I have been stung trying to use AIR MILES in the past but I saw the dreaded fuel surcharges in the fees. This has changed for certain redemptions but the miles to use these has also increased.
Effective July 17, 2014, you will no longer have to pay cash for fuel surcharges on certain flights. These surcharges will be included in the number of AIR MILES® reward miles required to redeem for qualifying flights. This change will apply to flights within Canada, the United States (including Hawaii and Alaska), Mexico and the Caribbean, and will result in an increase in the number of reward miles required to redeem for flights.
The average increase in the number of reward miles required for flights within Canada, to the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii), to Mexico and the Caribbean will be 16%. Some destinations will see a smaller increase, while others will see a larger increase.
For example:
- A round-trip flight, in Low season, will now start at 1,200 reward miles (instead of starting from 950 reward miles)
- A flight from British Colombia to Los Angeles will increase by 19% in Low season (1600 reward miles to 1900) and 14% in High season (2275 reward miles to 2600).
- A flight from Ontario to New York City will increase by 13% in Low season (1150 reward miles to 1300) and 14% in High season (1400 reward miles to 1600).
I honestly do not see the value using AIR MILES for flights! Use them for gas cards at Shell instead or Cineplex tickets.
2 Comments
Hyacinthe
There is value for flights booked with Air Miles… at least for some of them.
Short-haul to remote areas where Air Canada has no competition and where the fares are as high as going to Europe. Even for a NB to Newfoundland, the price is usually $600 and up ($450 +tx), but can be redeeming with the lowest amount of Air Miles.
Alex
95 AM for $10 Shell GC is only 10.5 cents per mile…
Simple short hauls like YWG to YYZ go for 1350 AMs + $175 or so in low season (Jan, Feb, Apr, May, mid Sept to mid Dec), vs paid fare tickets which run $400 but can go as high as $600. Even on the low end of that, you are trading 1350 AMs for $225, which is 16.7 cents per mile.
If you are looking at high season, a $600 ticket vs 1750 AMs + $175, is 24.3 cents per mile
Shell has been running fuel promotions where you can get 20 Air Miles for $50 gas fill up. At 16.7 cents that’s 6.7%. At 24.3 cents, that’s 9.7% return!
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