With a growing number of Canadians and people around the world finally being vaccinated against COVID-19, many countries are starting to ease their travel restrictions. As of this writing, Canada hasn’t opened the border yet, but at some point it’s inevitable.
Someday soon we’re going to be able to travel again. And for those who desperately need to scratch that itch, that day can’t come soon enough.
While we still have some time to wait, you can take advantage of this delay to rack up some serious travel rewards to blow on that first epic post-pandemic journey.
Many of us switched to collecting more immediately-useful cash back rewards during the beginning stages of the pandemic, but it’s (finally!) time to start planning for some future travel.
Here we go over a few things to keep in mind, and some of the best travel rewards credit cards to get right now.
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Planning that first post-pandemic trip
Even the most seasoned travellers among us are a bit rusty when it comes to travel planning. Go bags have been unpacked. All our tiny toiletries have been used up. And, frankly, we’re not even sure where our passports are at the moment.
Time for a quick refresher.
Travel insurance
If you travel at all, you’ll want to look into getting some travel insurance to cover you for a variety of unexpected – and potentially costly – events.
Travel insurance packages can include:
- emergency medical,
- travel accident,
- trip cancellation or interruption,
- flight or baggage delay,
- lost or stolen baggage,
- personal effects,
- hotel burglary, and
- 3 types of rental car coverages.
You can obtain travel insurance in a few different ways, including through your regular insurance company, through your travel agent if you use one, or through your credit card.
Travel perks
Travel perks are one of the reasons that so many world travellers are willing to shell out big bucks for premium travel credit cards.
Why shuffle around the airport with the regular folk when you can relax in the comfort of a luxury airport lounge, nibbling on canapes and enjoying a glass of wine?
Credit card travel perks include:
- airport lounge access,
- airline companion vouchers,
- priority security,
- priority check in,
- priority boarding,
- free roadside assistance, and
- concierge service.
Most of these are primarily related to air travel, of course, but roadside assistance can be a huge help if you’re sticking closer to home and taking a road trip. And concierge services can be used by any cardholder, at any time, whether you’re travelling or not.
Travel rewards
If you’re a frequent traveller, you know just how valuable travel rewards can be.
Collect enough of these and you can get free flights, free rental cars, or free hotel stays, among other things.
What type of travel rewards you collect is up to you, of course, but some popular options in Canada include:
- Air Miles,
- Aeroplan,
- American Express Membership Rewards,
- BMO Rewards,
- MBNA Rewards, and
- Scene+, among others.
There are loads of other rewards programs, of course, and most of these programs are similar in that, while they offer multiple ways to redeem your points, you’ll almost always get the biggest bang for your buck by redeeming them for travel.
Travel rewards credit cards
And of course, the best way to collect travel rewards is with a travel rewards credit card. We’ll talk about these in more detail below.
Canada travel restrictions
Canada travel restrictions have been in place since the very early days of the pandemic, and, as of mid-April 2021, the border closures have been extended for at least another month.
Travel within Canada
Travel within Canada is another story, however – different provinces have different restrictions which have changed and evolved over time.
If you travel into some provinces, you’ll be required to self-isolate for 14 days, which can be complicated if you haven’t planned for it. Other provinces have fewer restrictions, but you should be sure to read up on the current requirements well before you plan to travel.
You can find current provincial travel restrictions here.
Travelling to Canada by air
If you’re travelling to Canada by air, you’ll not only have to follow whatever provincial restrictions are in place, but also whatever federal travel restrictions are still in effect.
Currently, this includes an extensive checklist of requirements both before and after you travel, including:
- having a quarantine plan in place before you travel,
- getting a pre-entry COVID-19 test,
- reserving a 3 night hotel stopover,
- registering in advance for a COVID test upon arrival,
- and more.
You can learn more about the current air travel restrictions and requirements here.
Travelling to Canada by road
If you’re driving to Canada, you’ll face most of the same requirements as if you were flying. These include:
- having a quarantine plan in place,
- getting a pre-entry COVID-19 test,
- setting up your account for arrival testing,
- and more.
You’ll find the current requirements for driving to Canada here.
Travelling to the U.S. from Canada
While there’s nothing stopping you from hopping on a plane and travelling to the U.S., the Canadian government has issued a global travel advisory to avoid non-essential travel outside of Canada until further notice.
If you do choose to travel, you will be required to follow all entry requirements upon your return to Canada, including paying for a 3 night stay at an approved quarantine hotel (which can cost thousands of dollars).
Be sure to read up on all the travel restrictions and requirements before you choose to travel so you’re not surprised when you try to come home.
You can find Canada’s current U.S. travel advisories here.
Canada international travel
The global travel advisory applies to…well…the globe. Canadians are advised to avoid all non-essential travel, no matter where you’re going.
In addition, there are some regional travel advisories for parts of the world, which you can read more about here.
Want to get the biggest bang for your Amex rewards? You’ll want to take a look at the Amex Fixed Points Travel Program.
Best travel credit cards to get right now
If you’ve got a growing itch to travel (and, really, we all do at this point), there’s never been a better time to start maximizing your travel rewards while we wait.
But which credit cards are the best? We’ve got you covered.
Here are 6 of the best travel rewards credit cards you can get now to start racking up the rewards that will help make that first trip a doozy.
| Credit card | Welcome bonus | Rewards | Annual fee and income requirements | Apply now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express Cobalt Card | * Earn up to 15,000 Amex Membership Rewards (terms) | * 5 points per $1 spent on eligible groceries and restaurants (up to $2,500 spent per month) * 3 points per $1 spent on eligible streaming services * 2 points per $1 spent on eligible gas, transit, and ride share purchases * 1 point per $1 spent on foreign currency purchases * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
* $191.88 (charged as $15.99 per month) * No income requirements |
Apply now |
| BMO eclipse Visa Infinite | * Earn up to 70,000 BMO Rewards (terms) | * 5 BMO Rewards points for every $1 spent on dining, groceries, gas, and transit * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
* $120, first year free * $60k personal or $100k household income requirement |
Apply now |
| American Express Platinum Card | * Earn up to 100,000 Amex Membership Rewards (terms) | * 2 points per $1 spent on restaurants and travel * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
* $799 * No income requirements |
Apply now |
| Marriott Bonvoy American Express | * Earn up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points (terms) | * 5 points per $1 spent at Marriott properties * 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases |
* $120 * No income requirements |
Apply now |
| MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard | * Earn up to 10,000 MBNA Rewards (terms) | * 2 points for every $1 spent on restaurants, groceries, and select recurring bills (up to $10,000 spent annually per category) * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
* No annual fee * No income requirements |
Apply now |
Best travel rewards credit card in Canada
×8 Award winner 
GC: $100
8x Award winner
$100 GeniusCash + Earn up to 15,000 Welcome Bonus Membership Rewards® Points.*
The best travel rewards credit card in Canada is the
You’ll start with a welcome bonus worth up to 15,000 American Express Membership Rewards points after spending $750 every month for the first year.
You’ll also earn points on all of your spending, with bonus points for some common spending categories:
- 5 points per $1 spent on eligible groceries and restaurants (up to $2,500 spent per month)
- 3 points per $1 spent on eligible streaming services
- 2 points per $1 spent on eligible gas, transit, and ride share purchases
- 1 point per $1 spent on foreign currency purchases
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
This credit card also comes with 10 types of insurance:
American Express Cobalt® Card Please review your insurance certificate for details, exclusions and limitations of your coverage.Extended Warranty 1 year Purchase Protection 90 days Mobile Device $1,000 Travel Accident $250,000 Emergency Medical Term 15 days Emergency Medical Maximum Coverage $5,000,000 Flight Delay $500 Baggage Delay $500 Lost or Stolen Baggage $500 Hotel Burglary $500 Rental Car Theft & Damage Yes
And one of the key features of this card is that you can transfer your rewards to Aeroplan, which, used properly, offers up to 2 cents per point value for the points you’ve earned.
Best travel rewards Visa
GC: $150
One of the more exciting new travel rewards credit cards is the
Introduced in 2020, this BMO Visa card comes with a welcome bonus of up to 70,000 BMO Rewards, worth an estimated $469 when redeemed for travel.
Of course, you’ll also earn BMO Rewards with this credit card on your regular purchases at the following rates:
- 5 BMO Rewards points for every $1 spent on dining, groceries, gas, and transit
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
As for insurance, this card comes with 6 types of coverage:
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card Please review your insurance certificate for details, exclusions and limitations of your coverage.Extended Warranty 1 year Purchase Protection 90 days Mobile Device $1,000 Travel Accident $500,000 Emergency Medical Term 15 days Emergency Medical Maximum Coverage $5,000,000 Rental Car Theft & Damage Yes
What’s more, however, this card offers some unique perks, including:
- 10% more rewards when you add an authorized user to your account,
- a $50 lifestyle credit every year that you can use on anything you want,
- 24/7 Visa Infinite Concierge service, and
- exclusive access to Visa Infinite benefits such as Dining, Wine Country, Luxury Hotels, and Troon Golf Benefits.
If you’re looking for a solid travel Visa that’s tailor made for city living, the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite is worth a look.
Best ultra-premium travel rewards credit card
Of course, if you’re looking for the ultimate in luxury travel benefits, there’s the legendary
For those who can see past the staggeringly high $799 annual fee, this ultra-premium travel card offers a huge amount of value, including a welcome bonus worth an estimated $2,000 when redeemed for travel.
That’s 100,000 American Express Membership Rewards you’ll get after spending $10,000 in the first 3 months and making a purchase between months 15 to 17.
As for regular rewards earnings, you’ll get:
- 2 points per $1 spent on restaurants and travel
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
For insurance, the American Express Platinum Card includes 11 types:
American Express Platinum® Card Please review your insurance certificate for details, exclusions and limitations of your coverage.Extended Warranty 1 year Purchase Protection 120 days Travel Accident $500,000 Emergency Medical Term 15 days Emergency Medical Maximum Coverage $5,000,000 Trip Cancellation $2,500 Trip Interruption $2,500 Flight Delay $1,000 Baggage Delay $1,000 Lost or Stolen Baggage $1,000 Hotel Burglary $1,000 Rental Car Theft & Damage Yes
And then there are plentiful perks, including:
- an annual $200 travel credit,
- access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection,
- complimentary benefits at over 1,000 premium hotels worldwide,
- access to special events and experiences, and
- advanced status in many leading hotel and car rental loyalty programs at no extra cost.
The important thing to note here is that the Global Lounge Collection includes access to Plaza Premium Lounges, even though most Priority Pass and LoungeKey members are losing access to these exclusive lounges.
Best hotel rewards credit card
Another Amex to consider is the
You’ll start with a welcome bonus of up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, worth an estimated $485.
For regular earn rates, you’ll get:
- 5 points per $1 spent at Marriott properties
- 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
For insurance, this premium hotel rewards credit card comes with 8 types of coverage:
Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card Please review your insurance certificate for details, exclusions and limitations of your coverage.Extended Warranty 1 year Purchase Protection 90 days Travel Accident $500,000 Flight Delay $500 Baggage Delay $500 Lost or Stolen Baggage $500 Hotel Burglary $500 Rental Car Theft & Damage Yes
And of course, there are an array of perks you’ll enjoy, including:
- a free hotel night every year on your card’s anniversary,
- a $120 statement credit when you spend $10,000 in the first year.
- automatic Silver Elite status, upgraded to Gold Elite when you spend $30,000 in a year,
- 15 Elite Night Credits annually, and
- the ability to transfer points to over 40 different airline rewards programs.
The free hotel night is a fan favourite, of course, and you can even earn bonus points when transferring points to miles.
Best no fee travel rewards credit card
If you want to earn travel rewards without paying an annual fee, the
This card’s welcome bonus will give you up to 10,000 MBNA Rewards points, worth an estimated $100 when redeemed for travel.
You’ll also earn rewards on all your purchases, including:
- 2 points for every $1 spent on restaurants, groceries, and select recurring bills (up to $10,000 spent annually per category)
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
For a no fee card, you get a generous insurance package as well, including all 3 types of rental car coverage:
MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® Please review your insurance certificate for details, exclusions and limitations of your coverage.Extended Warranty 1 year Purchase Protection 90 days Mobile Device $1,000
Like most no annual fee cards, of course, you’re not going to get a whole lot of perks with the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus, but with included rental car insurance and bonus rewards on gas and restaurants, this is a good companion for those long summer road trips.
Best travel rewards credit cards compared
Wondering how these travel rewards credit cards measure up, side-by-side? Let’s take a look at how they compare in a few key areas.
Welcome bonus
While welcome bonuses are something you only earn once, they’re still a key factor to consider, since they can go a long way towards offsetting any annual fees you might be looking at in your first year or 2.
Of course the ultra-premium Amex Platinum card has the most generous welcome bonus, but the other cards all have something to offer as well. Even the no fee MBNA card offers some serious value here.
Average rate of return
We determine each credit card’s estimated rate of return based on a typical $2,000 monthly spend across a number of categories. The points earned are evaluated based on their highest value redemption option.
Here’s how these credit cards’ rates of return compare.
This is where we start to see the true value of the Cobalt card, as well as the other 2 Amex cards. It’s hard to beat Amex for travel rewards, and the proof is in the pudding.
Estimated insurance value
A little while ago we at creditcardGenius embarked on a major study to determine the estimated value of credit card insurance coverages. We simply wanted to answer the question: What is your credit card insurance worth? And it turns out…it can be worth a lot.
Here’s how the estimated value of the insurance packages for these 5 credit cards compare.
As you can see, the Amex Platinum and Cobalt cards all have insurance packages with estimated values ranging from $400 to just over $500.
Estimated perks value
Similar to our insurance study, we did a study to determine the estimated value of the various credit card perks you can get. And here’s where we see the “ultra” in “ultra-premium” in action.
The Amex Platinum card is a favourite of veteran travellers for a reason. If you’re able to take full advantage of the perks and benefits it provides, it’s well worth its high annual fee.
In this case, you actually get more than you pay for, which is nice for a change.
Annual fee
And finally, the annual fees. You’ll see that this chart fairly closely mirrors the one above, in that the higher the fee, the more perks you’ll usually get.
The average annual fee for travel rewards credit cards is in the $120 to $150 range, which is reflected here. The Amex Platinum card is the most expensive card in Canada, and for good reason. And the MBNA Rewards Platinum Mastercard punches well above its weight, offering valuable rewards for no annual fee at all.
Bottom line
Are you itching to get back to travel?
What grand adventures do you have planned for your first post-pandemic trip?
Have you been hoarding travel rewards this whole time?
We’d love to hear from you, so tell us all about it in the comments!
FAQ
What’s the best travel rewards program?
The best travel rewards program depends on you. If you collect Air Miles, you’re going to want something different than an Aeroplan points fan. People who travel by car might prefer a hotel rewards credit card over one that focuses on more general travel redemptions. We have some suggestions for cards you might want to look into here.
Are travel reward cards worth it right now?
Our answer for this has changed over the past year. At the beginning of the pandemic, when everyone was going into lockdown and travel seemed like a distant pipe-dream, we were pretty bullish on recommending cash back rewards as a way to save money in uncertain times. But now that we have multiple COVID-19 vaccines being distributed around the world, it’s starting to look like travel might be back on the menu sooner than later. So, yes, we believe that now is the time to start collecting those travel rewards again so you can blow them all on an epic adventure once travel restrictions are lifted for good.
What are Marriott points worth?
Marriott Bonvoy rewards point values range from 0.13 to 1.07 cents per point (CPP), depending on what you redeem them for. You’ll get the best value redeeming them for travel packages (1.07 CPP), but they hold their value well when transferred to airline partners (0.86 CPP), or redeemed for hotels (0.97 CPP).
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