Points Valuations

This page aims to provide a valuation of the major points currencies in Canada and around the world.

Valuing points currencies is a highly subjective exercise, and the value of a point in each program is constantly changing as the program itself changes.

These valuations should therefore be treated as a general guideline, taking into account the general best-case usage of each program, rather than a definite representation of how much value you will get out of each point you earn.

We update our Points Valuations on a quarterly basis, so make sure to check back often.

Canadian Airline & Bank Programs

Below are our points valuations for Canadian and global loyalty programs to which we have easy access via the major Canadian credit cards. For the programs with significant participation from US residents, we’ve included the value in US dollars as well.

Aeroplan

  • 2.1 cents/point (CAD)
  • 1.6 cents/point (USD)

Aeroplan is one of Canada’s most versatile programs for long-haul international travel.

Its advantageous stopover policy allows you to book some pretty amazing trips that you’d never be able to pull off using cash.

Its ever-growing number of partner airlines provides you with access to some of the best products in the industry, including ANA First Class, Emirates First Class, Etihad Airways First Class, Lufthansa First Class, and more. When redeemed for travel in premium cabins, it’s not uncommon to get value of upwards of 10 cents per point.

Domestic redemptions will be harder to extract value from, but 1.5–2 cents/point is still a reasonable target.

Air Miles

  • 10.5 cents/mile (CAD)

Air Miles Cash Rewards are typically redeemed at a ratio of 95 Air Miles = $10, giving you a baseline value of 10.5 cents/mile. Occasional promotions allow Cash Rewards to be redeemed at a higher value.

It’s also possible to earn Dream Rewards instead, which can be redeemed for flights around the world and in any class of service, but the value isn’t great and rarely exceeds 11.5 cents/mile. 

American Express (Canada) Membership Rewards

  • 2.2 cents/point (CAD)

Amex MR is by far the most flexible travel rewards currency in Canada. All things being equal, its optimal usage is probably through a 1:1 transfer to Aeroplan (2.1 cents/point).

The program’s overall flexibility (including other airline and hotel partners, Amex Fixed Points Travel, etc.) also gives it value a further boost to 2.2 cents/point.

BMO Rewards

  • 0.67 cents/point (CAD)

BMO Rewards can be redeemed towards the cost of travel booked through BMO’s in-house travel agency or into a BMO investment account at a ratio of 150 points = $1, thus giving you 0.67 cents/point. You can also redeem points at this value against any travel purchase charged to the card.

There aren’t many other compelling ways to redeem BMO Rewards, as you’ll get lower value from your points if you redeem them for gift cards or merchandise.

CIBC Aventura

  • 1.25 cents/point (CAD) 

CIBC Aventura points offer a baseline redemption option of offsetting the cost of travel booked through the CIBC in-house travel agency at 1 cent/point.

The fixed-value travel schedule, which allows you to get up to 2.2 cents/point on certain redemptions, gives the program some measure of upside.

CIBC Aventura is putting on a special promotion through July 16, 2023, allowing cardholders to use points to redeem against any travel purchase at double the usual rate: 1.25 cents/point instead of 0.625 cents/point.

HSBC Rewards

  • 0.8 cents/point (CAD) 

HSBC Rewards points are worth 0.5 cents/point at a minimum, since you can use them to offset any travel purchase on your card at a ratio of 200 points = $1.

On top of that, the ability to transfer HSBC Rewards points to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, or British Airways Avios gives the program some added value.

National Bank À la carte Rewards

  • 1 cent/point (CAD)

National Bank’s in-house loyalty program, À la carte Rewards, are best redeemed through the program’s online travel portal. Doing so will net you a value of 1 cent/point for travel bookings.

If you’d rather book directly with vendors, you can still redeem À la carte Rewards for a statement credit, albeit at a lower value. Redeeming fewer than 55,000 points will result in 0.83 cents per point, and redeeming more than 55,000 points will result in 0.91 cents per point.

RBC Avion

  • 2.0 cents/point (CAD) 

Unique among the Big 5 banks in Canada, RBC Avion points can be transferred to a wide range of airline partners.

The general best-case usage is probably converting to British Airways Avios or Cathay Pacific Asia Miles at a 1:1 ratio, but RBC Avion’s value is boosted even further by their frequent conversion bonuses and the option to redeem via the RBC Travel Redemption Chart, which can deliver up to 2 cents/point in value.

Scene+

  • 1 cent/point (CAD)

Nothing fancy here: Scene+ points can be used to offset the cost of travel purchases charged to your card at 1 cent/point. They’re useful to collect for the purpose of reducing your out-of-pocket travel expenses, but not much more.

TD Rewards

  • 0.5 cents/point (CAD)

TD Rewards can be redeemed at a value of 0.5 cents/point via the Expedia for TD online portal towards flights, hotels, car rentals, vacations, etc. If you don’t go through Expedia for TD, the value is lower at 0.4 cents/point.

Similar to the other Big 5 banks’ points (besides RBC Avion), their value is rather limited.

WestJet Rewards

  • $1.02/WestJet Dollar (CAD)

WestJet Rewards is unique in using “Dollars” as their rewards currency: 1 WestJet Dollar can be redeemed towards the cost of $1 off a WestJet flight.

WestJet’s Member Exclusive fares offer small discounts on the cost of a WestJet flight when you book with WestJet Dollars; hence, the valuation is a shade over par.

US Airline & Bank Programs

Below are our points valuations for the major US-based loyalty programs, some of which are accessible via the major Canadian credit cards; others may only be accessible by applying for US credit cards.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

  • 2.1 cents/mile (CAD)
  • 1.6 cents/mile (USD)

Alaska Mileage Plan features a wide array of unique airline partners, including some of the world’s best premium cabins.

In addition, the redemption rates on some premium flights are amongst the lowest in the industry, although there is uncertainty about the future of the pricing due to recent devaluations and the implementation of new award charts.

For the time being, a one-way transpacific flight in Cathay Pacific business class or Cathay Pacific First Class can be booked at around 50,000 or 70,000 miles, respectively.

American Airlines AAdvantage

  • 1.4 cents/mile (USD)
  • 1.9 cents/mile (CAD)

American Airlines AAdvantage offers fairly competitive award pricing for premium flights on Oneworld airlines, including a few very attractive sweet spots like 75,000 miles for Qatar Airways Qsuites to Africa with no surcharges.

Other sweet spots lie in the AAdvantage program’s unique airline partnerships, like Air Tahiti Nui business class to French Polynesia for 80,000 miles one-way.

AAdvantage is a 1:0.7 transfer partner from RBC Avion points.

American Express US Membership Rewards

  • 1.8 cents/point (USD)
  • 2.4 cents/point (CAD)

Some of the most popular US-exclusive airline loyalty program partners, such as Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Emirates Skywards, and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, are in fact common to all three major transferable currencies between Amex US MR, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou.

However, Amex packs the greatest punch with its own exclusive airline partners, such as ANA Mileage Club and their great-value round-the-world awards. Amex also tends to offer more frequent transfer bonuses to partner programs compared to Chase and Citi.

Chase Ultimate Rewards

  • 1.7 cents/point (USD)
  • 2.3 cents/point (CAD)

Among Chase’s exclusive partners, the only airline partner that really jumps out as potentially valuable is United MileagePlus, although those same Star Alliance flights can also be booked at a good value using a program like Aeroplan

Along that vein, it’s fair to peg Chase at least the same valuation as Aeroplan, at 1.6 cents/point.

Meanwhile, on the hotel side, Chase has exclusive agreements with World of Hyatt and IHG One Rewards, both at a 1:1 ratio. 

Hyatt is the only truly “aspirational” exclusive Ultimate Rewards loyalty partner.

Citi ThankYou

  • 1.7 cents/point (USD)
  • 2.3 cents/point (CAD)

The Citi ThankYou program has a fair few unique airline partners, including Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles for high-value North America redemptions, as well as Qatar Airways Privilege Club that can offer exceptional value on Qsuites business class bookings.

That’s in addition to well-established airline partners that are common to all three, like Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Emirates Skywards, and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, plus other popular programs like Avianca LifeMiles and Air France/KLM Flying Blue.

ThankYou points can certainly be very useful to collect as a supplement to your US MR points, in case you need to pool together a big balance in a certain program on short notice.

Delta SkyMiles

  • 1.2 cents/mile (USD)
  • 1.6 cents/mile (CAD)

Delta SkyMiles is a dynamically priced program that is subject to frequent unannounced devaluations.

For Canadians, it’s often not worth using Delta SkyMiles to book premium international flights, as there are other programs that are more fit for that purpose.

Instead, it can be a great deal to redeem SkyMiles towards domestic flights within Canada on WestJet at a fixed price of 12,500 SkyMiles one-way.

International Airline Programs

Air France/KLM Flying Blue

  • 1.8 cents/point (CAD)
  • 1.3 cents/point (USD)

Air France/KLM Flying Blue offers useful redemption options in otherwise underserved or hard-to-book markets, such as Bora Bora, Mauritius, or New Caledonia.

It also provides Canadians with another option for booking transatlantic flights, especially with a monthly rotating selection of Promo Rewards

On the other hand, the carrier-imposed surcharges can get quite expensive when redeeming Flying Blue miles, which limits the overall upside of the program. 

British Airways Avios

  • 2.0 cents/Avios (CAD)
  • 1.5 cents/Avios (USD) 

With a unique distance-based award chart, British Airways Avios has a wide range of redemption sweet spots. The best example is to book Qatar Airways Qsuites starting at only 70,000 Avios. 

Avios are also incredibly useful for short-haul side-trips on Oneworld partners while you’re travelling internationally.

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

  • 1.8 cents/mile (CAD)
  • 1.3 cents/mile (USD)

Asia Miles‘s very generous routing rules, reasonable award pricing for business class and Cathay Pacific First Class, and access to additional availability on Cathay Pacific’s own flights make it a very strong program for Canadians travelling to Asia and points beyond.

Historically, one of the program’s weaknesses has been a draconian mileage expiry policy, although they’ve improved this policy, making Asia Miles an attractive program overall.

Qatar Airways Avios

  • 2.0 cents/Avios (CAD)
  • 1.5 cents/Avios (USD) 

Qatar Airways Avios is one of the best programs to use for booking Qatar Airways Qsuites and Qatar Airways First Class.

Since the points can be transferred instantly to other flavours of Avios, our valuation of Qatar Airways Avios is the same as British Airways Avios.

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

  • 1.8 cents/mile (CAD) 
  • 1.3 cents/mile (USD) 

Singapore Airlines traditionally limits its aspirational business class and First Class redemptions to members of its own KrisFlyer loyalty program, which makes KrisFlyer an essential program for anyone wanting to sample some of the world’s best flying experiences.

However, despite the potential for incredible flight redemptions, KrisFlyer’s strict mileage expiration policy (in which miles expire on a rolling basis of three years after you’ve earned them) certainly counts against it. 

Hotel Loyalty Programs

Best Western Rewards

  • 0.8 cents/point (CAD)
  • 0.6 cents/point (USD)

Best Western Rewards redemptions cost up to 70,000 points per night, with the pricing movements generally reflecting the nightly cash rate.

While one of Best Western’s strengths is that it often has hotels in places that other hotel chains lack coverage, an unannounced devaluation in late 2019 slashed the value of the program dramatically.

Marriott Bonvoy

  • 0.8 cent/point (CAD)
  • 0.6 cents/point (USD)

Marriott Bonvoy is one of the most useful hotel loyalty programs in Canada. The value in redeeming points for hotel nights is quite variable, as there are plenty of high-value and low-value opportunities. Overall, I’d say that  0.8 cents/point is a reasonable target to aim for.

Marriott Bonvoy points can also be transferred to 40+ airlines, giving it some added value in terms of flexibility as well.

Hilton Honors

  • 0.7 cents/point (CAD)
  • 0.5 cents/point (USD)

Hilton Honors does not publish an award chart, so each hotel’s award price point can vary based on many factors. On balance, 0.7 cents/point is a reasonable target to aim for.

In general, award redemptions at both the very lowest and highest ends of the spectrum will give you the greatest chance of maximizing your value.

IHG One Rewards

  • 0.5 cents/point (CAD)
  • 0.4 cents/point (USD)

IHG One Rewards is generally considered one of the weaker among the major hotel loyalty programs. The program uses dynamic pricing that varies frequently, and redemption price points are often devalued without notice.

There are select pockets of value at the lower and higher end of the spectrum, but on average, an IHG One Rewards point is worth a fair bit less than other hotel points currencies.

World of Hyatt

  • 2 cents/point (CAD)
  • 1.5 cents/point (USD)

World of Hyatt points are considered one of the more valuable points currencies for hotel rewards.

Despite a limited global footprint, Hyatt’s hotels are impressive in quality and offer a high level of service, especially for World of Hyatt elite members.

With Hyatt’s top-tier hotels costing only 45,000 World of Hyatt points per night (compared to 100,000+ points in other hotel loyalty programs), it’s no wonder Hyatt’s valuation is much higher than its peers.

 
6 Comments
  1. Husein

    What is the valuation for Lifemiles? Is it worth buying and collecting them? And how easy is it to redeem and use them as a Canadian (major airport YYZ).

  2. Andy

    Can we please have Radisson points program and the Asiana added in too.

  3. Ashes

    Unless I’m missing something, couldn’t you convert MR Select to Aeroplan at huge value?

    1. Convert MR Select to Bonvoy at 1:1.2
    2. Convert Bonvoy to Aeroplan at 3:1

    1. Ricky YVR

      You weren’t missing anything. But now, MR Select points can convert to Aeroplan 1:1 and other frequent flyer partners too – so I guess we’ll be phasing out this valuation next quarter.

  4. Jeff H TOR

    There’s a beautiful GRAND HYATT BGC in metro Manila where i’m at a lot. I’m curious how I can get and maximize points/redemptions there now. I’m Titanium elite for Bonvoy and have a lot of amex MR plus Hilton points. Do they status match?

  5. Hasnain

    Is there a way to convert miles/points from Aeroplan or Aventura to Asia Miles?

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