Alright, you have the means. You have a great credit rating, you can pretty much get any credit cards you want and can spend tons of money on them and pay them off each month. However, you have no idea where or when you want to travel but you know you will eventually since you love to travel. What do you do? The answer is simple. You stick to credit cards that give you multiple redemption options for when the time comes to book your travel. The best route is to go is with a trio of hybrid credit cards. Hybrid cards just happen to be Rewards Canada's favourite type of rewards cards!
What is Rewards Canada's Ultimate "I have no idea what travel rewards I want" Credit Card portfolio? It is the following three cards:
American Express: American Express Cobalt® Card
Mastercard: MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
Visa: RBC Avion Infinite Visa Card
Hybrid cards give you best of all worlds when it comes to travel rewards. They give you the ability to use a frequent flyer program like Air Canada's Aeroplan or the ability to book travel yourself with any one you like and to use the points to pay for that travel. By collecting points with hybrid credit card programs you are providing yourself the most flexible travel rewards options with your points. Thus, if you have no idea or plans on how you want to use your rewards just yet, we recommend grabbing three of Canada's favourite hybrid cards. Well, two are hybrid cards and a third is set to become one in 2024.
Key Benefits of this portfolio
- Great earn rates that can be translated into some high value redemption options
- Every type of reward redemption is covered by this portfolio (travel, points conversion, cash back etc.)
- Airport Lounge Access Membership with the MBNA Card
- Strong insurance coverage
Why you want to get each of these cards
American Express Cobalt® Card
The primary card in this portfolio, is Canada's number one travel rewards credit card - the American Express Cobalt Card. Plain and simple it is the most rewarding card in Canada. The card earns 5 points per dollar spent on groceries, dining out, coffee shops, bars, food delivery and so on. So what does 5 points per dollar mean? That means you are getting a minimum 5% return on that spending.
If you choose to redeem with Amex's Use Points for Purchases option you can redeem 1,000 points for a $10 credit. Whether it is a travel purchase or simply an order from Starbucks, you can redeem against that charge with this option. That's how 5 points becomes 5%. But the card gets better returns than that.
When you redeem for travel with Amex's other redemption options - you can see returns of 10%, 15% or even more than 20%. Now we're talking! If you want to get even more value, you convert the points earned to Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Executive Club, or Marriott Bonvoy. Those 5x points equates to 5 Aeroplan points, 5 BA Avios, 3.75 Flying Blue Miles or 6 Bonvoy points. Aeroplan points, Avios and FB miles carry a minimum value of 1.5 cents while Bonvoy points, in our mind carry a value of at least 1 cent each, this means your 5x points gives you a minimum 5.6% to 7.5% return. Redeem for high end hotels or business class flights and that's where your 20%+ return comes in.
Finally you can also use them for Amex's Fixed Points for Travel option, which is their set point amount reward chart and when you do redeem via this method those 5x points can provide up to a 10% return! Simply unbeatable.
The high earning on the card doesn't end at 5x points - it also earns 3 points per dollar on popular streaming services in Canada, 2 points per dollar on travel, gas and transit (including ride sharing) and then 1 point per dollar on everything else. Ultimately you'll want to put as much of your spending on this card as possible for food & drink purchases, streaming services, gas stations, transit and travel. The only time you wouldn't is if the merchant doesn't accept American Express or when you hit the $2,500 monthly cap on 5x points earning.
Recommended reading: American Express Cobalt Card Confirmed Multiplier Locations
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
The second card in the portfolio is the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard which has replaced the HSBC World Elite Mastercard as the latter has now been discontinued for new customers. The MBNA card is currently ranked as the second best Travel Points Card with an annual fee in Canada.
The MBNA card earns 5 points for every $1 spent on eligible restaurant, grocery, digital media, membership, and household utility purchases until $50,000 is spent annually in the applicable category* (that is $50,000 per category) It then earns 1 point for every $1 on all other eligible purchases. On top of this the card features Birthday Bonus Points‡ that are equal to 10% of the total number of Points the Account earned in the 12 months before the month of your birthday, up to a maximum of 15,000 Points. That essentially makes your 5 points per dollar worth 5.5 points and the 1 point worth 1.1 points.
Redeeming for travel is extremely straightforward with the MBNA Rewards program. To get the best value out of your points for travel redemptions you must book your travel via MBNA which operates as its own travel agency. Basically you book travel through them as if you were booking travel anywhere else and then you redeem points against the charge during the payment process for your travel. You can choose to redeem any amount of points against the charge so it makes it quite flexible. The redemption rate published by MBNA is 10,000 points = $100 however you can choose to redeem less than that or more than that.
With that 10,000 points to $100 ratio you are earning a 1% to 5.5% return for your spending on this card
In 2024 the MBNA card is set to move from being a Travel Points Card with an Annual Fee to a Hybrid card like the other two cards in the portfolio. MBNA Rewards is planning to add Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan as a transfer partner in 2024. This is a significant development as Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is a great program for all Canadians, not just those out west where Alaska Airlines flies. The reason why is Alaska Airlines is part of the oneworld Alliance which means you can use their miles on partner airlines like American Airlines and British Airways, just to name a few.
The planned conversion ratio will be 1 MBNA Rewards points to 1 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles. This means the World Elite card will earn the equivalent of 1 to 5.5 Mileage Plan miles per dollar spent. With award flights in the Mileage Plan program starting as low as 4,500 miles one way (as of May 2024) for many routes between Eastern Canada and the Eastern U.S. you would only need to spend as little as $819 to start redeeming! That is unprecedented in the market today and is actually lower spend than the Cobalt Card for similar routes!
If for some reason the MBNA - Alaska partnership does not materialize as planned you can feel safe in knowing that you can still redeem your MBNA points for any travel as detailed above.
Recommended reading: Big changes coming from Alaska Airlines as they announce new consolidated award charts
After the rewards side of things but still travel related the MBNA card provides airport lounge access via Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass. This benefit covers the annual membership fee and allows you the pay a discounted rate to enter any of the 1,300+ lounges worldwide. It also provides extensive dining and shopping discounts at airports around the world.
The MBNA card will also be your go to card for Costco purchases as Mastercard is the only brand of card accepted at their warehouses in Canada.
Recommended reading: MBNA World Elite Mastercard Review
RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
Finally rounding out this portfolio is the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card which will most likely be the least used card of the portfolio as it earn rates don't match the other two cards but for the Visa card portion of this portfolio it has all your rewards needs handled. It covers you where only Visa cards are accepted plus the very easy to earn welcome bonus alone makes it worth getting this card.
Just like the other two cards. you have multiple redemption avenues with this card. You can redeem for flights via the RBC Avion Air Travel Redemption Schedule which is their fixed points for flights reward chart. This is like Amex's Fixed Points for Travel where you redeem a flat rate of points for travel within specific regions or from one region to another. For example you can redeem 15,000 points for short haul flight within your province or to a neighouring province or state with a maximum ticket value of $350 (before taxes and fees) With the RBC Avion Air Travel Redemption Schedule you can get up to a 2.91% return on your spending.
Like the American Express Cobalt Card, the Avion card also allows you to convert points to airline programs, namely American AAdvantage, British Airways Executive Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and WestJet Rewards. The two most popular are British Airways and WestJet, and there are occasions where RBC does include a bonus when you do convert your Avion Rewards points to British Airways or WestJet. With our valuation of 1.5 cents per British Airways Avios that means at a minimum the spend on the RBC card is worth 1.5% to 1.8% but you should be able to get more value than that out of those Avios.
Recommended reading: RBC Avion Visa Infinite Review
The cards and their reward options:
| Any Travel Any Time |
Fixed Points Reward Chart for flights | Conversion Options | |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Express Cobalt Card | Yes with any travel provider and then you redeem your points against the charge | Yes (up to a 10% return on your spending) |
Air Canada Aeroplan Air France KLM Flying Blue British Airways Executive Club Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Delta SkyMiles Etihad Guest Hilton Honors Marriott Bonvoy |
| MBNA World Elite Mastercard | Yes via MBNA Rewards Travel | No | Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan (Launching in 2024) |
| RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card | Yes via Avion Rewards Travel | Yes (up to a 2.91% return on your spending) |
American AAdvantage British Airways Executive Club Cathay Pacific Asia Miles WestJet Rewards |
Here are further details on these three cards:
American Express Cobalt® Card
2024 Top Overall Travel Rewards Card | 2024 Top Hybrid Travel Rewards Card
In your first year as a new Cobalt Cardmember, you can earn 1,250 Membership Rewards® points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in net purchases on your Card. This could add up to 15,000 points in a year. That’s up to $150 towards a weekend getaway or concert tickets
Monthly Fee $12.99/month of Cardmembership ($155.88 annually) | Additional Cards: $0 | Annual interest rate 21.99% on purchases and 21.99% on funds advances
- Earn 5x the points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada, including groceries and food delivery. Spend cap applies.
- Earn 3x the points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada
- Earn 2x the points on eligible ride shares, transit & gas in Canada
- Earn 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings via American Express Travel Online
- Earn 1x point for every $1 in Card purchases everywhere else
- Enjoy access to hotel bookings, a room upgrade (when available), 12pm check-in and late check-out (when available), and up to $100 USD hotel credit to use on amenities when charged to the room for a stay of 2 or more consecutive nights through The Hotel Collection from American Express Travel
- Transfer points 1:1 to several frequent flyer and other loyalty programs
- Cobalt Cardmembers receive regular Perks such as bonus reward offers and access to great events
- Access Front Of The Line® Amex Presale & Reserved Tickets to some of your favourite concerts and theatre performances and special offers and events curated for Cardmembers with Amex ExperiencesTM
- 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, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment
- Click here to apply for the American Express Cobalt Card
MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®
Earn up to 30,000 MBNA Rewards Points†
20,000 bonus points†† (approximately $165 in cash back value) after you make $2,000 or more in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of your account opening.
10,000 bonus points†† (approximately $80 in cash back value) once enrolled for paperless e-statements within the first 90 days of account opening.
$120 annual fee. $50 Additional Card Annual Fee for one authorized user (if you have one).
- Earn 5 points‡ for every $1 spent on eligible restaurant, grocery, digital media, membership, and household utility purchases until $50,000 is spent annually in the applicable category. 1 point‡ for every $1 on all other eligible purchases.
- Each year, you will receive Birthday Bonus Points‡ equal to 10% of the total number of Points the Account earned in the 12 months before the month of your birthday, to a maximum Birthday Bonus each year of 15,000 Points.
- Redeem points‡ for cash back, brand-name merchandise, gift cards from participating retailers, charitable donations, and travel.
- Standard Annual Interest Rates of 19.99% on purchases, 22.99% on balance transfers✪, and 24.99% on cash advances.
- Mobile Device Insurance***
With Mobile Device Insurance, you’ve got up to $1,000 in coverage for eligible mobile devices in the event of loss, theft, accidental damage or mechanical breakdown.
- $120 annual fee. $50 Additional Card Annual Fee for one authorized user (if you have one).
- To qualify, your personal annual income must be greater than $80,000, or your household annual income must be $150,000 or greater.††††
- This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For residents of Quebec, please click here.
- Click here to apply for the MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®
††, ‡, ✪, ***, ††††, Terms and Conditions apply.
This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For residents of Quebec, please click here.
Sponsored advertising. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) and TD is not responsible for the contents of this site including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete information on this MBNA credit card, please click on the “Apply Now” button.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank is the issuer of this credit card. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. ®MBNA and other-trademarks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank..
RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
Get up to 55,000 Avion points* (a value of up to $1,100†), that’s enough to fly anywhere in North America or the Caribbean!
Annual Fee: $120 | Additional Card Fee: $50 | 20.99% on purchases 22.99%* on cash advances and balance transfers *21.99% if you reside in Quebec.
- Get 35,000 Welcome Points on approval* and 20,000 points when you spend $5,000 within the first 6 months of card opening
- Earn 1 Avion point for every dollar you spend* and an extra 25% on eligible travel purchases.
- When you are ready to travel again, Avioners can book flights with points on any airline, on any flight, at any time, early or last minute, with no blackout periods or restrictions.
- Avioners earn points that never expire so your points will be waiting for your next adventure.
- Redeem your points for travel and more. Use points for anything from paying bills and paying your card balance to redeeming for Gift Cards and Merchandise at top brands like Apple. The Avion Rewards program gives you the freedom of choice to use your points your way, and helps you make the most as an Avioner.
- Eligible Avion Rewards members can also convert points to other loyalty programs including WestJet dollars, British Airways Avios points and Hudson’s Bay Rewards points.
- Link your RBC card with a Petro-Points membership to instantly save 3₵ per litre on fuel at Petro-Canada stations and earn 20% more Petro-Points and 20% more Avion rewards points
- Link your RBC card with a Rexall Be Well account and get 50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible products at Rexall. Redeem Be Well points faster for savings in store on eligible purchases where 25,000 Be Well points = $10
- Get access to RBC offers which provides access to earn points faster at specified brands
- Extensive insurance including: mobile device insurance, travel insurance (trip cancellation, interruption and emergency medical) and other eligible purchases to protect you and your family
- Avioners get access to luxury Visa Infinite benefits including first in line for exclusive events, and hotel and dining benefits.
- Avioners no longer need 14-days to book travel using the RBC grid
- Up to a 2.3% return on your spending depending on which reward ticket you book
- Unwritten ability to redeem for Business Class tickets although at a lower rate of return when compared to the Avion Reward chart
- Get $0 delivery fees for 12 months from DoorDash17 - Add your eligible RBC credit card to your DoorDash account to:
• Get a 12-month complimentary DashPass subscription18 – a value of almost $120
• Enjoy unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees on orders of $15 or more when you pay with your eligible RBC credit card
Corresponding legal references and product terms are available on the RBC website, which will be available and agreed upon in the customer onboarding process.
There you go, with these three cards you are pretty much ensuring that you have yourself covered for any type of future travel rewards that work best for you.
Other Card Options:
Although we feel the combination above is your best bet there are other card options that can fit the bill for all three of the issuers. On the Amex side you could consider the American Express® Gold Rewards Card or the Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express®* Card. The Gold Card has all the same redemption options as the Cobalt Card albeit with lower earn rates however it does come with more travel benefits than the Cobalt Card. The Marriott card will provide points and benefits for hotel stays with Marriott and also those points can be converted to over 40 airlines which means you have a lot of travel options with that card as well.
On the Mastercard side, there are no other Hybrid card or upcoming Hybrid card options like the MBNA World Elite Mastercard so here you'd maybe want to look at a high earn rate cash back card like the Rogers World Elite Mastercard.
On the Visa side of things it the same story - other than the other RBC Avion card options there are no other Visa Hybrid Cards. Your best bet here would be a card like the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card as you can redeem points for any travel you like plus the card has great travel benefits and no foreign transaction fees.
This feature was first posted on March 15, 2017 and is updated on regular basis