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How to get $500 off your plane ticket

How to get $500 off your plane ticket
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Travel is very much in vogue these days. That’s why it’s essential to find every possible way to get discounts on your plane ticket. Whether you want to get away this summer or the next, getting a reasonable price is great, but getting $500 off is even better!

Here’s our detailed strategy for getting a significant discount on your next plane ticket.

Identify the cheapest route to your destination

Before you think about a discount on your plane ticket, start by finding the most economical way to reach your destination using Google Flights’ « Explore » function.

This tool allows you to enter your desired departure city and flexible travel dates. Google Flights will then display the cheapest flight tickets matching your search criteria.

How to get $500 off your plane ticket - Discounted airplane tickets

You can do this for any part of the world you want to discover. As an example, the results here show that London is the most economical entry point for a 14-day trip to Europe in June (Paris and Amsterdam being slightly more expensive). The current cost of this route is $879 (prices on the resulting map may vary, positively in this case, when you click on them).

How to get $500 off your plane ticket - Cheap airfare to europe before peak summertime

Use travel points to get a discount on your plane ticket

Then you’ll need travel points to get a discount on your plane ticket. The strategy we suggest is to subscribe to the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite* Card:

Our credit card selection
Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$139 $0Welcome offer
Up to 160,000 points
Apply Now

In fact, the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite* Card offers the first year free and enough points to get you a discount on your next plane ticket fast. Points are accrued and usable on the date of the account statement if you meet the following conditions:

  • Get a welcome bonus of 20,000 TD Reward Points when you make your first purchase with your Card.
  • Earn 80,000 TD Reward Points when you spend $5,000 within 180 days of account opening

So with the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite* Card, you can earn 100,000 TD Rewards Points after spending a minimum of $5,000. When you use them on the Expedia for TD portal, they’re worth $500, which equates to a significant discount on your airfare.

If you have trouble spending that much money in a short period of time, consider buying gift cards that meet your needs. Buy gift cards for groceries, gas or Costco to cover your expenses in the coming months and quickly meet the minimum spending requirement.

Once you’ve accumulated the points, simply book your flight on Expedia for TD and redeem them. Since the card offers a discount on the annual fee for the first year, your net discount on your airfare will be $500.

Don’t forget that you’ll receive just over 100,000 TD Rewards points for your discounted airfare; in addition to the welcome bonus, you’ll also earn points on purchases that you’ll need to charge to the card to unlock it. You earn points as follows:

  • Earn 8 TD Rewards points per dollar spent when you book with Expedia for TD.
  • Earn 6 TD Rewards points for every dollar you spend at grocery stores and restaurants.
  • Earn 4 TD Reward Points for every dollar you spend on regular recurring bill payments set up in your account.
  • Earn 2 TD Reward Points for every dollar you spend on other purchases made with your Card.

The annual anniversary bonus of 10,000 TD Reward Points is also a good way to put the annual fees for subsequent years into perspective, should you decide to keep it. Plus, you get a $100 annual TD travel credit on eligible Expedia purchases for TD.

Bottom Line

With inflation and price rises in all sectors, it’s essential to find discounts on your plane tickets if you want to continue traveling at an affordable price. Welcome bonuses, like the $500 value you can earn with the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite* Card, are important.

Sponsored
Annual fee
$0 $139
No annual fee the first year
Our valuation
$939
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$800Annual fee rebated$139Total$939Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 160,000 points
+ First Year Annual Fee Rebate
Apply Now

on TD's website

With the TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card, you can earn up to 160,000 TD Rewards Points as well as an Annual Fee rebate for the first year:

  • 20,000 TD Rewards Points for the first purchase made with your card
  • 140,000 TD Rewards Points when you spend $7,500 within 180 days of account opening
  • A Birthday Bonus of up to 10,000 TD Rewards Points

Get an annual TD Travel Credit of $100 when you book at Expedia® For TD, and enjoy your time at the airport with global airport lounge access and 4 complimentary lounge visits with Visa Airport Companion Program (a value of up to $277).

With the TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card, you earn:

  • 8 TD Rewards Points for every $1 you spend when you book travel through Expedia® For TD
  • 6 TD Rewards Points per dollar on your grocery, dining and public transit purchases
  • 4 TD Rewards Points per dollar on your recurring bill payments and purchases of streaming services as well as digital games and media
  • 2 TD Rewards Points per dollar on all other purchases made with your card

This card also allows you to enjoy a range of travel benefits, including an annual travel credit, complimentary airport lounge visits, and a birthday bonus that boosts your points each year.

Annual fee

Primary card$139
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000
Household$100,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 6xGroceries
  • 6xRestaurants
  • 6xTransit
  • 4xBills & recurring payments
  • 4xStreaming
  • 2xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,430
2nd Year Value$531

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7
Airport lounge access$160

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $2,000,000 / 21 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $2,000,000 / 21 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $2,000,000 / 4 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $2,500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

Our featured card

Featured
Annual fee
$120
Our valuation
$990
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 110,000 points
Ends Sep 22, 2026
Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply 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”).

The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card is the best credit card in Canada for free hotel nights.

New Cardmembers can earn up to 110,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points with the current offer:

  • Earn 80,000 points after you spend $6,000 on your Card in your first 6 months of Cardmembership.
  • Plus, earn 30,000 points by making a purchase during your 15th month of Cardmembership.

This offer ends on September 22, 2026. The annual fee is $120, and there is no annual fee on Additional Cards, so you can add a partner or a family member at no extra cost.

Every year after your first Card anniversary, you receive an Annual Free Night Award good for a redemption of up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide. At a valuation of 0.9 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point, that certificate is worth roughly $315, which on its own more than covers the $120 annual fee. That is the main reason to keep this Card year after year instead of cancelling it.

To get the most out of the certificate, aim it at a night that would otherwise price close to the 35,000 point ceiling.

The Card also gives you 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. Those credits count toward the next Elite tier, so you begin every year 15 nights ahead of where you would otherwise start.

You move up to Gold Elite status automatically when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card in a year, or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your Card.

Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued at 0.9 cents each. On that basis, the 110,000 point welcome offer is worth about $990, and an Annual Free Night Award used at its full 35,000 point ceiling is worth about $315.

Marriott Bonvoy points pull their weight on free nights rather than on gift cards or merchandise, which is why this Card should be judged on the hotel stays it produces.

You earn 5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 7,000 hotels around the world.

The Card carries a solid package of coverages: $500,000 travel accident insurance, flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage and hotel or motel burglary at $500 each, car rental theft and damage up to $85,000 for rentals of up to 48 days, Purchase Protection for 90 days and a one year Extended Warranty.

Two things to plan around: the 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a foreign currency, and the 21.99% purchase interest rate, which makes this a Card to pay in full every month. Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is published for this Card, and you can see whether you would be approved before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.

Annual fee

Primary card$120
Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 5xMarriott Bonvoy hotels
  • 2xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,437
2nd Year Value$312

Travel insurance

Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

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