How do you benefit from AIR MILES?

Some airline loyalty programs also let you use miles or points for hotel stays, car rentals, magazine subscriptions, merchandise or flight upgrades. In most cases, these types of redemptions will get you a low value for your miles. To get the best value, you'll want to plan to redeem your airline miles for flights.



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We sampled flight awards available with U.S. carriers and found that consumers need between about 8,000 and 57,000 miles to get a free one-way coach flight. Free flights in business or first class start at around 25,000 miles and climb to well over 150,000 miles one-way.

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We sampled flight awards available with U.S. carriers and found that consumers need between about 8,000 and 57,000 miles to get a free one-way coach flight. Free flights in business or first class start at around 25,000 miles and climb to well over 150,000 miles one-way.

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Here's the catch. Air Miles themselves do not expire. But, if your account “expires” by being “dormant” (or inactive) for 24 consecutive months, then the points on it will disappear. An account is considered inactive if there are no points transactions within that period.

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On the downside, airline-specific cards will often limit your ability to shop for the lowest-cost ticket because you are only earning and redeeming rewards with a single carrier. Sometimes, the rewards can be redeemed at more favorable rates, especially during off-peak travel times.

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Partners that left the program did so because of the cost of participating, Mr. Sojka said. Some found it was cheaper to start their own loyalty programs, or join another program. Sobeys has linked up with Bank of Nova Scotia's Scene+ program, while the LCBO now offers Aeroplan points.

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Most airlines allow travelers to redeem their miles for flights, seat upgrades, or other travel-related perks, but they don't convert them directly to cash. Some airlines also permit the transfer of miles to other reward programs, such hotel loyalty programs, which may include the option of cash redemption.

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AIR MILES Hotels + Cars is a platform where you can get AIR MILES Reward Miles on or use Dream Miles™ towards your hotel or car bookings. AIR MILES Hotels + Cars provides access to 300,000+ hotels, resorts and independent boutiques around the world and thousands of car rental locations around the world.

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Summary of if 20,000 Miles is Worth it? For the most part, 20k miles are worth from $200 to $300 in award flights with credit card rewards programs.

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Cash back credit cards are generally the better choice if you want to earn simple, flexible rewards on your regular purchases. A points or miles card may be a better option if you travel often or want to start earning travel rewards on your purchases.

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When canceling a flight that was purchased using miles, most airlines do not charge a cancellation fee. It is generally free to get your miles reinstated and even the taxes and fees you paid will usually be refunded.

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The number of miles you can earn from shopping typically depends on the retail partner, but in most cases, it works out to 1 reward mile for every $20 spent. When using an AIR MILES credit card, you can double dip at participating merchants.

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50,000 American miles are worth about $850. How much are 80,000 American miles worth? 80,000 American miles are worth about $1,360.

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