In episode 39 of Miles Ahead: The Canadian Points Podcast, Daniel, Jeff, and Josh from FrugalFlyer.ca break down Porter Airlines’ VIPorter loyalty program, covering how to earn VIPorter points, elite status tiers, and VIPorter points redemption value.
They review the BMO VIPorter World Elite MasterCard (with a current welcome bonus of up to 70,000 VIPorter points and first year annual fee free) and how it grants VIPorter Venture status with benefits like free seat selection and checked bags for the cardholder, plus up to eight guests, even on basic fares.
Finally, they discuss the Porter Airlines onboard experience and their approach to redeeming VIPorter points, particularly when working within Porter’s flexible award chart pricing. The episode wraps up with the team sharing their experiences with Porter Airlines and how they plan to engage with VIPorter going forward.
(01:41) The Basics of Earning VIPorter Points
VIPorter members will earn points on almost all purchases with Porter Airlines (except for fuel surcharges). They can also earn VIPorter points through several codeshare partners, even though Porter is not yet part of any major airline alliance.
- Read More: The Complete Guide to VIPorter
(05:27) Earning with the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard
The BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard is the most powerful tool when it comes to earning VIPorter points outside of flying, offering an excellent welcome bonus, first year free annual fee, and more.
- Learn More: BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard review
- Earn Additional Cash Back: BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard FlyerFunds Rebate
- Win a $500 Porter Airlines Gift Card from Frugal Flyer
(07:16) Bonus Spending Caps on the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard
Similar to other BMO credit cards, the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard does have earning limit caps on several of its spending multipliers, which could limit cardholders’ earning potential.
- Read More: Credit Card Spending Caps Guide
(10:02) VIPorter Status Tiers Explained
Both of the BMO VIPorter Mastercards offer instant VIPorter status, which comes with significant benefits. Particularly, VIPorter Venture Status from the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard will offer cardholders significant savings even if they only fly Porter Airlines a few times each year.
- Read More: Porter Airlines VIPorter Status Guide
- Receive Instant VIPorter Passport Status: BMO VIPorter Mastercard
- Receive Instant VIPorter Venture Status: BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard
(14:11) PorterReserve Certificates
PorterReserve certificates can be used to instantly upgrade your existing booking to PorterReserve class, which comes with priority boarding, more legroom, a complimentary meal on certain routes, and more premium alcohol choices.
- What To Expect: Porter Airlines PorterReserve Review
(17:05) Porter Airlines Onboard Experience
Porter Airlines economy class offers great value with its 2×2 seating, free in-flight WiFi, and free beer and wine. If you have VIPorter status, you might even end up with a complimentary upgrade to PorterReserve class.
- What To Expect: Porter Airlines Economy Review
(18:49) Redeeming VIPorter Points
Porter Airlines has a flexible award chart, meaning that not all redemptions are good when compared to the cash fare. It also means that you can find outsized value in hidden places, but not consistently.
(22:55) How We Use VIPorter In Our Travels
The hosts all participate in the VIPorter program in different ways, with an increasing interest from the Frugal Flyer team. Hopefully, we will get Jeff on his first Porter Airlines flight soon!
(29:12) Conclusion
If you have any episode-specific questions, leave a comment below. If you have any questions you want answered by the Frugal Flyer Team in a future episode, submit a question to the Miles Ahead podcast.
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I fly on Porter intermittently, but my daughter flies Porter between YTZ/YYZ and YHZ several times a year as she attends school there. Any idea if the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard benefits can be extended with an additional card? As a student she likely won’t qualify for the card on her own (or reach the minimum spend), but she’s the one that would benefit from its perks when booking solo flights. I couldn’t find this information on the BMO website or on your (excellent) website.
Hi Scott – yes I know it is possible to add an additional cardmember for $75 and they get the same benefits as the primary cardholder. However while the primary annual fee is waived in the first year, the additional cardmember fee is not waived.