The 2026 Canadian Miles & Points Strategy

We’re now a few weeks into 2026, and it’s a good time to take stock of current trends in the world of loyalty and make a plan.

In this article, we’ll share our strategies for how the Prince of Travel team is approaching Miles & Points in Canada for 2026.

Trends in Loyalty for 2026

More so now than ever before, I value flexibility in my approach to Miles & Points in 2026.

We’re seeing more and more loyalty programs restricting premium cabin awards for their own co-branded credit cardholders or elite status-holders, which makes planning for redemptions much less predictable (and approachable) than it once was.

On the credit card front, we’re seeing more and more “pay-to-play” scenarios introduced. What was once included now requires some effort, and I’ll be taking stock of my wallet and trimming where I don’t see the value anymore.

Of course, I’m talking about the cap on Plaza Premium and Priority Pass lounge visits on the Amex Platinum and Business Platinum cards (coming in 2027), but also the $5,000 minimum spending requirement for the WestJet annual companion voucher.

I’d expect to see more of this type of requirement being introduced on credit card perks this year.

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Looking ahead, I expect more loyalty programs to continue shifting toward revenue-based models that increasingly reward high spenders rather than frequent travellers. Earning elite status and meaningful rewards is becoming less about distance or nights, and more about how much you’re willing to spend into the ecosystem.

On the redemption side, dynamic pricing is likely here to stay. Fixed charts are slowly being treated like endangered species, and members will need to be more flexible with dates, routings, and even programs to find outsized value.

I also think we’ll see more programs leaning into paid access models. Paid status matches are already becoming more common, and subscription-style products like Flying Blue Extra and Accor+ Explorer suggest that loyalty programs are increasingly comfortable putting premium benefits behind a monthly or annual paywall.

Zooming out, I see parallels with the broader economy. The “middle” of travel is shrinking. Instead of steady, mid-tier travel patterns, I expect demand to polarize toward either ultra-budget trips or full-on luxury experiences, with fewer people aiming for something in between.

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I’m intrigued, but admittedly a bit guarded, to see how the loyalty landscape will unfold in 2026.

Loyalty programs are continuing to evolve, with many shifting toward dynamic award models that more closely align pricing with flight demand and route popularity. Elite status is also becoming increasingly tied to how actively members engage with a program and the overall value of their spending rather than traditional mileage or stay counts.

At the same time, luxury travel demand is rising. More travellers are willing to pay for premium cabins and upscale experiences, which naturally reduces the number of premium award seats available. Increasingly, programs now release unsold premium inventory as award space closer to departure instead of offering it well in advance.

Hotel loyalty programs are experiencing their own form of evolution. As more travellers achieve elite status through credit card and program promotions, elite ranks are expanding. While this broadens access to benefits, it also makes elite treatment less exclusive and can stretch a hotel’s ability to consistently deliver meaningful perks to every elite guest.

Artificial intelligence is also set to play a larger role in shaping the future of loyalty. From dynamic pricing adjustments to personalized offers and automated upgrades, technology will increasingly influence how programs manage both availability and benefits.

Marriott, for example, has already begun using automation to allocate room upgrades, offering a glimpse into how AI could reshape the member experience across the industry. The era of casually “suite-talking” into upgrades is likely drawing to a close.

Credit Card Strategy

As I mentioned above, I value flexibility more than ever before with the loyalty landscape in 2026.

With this in mind, I’m consolidating my efforts on the following points currencies this year:

• American Express Membership Rewards points: with 1:1 conversions to Aeroplan, The British Airways Club, and Air France KLM Flying Blue, I can get most of my redemptions fulfilled with these three programs
• RBC Avion points: to supplement my Asia Miles and British Airways Club accounts, and also to explore the outstanding redemptions in American Airlines AAdvantage
• Scene+ points: I don’t like being beholden to booking fixed-value redemptions through specific portals.

When it comes to specific cards, my daily drivers shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s followed Miles & Points for the last few years. In fact, I’m looking to simplify my wallet a bit this year, and when it comes to maximizing my everyday earn, I find the following four-card setup works well for me:

• American Express Cobalt Card for its 5x earning rate on food and drink, and the most powerful and flexible points currency in Canada
• RBC® ION+™ Visa^‡ Card & RBC^® Avion^® Visa Infinite^‡ Card: leveraging “The Optimized RBC Credit Card Portfolio” for places that don’t take American Express
• Scotiabank^® Gold American Express^®* Card for its 5–6x earning rate on groceries, 5x earning rate on entertainment, and flexible redemptions with Scene+ points

The only piece I’m currently missing to my strategy is a premium Aeroplan credit card, which I’ll use to bolster my SQC balance to whittle down the paid-flying requirements for Aeroplan Elite Status.

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For now, my wallet setup is fairly straightforward.

The Platinum Card^® from American Express continues to play a central role thanks to its lounge access and Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits, though this could change once the upcoming lounge access restrictions come into play in 2027.

For everyday spending, I’ll continue to lean heavily on the American Express^® Cobalt^® Card and the RBC® ION+™ Visa^‡ Card. The Cobalt handles groceries and dining extremely well, while the ION+ remains my go-to for gas and places that don’t accept American Express.

The goal this year is less about chasing every new product and more about maximizing a smaller, efficient setup that still feeds flexible points currencies.

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With the changing landscape of award space, flexibility and diversification will be key this coming year.

American Express Membership Reward-earning cards and RBC Avion cards will remain the backbone of my Canadian portfolio. I’ll direct most of my organic spend to these programs to maintain a steady stream of points for award flights.

In particular, I will lean on my American Express^® Cobalt^® Card and RBC® ION+™ Visa^‡ Card to take advantage of their strong multipliers on dining and transportation, while my everyday, non-categorized spend will primarily go on my RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business Card and American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card, both of which earn 1.25 points per dollar on purchases.

On the US side, I will focus on cards that offer generous welcome bonuses, unlock access to loyalty programs not available through my Canadian cards, and help me more easily earn and retain my airline and hotel elite statuses.

Third-party payment platforms such as Chexy and PaySimply will continue to play a useful role in helping me hit minimum spend requirements and further boost my return on everyday expenses.

I also see growing value in fixed-value programs like TD Rewards, CIBC Aventura, and Scotiabank Scene, thanks to their ease of use and the flexibility to redeem points against virtually any travel cost, especially for incidentals and non-premium travel where I do not want to be constrained by award availability.

Flight/Award Strategy

My son turned one recently, and we don’t plan to travel as much this year as we have in the past. Once he’s upwardly mobile, the idea of 15-hour ultra-long-haul flights just isn’t as appealing as it used to be (at least until we can reason with him).

At the time of publishing, I’m on a big trip to Australia and Japan (Air Canada business class YVR–SYD, Japan Airlines First Class SYD–HND, and Japan Airlines business class NRT–YVR), and aside from this grand adventure, the only other tentative plans we have will be to fly to Europe this summer.

Compared to Asia, I find scoring premium tickets to Europe much easier. We’ve been sitting on a stash of Flying Blue miles that we’d like to burn for the way there, and I’d also like to splurge on Lufthansa First Class on the way home (with a backup flight booked, of course).

Otherwise, my plan is to stick within North America for the next little while, though I have my eyes on some bucket-list redemptions that I hope to score during my set holiday time in my day job.

Personally, I don’t want to play “WestJet roulette” with the newly reconfigured cabins (that will be reconfigured again by the end of the year after the airline backtracked on its “upgraded” fixed-recline seats).

With Porter’s increasing expansion and Air Canada’s new SQC-based status requirements, I’ll be consolidating my paid flying activity to Air Canada whenever appropriate (to try to maintain status and unlock Milestone Benefits), and then looking to Porter for economy redemptions within North America.

If I have to fly with WestJet for short-haul flights within Western Canada, I’ll either redeem Scene+ points for my flight, or book them via Delta SkyMiles. In my opinion, both programs still offer better earning and redemption opportunities for WestJet flights than what’s available via WestJet Rewards.

When it comes to specific programs, I’m still able to make Aeroplan work for most of my redemptions, though I’m more and more drawn to the Avios ecosystem for its predictable premium award drops on British Airways and Finnair flights.

I’ve also had great luck scoring ultra-premium awards with Avios recently (Japan Airlines First Class & business class), and in my opinion, it’s an underrated currency given how flexible it is, how easy it is to earn Avios, and the opportunities for arbitrage from within the program.

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Asia remains my favourite region to travel, and I often base myself in Bangkok and work outward from there.

Because of that, Aeroplan continues to be very useful. I’ve had consistent success finding routings like Toronto (YYZ) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Bangkok (BKK) and Toronto (YYZ) – Paris (CDG) – Bangkok( BKK) on Air Canada and Thai Airways. Occasionally, rarer options pop up as well, such as Toronto (YYZ) –London (LHR) – Bangkok (BKK) using Air Canada and EVA Air’s fifth-freedom flight.

As a secondary strategy, I’m also happy collecting RBC Avion points to transfer into American Airlines AAdvantage, which opens the door to flying Qatar Airways via Doha into Bangkok.

It’s not always the cheapest option, but when availability lines up, the onboard experience more than makes up for it.

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Travelling with a family of five has never been simple, and securing long-haul premium award space is only becoming more challenging.

We will continue to fly economy within North America, reserving business class redemptions for overnight transatlantic flights and journeys beyond Europe. Now that my kids are old enough to sit in a separate cabin, this should open up more options for award availability and help reduce the total number of points required when we book long-haul trips.

The programs I focus on will depend on where we are headed. Aeroplan remains my go-to for North American travel with the kids. Flying Blue will be my preferred program for trips to Europe, thanks to its new 1:1 transfer ratio from Amex, discounted child awards, frequent Promo Rewards, and generous availability.

Avios is a close second, with solid award space, predictable pricing, frequent transfer bonuses, and access to Qatar Airways, which continues to be one of my favourite business class experiences. For Asia and beyond, Asia Miles stands out for its competitive economy pricing and generally decent award availability. Hence why diversification in my credit card and points portfolio is key.

Google Flights, FlightConnections, and tools such as seats.aero and AwardTool will help map out routes, highlight award patterns, and surface potential availability. In the end, though, the key will be closely tracking flights within my preferred programs and being ready to book when space appears.

To increase my odds of securing award space, I generally still stand by booking long-haul flights close to a year in advance to grab saver seats released at calendar open (when available), and then using alerts to monitor for better options that may appear throughout the year.

This year I am also considering earning Aeroplan status. With the recent program changes, qualifying has become noticeably easier if I am willing to take a few more cash flights. In return, I could earn a couple of Priority Rewards and improve my eUpgrade priority, which will be helpful in making good use of the large number of eUpgrades I currently hold before their expiry next year.

Hotel/Status Strategy

After my current trip, I’ll already have fulfilled the requirements for Marriott Platinum status through to February 2028.

By 2028, I’ll likely have qualified for Lifetime Platinum status, too. Therefore, I’m looking to go all-in on Marriott Bonvoy for the next couple of years (since I’m close to the finish line), after which I’ll be more of a free agent when it comes to hotel elite status.

We decided to liquidate all of our hotel points on our current trip to Australia and Japan, and we’ve scored excellent value (and excellent experiences so far) by doing so. Earning and burning remains my preferred approach to hotel redemptions (and flight redemptions, for that matter), and I have no regrets about going through 600,000+ thousand hotel points in a month.

However, with more upcoming travel within North America over the coming years (where the loyalty experience often leaves a lot to be desired), my plan is to shift to fewer paid stays at pricier hotels (booked via Prince Collection whenever possible for elite-like benefits without the hustle) and start an earning cycle for hotel points for future consideration once we travel internationally again.

Other than that, I’m likely looking south of the border for US credit cards to unlock a broader range of hotel redemptions than what’s available in Canada.

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There’s no denying that both Marriott and Hilton points have been trending downward in value. I’ll continue staying at Marriott properties when they make sense, but I won’t be going out of my way to chase elite night credits this year.

That said, Marriott Titanium status still holds meaningful value for me, especially since it comes with complimentary Aeroplan 25K status.

That benefit alone adds tangible upside, including priority services, a free checked bag on Air Canada flights, and access to eUpgrades, which pairs nicely with my broader flight strategy.

Rather than pushing to requalify every year, my current thinking is to aim for Titanium every other year instead of forcing Platinum annually. Given Marriott’s relatively generous soft-landing approach, this staggered strategy still allows me to earn lifetime Platinum years while avoiding unnecessary mattress runs.

For Hilton, I’m in a fortunate position thanks to access to Friends & Family rates through a close friend. As a result, I’ll likely pay cash for most Hilton stays rather than focusing on points accumulation.

Hyatt is a different story. Realistically, Globalist status is out of reach for me based on the current requirements. When I do need Hyatt stays, I’ll continue booking through Prince Collection, our in-house travel agency, which provides access to Hyatt Privé benefits like room upgrades, daily breakfast, and property credits.

Outside the big chains, I’m also making a conscious effort to branch out. I’ve recently subscribed to Accor Explorer+, and I’m especially interested in trying properties like SO Bangkok, which leans heavily into design concepts tied to the five elements.

Finally, GHA Discovery has become a meaningful part of my hotel strategy. With Titanium status, my experiences so far have been consistently strong, including frequent upgrades to premium rooms, complimentary breakfast at many brands, and late check-out granted more often than not.

It’s a reminder that some of the best elite treatment isn’t always found within the biggest programs.

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This year is a bit unusual for us, as for the first time in a while we will have roughly as many boutique or non-branded hotel stays as stays with chains where we hold elite status. That is largely because our plans include a cruise, a stay at Moon Palace The Grand, a premium Universal Orlando hotel for the express pass benefit, and travel to destinations with relatively few major chain properties.

Given this, I will lean more on fixed value points programs to offset costs, and I will also look to fully use my Fine Hotels and Resorts credits from my American Express cards and credits from my Chase cards.​

I hold top tier status with several chains, so outside of these non-branded stays I plan to explore programs that are newer to me, such as Hyatt and GHA Discovery. With Marriott and Hilton, my priority will be burning through my free night awards, reserving Hilton certificates for more aspirational properties.

Even though my husband now has Lifetime Platinum with Marriott Bonvoy, I still intend to work toward my own status, especially as our family of five increasingly needs two rooms instead of one. I have had good success clearing Nightly Upgrade Awards in the past, so I will continue aiming for 50 elite nights per year to earn an Annual Choice Benefit, primarily by holding and leveraging my Marriott Bonvoy credit cards.

Conclusion

If there’s one common thread across our strategies for 2026, it’s that loyalty is becoming more intentional. Programs are evolving, award pricing is less predictable, and perks increasingly come with conditions attached. The days of set-it-and-forget-it strategies are fading, replaced by a need for flexibility, diversification, and a clearer sense of what actually delivers value.

Across flights, hotels, and credit cards, the focus is shifting toward adaptable points currencies, realistic travel patterns, and benefits that align with how we actually travel, not how we wish we did. That may mean simplifying wallets, spreading risk across multiple programs, or being more selective about which statuses are truly worth pursuing.

While the Miles & Points landscape may feel more complex than ever, opportunities are still very much there for those willing to stay informed, plan ahead, and adjust as programs change. As always, the key is not chasing everything, but choosing the strategies that work best for your travel goals in the year ahead.