Do Air Miles Expire?

If you're wondering whether your Air Miles expire, the answer is yes. But Air Miles only expire under certain conditions.

The key to keeping your Air Miles from expiring is to maintain regular account activity through earning, redeeming, or transferring at least one Mile within any 24 months. One of the simplest strategies to ensure your account stays active is to use a credit card that collects Air Miles – preferably one of the top Air Miles cards in the country.

Do Air Miles expire?

Air Miles expire when your collector account falls "dormant" – that is, you haven’t earned, redeemed, or transferred a single Mile within 24 months.

If your account is marked dormant, you’ll lose all your Miles plus any unused Rewards, such as e-vouchers, travel discounts, or earning accelerators. According to the Air Miles Terms and Conditions, neither Miles nor Rewards are eligible for compensation after cancellation.

These terms apply equally to Cash Miles, which you can redeem for in-store discounts and e-vouchers, and Dream Miles, which you can redeem for flights.

Personal bankruptcy, fraud, or violating the program terms and conditions can also lead Air Miles to terminate your account and cancel your Miles and Rewards without compensation.

How to avoid losing your Air Miles

The easiest way to avoid losing your Air Miles is to earn, redeem, or transfer at least 1 Cash Mile or Dream Mile every 2 years. If you’re afraid you’ll forget, set a future reminder on your phone to do one of the following:

• Collect Miles at 70 – 90 in-store Air Miles partners such as Shell, Global Pet Foods, or Dollarama
• Collect Miles at 250+ online stores using airmilesshops.ca
• Collect Bonus Miles by scanning a receipt with the Air Miles mobile app
• Collect Bonus Miles by linking a Mastercard credit card to your collector account and qualifying for a Card Linked Offer
• Redeem at least 95 Cash Miles on a $10 in-store discount or e-voucher
• Redeem at least 315 Dream Miles on a merchandise reward
• Transfer or gift at least 1 Mile for $0.15 (plus tax) using the Transfer Miles page

You can add to your balance, get a nice reward, or make someone’s day, all without losing your hard-earned rewards.

If you need a different method (or a fix for expired Miles), read on. There are 4 other methods to avoid losing Air Miles, which we’ve ranked from easiest to hardest.

1. Use an Air Miles credit card

BMO AIR MILES^®† World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*

2.5 Genius Rating

3.4 (55) User reviews

×1 Award winner

$150 GeniusCash + Up to 9,000 bonus AIR MILES + 3x the AIR MILES at partners.^*

Annual fee

$120.00 $0

1st year waived

Welcome bonus

$1,143^◊
9,000 miles

Annual rewards
$323^◊
GC Ends: Dec 31, 2025

GC: $150

I Want This Deal Learn More

Instant approval: Yes

Credit estimate:

BMO AIR MILES^®† World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*

GC: $150

2.5 Genius Rating

3.4 (55) User reviews

1x Award winner

$150 GeniusCash + Up to 9,000 bonus AIR MILES + 3x the AIR MILES at partners.^*

Annual fee

$120.00 $0

1st year waived

Welcome bonus

$1,143^◊
9,000 miles

Annual rewards
$323^◊
GC Ends:

Dec 31, 2025

Credit estimate:

 (560 - 659)

I Want This Deal Learn More

Instant approval: Yes

Rewards

Details & Eligibility

Genius Rating

User Reviews

Pros & Cons

Show More

Rewards

Details & Eligibility

Genius Rating

User Reviews

Pros & Cons

An Air Miles credit card makes it easier to earn Miles and keep your account active. Our top pick is the BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard, which earns up to 3 Miles per $12 spent at partner stores and 1 Mile per $12 spent everywhere else.

You’ll also get World Elite Mastercard perks (including a free DragonPass airport lounge membership!) and the most comprehensive travel insurance package in Canada for $120 per year.

Pros:

• 25% off 1 Air Miles flight redemption per year
• 24/7 credit score monitoring with CreditView
• Up to 20% off Alamo and National car rentals, and up to 4% off Enterprise
• 14 types of insurance
• Up to 7 cents off per litre at Shell
• Up to 7% off accommodations on Booking.com
• Automatic Air Miles Onyx status
• World Elite Mastercard benefits

Cons:

• $80,000 personal or $150,000 household income required
• Lower rewards than other premium cards

2. Check your email

Air Miles asks for a valid email address during signup to notify collectors of important account updates, like the fact that their account might soon fall dormant. While it also asks for a mailing address, we have not confirmed whether collectors will receive a formal letter should their Miles be in jeopardy.

If you haven’t seen any Air Miles emails in your inbox for a while, check all your folders, including "Spam" and “Promotions.” You should also whitelist any email addresses marked “@airmiles.ca” – especially [email protected] – in your email’s spam filter.

You can check your account status and update your contact information on the Air Miles website.

3. Contact customer service

If your account has already fallen dormant or you need an extension, you can ask Air Miles Customer Care for a solution. Online users report an offer to reinstate dormant Miles for $0.15 each – though, given they’re only worth up to $0.20 apiece, it hardly seems worth it.

If Customer Care doesn’t provide a satisfactory solution, you can try following Air Miles’ 3-step concern resolution process:

1. Contact Customer Care by phone, chat, fax, or mail.
2. Escalate to Collector Relations by fax, phone, or mail.
3. Address the Office of the President by phone, email, fax, or mail.

Air Miles will redirect your call or letter to the appropriate channel if you jump directly to addressing the President, so we recommend following the procedure to keep goodwill on your side.

4. Contact the press

In 2018, Global News reported a BC woman lost 21,069 Air Miles after her account went dormant. Despite extenuating family circumstances, Air Miles offered only $100 in Miles in compensation, claiming it sent due notification via email.

After being contacted by the Consumer Matters team, the company decided to reinstate all the collector’s Miles as a gesture of goodwill. Consumer Matters is still on the air; if you have a compelling case and feel you’ve "hit a brick wall" dealing with Air Miles directly, the team might help.

FAQ

How do I know if my Air Miles are expiring?

Air Miles notifies collectors whose Miles are close to expiry via email. You can also manually check the status of your account by logging into the Air Miles mobile app or website.

Do you lose Air Miles if you don’t use them?

You’ll forfeit all your Cash Miles, Dream Miles, and unused Rewards if you go 24 months without earning, redeeming, or transferring at least 1 Mile.

Do Air Miles from Air Miles credit cards expire?

Any Cash Miles or Dream Miles earned with an Air Miles credit card expire at the usual rate – after 24 months without any new earnings, redemptions, or transfers.

Can you cash out Air Miles?

While you can’t exchange Air Miles for cash, you can redeem them on cash-like rewards, starting at 95 Cash Miles for a $10 in-store discount or e-voucher.