The Vinture Toolkit
Everything I personally use to earn points, book luxury travel, and explore the world for less. No fluff – only tools I actually rely on.
Credit Cards (Start Here)
This is the most important section on this page. The right credit cards in your wallet are generating free business class flights and luxury hotel nights from your everyday spending, right now. Here are the two cards that power 90% of my redemptions.
American Express Cobalt Card
My single most important card. Earns 5x Amex Membership Rewards points on food and groceries, which transfer 1:1 to Aeroplan (and essentially all other major airline alliance points), unlocking Air Canada Business Class and dozens of Star Alliance partners. If you only get one card, this is it. Monthly fee: $12.99.
RBC Avion Visa Infinite
My second core card. RBC Avion points transfer to British Airways Avios, which opens up Cathay Pacific First Class, American Airlines, and the entire OneWorld alliance. Also essential because Visa is accepted everywhere Amex isn’t. Annual fee: $120.
Want my full breakdown of both cards, how I use them together, and what they’ve unlocked for me? Read the complete credit card guide →
Points Tools
These are the tools I use to find award availability, compare redemption values, and make sure I’m getting the most out of every point.
- Aeroplan.com: Search award availability directly. Use the flexible dates calendar to find the best availability windows.
- Point.me: The best tool for finding which loyalty programs have availability for a specific route. Saves hours of manual searching.
- AwardHacker: Enter your origin, destination, and cabin class — it shows you which programs can book it and how many points you’ll need.
- Prince of Travel Points Valuations: A useful reference for the approximate value of each Canadian points currency.
Booking Accommodation
For points-bookable hotels, I always check World of Hyatt and Marriott Bonvoy first; both have excellent properties and strong transfer partners from Canadian credit cards. For non-points bookings, Booking.com is my go-to for the best rates and flexible cancellation.
- World of Hyatt — The best hotel loyalty program for luxury redemptions. Park Hyatt, Andaz, and Alila properties are available at incredible point rates.
- Marriott Bonvoy — The largest hotel network. Amex MR points transfer to Marriott at 1:1.2, making this a strong option for bucket-list properties.
- Booking.com — My preferred platform for cash bookings. Best price guarantee and free cancellation on most properties.
- Trip.com — Best for accommodation across Asia where Booking.com has less inventory.
Tours and Activities
- Viator: My first stop for guided tours and experiences. Huge selection, verified reviews, and easy cancellation.
- GetYourGuide: Strong alternative to Viator, especially for European experiences. Often has exclusive skip-the-line options.
Digital Products
I’m building out a suite of Canadian points and luxury travel guides, destination-specific redemption breakdowns, card comparison tools, and more. Coming soon.
In the meantime, email me at vinturewithme@gmail.com and I’ll send you the free Canadian Luxury Points Starter Kit, the one-page cheat sheet covering the best cards, top Aeroplan redemptions, and first steps to booking luxury on points.
VINTURE WITH ME 