Note: The AIR MILES program is transitioning to the Blue Rewards program in Summer 2026. This page will remain live for historical purposes.
AIR MILES is one of the oldest and most widely known loyalty and rewards programs in Canada. For many years, if you asked any person on the street what loyalty programs they were a part of, AIR MILES would often be one of the cards you’d find in their wallet. The program has been ubiquitous with an easy-to-redeem currency and the main points program to save on travel costs.
In recent times, AIR MILES has lost a few major partners and thus has fallen a bit from its former glory. Of note, previous partners such as Sobeys, Safeway, and more, are now linked to the Scene+ loyalty program. As a result, the program has lost a fair amount of its earning and redemption options. However, a few niche opportunities still exist.
Earning AIR MILES
There are three main ways to earn AIR MILES in Canada: making purchases through AIR MILES Shops, AIR MILES promotions, and spending at AIR MILES associated retailers.
AIR MILES Shops – Online Shopping Portal
Similar to Rakuten and other cash back online shopping portals, AIR MILES Shops is a great way to increase your AIR MILES balance simply by shopping online. In order to take advantage, simply visit AIR MILES Shops and sign in to your AIR MILES account. From there, click through to any partnered retailer and make a purchase to earn miles.
AIR MILES are earned at a base rate of 1 mile per $20 spent at any partnered retailer through AIR MILES Shops. However, there are often promotions at certain points in the year that increase the rate at which you can earn AIR MILES.
Check out our guide to AIR MILES Shops if you are interested in learning more.
AIR MILES Retailer Spend & Promotions
AIR MILES can be earned for all purchases at partnered retailers. Miles are earned at various rates depending on the partner, and partners do vary depending on the province you are located in.
Oftentimes, retailers will run specific promotions that may see you earning a set amount of AIR MILES for making a specific purchase. For example, you may earn additional miles or miles at an increased rate for purchasing a premium type of fuel at Shell.
You can find a list of all Air Mile partner offers in your province here.
AIR MILES Card-Linked Offers
AIR MILES Card-Linked Offers are another avenue for earning AIR MILES. These offers reward members for using their linked Mastercard at retailers while meeting offer requirements (such as spending a certain amount in one transaction).
Members who have an eligible AIR MILES credit card are automatically enrolled in card-linked offers. If you don’t have an AIR MILES credit card but have an eligible Mastercard, you can also enroll in the card-linked offers program.
Redeeming AIR MILES
There are four options for redeeming your AIR MILES for rewards: travel, Onyx personal shopper, in-store purchases, and merchandise & eVouchers.
Travel
AIR MILES can be redeemed towards flights, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages, cruises, and tickets for US theme parks and attractions.
Redemption rates vary when using your AIR MILES for any travel redemptions, so it is important to check if you are redeeming for at least a value of 10.5 cents per AIR MILE.
If you are interested in exploring the option of redeeming your AIR MILES for travel purchases, click here. Simply select the type of redemption you are interested in making, enter the relevant details such as dates and routing, and search. You will then be able to see the total AIR MILES cost for your desired travel redemption and you are able to proceed with the purchase if interested.
Onyx Personal Shopper
If you are an Onyx AIR MILES member and you want to redeem your AIR MILES for a merchandise purchase, the best option is to take advantage of the personal shopper program. This exclusive redemption option is only available to Onyx members and gives you the opportunity to redeem miles toward any physical item you can dream of, provided you have the required miles.
Related: AIR MILES Onyx Personal Shopper: Tutorial
When using this redemption method, AIR MILES are cashed out at an approximate rate of 95 AIR MILES = $10 CAD. You are easily able to estimate the total miles required on the AIR MILES personal shopper website. From there, you can choose to submit a formal price quote provided you have enough AIR MILES in your account.
In the past, I have redeemed AIR MILES for an espresso machine and laser printer through the personal shopper service. In my experience, the process was quick once an AIR MILES quote was provided and I approved the order.
If you want to learn more about the personal shopper process or submit for a merchandise redemption of your own, click here.
In-Store Purchases & eVouchers
AIR MILES can be redeemed for purchases at in-store retailer partners and for eVouchers. AIR MILES can be redeemed at a rate of 95 AIR MILES for $10 CAD via this redemption method.
If you want to redeem your AIR MILES at an in-store retailer partner, simply tell the cashier that you want to redeem AIR MILES towards your purchase. If you are redeeming at a gas station pump, you will be prompted to redeem AIR MILES after swiping your membership card. You can see all retailer partners available for your province here.
AIR MILES also offers virtual gift cards, or eVouchers, which can be redeemed for and used online or in-store. These eVouchers are available for a variety of retailers and services, including The Keg, Spotify, Uber Eats, and more. You can see all of the eVouchers available for your province here.
AIR MILES Elite Status
Similar to other loyalty programs, AIR MILES members can earn status within the program that grants them access to a variety of benefits. Status is earned based on the total number of miles accrued in one account during a calendar year.
Once the status is earned, it is good for the current calendar year and the following calendar year.
Gold Status
AIR MILES members need to earn between 500 and 4,999 miles during a calendar year to qualify for gold status.
Gold members receive a handful of perks within the AIR MILES program:
- Redeem up to 30% fewer AIR MILES on flight awards
- Redeem up to 5% fewer AIR MILES on merchandise
On the whole, AIR MILES gold status is not worth pursuing as it doesn’t have any significant or truly beneficial perks.
Onyx Status
AIR MILES members need to earn 5,000 miles during a calendar year in order to qualify for onyx status.
Onyx members receive access to a variety of perks including:
- Redeem up to 40% fewer AIR MILES on flight awards
- Redeem up to 10% fewer AIR MILES on merchandise
- Priority customer care phone line
- Personal shopper redemption service
The most valuable perk is most likely gaining access to the personal shopper redemption option, which makes it so you can redeem AIR MILES for any physical item that you desire. If you are interested in earning onyx status, check out our related article below.
Related: Earn AIR MILES Onyx Status Fast
Frequently Asked Questions
One AIR MILE is worth 10.5 cents.
Yes. If an AIR MILES account is inactive for 24 months, the miles within that account will be lost.
The minimum number of AIR MILES that can be redeemed for any redemption is 95 AIR MILES (worth $10).
You can check your AIR MILES balance by logging into the AIR MILES app or website.
AIR MILES can be gifted or transferred to another person (in a separate household) at a cost of $0.15 per AIR MILE.
Merging the AIR MILES accounts of members in the same household has no cost associated with this action.