How To Earn Aeroplan Miles
Aeroplan is one of Canada’s most popular loyalty programs. Aeroplan members can earn Aeroplan Miles at over 75 sponsors, representing more than 150 brands in the travel, retail and financial sectors.
Last year alone, over 2 million Aeroplan rewards were issued to members including more than 1.3 million flights on Air Canada and Star Alliance carriers. In addition to flights, members also have access to over 800 exciting specialty, merchandise, hotel, car rental and experiential rewards.
4 main ways to earn Aeroplan miles:
- Retail Partners – You can earn Aeroplan miles just by shopping at one of the dozens of affiliated retail partners like Esso, Home Hardware and Sobey’s. Simply present your Aeroplan card at the time of purchase and you will typically receive 1 Aeroplan mile for every $2 or $3 that you spend.
- Everyday Spending – You can earn Aeroplan miles on your everyday purchases at any location by paying with Aeroplan-affiliated reward credit cards like the CIBC Aerogold Visa and the American Express Aerogold Plus credit card. You can earn twice the Aeroplan miles when you use your Aeroplan credit card at a sponsored business.
- Shopping Online – Now you can earn Aeroplan miles with all of your online purchases. With the Aeroplan Store you have access to over 150 online retailers like eBay, Chapters, Apple and Dell. The Aeroplan miles add up even faster when shopping through the Aeroplan eStore, since you earn an Aeroplan mile for every $1 you spend.
- Bonus offers – In addition to earning standard Aeroplan miles from sponsors, you can take advantage of bonus Aeroplan miles offers that partners are promoting throughout the year. Look for special bonus offers from Air Canada and from hotel and car rental companies when they are looking to promote summer travel deals.
Do Aeroplan Miles Expire?
Aeroplan has an interesting policy when it comes to collecting and redeeming Aeroplan miles. Members must stay active in the program by making at least one transaction every 12 months. The Aeroplan website also states that you have 7 full years to redeem your Aeroplan miles before they expire. This policy has caused some anger and confusion for members who are no longer actively collecting but have accumulated a significant amount of Aeroplan miles.
The Aeroplan card should be in most Canadian’s wallets for the simple fact of having the strong Air Canada and Star Alliance partnership. But Aeroplan members should be cautious to maintain active status within the program and should consider redeeming their Aeroplan miles more frequently to avoid having them expire over time.
Do you collect Aeroplan miles? What are your thoughts on their loyalty program?