Looking Ahead to 2024 in the Miles & Points Landscape

As 2023 heads into its last approach, it’s clip to look backmost astatine immoderate of the stories that shaped Miles & Points successful 2023, and guardant to what we mightiness brushwood successful 2024.

For reasons of parsimony, I’ll support the treatment present focused connected the Canadian context, referencing US and planetary programs erstwhile appropriate.

Canadian Credit Cards successful 2024

This year, we saw immoderate large promotions being offered by Canadian recognition paper issuers to lure caller cardholders to their products.

In immoderate cases, this took the signifier of a record-high invited bonus, portion successful others, caller features were added (sometimes paired with an accrued yearly fee).

As per usual, American Express gives its cardholders the astir reasons to use for and clasp onto their products: Amex Membership Rewards points person the astir partners to transportation to, the cards person the astir competitory earning rates, Amex Offers supply large ongoing value, and referral bonuses promote cardholders to dispersed the bully word.

However, it’s been encouraging to spot RBC grow its ain suite of “RBC Offers” successful 2023, arsenic good arsenic bringing backmost the Friday Friend Pass for escaped assistance passes astatine skis resorts passim Canada. Perks specified arsenic these tin supply fantabulous worth to cardholders, and hopefully we’ll spot RBC grow connected its offerings, arsenic good arsenic different issuers instrumentality enactment and motorboat akin perks successful 2024.

Another communal taxable we’re seeing is invited bonuses requiring spending passim the year, and adjacent into the 2nd year, to unlock the afloat allotment of points. It’s nary astonishment that banks privation to spot cardholders usage their products for much than conscionable the invited bonus, and structuring offers this mode forces our hands accordingly.

A large illustration of this was the operation of the first-ever invited bonus successful the signifier of points connected the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard, which has present expired. New cardholders received 10,000 miles upon making a purchase, different 10,000 upon spending $5,000, different 10,000 upon spending a further $10,000, and past 30,000 miles upon renewing the paper for a 2nd year.

This is besides existent with galore cards present having smaller monthly spending requirements, alternatively than a azygous threshold to unlock a swath of points aft 3 months oregon so.

On the different hand, a shining illustration of a paper that doesn’t promote its holders to support it for the semipermanent oregon to usage it for regular spending was the motorboat of the Cathay World Elite® Mastercard – powered by Neo, which landed with a spot of a thud. 

Aside from its invited bonus of up to 30,000 Asia Miles, the lone meaningful payment offered connected the paper is 10% disconnected Cathay Pacific flights with a promo code. Otherwise, the paper doesn’t supply immoderate unsocial perks that immoderate Asia Miles subordinate oregon cardholder of immoderate different World Elite Mastercard merchandise would get.

Plus, with a higher yearly interest than immoderate different World Elite oregon Visa Infinite merchandise successful Canada, and an security bundle that doesn’t look to use to Asia Miles redemptions, there’s plentifulness of reasons to look elsewhere for a rewarding recognition card.

One of the biggest stories this twelvemonth was RBC’s upcoming acquisition of HSBC Canada. For years, the HSBC World Elite Mastercard reigned ultimate arsenic Canada’s champion Mastercard, and arsenic the champion paper with no overseas transaction fees that earns transferable points. 

Along with HSBC Rewards, which is the lone programme successful Canada speech from Marriott Bonvoy to connection nonstop entree to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, the aboriginal of HSBC’s products is successful question. 

However, this leaves the doorway wide unfastened for RBC and different issuers to measurement up their game.

Compared to our neighbour to the south, Canada’s banks connection precise fewer cards with nary overseas transaction fees, and the fig of transportation partners disposable with transferable points currencies pales successful examination to those from US programs.

Plus, we’re often faced with little desirable transportation ratios, and are near to anticipation for a transportation bonus promotion to bushed the 1:0.75 oregon 1:0.7 transportation ratios.

Fortunately, MBNA Rewards has signalled that it’ll go Canada’s newest transferable points currency successful 2024, erstwhile members volition beryllium capable to person MBNA Rewards points to Alaska miles.

There’s inactive not a steadfast timeline for this, but I ideate that applications for the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard volition skyrocket erstwhile it happens. This volition particularly beryllium the lawsuit if MBNA makes the 5x earning complaint astatine wholesale clubs (e.g. Costco) a imperishable feature, aft trialing it on a targeted promotion earlier this year.

In sum, an optimal result for the Canadian recognition paper scenery successful 2024 would spot much contention amongst issuers, higher invited bonuses, elevated class earning rates, and the instauration of amended perks and benefits to support cardholders astir for the long-term.

Canadian Loyalty Programs successful 2024

Aeroplan

It’s nary astonishment that Aeroplan remains the astir fashionable and rewarding loyalty programme amongst Canadians (and to galore others, for that matter). 

There are much ways than ever earlier to gain Aeroplan points, including done recognition cards successful Canada and the United States (as good arsenic the HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card successful Australia), mundane partners specified arsenic Starbucks, the LCBO, and Journie Rewards, the Aeroplan eStore, and more.

Aeroplan has besides been adding caller features to its platform, including the quality to publication flights with stopovers and change bookings online. When the revamped programme was launched backmost successful 2020, Aeroplan indicated that it intended to motorboat these (and more) features, and it’s large to spot immoderate taking shape.

However, it’s worthy noting that Aeroplan has besides faced immoderate challenges successful 2023, arsenic demonstrated by temporarily closing disconnected caller Family Sharing accounts, launching an offensive against third-party grant hunt websites, and ongoing issues with immoderate spouse airlines.

Some of these issues pertain to concerns astir fraud and maltreatment of the program, which winds up ruining immoderate of the amusive for the mean user.

On the different hand, we cognize that Aeroplan is actively moving to resoluteness these issues down the scenes, arsenic demonstrated by the instrumentality of Oman Air and different spouse awards to online inventory. Hopefully, Aeroplan is capable to find a lasting solution to these lingering issues, which started to person a worldly interaction connected the mean idiosyncratic experience.

Oman Air First Class is backmost with Aeroplan

With the nonaccomplishment of Star Alliance grant inventory enactment from grant searching tools specified arsenic ExpertFlyer, it’d beryllium fantastic to spot Aeroplan (and different loyalty programs, for that matter) amended the hunt relation connected the website to marque uncovering awards much intuitive. A large illustration of this is the calendar functions connected the American Airlines AAdvantage, United MileagePlus, and Air France KLM Flying Blue websites.

I wouldn’t beryllium amazed to larn of much hose partnerships launching with Aeroplan successful 2024, particularly arsenic the fig hasn’t yet crossed the 50-partner threshold. 

One concerning inclination has been caller partners being taxable to a hybrid chart, alternatively than the modular spouse grant prices. As it stands, Emirates and Flydubai person their ain chart; however, Air Canada has besides indicated that its determination spouse airlines, specified arsenic Calm Air and Canadian North, volition move to their ain illustration astatine immoderate constituent successful the future.

(If you person your oculus connected a travel to Churchill oregon distant destinations successful Northern Canada, it’s champion to fastener successful a redemption sooner alternatively than later). 

If Aeroplan adds caller spouse airlines, let’s anticipation that they’re taxable to modular spouse grant pricing, arsenic that’s wherever overmuch of the program’s champion worth lies.

In Fall 2023, we besides saw Aeroplan springiness announcement of upcoming changes to its presumption and conditions successful 2024. Some of the changes are meant to code information scraping and programme abuse, portion others are a continuation of the tougher connection surrounding recognition paper invited bonuses that we archetypal saw successful 2022.

It remains to beryllium seen however strictly these presumption volition beryllium enforced successful 2024.

WestJet Rewards

Since it launched the revamped Member Exclusive Fares successful 2020, it has been precise quiescent connected the WestJet Rewards front. We haven’t seen immoderate worldly improvements to the programme to drum up excitement, nor person we seen immoderate large-scale devaluations.

However, arsenic Canada’s 2nd largest airline, there’s plentifulness of accidental for the programme to rebrand itself and go much of a subordinate connected the Canadian and North American scenes.

As it stands, there’s nary mode to get outsized worth from a WestJet Rewards redemption successful the aforesaid mode that you tin with Aeroplan and galore different loyalty programs.

Member Exclusive Fares connection a tiny discount compared to the currency rate; however, you request to screen the full outgo of the basal fare to beryllium eligible for them, and you’re inactive connected the hook for the much-loathed “Other Air Transportation Charges“, adjacent connected grant bookings.

It’d beryllium large to spot WestJet Rewards amended found itself arsenic a rewarding programme successful 2024, by offering members much opportunities to prosecute with and payment from the program.

And by each means, it’s precocious clip for WestJet to reconsider its attack to selling WestJet dollars for overmuch much than what they’re worth.

VIPorter

Porter Airlines was connected a ngo successful 2023, arsenic it took transportation of caller jets and started the monolithic enlargement of its way network.

As a reminder, Porter besides launched a revamped VIPorter loyalty program successful aboriginal 2023. 

Unlike Aeroplan and WestJet Rewards, VIPorter doesn’t person immoderate recognition paper partnerships, which makes the programme mostly retired of scope for galore Canadians. Could we spot VIPorter go a transportation spouse with different points currency, oregon adjacent get its ain co-branded recognition card, successful 2024?

Furthermore, arsenic the hose is rapidly expanding extracurricular of its accepted core, much Canadians are becoming alert of what it has to connection with its onboard product, and successful immoderate cases, its loyalty program.

Since I unrecorded connected Vancouver Island, I haven’t had overmuch clip to research however the programme works and however it compares to different programs; however, I’ve besides heard bully reports from Toronto-based predominant flyers, and I’m looking guardant to spending immoderate clip getting to cognize VIPorter successful 2024.

AIR MILES

In aboriginal 2023, the outlook for AIR MILES wasn’t looking great. We were seeing immoderate bizarre concern announcements, and it appeared that AIR MILES was headed for extinction.

At the past minute, BMO acquired AIR MILES, and has since been breathing beingness backmost into the program.

It’s worthy giving recognition wherever recognition is due, and I’ve been impressed to spot the effort BMO is putting into making the programme applicable again. 

In the second fractional of 2023, we saw immoderate lucrative promotions, a revamped question booking portal, the announcement of new, overmuch much meaningful partnerships, and adjacent immoderate large invited bonuses connected its AIR MILES co-branded recognition cards.

While AIR MILES doesn’t yet person the aforesaid swagger it erstwhile did, it’s a programme that galore Canadians clasp dear, and here’s hoping for continued improvements up successful 2024.

Canadian Airlines successful 2024

Throughout 2023, there’s been a batch of question successful the Canadian aviation landscape.

While WestJet concentrated overmuch of its efforts connected expanding its beingness successful Western Canada, Air Canada focused connected strengthening its main hubs successful Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

As the 2 largest airlines restored their networks to pre-pandemic levels, we besides saw a fig of caller and returning way announcements for short-, medium-, and long-haul flights. 

Many of Air Canada’s routes launched from Vancouver, including to Osaka, Singapore, and Dubai. In the way announcements, Air Canada besides highlighted the casual onward connectivity to destinations served by its spouse airlines.

On the different hand, WestJet has launched flights from Calgary to Tokyo and Seoul, arsenic good arsenic nonstop flights from Atlantic Canada to Europe.

WestJet launched flights to Tokyo successful 2023

As mentioned before, Porter Airlines has been connected an implicit teardrop erstwhile it comes to way announcements. Whereas it utilized to alert regionally, it present offers flights crossed Canada and the United States, with plans to grow further arsenic it takes transportation of much aircraft.

Plus, Porter has announced partnerships with Air Transat and Alaska Airlines, and it’ll beryllium precise absorbing to spot however those instrumentality signifier successful 2024 and beyond.

I don’t foresee way announcements from Air Canada, WestJet, oregon Porter Airlines to dilatory down successful 2024, and hopefully, different planetary carriers volition adhd caller routes to Canada, too. Fortunately, with each announcement comes much choice, which is thing we request a batch much of successful Canada.

When it comes to earning status, it’s worthy noting that galore airlines astir the satellite are moving to a revenue-based model, whereby your presumption level is tied straight to however overmuch you walk with the airline, and not however often oregon however acold you fly.

It’s apt inevitable that this exemplary creeps its mode into much airlines successful 2024 and beyond, and whether oregon not you basal to payment oregon suffer volition beryllium wholly connected however you thin to publication travel.

Lounge overcrowding was erstwhile again a large communicative successful 2023, with galore pictures of lineups extracurricular lounges posted connected assorted online forums. The pictures came paired with groans from existent predominant flyers who gain presumption and lounge entree the hard way, alternatively than done recognition cards oregon promotions.

For its part, Air Canada removed lounge entree arsenic a payment to Aeroplan 35K members and instituted a three-hour clip bounds successful June 2023, and besides rejigged the furnishings successful its astir fashionable lounges to let for amended usage of the space.

We besides got a sensation of 2 caller Air Canada lounges astatine Toronto Billy Bishop Airport (YTZ) and San Francisco (SFO), which should beryllium an denotation of what Maple Leaf Lounges mightiness look similar aft the planned renovations successful the coming years.

Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge San Francisco – Outdoor terrace

Some airlines are launching caller concern people and First Class products successful 2024, and it’ll beryllium absorbing to spot what the latest innovations successful premium cabins person to offer. 

Air Canada expects to motorboat caller concern people products to its retrofitted Embraer E175 and Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft successful 2024, which could beryllium the archetypal denotation of what its next-generation narrow-body concern people cabins volition look like.

The hose expects to statesman taking transportation of Airbus A321XLR craft successful 2025, and has besides hinted that its long-haul wide-body fleet is besides acceptable for an update “soon”.

Conclusion

As we caput into 2024, it’s worthy looking backmost connected immoderate of the main themes from 2023 and what we mightiness expect successful the Miles & Points and question landscapes adjacent year.

There’s plentifulness of country for contention successful the Canadian recognition card, loyalty, and aviation markets, and hopefully this volition bring astir affirmative change.

Thanks to each for speechmaking and supporting Prince of Travel successful 2023 – we’ll beryllium definite to support you up to day with each the goings connected successful 2024 and beyond. 

The station Looking Ahead to 2024 successful the Miles & Points Landscape appeared archetypal connected Prince of Travel by T.J. Dunn.