Porter Airlines, BMO and Mastercard join forces to elevate travel rewards with BMO VIPorter Mastercard credit cards

Instant elite status: A game-changer for Canadian travellers

The standout feature of this new program is the instant elite status granted to cardholders. The BMO VIPorter Mastercard provides cardholders with automatic VIPorter Avid Traveller status, offering up to 6x points per $1 spent on Porter flights, priority check-in and boarding, and priority seat selection, while the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard provides VIPorter Avid Traveller Venture status, offering up to 7x points on Porter flights, complimentary bags, priority boarding and PorterClassic seat selection.

Edmond Eldebs, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Porter Airlines, emphasizes this unique positioning: "While other programs let you reach frequent flyer membership levels based on how much is spent on their cards, the BMO VIPorter Mastercard lineup grants it automatically," said Edmond Eldebs, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Porter Airlines, emphasizing the unique selling point of the new card lineup.

This means cardholders can enjoy premium travel perks without the usual spending or flying requirements - a true revolution in the Canadian credit card market.

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About the BMO VIPorter Mastercard credit cards

The new VIPorter credit cards seeks to elevate the travel experience of Canadians through a robust selection of reward points, welcome bonuses and travel perks:

BMO VIPorter Mastercard

Annual fee: $89 (waived for the first year)

Welcome bonus: Earn 40,000 points and a 35% base fare discount Porter flight voucher, plus enjoy your first year annual fee waived

Earn rates:

• 2 points per $1 spent on Porter flights
• 1 point per $1 spent on transportation, gas, groceries, dining, and hotel accommodations
• 0.5 points per $1 spent on all other purchases

VIPorter benefits: Automatic VIPorter Passport Avid Traveller membership

Annual voucher: 35% off base fare on Porter flights for up to four people (with $25,000 annual spend)

BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard

Annual fee: $199 (waived for the first year)

Welcome bonus: Earn 70,000 points, a companion pass for 100% off a Porter base fare and $1,000 in Qualifying Spend, plus enjoy your first year annual fee waived

Earn rates:

• 3 points per $1 spent on Porter flights
• 2 point per $1 spent on transportation, gas, groceries, dining, and hotel accommodations
• 1 points per $1 spent on all other purchases

VIPorter benefits: Automatic VIPorter Passport Avid Traveller Venture membership

Avid Traveller Qualifying Spend: Earn $1 of Avid Traveller Qualifying Spend for every $25 in eligible credit card spend

Annual voucher: 100% off base fare on Porter flights for up to four people (with $50,000 annual spend)

Jennifer Douglas, Head of North American Retail & Small Business Payments at BMO, highlights the program's alignment with customers' financial goals: "The BMO VIPorter Mastercard program empowers Canadians through a lineup of new credit cards that provides compelling value and rewards for everyday purchases helping them make real financial progress."

What do the new VIPorter credit cards mean for Canadian travellers?

The BMO VIPorter Mastercard suite isn't just another travel rewards card – it's a passport to quicker point accumulation and more flexible redemption options. Cardholders can earn VIPorter points on everyday purchases, accelerating their ability to redeem for flights across Porter's expanding North American network.

The Canadian airline credit card market is fairly robust, with co-branded options from major carriers like Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Air France/KLM, Cathay Pacific and WestJet. The new BMO VIPorter Mastercard, however, aims to serve the low cost carrier customer, something lacking from other issuers.

Porter offers a premium economy product that's competitively priced, attracting both economy travelers looking to upgrade and business-class passengers seeking better value. With Porter, every passenger enjoys an elevated experience, regardless of fare class.

“Porter elevates economy travel for all of our passengers and VIPorter enables loyal customers to enjoy complimentary benefits that enhance their journey even more,” said Edmond Eldebs, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Porter Airlines. “While other programs let you reach frequent flyer membership levels based on how much is spent on their cards, the BMO VIPorter Mastercard lineup grants it automatically. By partnering with BMO and Mastercard to enable cardholders to access Avid Traveller benefits immediately and earn VIPorter points even faster, our members can redeem for even more flights on Porter and our partner airlines. Porter is growing faster than any Canadian airline and opportunities to use points for meaningful travel experiences are growing along with us.”

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VIPorter program features

As mentioned, the new BMO and Porter Airlines credit cards allow cardholders to quickly climb the tiers in the VIPorter frequent flyer program.

The VIPorter program boasts several standout features:

• Full value on flight spending: Members receive 100% of their eligible points for every flight purchased, including Basic economy fares.
• No blackout dates: Points can be redeemed for any seat across Porter's network.
• Accelerated earning for Avid Travellers: Frequent flyers can enjoy additional travel benefits.
• Flexible redemption: Options include points-only and cash-plus-points bookings.
• Head Start feature: Carry over up to $3,000 in qualifying spend to jumpstart next year's benefits.

PorterReserve certificates offer additional value

The carrier’s PorterReserve certificates are another perk that will likely turn heads. BMO VIPorter Mastercard cardholders earn a PorterReserve flight certificate after $3,000 in annual spending. They’ll earn an additional PorterReserve certificate for every additional $2,000 in qualifying spend during that same calendar year.

PorterReserve certificates can help you upgrade your entire travel, saving you significant money:

• Seat upgrades: Upgrade from a PorterClassic Standard to a PorterReserve seat. This upgrade has a value of about $12
• Checked bags: Porter charges $25 per bag (online) or $35 (at the airport) meaning a checked bags upgrade (for 2 bags) could save you up to $70
• In-flight snacks/drinks: The value of a meal or enhanced snack plus premium liquor could easily be worth $20 to $30
• Priority boarding/check-in: This is a more intangible benefit, but it could easily save you serious money.

Adding these up, we can estimate that each PorterReserve flight certificate could provide a value of approximately $105 to $130 or more per flight, depending on the route and specific circumstances. That works out to about 3.5% cash back based on the $3,000 spend needed.

About Porter Airlines

Porter Airlines is a Canadian airline that has been making waves in the aviation industry since its inception in 2006. Founded by Robert Deluce, now the executive chairman, Porter was created with the vision of serving major cities in Canada using turboprop aircraft, focusing on business travelers who value convenience and comfort.

Porter Airlines started operations from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, offering a unique advantage of flying passengers directly into the heart of Toronto. This strategic location has been a cornerstone of Porter's appeal, especially for business travelers. The carrier also features hubs out of Toronto Pearson International Airport and Ottawa International Airport, with additional focus cities in Halifax and Montreal. The airline currently serves 32 destinations across Canada and the United States, showcasing its growing presence in the North American market.