It’s time to look up at some of the tales that formed Miles &, Points in 2023 and forth to what we might experience in the year 2024 as it approaches its conclusion. I’ll keep this discussion on the American context for the sake of economy, making appropriate references to US and international programs. In order to entice new customers to their goods, American credit card issuers offered some fantastic promotions in 2024. This occasionally manifested as a record-high welcome bonus, while other times new features were added (occasionally accompanied by an increase in monthly payment ). As per usual, American Express offers its customers the most factors to apply for and keep using their products: Amex Membership Rewards points have the greatest number of potential partners to work with, the cards offer the highest rates for earning money over time, visa Offers offer excellent continuing worth, and referral bonuses encourage customers to spread the word. However, RBC’s decision to increase its own” RBC Offers” and reinstate the Friday Friend Pass for completely raise runs at ski resorts across Canada in 2023 has been encouraging. Cardholders can benefit greatly from benefits like these, and finally RBC will grow on its products as well as other issuers take note and offer comparable benefits in 2024. Welcome bonuses that require spending all year long and even into the next month to access the full registration of points are another common theme we’re seeing. Banks naturally want cardholders to use their products for reasons other than the welcome bonus, so designing offers in this way forces us to act accordingly. The construction of the first-ever pleasant reward in the form of points on the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard, which has since expired, is a great illustration of this. New cardholders were given 10,000 miles when they made a purchase, 10, 000 after spending$ 5, 000, 10,000 after adding an additional$ 10 000 to their account, and 30, 000 miles after renewing their card for another year. This is also true because many cards now have lower monthly spending needs than there used to be for unlocking a large number of points after about three months. On the other hand, the introduction of the Cathay World Elite® Mastercard, powered by Neo, which landed with a thud, serves as an excellent illustration of one of those cards that does n’t encourage its holders to keep it for the long term or to use it to make daily purchases. The only significant benefit provided by the card, apart from its welcome bonus of up to 30,000 Asia Miles, is 10 % off Cathay Pacific planes with a discount code. Otherwise, the card does n’t offer any special benefits that cardholders of other World Elite Mastercard products or Asia Miles members would. There are many other reasons to look elsewhere for a rewarding credit card, including the higher annual fee than any other World Elite or Visa Infinite product in Canada and the insurance package that does n’t seem to apply to Asia Miles redemptions. The impending merger of HSBC Canada by RBC was one of the biggest reports this year. The HSBC World Elite Mastercard held sway for years as Canada’s top card and the best cards with no fees for international transactions that earns applicable points. The future of HSBC’s items is in doubt, as well as the only program in Canada that provides immediate access to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer away from Marriott Bonvoy. This does, however, leave the door wide open for RBC and different manufacturers to improve. The number of exchange partners available with applicable points assets pales in comparison to those from US plans, and Canada’s banks offer very few cards with no foreign exchange fees compared to our neighbor to the south. Additionally, we frequently encounter less attractive move ratios and are left to wait for a move bonus promotion to outperform the 1: 0.75 or 1:17 transfer rates. Luckily, MBNA Rewards has announced that it will replace Alaska yards as Canada’s most recent transferable items currency in 2024. Although there is n’t a set timeline for this, I predict that when it does, applications for the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard will soar. This will be the case in particular if MBNA decides to make the 5x earning rate at wholesale clubs ( like Costco ) a permanent feature after testing it out earlier this year on an targeted promotion. In conclusion, better perks and benefits to preserve cardholders around for the long term may be introduced in 2024, along with increased pleasant bonuses, higher category earning rates, and increased competition among issuers. It’s not surprising that Aeroplan continues to be the most well-liked and gratifying loyalty programme among Canadians ( and to many others, for that matter ) in 2024. More than ever before, there are numerous ways to earn Aeroplan items, including through payment cards in Canada and the US ( as well as the HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card in Australia ), regular lovers like Starbucks, LCBO, Journie Rewards, and more. Additionally, Aeroplan has been enhancing its app with new features, such as the ability to make online changes to reservations and reserve flights with stopovers. It’s wonderful to see some of these ( and more ) features taking shape, as Aeroplan stated when the redesigned program was introduced back in 2020. It’s important to note that Aeroplan has likewise encountered difficulties in 2023, as evidenced by the temporary closure of fresh Family Sharing records, the launch of an offensive against third-party award search sites, and ongoing problems with some partner airlines. Some of these problems have to do with worries about plan fraud and abuse, which ruins some of the excitement for the typical user. The transfer of Oman Air and another partner honours to online stock, on the other hand, shows that Aeroplan is constantly working to address these problems behind the scenes. Finally, Aeroplan will be able to resolve these persistent problems, which have begun to significantly affect the standard customer experience. With the loss of Star Alliance award stock support from prize searching tools like ExpertFlyer, it would be wonderful to view Aeroplan ( and another loyalty programs, for that matter ) improve the website’s search function to make finding awards more simple. Oman Air First Class is back on board. The timeline features on the American Airlines Premium, United MileagePlus, and Air France KLM Flying Blue sites are excellent examples of this. Given that the number of airline partnerships has n’t yet reached the 50-partner mark, I would n’ be surprised to hear about more launching with Aeroplan in 2024. A worrying trend has been the replacement of the common partner award prices with a cross chart for new partners. Emirates and Flydubai currently have their own charts, but Air Canada has also said that in the future, some of its local partner airlines, like Calm Air and Canadian North, will do the same. It’s best to plug in a forgiveness sooner rather than later if you plan to travel to Churchill or other remote areas of Northern Canada. Let’s hope that any new partner airlines that Aeroplan adds are priced according to standard companion award prices because that is where the best value in the program lies. Additionally, Aeroplan announced plans to modify its terms and conditions in 2024 in the fall of 2023. While some of the changes are intended to address data scraping and programme abuse, people are a continuation of how the credit card pleasant bonuses were described when they were first introduced in 2022. How totally these conditions may be applied in 2024 remains to be seen. WestJet Rewards has been very silent ever since it introduced the updated Member Exclusive Fares in 2020. We have n’t observed any significant program improvements to arouse interest, nor have we noticed any sizable depreciation. However, given that Canada has the second-largest airline in the world, there is plenty of room for the program to rename and gain more clout on the American and North American markets. As things stand, it is impossible to maximize value from WestJet Rewards redemptions in the same way that Aeroplan and numerous other loyalty programs is. Actually on award bookings, Member Exclusive Fares offer a small discount compared to the cash price, but you must pay the full value of the basic suffer to be eligible for them, and you are still responsible for the dreaded” Additional Air Transportation Charges.” In 2024, it would be fantastic to see WestJet Rewards much establish itself as a satisfying program by giving members more chances to interact with and gain from the program. By all means, it’s past occasion for WestJet to change its mind about charging much more than it should for its money. In 2023, VIP Airlines embarked on a quest as it began the enormous expansion of its route network and took delivery of new jets. As a refresher, Porter even unveiled an updated VIPorter loyalty scheme in the beginning of 2023. VIPorter does n’t have any credit card partnerships, in contrast to Aeroplan and WestJet Rewards, which makes the program largely out of reach for many Canadians. In 2024, had VIPorter acquire its own co-branded credit card or join forces with another points money? Additionally, more Canadians are learning about the airline’s onboard item and, in some cases, loyalty program as it speedily expands outside of its classic core. Since I reside on Vancouver Island, I have n’t had much time to learn how the program operates and how it compares to other programs, but Toronto-based frequent flyers have given me positive reviews, and I’m looking forward to spending some time getting to know VIPorter in 2024. Early in 2023, the future of AIR MILES did n’t look promising. We were hearing some odd relationship disclosures, and it seemed like AIR MILES was on the verge of going extinct. BMO acquired AIR MILES at the last minute and has since given the programme new life. Giving credit where credit is due is worthwhile, and I’m impressed by the energy BMO is making to refocus the system. A revamped vacation reservation gate, the statement of new, much more significant partnerships, and even some fantastic welcome bonuses on its AIR MILES co-branded credit cards were all things we saw in the second quarter of 2023. AIR MILES is a program that many Canadians value, even though it does n’t yet have the same swagger it once did. Here’s hoping for more advancements in the future in 2024. There has been a lot of activity in the American aviation landscape between 2024 and 2023, according to Canadian Airlines. While Air Canada concentrated on bolstering its major hubs in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, WestJet concentrated most of its efforts on growing its occurrence in Western Canada. We also saw a number of new and returning way announcements for small, medium, and long-haul flights as the two biggest airlines rebuilt their networks to pre-pandemic levels. From Vancouver, some of Air Canada’s roads began, including those to Osaka, Singapore, and Dubai. Air Canada also emphasized the simple eastward connection to locations served by its mate airlines in the way disclosures. On the other hand, WestJet has started operating strong flights from Atlantic Canada to Europe as well as from Calgary to Tokyo and Seoul. As previously mentioned, Porter Airlines has been in a complete tizzy when it comes to road disclosures. WestJet launched flights to Tokyo in 2023. It used to travel locally, but now it offers flights across Canada and the US. As it receives more aircraft, plans call for further expansion. Additionally, Porter has announced alliances with Alaska Airlines, Air Transat, and others. It will be fascinating to see how these develop in 2024 and above. In 2024, I do n’t anticipate route announcements from Air Canada, WestJet, or Porter Airlines slowing down. Hopefully, other international carriers will also add new routes to Canada. Luckily, there is more choice with each news, which is something that Canada needs a lot more of. It’s important to keep in mind that some airlines around the world are transitioning to a revenue-based unit, which means your standing level is directly correlated with how much you spend with the airline rather than how often or how far you fly. In 2024 and beyond, it’s probably obvious that this model will spread to more airlines, and how you choose to book travel will determine whether you stand to gain or lose. In 2023, there were numerous images of teams outside lounges posted on several online forums, making lounge overcrowding a hot topic once more. Groans from real frequent flyers who gain status and cafe access the hard way, as opposed to through payment cards or deals, were heard in conjunction with the images. For its portion, Air Canada rearranged the furniture in its most well-liked seats to make more efficient use of the room and eliminated club entry as a disadvantage to Aeroplan 35K people in June 2023. At Toronto Billy Bishop Airport (YTZ ) and San Francisco ( SFO ), we also got a taste of two brand-new Air Canada lounges, which should serve as hints for what Maple Leaf Lounges might look like after the anticipated renovations in the years to come. Some airlines will introduce innovative business category and First Class products in 2024, so it will be interesting to see what the newest advancements in superior cabins have to offer. Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge San Francisco- Outdoor terrace In 2024, Air Canada plans to introduce new company class products to its modified Embraer E175 and Bombardier CRJ900 plane, which may be the first sign of the design of its upcoming narrow-body commercial class cabins. The airport has hinted that its long-term wide-body ships is also prepared for an release” quickly” and anticipates starting the distribution of Airbus A321XLR plane in 2025. It’s worthwhile to reflect on some of the key elements from 2023 as we approach 2024 and what we can anticipate from the Miles &, Points, and go sceneries the following year. In the American credit card, fidelity, and aircraft markets, there is plenty of room for competition, so hopefully this will result in positive change. We appreciate you all browsing and encouraging Prince of Travel in 2023, and we’ll make sure to keep you informed of everything that happens there and above.
