Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tomwaits]

I thought about it today and I have been pulling out this blue Air Miles card (in Canada right now) every frigging time I buy food (Safeway) or alcohol and gas when I used to drive. In Ontario It's like

Teller:Do you have air miles sir?

Me:Yes of course I have air miles--do I look like a bum?

Anyway I've never actually cashed in and when I have tried at travel agents they tell me they don't take it--call the "air milespeople." I figure it's mostly a scam like those Safeway memeberships where you spend a ton of money and then get a buck off a deli sandwich. But now some people tell me they have gotten hundreds in discounts and or free flights. I'm going to make some calls ..

I know frequent flyer would be different where you are loyal to one airline and build points. But usually my policy buying flights is to buy the cheapest one thatcan be found..


So before I start raving has anyon flown to Korea (or anywhere free on Air Miles.?

Thanks in advance.

[huffdaddy]

[peppermint]

My name is peppermint and I'm a card junkie.

I've got one of those blue air miles cards and an orange aeroplan one. I think it would take an eternity to earn a flight with the blue card, but I've gotten free movie tickets and gift certificates for stores with it a few times. here's the website: https://www.airmiles.ca/arrow/login/SignIn?_requestid=2697560

As for the orange one, I think you mostly collect those miles when you fly, and it's good with a lot of different airlines. I've not cashed them in, but I've got enough to get myself to South America and back right now

[DaeguKid]

Here is what you do friend...first get an Aeroplan card ASAP. I hope you still have your boarding pass from your Korean flight to Canada. You can still cash the points in, up to a year actually.

Anyhow, get an Aeroplan card. AirCanada belongs to Star Alliance. There are about 13 or 14 other airlines that are part of this. Everytime you use these airlines you collect points. After that, go to your local CIBC or call their credit card services. Tell them you want the Aerogold card. Every buck is a point. Its $120 a year to own the card, but well worth it IMO. For signing up they will give you up to 10,000 free points. Activate the card and buy a pack of gum if your not much of a credit card user. In turn the points will get added to your AeroCard.

To give you an idea, for 20,000 points you can fly Seoul to Bangkok return for free (but you got to pay about $80 in taxes). I have flown to Thailand for free twice. Now a return ticket from Seoul to Toronto is 13,000 airmiles, plus your free 10,000 from CIBC...boom, you just paid the most expensive part of your vacation to SE Asia.

If you or anyone has any questions feel free to PM me....every Canuck here should know this information.

DK

[peppermint]

I had most of that info, but Toronto to Seoul is 13,000 points? I thought it was at least that many for flights within Canada. Are you sure? IF so, I might be able to go somewhere more interesting than South America with those points

[Kimchi Cowboy]

I think we need to distinguish between AIR MILES and AEROPLAN here.

Air Miles (the blue card) is a points-per-purchase program, in which you earn points buy purchasing items at designated retail outlets, and you may later redeem said points for travel or other prizes.

Aeroplan gives you points for every mile you fly; which, when accumulated, may be redeemed for travel or prizes.

Daegu Kid missed a few important details; I believe he meant to say that flying from Seoul to Toronto EARNS you 13,000 points on Aeroplan. If you add the 10,000 point bonus you get when you sign on (if you jump through all the hoops - and yes, hoops abound) then you will have earned 23,000 points. You may then redeem those points to travel from Seoul to, well, just about anywhere in southeast Asia (again, hoops and scheduling permitting).

Also regarding Daegukid: You cannot collect any points for flights you may have taken prior to joining Aeroplan. So if you flew from Toronto to Seoul yesterday and sign up today, you are ineligible to collect those points.

All that being said....

I've redeemed numerous "free" flights between Korea/Hong Kong, Korea/Thailand, etc. over the years, so yes, I'd say joining Aeroplan is worth it. Oh yeah, you also get nice bonus certificates for upgrades to business class and access to the airport lounges, things like that. My "gold card" has come in handy a few times this year.

[MarionG]

Twice round-trip to Paris (DFW to ORY and back) and have flown my adult children around using miles...) lived in Dallas for years, still have American miles...

[Toon Army]

I`m with Flying Blue (KLM/AF/NWA) and have flown a couple times from Europe - Asia return.......they often do deals to ICN for half price miles (20k one way) which comes in very handy

[Pooty]

Wife and I flew to the states and back to Korea on miles last time around.

We also just got new credit cards through Shinan bank that give us air miles whenever we buy things with our cards. We just booked a flight to Japan this Christmas with miles.

[Toon Army]