Welcome to the FAQ page!
We know navigating the world of points and miles can sometimes feel overwhelming, so we’re here to help make things easier. Below, you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions we receive from our community. See if you can spot your answer in the questions below! If you need a more thorough explanation or some one-on-one help, you can find more info in our blog, send us a message via email, or reach us on social media. We’re excited to guide you on this journey to maximizing your rewards!
How do I start earning points?
To earn points, sign up with a loyalty program and purchase their goods and services. To expedite your earning, consider using a loyalty branded credit card for all your purchases, and when available, shop through a branded portal e.g. Aeroplan E-store, to earn even more points.
What is each point worth?
To calculate the value of a point, use the formula found in this post.
To determine if your redemption is a good deal, compare the value calculated to your target redemption value (TRV). General TRV charts can be found here.
What are the best points to earn in Canada?
The best points to earn in Canada depend on the current loyalty accounts you have, your spending patterns, and your goal for the points you accumulate.
If the goal is to optimize travel rewards from Canada, Air Canada Aeroplan points and American Express Membership Rewards points are good options. For more details, check out this post.
How can I earn points quickly?
The fastest way to earn a large sum of points are through credit card sign-up bonuses. To continue earning points at a steady pace, aim to put all purchases on a credit card and consider cards with high category multipliers for spending. To learn more, check out this post.
Which credit card should I get?
The best credit card to get depends on your travel goals and financial situation.
If your goal is to maximize points for travel, and your largest monthly expenses are dining out and groceries, then the American Express Cobalt or MBNA World Elite Mastercard are great options. To learn more, check out this post.
To maximize for other factors, check out these posts:
- Cards with travel perks (e.g. lounge access)
- Cards with no annual fees
Does opening credit cards affect my credit score?
Yes, opening and closing credit cards will affect your credit score, but if managed properly, it may increase your credit score in the long term. To learn more about how credit scores work, check out this post.
Why does everyone keep recommending the American Express Cobalt card?
The American Express Cobalt card is one of the most valuable cards for earning points due to its category multipliers. It earns 5x points on restaurants, food delivery, and groceries, 3x points on streaming subscriptions, 2x points on gas, transit, and ride share, and 1x points on everything else. Plus, these points are flexible and can be transferred to 8 different loyalty programs, including Aeroplan and Avios at a 1 to 1 ratio. To learn how you can extend the 5x multiplier to other categories, check out this post.
How do I get the most value for my points?
Luxury travel redemptions generally offer the highest value per point. The significant price differences in luxury travel allow for redemptions with a higher cents per point (CPP) value.
How do I find business class flights?
To find award availability, use the program’s redemption portal, or consider a 3rd party award flight search tool such as PointsYeah, Roame, or Seats.aero. To learn more about how to search for and redeem flights, check out this post.
Why can’t I find good award redemptions?
Award seats are limited and in high demand. To improve your chances, book a year in advance, be flexible with travel dates, avoid peak travel season, consider partner airlines, and check redemption portals frequently (or use an award flight search tool). To learn how to find the best award redemptions, check out this post.
Bonus Tips:
- Remember to pay off credit card balances in full, as the interest charges outweigh the benefits of points.
- Hold a loyalty program branded credit card to ensure the points you collect do not expire.
- Some airlines use dynamic pricing for award redemption, thus promotions and airfare sales may also affect redemption prices, e.g. Black Friday, Boxing Day.
- When booking business class tickets with Air Canada, pay close attention to the itinerary. ‘Mixed Cabin Business Class’ means some of your flights won’t be in business class. Check each flight segment to know exactly what you’re getting.