Airmiles Armchair Chatter

[DilEmma]

Sobey's Ontario:

Shop the Block - Rothwell Cheese is $6.99/$7.99/$8.99 (reg. price), 15am wub 2 til 1/5/17 (instore tag) ... plus your 25am wub 2 block coupon.

Sobyey's flyer Lipton/Knorr soup promo - shelf date says 1/5/17 as well (monthly promo), spend $10 get 25am, prices vary.

Thanks for that info.

 

[DilEmma]

Costa Coffee locations?

I stopped at two different Shell gas stations on my way home to get started on my 'Shop the Block' strategy. I was hoping to use the Costa coffee coupon as a super cheap one of the seven required. Google could not help me.

Anyone know of a Shell in the Ottawa area that has the Costa coffee?

 

[ottawamom]

The Prime chicken for the Shop the Block promo (50am) is on sale for 9.99, $6 off. Need to buy 2 for promo.

I feel like I've been asleep at the switch these past few weeks. Can someone explain the "Shop the Block" promo to me. I hate to miss out on good AM. I sort of remember hearing something about it but I can't put my fingers on the details. Thanks

edit: don't know if this is already posted but here is the direct link to Shop the Block airmiles.ca/holiday

 

[Glynis4]

I'm ready to purchase a 3-day Disneyland park hopper (child) for our trip next November - I plan on buying the 2 adult passes from CAA as I won't have enough miles by February to get the discounted rate. The adult passes will be 4-day hoppers. I can upgrade the child 3-day hopper to a 4-day at the park, correct? And I will pay the difference between the current price of a child's 3-day to 4-day? I wish air miles would offer the 4-day option!

 

[DilEmma]

I feel like I've been asleep at the switch these past few weeks. Can someone explain the "Shop the Block" promo to me. I hate to miss out on good AM. I sort of remember hearing something about it but I can't put my fingers on the details. Thanks

'Shop the Block' promotion started 16 November (yesterday). You can pick up the coupon booklet at your Rexall here in Barrhaven. Or you can download the offers online at https://shoptheblock.ca/en/home. There are actually a few extra offers online that are not in the booklet and vice versa so check both.

It is a tremendously good promotion. Like really good. At least from my point of view here in Ontario.

Each coupon in the booklet / online is an 'offer'.

According to the booklet 'Use 7 offers and' you earn a whopping 1,900 Airmiles... that's $200 value!!!!

You can also use 5 offers and earn 950 Airmiles ($100 value) or use 3 offers and earn 285 Airmiles ($30 value).

Regardless of what type of Airmiles earning you have chosen, the 1,900 Airmiles will be CASH MILES. The Airmiles for the coupons you use though are alloted based on your preference. The 1,900 points post in February 2017.

To me, this promotion looks like they are trying to show people (who are not like us) that there is value in collecting Airmiles.

 

[pigletto]

'Shop the Block' promotion started 16 November (yesterday). You can pick up the coupon booklet at your Rexall here in Barrhaven. Or you can download the offers online at https://shoptheblock.ca/en/home. There are actually a few extra offers online that are not in the booklet and vice versa so check both.

It is a tremendously good promotion. Like really good. At least from my point of view here in Ontario.

Each coupon in the booklet / online is an 'offer'.

According to the booklet 'Use 7 offers and' you earn a whopping 1,900 Airmiles... that's $200 value!!!!

You can also use 5 offers and earn 950 Airmiles ($100 value) or use 3 offers and earn 285 Airmiles ($30 value).

Regardless of what type of Airmiles earning you have chosen, the 1,900 Airmiles will be CASH MILES. The Airmiles for the coupons you use though are alloted based on your preference. The 1,900 points post in February 2017.

To me, this promotion looks like they are trying to show people (who are not like us) that there is value in collecting Airmiles.

So, if I am strictly a Dream Miles collector, can I still participate? Or should I go switch my redemption preference for this offer?

 

[DilEmma]

I feel like I've been asleep at the switch these past few weeks. Can someone explain the "Shop the Block" promo to me. I hate to miss out on good AM. I sort of remember hearing something about it but I can't put my fingers on the details. Thanks

Since you asked, I'll share my Ottawa strategy....
Okay, you didn't ask that specifically but I'll share anyway.

Each province has different offers but there is alot of overlap.

I did a bit of 'analysis' of the Ontario offers and it seems to me that I can use 7 offers - not just easily - but for very little out of pocket cost (OOP). Though it means a bit of shopping at places I've never been or rarely go to.... Jean Coutu and Foodland. They are both a 20 minute drive for me. Of course I have been to Foodland before but just for the lucrative gift card offers.

Unbelievably here in Ontario you can actually do the complete 'Shop the Block' 7 coupon offer at just Jean Coutu and Foodland (three and four coupons respectively). And the coupon offers actually overlap. For example, the Jean Coutu offer entails spending $10 on one specific brand of makeup, redeeming $10 worth of Cash Airmiles, and spending $20 on almost anything in the store. (!!!!)

I shouldn't say 'AND' there. Those are three separate coupons but I'll stack them for the same purchases.

I will if I have to, because the OOP is way less than the bonus 1,900....
But:

I don't actually want to buy overpriced cheese (Foodland and Sobeys) or buy processed chicken or deli meats (Foodland) so I plan to expand my purchases beyond the two stores above. Ideally I was going to buy a Costa coffee at Shell for one coupon but two Shell gas stations on my way carried a different brand. The staff were clueless about Costa.

Although I avoid processed food and nitrates, I don't seem to have a problem with alcohol. Insert ironic face here. LCBO has four coupons for specific bottles. It's all hard stuff but I'm considering using one of those (a 750 ml bottle of gin).

I'm good with the Jean Coutu three offers. I haven't bought new makeup in years. Though I don't often think to wear it but somehow I'm okay with the waste. Same with the Costa coffee that I'll probably dump based on a quick review on this thread.

Overall, I calculate I can do the seven coupons** for $48 OOP if I account for the Airmiles I'll earn by using the coupons. Arguably, some of you could do it more cheaply because you won't choose to buy the $29.95 Gin. But arguably, the Gin is not a true OOP cost for me because I likely would have bought Gin anyway. Here's to trying new things. Rather new brands for the same thing..... vice.

** One of the Metro and Jean Coutu coupons entails redeeming $10 Cash Airmiles. I adjust my Airmiles earning slider to 10% Cash and 90% Dreams whenever I fall below a three redemption ($30) threshold so that I can take advantage of the 'earn 25 WU redeem 95' type offers. I'm a big advocate of this but didn't think it could be so lucrative.

I'll try to do this promotion by only buying things I normally would buy and at prices that are within a range of the best prices for that item. Regardless, in this promotion I will actually overpay for something to accomplish the 7 coupon threshold because it is so darn lucrative.

$152 profit for me and I'm going to buy a crappy coffee (hopefully I can find it) and veer out of my way to buy some $10 makeup that will probably expire before I can use it and maybe some overpriced cheese.

Good luck! And I'm looking forward to hearing how low you can go...

The hearing test 'Listen Up' is free. I may add that one in if I can't accomplish the seven otherwise.

 

[DilEmma]

So, if I am strictly a Dream Miles collector, can I still participate? Or should I go switch my redemption preference for this offer?

Yes, absolutely you can participate. You'll just earn Cash instead of Dreams as your 1,900 bonus.

No need to switch.... the promotion actually shows up on the Airmiles main page when you login. And a similar type question was asked in the FAQ for the promotion page, so it's pretty solid info.

 

[pigletto]

Yes, absolutely you can participate. You'll just earn Cash instead of Dreams as your 1,900 bonus.

No need to switch.... the promotion actually shows up on the Airmiles main page when you login. And a similar type question was asked in the FAQ for the promotion page.

Fabulous! Thank you!
I think between hitting Metro and Foodland I can use 7 offers.

 

[ottawamom]

Thanks for the great write-up. I don't usually collect cash miles but I guess a few won't hurt. Do you think the bonus 1900AM (cash) will count towards our 2017 totals for ONYX?

 

[ttaylorcan]

Costa Coffee locations?

I stopped at two different Shell gas stations on my way home to get started on my 'Shop the Block' strategy. I was hoping to use the Costa coffee coupon as a super cheap one of the seven required. Google could not help me.

Anyone know of a Shell in the Ottawa area that has the Costa coffee?

They have a pdf on their website stating locations with Costa, unfortunately I don't see Ottawa area but you could always call Shell to see if there are others on the list.
http://www.shell.ca/en_ca/motorists/offers-and-promotions/costa-coffee.html

Just a suggestion.

Thanks for sharing your strategy, I also switched to 10% cash miles awhile ago, missed out on a few great promos because of no cash miles. I think 1900 cash miles will solve that problem!

 

[Sailormoon2]

So much amazing info here!!

 

[DilEmma]

Fabulous! Thank you!
I think between hitting Metro and Foodland I can use 7 offers.

Cool. I only know about two Metro offers and four Foodland. What's the other one?

 

[DilEmma]

Thanks for the great write-up. I don't usually collect cash miles but I guess a few won't hurt. Do you think the bonus 1900AM (cash) will count towards our 2017 totals for ONYX?

That question was in the FAQ. The individual coupon offers count toward this years total for 2017 status level. And because the 'Shop the Block' big bonus posts in February, it will count as 2017 earnings for status that carries into 2018.

So my understanding is if you are at 5,600 now and use 300 worth of these promo coupons, you would not meet the 6,000 Onyx threshold to have that status in 2017 if you did not earn any other points (100 short). You'd still have the expectation of the other 1,900 points from the promo but they won't post until February.

The big bonus won't help you out this year, but puts you at a healthy start for next year.

 

[DilEmma]

They have a pdf on their website stating locations with Costa, unfortunately I don't see Ottawa area but you could always call Shell to see if there are others on the list.
http://www.shell.ca/en_ca/motorists/offers-and-promotions/costa-coffee.html

Just a suggestion.

Thanks for sharing your strategy, I also switched to 10% cash miles awhile ago, missed out on a few great promos because of no cash miles. I think 1900 cash miles will solve that problem!

Thanks for finding that! Nothing close to me at all. I'll let my fingers do the walking and maybe will have to up my OOP.

Which coupons to add as a replacement.... I have a difficult time meeting the large threshold spends like $100 at Metro. There is a spend $15 on two brands of candy and snacks at Rexall. My kids and DH would love that. Okay, me too with a salt tooth. But the Sobeys/Foodland cheddar is much healthier and only a few bucks overpriced. There is still the Listen Up offers.

You all saw the Children's Place offer. (My kids are too old.)

 

[mort1331]

And I just got rid of my BMO card. That is the easist one if anyone has one. Then after that I might be able to get 3-5 of the offers but cant see the 7. Good luck to all.

 

[DilEmma]

And I just got rid of my BMO card. That is the easist one if anyone has one. Then after that I might be able to get 3-5 of the offers but cant see the 7. Good luck to all.

For sure that's a sweet one. Wish I had the card right about now.

I'm not sure if this would work, but if you've never 'opted in for Airmiles Cash', Quebec has a coupon for doing so. It's worth a shot for those who've held out.

Quebec is a short hop across the river from me so I was checking out their offers. I did not see anything in the T&C prohibiting that but maybe I missed it.

 

[pigletto]

Cool. I only know about two Metro offers and four Foodland. What's the other one?

Sorry, I'm going to try to do the Costa coffee one too.

ETA ) nevermind.. not near me. I'll have to sit down tomorrow and plot out the best use of the coupons for me.

 

[DilEmma]

Sorry, I'm going to try to do the Costa coffee one too.

ETA ) nevermind.. not near me. I'll have to sit down tomorrow and plot out the best use of the coupons for me.

You saw the Metro redeem 95 Airmiles get 25? You could adjust your earnings for the Sobeys gift card selection and should earn enough Cash in time for that Metro coupon.

 

[ottawamom]

I just read all the info and printed off my coupons. I am so pumped to get this done before I leave for Disney. New game to play, I love it.