MBNA Travel Rewards Platinum MasterCard

The MBNA Travel Rewards Platinum MasterCard is a bit of a dark horse when it comes to travel rewards credit in Canada. Not many people have it and almost nobody talks about it! That is really a shame because this card has many benefits that make it as good or better than most airline reward miles credit cards like Aeroplan credit cards, and it has a whole lot more booking flexibility as well.

You get the same reward return on spending when redeeming for economy class flights of up to 4%, without having to worry about limited reward seat availability, blackouts, only being able to book with one carrier, booking 6 months to a year in advance, booking fees, points expiration, and paying taxes and fees out of your pocket! All these benefits, make this credit card one of the best and easiest to use travel rewards credit cards in Canada with an annual fee that is actually less than the competition and a yearly 2,500 point renewal bonus to boot!

There is also another version of this card that is even better called the MBNA Travel Rewards Elite Platinum MasterCard. This elite version of the card is only available to former MBNA Starwood Preferred Guest cardholders and it has all the same features with no annual fee, for life! It also gives you the option to redeem for other types of travel than flights at a fixed reward return rate of 2%. Not something most people would take advantage of, but nice to have nonetheless.

So if you want a fantastic travel rewards credit card with a simple and easy to use rewards system, you should definitely apply for this card right now! You can also visit the Travel Rewards Site for more information and to redeem your points.

Positives:

• 5,000 point sign up bonus.
• 2,500 point annual renewal bonus, which is a very rare perk indeed!
• No limit on spending or the amount of points that can be earned yearly.
• Points can be redeemed on practically any airline with no restrictions or blackout dates.
• The redemption chart is almost identical to most major airline rewards programs.
• Lower annual fee than the typical $120 fee charged by most airline mile rewards credit cards.
• Points can even be used to pay taxes and fees at a reward return value of 3%!
• Travel rewards other than flights can be redeemed for at a reward return value of 2% (Elite only).
• You can even earn miles in the airline rewards program of the airline you end up flying with for your reward flight!
• No fees for booking your reward, even when calling in to the call center.
• Very good platinum insurance package.
• Free supplementary cards.

Negatives:

• You can only fly out of major Canadian airports, so departing from a rural airport or international city is out:
  • Calgary | Charlottetown | Edmonton| Halifax | Moncton | Montreal | Ottawa | Quebec City | Regina | Saint John | Saskatoon | St. John's | Toronto | Vancouver | Victoria | Whitehorse | Winnipeg  | Yellowknife
  • You do have the option to use rural airports by calling in and redeeming points at non-standard redemption rates.
• No native business or first class redemption options, although upgrades can be purchased by contacting the Travel Rewards Centre.
  • These upgrades are likely purchasable by cash or at the 2% reward rate for non-flight travel.
• The no annual fee Elite version of the card is only available to former MBNA Starwood Preferred Guest MasterCard cardholders.

Insurance Package:

• Extended Warranty - up to 1 year.
• Purchase Protection – 90 days.
• Travel Accident - $1,000,000.
• Trip Interruption - $2,000.
• Car Rental Theft & Damage (CDW & LDW).
• Car Rental Accident - $200,000.
• Car Rental Personal Effects - $1,000.

Minor Perks:

• Call centre assistance for almost any unexpected problem while traveling:
  • Emergency cash (costs paid by you, not them).
  • Lost document and ticket replacement (costs paid by you).
  • Lost baggage assistance (costs paid by you).
  • Pre-trip planning information (entry requirements, vaccinations, etc).
  • Find legal advisor or post bail (costs paid by you).

 Travel Rewards Site | Travel Rewards FAQ | MBNA Card Benefits Table | Apply Now!