AIR MILES at a glance: Free to join. Earn 1 Mile per $20 at most partners.
Mile value: ~10.5¢ (95 Miles = $10). Miles expire after 24 months of inactivity.
Base return: ~0.5%. With effort: $50–100/year via promotions and a BMO credit card.
Best redemption: Short-haul flights. Becoming Blue Rewards summer 2026.
Last updated: May 2026 — verified against official program terms
What Is AIR MILES?
AIR MILES is Canada's longest-running coalition loyalty program — show your free collector card at participating partners like Shell, Pharmasave, and 300+ online retailers to earn Miles on everyday purchases. Redeem them for cash rebates at the register, gift cards, or travel bookings at a rate of 95 Miles = $10. The base return is modest (roughly 0.5% back), and the program has lost most of its major grocery and retail partners in recent years. Honest range: $10–30/year without effort, $50–100/year if you actively chase promotions and use a BMO credit card.
Important — program is about to change name: AIR MILES converts to BMO's new Blue Rewards program on June 1, 2026. Existing Miles convert automatically to Blue Points at 16 Blue Points per 1 Mile (BMO's confirmed rate, no loss in value). The new headline redemption rate is 1,500 Blue Points = $10 for in-store rebates and e-gift cards — equivalent to 95 Miles = $10 under the old math. The app, website, and Customer Care are offline on June 1 to migrate; balances reflect Blue Points from June 2 onwards. Everything below describes AIR MILES as of late May 2026 — partner list, earn rates and Pro Tips will get a fresh pass once Blue Rewards is live with its real partner directory.
Is AIR MILES Worth It?
Without effort: Scan your card at Pharmasave, Irving and IHG on $200/month combined spending → ~120 Miles/year → $12/year
With the 3 moves: Add receipt scanning, card-linked offers, and Shop the Block events → realistically $50–80/year
Recent changes: Cash Miles and Dream Miles merged into a single balance in January 2026 — no more choosing between the two. Shell left the program on March 2 in Alberta and on May 25 across the rest of Canada, switching to Scene+. AIR MILES converts to Blue Rewards on June 1, 2026 at an estimated 1 Mile = 16 Blue Points; the new program adds Porter Airlines, Accor (Fairmont, Novotel), Instacart and MTY restaurant brands. The BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard's 25% flight redemption discount ends May 31, 2026; Onyx status earned through that card is grandfathered until December 31, 2027.
How Does AIR MILES Work?
Where it works: Pharmasave, Irving, IHG Hotels, Global Pet Foods, National/Alamo/Avis/Budget car rentals, plus 300+ online stores via the AIR MILES website. Shell finished its exit on May 25, 2026 — Shell fuel earnings now sit with a different program. From June 1, Blue Rewards adds Porter Airlines, Accor (Fairmont, Novotel), Instacart and the MTY restaurant brands.
What you earn: Typically 1 Mile per $20 spent at most partners (varies by partner). That works out to roughly 0.5% back.
How you get it back: 95 Miles = $10 as an instant rebate at partner registers, gift cards, or travel bookings. 1 Mile = about 10.5 cents.
What it costs: Free. Always has been.
How to sign up: Free at the AIR MILES website or app — takes 2 minutes. Digital card available immediately, plastic card arrives in 2–3 weeks. Must be a Canadian resident, 16+. You can add your digital loyalty card to SuperCards via screenshot after registration — keep all your rewards cards in one app.
Member perks: Gold status (500+ Miles/year) unlocks up to 30% off flight redemptions. Onyx status (5,000+ Miles/year) adds a Personal Shopper service and up to 40% off flights. Both are also granted automatically with certain BMO products.
Good to know: For online shopping, you need to start your session through the AIR MILES website or app and click through to the retailer. Just entering your collector number at checkout usually doesn't work. Miles take a few days in-store and up to 45–90 days online. Some online retailers have a poor track record for posting Miles correctly — screenshot your orders.
How to Get the Most From AIR MILES
1. Link Your Mastercard for Automatic Earning
Go to the AIR MILES website or app and link any Canadian-issued Mastercard to your collector account. Once linked, you earn bonus Miles automatically when you pay at participating retailers — no scanning needed, no portal to click through. BMO cards are linked automatically. This is the single easiest way to earn points you'd otherwise miss, and most collectors don't even know about it.
2. Scan Your Grocery Receipts
AIR MILES Receipts lets you earn bonus Miles by scanning paper grocery receipts from almost any major grocery store — not just AIR MILES partners. Open the website or app, snap a photo within 14 days of purchase, and qualifying products earn you bonus Miles. Power users report 100+ Miles per month from receipts alone. It's passive, free, and works at stores like Costco, Loblaws, or Walmart that aren't official partners. BMO has confirmed receipt scanning carries over to Blue Rewards and will be expanded further — so the habit is worth building now.
3. Register for Shop the Block Events
Shop the Block runs several times a year. Earn at 3 different partners to get 100 bonus Miles, 4 partners for 250, or 5+ partners for up to 775 bonus Miles. You must register on the AIR MILES website or app before the event starts. A single receipt scan, a small purchase at a partner, and a redemption can each count as a separate partner. Plan ahead and hit the 4-partner tier for the best effort-to-reward ratio. The Spring 2026 round was likely the last under the AIR MILES brand; whether Blue Rewards keeps the same format post-June 1 isn't confirmed yet.
How to Redeem AIR MILES Points
Short-haul flight bookings — can yield 15–25 cents per Mile, well above the cash rate. Best value in the program.
Cash rebates at partner registers — 95 Miles = $10, clean and predictable. Works at Pharmasave and other in-store partners.
Gift cards — same 95 Miles = $10 rate for Amazon, Walmart, Uber Eats, Sephora, and more. Good flexibility.
There's a way to squeeze even more value out of your Miles during special redemption promotions — see Pro Tips below.
Merchandise catalog — items are frequently priced higher than retail. Almost always a bad deal compared to cash or travel.
AIR MILES — What to Watch Out For
- Miles vanish after 24 months of inactivity. Earn, redeem, or transfer at least 1 Mile every two years. You'll get a warning email 60 days before removal, but don't rely on it.
- The partner list has shrunk dramatically. Sobeys, Safeway, Metro, LCBO, Staples, Rexall, Lowe's and now Shell are all gone. Check the AIR MILES website for who's still in — and watch for the Blue Rewards partner directory on June 1.
- The easiest mistake: forgetting to scan. Most partners won't credit Miles retroactively. Keep your card in SuperCards so it's always one tap away.
- Online portal tracking is unreliable for some retailers. Screenshot your order confirmation if you're shopping through the AIR MILES online portal.
When to Skip AIR MILES
- If you shop primarily at Loblaw, Shoppers, or No Frills: PC Optimum delivers 1–4% back with personalized offers — significantly better than AIR MILES' 0.5% base.
- If you want a simple, high-return cashback setup: A flat-rate cashback credit card (1–2% on everything) outperforms AIR MILES for most spending without the complexity.
- If you're starting from scratch in 2026: With the Blue Rewards transition coming in months, it may make more sense to wait and evaluate the new program rather than invest time in AIR MILES now.
AIR MILES Pro Tips
AIR MILES Quick Reference
| Cost | Free |
| Earn rate | Typically 1 Mile per $20 spent (varies by partner) |
| Point value | 1 Mile = ~10.5 cents (95 Miles = $10) |
| Effective cashback | ~0.5% (base) / 1–3% (with promotions) / 2–5% (with credit card + stacking) |
| Points expire | After 24 months of account inactivity |
| Best redemption | Short-haul flights or cash rebates at partner registers |
| Website | airmiles.ca |
As of May 2026
