A Million Ways to Dream

AIR MILES® thanks Collectors on 20th Anniversary

TORONTO, Feb. 1, 2013 /CNW/ - Imagine finding out that you could travel to France with a loved one, 10 times a year for five years! For one lucky AIR MILES Collector, Frank D., 67, of Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, this dream has become a reality as part of AIR MILES' 20^th Anniversary celebrations.

Frank D., is among the thousands of Canadians who were automatically entered into the AIR MILES 20^th Anniversary Thanks a Million promotion last summer just by doing their everyday shopping at a local AIR MILES Sponsor location. Frank, as it happens, is a devoted Sobeys shopper. As part of the contest, 20 finalists were drawn to win 20,000 reward miles each, with the grand prize winner receiving an additional 1 million miles!

"It's always been my wife's dream to travel to Hawaii," exclaimed Frank. "With the one million and 20,000 miles, I can take her there 60 times! Or, we can enjoy the trip with 98 of our closest friends! I never imagined we'd be so lucky when I started earning AIR MILES shopping at my local Sobeys over a decade ago."

The possibilities for a million reward miles are truly endless.  Here are just a few ways that newly awarded Mile-ionaire Frank D. and his wife could choose to spend them:

• Drive across Canada (coast to coast) 174 times without shelling out for gas money using AIR MILES Cash
• Renovate every room in their house
• Celebrate with 172 of their closest friends on an Alaskan cruise
• Fly to the Seven Wonders of the World together six times

The following lucky Collectors were among the Thanks a Million finalists who each won 20,000 reward miles:

• Lindsay S. from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
• Steven M. from Black Diamond, Alberta
• Owen S. from Winnipeg, Manitoba
• Fredrick D. from Fruitvale, British Columbia
• Susan S. from New Minas, Nova Scotia
• Luann W. from Russell, Ontario
• Peter L. from Thunder Bay, Ontario
• Jacklene W. from Iroquois Falls, Ontario
• Natalie M. from Quesnel, British Columbia
• Laurie O. from Mississauga, Ontario
• John M. from Cranford, Alberta
• Genevieve S. from Montreal, Quebec
• Sebastian S. from Brampton, Ontario
• Patricia C. from Cochrane, Alberta
• Barbara S. from Winnipeg, Manitoba
• Norma M. from Mississauga, Ontario
• Kelly I. from Irvine, Alberta
• Dung V. from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
• Natalie W. from Calgary, Alberta

With 20,000 reward miles, these lucky Collectors have the opportunity to:

• Go to the movies once a week for an entire year (for a family of four!)
• Fly from Toronto to New York and back nine times
• Refurbish a room in the house by instantly redeeming through AIR MILES Cash

"I want to say a big congratulations to Frank D., our newly-crowned Mile-ionaire and our Thanks-a-Million finalists - thank you for participating in the contest," says Andy Wright, president of the AIR MILES Reward Program. "Equally important is to thank all AIR MILES Collectors for their continued support over the past 20 years. We look forward to celebrating many more milestones with you in the future."

It gives us great pride knowing that over the past 20 years, we've issued more than 50 billion miles to our over 10 million Collectors," said Andy Wright, president of the AIR MILES Reward Program. "We're also proud that we've been able to give Canadians a way to turn their everyday purchases, like gas, groceries and pharmacy needs into movie tickets, electronics, dream vacations and so much more."

Canadians can sign up for the program, find out about local Sponsors and learn more by visiting www.airmiles.ca.

About the AIR MILES Thanks a Million Contest:
The AIR MILES Thanks a Million Contest ran from August 24, 2012 to September 20, 2012.  Collectors entered the contest by redeeming Contest Offer Coupons when making their everyday purchases or by collecting AIR MILES with their BMO Bank of Montreal AIR MILES MasterCard® or debit card, and / or their American Express AIR MILES Credit Card. Contest sponsors included American Express, BMO Bank of Montreal, Sobeys, Foodland, Lawtons Drugs, Toys "R" Us, The Children's Place, Metro, RONA, Safeway, and Rexall.

About the AIR MILES Reward Program:
Founded in 1992, the AIR MILES Reward Program is Canada's premier coalition loyalty program with more than 10 million active Collector accounts, representing approximately two-thirds of all Canadian households. The AIR MILES Reward Program allows Collectors to earn reward miles simply by doing their everyday shopping at more than 220 leading brand-name Sponsors, representing thousands of retail and service locations across Canada and leading global brands online. The AIR MILES Reward Program also allows Collectors to indulge in more than 1200 leisure, entertainment, merchandise, travel and a range of accredited, environmentally-friendly lifestyle rewards. With AIR MILES Cash, Collectors can also have the flexibility to instantly redeem their AIR MILES reward miles in-store towards many everyday and high value purchases like gas, grocery, drug store items and home improvement purchases at participating Sponsors.

Image with caption: "The AIR MILES Reward Program congratulates Frank D., 67 (with wife, Noreen, 64) of Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia on winning one million AIR MILES reward miles in the Thanks A Million contest. (CNW Group/AIR MILES Reward Program)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130201_C2298_PHOTO_EN_23186.jpg

SOURCE: AIR MILES Reward Program

For further information:

or to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please contact:

Anne Locke or Deane Code
Environics Communications
416.920.9000
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