here):
