In Episode 14 of Miles Ahead: The Canadian Points Podcast, Daniel, Jeff, Josh, Quentin, Kirin, and Reed from FrugalFlyer.ca open their wallets (and sock drawers) to share the credit cards they use regularly and learn about the value they receive from these cards.
The team shares details on what cards they carry in their wallets for daily use with a focus on maximizing rewards and benefits. They also provide insight into the cards they keep in their sock drawer purely for benefits like free hotel nights and airport lounge access.
The episode concludes with a reader question where the team offers advice on optimizing travel comfort from Montreal to Tokyo using the power of miles and points.
(01:13) Guess That Card!
Daniel shares hints about a certain credit card, while the rest of the team attempts to guess the card that he is thinking of.
- Read More: How to Get Secret Marriott Bonvoy Cards (US)
(06:32) Main Event: What’s In Our Wallets?
The frugal flyer team opens their wallets to share what cards they keep on hand daily, plus what cards they keep but don’t carry around daily.
(07:32) What’s in Jeff’s Wallet?
Jeff’s picks for the credit cards he keeps in his wallet include:
- American Express Cobalt card – One of the best cards available in Canada with a 5x earning rate on groceries and dining plus 3x on streaming services
- American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card (US) – Offers a $25 USD per month dining credit, 25 elite qualifying nights to work towards Marriott Bonvoy elite status, complimentary Platinum Elite status (which includes free breakfast at Marriott hotels), and an annual Marriott Bonvoy free night certificate worth 85,000 points
- Brim Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard – Adds the diversity of having a Mastercard in the wallet while earning Flying Blue Miles, a currency hard to come across in Canada
- RBC Avion Visa Infinite card – Adds the diversity of having a Visa card in the wallet while earning RBC Avion Rewards points, great for transferring to British Airways Avios
(11:19) What’s in Josh’s Wallet?
Josh’s picks for the credit cards he keeps in his wallet include:
- Any new card that has a welcome bonus that he is working on
- American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card (US) – Same reasons as Jeff mentioned
- Scotiabank Gold American Express card – Has a high earn rate on groceries (6x on purchases at grocery stores under the Empire banner and 5x at other grocery stores), offers no foreign exchange fees, and earns Scene+ points which are super easy to redeem
- Doesn’t code for bonus spending categories on foreign purchases, but the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card does as a good alternative
(13:27) What’s in Reed’s Wallet?
Reed’s picks for the credit cards he keeps in his wallet include:
- Scotiabank Gold American Express card & American Express Cobalt card – Same reasons as mentioned above
- Tangerine World Mastercard – Good card, but it is a result of a long-time banking history with Tangerine
- Any new card that has a welcome bonus that he is working on
(14:29) What’s in Quentin’s Wallet?
Quentin’s picks for the credit cards he keeps in his wallet include:
- Scotiabank Gold American Express card & American Express Cobalt card – Same reasons as mentioned above
- Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card – Great introductory travel credit card as it includes 6 airport lounge passes and no foreign transaction fees
- BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard – A new and powerful card for frequent Porter Airlines passengers as it offers complimentary Porter Airlines status which includes free seat selection, checked bag, and carry-on bag
(16:57) What’s in Kirin’s Wallet?
Kirin’s picks for the credit cards he keeps in his wallet include:
- American Express Platinum card – Includes free access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, a $200 restaurant credit, and a $200 travel credit all wrapped in a gorgeous metal package
- Brim Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard – For uncategorized spend to earn Flying Blue Miles as they are hard to get
- Chase Aeroplan Mastercard – US credit card that offers 3x on dining and groceries (including in Canada), plus you can cash out Aeroplan points at 1.25 cents per point USD for up to 200,000 points per year
(20:31) What’s in Daniel’s Wallet?
Daniel’s picks for the credit cards he keeps in his wallet include:
- American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card (US) – Same reasons as Jeff mentioned
- American Express Gold card (US) – Earns 4x on groceries and dining out, plus it earns 3x on airfare
- Premium Aeroplan card – Earns 1.25x Aeroplan points per dollar spent plus comes with a wealth of benefits for Air Canada flights
- Chase Sapphire Preferred card – US credit card that offers 3x on dining spend
- Any new card that has a welcome bonus that he is working on
(23:22) Keeper Cards That We Don’t Carry In Our Wallets
The Frugal Flyer team has a number of cards that they keep year after year for the value they offer, even though they mostly are kept in their sock drawers:
- Co-branded Hotel Credit Cards – Useful for status and free night certificates
- Co-branded Aeroplan Credit Cards – Useful for insurance on flights booked with Aeroplan points
- Canadian Tire Triangle World Elite Mastercard – Offers an annual $40 coupon towards an oil change at Canadian Tire, complimentary Canadian Tire Roadside Assistance, and the ability to bill pay unlikely recipients (including tuition and property taxes)
- National Bank World Elite Mastercard – Offers travel insurance as long as you charge any portion of the booking to the credit card, even on award bookings
- Chase Sapphire Preferred card – US credit card great for retaining the ability to transfer to Chase Ultimate Rewards travel partners
- Capital One Venture X Rewards card – US credit card that offers airport lounge access via the Priority Pass program for the cardholder and authorized users, plus access to Capital One airport lounges
- Rogers Red Mastercard – Great for Rogers, Shaw, or Fido customers as they will earn 2% cash back on all purchases, plus an elevated redemption rate when redeeming your cash back against your Rogers, Shaw, or Fido bills
- American Express Platinum card (US) – US credit card that awards 5x on flight bookings made directly with the airline
(37:32) Question of the Month: Japan on a Budget While Still Flying in Comfort
Yves asks how he can best get to Japan from Montreal on a reasonable budget while still being able to fly anything better than economy class.
(42:36) Conclusion
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Join us for the next episode, where the Frugal Flyer team will do a deep dive into everything you need to know about Air Canada Aeroplan award changes.
Hi Reed,
Just wondering for the Hilton Surpass and Hilton Aspire card for the quarterly Hilton credits you get can you do the hotel trick to cash out on the Hilton credits?
Yes you can but you’ll need to find a property that charges a deposit and is refundable. You could also try to buy Hilton gift cards or spend the credit at a restaurant on Hilton property.
Thats great. Can I request someone from the Frugal flyer team write an article on this topic?
Thanks again for the great content. I’ve already booked an upcoming trip (flight and hotel) using points!!!