Introducing the American Express AIR MILES Reserve Credit Card

Air Miles, Canada’s largest loyalty program has long had credit cards that earn Air Miles Rewards Miles which also offered some standard credit card benefits but none like those found on some of the higher end premium travel cards. Enter the latest offering from American Express and Air Miles, the American Express AIR MILES Reserve Credit Card which is the first premium Air Miles card in the market. After discussions with sophisticated travelers (I would hope some of you were included since I like to believe the Rewards Canada fan base is quite sophisticated) and avid Air Miles collectors, American Express determined that there was a niche for a higher end card to be co-branded with Air Miles.

The card will be officially released tomorrow (Feb 14) but I have been provided with an early preview of what the card will be like.

The American Express AIR MILES Reserve Credit Card will offer 1,000 Air Miles Reward Miles as the standard sign up bonus although like almost every other card out on the market today we could expect to see even higher sign up bonuses in the future. The sign up or welcome bonus as Amex refers to it is awarded after spending $3,000 in the first three months of cardmembership.

Once you get the card you will be awarded with an annual short haul companion ticket (up to 1,450 Reward Miles) that can be used when booking another Air Miles reward ticket.

On regular spending you can expect to earn:


• -One Air Miles Reward Mile per $10 spent at Air Miles sponsors

• One Air Miles Reward Mile per $10 spent at all other Gas, Grocery and Drug Store locations

• One Air Miles Reward Mile per $15 spent on all other eligible spending

The  redemption and benefits side is where some of the big changes and enhancements come in when compared to other Air Miles credit cards and pulls ideas from The Platinum Card from American Express.

Cardmembers will continue to redeem Air Miles at the set Air Miles Reward Chart rates for tickets that fall into that category but where this card jumps ahead of the others is as follows:

• 
the administration/booking fee charged by Air Miles is waived
• 
you’ll be able to use your Reward Miles to pay for the taxes and fees

• the introduction of Air Miles FlexFly which lets you book any seat on any flight at a rate of 770 Air Miles for every $100 of travel booked when you cannot get a flight via the reward chart. This is similar to the booking options allowed to all Air Miles members where you can book any flight but it will cost you more miles depending on the cost of the flight but the rate this card has should be better.
• 
and the big one….. cardmembers will be able to redeem for Business Class flights! While Air Miles has occasionally run promotions for Business Class redemptions, this will be available all the time for Air Miles Reserve cardmembers. Apparently Air Miles will be able to book business class seats instead of economy from their existing inventory provided to them from their airline partners and if there is no availability then once again cardmembers can take advantage of the Air Miles FlexFly option of redeeming 770 points for every $100 spent on flights.

The benefits side will see some great options that are only seen on Amex Platinum cards, insurances similar to most premium cards and lounge access like some of the higher end travel cards:


• Priority Pass Membership with 4 annual lounge passes (all other lounge access will be at the standard Priority Pass rate of US$27 per visit once passes are used up)
• 
Access to the Toronto Pearson Priority Security lanes in Terminal and Terminal 3

• Access to Priority Limo and Taxi Lanes at Toronto Pearson
• 
Access to an exclusive AIR MILES concierge service, which will have a dedicated phone number, which for anyone who has called the main AIR MILES line to redeem can attest to being a great advantage. 

• American Express Front of the Line Access to concerts and events

• Insurances include Emergency Medical, Flight delay, car rental, lost baggage, hotel burglary and more


So what will this cost you to get all these benefits and enhancements? The primary card is $299 per year with supplementary cards coming in at $50. When I first heard $299 I can admit I was a little shocked, not because I haven’t seen prices like that (the Platinum Card from Amex is $699) but when I associate anything with Air Miles, I see people wanting to get a good deal at a good value . But then again this card is not targeting the general Air Miles populous, its targeting avid collectors who do redeem most of their Air Miles for travel and those wanting enhanced travel benefits. One can look at the companion fare as almost being covered by the $299 but I still feel this is high. The WestJet World Elite MasterCard has a $99 companion fare which can take you farther and that card only costs $99. Granted it has less travel benefits attached but it’s not too far off. The BMO World Elite which offers similar Priority Pass benefits is only $150, the American Express AeroplanPlus Platinum is $200 more with a companion fare, a better insurance package and very good lounge access plus it also has the Toronto Pearson benefits and comes out stronger for business class tickets. In my mind this card should have come in with a $199 annual fee to make it more attractive and competitive with cards that offer similar benefits.


Ultimately I think this card is a great step for the American Express Air Miles partnership. The majority of Air Miles credit cards have lacked on the benefits side and this card steps up to the plate to fill that void.  While I won’t be getting the card since I am not a big Air Miles collector anymore, I know of many who will and those people will be the ones who do use their Air Miles primarily for travel. When you take into account the benefits, the earn ratio and even the small things like waiving the booking fee, this card is the best Air Miles Reward Miles card to date and you should jump on it if you fall into that category. If you don’t travel much and/or don’t use your Air Miles Reward Miles for travel you are probably better off saving the money spent on the larger annual fee by going with one of the other American Express or BMO Air Miles credit cards.

Be sure to keep an eye out in the near future here on Rewards Canada as I give the card the standard unbiased “Rewards Canada Review”, the addition of the card to my famous credit card comparison charts and to see where it ranks in Rewards Canada’s 5th Annual Top Travel Rewards Credit Card feature later this year!

As always I would love to hear your thoughts, comments etc. Just leave a comment below!