Cphil1

I have an AirMiles card, you guys know the blue and white card - usually at 20$/pt.

So 7k miles will expire dec 31. I have no clue what to do with them. Should I redeem for gaz vouchers? Food? Or use it on a trip???

(Yeah that's 140000$ spent since the 90's on groceries)

Or does anyone know another trick to extend the miles???

Thanks

Oops! I corrected the mistake. It's 7k

mahasamatman

Seven million points?

Redeem them wherever you get the best personal value. Only you know your own situation and what makes sense for you.

Cphil1

Well,

I was more like looking to extend the expiration date.

But if that's not the case, I guess I can get a whole lot of vouchers or just purchase airfare tickets sometime next year.

Well, whatever heads up I can get from fellow FTers will help!

YVR55

Air Miles isn't actually that great value for travelling compared to Aeroplan.

You may be better off getting gift cards and vouchers instead; there are some deals that give you a higher value for your miles just go browse which ones they are. I think Cineplex has some offers. Generally you get $0.10 per mile value so that's about $700 in gift cards except options like Cineplex or GAP which I think would get you around $800 in value.

Notice how their flights are broken up to high season and low season as well compared to Aeroplan being a flat rate regardless of when you travel?

mahasamatman

With the new expiration policy, I don't believe there's any way to do that.

jerry305

There's no way to extend the expiration date.
The options are very limited. Go ahead and search "gift card".

See also this thread...
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...l#post26992586

CanuckFan

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/topst...cid=spartanntp

Away from YYZ

Updates... it is Air miles are not getting any better. For a brief moment (back in Aug IIRC), there was a $25 AC gift card but seems to be either all gone or blocked from Blue members.

* there was a rumor, because of the lawsuit, AM has 'improved' the site by making 'available rewards' based on membership level. In the past, people were able to use 'hidden' (hardcoded) URL to redeem items which are not normally 'visible' if you login properly. My guess is now AM 'corrected' that issue.

I have over 13k (yes! after all these years, but before I started collecting AP) need to cash out. Eventually I am OK (but wouldn't say I am happy) to spend most of it on 2 flights and hotel bookings (which is still PITA. also the YSYL rule applies, that was my bad)

Now I only left with a few hundred miles... Let see if they offer a grin of rice in their dream reward catalog, should have enough for one or two...

heraclitus

For what it's worth I like Air Miles. Collecting is pretty effortless since I do a fair bit of shopping at Safeway/Sobeys/Rexall, and I can churn the Amex/BMO cards for more points on top of that. I know some people with pricey prescriptions and they run up a ton of AMs that way.

Nice thing about AM is that flight selection for North America is often much better than for non-status Aeroplan users. For example, using AE to Hawaii is a struggle in finding flights that don't involve overnight in YVR, connection at SFO/LAX, etc... by contrast, Air Miles gets me there the most efficient way.

dorif

I am so done with Air Miles. I have been saving for a long time, in order to accumulate enough miles to fly to Asia to visit our son and his family. With the new expiration rules, I am losing miles faster than I can accumulate them. Nothing in the rewards section appeals to me. I don't want to blow the expiring miles on a fancy cappuccino maker or some other gadget, and I don't see any options for gift cards, so I have used a bunch up for a three week car rental in Florida.

I am cancelling my long-held Amex Air Miles card, and going with the Gold FYF offer.

Low Roller

If you live in Ontario, the provincial government introduced a bill 2 days ago to keep points from expiring. It hasn't passed yet, but you may want to wait awhile before cashing out. Here's the link: http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bil...t=&BillID=4254

jerry305

That's a Private Member's Bill.
I think that means it was introduced by one backbench MPP, not by the government.
What's the likelihood it's going to pass?

Low Roller

Oops...I didn't notice that it was a private member's bill. So, it's not too likely to pass although it was introduced by a member of the governing party instead of the opposition. Still, since there is no other way to extend points expiry, it may be worth holding off on cashing out for awhile just in case it does go through.

dorif

It's too late for me anyway. I have already booked the car. I have heard rumblings of a class action suit against Air Miles, but seriously doubt if it will get off the ground.

mahasamatman

I hope it doesn't. The only winners in any class action suit are the lawyers.