BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®*

The BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* is a must-have card for frequent flyers with Porter Airlines, and there’s a strong argument to be made that it deserves a spot in many Canadians’ wallets due to its strong welcome bonus, generous cardholder benefits, and more.

Bonuses & Fees

The BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* is currently offering a welcome bonus of up to 70,000 VIPorter points, which are awarded in three swaths broken down as follows:

• Earn 20,000 VIPorter points upon spending $5,000 in the first 110 days
• Earn 20,000 VIPorter points upon spending $9,000 in the first 180 days
• Earn 30,000 VIPorter points upon spending $18,000 in the first 365 days

In order to fulfill the full minimum spending requirement of $18,000 in the first 365 days, you’ll need to spend an average of $1,500 per month. The final allotment of 30,000 VIPorter points is awarded in your second year as a cardholder.

This card comes with an annual fee of $199, which is rebated in the first year as part of this offer.

How Much Is This Offer Worth?

Here’s a breakdown of what the welcome bonus for the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* is worth. Keep in mind that this doesn’t take into consideration the potential value of other card benefits, which we’ll outline in detail below.

We value VIPorter points at 1.5 cents per point, and using that value, we’d peg a value of $1,050 on the welcome bonus alone.

Plus, assuming the card’s baseline earning rate of 1 VIPorter point per dollar spent, you’d earn an additional 18,000 VIPorter points for meeting the minimum spending requirement. We’d value these points at an additional $270.

Therefore, in the first two years as a cardholder, the minimum amount of net value you can expect to get from this card’s welcome bonus is $1,121: $1,050 from the 70,000 points from the welcome bonus, $270 by spending the bare minimum to earn the welcome bonus (and assuming the card’s baseline earning rate), and then minus the card’s annual fee of $199 in the second year.

Of course, you can certainly squeeze more value out of the card by leveraging the category earning rates and the card’s other benefits; however, this is unique to each cardholder, and our valuation assumes a minimum amount of value rather than a maximum amount of value.

Earning Rewards

The BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* has a 3-2-1 earning structure, which allows you to earn VIPorter points on your daily spending that you can then redeem for travel with Porter Airlines and its partner airlines. The card’s earning rates are broken down as follows:

• Earn 3 VIPorter points per dollar spent on Porter purchases
• Earn 2 VIPorter points per dollar spent on gas, transportation, dining, groceries, and hotels
• Earn 1 VIPorter point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases

It’s important to note that there are spending caps in the elevated category earning rates, which are calculated based on the calendar year. The spending caps are as follows:

• Earn 3 VIPorter points per dollar spent on up to $20,000 of Porter purchases (and earn 1 VIPorter point per dollar spent thereafter)
• Earn 2 VIPorter points per dollar spent on up to $5,000 of gas & transportation purchases (and earn 1 VIPorter point per dollar spent thereafter)
• Earn 2 VIPorter points per dollar spent on up to $10,000 of dining and grocery purchases (and earn 1 VIPorter point per dollar spent thereafter)
• Earn 2 VIPorter points per dollar spent on up to $5,000 of hotel purchases (and earn 1 VIPorter point per dollar spent thereafter)

If you’re someone who may tend to max out any of the elevated category earning rates each year, be sure to consider switching your purchases to a different card once you’ve hit the cap to ensure you’re getting the best return on your spending.

Redeeming Rewards

You’ll earn VIPorter points on the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®*, which can be redeemed for flights with Porter Airlines and its partners.

The VIPorter program doesn’t publish an award chart, which means that you might see different prices for the same flight, depending on the demand. Plus, you aren’t able to redeem them against the taxes and fees for your booking, so be prepared to pay a modest amount on each flight, which usually doesn’t exceed $100 or so.

Porter Airlines has a growing network of flights across Canada and the United States, and it’s likely that its route map will continue to grow as the airline expands its fleet.

Here’s an idea of some of the lowest-level prices you can expect to pay for one-way flights using VIPorter points:

• Toronto–New York: 5,000 VIPorter points
• Toronto–Edmonton: 8,000 VIPorter points
• Toronto–Halifax: 7,000 VIPorter points
• Toronto–Vancouver: 8,000 VIPorter points
• Toronto–Miami: 7,000 VIPorter points
• Toronto–Los Angeles: 7,000 VIPorter points

One of the best ways to squeeze extra value out of your VIPorter points is to use the Points + Cash option, which lets you pay more in cash and less in points on redemptions. In some cases, the value of your VIPorter points can exceed 5 or even 6 cents per point, which is four times our base valuation!

If you’re ready to make a redemption, be sure to compare all options at your disposal, and also check to see what the flight’s corresponding cash value is to make sure you’re happy with the value from your points.

Perks & Benefits

The BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* comes packed with a number of perks & benefits which are mostly specific to Porter Airlines.

As a cardholder, you’ll automatically be granted VIPorter Venture Avid Traveller status.

With Venture Avid Traveller status, you’ll enjoy a free carry-on bag with any Porter Airlines fare, as well as a free checked bag. Better yet, these perks apply for you and up to eight guests travelling with you on the same Porter Airlines booking.

You’ll also enjoy free PorterClassic seat selection for yourself and up to one other passenger, which means you can choose a pair of seats in row 8 and beyond at no extra cost.

In the event of flight delays, you’ll get priority re-accommodation over other passengers, and you’ll also have priority check-in, security, and early boarding as a cardholder.

In the first year as a cardholder, you’ll earn a round-trip companion pass upon spending $9,000. Then, in subsequent years, you can earn one by spending $50,000 on your card each calendar year.

The round-trip companion pass gives a second passenger a $0 base fare on a booking. When used strategically, this can be a valuable benefit, especially during peak travel periods and on more expensive fares.

If you fly with Porter Airlines often, your credit card spending will give your Avid Traveller status a boost, since you’ll earn $1 in Qualifying Spend for every $25 spent on your card.

Plus, you’ll get an additional boost of $1,000 in Qualifying Spend in the first year as a cardholder after spending $9,000 on the card.

This card also comes with a complimentary lounge membership in the Mastercard Travel Pass program, powered by DragonPass. Each lounge visit you make will cost $32 (USD).

Your VIPorter points will never expire as long as you’re a cardholder.

 

Insurance Coverage

The BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* comes with the following suite of insurance coverage:

• Emergency medical insurance: 21 days
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• Trip delay insurance
• Car rental collision/loss damage insurance
• Common carrier insurance
• Flight delay insurance
• Baggage insurance
• Hotel burglary insurance

Legal Disclaimers