10 Interesting Ways to Use Your Aeroplan Miles

10 Interesting Ways to Use Your Aeroplan Miles

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, you’re fully aware that loyalty programs are all the rage these days. It pays to be loyal, but you have to be vigilant and consistent. If you do, it’s easy to rack up the points and be rewarded for your purchases.

We are big fans of the Aeroplan program and collect miles through a variety of channels. Our credit card is linked to Aeroplan, we choose to shop at stores that give us miles, and we often fly with Star Alliance partners because we know we’ll be rewarded.

Sure, you can redeem your miles for flights, but sometimes it’s fun to use your miles for things you might not buy for yourself otherwise. With that in mind, here’s a short list of unique ways to use your Aeroplan Miles.

(1) Stay entertained on long travel days

We always travel with our iPad. It has white noise for Baby B to sleep and it’s loaded with toddler apps, songs and cartoons. Your miles can get you a shiny new Apple iPad mini 16GB with Wi-Fi.

(2) Gift cards at major hotel chains

Our trick is to purchase gift cards from hotels we frequent and then wait for that hotel to have a sale, stretching our dollar. 12,000 miles will get you a $100 gift card for Fairmont hotels that can be used at any location around the world. If you use this in the off season it will likely get you a free night.

(3) Satisfy your need for speed

Go beyond the tourist attractions and try something you wouldn’t normally purchase while on vacation. How about racing a Ferrari F430 GT in Las Vegas!

(4) Book a sightseeing tour

A hop on/off sightseeing tour is a great way to see a city’s highlights in a short period of time. For 5,000 miles you can pre-purchase a day pass for many of the world’s great cities; including London, Paris, and New York.

(5) Get your kids excited about travel

The more we travel together as a family, the more Baby B wants to get involved. He now wants to bring his own bag on flights and weekend trips. For 8,500 miles, we can get him an adorable Bumble Bee travel bag that will fit in the overhead compartment on airplanes – perfect for toys and games on long flights.

(6) Climb the Sea to Sky on the Rocky Mountaineer

This 3.5 hour scenic trip on the iconic Rocky Mountaineer starts in downtown Vancouver and ends in the alpine resort town of Whistler. It’s the perfect family trip because it’s not too long and passes through spectacular mountain landscapes. And what kid doesn’t love the train?

(7) Get something special for the hockey lover in your life

Get an autographed jersey from Canadian hockey superstar Jonathan Toews. The Chicago Blackhawks’ centre has won two Stanley Cups and is the youngest player to join the Triple Gold Club. We think this is a pretty awesome gift for die hard hockey fans.

(8) Be a tourist in your hometown

For 13,000 miles, why not try something totally different like glass blowing? Here in Vancouver, we had the opportunity to try a private glass blowing lesson with Braden Hammond. It was an interesting experience, but be warned that glass blowing is much harder than you think. The pro’s make it look easy!

(9) Give back to charity 

When you redeem miles for certain items – like an autographed guitar from Keith Urban – not only do you get an awesome reward, but proceeds go to Aeroplan’s Beyond Miles partner War Child Canada. It’s a win-win!

(10) Make a difference and build a legacy in India

Have you ever thought about volunteering overseas? Members can volunteer with Aeroplan’s Beyond Miles partner “Free The Children”. The “Me to We Volunteer Adventure to India” will have you spending 2 nights in Delhi and 7 nights at the Araveli Cottages and Tented Camp while you help build a school and create a lasting legacy with your contribution.

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To learn more about the program, visit Aeroplan’s website: https://www.aeroplan.com/

 

Disclosure – Aeroplan is one of our travel partners, however expressed opinions are entirely our own. We are long-time supporters and users of the Aeroplan rewards program and we hand-picked this list.