Confessions Of An AIR MILES Enthusiast
There are things we admit to people and there are some things that we keep inside (like that time you decided that you really did like that new One Direction song), but some things you just need to be said. When it comes to the way I experience the AIR MILES program, there’s nothing I like more than educating my friends and family on the benefits of the program.
You see, I am what you call obsessive compulsive. When my daughter said she loved Beanie Boos, I bought every last one I could find. The same story can be told with my son and his short lived Pokémon addiction. Luckily, Toys “R” Us gives AIR MILES so I at least got something in return for the $$$ I dropped on those toys. When I get my head stuck on something I can’t stop until I have satisfied my craving for it. That is how I feel about my AIR MILES reward miles and that is why I am okay with admitting the following two points of excitement I find when using my AIR MILES Collector Card alongside my American Express AIR MILES Credit Card.
1. When I find out about new AIR MILES sponsors
There is a Sobeys just down the street from my house and although I would sometimes venture farther to different grocery stores, it was often more convenient to walk up to the Sobeys with the kids. Well, on one of our trips last month we received a pamphlet in our grocery bag informing us that Sobeys would be converting their point system to AIR MILES.
I excitedly turned to the people in line behind me hoping that they would share in the joy I was feeling and possibly partake in the age old tradition of the slapping of the fives. They didn’t show it and there were no fives slapped but I just assumed that my excitement had intimidated them. I may have also literally jumped for joy when I realized that I had not used a single Sobeys point in the 4 years I had been shopping there, which meant that I was due a sizable chunk of AIR MILES from the points conversion.
Side Note: I may or may not have also caught myself fist-pumping when I saw the 5X AIR MILES bonus reward miles at the Shell station the other day… I wish I was making this stuff up for dramatic effect.
2. When I got my new AIR MILES Onyx member Card
With the help of my American Express AIR MILES Credit Card, I joined an elite level of the AIR MILES Collectors program this past year when I reached Onyx status. With that membership came a lot of special perks, including amazing discounts on Dream Rewards, but all the perks paled in comparison to my shiny new black Onyx AIR MILES Card.
Honestly, I was so excited to test it out that I drove to the nearest AIR MILES partner (LCBO) grabbed a bottle of my favourite wine and excitedly handed over my Onyx Card to the cashier. As they held the Card in their hands I waited with anticipation for them to compliment me on my sleek new card, but they simply scanned it and passed it back without looking up. Assuming it was some kind of mistake; I drove to the next closest shop and proudly passed them my Onyx Card. Same result.
You’d think this would be enough to deter me but I am extremely stubborn. I now find myself trying new tactics with the store clerks as I pass my Onyx Card to them including, but not limited to, uncomfortable smiles, accidentally dropping it so they have to look at it, explaining its origins without being asked and giving them the wink and double finger guns as they scan it. None of these tactics have been successful so far but I am maintaining hope that the day will come where someone will compliment my new card.
Why am I so obsessive when it comes to AIR MILES, you ask? The answer is simple. Last year I earned enough AIR MILES to purchase almost all of my Christmas presents PLUS a flight to Washington for the Dad 2.0 Summit. The estimated retail value of my redemptions was almost $1100, for only one year’s worth of reward miles!
Achieving this goal was relatively easy. When you combine your AIR MILES Collector Card with the American Express AIR MILES Credit Card you can earn twice on all purchases from AIR MILES Sponsor stores. Aside from that, every time you use your Amex AIR MILES Credit Card, regardless of the store, you still earn AIR MILES on your purchases. Combine that with smart store selection and the points will start piling up in no time.
I should also point out that I pay the annual fee for a higher level Credit Card and the miles easily outweigh the cost of the fee. You use a Credit Card anyway, right? Why would you only collect half the miles you could be getting by only using the AIR MILES Collector Card? That would be like eating a sundae without a spoon or driving without a steering wheel. Go, check out the American Express AIR MILES Credit Card and thank me when you are flying somewhere exotic from all the points you earned!
This post was sponsored by Amex Bank of Canada. The views and opinions expressed in this blog, however, are purely my own.