Winners of the 2026 Prince of Travel Awards!

The votes are in across our survey and Instagram polls, and we’re excited to reveal the winners of the 2026 Prince of Travel Awards, based on community voting conducted at the end of 2025.

This year, more than ever, the results showed clear favourites in some categories and surprisingly tight races in others. Instagram occasionally tried to stir the pot, but the main survey prevailed as the anchor.

Here are your winners across credit cards, loyalty programs, and cabins — plus this year’s two Prince Collection standouts.

Credit Card Awards

Best Airline Co-Branded Credit Card

• Winner: TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Card*
• Runner-up: American Express^® Aeroplan^® Reserve Card*

As one of TD and Aeroplan’s flagship credit card products, there are many reasons why the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card has once again been voted as Canada’s Best Airline Credit Card, earning over 37.6% of the vote share. It’s also one that we recommend for all Canadian travellers, and especially to anyone who flies Air Canada frequently.

The card’s 1.5x earning rate in meaningful categories makes it a great card to use for everyday spending, and its free first checked bag on Air Canada flights can lead to meaningful savings.

The BMO VIPorter World Elite^®* Mastercard^®* made a respectable mid-pack showing thanks to strong IG interest, but the two Aeroplan flagships ultimately dominated.

Best Aeroplan Credit Card

• Winner: American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card
• Runner-up: TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card

Canada boasts a wide array of Aeroplan co-branded credit cards, but in the Prince of Travel Awards, only one can take the top spot. This year, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card once again claimed the crown, earning 30.5% of the vote.

As a premium product, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card offers a number of meaningful benefits to Air Canada’s frequent flyers and Aeroplan’s most engaged members: unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge access, rollover benefits, 3x points on Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations purchases, and more.

For those aiming to achieve Aeroplan Elite Status, adding a premium Aeroplan credit card like this one to your wallet is essential to maximizing your travel rewards and perks.

Best Credit Card for Lounge Access

• Winner: The Platinum Card^® from American Express
• Runner-up: TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card

This was one of the most decisive wins of the year. The Platinum Card^® from American Express dominated the survey and only widened its margin once Instagram weighting was applied.

TD® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege^* Card retains a clear second place, while the Scotiabank Passport^™ Visa Infinite^* Card and the CIBC Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege^* Card rounded out a closely grouped middle tier.

Best Premium Credit Card

• Winner: The Platinum Card^® from American Express

For the fourth time, The Platinum Card^® from American Express has been voted the best-in-show at the 2026 Prince of Travel Awards, with just over 46% of the vote.

Premium credit cards often come with high annual fees, and it’s usually tough to justify the cost—but that’s not the case with the Amex Platinum Card, which sets the standard for delivering exceptional value.

Despite an annual fee of $799, cardholders can easily find value through perks like the $200 annual travel and dining credits and lucrative Amex Offers.

Frequent travellers, in particular, will appreciate the extensive lounge access available at most major airports. Plus, those booking business or First Class cash fares can take advantage of significant savings through the International Airline Program, making this card a compelling choice for discerning travellers.

Best No Annual Fee Credit Card

• Winner: Rogers Red World Elite® Mastercard®
• Runner-up: CIBC Aeroplan^® Visa* Card

Surprisingly, the Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard has taken over the crown this year, with 22% of the votes, narrowly surpassing the CIBC Aeroplan^® Visa* Card.

The card has been gaining popularity due to its 2% unlimited cash back (3% for purchases in US dollars) while having no annual fee. Plus, the 1.5x redemption against Rogers, Fido, Shaw, and Comwave purchases makes the card even more attractive.

Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Card

• Winner: Scotiabank Passport^™ Visa Infinite^* Card

Scotiabank remains the best Canadian issuer of travel credit cards with no foreign transaction fees.

The Scotiabank Passport^™ Visa Infinite^* Card was voted as the best of the best when it comes to cards with no foreign transaction fees.

Interestingly, due to the launch of the Wealthsimple Visa Infinite* Card and the rise of Rogers World Elite Mastercard, its vote share dropped from 61% last year to 34% this year.

Still, with perks like six complimentary lounge visits and comprehensive insurance coverage, it’s a standout option. Additionally, the card offers accelerated earning with 2 Scene+ points per dollar spent on groceries and dining worldwide, adding further value.

Best Small Business Travel Rewards Card

• Winner: Business Platinum^® Card from American Express
• Runner-up: American Express® Aeroplan® Business Reserve Card

The Business Platinum^® Card from American Express has once again claimed the top spot in this category with 48% of the vote. The card offers valuable benefits like unlimited lounge access (to be changed starting 2027), a $200 travel credit, Hilton Gold status, and Marriott Gold status for travelling business owners.

Plus, earning a consistent 1.25x MR points across all categories makes it a great candidate for non-categorized business spending.

While the Business Platinum^® Card continues to dominate, we hope to see more competition in the business card space in 2026 to give small business owners and entrepreneurs even more options for maximizing their rewards.

Best Cash Back Credit Card

• Winner: Rogers Red World Elite® Mastercard®
• Runner-up: Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite* Card

Canada’s cash back credit card market remains fiercely competitive, with no standout winner emerging among the contenders. As in previous years, this year’s race was exceptionally close.

Leading the pack is the Rogers Red World Elite^® Mastercard^®, which captured 24.2% of the vote, narrowly edging out the Scotia Momentum^® Visa Infinite* Card at 20%.

While the Scotiabank Momentum Visa^® Infinite* Card continues to impress with a generous 4% return on groceries and recurring payments, the Rogers Red World Elite^® Mastercard^® seems to be more compelling with a flat 2% unlimited cash back on non-US dollar purchases.

Best Credit Card for Groceries, Gas, and Transit

• Winner: RBC® ION+™ Visa^‡ CardAmerican Express® Cobalt® Card
• Runner-up: American Express® Cobalt® Card

One of the tightest races in the entire awards cycle. The RBC® ION+™ Visa‡ Card ultimately took the win, but the American Express® Cobalt® Card came very close—unsurprising for a card that’s been a Canadian staple since its debut in 2017, especially for groceries and dining.

Even after changes like the annual fee increase and monthly earning cap on groceries, Cobalt still rallied huge support from the community and pushed ION+ right to the finish line.

In the end, ION+ edged ahead thanks to broad enthusiasm (and a noticeable boost on social), cementing its place as this year’s community favourite.

It’s a card we still recommend for many Canadian travellers—and if RBC Avion keeps expanding its transfer partner ecosystem, the ION+ could become even harder to beat.

Best Credit Card for Recurring Bills

• Winner: Scotia Momentum^® Visa Infinite* Card
• Runner-up: TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card

A new category for 2026, and one that resonated strongly with the community. The Scotia Momentum^® Visa Infinite* Card took the win, thanks largely to its industry-leading 4% cash back on recurring bill payments — a rate that no other Canadian credit card currently matches.

For cardholders who route their subscriptions, utilities, insurance, and streaming services through a single card, the savings add up quickly. It's a straightforward value proposition that clearly struck a chord with voters.

The TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card earned runner-up honours, offering a solid earn rate on recurring payments alongside its well-regarded insurance suite.

Best Credit Card to Use at Costco

• Winner: Rogers Red World Elite® Mastercard®
• Runner-up: WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡

A more fragmented category due to mixed eligibility and varied Costco strategies. While a large share of respondents selected “I don’t have a Costco membership,” the weighted results still produced a clear winner: Rogers Red World Elite^® Mastercard^®.

WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡ takes second place after Instagram narrowed the survey gap. BMO VIPorter World Elite^®* Mastercard^®* and Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard^® also posted meaningful results.

Best Credit Card for Travel Insurance

• Winner: TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card
• Runner-up: The Platinum Card® from American Express

The TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card was once again voted as the Best Credit Card for Travel Insurance, earning 38.3% of the vote.

The TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card’s suite of insurance includes up to 21 days of travel medical insurance worth up to $2,000,000 for travellers aged under 65, and four days of coverage for travellers aged 65 and over.

Plus, there’s trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance of up to $1,500 and $5,000 per person, as well as up to $500 in flight delay insurance and an aggregate amount of $1,000 for lost, stolen, or delayed baggage.

Surprisingly, the National Bank World^® Elite Mastercard^® garnered only 14% this year although it still remains the only card in Canada to provide insurance coverage for award travel bookings—a unique and valuable perk.

Best Overall Mastercard

• Winner: WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡

For the third consecutive year, the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡ has been voted Canada's Best Overall Mastercard — and it's not hard to see why.

The card's annual companion voucher remains one of the most tangible perks in the Canadian credit card market, offering a straightforward path to savings on WestJet flights. Pair that with a free first checked bag, 2x WestJet points on travel, groceries, gas, and transit, and 1.5x on everything else, and you have a well-rounded card that delivers consistent value for domestic travellers.

With an annual fee of $139 and Status Lift benefits up to 50 times per year, the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡ continues to set the standard for Mastercard-branded travel rewards cards in Canada.

Best Overall Travel Rewards Credit Card

• Winner: The Platinum Card® from American Express
• Runner-up: American Express® Cobalt® Card

Once again, The Platinum Card^® from American Express has been honoured with the title of Best Overall Travel Rewards Credit Card. It emerged victorious with 35% of the vote, with the TD^® Aeroplan Visa Infinite* Card and the American Express Cobalt^® Card taking second and third place, respectively.

The Platinum Card offers cardholders a comprehensive suite of benefits, such as unlimited lounge access, Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts, a $200 annual travel credit, and the new $200 annual dining credit.

Even with a relatively high annual fee of $799, the extensive perks, generous welcome bonus, and valuable American Express Membership Rewards points were enough to keep this card at the top of the list again this year.

Points & Loyalty Program Awards

Best Transferable Points Currency

• Winner: American Express Membership Rewards^®
• Runner-up: RBC Avion Rewards

As we’ve seen in previous years, American Express Membership Rewards^® has once again been crowned Canada’s Best Transferable Points Currency, securing an overwhelming 72.9% of the vote.

This predictable result underscores the continued dominance of American Express in the transferable points currency landscape, offering by far the most extensive array of airline and hotel partners.

RBC Avion points came in a distant second with 13.2%, highlighting the significant gap between the two programs.

Best Fixed-Value Points Currency

• Winner: Scene+ Points
• Runner-up: TD Rewards

For the fourth year in a row, Scene+ has been voted as Canada’s Best Fixed-Value Points Currency.

Scene+ is notable for the ability to book travel with any vendor, and then redeem points directly against travel expenses at a set value of 1 cent per point.

They can be particularly useful for offsetting the cost of things like boutique hotels, independent airlines, car rentals, and cruises that are otherwise difficult to book through loyalty programs.

There’s no need to shop through a particular portal or jump through hoops – just book whatever you’d like, and redeem points against the cost.

Best Airline Loyalty Program

• Winner: Air Canada Aeroplan

It is no surprise to once again see Aeroplan come out miles ahead of the competition as the Best Airline Loyalty Program. Members have access to over 40 airlines, and can redeem points for flights in economy and premium cabins all over the world.

Compared to many other programs, Aeroplan also offers members plenty of opportunities to earn points through co-branded credit cards, transferable points currencies, the Aeroplan eStore, everyday partners such as the LCBO and Starbucks, and more.

However, Instagram voters showed surprising enthusiasm for Avios and VIPorter, which climbed meaningfully in weighted totals. Still, Aeroplan remains the overwhelming community favourite.

Best Hotel Loyalty Program

• Winner: Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy remains the most accessible and most desirable hotel loyalty program in Canada. With properties across the country and throughout the world, Canadian Miles & Points enthusiasts are more engaged with Marriott Bonvoy than any other program.

Unsurprisingly, there’s been no shift in this category from previous years, largely because Marriott Bonvoy is still the only hotel chain with a co-branded credit card in Canada.

This lack of competition leaves plenty of room for growth, and Canadian travellers would greatly benefit from additional options in 2026 and beyond.

Best International Award Sweet Spot

• Winner: 55,000 Aeroplan points for Vancouver/Seattle – Tokyo business class

As we saw in the past three years, Prince of Travel loyalists have voted Aeroplan’s sweet spot of 55,000 points for business class flights between Vancouver and Tokyo as the best of the best.

It’s worth noting that there have been some ongoing challenges with ANA award availability through Aeroplan; however, awards availability still appears from time to time, although competition amongst Miles & Points enthusiasts on any route to Japan these days is quite fierce.

If you’re able to find award availability, you’ll be handsomely rewarded with ANA’s outstanding reputation as a five-star airline, and you’ll likely not want the flight to come to an end.

Airline Cabin Awards

Best Business Class

• Winner: Qatar Airways Qsuites
• Runner-up: ANA “The Room” Business Class

Once again, Qatar Airways Qsuites has been voted as the Best Business Class product by Prince of Travel’s readership.

The Doha-based airline continues to receive accolades for its excellent hard product, consistently outstanding soft product, and vast route network.

As we’ve seen before, ANA’s “The Room” business class took second place, which is also an outstanding way to fly to or from Japan.

Best Business Class Plus

• Winner: Lufthansa/Swiss Business Suite
• Runner-up: Virgin Atlantic Retreat Suite

Lufthansa/Swiss wins by a considerable margin, even after Instagram pulled Condor and JetBlue upward. Virgin Atlantic secures second place with a comfortable cushion.

Best International First Class

• Winner: Singapore Suites Class
• Runner-up: Emirates First Class

This was one of the most exciting categories. Survey respondents leaned toward Emirates First Class, while Instagram voters strongly favoured Singapore Airlines Suites Class.

Even after applying slightly reduced Instagram weighting, Singapore Suites emerges as the overall winner, with Emirates securing a close second.

Singapore Suites stands out for its fully enclosed cabin, separate bed and armchair layout, and an overall sense of privacy that feels closer to a boutique hotel than an aircraft seat.

Prince Collection Awards

The Prince Collection Awards are selected based on our in-house travel agency data, for hotels that performed best for our clients – places that consistently delivered standout service, great value, and the kind of travel memories that actually stick.

Top-Rated Prince Collection Hotel

• Winner: Rosewood Hong Kong

A flagship luxury property that continues to impress with impeccable service, refined design, and one of the most polished hotel experiences in Asia.

Most-Booked Prince Collection Hotel

• Winner: Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth

A consistently popular choice among Canadian travellers, offering comfort, convenience, and reliable elite recognition in the heart of Montréal.

Conclusion

With the winners now revealed, the 2026 Prince of Travel Awards officially come to a close. Thank you to everyone who voted — your responses highlight what truly delivered value this year, not just what sounded good in a marketing email.

Keep an eye on our social channels for the announcement of the $100 Prince Collection gift card winner.

This year brought a few upsets, a few predictable champions, and plenty of signs that issuers and loyalty programs are still evolving. We’re looking forward to seeing how they raise their game heading into next year’s awards.

The 2026 cycle is already shaping up to be an interesting one, with new products, shifting partnerships, and more travellers than ever weighing value per point. Until then, keep earning strategically, redeeming wisely, and sharing your insights with the community.

We hope you enjoyed voting in the 2026 Prince of Travel Awards. For even deeper strategies, member-only offers, and exclusive travel benefits, consider joining the Prince of Travel membership and take your travel game to the next level in the year ahead.

^†Terms and conditions apply. Refer to the card issuer’s website for complete, up-to-date information.