[PROMOTION] Reminder 1,500 Sign Up Bonus Air Miles (expired on June 30, 2014)

American Express Air Miles Platinum Credit Card

• • $65 annual fee (waived the first year)
  • Earn 1,500 sign up bonus Air Miles points when you spend $500 in the first three months (apply before June 30, 2014)
  • Earn 500 Air Miles points for every approved referral
  • Earn 1 Air Miles point for every $10 spent at Air Miles sponsors, groceries, gas and drug stores in Canada
  • Earn 1 Air Miles point for every $15 on all other purchases

Keep in mind that if you choose the referral route, your friend can earn 500 points, but you will only receive 1,250 sign up bonus points. Waiving the first year annual fee makes this credit card a no-brainer to sign up for if you like your Air Miles.

We recently tweeted Air Miles to inquire on whether they plan on changing their 5 year expiry policy that was put in place in 2011. Therefore, all points earned on or before December, 31 2011 will expire on December 31, 2016. Since Air Miles did not respond to our tweet, we did a little more research on the reasons behind the policy.

In the Frequently Asked Questions section of the Air Miles website, they answered the following question: “What is the reason you are now date-stamping/ expiring miles?”

• Most loyalty programs in Canada and around the world already have an expiry policy of some kind (some expire accounts, while others expire points).
• These practices are put in place to provide accounting certainty and are an accepted industry practice.

Unfortunately I have to disagree with Air Miles. Before this 5 year policy was implemented in 2011, Air Miles already had an expiry policy where if your account was inactive for 12 months, your points expired anyway. Conversely, not a lot of programs in Canada have a drop dead expiry date. Aeroplan already lifted its 7 year, drop dead, expiry policy.

Just remember to start using your points before the December 31, 2016 expiry date.