The Ultimate Checklist for Travellers
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On Milesopedia, we’ve written in-depth articles on every conceivable subject. Here’s a compilation of these items, our ultimate checklist for travellers! A surprise awaits you at the end of this article.
There are so many things you can do to prepare for a worry-free trip, whether it’s maximizing your points redemptions or ticket purchases, getting the best exchange rate, or knowing what to do if your flight is cancelled or your luggage is lost.
The Ultimate Checklist for Travellers – Before Booking Your Trip: From All-Inclusive Resorts Down South to Adventure Travel
Finding Inspiration
Your journey begins the moment you have that spark or idea for your dream trip. So, if you need some inspiration, here are some of our choices for different situations:
- The best destinations for families with points – Summer 2025
- Short trips: getaways for less than 25,000 Aeroplan points
- 10 destinations to visit with 55,000 Aeroplan points
- Budget Travel: Destinations Where the Cost of Living Is Low and the Canadian Dollar is Strong
- The 12 best destinations for all-inclusive sunny vacations this winter
- Travelling While Pregnant: The 15 Best Places for a Babymoon
- Our 12 most beautiful American beaches
- Once in a lifetime trips: 10 journeys you should take
- The 10 best scuba diving sites with points
- 10 beautiful landscapes to discover with reward points
- Safari in Africa: A Wonderful Adventure Among Wild Animals
- Disney Parks Worldwide: The 12 Theme Parks
Points & Credit Card Strategy
Once you know where you want to go, the next step on the ultimate checklist for travellers is to develop a points strategy to make the trip more affordable. Indeed, travel hacking is a powerful tool, but it takes time to earn the necessary points.
The first step is to identify the best rewards program for your destination, as there are many, such as Aeroplan, Avios, Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy, Aventura, etc.
To guide you, consult our many regional guides:
- Northeast Asia: How to Get There and Travel Using Your Points and Miles
- Oceania: How to Use Points and Miles for Your Trip
- Africa: How to Get There Using Points and Miles
- South America: How to Use Points and Miles for Your Trip
- Central America and the Caribbean: How to Get There Using Points and Miles
- Maghreb: How to Get There Using Points and Miles
- Central Asia: How to Get There Using Points and Miles
Tip: opt for transferable points to several different airlines to keep your options open, especially if you are subject to school constraints.
Next, you can use this information to apply for a new credit card and quickly earn a large number of points; generous welcome bonuses are the easiest way to boost your points balance.
If you’re new to the world of points and don’t have any, you can book your vacation with a new credit card to earn points or status for your next trip! Using expenses from one trip to finance the next – how cool is that?
If you earn points organically, the best card is the American Express Cobalt® Card, as it allows you to earn 5X the points on major spending categories such as groceries, gas, and gift cards (Amazon, Walmart, SAQ, Netflix, Simons, etc.).
We’re often asked the question: what’s the best credit card to pay for my vacations? It depends on what you are looking for, from travel insurance to the best return in terms of rewards, and the answer varies from person to person.
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $191.88 |
Planning the Optimal Trip
Different loyalty programs offer benefits you can take advantage of, such as a free stopover or a discounted layover. Knowing about these perks can help you save a lot of money if you plan carefully to make the most of them!
Review the basics:
For example, Aeroplan offers a fixed option of 5,000 points for stopovers, so booking this way instead of as a multi-city trip can sometimes save you a lot of points, such as with the popular Maldives stopover trick!
Flying Blue and British Airways Executive Club also offer a free stopover!
It’s also worth thinking outside the box when booking your trip, as you can sometimes find the best fare by combining different programs, whether it’s a combination of points programs or a cash fare.
Similarly, choosing the best redemption option when booking an award flight or hotel can save you a lot of points. The same applies to the fare class that best suits your needs, as you may already benefit from free baggage as an Aeroplan credit card holder, and there is no need to purchase a high fare for this purpose alone. What’s more, by purchasing the right fare, you can use your upgrade credits to obtain a seat towards the front of the cabin.
Finally, have you ever paid attention to your aircraft and your seat? Choosing the right aircraft and the right seat can radically change the experience; you can pay the same price for a business class seat on an aircraft with lie-flat seats as on a smaller aircraft with recliner seats, or you might be stuck without a window while the person across from you has two.
Travel insurance
The next thing on every traveler’s bucket list is to check your travel insurance.
- Does your credit card offer sufficient coverage to meet your needs?
- Did you meet the requirements to activate your credit card coverage?
- Have you considered extending your coverage with the supplier if you need more?
If you are not insured by the credit card you paid with, make sure you get one elsewhere.
Car and Parking
If your trip requires a rental car or you need to park at the airport before you leave, there are many ways to save.
- Car Rentals: Save with Credit Card Discounts
- Car Rental: Save with Loyalty Points and Programs
- Platinum Card: advantages for car rental with Hertz
- Car Rental Insurance in Canada: The Essentials
- How does theft and damage insurance for credit card rentals work?
- Find the best airport parking option
- Guide: Save on airport parking
- How ParkSleepFly.com works
- Park&N Fly awards
- Guide: How to Save on Airport Parking in Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Plattsburgh, and Burlington
The ultimate list for travelers – Before you go
Earning Travel Benefits
With everything booked and settled, you can now start maximizing your benefits. Indeed, this part of the ultimate list for travelers focuses on what you can do to improve your travel experience.
As mentioned in the previous section, some credit cards offer free checked baggage for the cardholder and up to 8 people on the same reservation. If you don’t have one of these cards, you still have time to get one, as you don’t need to have bought your flight with it!
When it comes to hotel benefits, some credit cards give you a head start towards earning elite status, such as the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card. Having this card can help you save a lot of money during your stay.
Similarly, you can get a new credit card that offers free VIP lounge access worldwide or a card that grants membership to the DragonPass program.
While you’re at it, find a card that doesn’t charge a conversion fee to save on every foreign transaction, like Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite +* Card.
What’s very convenient is that the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card does both, with its free lounge access and no foreign currency conversion fees!
Regarding foreign currencies, break down the ways to get the best exchange rate with credit cards or Wise. Indeed, for cash withdrawals abroad, several options are available to you.
As far as regrets are concerned, if you hesitated to buy a seat in a premium cabin and didn’t, don’t forget that you can always make an upgrade offer and hope to get one.
Similarly, if you’ve booked a connecting flight because it was cheaper and you’ve had a schedule change, you may be able to turn it into a direct itinerary!
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $150 |
The Little Things we Love
Today, you no longer need to scramble to find an affordable SIM card provider upon arrival to stay connected during your trip, thanks to eSIM programs like Airalo. They offer inexpensive plans, and you can access data from your plane seat if you are stuck on the tarmac.
Aeroplan members enjoy free Wi-Fi on board Air Canada flights, so be sure to open an account before your trip!
Given the current situation in the aviation industry, with increased demand and staff shortages, you may encounter congestion anywhere in the airport. It may therefore be worthwhile to connect to the Internet while seated, as the terminal’s free Wi-Fi may not reach you.
Similarly, possession of a NEXUS or Global Entry card can facilitate security and customs clearance, especially if you have a short stopover.
How to Pack for a Trip?
Travelling with hand luggage can solve many problems, because you don’t have to wait for your luggage on arrival… or make a claim for lost luggage. This way of travelling also allows you to request a hold, which can be useful in some cases, as flights earlier in the day are more punctual.
The Milesopedia team has put together a list of items that we can’t live without and that all fit in our hand luggage!
What Travel Documents Should You Bring?
When you set off on a trip, it’s essential to make sure you have all the documents you need to clear security and immigration checks, get to your destination and enjoy your stay without hassle.
Here is a list of important documents to bring with you:
| Category | Documents |
| Passports and Visas |
|
Tickets and Reservations |
|
| Health Documents |
|
| Financial documents |
|
| Other useful documents |
|
What Can I Bring on the Plane?
Air travel can sometimes be stressful, especially when it comes to deciding what to pack in your carry-on. To avoid hassles at the airport, it’s essential to know the rules about permitted and prohibited items on board.
Here’s a detailed guide to help you pack your carry-on suitcase efficiently.
Items Allowed in Carry-On Luggage
- Passport, plane tickets and other travel documents.
- Cell phones, laptops, tablets and their chargers.
- Books, magazines, and other reading materials.
- Change of clothes
- Essential toiletries in small quantities (liquid format of less than 100 ml each).
- Dry, non-perishable snacks such as cereal bars, dried fruit and cookies.
- Drinks purchased after security check (or empty bottle to be refilled).
- Prescription and over-the-counter medication required for the duration of the flight.
- Medical equipment such as inhalers and syringes, with a doctor’s note if required.
- Personal electronic devices.
- Earphones or headphones.
- Travel pillows, lightweight blankets and eye masks.
- Plastic bags for liquids and toiletries.
Prohibited items in carry-on baggage
- Containers over 100 ml, even partially filled.
- Perfumes, lotions, and other liquid items (such as peanut butter, jam, creams, etc.) in containers larger than 100 ml (the exception is when travelling with a child under 2 years old, when you may bring a reasonable amount of water, milk, purees, etc., for the duration of your journey).
- Scissors, knives, and other sharp objects.
- Flammable aerosols, explosive or flammable objects.
- Battes de baseball, clubs de golf, et autres équipements sportifs.
- Tools such as hammers, screwdrivers, and other potentially dangerous items.
- Firearms, ammunition and replica weapons.
- Batons, brass knuckles, and other self-defence devices.
Checked Baggage Tips
For items that are not allowed in the cabin, but are essential during your trip, if you exceed the weight or suitcase size allowed, checked baggage will be a necessity.
Some credit cards offer advantages for transporting your luggage, as well as insurance in case of loss or delay. For example, the National Bank World Elite Mastercard offers a travel credit that can be used towards checked baggage fees. In addition, Aeroplan credit cards provide a free checked bag, which can be especially valuable for frequent travellers.
The Ultimate Checklist for Travellers – During and After Your Trip
For all sorts of reasons, your trip may be disrupted, for example by a storm or a pilots’ strike. That’s why you need to know your rights in this section of the ultimate list for travelers. The law differs depending on where you’re going and the company you’re traveling with, so make sure you get the information you need for your situation.
You should also call your travel insurance company if you want to make a claim, as most of them cover essential expenses.
When it comes to delayed or lost baggage, there are procedures to follow in order to receive compensation.
When your trip is over and you are back home, take the time to check if you have received all the points you were entitled to. Indeed, you can earn points for your flights up to elite nights as a bonus depending on each promotion. And don’t forget to redeem your points and use your travel enhancement credits if your credit card(s) offers them!
- How do I use my $150 annual travel credit from National Bank?
- Marriott Bonvoy: How do I claim a missing stay?
- How to use NBC reward points for travel?
- Scene+: How to use your Scene+ points to save on a trip
- American Express: How can I use Membership Rewards points on any purchase?
- CIBC Aventura: How to use Aventura Points for Cheap Travel
- Complete Expedia for TD Guide: Maximize your TD Rewards points
- How to Use the $100 TD Travel Credit from the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card
Bottom Line
In conclusion, the ultimate travel checklist includes several steps to ensure a trouble-free trip. These include finding destination inspiration, building a points and credit card strategy, and maximizing travel benefits.
Travel hacking is a powerful tool for ensuring cost reduction, and choosing the best program for your destination can help you accumulate the necessary points. In addition, to enhance your travel experience, check your travel insurance and accumulate travel benefits.
By following this list, you can ensure a pleasant trip with no surprises.
Finally, share your success points and tips on your own ultimate checklist for travelers in our group!
- Annual fee
- $191.88
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $255
- Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months
- Up to 15,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
