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:
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).
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:
Let’s find out how much a car rental costs with AIR MILES DREAM Miles.
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, a car rental in Orlando costs around CAD 695, payable at the counter.
On the Costco Travel website, the same car rental in Orlando costs US 442 (or about CAD 638 ) with Alamo.
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!
Thus:
Here, 4,782 DREAM Miles save us $441.
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.
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, a mid-size (cheapest) car rental in Hawaii costs 5,476 DREAM Miles and $215.
On the Alamo website, a compact car rental in Hawaii costs around $769.
On the Costco Travel website, a mid-size car rental in Hawaii costs US 471 (or about CAD 680) with Alamo.
With these 3 components, and adding the current US$>CA$ conversion rate, we’re able to see how much our AIR MILES DREAM miles are worth for a car rental:
Here, 5,476 DREAM Miles save us $465.
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!
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:
Savings are here:
