- LCBO ended its AIR MILES rewards program earlier this year and has since replaced it with Air Canada’s Aeroplan rewards.
- Customers will earn one Aeroplan point for every $4 spent at the LCBO, with bonus points on specific products.
- Aeroplan points aren’t just redeemable for Air Canada flights. Aeroplan lets customers redeem points on a wide variety of airline providers.
Alcohol has become an integral part of how Ontarians are coping with stress during the pandemic, and up until recently, they could capitalize on this spending by swiping their AIR MILES card at the LCBO checkout to earn rewards.
The LCBO announced in February, however, that its partnership with AIR MILES would be coming to an end — a relationship that had been in place since 1997. In August, the LCBO announced a new partnership, this time with Air Canada/Aeroplan. Ontarians will soon collect Aeroplan rewards every time they purchase alcohol at the liquor store.
Here’s everything you need to know about the LCBO-Aeroplan rewards program, and how it compares to the previous LCBO-AIR MILES partnership.
What to know about Aeroplan rewards
Aeroplan is Air Canada’s travel loyalty program and is used by millions of Ontarians. Aeroplan points can be redeemed for travel, including flights, hotels, car rentals, or merchandise and gift cards.
Aeroplan points aren’t just redeemable for Air Canada flights, either. Aeroplan lets customers redeem points on a wide variety of airline providers, helping them access more than 1,300 destinations across the globe. Aeroplan is currently offered at more than 150 financial, retail, and travel partners, including some of the best travel rewards credit cards.
How Aeroplan compares to AIR MILES
Under the new program, Aeroplan members will earn one Aeroplan point for every $4 they spend at the LCBO, with bonus points on specific products. Here’s a look at how the Aeroplan program compares to the now-defunct AIR MILES rewards program when shopping at the LCBO.
| Aeroplan | AIR MILES | |
|---|---|---|
| Rewards earn rate from LCBO | 1 Aeroplan point per $4 spent | 1 AIR MILE per $30 spent |
| Rewards earn rate from credit cards | Up to 1.5 points per $1 spent | 1 AIR MILE per $10 spent |
| Rewards earn rate from flights | Up to 150% of actual miles flown | No miles earned on flights |
| Dollar value of points | 1 Aeroplan point = $0.015 | 1 AIR MILE = $0.121* |
| Redeemable for | Flights, car rentals, hotels, vacations, merchandise, gift cards | Flights, car rentals, hotels, vacations, merchandise, gift cards, or directly at the point of sale at participating retailers |
| Collection methods | Membership card, app, credit card, Aeroplan eStore, participating retailers, Air Canada flights and gift cards | Membership card, app, credit card, participating retailers, AIR MILES eStore |
| Points expiration | Aeroplan points expire after 18 consecutive months of inactivity | AIR MILES do not expire |
*value fluctuates based on redemption items
Double your rewards with an Aeroplan rewards credit card
When you regularly find an item in your budget, it’s wise to capitalize on that spending by collecting rewards points or cash back. This strategy can be employed in many ways, like using a cash back credit card or a Visa debit card with rewards.
If the LCBO’s new partnership has convinced you that Aeroplan points are your top choice for rewards points in Canada, you might want to consider choosing a rewards credit card to help you maximize your spending and reap the most rewards.
In that case, the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card is an excellent place to start. This credit card lets you earn Aeroplan points on everyday purchases, including gas, bills, and groceries. For example, when you use the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card for everyday purchases, you’ll earn 1.5 points for every dollar spent on gas and groceries, as well as one point per dollar spent on all other purchases. In addition, you can earn points twice when you shop at participating retailers like the LCBO, once through your credit card and once using the retailer’s reward plan.
- Related read: 5 Simple Ways to Earn More With Aeroplan
Rewards points are an excellent way to let your daily spending habits work for you and passively accumulate points that can be used for travel or merchandise. If you’re already an Aeroplan member, shopping at the LCBO just got more rewarding.
Rates, product information and reward estimates are subject to change at any time and do not constitute financial advice. This post was not sponsored. RATESDOTCA may receive a referral fee from our partners or affiliate links featured on the site; however, our editorial choices are objective and free from bias. The opinions expressed in this article are purely those of RATESDOTCA; thus, the credit card issuers and partners are not responsible for any editorials or reviews that may appear. Please visit the associated brand’s website for complete and current terms and conditions on any product or service mentioned. The information in this article is accurate as of the date of this posting, September 10, 2021. Read our full disclaimer.
