It’s no secret that many loyalty programs, while offering an excellent level of value to members, can be difficult and even convoluted to understand and to actually use your points. We see this often with frequent flyer programs, and while flight award search tools are essential to bridging some of that knowledge, it still can be very difficult to make a good redemption and get the most value from your points.
But there are programs that go in the opposite direction, and actually aren’t confusing to redeem points for travel purchases, like Scene+. Imagine being able to redeem your points for the exact travel redemption you want, without any confusing redemption processes or needing to find availability. That is exactly what Scene+ offers, and why it is a travel loyalty program more Canadians need to pay attention to.
Let’s get into why Scene+ is the standout loyalty program when it comes to general travel redemptions, and why you shouldn’t be sleeping on this program.
Why Are Scene+ Points So Great For General Travel Redemptions?
I’ll cut to the chase: Scene+ points are a fantastic tool for general travel redemptions because of accessibility and simplicity.
Scene+ points are easy to redeem for travel purchases, no matter whether you redeem for ‘Book Any Way’ travel or via the Scene+ Expedia Travel portal (more on those options later).
No matter how you choose to redeem them for travel, there are no bad redemptions, as you will always receive the maximum value of 100 Scene+ points = $1 CAD. This is significant, because with other loyalty programs, there are absolutely bad redemption options that can be made by those members who are not as in the know when it comes to maximizing points.
Pair this simplicity with the accessibility that the Scene+ offers. I would guess that the majority of Canadians know of or have heard of the Scene+ loyalty program already, most likely through Scene+’s existing partnerships with many grocery stores, Cineplex, and other retailers (including an upcoming partnership with Shell). It’s a very easy program to get started with and is easily understandable by the broader Canadian population, not only in earning, but also in redeeming.
That being said, I would bet that a large majority of Canadians redeem their points towards retail purchases such as groceries and movies. I don’t think this is such a bad thing, because there is still excellent value when it comes to redeeming them for these purchases. But for many who follow Frugal Flyer, travel is the lifeblood and what we really care about, and Scene+ hits the mark for redeeming points against any purchase that codes as travel.
You know what you will get from your points, and for many, that is a reward in itself. I love simplicity and not needing to maximize every loyalty program out there, so Scene+ is a massive winner for travel redemptions in my book.
The Two Ways to Redeem Scene+ Points For Travel
Book Any Way Travel
Redeeming Scene+ points for ‘Book Any Way Travel’ is super simple because, as long as your purchase codes as the travel merchant category code, you can redeem against it. I’ve redeemed against hotels, tours, and other travel purchases with no issues. This is my favorite way to redeem Scene+ for travel, as it offers ultimate flexibility when it comes to paying for travel purchases that you might otherwise not be able to use points on.
If you are making a more expensive travel purchase, you can make partial redemptions with Scene+ points towards travel. For example, if you have a charge for $800 but only have 40,000 Scene+ points (worth $400), you can redeem the entire points balance against the charge even though you don’t have enough to cover the cost entirely.
Redeeming Scene+ points via this method is very straightforward, as you can log into your Scene+ account and see all eligible charges on each of your Scene+ credit cards when you go into the ‘Book Any Way Travel’ section.
Simply choose the eligible travel transaction you want to redeem points against. Once Scene+ points are redeemed, you’ll receive an email confirming your redemption, and the redemption will be posted as a statement credit to the card in 2 or 3 days.
It doesn’t get much easier than that.
Scene+ Travel Powered by Expedia
Scene+ points can also be redeemed towards travel purchases via the Scene+ Travel portal powered by Expedia. If you have ever used Expedia or any other online travel agency, the process of booking travel and redeeming points is pretty straightforward.
If you are interested in all of the details, Kirin wrote an excellent guide on everything you need to know about Scene+ Travel, including how to earn and redeem Scene+ points via this portal.
I prefer the ‘Book Any Way Travel’ redemption method as it gives me the ability to book directly with the service provider, whether it is for a tour, hotel, or flight, so that I have more control over my booking should any issues arise. But I know that many travellers do prefer online travel agencies, especially for vacation packages, so a redemption option like this can fit the bill.
Scene+ Points: Travel vs. Grocery Redemption Opportunity Cost
While I believe that travel is the best redemption option within the Scene+ program, I recognize I am biased, so it is important to consider other redemptions that are also available. Ultimately, we still want to ensure we are receiving that maximum value from our hard-earned points and minimizing the impact of any opportunity costs.
There is a small opportunity cost when redeeming Scene+ points towards groceries at Empire banner grocery stores such as Safeway and Sobeys. It’s no secret that these participating grocery stores offer the greatest visibility to the Scene+ loyalty program for the average consumer, and thus, many of these consumers are more than likely to associate Scene+ with redeeming points for groceries.
When you redeem Scene+ points for groceries, it means you aren’t earning a bonus multiplier on those purchases, such as 6x Scene+ points on the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card. While a small optimization, it would be more beneficial to instead take the elevated earning rate on your grocery purchases and then redeem your Scene+ points towards travel.
On the plus side, redeeming your Scene+ points towards groceries doesn’t get you any less value, as you’ll still receive $1 per 100 Scene+ points redeemed. If anything, it is just slightly less optimal because you could be earning on those highly multiplied (with the right credit card) grocery purchases.
Best Ways to Earn Scene+ Points
Scene+ has many partnerships, including many grocery store brands across Canada, Cineplex, several restaurants, and more. These partnerships can be an okay way to earn points, as they don’t require much extra effort, especially if you are already making purchases at these partners or retailers.
For example, with the upcoming Shell and Scene+ partnership, members will be able to earn Scene+ points on their gasoline and Shell retail purchases, so there is no reason not to participate if you already fill up at Shell stations. Earning with partners is a low effort way to build your balance for purchases you were already going to make.
The reality is, while you can absolutely accrue Scene+ points via partner and retail purchases, Scene+ points are best earned from credit cards, as the scalability is unmatched as a result of outsized welcome bonuses and very good earning multipliers on popular everyday spending categories.
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card offers a welcome bonus of up to 60,000 Scene+ points and earns earns 3x bonus points at Empire banner grocery stores (including Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà by IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op) plus 2x Scene+ points at all other grocery stores and on dining, entertainment, and daily transit purchases.
While they won’t help you earn any additional Scene+ points, this card stands out as the best travel credit card, as it also offers six free airport lounge passes and does not charge any foreign transaction fees on purchases made in currencies other than Canadian dollars.
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card offers benefits such as no foreign transaction fees and six annual complimentary airport lounge access passes.
Check out our Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card review for more details.
Earn when you apply through Frugal Flyer.
60,000 Scene+ points
$40,000
$750+
$150
No
Jul 1, 2026
The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card offers a welcome bonus of up to 45,000 Scene+ points and earns 6x bonus points at Empire banner grocery stores (including those mentioned above), in addition to 5x points at other eligible grocery stores, restaurants, fast food, drinking establishments, food delivery services, food box subscriptions, and eligible entertainment purchases (including movies, theatre, and ticket agencies).
Essentially, this card is an earning powerhouse in many of the top spending categories in Canada.
The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card earns up to 6x Scene+ points at Empire grocery stores and charges no foreign exchange fees on purchases made in foreign currencies.
Check out our Scotiabank Gold American Express card review for more details.
Earn when you apply through Frugal Flyer.
45,000 Scene+ points
$7,500
$600+
$120
No
Jul 1, 2026
While the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card and the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card are the best of the bunch for the average Canadian, there are several more personal credit cards issued by Scotiabank that also earn Scene+ points:
| Credit Card | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
100,000 Scene+ points and $200 FlyerFunds Estimated value: $1,200 Ends Apr 30, 2026 |
|
 |
80,000 Scene+ points and $200 FlyerFunds Estimated value: $1,000 Ends Jul 1, 2026 |
|
 |
10,000 Scene+ points and $60 FlyerFunds Estimated value: $160 Ends Jul 1, 2026 |
|
 |
5,000 Scene+ points and $60 FlyerFunds Estimated value: $110 Ends Apr 30, 2026 |
|
No matter your income level or comfort level with annual fees, there is absolutely a Scene+ credit card out there that can get you on your way to making your next travel redemption with Scene+ points.
Conclusion
If you are sleeping on the Scene+ loyalty program for saving money on travel, you are missing out. With countless ways to earn points and two excellent avenues for redeeming your Scene+ points for travel, Scene+ is a cornerstone of the miles and points space in Canada and is one of the most important programs to utilize when it comes to traveling more and paying less.
Josh Bandura
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