Welcome to the 2021 Prince of Travel Awards, our second edition of annual community awards to recognize excellence in travel, rewards, and loyalty programs,
Across 28 different categories over three weeks of voting, we invite you to make your voice heard on which issuers, programs, airlines, hotels, products, and promotions here in Canada have impressed you the most this year as you’ve progressed along your journey with travelling the world on points.
Together, let’s take stock of how things have played out over the past year and which loyalty offerings are looking the most appealing as we head into 2022.
2021 Prince of Travel Awards Categories
The 28 categories for the 2021 Prince of Travel Awards are as follows:
Credit Cards
- Best Premium Travel Credit Card
- Best Travel Credit Card
- Best Small Business Travel Credit Card
- Best Credit Card Signup Bonus
- Best Visa Card
- Best Mastercard
- Best Credit Card Perk
- Best Cash Back Credit Card
- Best No-Fee Credit Card
- Best No FX Fee Credit Card
- Best New Financial Product
- Best Amex Offer
Loyalty Programs
- Best Transferable Points Currency
- Best Fixed-Value Points Currency
- Best Airline Loyalty Program
- Best Hotel Loyalty Program
- Best Hotel Elite Status
- Best International Award Sweet Spot
- Best Domestic Award Sweet Spot
- Best Promotion
- Best Positive Change
Airlines & Hotels
- Best Domestic Business Class
- Best Domestic Economy Class
- Best International Business Class
- Best International First Class
- Best Airport Lounge in Canada
- Best Hotel in Canada
- Best Resort in Canada
Week 1: Credit Cards
In Week 1 of voting, it’s time to cast your vote on the 12 Credit Cards categories, with a shortlist of nominees among each category for you to choose from.
Best Premium Travel Credit Card
Among travel rewards credit cards that command a $399+ annual fee in exchange for stronger travel benefits, which product is the best?
- American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card
- American Express Platinum Card
- BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege
- RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege
- TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege
Best Travel Credit Card
Among travel rewards credit cards that command an annual fee in the range of $119–150, which product is the best?
- American Express Cobalt Card
- HSBC World Elite Mastercard
- Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card
- TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card
- WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard
Best Small Business Travel Credit Card
Among travel rewards credit cards geared towards small business owners, which product is the best?
- American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card
- American Express Business Edge Card
- Business Platinum Card by American Express
- RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business Card
- TD Aeroplan Visa Business Card
Best Credit Card Signup Bonus
What was the best credit card signup bonus this year? Which welcome incentive did you capitalize on the most?
- 150,000 MR / Aeroplan points on the American Express Platinum Card / Aeroplan Reserve Card
- 75,000 Aeroplan points on the American Express Aeroplan Card
- 100,000 MR points on the Business Platinum Card by American Express
- 100,000 HSBC Rewards points on the HSBC World Elite Mastercard
- 25,000 Aeroplan points + Buddy Pass + First Year Free on the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card
Best Visa Card
Of the major Visa products in Canada issued by the Big 5 banks, which one is the best?
- BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Card
- CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card
- RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
- Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card
- TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card
Best Mastercard
Of the major Mastercard products in the Canadian market, which one is the best?
- BMO Air Miles World Elite Mastercard
- Brim World Elite Mastercard
- HSBC World Elite Mastercard
- MBNA Alaska Airlines World Elite Mastercard
- WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard
Best Credit Card Perk
Travel rewards credit cards are coming up with all sorts of creative perks these days to entice people to sign up. Which credit card perk have you gotten the most value from?
- $200 lifestyle credit on the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege Card
- Anniversary free night certificate worth 35,000 points on the Marriott Bonvoy American Express cards
- Maple Leaf Lounge access on the Aeroplan premium credit cards
- Priority Pass lounge access on the American Express Platinum / Business Platinum Cards
- WestJet companion voucher on the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard
Best Cash Back Credit Card
Of the major cash back credit cards in the Canadian market, which one is the best?
- BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard
- CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card
- Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite Card
- SimplyCash Preferred Card by American Express
- Tangerine World Mastercard
Best No-Fee Credit Card
Of the major Canadian credit cards with no annual fees, which one is the best?
- American Express Green Card
- CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card
- MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard
- Rogers World Elite Mastercard
- Tangerine World Mastercard
Best No FX Fee Credit Card
Of the major Canadian credit cards with no foreign transaction fees, which one is the best?
- Brim Mastercard
- HSBC World Elite Mastercard
- Rogers World Elite Mastercard
- Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
- Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card
Best New Financial Product
Several new financial products have been launched or relaunched in Canada over the course of 2021. Which new or refreshed entrant to the market has impressed you the most?
- American Express Gold Rewards Card relaunch
- Crypto.com Visa Card
- Neo Mastercard
- WealthSimple Cash Card
Best Amex Offer
American Express has regaled us with a series of generous Amex Offers this year. Which set of offers have you capitalized on the most?
- 10x MR points, up to 25,000 MR points, on the Business Platinum Card
- $150/$200 grocery credits on the Aeroplan Reserve Card / Platinum Card
- $175 dining credit on the Platinum Card
- Discover Canada hotel offers
- Shop Small promotion
Week 1: Vote Now
As part of the voting process, you are invited to select your top choice among the candidates in each category.
It’s up to you how you vote: feel free to vote based on either your personal experience with any of the candidates or your impressions of each candidate as a savvy points collector.
The order of the candidates is randomized as part of the survey to avoid introducing bias into your vote. After you’ve completed your vote and picked the winner in all 12, hit the Submit button and your vote will be counted!
Without further ado, you can submit your vote for Week 1 of the 2021 Prince of Travel Awards below:
Week 1 of voting will close at the end of Sunday, November 14.
Weeks 2 and 3 will take place the following weeks, and the winners will be announced on Monday, November 29. Happy voting!
Perhaps you can narrow the scoop and define criteria for “best” in each category. AMEX’s Reserve and plat’s 150k is certainly the highest value, but in terms of AF and point/dollar spend, it is inferior to the Amex AP core which requires half the spend and 1/10 the AF (need to hold plat/reserve for 2 years to get the full WB). I thought CIBC AP VI and TD FCT should be on the list given that TD AP VI is. HSBC Premier WE should be an option too.
The idea is that each voter picks what they view as “best” based on which criterion matters the most to them, so that in the end we have a picture of the best performers in each category as chosen by the community as a whole.
I have a feeling that AmEx will be dominating the rewards this year 🙂