What is Canada's Best Air Miles Credit Card? Our Picks for 2023
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With many competing loyalty programs, deciding which credit card offers the best benefits can get confusing. Some focus on points, others cash back and others on miles.
How do you know which credit card is best for Air Miles? What the right choice is for you?
Here we explore the best credit cards for the Air Miles rewards program. This credit card program offers access to thousands of flights in Canada and around the world. It can be difficult to decide which Air Miles credit card is best for you. The comparison above best credit cards for Air Miles in Canada. Remember that different Air Miles rewards cards offer different fees, rewards and benefits.
What is an Air Miles card?
Air Miles credit cards are linked to the Air Miles rewards program. When you use these credit cards to make purchases and shop at participating Air Miles partners you can collect miles to be used to purchase flights, hotels, cruises, rental cars and more.
With over 500 participating partners in the Air Miles Reward Program, there are dozens of ways to collect and use your Air Miles. These partners range from online shopping to grocery stores across Canada.
Good to know
Aeroplan credit cards are another option to consider. It's the other leading travel rewards program in Canada. It is run by Air Canada.
How do I get an Air Miles card?
Once you decide on a card that is a fit for you, apply for your Air Miles card online. You can use the links at the top of this page or go directly through the credit card provider. You'll have an application to fill out including your ID, address and income information. You should hear back quickly and receive your new Air Miles card in the mail.
Air Miles card activation can be done online or through the App. Once you receive the card you can create your Air Miles Card login. Once you activate your Air Miles card you can start to collect Air Miles which will be added to your Air Miles account.
Besides applying for the card you will also want to open an Air Miles account so that you can track your spending and redeem your miles! To create your account you will need to input your name, mailing address and email address on the Air Miles website. You can also sign up for their email list to get 25 bonus miles. After your account is created you can get an Air Miles card.
Good to know
Anyone age 16 and older with a valid mailing address and email address can make an Air Miles account. However, different Air Miles credit cards have different requirements. Remember that you may be rejected if your credit score or annual income doesn’t meet the card requirements. There are Air Miles cards that have no annual income requirement and are geared toward prospective cardholders with lower credit scores. These are great starter cards to get while building credit and growing your income.
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What is the best BMO card for Air Miles?
For our BMO Air Miles credit card, we like the BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard. This Air Miles card offers 3,000 bonus miles and waives the annual fee for the first year. You earn 3 times the miles for every $25 spent at Air Miles partners, 2 times the miles for every $12 spent at eligible grocery stores and 1 mile for every $12 on all other purchases.
Besides that, it offers travel medical insurance, trip cancellation insurance, auto rental insurance and more.
This makes it a great travel companion and one of the best Air Miles credit cards in Canada.
What is the best American Express card for Air Miles?
For our best Air Miles American Express card, we like the American Express AIR MILES Platinum Credit Card. This AMEX offers 2,000 miles when you charge $1,500 in the first three months and has a $120 annual fee. You earn one mile for every $5 spent on eligible purchases and one mile for every $10 spent on all other purchases. You can also earn twice as many points when shopping at Air Miles partners making it our best credit card with Air Miles for shopping.
When you shop at Air Miles partners in Canada you can earn miles twice when using your card. You can also use the Annual Travel Redemption Benefit to book a flight or vacation and earn up to 750 bonus miles.
Where can I use my Air Miles card?
One of the best things about Air Miles’s loyalty programs is that they have over 500 participating partners. This means that you can earn miles with almost any purchase. They are partnered with Shell, Safeway, and Amazon as well as multiple airlines, hotels and rental car companies. This makes it so you can redeem your miles in many ways.
Rewards Include:
- Cash rewards: 95 miles = $10 towards purchases at select partners
- eVouchers to pay for services such as Spotify
- Flights on airlines such as Delta, Emirates and many more
- Gift Cards for online stores such as Amazon
- Hotel bookings with any affiliated hotel chain
- And many more options
With so many partners in the Air Miles loyalty network, there are dozens of ways to use your accumulated rewards miles whether it’s saving on shopping or taking that dream vacation.
How to add an Air Miles card to an Apple wallet?
Need to add an Air Miles card to an Apple wallet? By adding your Air Miles card directly to your Apple wallet you make it easier to make online and in-person purchases while also reducing the chance of losing your physical card.
To do this:
- First, go into your Apple wallet
- Click the + symbol at the top right corner
- Select Debit or Credit Card
- Finally, uses the camera to enter the card information or enter it manually
This will link your card and any purchases made with the card through your Apple wallet will automatically collect Air Miles.
How to get an Air Miles Replacement Card?
In the event of a lost Air Miles card, you should contact the Air Miles Card provider directly. Air Miles card replacement is the responsibility of the credit card provider. You can contact them through their app or by phone. Once you’ve informed them that you have lost your credit card and would like to order a new Air Miles card they will cancel the old card and mail you a replacement.
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