Written in 2012, back when Aeroplan points were a little more valuable. These days there isn’t much to be done with them.
I have talked previously about how I use different customer retention or appreciation point systems (like PC Points, Aeroplan, etc.,), but I keep forgetting that I do actually have “backlogs” in a few systems that I keep forgetting about.
Case in point would be Aeroplan: This past weekend I was arranging for a short trip and I realized I was going to have to rent a car for the day. I busily went through all the possible discounts I could get from being a CAA Member, or a PSAC member, or some wack-a-doodle coupons. Still, it then dawned on me that even though I didn’t have enough Aeroplan points to pay for my flight (even a shorthaul Ottawa Toronto run), I did have enough points to rent a car for the day (thus saving about $60). Luckily I had this epiphany before I booked my car.
The danger I guess is that with any points system is you can either:
- Forget you are a member, that is the case usually with me and the Shoppers Drug Mart points system, and many Hotel points systems. All you have to do is either lose your membership card or take it out of your wallet, and you can easily forget about it.
- Never check your balance, so you are unaware of what you can do with your points
- Keep saving for something bigger, but then fall into (1) and forget you have the points.
- The last one is diabolical. Some systems “time out” your points after some time (Aeroplan is guilty of this, as are many of the Hotel Point systems).
I think an exciting website or add-on to Mint (maybe) would be to keep track of points in your “finance” system. You’d then remember these points, since they are effectively unused assets. Is there such a system out there? I’d be willing to use it, if it was out there!
Question: Anybody else forgetting about their points, or are you a good “user” and spend the points as soon as you have enough to do anything with them?
I use AwardWallet to track all the different point programs, also tells you when your points might expire etc. Recommend it, seems to be the best that works for the majority of our Canadian point systems too.
Ottawan Couch Potato.
OK, I will check that out, thanks Greg!