The Value of Air Miles Points

The average dollar value of 1 Air Miles point is $0.121

Dollar value of 1 point	Flexibility of points	Can points cover taxes and fees?
$0.121	low - Redeem through your Air Miles account, limited to certain airlines and flight times	Partially

Discover the right credit card for you with CardFinder

Find Canada’s best cards suited for you in 60 seconds! View cards and offers you’re likely to qualify for without affecting your credit or needing a SIN.

find my perfect card

Compare Air Miles credit cards in Canada

Changes to the AIR MILES program: March 2025

As of March 11, 2025, AIR MILES has introduced enhancements to its program.

Enhanced transfers between Cash Miles and Dream Miles

AIR MILES Blue collectors can now transfer up to 500 Miles annually between Cash Miles and Dream Miles and vice versa. Previously, only Gold and Onyx Collectors could transfer miles.

AIR MILES Gold collectors can now transfer 3,000 Miles daily, up from 1,000 Miles annually.

Ability to purchase Miles

AIR MILES collectors can now purchase Dream Miles for $0.20 per mile, in increments of either 100, 200, 500, or 1,000 per transaction. This means you can top up your balance if you're just shy of the required miles to redeem a reward.

FAQ

How Much Are Your Air Miles Worth?

Overall Flexibility

Can AIR MILES be used to cover taxes and fees?

The best ways to use your AIR MILES

The value of your Air Miles depends on what rewards you redeem your points for. The math to determine the average value of a mile can be seen in the “How Much Are Your Air Miles Worth?” tab. Some flights offer you very little value for your points, and if you think you’ll fly in the near future, it’s worth saving your miles for more valuable destinations.

Compare your redemption value to the Air Miles benchmark

Ratehub.ca’s research shows the average value of an Air Mile is $0.121. Use this as your benchmark and whenever possible only redeem Air Miles when the value offered is close to or above the benchmark. Let’s look at an example.

It’s January 13th, 2015 and we’re trying to book a flight from Toronto to New York’s LaGuardia Airport for family day weekend: Friday, Feb 13th – Monday, Feb 16th. On Kayak, we can find a direct flight that will cost $288 including taxes and fees. Through Air Miles a similar flight would require 1,300 miles and an additional $117.56 in taxes and fees. Let’s calculate the value we would receive if we used our points.

Step 1: Determine the net gain of redeeming your miles

^$288.00 (flight price) - ^$117.56 (taxes & fees) = ^$170.44 net gain

Step 2: Determine the value of your miles

^$170.44 (net gain) ÷ 1300 miles = ^$0.1311 value

Since $0.1311 is of greater value than the benchmark of $0.121, you will receive a strong return on your Air Miles. Redeeming your Air Miles in the above scenario will save you $170.44 and is a good investment of your accumulated points.

Redeem Dream Miles for travel rather than merchandise

Air Miles Dream Rewards are best suited to be redeemed for air travel (as their name suggests). Redeeming for flights provides the best value of the redemption options available to Air Miles members. The dollar value per mile when redeeming for merchandise pales in comparison to the dollar return on flights, providing roughly half the average dollar value of an Air Mile ($0.121/mile).

Let's take a look at the value of our miles when redeeming for two popular items: a Panasonic LED TV, and a Broil King grill.

Price of Samsung 50 inch LED Smart HDTV	Air Miles Required
^$899.99 Price of TV on samsung.com	13750 Points

Value of Your Miles

^$899.99 (price) ÷ 13750 Air Miles = ^$0.0655 / Air Mile

Price of Broil King® Baron 440 Grill	Air Miles Required
^$549.99 Price of grill on Lowes.ca	7100 Points

Value of Your Miles

^$549.99 (price) ÷ 7100 Air Miles =^$0.0775 / Air Miles

Redeem for the most valuable flights

Based on Ratehub.ca’s analysis (shown in detail on the “What Are Your Air Miles Worth?” tab) we have created an Air Mile value chart of the flight regions that on average offer a higher value than the benchmark of $0.121:

Flight Region	Destination	Average value of a mile
Saskatchewan	Saskatoon	$0.150
Manitoba	Winnipeg	$0.208
East Coast Canada	Halifax	$0.159
North West Territories	Yellowknife	$0.152
Midwest U.S.	Kansas City	$0.231

On average you receive exceptional value for your Air Miles by flying to the Midwest US region. Flights to Manitoba and East Coast Canada also provide good value for your points. Typically flights during high season offer more value than flights during the low season. Short haul, high season flights provide the highest dollar value for your points.

As you approach the date of a flight, the price of the ticket becomes more and more expensive every day while the required number of Air Miles and taxes remains constant. Since this is the case, you receive the greatest dollar value for you Air Miles when you book a last minute flight as opposed to booking months in advance.

Become an Onyx or Gold program member

The Air Miles Onyx program rewards top Air Miles collectors with numerous superior benefits. In order to become an Onyx collector, you must earn more than 6,000 Air Miles per year. With this program, you’ll be granted access to travel and merchandise perks, special services, event and contest offers, and miles protection.

Travel perks include: greater access to airline seats, exclusive offers on select package vacations and cruises, and the ability to book flights with up to 40% fewer rewards miles. This is a great way to stretch your miles and ensure you get the most of every dollar you spend using your Air Miles credit card. In addition, your Air Miles won’t expire as long as you maintain Onyx status.

In contrast, the Air Miles Gold program rewards Air Miles collectors who earn 1,000 to 5,999 miles a year. This is much more attainable than the Onyx program. When you sign up for the BMO credit card, you’ll receive 1,000 miles with your first purchase. This would immediately qualify you for the Gold program.

The Gold program also offers travel and merchandise perks as well as events and contest offers. Gold collectors don’t receive as many benefits as Onyx collectors. However, you’ll still receive exclusive offers on select package vacations and cruises, and you can use up to 30% fewer miles to book select flights.

Whether you’re a Gold or Onyx Collector you’ll be able to redeem up to 40% fewer miles for select merchandise. In addition, you’ll be given access to a number of unforgettable events and contests, including up to 20% fewer reward miles on eligible seasonal activities, free movie passes on select films, and monthly giveaways.

For both the Gold and Onyx programs, you must re-qualify each year by December 31. This means in order to maintain your status you must earn your required miles every year between January 1 and December 31.

Other credit card points programs

Scotia rewards

Aeroplan Miles

American Express Membership

BMO rewards

RBC rewards

TD points

Air Miles

Aventura Points

Marriott Rewards

MBNA Rewards

The knowledge bank

A wealth of knowledge delivered right to your inbox.

By submitting your email address, you acknowledge and agree to Ratehub.ca’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Contact us for more information. You can unsubscribe at any time.