A dream trip to the UAE with points and miles

Published January 3, 2019Updated October 5, 20268 min readEditorial integrity

Before browsing the photo reports from our trip to the United Arab Emirates, here’s how we put it together using points & miles.

Foreword

Let’s be honest: only a tiny minority of people can afford First Class flights or stays in palace hotels.

Yet loyalty programs, through the points & miles they hand out, let anyone live these… one-of-a-kind experiences!

lh first fra bos jm — Lufthansa First Class

And that’s what has always fascinated us: with a few credit card sign-ups and careful optimization of every dollar spent, the dream becomes reality!

lufthansa first class lounge frankfurt 02 — Audrey and her chauffeur on arrival

In the life of a serious points & miles collector, there are experiences you dream of ticking off, and that we’ve been lucky enough to live over the past few years:

Experiencing a day in Lufthansa First Class with Aeroplan points
Flying Cathay Pacific First Class in North America with Avios
Crossing the globe in the First Class of an Asiana Airlines A380 with Aeroplan points
Flying to Thailand in Business Class with 5 friends for $500 with Aeroplan points
Staying 5 nights in a palace hotel in Vietnam… for 18,000 Membership Rewards points!
Touring North America in Air Canada business class over an Avgeek weekend with Aeroplan points

But there’s always “the urge” to go further… to live something unique every time!

That’s how the idea for this trip to the United Arab Emirates came about, right before the 2018 holiday season.

A couple… of parents

Audrey and I are the parents of Alexandra (3 and a half) and Arthur (1 and a half). Ever since they were born, we haven’t stopped travelling… with them!

It’s quite simple: they’ve come with us everywhere, and we’ve loved every minute of it!

arthur alex vegas — Arthur and Alexandra – Las Vegas

Several times to different parts of France to visit family, to Malta, all over North America and Canada… they even did their own mini world tour in 2017, going to Hong Kong, Vietnam, and San Francisco.

asiana airlines a330 business class sgn icn 57 — Asiana Airlines – Business Class – A330

Being parents of young children, living far from our families, means making certain trade-offs: there’s no slipping away for a weekend or leaving the little ones with the grandparents!

Those of you who are parents will understand: every now and then, a couple needs to… reconnect!

So, during a conversation in May 2018, my mother offered to look after the kids at her place in Nice, both of them, for a week just before Christmas.

We jumped at the chance! And that’s how this romantic getaway to the United Arab Emirates was born!

A couple… of travellers!

Let’s come back to the unique experiences we wanted to live… and that were at risk of soon disappearing through the points & miles route. Among them:

A flight aboard an Etihad A380 in a First Class Apartment
A stay in a stunning adults-only hotel in the heart of the Dubai desert: Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai

Why disappearing? Because the options used with points & miles can be seen as “loopholes” in the system… or simply because the airline or hotel no longer finds it worthwhile to offer them.

In this kind of situation, you have to act fast! And as you’ll see in our reports, we came close to missing the A380 on our entire itinerary! Our outbound flight was on a B777:

etihad first 777 23 — Etihad First – 777

Putting the trip together

To put this trip together, we started a little more than 6 months ahead, in May 2018, with the last bookings made in October 2018 for a December 14, 2018 departure.

Here are a few summary tables of the points & miles we put to work across this whole trip.

The flights

Audrey and I left Montreal a week apart, which explains the different flights and types of points used.

Route	Who?	Airline	Class	Program	Points	Cash
Montréal-Nice	JM	Swiss	Business	Aeroplan	55,000 miles	$80
Nice-Paris	JM	Air France	Economy	Scotia Rewards	10,500 points	(instead of $105)
Montréal-Paris	Audrey	Air France	Business	Flying Blue	39,750 miles	$324
Paris-Abu Dhabi	Both	Etihad	First	Asiana Club	80,000 miles	$400
Abu Dhabi-Paris	Both	Etihad	First	Asiana Club	80,000 miles	$400
Paris-Nice	Both	Easyjet	Economy	Membership Rewards Select	42,000 points	(instead of $420)
Nice-Montréal	Both	Swiss	Business	Aeroplan	110,000 miles	$200

Here are the programs we used:

Aeroplan

To earn Aeroplan points, the easiest route is through the 4 American Express cards that earn Membership Rewards points:

The most lucrative offer is the referral one for the Business Platinum Card: 75,000 points!

Flying Blue

Here, we got particularly lucky. In August 2018, for one day, American Express Canada allowed Membership Rewards points to be transferred to Flying Blue miles. A glitch? A test run before launch?

It was clearly a glitch, even though we regularly call for Flying Blue to become a Membership Rewards transfer partner.

afklm amex — Flying Blue, an American Express Canada transfer partner?!

In any case, we took advantage of the opportunity to transfer a few tens of thousands of points to Flying Blue miles… which we used on this occasion to try Air France’s new business class between Montreal and Paris.

Asiana Club / Marriott Bonvoy / Marriott Bonvoy / American Express Membership Rewards

Easily the most “fun” part of putting this trip together…! Fair warning… hold on tight, because 4 loyalty programs were used here!

Asiana Club is a partner of Etihad Airways. And as it happens, the Asiana Club award chart is especially generous for flights between Europe and the Middle East:

Here’s what it costs:

40,000 miles round-trip in economy class
60,000 miles round-trip in business class
80,000 miles round-trip in first class

Yes, 80,000 miles round-trip in first class on Etihad Airways (you know… the one with the bed 😉 ).

Now, how do you earn Asiana Club miles in Canada? Through Marriott Bonvoy!

The conversion rate is 3 Marriott Bonvoy points = 1 Asiana Club mile. But if you transfer in blocks of 60,000 points, you get 5,000 bonus miles!

So, to get 80,000 Asiana Club miles, you need to transfer 195,000 Marriott Bonvoy points:

Marriott points	Miles earned	Bonus miles	Total Asiana miles
60,000	20,000	5,000	25,000
60,000	20,000	5,000	50,000
60,000	20,000	5,000	75,000
15,000	5,000	–	80,000
195,000 points	65,000	15,000	80,000 miles

But how do you rack up that many Marriott Bonvoy points? Through the American Express Cobalt Card, the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and the American Express cards that earn Membership Rewards points!

Let’s be upfront: we got very lucky! For more than a year in Canada, you could transfer Membership Rewards points to Starpoints at a 2:1 rate (versus only 3:1 in the United States), then transfer those Starpoints to Marriott Bonvoy points at a 1:3 rate.

Which, in the end, meant transferring Membership Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy at a very attractive rate of 1:1.5, or 2:3.

So, to get 195,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, we had to transfer:

If you prefer a visual:

Membership Rewards	2:1 rate	SPG	1:3 rate	Marriott	2.4:1 rate	Asiana
130,000	→	65,000	→	195,000	→	80,000

So we turned 130,000 Membership Rewards points into 80,000 Asiana miles to treat ourselves to this round-trip in Etihad First Class, worth CA$10,000!

Scotia Rewards points

Scotia Rewards points are so easy to use: just charge any travel purchase to your card (flights, hotels…) and you can then apply your points against that purchase!

We earned our Scotia Rewards points by signing up for the Scotiabank Passport^™ Visa Infinite + Card: 25,000 bonus points as a welcome offer, 6 Priority Pass airport lounge visits… and no foreign transaction fees on purchases made in foreign currencies!

Compare

Scotiabank Passport^® Visa Infinite +* Card

Scotiabank Scene+

Annual fee: $150
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$350Total$350Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $350
Welcome offerAfter $2,000 in 3 months: Up to 35,000 points; Ends Nov 1, 2026

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Passport^® Visa Infinite^+* Card, you’ll earn 25,000 welcome bonus Scene+ points after charging $2,000 in purchases to your account within the first three months.

Plus, every year, earn an annual bonus of at least 10,000 Scene+ points when you charge at least $40,000 in purchases to your account. In total, the offer represents up to 35,000 Scene+ points and a value of up to $1,250 in the first year, including rewards, savings on foreign transaction fees and airport lounge access.

With the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card, you earn 3 points per $1 spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland and participating Co-ops, and 2 points per $1 spent at other grocery stores, restaurants, eligible entertainment and eligible daily transit. You earn 1 point per $1 on all your other everyday purchases.

These points can be redeemed against any travel purchase at a rate of 1,000 points = $10 (flights, hotels, all-inclusives and even Airbnb), or as cash back with Scene+ at the same rate.

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card also offers:

No fees for foreign currency transactions
6 complimentary airport VIP lounge passes
Excellent insurance for your travels and purchases
Visa Infinite* Concierge Services

Legal

* The potential value of savings and rewards during the first 12 months includes the value of the welcome offer, the potential value of points earned in the first year, the value of savings on foreign currency transaction fees and the cost of airport lounge access as of May 22, 2026:

$250 in travel rewards (25,000 bonus Scene+ points) for new Scotiabank Passport^® Visa Infinite +* Cardholders who charge $2,000 in purchases to their account within the first three (3) months;

$100 in travel rewards (10,000 bonus Scene+ points) for cardholders who charge $40,000 in purchases to their account;

$50 in savings from the annual fee waiver on the first additional card for new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card credit card account holders;

$132 in savings on foreign currency transaction fees based on the average amount of foreign currency purchases made per active account over the past 24 months (by saving on the 2.5% foreign currency transaction fees typically charged by other credit card issuers);

$364 representing the potential value of points earned in the first year (36,400 Scene+ points) based on the average amount of purchases made per active account over the past 24 months, assuming an average spend of 21% of purchases in categories eligible for accelerated earn rates of 2X and 3X points;

$358 representing the value of complimentary membership in the Visa Airport Companion program which includes 6 airport lounge passes (based on « Preferred » membership valued at approximately $357 CAD/$259 USD). Based on the exchange rate in effect on May 22, 2026.

Maximum potential value after the first year = $1,254 (rounded to $1,250)

The actual value of offers, savings realized and points earned will vary depending on card usage and eligibility for applicable offers. Conditions apply.

1 Offer description and conditions: The 25,000 Scene+ points offer (the « offer ») applies only to new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card credit card accounts (the « accounts ») opened between August 4, 2026 and November 1, 2026 (regardless of the date you apply for the account) subject to the conditions below. The offer may be modified, cancelled or extended at any time without notice, and it cannot be combined with any other offer.

In addition, as a Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Cardholder, you are eligible for an annual bonus of 10,000 Scene+ points if you charge at least $40,000 in eligible everyday purchases to your Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card account over the course of one year. Conditions apply; see below for more details.

Description and conditions of the 25,000 bonus Scene+ points offer: To be eligible for the 25,000 bonus Scene+ points offer (« 25,000 bonus points »), you must charge at least $2,000 in total eligible purchases to your account within the first three months following the account opening date.

Conditions for the annual 10,000 Scene+ points bonus:
As a Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card credit cardholder, you can earn an annual bonus of at least 10,000 Scene+ points (the « annual points bonus ») if you charge at least $40,000 in eligible purchases to your account over the course of one year (12-month period). The annual period begins on the account opening date; a new period starts again every twelve months thereafter. If you replace another Scene+-eligible credit card with the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card (i.e., it is not a new card or an additional card), the opening date of your original account will be carried over to your new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card account and your annual period under this offer will begin on the next anniversary date of your original account opening. For example, if you originally opened a Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card account on January 15, 2022 and you switch to the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card on July 15, 2025, your annual period under the 10,000 Scene+ points annual bonus offer will begin on January 15, 2026 (your next anniversary date) and a new period will start again on January 15 each year thereafter. You will earn 2,000 bonus Scene+ points for each additional $10,000 in purchases made during the same year once you have reached the $40,000 annual purchase threshold.

Eligible purchases means purchases, less refunds, returns and any other similar credits, and excludes payments, cash advances (including balance transfers and quasi-cash transactions), interest charges, as well as card fees and other fees.

Fulfillment of the annual points bonus: Bonus points will be credited within approximately eight weeks after you become eligible for a bonus, provided the account is open and in good standing. In the case of a joint account with a primary borrower and a co-borrower, bonus points will be credited as follows: (i) the 25,000 bonus points and the annual points bonus will be credited to the Scene+ account linked to the account of the borrower who made the transaction that reached the eligible purchase threshold ($2,000, or $40,000) within the appropriate timeframe (the first three months, or the first 12 months). If an additional cardholder makes the transaction that reaches the eligible purchase threshold for the 25,000 bonus points, or the annual points bonus, the bonus points will be credited to the Scene+ account linked to the primary borrower’s account. It is possible to transfer points between the Scene+ accounts of a primary borrower, a co-borrower or an additional cardholder by contacting Scene+. An account is in good standing if it is not past due, there is no over-limit, and the cardholder(s) have complied with the terms of the Revolving Credit Agreement that applies to the account. All other program conditions continue to apply during the offer period.

Offer eligibility and exclusions: You cannot take advantage of the offer if you are currently a primary or secondary cardholder of a Scotiabank personal credit card or have been one in the past two years, including if you transfer your balance from an existing Scotiabank personal credit card account, and if you are a Scotiabank employee. Subject to the exclusions mentioned above, small business credit cardholders are eligible for this offer.

Rates and fees: The annual fees are $150 for the primary card, $0 for the first additional card and $50 for each additional card thereafter (including those issued to joint account holders and additional cardholders). The preferred annual interest rates applicable to the account are as follows: 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances (including balance transfers and quasi-cash transactions). The rates, fees, and features and benefits, which are described in the disclosure statement accompanying the application, may be changed.

Savings at Shell

Get up to 7 cents per litre in instant fuel discounts for a limited time and earn up to 3 cents per litre in Scene+ points value with an eligible Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + card linked to a Shell Go+ Account:

Instant 3 cents per Litre Discount on Fuel Purchases (All Grades): Receive an instant 3 cents per litre discount on purchases of fuel (all grades) (“Fuel Purchases (All Grades)”) at participating Shell locations in Canada when you use any eligible Scotiabank debit card or credit card linked to a Shell Go+ Account, up to a maximum of 1,000 litres per month per Scotiabank debit card and per Scotiabank credit card account. This total limit resets at the start of each new month per payment card account. This discount is subject to the Scotiabank Fuel Benefit Terms and Conditions.
Instant 4 cents per Litre Discount on Premium Fuel: Between May 26, 2026 and June 1, 2027 (“Promotional Period”), receive an instant 4 cents per litre discount on purchases of V-Power^® gasoline, or V-Power^® diesel (“Premium Fuel Purchases”) at participating Shell locations in Canada when you use any eligible Scotiabank credit card that earns Scene+ points linked to a Shell Go+ Account, up to a maximum of 1,000 litres per month per credit card account. This total limit resets at the start of each new month per credit card account. This promotional offer, including the Promotional Period, may be changed, extended, or withdrawn at any time without notice. These promotional offer terms are in addition to the Scotiabank Fuel Benefit Terms and Conditions.
Earn up to 3 cents per Litre in Scene+ points Value (Equivalent) on Fuel Purchases: Each time you use your linked Scotiabank credit card that earns Scene+ points on Fuel Purchases (All Grades) at participating Shell locations in Canada, you will earn at least 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent. Plus, as a Scene+ Member you will also automatically earn 1 Scene+ point for each litre in Fuel Purchases (All Grades), and as a Shell Go+ member, automatically earn 1 additional Scene+ point for each litre in Premium Fuel Purchases, made with your linked Scotiabank credit card. This means that for every litre in fuel purchased with your linked credit card, you can earn the equivalent of up to 3 cents of redeemable Scene+ points value based on a redemption value of $10 for every 1,000 Scene+ points redeemed for fuel purchases at participating Shell locations. Actual value may be lower depending on how you choose to redeem your Scene+ points. Earn and redemption limits may apply. See the Scene+ Program Terms and Conditions available at sceneplus.ca/terms-and-conditions for full details including redemption options and additional terms.

Note: Highest value of 10 cents per litre assumes a Premium Fuel Purchase made with a Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card linked to a Shell Go+ Account. Actual value will vary depending on payment card used and whether or not the card is linked, fuel grade purchased, and how you choose to redeem your Scene+ points.

Additional 3¢/L at Shell (limited time)

Additional 3¢/L Fuel Discount Offer: Offer valid from October 5, 2026 to December 31, 2026 (“Promotional Period”), eligible Scotiabank credit and debit cardholders enrolled in the Shell Fuel Benefits Program who have linked an eligible Scotiabank payment card (an “Eligible Card”) to their Shell Go+ account will receive an additional instant fuel discount of 3 cents per litre on eligible fuel purchases at participating Shell-branded retail locations in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Northwest Territories (the “Eligible Provinces”) excluding Shell Flying J locations. Fuel purchases made outside the Eligible Provinces are not eligible for this offer.

To receive the additional fuel discount, customers must pay with their linked Eligible Card at the time of purchase.

The additional fuel discount is in addition to the fuel savings available through the Shell Fuel Benefits Program and may be combined with other eligible fuel discounts, rewards programs, and promotional fuel offers unless otherwise stated in the applicable offer terms and conditions.

The additional fuel discount is available on up to 1,000 litres of eligible fuel purchases per calendar month for each Eligible Card. The 1,000-litre limit resets at the beginning of each calendar month.

The additional fuel discount is non-transferable, is not redeemable for cash, and cannot be substituted or exchanged.

Participation in the Shell Fuel Benefits Program is subject to the applicable program terms and conditions available at Scotiabank Fuel Benefit Terms and Conditions.

Shell Canada reserves the right to make changes to this offer and to terminate the offer at any time, for any reason and without notice.

All other applicable terms and conditions of the Shell Fuel Benefits Program, Shell Go+ and Scotiabank continue to apply.

Annual fee

Primary card$150

Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$60,000

Household$100,000

Conversion fees

Earning rate

3xWith the partner brand
2xGroceries
2xRestaurants
2xTransit
2xEntertainment
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$704

2nd Year Value$397

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Airport lounge access$240

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $2,000,000 / 25 days

Travel medical (55-64)Up to $2,000,000 / 25 days

Travel medical (65+)Up to $2,000,000 / 3 days

Trip CancellationUp to $1,500

Trip InterruptionUp to $2,500

Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000

Lost BaggageUp to $1,000

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000

Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded

Extended Warranty+1 years

Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

Membership Rewards Select points

The American Express Cobalt Card earns “Select” Membership Rewards points. These points cannot be transferred to airline partners, unlike the other 4 cards that earn Membership Rewards points.

They can only be transferred to hotel partners such as Marriott Bonvoy.

When you earn Select Membership Rewards points at 5 points per dollar (groceries, convenience stores, restaurants…), it can be worthwhile to apply them to your travel purchases… and that’s exactly what we did here.

42,000 Select Membership Rewards points saved us $420 on our Easyjet flights between Paris and Nice.

Compare

American Express Cobalt^® Card

American Express Amex Membership Rewards

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

The American Express Cobalt^® Card is a versatile American Express card, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt^® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer valued at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

15,000 Aeroplan points
15,000 Avios points
15,000 Flying Blue Miles
18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

American Express Cobalt^® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, home food delivery and convenience stores. A spend cap applies.
3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
Front Of The Line^® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four kinds of merchants:

Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
Home food delivery.
Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

Category	Points per dollar
Grocery (Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.)	5
Home food delivery	5
Restaurants and bars	5
Convenience stores	5
Streaming services	3
Service station	2
Transport	2
Travel	1
Other	1

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt^® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt^® Card fees

Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
Additional cards: $0.
Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

Legal

American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.