The best travel credit cards – May 2026

You can get travel points or benefits with those credit cards.

Here is a table summarizing the different offers. For more details, read on or click on the name of a card.

Travel points (flights, hotels, Airbnb, etc.)

With these travel credit cards, you earn points that you can easily use for any travel expense charged to your card. You can use any agency or website to book your trip and get the best price.

Our pick: TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card

With the TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card, you can get up to 165,000 TD Rewards points^†and a rebate on the annual fee for the first year:

20,000 TD Rewards points for the first purchase made with your Card^†
145,000 TD Rewards points if you spend $7,500 within 180 days of opening^†
A birthday bonus of up to 10,000 TD Rewards points^†

Plus, get an Annual Fee Rebate for the first year.^† This is the highest offer we have ever seen!

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 for every $1 you spend on Groceries, Dining, and Public Transit^†
4 TD Rewards Points for every $1 you spend on Recurring Bill Payments and Streaming, Digital Gaming & Media^†
2 TD Rewards Points for every $1 you spend on other Purchases made using your Card^†

This TD credit card is one of the best TD travel rewards cards. As of April 30, 2025, it now offers access to airport lounges with 4 free visits per year.

Transferable travel points

All these travel credit cards allow you to accumulate points that can be transferred to other loyalty programs, giving you greater flexibility in using your travel points.

Our pick: American Express^® Gold Rewards Card

Earn up to 60,000 Membership Rewards points with this welcome offer for the American Express Gold Rewards Card. That’s a value of $600 toward travel or any purchase charged to the Card:

5,000 Membership Rewards points per month when you charge $1,000 in net purchases to your Card, for 12 months (a total of 60,000 points in the first year).

You can also transfer your points to airline partners such as Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways, Qatar Airways, Finnair), Flying Blue, and hotel partners (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors).

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to :

60,000 Aeroplan points
60,000 Avios
60,000 Flying Blue Miles
72,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

With this Card, you get many benefits like:

$100 annual travel credit
Priority Pass membership and 4 complimentary Plaza Premium visits per year
$50 NEXUS credit

You earn 2 points per dollar for travel purchases, and at:

gas stations
grocery stores
drugstores

And 1 point per dollar everywhere else.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

No foreign currency conversion fees

All these travel credit cards have no foreign currency conversion fees.

This means you won’t pay the 2.5% foreign currency transaction fee usually charged by other credit cards when you use your credit card without foreign currency conversion fees (or when you pay online in foreign currency).

Our pick: Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card +

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Visa Infinite ^+* Passport^MC Card, you get up to 60,000 Scene+ points as a welcome bonus (a value of $600):

40,000 points after $2,000 in purchases within the first three months
10,000 points after $10,000 in purchases within the first six months
10,000 points after $40,000 in purchases in the first year

Then, each year, if you make at least $40,000 in purchases on the card, you’ll earn an annual bonus of at least 10,000 points, which represents a $100 value.

With the Scotiabank Visa Infinite +* Passport^MD Card, you earn 3 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà par IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! grocery stores. FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.

You also earn 2 points per dollar spent, including on foreign purchases, in the following categories:

Grocery shopping
Restaurants
Entertainment centers
Transit

The Scotiabank Visa Infinite +* Passport^MD Card is an excellent Visa credit card for these types of purchases.

These points can be used for any travel purchase at a rate of 1,000 points = $10 (flights, hotels, all-inclusive packages, and even Airbnb). You can also redeem your points as cash back with Scene+, for example, at your grocery store checkout at the same rate of 1,000 points = $10.

The Scotiabank Visa Infinite +* Passport^MD Card also offers:

No fees for foreign currency transactions
6 access to VIP airport lounges
Excellent insurance for your travels and purchases
Concierge service
Travel with confidence with 10 GB of free GigSky global mobile data for 15 days, plus access to GigSky Travel Essentials for essential apps on the go.
Cardholders also receive a free 1 GB/15-day GigSky global mobile data package annually, plus a 20% discount on future GigSky purchases.

We have named this credit card the Best Credit Card with No Foreign Transaction Fees in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Outstanding travel insurance

All these travel credit cards offer outstanding travel insurance:

Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance
Car rental insurance
Flight and baggage delay insurance
Emergency medical care insurance

Our pick: National Bank World Elite Mastercard

10,000 reward points upon enrollment in your credit card payment protection, for a minimum of 3 months of membership.
10,000 points when you make $5,000 in net purchases within the first 3 months.
20,000 points when you reach $20,000 in purchases within the first 12 months.
10,000 points when you combine your credit card with the opening of your first current account within 7 days of your credit card application.

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard is the best Mastercard credit card offered by NBC.

With this card, you earn up to 5 points per dollar on your purchases:

5 points per dollar for groceries and restaurants
2 points per dollar on gas and electric recharge purchases
2 points per dollar on recurring bills
2 points per dollar on À la carte Travel
1 point per dollar for all other purchases

And since it’s an NBC mycredit Mastercard, you can use it at Costco.

With this card, you have access to a $150 annual travel credit that you can use in any of these categories:

Airport parking
Baggage fees
Seat selection
Access to Airport Lounges
Flight upgrades

What’s more, you can enjoy access to DragonPass airport lounges and unlimited access to the National Bank Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau.

Finally, Milesopedia has named the National Bank World Elite Mastercard as the Best Travel Credit Card in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Airline points (Aeroplan, Avios, WestJet, etc.)

All these travel credit cards are co-branded with an airline. With these travel credit cards, you’ll get great value from your points if you travel regularly with the airline or one of its partners.

Our pick: American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Reserve Card

With this welcome offer for American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Reserve Card, you can earn up to 85,000 points Aeroplan. Here’s how:

Earn 60,000 points after you spend $7,500 on your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership
Plus, earn 25,000 points when you make a purchase in the 13th month following your membership

With this Amex Aeroplan Card, you earn 3X the points on purchases made directly with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations. And 2x the points on Dining and Food Delivery purchases in Canada. Everywhere else, you will earn 1.25X the points.

With this Amex Aeroplan Premium Card, you receive many Air Canada travel benefits, such as access to Maple Leaf Lounges in North America for you and one guest, priority check-in, priority boarding and priority baggage handling. It’s the best Amex Aeroplan Card for frequent Air Canada flyers.

With this American Express Aeroplan Card, enjoy your first checked bag free (up to 23kg/50lb) for up to 9 people travelling on the same reservation on Air Canada^®* flights.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

Access to VIP airport lounges

All these travel credit cards offer access to VIP airport lounges, so you can relax or eat before your flight.

Our pick: American Express Platinum Card^®

The Platinum Card^® is the best Premium Card in Canada for travellers.

With this welcome offer, you can earn up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points:

70,000 points when you charge $10,000 in net purchases to your Card in the first 3 months after joining;
30,000 points if you make a purchase between 15 to 17 months after signing up.

With this Card, you get:

2 points per dollar for dining purchases
2 points per dollar on travel purchases
1 point per dollar for other purchases

You can use your Membership Rewards points in many ways:

Transfer points to airline partners: Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways / Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Delta Skymiles, etc.
Transfer your points to hotel programs (Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy)
Redeem points for statement credits to offset any travel purchase charged to your Card (1,000 points = $10)
Redeem points for statement credits towards other purchases (1,000 points = $10)
And more!

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to :

100,000 Aeroplan points
100,000 Avios
100,000 Flying Blue Miles
120,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

With this card, you also have advantages for your travels:

$200 Annual Travel Credit
An annual meal credit of $200
$100 NEXUS Card Statement Credit
Complimentary access for you and one additional guest to over 1,400 airport lounges in more than 130 countries
Hilton Honors Gold Elite status (complimentary breakfast at all Hilton hotels)
Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
Access to the Fine Hotels and Resorts program

Last but not least, the Platinum Card^® offers a wide range of insurance coverage: rental car theft and damage, $500,000 travel accident, emergency medical expenses (out-of-province or out-of-country), lost or stolen baggage, flight delays and misdirected baggage, hotel or motel burglary, Purchase Protection, Purchase Security.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

Hotel Points

All these travel credit cards are co-branded with a group of hotels or earn hotel points. With these travel credit cards, you’ll get great value from your points if you stay regularly at one of the group’s member hotels.

Our pick: Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card

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

With this welcome offer, you can earn up to 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points:

Earn 60,000 points after spending a total of $3,000 on your Card within your first 3 months of Cardmembership.
In addition, earn 10,000 points after you spend $500 on your Card in your 13th month of Cardmembership.

It’s a card we recommend you keep, because each year at renewal, you’ll get an Annual Free Night Award for up to 35,000 points, plus 15 Elite nights per year, counting towards your Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.

With this Card, you earn 5 points per dollar on all purchases at Marriott Bonvoy properties and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases.

Last but not least, this Card comes with a wide range of insurance coverages: baggage delay, baggage loss or theft, $500,000 travel accident, flight delay, hotel/motel burglary, rental car theft and damage, Purchase Security, Purchase Protection.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

Popular travel credit cards

All these travel credit cards are popular with Milesopedia readers. They’re worth considering if you’re planning to travel soon!

Our choice: CIBC Aventura^® Visa Infinite* Card

The CIBC Aventura^® Visa Infinite* Card is one of the best Visa credit cards with travel rewards.

CIBC has an offer with which you can earn up to 45,000 Aventura points:

15,000 Aventura Points when you make your first purchase^†
30,000 Aventura Points if you spend $3,000 or more in the first 4 monthly statement periods^†

In addition, you can benefit from a rebate on the first year’s annual fee for the primary card holder ($139 value) and up to three authorized users ($50 each).

With this CIBC Aventura Credit Card, you get:

2 points for every $1 spent on travel purchased through the CIBC Rewards Centre^†
1.5 points for every $1 spent at eligible gas stations, EV charging, grocery stores and drug stores^†
1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases^†

The CIBC Aventura^® Visa Infinite* Card also offers:

Airport lounges access: Visa Airport Companion Program membership with 4 complimentary visits per year
Reimbursement of NEXUS membership fees ( $160 value)

The minimum annual income required for this card is $60,000 (personal) or $100,000 (household).

Our choice: RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card

With this exceptional limited-time welcome offer, you can earn up to 70,000 Avion points as a welcome bonus with the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card!

Receive 35,000 points upon approval
20,000 additional points when you spend $5,000 within the first six months of account opening
15,000 points on your account anniversary

You can use your Avion Rewards points to book flights with over 500 airlines or transfer them to select partner loyalty programs, such as:

American Airlines AAdvantage
The British Airways Club (and Qatar Airways Privilege Club)
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
WestJet Rewards

You can also maximize the value of your points using the Air Travel Redemption Schedule, which offers fixed pricing year-round based on the destination and flight type.

Depending on your goals, this offer can represent strong value, particularly for transfers to partner programs or for using the Air Travel Redemption Schedule.

With the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card, you earn 1.25 Avion points per dollar on eligible travel purchases¹² and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases².

The card also includes several insurance coverages⁷, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance, out-of-province/country emergency medical insurance, rental vehicle collision/loss damage insurance, and mobile device insurance.

Our choice: Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card offers an excellent welcome bonus.

Until July 1, 2026, you can get up to 45,000 Scene+ points as a bonus, distributed as follows:

25,000 Scene+ points by spending $2,000 on the card within the first 3 months
20,000 Scene+ points by making $7,500 in purchases on the card in the first year

This represents a value of up to $450 for travel (including Airbnb).

With the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, you earn 6 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà par IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! grocery stores. FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.

Also, you earn 5 points per dollar for:

Grocery stores
Restaurants
Entertainment centers

And 3 points per dollar on gas, transit and streaming services purchases.

You can redeem your points on travel purchases (flights, hotels, all-inclusive and even Airbnb). You can also use your points as cash back rewards with Scene+.

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card also offers no foreign transaction fees, excellent insurance for your travel or purchases, concierge service, exclusive American Express benefits like the Front of the Line program.

Our pick: American Express^® Gold Rewards Card

Earn up to 60,000 Membership Rewards points with this welcome offer for the American Express Gold Rewards Card. That’s a value of $600 toward travel or any purchase charged to the Card:

5,000 Membership Rewards points per month when you charge $1,000 in net purchases to your Card, for 12 months (a total of 60,000 points in the first year).

You can also transfer your points to airline partners such as Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways, Qatar Airways, Finnair), Flying Blue, and hotel partners (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors).

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to :

60,000 Aeroplan points
60,000 Avios
60,000 Flying Blue Miles
72,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

With this Card, you get many benefits like:

$100 annual travel credit
Priority Pass membership and 4 complimentary Plaza Premium visits per year
$50 NEXUS credit

You earn 2 points per dollar for travel purchases, and at:

gas stations
grocery stores
drugstores

And 1 point per dollar everywhere else.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

Our choice: BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard is one of the best World Elite Mastercard credit cards with travel points in Canada. With our exclusive welcome offer, you can earn up to 100,000 BMO Rewards points.

These points have a value of approximately $650 to $700, according to our estimate, and can be applied to your travel expenses.

Plus, there is no annual fee for the first year for the primary cardholder and additional cardholders.

You can also take advantage of a 0% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for 12 months, with a 2% balance transfer fee.

With the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, you get:

5 points per dollar on eligible travel*
3 points per dollar on eligible dining, entertainment, and recurring bill payments*
1 point per dollar on all other purchases*

You can use BMO Rewards points for your travel (flights, hotels, car rentals, packages, etc.) or for rewards and gift cards on the BMO Rewards platform.

The card also offers:

4 complimentary airport lounge accesses per year via Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass*
comprehensive travel insurance, including emergency medical coverage up to $5 million for 21 days*

Finally, enjoy six months of Instacart+ membership and a $10 monthly Instacart credit when you sign up with your eligible BMO credit card.*

Frequently Asked Questions about travel credit cards

Why choose a credit card linked to a rewards program?

When you sign up for our rewards programs (free!), you’ll earn points on your purchases, which can be redeemed for hotel nights, flights, car rentals and cash back. Why deprive ourselves of it?

What is the best credit card with Reward Points?

With the many credit cards on the market, Milesopedia offers you to compare credit cards, according to your profile and with everything you need to know about current offers. Milesopedia is along your side to help you make the best credit card choice for you.

What is a travel credit card in Canada?

Travel credit cards in Canada earn points or miles for eligible purchases, which can be used according to the loyalty program associated with the card.

Why choose a travel credit card?

These cards offer benefits such as travel discounts, access to airport lounges, travel insurance and more.

What types of travel credit cards are available in Canada?

There are three main categories: travel rewards credit cards from major banks, airline credit cards and hotel credit cards.

How do travel rewards cards work?

They allow points earned to be used for different types of travel and offer greater flexibility in the use of points.

What are the benefits of airline credit cards?

These cards earn points for a specific airline, such as Air Canada or WestJet, which can be used within their network.

Why choose a hotel credit card?

They offer benefits for hotel stays, with rewards that are often more attractive than airline rewards.

What are the additional benefits of travel credit cards?

Travel credit cards can include free checked baggage, access to airport lounges, comprehensive travel insurance and no foreign transaction fees.

What are the disadvantages of travel credit cards?

Disadvantages of travel credit cards include annual fees, exclusion periods, and possible expiration of reward points.

How do I apply for a travel credit card in Canada?

Check your eligibility, complete an online application for your travel credit card, and meet the minimum income requirements and other specific conditions.

How can you maximize the benefits of your travel credit card?

Pay your bills on time, reach the minimum spend for the welcome bonus, and choose a travel credit card aligned with your spending habits.

What’s the best travel credit card in Canada?

There are over 200 credit cards in Canada. There’s no better travel credit card!

There are several travel credit cards to suit your needs:

Sponsored offer – National Bank World Elite Mastercard

Travel points (flights, hotels, Airbnb, etc.)

Our pick: TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card

Transferable travel points

Our pick: American Express® Gold Rewards Card

No foreign currency conversion fees

Our pick: Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card +

Outstanding travel insurance

Our pick: National Bank World Elite Mastercard

Airline points (Aeroplan, Avios, WestJet, etc.)

Our pick: American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card

Access to VIP airport lounges

Our pick: American Express Platinum Card®

Hotel Points

Our pick: Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card

Popular travel credit cards

Our choice: CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card

Our choice: RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card

Our choice: Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

Our pick: American Express® Gold Rewards Card

Our choice: BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard

Frequently Asked Questions about travel credit cards

Our pick: TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card

Our pick: American Express^® Gold Rewards Card

Our pick: American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Reserve Card

Our pick: American Express Platinum Card^®

Our pick: Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card

Our choice: CIBC Aventura^® Visa Infinite* Card

Our choice: Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card

Our pick: American Express^® Gold Rewards Card