Uber partners with Air Miles to give riders loyalty points

The ride-hailing app Uber is shown on a smartphone, May 14, 2015. (Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

TORONTO -- Ride hailing service Uber is helping passengers make their way into the skies under a new partnership with Air Miles.

The mobile app, which has shaken up the taxi industry, is offering riders the option of collecting rewards points with the Canadian loyalty program operator.

The points can be redeemed for flight credits and a variety of other free items, like vouchers and household appliances.

Uber has been aggressively rolling out in cities across Canada, first allowing people to hire drivers through their phones and more recently launching a food delivery service through UberEats.

Calgary joined the growing list of Canadian cities with Uber service on Thursday, despite warnings from Mayor Naheed Nenshi that its drivers were breaking existing local laws, which won't be reviewed by council until Nov. 16.

Other Canadian cities with Uber vehicles include Edmonton and Waterloo, London and Hamilton, Ont.

In the United States, Uber launched a general delivery service on Wednesday called UberRush. The option works like a courier by giving customers the option to ship small items from one location to another.