Uber has begun a national partnership with Air Miles, providing riders with ways to earn miles for the rewards program.
The partnership begins with the “Mystery Miles” contest, running for today only. Special “Mystery Miles” cards will be placed into Uber vehicles in Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Edmonton and Toronto from 5 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. this evening. If a rider selects the “Air Miles” option on the Uber app when connecting with a driver and finds one of the cards, they will win a mystery amount of Air Miles, with one rider in each city winning a grand prize of 15,000 miles.
In addition, Air Miles members that are new to Uber will receive 100 bonus miles when they take their first ride and use the code “AIRMILES” until Nov. 15.
It’s all being promoted through PR handled by North Strategic and a social media push by both Air Miles and Uber handled by Squareknot. More promotions that will see new Uber riders receive bonus points are planned to roll out after Nov. 15.
Over the last year or so, Air Miles has prioritized finding ways to provide experiences for members, such as events through a partnership with NBA Canada or allowing them to redeem points for things like charitable donations and VIP concert experiences with Live Nation. Natasha Lasiuk, associate director of marketing for Air Miles, says a rising company like Uber as a partner satisfies that, while also serving a functional purpose.
“Air Miles is a program that rewards Canadians from all regions, no matter what your interests are, so our partner roster really reflects that,” she says, adding that Uber provides a national service to complement some of its other, regional transportation partners. “We offer collectors not only aspirational products and services, but also functional services for everyday use. Uber is something some people use every day, it’s functional and it’s becoming a brand Canadians value.”
Air Miles is focusing on experiences to attract younger members in response to demand from its retail and financial partners, as well as to drive overall growth in its membership.
“During the last year, we have tried to get more partnerships on board that cater to more of a millennial demographic,” Lasiuk says. “With Uber, I feel that it caters to all demographics, including that millennial demographic that we are trying to embrace.”
Image courtesy MikeDotta/Shutterstock
