Loyalty program operator Air Miles has announced a partnership for hotels and vacation rentals with Expedia Group Inc. as part of its of newly launched travel booking platform.

The U.S.-based travel company says the partnership will allow Air Miles customers to access its 700,000 hotels and vacation rentals worldwide.

The deal is part of a number of improvements to Air Miles since being bought by Bank of Montreal earlier this year.

When it acquired Air Miles, BMO said it would look to expand the program with new ways to earn and redeem miles.

Alfonso Paredes, senior vice-president of private label solutions at Expedia, says the travel company has already seen strong booking interest during its soft launch.

Air Miles has nearly 10 million active collector accounts in Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2023.