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Best Travel Rewards Programs In Canada

How to see the world on points: Best travel rewards programs in Canada

Spencer Davis / Shutterstock

By Barry Choi

We adhere to strict standards of editorial integrity to help you make decisions with confidence. Please be aware that some (or all) products and services linked in this article are from our sponsors.

We adhere to strict standards of editorial integrity to help you make decisions with confidence. Please be aware this post may contain links to products from our partners. We may receive a commission for products or services you sign up for through partner links.

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.

*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:

TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card

Apply now

Who's eligible?

• Standard purchase APR: 20.99%
• Balance transfer APR: 22.99%
• Cash advance APR: 22.99%
• Current Promotion Expires: January 3, 2024
• Credit score required: Good-Excellent
• Min personal income required: $60,000
• Annual Fee: $139

TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card's best offer yet. Earn up to $1,400 in value^†, including up to 50,000 Aeroplan points† and additional travel benefits. Must apply by January 3, 2024.

• Earn a welcome bonus of 10,000 Aeroplan points when you make your first purchase with your new card^†
• Earn 25,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $5,000 within 180 days of Account opening^†
• Plus, earn an anniversary bonus of 15,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $7,500 within 12 months of Account opening^†
• Enroll for NEXUS and once every 48 months get an application fee rebate^†
• Plus, share free first checked bags with up to 8 travel companions^†

The earn rate is 1.5 Aeroplan points^† per $1 spent on eligible grocery, gas, and direct through Air Canada^® purchases—for all other purchases you get 1 point^† per $1 spent. With this credit card, you can double dip your Aeroplan earnings at participating merchants. All you need to do is show your Aeroplan loyalty card first when paying and then charge your purchase to your TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card.^†

Click here to apply or learn more by reading our complete TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card review.

This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For Quebec residents, please click here.

^†Terms and conditions apply.

You can learn more about the Aeroplan program by reading our complete Aeroplan Points Guide.

AIR MILES Travel Rewards

Some Canadians dislike AIR MILES due to the fact that 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.

Alternatively, you can exchange 285 AIR MILES dream miles for a $30 e-voucher that can be used at Transat Travel locations across Canada. This is a decent option considering 950 cash miles gets you a $100 e-voucher at non-travel merchants, so there’s no loss in value.

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^®*.

BMO AIR MILES^®† Mastercard^®*

Apply now

Who's eligible?

• Minimum credit score: Good
• Minimum income: $15,000
• Age: Age of majority in your province or territory
• Residency: Resident of Canada

You can double dip on points at AIR MILES sponsored locations* and you’ll get 3x the Miles for every $25 spent at participating AIR MILES Partners and 2x the Miles for every $25 spent at any eligible grocery store*.

All other purchases get you 1 AIR MILE per $25 spent* and there is a welcome bonus of 800 AIR MILES Bonus Miles when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months* of card membership*. It’s a good entry level card for those who want to start collecting AIR MILES.

Click here to apply or learn more by reading our complete BMO AIR MILES^®† MasterCard^®* review.

You can learn more about the AIR MILES program by reading our complete AIR MILES Guide.

*Terms and conditions apply

American 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 (i.e. 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^®.

The Platinum Card^®

Apply now

Eligibility criteria:

• Credit score required: Good-Excellent
• Min. personal income required: N/A
• Annual fees: $699

The Platinum Card^® comes with a hefty fee of $699 per year, but it also comes packed with commensurate benefits: an annual $200 CAD travel credit; an impressive array of perks; comprehensive travel insurance; The American Express Global Lounge Collection^TM access; etc.

With its earn rates, every dollar charged to the card helps earn American Express Membership Rewards^® points: 3 points for every $1 in card purchases on eligible dining and food delivery in Canada, 2 points for every $1 in card purchases on eligible travel, and 1 point for every $1 in all other card purchases. New cardholders also can also receive a signup bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® points – that’s $800 towards a weekend away. Conditions apply.

Click here to apply or learn more by reading our complete Platinum Card^® review.

You can learn more about Amex Membership Rewards^® points by reading our complete Guide to the American Express Membership Rewards^® Program.

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.

The BMO Ascend™ World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*

Apply now

Who's eligible?

• Minimum credit score: Excellent
• Minimum income: $80,000 individual or $150,000 household
• Age: Age of majority in your province or territory
• Other requirements: No bankruptcies in the last seven years

The marquee card of the BMO Rewards program, the BMO Ascend™ World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*, does come with some impressive features that counterbalance the relatively low value of a BMO Rewards point. It includes some of the best travel insurance offered by Canadian credit cards* and Complimentary membership in Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass,* with four annual complimentary passes.

New cardholders receive up to 60,000 points*: get 30,000 BMO Rewards points if you make at least $3,000 worth of purchases with the card in the first three months of cardmembership*, plus get an additional 2,500 bonus points in each subsequent month that you spend at least $2,000, beginning 4 months from the account open date and ending 15 months from the account open date*. Plus, the first-year annual fee is waived for both the primary ($150) and first authorized ($50) cardholders*.

Click here to apply or learn more by reading our complete BMO Ascend™ World Elite^®* Mastercard^®* review.

*Terms and conditions apply

You can learn more about BMO Rewards by reading our complete BMO Rewards Guide.

CIBC 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 U.S. state to an adjoining province, territory or U.S. 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.

CIBC Aventura^® Gold Visa* Card

Apply now

Who's eligible?

• Minimum credit score: Good
• Minimum income: $15,000^†
• Age: Age of majority in your province or territory
• Residency: Resident of Canada
• Annual fee: $139 (first year rebate)^†

The CIBC Aventura^® Gold Visa* Card is a great earning card overall, combining a big welcome offer, decent earn rates, airport lounge access, and relatively low-barrier eligibility requirements. New cardholders can get up to $1,250 in value including a first year annual fee rebate^†!

• 20,000 Aventura Points when you make your first purchase.^†
• 20,000 Aventura Points when you spend $3,000 or more in the first 4 monthly statement periods.^†
• Get a one-time annual fee rebate ($139) for you (the primary cardholder) and up to three authorized users ($50 each): over $189 value^†
• Elevate your airport experience with 4 complimentary visits at 1,200+ lounges globally through Visa Airport Companion Program: over $190 in value.^†
• Plus, get a NEXUS Application Fee rebate†: A $50 value^†

The card earns 2 points per $1 spent on travel booked through the CIBC Rewards Centre^† and 1.5 points per $1 spent at gas stations, EV charging, grocery stores and drug stores†; all other purchases earn 1 point for every $1 spent^†. The Purchase Annual Interest Rate is 20.99%^†; the Balance Transfer Annual Interest Rate and Cash Advance Annual Interest Rate are 22.99%^† (for non-Quebec residents only) and 22.99%^† (for non-Quebec residents only) respectively.

Those who are interested in the card and make more than $60K annually^† should instead apply for the CIBC Aventura^® Visa Infinite* Card, which has a slightly better insurance package and identical features otherwise.

Click here to apply or learn more by reading our complete CIBC Aventura^® Gold Visa* Card review.

This is a digital-exclusive offer.^† To be eligible for this offer:

1) this offer must have been directly communicated to you from CIBC or from a partner/affiliate; and

2) you must apply for the eligible card through the link provided in the CIBC or partner/affiliate communication to you.^†

This offer is reserved for you. Please do not forward it to anyone else. If you have opened, transferred or cancelled another eligible card within the last 12 months, we may approve your application, but you may not receive this offer.^†

^† Conditions apply

Quebec Residents: Learn More about this CIBC product here

Résidents du Québec : Pour en savoir plus sur ce produit CIBC, suivez ce lien

Marriott 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.

The Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card

Apply now

Who's eligible?

• Minimum credit score: Good/Excellent
• Minimum income: N/A
• Age: Age of majority in your province or territory
• Residency: Resident of Canada
• Annual fee: $120

Unlike the United States, Canada doesn’t have a lot of hotel branded credit cards; but The Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card is certainly a standout. There are lots of perks for the consummate traveller, including the much-loved Annual Free Night Award every year after your first anniversary, which has a redemption value of as much as 35,000 points (worth a free night in a Category 5 hotel).

You also get complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status and you receive an automatic upgrade to Gold Elite status once you stay 25 nights (the card comes with 15 Elite Night Credits already) within a calendar year or charge $30,000 to your card. Gold Elite status has lots of perks like 25% extra points at Marriott properties, late checkout, room upgrades and more.

To top things off, the card features a good line-up of insurance like travel accident insurance, car rental theft and damage insurance, flight delay insurance, baggage delay insurance, lost and stolen baggage insurance, and hotel/motel burglary insurance. Sadly, it doesn’t include travel medical insurance.

The Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card also has a very generous welcome offer at the moment. Earn up to 50,000 Points.

• New Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Cardmembers earn 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points after you charge $1,500 in purchases to your Card in your first three months of Cardmembership. Subject to change at any time.

As mentioned, you also receive an Annual Free Night Award for up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide every year after your first anniversary. The card earns 5 points for every dollar in eligible Card purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^® and 2 points for every $1 in all other Card purchases.

Click here to apply or learn more by reading our complete The Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card review.

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.

MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus^® Mastercard^®

Apply now

Who's eligible?

• Minimum credit score: Fair/Good
• Minimum income: N/A
• Age: Age of majority in province/territory
• Residency: Canadian resident

The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus^® Mastercard^® can earn a colossal amount of points for a card that doesn’t charge an annual fee. New cardholders get 10,000 MBNA Rewards points^†† when they simply sign up for paperless e-statements (5K points^††) and make $500 or more in purchases within the first 90 days (another 5K points^††).

That’s on top of a special earn rate of 4 points^†† per dollar spent on groceries, restaurants, digital media, memberships, and household utilities during the first 90 days—after that period ends the rate is reduced to 2 points^‡ per $1 in those categories, which is still strong. All other purchases earn 1 point^‡ per $1 spent. These earn rates are what regularly land the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus^® Mastercard^® on our lists of the best credit cards for people with average credit scores and the best rewards credit cards in Canada.

Interest rates for the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus^® Mastercard^® are standard, at 19.99% for purchases, 22.99%^✪ for balance transfers, and 24.99% for cash advances.

Click here to apply or learn more by reading our complete MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus^® Mastercard^® review.

^{‡, ††, ✪, ***}, Terms and Conditions apply

This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For residents of Quebec, please click here.

Sponsored advertising. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) and TD is not responsible for the contents of this site including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete information on this MBNA credit card, please click on the “Apply Now” button.

The Toronto-Dominion Bank is the issuer of this credit card. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. ^®MBNA and other trademarks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.

RBC Rewards (Avion)

The most impressive aspect of RBC 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, e.g. 100 RBC 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.

If you elect to keep your points within the RBC Rewards ecosystem, you can probably maximize your points’ value by redeeming them via the Air Travel Redemption Schedule. For example, it’ll cost 15,000 points for a short-haul flight with a pre-tax, base fare up to $350; that’s worth up to about 43 points per $1 redeemed, or about $0.023 per point. Compare that to the usual 100 points for $1 ($0.01 per point) offered through most travel rewards programs. Longer flights booked this way have similarly appealing redemption rates: If you want to go to Hawaii, it’ll cost 45,000 points with a maximum ticket price of $900, while flights to Europe with a ticket price under $1,300 require 65,000 points. You still need to pay for fees, taxes, and surcharges, but points can be used to cover those at a rate of 1 cent per point.

RBC Avion Visa Infinite

Apply now

Who's eligible?

• Minimum credit score: Good/Excellent
• Minimum income: $60,000 personal or $100,000 household
• Age: Age of majority in your province or territory
• Residency: Resident of Canada
• Annual fee: $120

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite starts new cardholders off with a respectable welcome bonus of 35,000 welcome Avion points on approval* – Enough to fly anywhere in Canada & the U.S (Alaska and Hawaii require more points). The card’s regular earn rate, however, is perhaps a little underwhelming relative to competing travel rewards cards, as you get 1.25 RBC Rewards points per $1 spent on travel³ but only 1 RBC point per $1 on all other spending*; a bit low for a card with an annual fee above $100.

That said, there are other card features that will make the RBC Avion Visa Infinite a worthwhile investment for some: If road trips are your thing, linking your Petro-Points card with your RBC card will help you save an extra 3¢/L on gas4 and earn 20% more Petro-Points and RBC rewards points when you fuel up at Petro-Canada⁵. The card also comes with insurance a traveller will appreciate, including medical8, trip interruption and cancellation insurance⁹, and rental car collision and damage protection⁷.

Click here to apply or learn more by reading our complete RBC Avion Visa Infinite review.

You can learn more about RBC Rewards points by reading our complete RBC Rewards Guide.

Refer to RBC Page for up to date offer terms and conditions.

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.

Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card

Apply now

Who's eligible?

• Minimum credit score: Excellent
• Age: Age of majority in your province or territory
• Residency: Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• Other: No bankruptcies in the past seven years

Although Scotiabank doesn’t have any travel related transfer partners, they do have some great cards that generate rewards very quickly. The Scotiabank Gold American Express^® card earns 6X Scene+™ points on every $1 CAD you spend in Canada at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo, Foodland, and more eligible grocers.¹

It also generates 5X the Scene+™ points for every $1 CAD spent on other eligible grocery stores, restaurants, fast food, and drinking establishments (including food delivery and food subscription services), as well as on eligible entertainment purchases (movies, theatre, and ticket agencies). Plus, you’ll get 3X the Scene+™ points for every $1 CAD spent on eligible gas, daily transit, and eligible select streaming purchases, and 1X point per $1 spent on every other purchase.

The card is also currently offering a welcome offer. Earn up to $650* in value in the first 12 months, including up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points¹. Earn 20,000 bonus Scene+ points by making at least $1,000 in everyday eligible purchases in your first three months. Plus, for a limited time, you are eligible to earn a 20,000 Scene+ point bonus when you spend at least $7,500 in everyday eligible purchases in your first year. Offer ends October 31, 2023.

Click here to apply or learn more by reading our complete Scotiabank Gold American Express^® card review.

¹ Conditions Apply. Visit here for the Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card to learn more.

You can learn more about the Scene+ program by reading our complete Scene+ Guide.

TD 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 travelling, and more.

The top-earning card for TD Travel Rewards is the TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card:

TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card

Apply now

Who's eligible?

• Standard purchase APR: 20.99%
• Balance transfer APR: 22.99%
• Cash advance APR: 22.99%
• Credit score required: Good-Excellent
• Min. personal income required: $60,000
• Current promotion ends: January 3, 2024
• Annual fee: $139 (Annual fee rebate the first year)^†

Earn up to $1,000 in value^†, including up to 115,000 TD Rewards Points, no Annual Fee for the first year^† and additional travel benefits. Conditions apply.

• Earn a welcome Bonus of 20,000 TD Rewards Points when you make your first Purchase with your Card^†.
• Earn 95,000 TD Rewards Points when you spend $5,000 within 180 days of account opening^†.
• Earn a Birthday Bonus of up to 10,000 TD Rewards Points^†.
• Get an annual TD Travel Credit^† of $100 when you book at Expedia^® For TD.
• Get a free 12 month Uber One membership (that's a $120 value)^†
• Get an Annual Fee Rebate for the first year^†.

To receive the first-year annual fee rebate, you must activate your Card and make your first Purchase on the Account within the first 3 months after Account opening and you must add your Additional Cardholders by January 3, 2024.

The TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card offers particularly high earn rates when you book with Expedia for TD: Earn 8 TD Rewards Points^† for every $1 you spend when you book travel through Expedia^® For TD†. Earn 6 TD Rewards Points^† for every $1 you spend on Groceries and Restaurants^†. Earn 4 TD Rewards Points^† for every $1 you spend on regularly recurring bill payments set up on your Account^†. Earn 2 TD Rewards Points For every $1 you spend on other Purchases made using your Card^†.

Click here to apply or learn more by reading our complete TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card review.

This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For Quebec residents, please click here.

^†Terms and conditions apply.

WestJet 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.

WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard

Apply now

Who's eligible?

• Minimum credit score: Good/Excellent
• Minimum income: $80,000 personal or $150,000 household
• Age: Age of majority in your province or territory
• Residency: Resident of Canada
• Annual fee: $119

If you’re looking for the holy grail of air travel—the coveted round-trip companion voucher—look no further. The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard, after activation and use, lets you fly a companion³ return to anywhere in continental North America for $119, annually, with no restrictions. Or spend $399 and fly with your companion anywhere else in the world that WestJet flies.

If you typically find yourself flying solo you can instead opt to exchange your annual round-trip companion voucher for 4 airport lounge vouchers. The card also offers a free first checked bag for the primary cardholder and up to eight additional guests on the same reservation⁴. Cardholders receive travel coverage including emergency medical insurance20 as well as trip interruption insurance²¹, hotel burglary¹⁸ and rental car insurance¹⁹. Even eligible purchases you make on the card are protected.

New cardholders can take advantage for a limited time.

• Get up to 4501 welcome WestJet dollars (a value of up to $450 CAD) when you spend a minimum of $5,000 in the first 3 months on your card1.
• Save $240 with free first checked bags for a family for 4 (traveling on the same reservation)1
• $119 for the second guest using your annual World Elite round-trip companion voucher3

Click here to apply or learn more by reading our complete WestJet World Elite Mastercard review.

Refer to RBC Page for up to date offer terms and conditions.

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.

• Recommended Read: The Canadian Loyalty Program Bible

BMO is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click on the Apply now link for the most up to date information.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. Conditions apply.

About our author

Barry Choi, Moneywise Contributor

More from this author

Barry Choi is an award-winning personal finance and travel expert. He appears regularly on a variety of shows in Canada and the U.S., where he talks about all things money and travel. In addition to Money.ca, his work has appeared in major publications, including The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, The Financial Post, and MoneySense magazine. Barry is an expert in personal finance, but he's passionate about credit cards, budget travel, debt management, and loyalty programs. His personal website moneywehave.com is one of Canada's most trusted resources as he provides non-bias opinions on various financial products and services. When he's not writing or talking about financial literacy, you can find him travelling the world. Barry's favourite destinations are Japan, Jordan, and the Netherlands.

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By The Canadian Press 01-12-2023

Calgary sees another home sales gain in November as prices jump nearly 11%

By The Canadian Press 01-12-2023

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