Ok - so out of all the collector cards/ credit cards - - - which ones are really worth it re airmiles types things and being able to redeem for decent flights at sensible times and to the UK!!

I figure you might as well sign up for and collect both aeroplan and Airmiles because you are going to be spending the money anyway.

There are numerous ways to accumulate points on both - it may just take some clever shopping and use of incentives. But for one mile for every $20 the balance seems to creep up very slowly as far as I am concerned.

I think the current 'fair' for a trip to London with Airmiles is 6000. I feel like we've been collecting for ages and our balance is still only on about 4,500

There are tons of bank and credit cards affiliated to one or the other plans. We got an Amex Airmiles card and planned to use it for all grocery shopping - that mostly worked till one expensive purchase a few months ago which blew the limit Now I'm just paying it off! Another good idea would be to put all your household bills through a relevant card - you gotta pay the bills anyway, might as well earn on the back of them too.

BMO are linked to aeroplan I think. Sometimes the use of a debit card also collects points. All our flights on Air Canada last year earned yet more aeroplan miles.

Get an Airmiles collectors card anyway (not a credit or bank card - just a points card) for use at Safeways, Rona, Boston Pizza, Shell, etc, and tons of other outlets.

I live in hope of being able to 'purchase' at least one flight in the next decade!!

And someone mentioned on here a while ago that most of the airlines seem to bank on you not using the points to fly - they figure you will buy a coffee machine or a set of luggage or a camera from their brochures long before you hang out for a flight.

Others on here will now crow that they currently have a balance of about 60,000 miles and just have no idea when they can use them

Hi Anne - thanks -I have the airmiles card and an aeroplan one.

Airmiles - didnt realsie could use at Shell!! hmm - me thinks I will fill up there.

Aeroplan - tis Aircanada?? what else can I use it for . .

got so many bloody reward things in my purse - wanted to cull some! !!

I think you can use Aeroplan miles on any Star Alliance flight

We have Airmiles cards for Mrs_P and myself and also affiliated credit cards. Mrs_P has a BMO Mastercard with Airmiles and I have an Airmiles Amex card.

As you indicated we have all our major monthly bills go an one of the credit cards and also groceries. Costco purchases go on my Amex card. My prescriptions help immensely in adding miles to the total.

We just make sure our credit card balance is cleared each month.

We have no interest in redeeming points for flight but have obtained a number of "rewards" items form the Airmiles website.

We have a CIBC Aeroplan credit card and an Amex Aeroplan card and we bung everything on them, even the "small" purchases. But, its only really worth getting this type of card if you pay the balance off every month as there is an annual fee involved and interest rates are daft.

The other plus to bunging it all on the credit card is that paying the credit card bill equals one transaction so it helps cut down on bank fees if you have to pay for every transaction you make.

Current redemption rates for flights with aeroplan are 60,000 points per person, plus "taxes and fees" for an economy return to the UK on Air Canada or 80,000 points for a business class return. You can also use the miles on other star alliance airlines (e.g. United, Lufthansa, BMI, Singapore, ANA, Air new Zealand, etc). I don't personally think that the within Canada and US redemptions are as good value as the transatlantic ones.

You can often get 15,000 points just on sign up and then its 1 point per dollar or sometimes 1.5 on the spend. It can soon mount up if you are buying stuff for the home, paying bills, car insurance, petrol, groceries, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I don't go out and buy things just to get the miles (honest) - as Ann M says you may as well get something for nothing if you are spending anyway.

So far, we have managed to "pay" for my parents to fly over and visit in style in business class and then about 18 months later we had enough for another set of return business class tickets to the UK due to having moved over here and the need to purchase furniture and other major household items. Certainly not to be sniffed at, anyway.

You can redeem the aeroplan points on things like coffee makers and other good but I don't think you get as much value from the points this way.

I guess it depends what your goal is with these credit cards i.e. cash back, cheaper flights to visit the rellies, or access to other goods. The biggest question to ask yourself is will you pay the balance off in full every month as over here a lot of cards charge and annual fee and the interest rates charged would cancel out any benefits gained from any points accumulation.

So, what are you waiting for.....go get yourself down the shops girl!!!

Oh, and here's a link to the various Aeroplan promotions e.g. Esso gas, Tropicana orange juice, Sobeys groceries, hotel stays, etc: http://www.aeroplan.com/promotions.do

Yes you can. I recently went from Phoenix to Costa Rica on Aeroplan with US Airways (affectionately known as Useless Airways). I have made several trips using miles. I'm planning to visit Argentina and Chile next winter by the same method.

Just found this which might help on the comparison front:

http://www.creditcardsearch.ca/

Avion card with visa...avion points can be used for any airline but more importantly once or twice a year you can exchange for BA points at one and a half for one.BA only requires 50000 points to the UK so changing 35000 avion points will give you a flight to the UK from anywhere in Canada.I have done this a number of times from Vancouver to Manchester and London.

hmm wet feet- thats a good one . .

I really dont like idea of credit cards - so not sure I would want to put utility payments on it - I would then just think I had more spending money in my account!

You just have to budget.

Difficult for some but it can be done.

I know - but it sort of slips off the radar! - maybe I will try , , , ,

pay off everyday with online banking

We rack up lots of Airmiles points at IGA and Rona and we redeem them for things like ski passes. Our Desjardins visa card also collects "bonidollars". Those get used too, when we buy holidays etc. My Aeroplan points are not accumulating as fast as I would like but I think I'm in the 50k range now.

Sears pulled a stunt recently, by running a lottery to win cars and stuff. You had to buy tickets with your reward points. It was a very cheap way for them to claw points back.

We use our RBC credit card to pay all our bills (automatic debit). I found that getting paid every 2 weeks is nice but it's not the same as the UK where we knew our wages were deposited by the 30th of the month and all our DD came off on the 1st of every month. Then what was left was our spending money.

Here, we get paid every second Friday and the 1st of the month (or whatever day you chose for your DD) may land on a Wednesday, or Thursday just before your wages is deposited

I just log onto my RBC account and pay off my RBC credit card balance weekly online.