Essential Travel Hacks for Avion Members

Unlocking the true value of your Avion points for travel

If you love to travel, your Avion Rewards membership is your ticket to exploring the world. We’re a loyalty program that helps you earn points, save money and get great deals on your dream adventures. Here are our Avion top tips for how to get the most travel value from your membership.

Hack #1: Maximize your points through the points value grid

To get the most out of your membership, take a look at our points value grid. The grid is divided into categories based on your destination, from quick getaways to world adventures. Each category has a pre-set number of points and a maximum ticket price. For example, exploring North America might require 35,000 points with a maximum ticket price of $750 CAD. Regardless of the cost of the flight (up to $750) you have confidence in knowing the points required will be fixed to 35,000 points. The fixed structure of the schedule means that your points go further. The best way to maximize your Avion points for flights is to aim for tickets whose base fare is as close to that maximum ticket price as possible!

Hack #2: Understand taxes, fees and base fares

When you're booking that dream vacation, you might notice that your points cover the base fare, but there are still taxes and fees to consider. It's helpful to know the difference: the base fare is the cost of the flight itself, while taxes, surcharges, and fees are set by airlines, airports, and governments. These extra costs apply to all travelers, regardless of how they book. The great news is that you don't have to pay cash for them if you don't want to! If you truly want to travel without paying cash, you can easily use your Avion points to cover any taxes and service fees at a rate of 100 points per $1.00 CAD.

Hack #3: Transfer points to our partner programs

Not all our members know that we have partnerships with leading airline loyalty programs, such as American Airlines AAdvantage, British Airways Executive Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles or WestJet Rewards. One of our best travel hacks is to transfer your points to these programs; this can offer incredible value for long-haul flights or premium cabin upgrades. And if you ever find a flight that costs more than the Maximum Ticket Price for its category, you can simply pay the difference using your credit card or by redeeming additional points. And don’t forget to look out for special offers and sales that allow you to use fewer Avion points when you transfer to partners.

Hack #4: Understand your change or cancellation policy

We know that plans change, and flexibility is key. If you need to cancel a flight booked with points, the airline's specific cancellation policy will apply. Often, you'll receive an airline travel credit that you can use for future flights. Just remember that when you complete a booking, your points are deducted from your account to secure your reward. If you're ever short on points for a trip, you can purchase additional points (starting at 1,000 points for $40 CAD) or use a combination of points and your credit card to make your travel dreams a reality.

*Bonus tip* However savvy an Avion member you are, nothing will get you more value than upgrading your membership to Elite status. Elite members get access to more airlines, more dates, and higher points dates. Elite membership is exclusively for Avion Visa cardholders. Apply now to take your rewards to the next level.

Bullet point summary

• Transfer your Avion points to partner airline programs for potentially higher value on international flights.
• Aim to book flights with base fares close to the Maximum Ticket Price in the Air Travel Redemption Schedule.
• Use your points at a rate of 100 points = $1 CAD to cover taxes, surcharges, and fees.
• Avion Elite members enjoy the freedom to book any flight, any time, with no blackout dates.
• You can purchase additional points or use a mix of points and cash if you don't have enough for your desired flight.