What Should I Look Out For If I Collect Rewards, Or Air Travel Points On My Credit Card?

The majority of credit cards now offer various rewards programs, such as Air Miles, Aeroplan, Avion, or any number of other systems. Although it can be great when one is able to collect enough points to get a free airplane ticket, or perhaps enough to obtain tickets for a family vacation, one must be careful to read the fine print found in the terms and conditions of such programs.

For example, in some programs your points will expire after a set period of time. This is the case, for example, with most Aeroplan programs. That means you must redeem your points before they are lost. You may find that if you do not use your credit card for major purchases, you will never be able to redeem enough points to buy a complete plane ticket, and you will be forced to settle with a gift of lesser value just to collect your points before they expire.

Also, if you choose to use your points for travel, you must remember to book very early, as some programs have black out periods, and in most cases only a small minority of seats on each flight are reserved for people travelling on points. You must also be prepared to pay for all taxes and associated fees, as you cannot pay for these with your points.

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