How to use rewards points?

[armaan]

I have 1500 Air Miles and around 15,000 Aeroplan. I have 3 questions!

1. If i am not using and just accumalating then it will expire after certain time or not?

2. What's the best option for using the points - Gift cards / Travel or else?

3. Is there anyway i can merge both points?

Thanks in advance for your ideas!

[alien8er]

Aeroplan just recently announced an expiry plan, I can't remember all the details, but it takes awhile for them to expire. Check their website for more details.

The best value for your points is travel...but sometimes you can be put on some crappy flights to get to your destination. Plus there is always tax you have to pay on the flight. My last "free" trip cost $250 to fly to Miami from Vancouver.

I don't think you can merge aeroplan and air miles. Two different companies.

[AllWheelDrift]

Aeroplan will close you account (and as a result take away all your miles) if you don't have any activity for a year, and their miles expire 7 years after your earned them.

[Thalo]

F'n Aeroplan jipped my parents out of more than 100,000 points recently because they expired. How do you spend your points on an airline that maintains a monopoly on international air travel, yet doesn't fly much internationally out of Edmonton, while Westjet is 1000x better for domestic?

I told them they should have spent them on gift cards (low points:reward ratio, but better than losing them) but hindsight is 20-20.

[gman]

Even though Airmiles does not expire (yet), its value depreciates. i.e. if it used to spend N Airmiles to get a gift card, overtime, it becomes N+M Airmiles to get the same gift card.

[brunes]

F'n Aeroplan jipped my parents out of more than 100,000 points recently because they expired. How do you spend your points on an airline that maintains a monopoly on international air travel, yet doesn't fly much internationally out of Edmonton, while Westjet is 1000x better for domestic?

What do you mean by WestJet is 1000 times "better" for domestic? If you mean better value, then it doesn't matter because the flight would have been free....

You're in Edmonton, there are many places in the country they could have traveled with points for excellent value. They could have flown to NF for a week in the summer or something, it is BEAUTIFUL there for vacationing, and lots to do, many historical sites etc.

[jiepie]

air miles is a joke, pure joke.

i collect it every chance i have. for last couple of year. i have never redeem any of the miles.

just collect and collect. the air miles better show me how to get the reward.

thats why i go with the cash back cc, at least i get a cheque at the end of the year.

[Thalo]

What do you mean by WestJet is 1000 times "better" for domestic? If you mean better value, then it doesn't matter because the flight would have been free....

You're in Edmonton, there are many places in the country they could have traveled with points for excellent value. They could have flown to NF for a week in the summer or something, it is BEAUTIFUL there for vacationing, and lots to do, many historical sites etc.

The thing is, those of us who have experienced other airlines only hold our noses and take AC when we absolutely have to. Flying anywhere in Canada... I can do that with WJA and yes, I'd rather pay money for a non-AC flight than have a free AC flight. Economy at least. Air Canada executive first class, or whatever they call it, I can tolerate. But then that's only on international flights, and AC wants to purposefully deny my home city of more than 1 million inhabitants any international flights, with exception to the occasional London flight.

[big tuna]

air miles is a joke, pure joke.

i collect it every chance i have. for last couple of year. i have never redeem any of the miles.

just collect and collect. the air miles better show me how to get the reward.

thats why i go with the cash back cc, at least i get a cheque at the end of the year.

air miles are only half decent if you get in on the bonuses. safeway, new/gold amex cards. it's a good idea to cash them out whenever you can since point requirements for redemption increase yearly

[brunes]

The thing is, those of us who have experienced other airlines only hold our noses and take AC when we absolutely have to. Flying anywhere in Canada... I can do that with WJA and yes, I'd rather pay money for a non-AC flight than have a free AC flight. Economy at least. Air Canada executive first class, or whatever they call it, I can tolerate. But then that's only on international flights, and AC wants to purposefully deny my home city of more than 1 million inhabitants any international flights, with exception to the occasional London flight.

Having been on both airlines many times I really don't see much of a diff between them at all...

The only benefit WestJet has over AC IMO is the fact that every plane has TV.

[setell]

The thing is, those of us who have experienced other airlines only hold our noses and take AC when we absolutely have to. Flying anywhere in Canada... I can do that with WJA and yes, I'd rather pay money for a non-AC flight than have a free AC flight. Economy at least. Air Canada executive first class, or whatever they call it, I can tolerate. But then that's only on international flights, and AC wants to purposefully deny my home city of more than 1 million inhabitants any international flights, with exception to the occasional London flight.

You will turn down a free flight because of your beef with AC? I've flown both and can't say they are that much different. If you fly without expecting top notch service then you will be much happier!

[AllWheelDrift]

Having been on both airlines many times I really don't see much of a diff between them at all...

The only benefit WestJet has over AC IMO is the fact that every plane has TV.

I find WJ seats more comfortable and service is better. Last time I flew with them a year ago or so I don't think they had TV, but it was a short flight. For the same price I'd rather fly WJ and not collected aeroplan miles. (WJ fares are about the same as Tango fares which give you only 1/2 the miles.) AC's new in flight entertainment system is absolute crap. Every flight I've been on with it has had major problems requiring multiple complete system resets. I think I still have a discount voucher from the last time it happened, unless of course they expired that too.

Anyhow, I certainly would rather fly free on AC than paid flight for WJ though, but by normally choosing WJ for paid flights I rack up ponts more slowly.

[Thalo]

AC purposefully goes out of their way to treat their passengers like cattle. On top of that, the protectionism exercised by the federal government is only to the detriment of the Canadian airline industry and air travellers and general commerce nationwide.

[nalababe]

And I am the opposite of the last two...

I find West Jet service mediocre at best and there is no reason for me to fly with them. I find the attendants more youthful...yet less professional on West Jet (not saying that there is correlation).

I have never had anything but the best service from Air Canada....they even sent me a huge Fruits and Passion gift basket when I complained that the gate attendants allowed non-elite members to enter at the same time.

I have never had a problem with the in flight entertainment on Air Canada.

Since we have our flight passes through work, AC is cheaper for us than WJ.

And as I have posted on many forums, we have benefited greatly from Aeroplan.

Now I don't love Air Canada...but from Toronto they are no worse...and better on the whole than West Jet.