Last year there was some bad press for Air Miles. It seems like every time we turn on the news some large company is having a public relations problem. Most recently it was Pepsi and United Airlines.
Usually something good comes out of this negative press. Corporations often change their policies in favour of consumers. In the case of Air Miles, they cancelled their controversial plan to have unused collected miles expire. That was great news to many collectors, including me.
So now that I can continue to collect and save my Air Miles I started to fantasize about what I wanted to save up for. The options are many, but fall into three main categories: Travel – do I want to save for a dream vacation; Merchandise – should I purchase new luggage, a new camera or maybe a new TV; or do I want to convert my miles to Cash Rewards and use them for everyday shopping – like gas and groceries – at participating retailers?
While mulling over my options I stumbled upon something else that Air Miles has to offer – concert tickets. It is called ‘Stage Pass’ and it is your ticket to the hottest shows across Canada with reserved ticket access, surprises, VIP contests, experiences and more.
I have always loved going to concerts. I don’t get to go as often now that family and work commitments get in the way. Not to mention the fact that the cost of ticket prices have gone up an insane amount over the last few decades. I remember when a ticket to one of the biggest concerts around cost $25 to $50. It was slightly higher if you bought a bus tour package that included transportation to an out of town show. I remember spending $80 for a ticket to see The Rolling Stones in Syracuse, NY (about a 2 hour drive from my Ontario hometown). For a 16 year old kid, that was a huge amount of money. I had to work a LOT of hours at KFC (then called Kentucky Fried Chicken) to earn enough to buy that ticket. For the record, it was totally worth it!
Today, tickets to the ‘big name’ shows go for $150 to $300 dollars each. The price could be even higher if you want to sit close to the stage. For most shows, the first 10 or so rows are sold as ‘premium tickets’ with a premium price tag.
This summer Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are touring for their 40th anniversary. My husband and I are huge fans so I decided to splurge on a couple of tickets. Unfortunately I was not successful as there were very few Canadian dates, and the shows sold out quickly. I momentarily considered the secondary ticket market, but my principles, and sticker-shock, quickly ended that idea. I guess we would have to miss this tour.
Then a few weeks later, I open an email from Air Miles advertising Stage Pass (which at the time I had never heard of) and decided to click on the link to find out more. To my pleasant surprise, along with several Country, Rock, Alternative, and Pop concerts, I saw Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers listed. I was given the options to redeem Air Miles to purchase tickets to this sold out concert! I had more than enough miles in my account to purchase 2 tickets so I didn’t hesitate. The tickets arrived via email within a few days and a quick search on the concert stadium’s website showed me that the seats were great! The show is this summer and we are so excited to go. So while I may have some minor guilt about asking my mom to babysit the kid and puppy, I don’t need to feel guilty about splurging on the price of concert tickets. Thanks Air Miles!
Now I check Stage Pass page regularly to see what other concerts deals I might be interested in. The number of miles required to purchase tickets vary quite a bit depending on the concert. If you want to see what concert tickets are currently available go to https://www.airmiles.ca/arrow/Splash?splashId=22800088&changeLocale=en_CA&cm_sp=RewardsHomeLanding/Button-_-MoreBenefits-_-StagePass. You just might be able to find hard to get tickets to see one of your favourite artists.
So now I am continuing to collect Air Miles every chance I get. It is worth looking for companies that offer Air Miles. I figure if I am going to purchase something anyway, I might as well get Air Miles to use toward something else I want…I hear Ireland is nice this time of year!
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