Air Miles customers furious over limit for in-store rewards

Some Air Miles collectors reacted with anger on Monday after learning the reward program is lowering the cap on in-store cash miles redemptions to $50 per day as it prepares to resume the program on Wednesday.

The redemptions were halted after Air Miles discovered two weeks ago some stolen cash miles had been used to make purchases.

The latest changes to Air Miles redemption policies follow a controversy that erupted last year, when the company was planning to void Air Miles that hadn’t been claimed after five years. That plan was withdrawn before it was to take effect as many customers reacted angrily.

Francis van Roode, 50, said he’s considering replacing his Air Miles credit card for one that offers other rewards because of the new spending limit.

“I use those cash rewards to go to Staples, buy a new computer monitor or, like a few weeks back, I bought a new office chair, things like that,” said the Vancouver information technology consultant.

“Fifty bucks? So if I want to buy a $300 monitor, I get $50 off and have to put up the rest? Not great.”

The previous daily limit for instore redemptions was $750, but Air Miles said most of its collectors use the cash miles in small amounts.

However, Andrew Allen said he shares an Air Miles card with his parents so that they can afford to buy big-ticket items, such as fixtures for his bathroom renovation project. “Fifty dollars is not going to pay for the bathtub I want to get,” said the 32-year-old administrator at McMaster University in Hamilton.

“The tub alone is probably going to cost $300 or $400. The old way was $750, which was fine for me.”

He said he’s been collecting Air Miles since the 1990s and doesn’t want to stop, but hopes the company changes its decision.

Air Miles said it chose to implement the $50 cap to reduce the risk of fraud while ensuring most of its collectors can still claim their miles for discounts.