A Year in Travel and Loyalty: 2025 in Review
2025 wasn’t a year of dramatic implosions or sudden windfalls. Instead, it was a year where the direction of travel became harder to ignore.
Airlines expanded aggressively, loyalty programs tightened rules and previewed future changes, and credit cards continued to shift value behind the scenes.
For travellers paying attention, the message was consistent: more options, more complexity, and fewer illusions about how generous the system really is.
Here’s how the year unfolded, one month at a time.
January: Elite Perks Get Sharper, Partnerships Get Practical
January set the tone for the year with practical, no-nonsense changes rather than flashy announcements.
Reciprocal mileage earning between Alaska Airlines and Porter Airlines officially went live, marking a meaningful step in Porter’s continued evolution beyond a comfortable domestic niche.
For frequent flyers, this partnership wasn’t just symbolic — it materially expanded where and how Porter flights could fit into a broader loyalty strategy.
On the banking side, TD announced updates to its TD Rewards credit cards. Rather than pushing headline-grabbing earn rates, the changes focused on improving flexibility and redemption mechanics, reinforcing a theme that would repeat throughout 2025: refinement over generosity.
The month wrapped up with a rare unambiguous win for hotel elites. GHA Discovery added complimentary breakfast for Titanium members at Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL properties, addressing one of the program’s longest-standing pain points. In a year dominated by quiet pullbacks, this stood out as a reminder that loyalty programs can still add value when they choose to.
February: Aeroplan Tightens the Rules as Networks Keep Growing
February belonged to Aeroplan. Family Sharing returned, but only alongside mandatory account verification, signalling a clear shift toward fraud prevention even if it meant added friction for members.
Aeroplan also previewed upcoming changes to partner rewards and charts, continuing a familiar pattern of advance notice without immediate clarity.
At the same time, airlines continued to invest in network growth. Etihad Airways brought its A380 back to the Toronto (YYZ) – Abu Dhabi (AUH) route, restoring a true flagship product to the Canadian market.
Meanwhile, Porter Airlines expanded into Hamilton (YHM) with four new routes, reinforcing its focus on secondary airports and underserved regions.
March: Routes Multiply, Earning Expands, and Ecosystems Deepen
March was one of the busiest months of the year. Air Canada launched a new Montreal–Edinburgh route and increased capacity to Europe, continuing a year-long pattern of aggressive international expansion.
This growth was paired with investments on the ground, including the opening of the new Air Canada Café in Montreal.
Beyond flying, earning opportunities expanded meaningfully. Chexy went live, allowing Canadians to pay bills and taxes by credit card — a practical win for anyone focused on squeezing incremental value from everyday expenses.
Porter’s loyalty ecosystem also matured further with the launch of the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* and new partner redemptions on Air Transat and Alaska Airlines, signalling that VIPorter was becoming a fully formed program rather than a side project.
April: Community Momentum and Program Overhauls
April blended offline momentum with structural change. Miles & Pints returned to Toronto, highlighting the continued growth of Prince of Travel’s in-person community.
On the loyalty side, WestJet announced major changes slated for later in the year, while Aeroplan partnered with Chexy to expand earning opportunities beyond traditional travel spending.
Air Canada also previewed its new Airbus Airspace cabin for the A220 fleet, reinforcing its push toward onboard consistency.
May: Wi-Fi Arrives and Status Gets Creative
May delivered one of the most broadly appreciated upgrades of the year when Air Canada rolled out free Wi-Fi on North American flights.
It wasn’t a global first by any stretch, but for Canadian travellers who had long lagged behind U.S. carriers, it finally brought everyday connectivity in line with expectations.
This month was also a reminder that elite status doesn’t always require years of flying if you’re willing to think laterally.
Through a combination of Marriott Bonvoy status and a carefully chosen round-trip flight, I was able to earn Star Alliance Gold without the usual grind. It worked — but it also highlighted a growing divide in loyalty programs, where knowledge and strategy increasingly matter as much as actual travel volume.
June: Events and Warm-Weather Expansion
June balanced community building with network growth. Miles & Pints arrived in Vancouver, while Porter Airlines expanded into Mexico, the Caribbean, and Costa Rica, marking its clearest push yet into leisure markets.
International connectivity also improved as T’way Air launched Vancouver (YVR) – Seoul (ICN) service. At the same time, the Cathay World Elite® Mastercard® – powered by Neo returned with its strongest welcome offer to date.
July: Rules, Redemptions, and Fine Print
July leaned heavily into practicality. VIPorter members gained the ability to redeem points on partner airlines, and Porter flights became bookable using Alaska miles(now Atmos Rewards) — another step in turning VIPorter into a genuinely useful program rather than a Porter-only currency.
July was also when ETIAS officially became a requirement for travel to much of Europe. While the application process itself was relatively straightforward, it marked a clear shift in how frictionless transatlantic travel would feel going forward.
Even visa-free destinations were now accompanied by digital paperwork, reinforcing a broader trend toward more structured border controls.
August: The Future of Aeroplan Comes into Focus
August was one of the most consequential months of the year. Air Canada announced a shift to revenue-based points earning and elite qualification starting in 2026.
While the changes weren’t immediate, they fundamentally reframed how Aeroplan members thought about long-term strategy and value.
At the same time, Alaska and Hawaiian unveiled Atmos Rewards, signalling consolidation and modernization in the U.S. loyalty space.
Closer to home, changes to the American Express® Cobalt® Card reminded cardholders that even long-time favourites are not immune to adjustment.
August made one thing clear: loyalty in 2026 would reward spending patterns more than clever routing.
September: Status Shortcuts and Hardware Upgrades
September highlighted an uncomfortable reality in the loyalty world. On one hand, business owners saw a wave of new opportunities, including fast tracks and shortcuts to Hilton Diamond status that dramatically lowered the barrier to entry.
On the other hand, these same offers quietly undercut travellers who had earned their status the hard way — through long-haul flights, mattress runs, and years of consistent loyalty.
Programs were clearly prioritizing new revenue over rewarding historical commitment, and for many long-time elites, the shift felt less like progress and more like betrayal.
The takeaway was hard to ignore: in 2025, elite status became easier to get — and arguably less meaningful once you had it.
At the same time, airlines continued investing in tangible improvements. Air Canada rolled out cabin and connectivity upgrades across parts of its regional fleet, including improved Wi-Fi on Q400 aircraft, and introduced the A321XLR into its network. These hardware investments mattered, especially as programs became less generous on the loyalty side.
September also brought updates to airline co-branded credit cards, with changes to RBC WestJet co-branded cards.
Together, these developments reinforced a broader theme of 2025: loyalty became easier to earn on paper, while the real value increasingly came from the seat, the cabin, and the onboard experience rather than the status line on your profile.
October: Regional Flying Meets Rising Costs
October highlighted both access and expense. Harbour Air expanded winter service to Tofino, while Aeroplan added Bearskin Airlines as a partner.
At the same time, WestJet increased first checked bag fees. TD Rewards added more redemption flexibility, offering a modest counterbalance to the steady creep in ancillary costs.
November: Big Events and Bigger Networks
November was a milestone month for Prince of Travel. The Signature Event in Toronto marked the largest in-person gathering yet, underscoring the strength and growth of the community built around travel strategy and points.
On the airline front, Air Canada announced four new Europe routes for summer 2026, joined by Iberia confirming Toronto (YYZ) – Madrid (MAD) service. Hilton Honors also previewed 2026 program changes, keeping members on notice heading into the new year.
December: Partnerships Close the Year
December wrapped things up with partnerships rather than shocks. Aeroplan added airBaltic, Harbour Air joined Aeroplan, and Hyatt announced Wink Hotels joining Unscripted by Hyatt.
A Thank You to Our Readers
Before closing out the year, we want to say thank you.
Whether you’ve been reading Prince of Travel for years, found us through a single search, or joined us in person at Miles & Pints or the Signature Event, we truly appreciate you being part of the journey in 2025.
Your questions, feedback, and debates continue to shape how we think about travel, loyalty, and credit cards, and make this community sharper and more grounded than anything we could build alone.
Conclusion
2025 didn’t flip the table on travel, but it did pull the curtain back. Airlines expanded relentlessly, loyalty programs continued shifting value toward control, and fees edged higher with little resistance.
At the same time, faster Wi-Fi, broader partnerships, and thriving in-person communities showed that progress still exists — just rarely without trade-offs.
Heading into 2026, flexibility, realism, and knowing when not to chase loyalty may be the most valuable strategies of all.
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