Milesopedia team’s 2024 travel strategies

The Milesopedia team can often be found simultaneously in the four corners of the globe, and it looks like this will be the case in 2024 too! We share our travel plans with you, as well as our favorite credit cards and loyalty programs that help us get there for less, and other tips to travel better or save everyday.

Types of travel :

Family trips to the sun this winter during the school vacations, trips with friends and to concerts and music festivals.

Dream trips planned for 2024:

The year 2024 will be full of travel! Here is an overview of our plans:

• Latin America with Argentina, for example, a country that’s both affordable and offers a change of scenery.
• Attend some events at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics (soccer competitions in Nice and sailing competitions in Marseille).
• Trip to Corsica in summer 2024 and Mauritius in autumn 2024 with friends.
• Untold Festival in Romania in August 2024
• If the opportunity arises, I’d love to spend a few days discovering Morocco or Oman.

The best credit cards for your points strategies:

• The TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card for free checked baggage on Air Canada and its many other benefits
• American Express Cobalt^® Card to earn 5x points on restaurant and grocery spending, and for online offers

Your best tips and tools for better travel:

• Storage cubes for lighter family travel
• The FlightConnections app and website, which makes my flight searches so much easier

Types of travel :

The same as Audrey, plus a few business trips

Dream trips planned for 2024:

• I may visit Oman while returning to the Maldives
• I’ll be taking advantage of a few solo trips to try out new airlines and classes (including ITA Airways, Starlux, Saudia, Oman Air, Gulf Air, Air France La Première).

Best credit cards to accomplish your travel plans:

• Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card for the absence of conversion fees; a must-have card for me as I travel the world, and whose points can easily be used with Airbnb, which is very convenient with the family.
• The American Express Cobalt^® Card to maximize the accumulation of points transferable to Aeroplan, and for the 5x points multiplier that also works abroad (including France).

Your best tips and tools for better travel:

• Stay flexible when it comes to destinations. If you want to travel with your family and find four award tickets on the same flight, it can be useful to open up your search field. Last year, to get to Japan, we flew via South Korea (and booked another flight with Flying Blue Miles between Seoul and Japan). This enabled us to find four award tickets with Turkish Airlines and our Aeroplan points in business class. Unthinkable for Japan, especially during spring! I’m planning to do it again this year for another destination.
• Renew at least Platinum status with Marriott Bonvoy. This offers me breakfast and access to hotel lounges, which is far from a luxury with children on a trip! This allows us to drastically reduce our meal costs. I also have Hilton Honors Gold status thanks to my Business Platinum Card^® from American Express (again, free breakfast at hotels from that group).
• Traveling with carry-on luggage – since our family trip around the world (with just two carry-ons and two backpacks), I’ve been traveling differently. It is now very rare for me to travel with checked baggage. Take the time to optimize your luggage before you leave: you’ll save time at the airport (no luggage to check-in or waiting time upon arrival), you’ll be able to explore a city more easily when you have a connecting flight, and you won’t risk losing your luggage along the way.

Types of travel: Family and solo travel, mainly.

Dream trips planned for 2024:

• My big trip of the year will be during the summer of 2024, where I’ll check one item off my bucketlist: attending the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
• All other trips will be spontaneous and booked at the last minute. As a family, we would love to go somewhere warm with a nice beach in winter. Personally, I’d love to take a few trips out of the country to work and enjoy the sights at the same time.

Best credit cards to accomplish your travel plans:

• Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card for three reasons:
  • Six annual accesses to airport lounges;
  • No conversion fees for foreign currency transactions;
  • VISA is the official partner of the Olympic Games, so only VISA credit cards will be accepted for purchases at Olympic Games competition venues.
• The American Express^®* Aeroplan^® Reserve Card which gives me access to the Maple Leaf airport lounges, free checked baggage (when I buy liquid souvenirs over 100 ml abroad…) and to see it come out first on the baggage carousel thanks to priority handling .

Your best tips and tools for better travel and everyday savings:

• Be flexible on destinations and dates to find the best prices (in points or cash)
• The gift cards trick at the grocery store to earn rewards faster

Types of travel: Trips with friends, solo, and to see concerts in France and Switzerland

Dream trips planned for 2024:

• Yellowknife to see the northern lights
• Abu Dhabi in January for a few days(First Class on Etihad’s A380 and flight in Qsuite, which is classified as First Class on the Abu Dhabi-Doha segment, giving access to the Al Safwa First Class lounge).
• Australia and New Zealand (Business Class with Aeroplan)
• Stays in France to visit my family
• Geneva, Switzerland

Best credit cards to accomplish your travel plans:

• The TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Credit Card, one of the best cards for earning Aeroplan points and Air Canada status. Aeroplan is my rewards program of choice.
• The American Express Cobalt^MD Card

Your best tips and tools for better travel:

• The FlightConnections site to identify companies to maximize the use of priority rewards earned with Aeroplan Elite status.
• Use eUpgrades credits to get upgrades on my flights with Air Canada

Types of travel :

• Mainly family trips, as the family has expanded in 2023
• Possibly some getaways as a couple or with friends

Dream trips planned for 2024:

• We’re planning a big trip to Asia in the spring, and perhaps a cruise in the autumn to take advantage of our long parental leave.
• I’d also love to return to Japan for a few days, go to Universal Studios Orlando and visit a Christmas market in Europe or New York.

Best credit cards to accomplish your travel plans:

• The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express to get free, unlimited access to airport lounges worldwide for our family of two adults and two children, and for the accumulation of 1.25X privilege points in the famous “other” category, which is difficult to maximize organically.
• American Express Cobalt^® Card, to be the most efficient in our accumulation of points for travel since Membership Rewards points are so flexible,allowing us to earn points and use them for any purpose and destination.

Your best tips and tools for better travel:

• Remain as flexible as possible in terms of destination and dates; there’s always a good deal find to go “somewhere”. If your first choice of destination isn’t optimally available with points now, it will be one day!
• The gift card technique allows me to accumulate a lot of points and save money, since I have to plan my purchases, which greatly reduces impulse buying.
• Bring grandparents along on trips to help with the kids.

Types of travel :

• I prefer short stays by the water, whatever the destination. The most important for me is to be close to nature.

Dream trips planned for 2024:

• In general, I leave on a whim, depending on what I feel like doing at the time. There’s bound to be a sea or lake nearby.

Best credit cards to accomplish your travel plans:

• I recently signed up for the American Express Cobalt^® Card, for its flexibility between travel rewards and cash back. I also have another cash back card with no annual fee.

Your best tips and tools for everyday savings:

• On a daily basis, I try to get 5X points at the grocery store to accumulate rewards quickly. And above all, no more cash payments! In fact, I’ve changed my habits with the American Express Cobalt^® Card.

Types of travel :

• Sports (Olympic Games)
• Family stay
• Getaway with friends

Dream trips planned for 2024:

• France for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and Occitania; Saint-Pons-La-Calm and Le Gard.
• Québec, for a show with friends.
• Peru or Greece are destinations I dream to visit, maybe the following year.

Best credit cards to accomplish your travel plans:

• Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card to avoid conversion fees and for six free airport lounges worldwide.
• The American Express Cobalt^® Card for the high points accumulation rate on groceries, restaurants and convenience stores with the goal of using points to reduce my travel expenses.

Your best tips and tools for better travel:

• Use applications and websites to track flight prices (such as SkyScanner or Google Flights)
• Maximize reward point accumulation.
• Track your expenses with budgeting applications.
• Invest in adequate travel insurance.
• Plan ahead to find the best deals for your purchases.

Types of travel :

• I don’t have any trips planned, but I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a warm all-inclusive during the winter to relax.

Dream trips planned for 2024:

• I dream of a trip full of free-roaming animals where I can meet them. New to the Milesopedia team, I’m counting on my colleagues to make a few suggestions. I’ll also be reading destination guides to help me make my choice.

Best credit cards to accomplish your travel plans:

• This year, I’m using credit cards accepted by Costco to earn cash back at the end of the year. I’m thinking of signing up for another card that will bring me travel rewards.

Your best tips and tools for better travel and everyday savings:

• Maximize my purchases and save at the grocery store with these invaluable guides:

Types of travel :

We alternate between exploratory escapades and an extended family trip.

Dream trips planned for 2024:

• February, we are planning a 5-day trip to the Tirana region of Albania.
• At the end of April, we will be visiting Sri Lanka, especially the Colombo area.
• We’ll be going to Paris and Nice for 2024 Olympics events
• We’ll be passing through Quebec to see family and friends in August, and then again at Christmas 2024, as we’ve missed the snow a lot since moving to France.
• Explore Normandy and neighbouring Brittany.

Best credit cards to accomplish your travel plans:

• The American Express Cobalt^® Card for advantageous points accumulation at restaurants and grocery stores
• Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card for the absence of conversion fees and because only Visa cards and cash will be accepted on-site at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Your best tips and tools for better travel:

• Always read hotel reviews on Milesopedia before booking.
• Travel with our carry-on and backpack to limit the risk of losing our luggage.
• My external battery for charging my cell phone and computer, because I’m always running out, which makes my colleagues laugh!

Types of travel: Solo, couples and friends

This year, I’m mainly planning long-distance trips as a new “digital nomad”. Thanks to my colleague Marie-Ève for her invaluable advice! I’m particularly fond of backpacking trips and destinations where the cost of living is low.

Dream trips planned for 2024:

• Winter: on vacation in Chile and Argentina to discover Santiago, Easter Island, Patagonia and Buenos Aires with a friend. Then a few weeks in Mexico to work remotely.
• Summer: roadtrip and camping in the Maritimes and back to one of my favorite Canadian cities, Halifax.
• Autumn: Nicaragua with a friend as a remote work destination too.

The rest is up to me, depending on special offers and my current mood!

Best credit cards to accomplish your travel plans:

• After abandoning the AIR MILES program for the past few years, I’m starting to accumulate a lot of AIR MILES again with the promotions. I will apply for the BMO Ascend™ World Elite^®* Mastercard to take advantage of the welcome bonus. I plan to use my miles to book independent hotels.
• At the same time, I’m building up my experience with the Scene+ program. I’m thinking of signing up for the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card to save on travel conversion fees and earn Scene+ points on my purchases.

Your best tips and tools for better travel:

• I regularly consult the AIR MILES mobile application to stay informed about promotions and accumulate as many points as possible.
• The Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card, which allows me to spend nights in nice hotels for free between two youth hostels.
• Draw up a budget at the beginning of the year to give me an overview of upcoming expenses and a game plan for my credit cards.

Types of travel :

• As a couple, in a warm-weather destination
• Family visits in Eastern and Western Canada
• Remote work stays as a digital nomad

Dream trips planned for 2024:

My girlfriend and I will be visiting family this year in Western and Eastern Canada. We’d also like to escape winter and discover Mexico’s southern Pacific side.

Best credit cards to accomplish your travel plans:

• The American Express Cobalt^® Card for its insurance and the accumulation and flexibility of points to be used for travel. It was voted best credit card in several categories in Milesopedia’s 2024 ranking.

Your best tips and tools for better travel:

• When abroad, it’s always a good idea to have a local SIM card or eSIM.
• I like to use public transport as much as possible
• Avoid periods of high demand when booking flights and keep a close eye on prices.
• Take advantage of the local grocery store and make your own picnics

Types of travel: Solo, with friends and long term working remotely

Dream trips planned for 2024:

I’m starting the year by spending two months in a surfing village in the north-east of Brazil, my favorite country, to get the year off to a good start. I’ll end the winter in South America, maybe Peru!

For the rest of 2024, I may be exploring Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria, and returning to Greece and Turkey, two countries I visited more than ten years ago.

Best credit cards to accomplish your travel plans:

• This year I am taking advantage of the many benefits of the Business Platinum Card^® from American Express to enhance my experience on my many trips with access to airport lounges, Gold Marriott Bonvoy status and Gold Hilton Honors status.
• My Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card is a must-have to avoid conversion fees, since I spend several months abroad.

Your best tips and tools for better travel:

• Stay at a Marriott Bonvoy hotel using points (or the annual one-night free certificate) to start or end well a long trip abroad.
• Equip yourself with an eSIM card, an essential for short stays and staying connected just about everywhere, and one of these two cards for cash withdrawals abroad: the WISE card and the Wealthsimple card.
• >Free access to airport lounges, as practical for saving on meals as for enjoying good WiFi and peace and quiet while waiting for my flight.

Types of travel :

• Family visits in the Tri-State area
• Perhaps a trip to Florida

Dream trips planned for 2024:

Nothing planned yet, because my house will take up all my time, money and energy in 2024. My dream destination is still South Korea.

The best credit cards for your projects :

• The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard with excellent travel benefits
• I prefer credit cards that offer cash back, such as the TD Cash Back Visa Infinite* Card.

Your best tips and tools for better travel:

• Travel out of high season as much as possible.
• I prefer to see fewer destinations for longer durations whenever possible.
• Cooking is a great life skill to have, both at home and abroad. Food can be as cheap or as expensive as you choose.
• Travelling off the beaten track can be really fun and rewarding while traveling.

What are your destinations for 2024? Your points and credit card strategies? Your essential items to pack? Come discuss it with us in our Facebook community.