Best Air Miles Credit Cards in Canada

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Some credit cards come with an annual fee and some do not. The general rule for this is that the greater the rewards, the larger the annual fee. The annual fee is charged once per year and is added to your credit card statement. If you don't mind paying an annual fee, select I don't mind. If you'd prefer not to pay to use a credit card, select None. Some rewards credit cards have an annual income requirement. Enter either your personal or household annual income here, as it may affect which credit cards you are able to apply for.

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 What type of rewards do you want to earn for every dollar you spend? Is cash back important to you? Would you prefer gift cards or store credit? What about free flights and hotels? Think about what's most important to you and what would help your budget the most, then look for the best cards to offer that reward. Do you have a preference of whether you want a Visa, MasterCard or American Express card? Select which network you'd prefer, or select "All" if you don't have a preference.
There are a number of lenders and companies that issue credit cards - and they aren't just financial institutions. If you would prefer to get a credit card from one specific credit card issuer, choose the one you want. Otherwise, select All banks. Most credit cards have a minimum credit score requirement. Select your credit score to filter your credit card results based on your credit score and which cards you are most likely to be approved for. If you aren’t sure what your credit score is, select “Not sure”, and your results will be filtered without taking your credit score in to account. There are many different credit card reward programs available. If you have a preferred reward program, such as Aeroplan Miles, select your choice using the dropdown. Note that each card only uses one reward program. Enter the dollar amount you spend each month on your credit card. Edit your monthly spend by each spending category in the 'monthly spending by category' tab below.

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Some credit cards come with an annual fee and some do not. The general rule for this is that the greater the rewards, the larger the annual fee. The annual fee is charged once per year and is added to your credit card statement. If you don't mind paying an annual fee, select I don't mind. If you'd prefer not to pay to use a credit card, select None. Some rewards credit cards have an annual income requirement. Enter either your personal or household annual income here, as it may affect which credit cards you are able to apply for.

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 Do you carry a balance on your credit card each month? This isn't how much you spend on your card, but how much you typically carry over into a new month. If so, write that amount here, so we can calculate how much interest you'll be charged.

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There are a number of lenders and companies that issue credit cards - and they aren't just financial institutions. If you would prefer to get a credit card from one specific credit card issuer, choose the one you want. Otherwise, select All banks. Most credit cards have a minimum credit score requirement. Select your credit score to filter your credit card results based on your credit score and which cards you are most likely to be approved for. If you aren’t sure what your credit score is, select “Not sure”, and your results will be filtered without taking your credit score in to account. Do you have a preference of whether you want a Visa, MasterCard or American Express card? Select which network you'd prefer, or select "All" if you don't have a preference.
Some credit cards come with an annual fee and some do not. The general rule for this is that the greater the rewards, the larger the annual fee. The annual fee is charged once per year and is added to your credit card statement. If you don't mind paying an annual fee, select I don't mind. If you'd prefer not to pay to use a credit card, select None. Some rewards credit cards have an annual income requirement. Enter either your personal or household annual income here, as it may affect which credit cards you are able to apply for.

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 Do you have a preference of whether you want a Visa, MasterCard or American Express card? Select which network you'd prefer, or select "All" if you don't have a preference.
There are a number of lenders and companies that issue credit cards - and they aren't just financial institutions. If you would prefer to get a credit card from one specific credit card issuer, choose the one you want. Otherwise, select All banks. Most credit cards have a minimum credit score requirement. Select your credit score to filter your credit card results based on your credit score and which cards you are most likely to be approved for. If you aren’t sure what your credit score is, select “Not sure”, and your results will be filtered without taking your credit score in to account. If you are currently carrying a balance on another credit card, you may want to take advantage of a balance transfer promotional offer with one of the credit cards listed below. Enter the amount you would transfer to the new card, to find out what the promotional interest rate and period are.

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Some credit cards come with an annual fee and some do not. The general rule for this is that the greater the rewards, the larger the annual fee. The annual fee is charged once per year and is added to your credit card statement. If you don't mind paying an annual fee, select I don't mind. If you'd prefer not to pay to use a credit card, select None. Do you have a preference of whether you want a Visa, MasterCard or American Express card? Select which network you'd prefer, or select "All" if you don't have a preference.
There are a number of lenders and companies that issue credit cards - and they aren't just financial institutions. If you would prefer to get a credit card from one specific credit card issuer, choose the one you want. Otherwise, select All banks. Most credit cards have a minimum credit score requirement. Select your credit score to filter your credit card results based on your credit score and which cards you are most likely to be approved for. If you aren’t sure what your credit score is, select “Not sure”, and your results will be filtered without taking your credit score in to account.
Monthly spending by category
Monthly spending by category

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Credit card Purchase interest rate Balance transfer rate Annual fee Net reward (1st year) Monthly interest fee Monthly interest fee Required deposit Min. required income
BMO® AIR MILES® MasterCard®
BMO® AIR MILES® MasterCard®
19.99%
Cash advance 22.99%
$15,000.00 $ 0 $108 Get details
American Express® Air Miles Platinum® Credit Card
American Express® Air Miles Platinum® Credit Card
19.99%
Cash advance 22.99%
$0.00 $ 65 $357 Get details
BMO Air Miles World Elite MasterCard®
BMO Air Miles World Elite MasterCard®
19.99%
Cash advance 22.99%
$80,000.00 $ 120 $432 Get details
American Express® Air Miles® Credit Card
American Express® Air Miles® Credit Card
19.99%
Cash advance 22.99%
$15,000.00 $ 0 $169 Get details
BMO® AIR MILES®† Business® Mastercard®*
BMO® AIR MILES®† Business® Mastercard®*
19.99%
Cash advance 22.99%
$0.00 $ 120 $ Get details
Shell AIR MILES MasterCard® from BMO
Shell AIR MILES MasterCard® from BMO
19.99%
Cash advance 22.99%
$0.00 $ 0 $ Get details
Shell AIR MILES World MasterCard® from BMO
Shell AIR MILES World MasterCard® from BMO
19.99%
Cash advance 22.99%
$60,000.00 $ 99 $ Get details
BMO® AIR MILES®† No-Fee Business® Mastercard®*
BMO® AIR MILES®† No-Fee Business® Mastercard®*
19.99%
Cash advance 22.99%
$0.00 $ 0 $ Get details
American Express® AIR MILES® for Business Card
American Express® AIR MILES® for Business Card
30% $0.00 $ 180 $-35 Get details
American Express® AIR MILES® Gold Business Card
American Express® AIR MILES® Gold Business Card
19.99%
Cash advance 22.99%
$0.00 $ 0 $127 Get details
BMO SPC Air Miles MasterCard®
BMO SPC Air Miles MasterCard®
19.99%
Cash advance 22.99%
$0.00 $ 0 $108 Get details
For a limited time, you will receive a promotional offer from Ratehub.ca if your application is approved. Terms and conditions apply. Click here for details.
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after months
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About the program

AIR MILES is one of the most commonly used travel rewards programs in Canada. With the AIR MILES Collector card, you can earn miles when you shop at AIR MILES sponsors. AIR MILES can be used for Dream Rewards or AIR MILES Cash. Dream Rewards include merchandise and travel, such as flights, hotels, cruises and car rentals. AIR MILES Cash can be used instantly in store to receive discounts on your purchases. Accumulated AIR MILES can be managed and redeemed online at https://www.airmiles.ca. BMO and American Express offer several different credit cards that are affiliated with the AIR MILES program and allow consumers to collect AIR MILES from their everyday credit card purchases. The AIR MILES program rewards top accumulating members with Gold Collector status.

Q: How much is an Air Mile worth?

A: According to our calculations, the dollar value of 1 Air Mile is approximately $0.121.

The value of an Air Mile is not consistent however and can fluctuate based on where you’re travelling from and where you’re travelling to. The value of Air Miles can also depend on if you’re flying in:

  • High season: Dec. 16 to Jan. 7, March 1 to 31, and June 1 to Sept. 15; or
  • Low season: Sept. 16 to Dec. 15, Jan. 8 to Feb. 28, and April 1 to May 31

Below, we’ve broken down the average value of an Air Mile by flight region and season:

Flight Region Destination Low Season High Season Average
British Columbia Vancouver $0.1535 $0.1426 $0.148
Alberta Calgary $0.1374 $0.1453 $0.141
Saskatchewan Saskatoon $0.1525 $0.1482 $0.150
Manitoba Winnipeg $0.2136 $0.2019 $0.208
Ontario Ottawa $0.0868 $0.1522 $0.120
Quebec Montreal $0.1004 $0.1635 $0.132
East Coast Canada Halifax $0.1506 $0.1674 $0.159
North West Territories Yellowknife $0.1635 $0.1403 $0.152
North Eastern US New York $0.1258 $0.2008 $0.154
Chicago $0.1266 $0.1642
Midwest US Minneapolis $0.2225 $0.1710 $0.231
Kansas City $0.3020 $0.2296
Northwestern US Seattle $0.1153 $0.0997 $0.041
Portland $0.0380 $0.0445
Southwestern US Los Angeles $0.0984 $0.1282 $0.099
Dallas $0.0933 $0.0742
Southeastern US Miami $0.1085 $0.1312 $0.149
Atlanta $0.1950 $0.1594
Caribbean Punta Cana $0.0965 $0.1044 $0.105
Jamaica $0.0896 $0.1306
Mexico Cancun $0.0879 $0.0944 $0.100
Puerto Vallarata $0.0719 $0.1476
Hawaii Honolulu $0.0713 $0.0823 $0.078
Maui $0.0714 $0.0863
Central America/ Europe 1 Paris $0.0877 $0.0650 $0.071
San Juan $0.0484 $0.0827
South America/ Europe 2 Helsinki $0.0883 $0.1203 $0.104
Rio de Janerio $0.1179 $0.0884
Europe 3 Warsaw $0.0788 $0.0552 $0.069
Istanbul $0.0723 $0.0687
Middle East & Africa Cairo $0.0467 $0.1011 $0.062
Lebanon $0.0358 $0.0639
Asia Bangkok $0.0785 $0.0997 $0.088
Tokyo $0.0836 $0.0894
Australia & New Zealand Melbourne $0.0751 $0.0985 $0.091
Auckland $0.0777 $0.1145
Total Averages $0.1101 $.1210 $0.121

TIPS
  • If you want to get the most value out of your points, aim to redeem Air Miles when the redemption value is close to or above $0.121, such as on flights to the Midwest US region. After all, you don’t want to redeem miles for below their average value.
  • Try to time your trips for the summer, spring, or winter, as you’ll reap a higher return out of each mile when you book flights in high-season.
  • If you’re on a rigid vacation schedule and can only travel during low season, consider these travel destinations to gain better value from your miles.

Q: How many Air Miles do you get per dollar?

A: You can seamlessly earn miles on your everyday purchases when you sign up for one of the Air Miles credit cards offered by either BMO or American Express. Depending on the credit card and the type of purchase, you can get between 0.05 and 0.125 miles for every $1 you spend.

You can also earn miles by presenting an Air Miles Collectors Card at participating stores including Best Western, Embassy Suites, Foodland, Fountain Tire, Hampton Inn, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Lowe’s, Marlin Travel, Rexall Pharma Plus, Rona, Safeway, Shell, and Staples.

TIPS
  • The more you use your Air Miles credit card and the more points you collect, the higher the likelihood that you’ll become a member of the Gold or Onyx programs. These programs dish out special offers on travel and merchandise to their members, such as the ability to book eligible flights for up to 30% fewer miles.

Q: What is the best Air Mile credit card?

A: According to our rankings, the best Air Miles credit card is the American Express Air Miles Platinum Credit Card . This card offers 0.10 miles per dollar on select gas, grocery and pharmacy-related purchases and 0.067 miles per dollar on everything else. Plus, while the card does feature an annual fee, it comes in at almost half the cost of most premium cards at $65. Not to mention, the card offers a welcome bonus of 2,000 Air Miles when a total of $1,500 purchases is made within the first three months.

Q: How do you redeem Air Miles?

A: Air Miles can be redeemed for either Dream Rewards or Air Miles Cash, each of which offer different perks.

Dream Rewards can be redeemed for flights and other-travel related expenses, such as hotel rooms, vacation packages, car rentals, and cruises. Plus, Dream Rewards can also be redeemed for brand-name merchandise, event tickets and attractions.

Air Miles Cash, on the other hand, can be used to subsidize your everyday purchases and help you save on everything from groceries to electronics, at any number of participating stores including Metro, Sobeys, Safeway, Rexall, Foodland, Rona, and more.

TIPS
  • While Dream Rewards can be redeemed for everything from hotel rooms to car rentals, it’s best to use them exclusively for booking travel. Flight tickets offer the highest redemption value for your points by a mile (no pun intended).

Q: Do Air Miles expire?

A: While it’s true Air Miles once announced that any unused points would expire after five years, the loyalty program changed its policy in 2016 due to customer complaints.

Now, points never expire if you are an active Air Miles member and will only expire if an account is left inactive for 24 consecutive months.

TIPS
  • To avoid having your Air Miles expire, earn, redeem, donate, or transfer your miles at least once every two years

Q: Can Air Miles be used to pay for taxes and fees?

A: Although Air Miles can be used to cover the cost of fuel surcharges, it does not allow you to use your points to pay for taxes or fees.

Q: Can Air Miles be used retroactively?

A: No. Unfortunately, points can only be used at the time of purchase or in advance in the case of eVouchers.

Q: Which airlines are involved in the Air Miles program?

A: Air Miles can be redeemed for flights on Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways Europe, Lufthansa, Southwest Airlines US, and West Jet Canada.

Q: Can you transfer Air Miles?

A: Yes – sort of. Several rewards programs (Esso Extra, HBC, RBC) allow you to convert points to Air Miles, but not vice versa. Air Miles cannot be converted between Dream Rewards and Air Miles Cash either.

Redeemable for
  • Car rentals
  • Flights
  • Gift cards
  • Hotels
  • Merchandise
  • Vacation packages

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