- As of March 16, 2026, AIR MILES travel bookings moved to Expedia with no minimum miles and redemption for the full cost (including taxes/fees); redemptions are a fixed ~10¢ per mile, while cruise bookings stay with Red Tag at ~11¢ and gift cards yield ~10.5¢ per mile. - The Blue Rewards rebrand is planned for summer 2026 and could shift redemption economics; for now, gift cards offer better value, so use miles for bookings you’d otherwise skip paying cash. - Existing bookings before March 16 remain under the original AIR MILES terms; BMO cardholders continue to earn 3x miles on Expedia purchases.

AIR MILES Travel Transitions to Expedia As of March 16, 2026, AIR MILES has officially transitioned its travel booking platform to Expedia. All new travel bookings — flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages — are now processed through the Expedia platform, marking the most significant operational change to the program since BMO completed its acquisition back in 2023. The move brings some genuinely welcome flexibility to how collectors can use their miles, but it also raises some important questions about redemption value and whether travel bookings are even the best use of your AIR MILES balance. The headline improvements are straightforward. Under the new Expedia-powered system, there is no minimum miles requirement — you can redeem as little as a single mile towards a booking. Miles can now be applied to the entire cost of a booking, including taxes and fees, which was a long-standing frustration with the old platform. And the now-discontinued Flex Pay feature has been permanently retired. On the surface, this sounds like a meaningful upgrade. More flexibility, more options, fewer restrictions — what’s not to like? Here’s where it gets interesting — and not entirely in a good way. All travel redemptions through the Expedia portal now offer a flat value of approximately 10 cents per mile, regardless of whether you’re booking a flight, a hotel, or a car rental....