How to Start 2026 Strong with Rewards Programs

A new year brings the perfect opportunity to assess whether your objectives have been achieved in the world of points and rewards, and to redefine them if necessary.

Check where you stand with your points (or cashback) balance according to your aspirations. Is the credit card in your wallet best suited for your needs?

Check out the Milesopedia list of the best credit cards in Canada to help you choose the right credit cards for your goals! Subscribe to our newsletter to discover the 2026 Milesopedia Rankings of the best rewards programs and credit cards, coming out in mid-January.

Are you heading in the right direction for 2026? Tools are available to help you organize your personal finances and calculate your rewards.

Don’t forget, Milesopedia’s credit card comparator is always there to help you find the best credit card.

Spend some time at the beginning of the year to plan and optimize your future spending. It’s time to see if everything is going well or if you need to revise your strategy, especially for expenses like groceries!

For new goal inspiration, here are several strategies from our Beginner’s Guide.

Depending on your comfort level, your goal, and the rewards programs, here are the best credit card options for 2026:

• Beginner Level: Which credit card(s) to apply for?
• Intermediate Level: Which Credit Card(s) Should I Apply For?
• Expert Level: Which credit card(s) to apply for?

In general, airline or hotel program status is earned between January 1 and December 31 of each year. If a certain level was reached or exceeded this year, the status extends to the following year. Otherwise, it is lost.

Everything restarts on January 1, 2026. What will your status be for 2026? How much do you value it?

If you’ve achieved status recently, have you selected your benefits for the year (with Aeroplan and Marriott Bonvoy, for example)?

Starting in 2026, the way to earn Aeroplan Status is changing. Find out how to achieve Aeroplan Status in 2026 with our comprehensive guide. We also explain in detail what Milestone Rewards are, the new Aeroplan program benefits for 2026.

If you had Aeroplan status in 2025, it is valid until January 31, 2026, and the benefits related to the status achieved during 2025 (before December 31, 2025) will begin on February 1, 2026.

For example, a 35K member who only met the requirements for 25K in 2025 will have their 35K benefits until January 31, 2026, and then, they will have their 25K status starting February 1, 2026.

Do you want to stick to just one airline or hotel chain? Or do you want to be free to choose any option?

The question is whether paying several hundred or thousands of dollars is worth it to get upgrades, skip lines, or get free breakfasts.

Let’s hope that Marriott Bonvoy resurrects its highly advantageous promotion, for double elite nights, to speed up the transition to a higher status.

As a reminder, here are examples to obtain status otherwise:

Transfer your points only when you need them. You never know when there will be a beneficial points transfer promotion between programs to benefit even more!

For example, in 2025, there were promotions for:

• 30% bonus when you transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy (around May and in November);
• 50% bonus when transferring Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors (in October)
• 30% bonus points when converting RBC Avion points to Avios (around November);
• 15% bonus points by transferring RBC Avion points to AAdvantage (month of August);
• 15% bonus points when transferring Marriott Bonvoy points to Aeroplan (new).

These promotions can also be used for orphan points, which are about to expire anyway or that you do not intend to use in the original program. So, you can also: transfer RBC Avion points to other airline programs, at any time.

In 2025, there were some changes and developments in the loyalty programs and credit card environment:

• WestJet dollars became WestJet points;
• New partnerships with Marriott Bonvoy and termination of the agreement with Sonder following its bankruptcy;
• New partnerships with Aeroplan: airBaltic, Harbour Air, Helijet, Bearskin Airlines;
• New Aspire Lounges at Montreal-Trudeau and the renovation of Maple Leaf Lounges;
• The arrival of new VIPorter co-branded credit cards with BMO;
• The expansion of VIPorter including point redemption for Air Transat and Alaska Airlines;
• New Partnerships: RBC with Triangle Rewards, WestJet and Skip, Chexy and Aeroplan;
• The expansion of Chexy for recurring bills and small businesses;

… and much more!

What does 2026 hold for us?

• After the possibility of transferring AIR MILES between Cash and Dream accounts, the miles will be merged on January 25;
• The arrival of changes to Aeroplan Elite statuses in 2026 with SQC and milestone benefits;
• And if the trend continues, new partnerships between programs for reciprocal accumulation between travel purchases and daily purchases;
• A loyalty program with Air Transat, perhaps? Stay tuned.

Resolve to use shopping portals! Take advantage of these easily earned points to boost your points or cash back balance.

All you have to do is to go through one of these shopping portals and use their link BEFORE making the purchase on your favourite store’s website. The most popular ones are:

• Aeroplan eStore (to collect more points);
• airmilesshops.ca (to collect more AIR MILES miles);
• and Rakuten (to accumulate more cash back or Scene+ points).

Plus, you’ll double up when there are promotions offering even higher earn rate multipliers. I’m especially thinking of those that take place during long weekends, Amazon Prime Days, Black Friday, special occasions like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, or statutory holidays.

There are key moments throughout the year to earn or redeem your points during loyalty program promotions. We constantly monitor these offers to inform you as soon as possible and allow you to take advantage of them.

Every week, our newsletter provides new tips to save daily or earn more rewards for your travels or everyday life. Subscribe to our free newsletter so you don’t miss anything and can take advantage of the best offers related to programs and credit cards.

And finally, keep an eye out for online offers from programs like AIR MILES, American Express, Scene+, Avion Rewards, and now TD. These can help you save year-round on all kinds of purchases you were already planning to make.

An offer can be:

• XX credit on the purchase of $XX at a specific store;
• Bonus points or miles when you charge a minimum amount to your credit card (groceries, entertainment, gas, etc.);

Even if you don’t think you’ll use them, I advise you to regularly check and activate these offers. You never know when they might be useful, and it only takes one click.

Happy New Year 2026!