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Testimonial: a week’s skiing in the Italian Alps with points and miles

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Testimonial: a week’s skiing in the Italian Alps with points and miles
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Italian Alps with points – The price error on the plane ticket

It all started on an ordinary Friday evening in December, when I happened to see a new article that had just appeared in the milesopedia Facebook group, reporting on transatlantic business class flights available from just 13,500 Flying Blue miles with Air France. Note that the regular price is usually 50,000 miles for this type of ticket.

The article used the expressions « incredible prices » and « book now » to convey the urgency to act, because reading between the lines, it was clear that this was a pricing error that could disappear at any moment. So I made a reservation on the spot and told myself I would think about the other details later.

Four days later, I received an email from Air France explaining that a pricing error had crept into the booking system and that my reservation would be cancelled. Following the cancellation, I immediately went back to check the fares for the same destinations and found that even better fares were still available, but this time for Premium Economy class. So I immediately booked new tickets for just 18,000 Flying Blue miles, for a round trip, Ottawa – Geneva, in Premium Economy. Total taxes for the round trip are $499.51.

The pricing error on business class tickets was widely publicized and shared on social networks and travel blogs, and it was probably all this attention that almost forced Air France to cancel bookings. Fortunately, in the meantime, the pricing error in Premium Economy had gone completely under the radar. Days went by, and my reservation remained intact as if nothing had happened! So I was able to start planning the rest of my trip.

Italian Alps with the points – Making the project a reality

The plan is to go skiing for a week in the Italian Alps. My Air France ticket included bus transportation (operated by Air France) from the Ottawa train station to the Montreal airport.

Testimonial: a week's skiing in the Italian Alps with points and miles - Air France Premium Economy 3

From there, I flew Premium Economy to Paris, and Economy on a second flight to Geneva airport.

Testimonial: a week's skiing in the Italian Alps with points and miles - Air France Premium Economy 16

Then I picked up a rental car directly from the airport, and drive about 125 kilometers, through the Mont Blanc tunnel, to arrive in the Aosta Valley region of Italy. I stayed for six nights in the small village of Pré Saint Didier, in a hotel ideally located between the ski resorts of La Thuile and Courmayeur.

Testimonial: a week's skiing in the Italian Alps with points and miles - Ski Alpes Italiennes 4

I did a total of five days of skiing at these resorts. The return journey and conditions was be the same, but I would be staying one night in a hotel close to Geneva airport, the night before my flight.

As far as baggage was concerned, since my ticket with Air France included two free baggage items in the hold and two free baggage items in the cabin, I was be able to bring my skis and all my equipment without any worries.

Testimonial: a week's skiing in the Italian Alps with points and miles - Air France Premium Economy 2

Italian Alps with points – Car rental

I needed to rent a car for a week. After doing some price simulations on Expedia.ca, I selected a small « economy » class car (Renault Clio) for a grand total of 239.99 Swiss francs. Reservations were finally made at the same price directly on the alamo.ca website, to avoid intermediaries. The car came with winter tires and there was plenty of room inside to put my skis, by lowering the rear seat.

Testimonial: a week's skiing in the Italian Alps with points and miles - Ski Alpes Italiennes 6

Italian Alps with points – Hotels

For the hotel in Italy, I used Expedia.ca and Booking.com to find a room for six nights. The room was finally booked through Booking.com at theHotel Edelweiss in Pré Saint Didier (Italy) for 440 euros (all inclusive). Breakfast is even included. For this booking, I made sure to use my National Bank World Elite Mastercard®, as I’ll be redeeming 55,000 points for a $500 travel discount (statement credit), which will be applied to the 440 euro expense.

Exclusive
Annual fee
$0 $150
No annual fee the first year
Our valuation
$150
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueAnnual fee rebated$150Total$150Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
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First Year Annual Fee Rebate
$150 annual fee rebated
Ends Nov 4, 2026
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on National Bank's website

With Milesopedia, take advantage of an exclusive offer: your first-year annual fees are refunded with the National Bank World Elite Mastercard. This offer is exclusively available on the Milesopedia network, from June 30 to November 4, 2026.

  • Refund of the first-year annual fee (a $150 value) for the primary cardholder. This fee is charged to your new card account, then refunded as a credit on your statement within five months of opening your account, provided it remains open and in good standing.

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
  • Airline ticket 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.

Annual fee

Primary card$150
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$80,000
Household$150,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 5xRestaurants
  • 5xGroceries
  • 2xTravel
  • 2xBills & recurring payments
  • 2xGas & EV
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$778
2nd Year Value$923

Card benefits

Airport lounge access$400
Travel creditsIncluded

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 60 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 31 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Trip CancellationUp to $2,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Travel AccidentIncluded

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+2 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

A seventh night is also booked for the day before my return flight, at the Best Western Park Hotel Geneve-Thoiry, located close to Geneva airport, but on French territory. The price was 70 euros (all inclusive). Breakfast at the hotel is not included, but on the other hand I’ll be using my Platinum CardMD from American Express and the Priority Pass membership it provides to have breakfast at the Air France lounge at Geneva airport, while I wait for my flight home.

Annual fee
$799
Our valuation
$1,700
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$1,700Total$1,700Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
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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”).

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  • Unlock special experiences with the newly designed metal Platinum Card
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  • You will have access to a $200 CAD Annual Travel Credit to use towards any single travel booking of $200 or more charged to your Platinum Card and made on www.americanexpress.ca/travel or through Platinum Card® Travel Service
  • Take full advantage of the American Express Global Lounge Collection which unlocks access to over 1200 airport lounges worldwide. This includes The Centurion® Lounge network, Plaza Premium Lounges, and hundreds of other domestic and international lounges designed to enhance your travel experience
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  • As a Charge Card, the balance must always be paid in full each month. 30% annual interest rate applies to balances not paid in full. Payments must be received and processed by the date of the next monthly statement to avoid interest charges
  American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details, current product information and Terms and Conditions, click the Apply now link. Conditions Apply

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 after charging $10,000 to your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership
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With this Card, you get:

  • 2 points per $1 on eligible dining and delivery purchases in Canada
  • 2 points per dollar on eligible travel purchases charged to the Card
  • 1 point per $1 on all other purchases charged to the Card

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 points to hotel partners, including Hilton Honors and 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)
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For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards® points to a partner loyalty program, you could earn up to:

  • 100,000 Aeroplan points
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With this card, you also have advantages for your travels:

  • $200 Annual Travel Credit
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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.

Annual fee

Primary card$799
Additional card$250

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 2xTravel
  • 2xRestaurants
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,482
2nd Year Value$470

Transfer partners

  • AeroplanAirline
  • British Airways ClubAirline
  • Cathay Asia MilesAirline
  • Etihad GuestAirline
  • Flying BlueAirline
  • Hilton HonorsHotel
  • Marriott BonvoyHotel

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7
Airport lounge access$400
Travel creditsIncluded

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Trip CancellationUp to $2,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $2,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $1,000
Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

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

The rental car and hotels were obviously booked with rates that could be cancelled, just in case my reservations with Air France ended up going wrong.

Italian Alps with points – Ski tickets

Ski tickets are purchased online from the ski resorts’ websites, just a few days before arriving in Europe.

In La Thuile, the price of a day’s skiing was 55 euros, while in Courmayeur it was 59 euros. At each of these stations, you can add 3 euros per day if you wish to purchase an insurance policy covering civil liability for damage or injury caused to third parties.

There’s no real advantage to booking a 2 or 3-day package at a given resort, because on only 2 or 3 days, the discount is minimal, and if you decide not to ski one of those days, for whatever reason, I doubt you’ll be able to get a refund for the unused days.

I’d like to take this opportunity to show you how much cheaper ski tickets in European ski resorts generally are than in Western Canada or the USA. For the same dates, here are the daily prices I would have paid in the following North American resorts:

DestinationDaily access price
Whistler , British ColumbiaCAD 229 + taxes
Sunshine Village, AlbertaCAD 165 + taxes
Lake Louise, AlbertaCAD 145 + taxes
Vail, ColoradoUSD 229 + taxes
Aspen, ColoradoUSD 219 + taxes

Other expenses

For my day-to-day expenses in Europe (e.g. restaurant, groceries, gas, etc.), I used the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card. This is one of the ideal cards for any traveler, as it saves on the 2.5% currency conversion fee (usually charged by other cards). The card was accepted at all locations, except to pay a daily fee of 5 euros for daily parking at the La Thuile ski resort.

What’s more, I did double duty with the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card, as having recently acquired it, I just happened to have a welcome bonus (30,000 Scene+ points) to unlock. Its use in Europe came at just the right time. The 30,000 Scene+ points earned will be worth $300 in credit towards future grocery purchases at IGA.

Other costs included the toll for the Mont Blanc motorway tunnel. It’s the quickest and most direct way to reach Italy’s Aosta Valley region. The return ticket cost 67.50 euros, and to take advantage of this price, the return ticket was valid until midnight on the seventh day from the date of first passage.

Annual fee
$150
Our valuation
$350
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-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.
Welcome offer
Up to 35,000 points
Ends Nov 1, 2026
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on Scotiabank's website

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card +* CardMC, 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

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

Annual fee

Primary card$150
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000
Household$100,000

Conversion fees

0%

Earning rate

  • 2xGroceries
  • 2xRestaurants
  • 2xTransit
  • 2xEntertainment
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$650
2nd Year Value$397

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7
Airport lounge access$240

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $1,000,000 / 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

Bottom Line

The moral of this story is to be ready to take action at any time, when a good deal comes along. Having earned various ammunition (i.e. points and air miles) to seize opportunities is important. As all the members of the Milesopedia community often repeat, being flexible in every way is essential to get the most out of our offers.

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Annual fee
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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.
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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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