How to see the world on points: Best travel rewards programs in Canada
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Updated: April 01, 2024
Evaluating the various rewards programs in Canada can be very subjective. Do you judge a program based on its flexibility, how easy it is to earn points, or how complicated it is to make a redemption? Or perhaps it's important to identify a program's niche features that will appeal to specific groups of consumers?
No matter what you value most in a rewards program, one thing's for sure: It's very rare for Canadians to stick to a single loyalty program throughout their lives. And if you've been using the same rewards provider for a while, it might be worth your time to review the options out there. To that purpose we've analyzed the best travel rewards in Canada and how their programs work.
| Travel rewards program | Recommended credit card | Average point value | Flexibility* | Transfer partners | Expiry date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aeroplan | TD ® Aeroplan ® Visa Infinite* Card | $0.02 | Good | No | 18 months after account inactivity |
| AIR MILES | BMO AIR MILES ®† MasterCard ® * | $0.105 | Weak | No | 24 months after account inactivity |
| American Express Rewards | The Platinum Card | $0.01 | Excellent | Yes | None with active account; 90 days after account closed |
| BMO Rewards | BMO Ascend™ World Elite ® * Mastercard ® * | $0.0067 | Good | No | None with active account; 90 days after account closed |
| CIBC Aventura | CIBC Aventura ® Gold Visa* Card | $0.0116 | Excellent | Yes | None with active account; 60 days after account closed |
| Marriott Rewards | The Marriott Bonvoy ® American Express ® *Card | $0.01 | Excellent | Yes | 24 months after account inactivity |
| MBNA Rewards | MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® | $0.01 | Good | No | None with active account |
| RBC Avion Rewards | RBC Avion Visa Infinite | $0.021 | Excellent | Yes | None with active account; 90–365 days after account closes |
| Scene+ Travel | Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card | $0.01 | Excellent | Yes | None with active account; account may close after 24 months of inactivity |
| TD Travel Rewards | TD First Class Travel ® Visa Infinite* Card* | $0.005 | Excellent | No | None with active account |
| WestJet Rewards | WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard | $1 | Excellent | No | None with active account |
*Flexibility refers to the number of different redemption paths available, minimum number of points required to redeem, ability to redeem points for existing purchases, etc.
Aeroplan Travel Rewards
Air Canada recently purchased Aeroplan and there are still some lingering questions about what that means for the value of Aeroplan miles. But as of now Aeroplan is still one of the best travel rewards programs out there, as its miles can be used to redeem flights on Canada's largest carrier and its partners.
Aeroplan has two options when it comes to redeeming flights: Fixed Mileage and Market Fare. As the name implies, fixed fares will cost you a set amount of points to fly to different zones as long as there is a reward seat available. With market fare redemptions, you get access to any seat that hasn't sold, but you'll pay the market price in points which is often significantly higher than prices in the fixed fare program.
Market fare prices can be lower than the fixed mileage seats, but that's usually for routes or times that are less desirable. Some airlines charge high fees, taxes, and surcharges, so you need to keep that under consideration when booking a redemption flight.
A great thing about Aeroplan is that there are multiple Aeroplan credit cards where you can earn points , but an Aeroplan card that we particularly love is the TD ® Aeroplan ® Visa Infinite* Card:
Featured Aeroplan credit card
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
1.5 points for every $1 spent on eligible gas, grocery and direct through Air Canada® purchases (including Air Canada Vacations®)†
1 point Earn 1 point for every $1 you spend on all other purchases†
2x Earn points twice with Aeroplan partner brands and on the Aeroplan eStore.†
50% Earn 50% more Aeroplan points at Starbucks when you link your card to your account.†
1 NEXUS application fee rebate every 48 months†
1st checked bag free for you and up to 8 travel companions†
$139 Annual Fee Additional cardholder is $75.†
20.99% Purchase APR APR for purchases 20.99%†
22.99% Cash Advance APR APR for cash advances 22.99%†
22.99% Balance Transfer Rate APR for balance transfers 22.99%†
2.50% Foreign Transaction Fee Foreign transaction fee: 2.50%†
Excellent Recommended Credit Score
$60,000 Required Annual Personal Income
$100,000 Required Annual Household Income
Welcome Offer Ends Jun 3, 2024
Earn up to $1,200 in value† including up to 50,000 Aeroplan points†. Conditions Apply. Account must be approved by June 3, 2024.
Learn moreAIR MILES Travel Rewards
Some Canadians have historically disliked AIR MILES because it can be difficult to earn points quickly without an AIR MILES credit card , and making redemptions can be tricky. That said, there is a sweet spot to be found: If you book interprovincial flights through the AIR MILES Dream Miles option, you get an incredible value for your points since those flights typically cost a fair amount in cash. The amount of AIR MILES it takes depends on where you're going and what season you're flying, which complicates things a bit. But Air Miles does provide a helpful chart to show you what it'll cost.
The nice thing about AIR MILES is that they have a co-branded credit card with no annual fee in the BMO AIR MILES ® † MasterCard ® *.
Featured AIR MILES credit card
BMO AIR MILES®† Mastercard®*
3 miles Get 3 Miles for every $25 spent with AIR MILES Partners.
2 miles Get 2x the Miles for every $25 at grocery stores and supermarkets.
4 miles Double up your Shell Go+ Miles on eligible fuel and in-store purchases.
$0 Annual Fee
20.99% Purchase APR
22.99% Cash Advance APR 21.99% for Quebec residents
22.99% Balance Transfer Rate 0.99% introductory interest rate for 9 months (fee applies)*
2.00% Balance Transfer Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
$15,000 Required Annual Personal Income
Welcome Offer
Get 800 AIR MILES Bonus Miles!* That’s enough for $80 towards purchases with AIR MILES Cash*
Learn moreAmerican Express Membership Rewards®
If you're primarily looking for flexibility, you should consider American Express Membership Rewards ® . Travel can be booked through the American Express travel portal, where you can redeem 1,000 Membership Rewards ® (MR) points for $10 in travel. Alternatively, you can charge any travel expense to your American Express credit card and then redeem your points toward that purchase at the same ratio.
American Express has multiple travel partners where you can transfer your points, but the two that give the most value are Aeroplan and Marriott Rewards. With Aeroplan, it'll cost you 1,000 MR points to get 1,000 Aeroplan points (ie a 1:1 transfer). If you want Marriott Rewards points, you'll get 1,200 points for every 1,000 MR points transferred.
American Express also has the Fixed Points Travel Program, which can be beneficial. Most of the redemptions require the same amount of points compared to Aeroplan, but with Amex, you get access to all seats available on any airline, so that means you get more options for your travels.
One of the best ways to earn American Express Membership Rewards ® is with The Platinum Card ® .
Featured American Express card
The Platinum Card
2x Earn 2 points for every $1 in Card purchases on eligible dining and food delivery in Canada
2x points for every $1 in Card purchases on eligible travel
1x point for every $1 in all other Card purchases
$799 Annual Fee Includes $200 annual travel credit and $200 annual dining credit
20.99% Purchase APR The Preferred rate of 20.99% applies to your Flexible Payment Option balance.
2.50% Foreign Transaction Fee
Excellent Recommended Credit Score
BMO Rewards Travel
Admittedly, BMO Rewards is a bit more complicated than it needs to be, but it's still among the best travel rewards in Canada since BMO will price match if you call into its customer service line.
You can redeem travel with any provider with BMO Rewards points. You have full control and freedom of choice to book with any travel provider you like so you can benefit from any last-minute deals or better pricing found on another platform including Air Canada/West Jet, Expedia, Airbnb/VRBO while still receiving BMO Rewards ' richest redemption rate (150 pts = $1). Once you make your booking, you can immediately redeem BMO Rewards points using the Pay with Points feature. After the redemption is completed, a credit will be applied to your account within 3 to 5 days.
Featured BMO Rewards credit card
BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®*
5x 5x the points for every $1 spent on eligible travel purchases*
3x 3x the points for every $1 spent on eligible dining and entertainment purchases and recurring bill payments*
1x 1 point for every $1 spent everywhere else*
$150 Annual Fee
20.99% Purchase APR
23.99% Cash Advance APR
23.99% Balance Transfer Rate 21.99% for Quebec residents
2.50% Foreign Transaction Fee
Excellent Recommended Credit Score
$80,000 Required Annual Personal Income
$150,000 Required Annual Household Income
Welcome Offer Ends May 31, 2024
Get up to 90,000 points and the annual fee waived in the first year for both the primary cardholder and authorized users.*
Learn moreCIBC Travel Rewards
CIBC Travel Rewards has its own travel portal, which gives access to flights, hotels, car rental, and all-inclusive properties, but if you call the CIBC travel agency, you'll also get access to anything sold on Expedia or Orbitz. This little-known trick allows you to make travel purchases such as cruises, tours, and attraction tickets. The redemption ratio is 100 Aventura points for $1 in travel.
There's also the Aventura Airline Rewards Chart, which allows you to book travel at fixed prices. This is an attractive option since you can get a higher value for your points compared to when you book via the travel portal or CIBC travel agent.
For example, you could book a flight within a province, territory or US state to an adjoining province, territory or US state with a maximum base fare of $400 for 10,000 – 20,000 Aventura points. In many cases, that's a better value compared to Aeroplan and RBC's fixed schedule. Taxes and fees are extra, but you can use your points to pay for them.
Featured CIBC Aventura credit card
CIBC Aventura® Gold Visa* Card
1 point for every $1 spent at eligible gas stations, EV charging, grocery stores and drug stores†
1 point for every $1 spent on travel purchased through the CIBC Rewards Centre†
1 point for every $2 spent on all other purchases†
$0 Annual Fee
20.99% Purchase APR non-Quebec residents†
22.99% Cash Advance APR for non-Quebec residents†
22.99% Balance Transfer Rate for non-Quebec residents†
Good Recommended Credit Score
$15,000 Required Annual Household Income
Welcome Offer
Get up to 10,000 Aventura Points (up to $100 in travel value†); Earn up to 2,500 Aventura Points† for completing bonus activities within 60 days from your account approval† 7,500 Aventura Points after you make your first purchase within first 4 months.†
Learn moreMarriott Bonvoy®
With more than 7,000 properties in 130+ countries, not only does Marriott have the most hotels in the world, it also has the best hotel loyalty program in Marriott Bonvoy ® . What makes this program appealing is that it's free to join and you earn points with every stay in a participating Marriott Bonvoy ® * property. Eventually you can use your accumulated points to redeem for free hotel nights or experiences. Alternatively, you can transfer them to various airline programs.
If you frequently stay at hotels, then being loyal to Marriott really pays off as your status level increases when you accumulate more nights. Every time you hit a new status tier you get additional benefits such as free breakfast and a higher earn rate on eligible expenses.
Featured Marriott Bonvoy® card
Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card
5 points for every dollar in eligible Card purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
2 points for every $1 in all other Card purchases
$120 Annual Fee
20.99% Purchase APR
21.99% Cash Advance APR
2.50% Foreign Transaction Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
MBNA Rewards
MBNA Rewards points have competitive value: Points are worth $0.01 each when redeemed for travel (flight, hotel, car rental, etc.) and between $0.005–$0.0083 each when redeemed for a statement credit, depending on the credit card that was used to earn them. Points can also be redeemed for merchandise and gift cards, for which redemption values vary.
The most glaring weakness of the program is probably the fact that you can't use points to pay for an independently booked travel purchase; you need to use MBNA's own portal to book travel with points, though it's worth noting that you can at least take advantage of MBNA's Price Match Guarantee if you find better travel deals elsewhere.
Featured MBNA Rewards card
MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard®
10,000 Get up to 10,000 MBNA Rewards points†† as an introductory bonus (see details below)
$0 Annual Fee
19.99% Purchase APR
24.99% Cash Advance APR
22.99% Balance Transfer Rate
Good Recommended Credit Score
Welcome Offer
Earn 4 points per $1 spent on eligible restaurant, grocery, digital media, membership, and household utility purchases until $10,000 is spent annually. You could also receive up to 10,000 bonus points.
Learn moreRBC Avion Rewards
The most impressive aspect of Avion Rewards points is perhaps their transferability. Points can be converted to a number of other travel rewards programs, like WestJet, British Airways Avios, and Cathay Pacific; and the conversion rates are generally very favorable, eg 100 RBC Avion Rewards points for 1 WestJet Dollar, 1:1 conversion ratios for Avios and Cathay Pacific, etc. And quite often RBC runs promotions that generate extra miles when transferring to partners like Avios, which can get you extra bang for your buck.
Featured RBC Avion credit card
RBC Avion Visa Infinite
1 Earn 1 Avion point for every dollar you spend*.
25% extra Avion points on eligible travel purchases
$1,500 mobile device insurance
3¢/L savings on fuel at Petro-Canada and always earn 20% more Avion points
50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible products at Rexall
20% off at Hertz and earn 3x the Avion points
$0 delivery fees for 12 months from DoorDash
$120 Annual Fee $50 for each additional card
20.99% Purchase APR
22.99% Cash Advance APR
22.99% Balance Transfer Rate
Very Good Recommended Credit Score
$60,000 Required Annual Personal Income
Scene+ Travel
There is no fixed travel program with Scene+, but you can redeem your points at a ratio of 100 points for $1 through the Scene+ travel portal or on travel expenses you've already charged to your Scotiabank credit card . There is a minimum redemption of 5,000 points for independently booked travel (no minimum for bookings with the Scene+ travel portal), but you can also apply that redemption to any fees, taxes, and surcharges.
Featured Scene + credit card
Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card
6x Scene+ points on every $1 you spend at Sobeys, Safeway, Freshco, Foodland and more
5x Scene+ points for every $1 you spend on dining, food delivery and other eligible grocery stores. Includes popular food delivery and food subscriptions.
5x Scene+ points for every $1 you spend in Canada eligible entertainment purposes. Includes movies, theatre and ticket agency stores.
3x Scene+ points for every $1 CAD you spend in Canada on eligible gas and daily transit options. Includes ride shares, buses, subway, taxis and more.
3x Scene+ points for every $1 CAD you spend in Canada on eligible select streaming services.
1x Scene+ point for every $1 spent on all other eligible everyday purchases.
$120 Annual Fee $29 for each supplementary card
20.99% Purchase APR
22.99% Cash Advance APR
22.99% Balance Transfer Rate
0.00% Foreign Transaction Fee
Very Good Recommended Credit Score
Welcome Offer Ends Jul 1, 2024
Earn up to $650* in value in the first 12 months, including up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points.
Learn moreTD Travel Rewards
TD Travel Rewards is a relatively flexible rewards program since it allows for a variety of different redemption options. If you're booking travel through Expedia for TD (not to be confused with Expedia.ca), it'll cost you 200 TD Points to redeem $1 in travel. This is the best value for consumers since you can book anything that is offered on Expedia for TD, which includes flights, hotels, all-inclusive packages, cruises, car rentals and attraction tickets.
You also have the option to redeem your points for any travel expenses that you have charged to your TD credit card, but it'll cost you 250 points per dollar redeemed for the first $1200 of a travel charge and 200 points per dollar redeemed after that . This is obviously a lower redemption value than Expedia for TD, but TD's definition of eligible travel expenses is quite generous as it not only includes flights but also air travel taxes, baggage fees, lodging, car rentals while traveling, and more.
The top-earning card for TD Travel Rewards is the TD First Class Travel ® Visa Infinite* Card:
Featured TD Travel Rewards credit card
TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card
8 Points Earn 8 TD Rewards Points for every $1 you spend through ExpediaForTD†
6 Points Earn 6 TD Rewards Points for every $1 you spend on groceries and restaurants.†
4 Points Earn 4 TD Rewards Points for every $1 you spend on recurring bill payments.†
2 Points Earn 2 TD Rewards points for every $1 you spend using your card.†
10% Bonus Points Each year, received a birthday bonus equal to 10% of the total number of points earned over the 12 preceding months.†
$100 Get an annual TD Travel Credit when you book at Expedia For TD†
USD The annual fee is in USD
$139 Annual Fee Annual fee is in USD. First additional cardholder is $50, subsequent cardholders are $0.
20.99% Purchase APR APR for purchases 20.99%†
22.99% Cash Advance APR APR for cash advances 22.99%†
22.99% Balance Transfer Rate APR for balance transfers 22.99%†
Good Recommended Credit Score
$60,000 Required Annual Personal Income
$100,000 Required Annual Household Income
Welcome Offer Ends Jun 3, 2024
Earn up to $800 in value†, including up to 100,000 TD Rewards Points† and no Annual Fee for the first year†. Conditions Apply. Account must be approved by June 3, 2024.
Learn moreWestJet Rewards
The biggest draw of WestJet is its use of tiers: As soon as you enroll in the WestJet program, you're instantly awarded Teal tier status, which provides 0.5% back in WestJet dollars on flights. As you spend more on WestJet travel and services, your tier increases, garnering additional travel benefits such as advanced seat selection, free checked bags, airport lounge access, and higher earn rates. Those who reach Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers earn 3%, 5%, and 8% back on WestJet flights respectively. Best of all, your tier stacks with the earn rates provided by WestJet credit cards, so you can potentially earn up to 10% in WestJet dollars on qualifying purchases.
One of the few major criticisms to note about WestJet Rewards is that your WestJet dollars can only be redeemed for base fares; they can't be used to pay for a flight's taxes, fees, or surcharges.
Featured WestJet RBC credit card
WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard
2% Earn 2% back in WestJet dollars on WestJet flights or WestJet vacation packages.
1.5% Earn 1.5% back in WestJet dollars for everyday purchases.
Wi-Fi access to over 1 million Wi-Fi hotsports around the world with Boingo Wi-Fi for Mastercard
1 annual companion voucher (starting at $119)
3¢/L savings at Petro-Canada and 20% more Petro-Points
$0 delivery fees for 12 months from DoorDash
$119 Annual Fee $59 for additional cards
20.99% Purchase APR
22.99% Cash Advance APR
Good Recommended Credit Score
$80,000 Required Annual Personal Income
$150,000 Required Annual Household Income
How to calculate the value of your travel rewards points
It's essential to have a good idea of the real value of a program's travel rewards points before you select the rewards program or credit card for you. To figure out your cost per point (CPP), you would divide 1 by the number of points to earn $1 in travel. That means if it takes 100 points for $1 in travel, then your CPP is $.01. Alternatively, if it takes 140 points to claim $1 in travel, your CPP is $.007. Of course, you also need to factor in any fees, taxes, and surcharges you might pay when making a redemption.
You'll also want to know how many points you can earn with a specific credit card, since the ability to rapidly earn points is just as important as their value when redeemed. If the value of each point is high, but you rarely earn rewards, or earn a low amount, the card is probably not the right choice for you.
American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment
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