Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
FREQUENT FLYER GLOSSARY
What is a travel portal redemption?
Travel portal redemption is the use of a loyalty currency — most often a bank credit card rewards programme, sometimes an airline's own points — to buy flights, hotels or car rentals through the programme's own travel channel, with the price quoted in points rather than in cash. The provider sets that points price and deducts the points when the booking is made, so what a traveller gets for a balance depends on the provider's pricing rather than on an airline's award chart. In Canada, BMO Rewards lets cardholders apply points directly to eligible travel purchases such as flights, hotels and car rentals,[3] and RBC lists travel among the ways Avion points can be redeemed.[5]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- A portal redemption spends points with the programme that issued them, at a points price the programme sets; a transfer instead converts the balance into an airline currency and is then governed by that airline's award rules.
- BMO Rewards points can be applied through Pay with Points to eligible purchases, including eligible travel purchases such as flights, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages and cruises.[3]
- RBC lists travel alongside gift cards, merchandise, credit card balance payments and retirement savings as Avion redemption options, and says the value of a point depends on the eligible RBC product held and the redemption chosen.[5]
- Points held in a bank programme still follow that programme's rules: RBC says Avion points do not expire while an Avion Rewards eligible account remains open and in good standing, but unredeemed points are forfeited 12 months after the account is closed.[5]
How does a travel portal redemption work?
In plain terms, a portal redemption is a booking made inside a loyalty programme's own travel channel, where the programme quotes a price in points for travel it can sell and takes those points from the member's balance at the time of booking. Because the programme is selling travel rather than releasing award seats, the limit is what its channel can offer and at what points price, not the award inventory an airline opens to its own members. The points stay inside the programme that issued them throughout.
Canadian bank programmes use more than one mechanism. BMO describes Pay with Points as letting a cardholder apply points directly to eligible purchases, so the points offset a purchase rather than being converted into a separate currency.[3] BMO lists eligible travel purchases as flights, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages and cruises, and lists merchandise, gift cards and a contribution to a BMO savings or investment account among the other uses of BMO Rewards points.[3]
At RBC, the RBC ION Visa and RBC ION+ Visa credit cards are powered by the Avion Rewards programme, which RBC describes as giving cardholders the flexibility to redeem points on their terms — from gift cards and merchandise from brands to paying down a credit card balance and saving for retirement.[5] RBC's travel line-up includes the RBC Avion Visa Infinite, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege and the RBC Avion Visa Platinum.[5]
Within the travel category, the difference between products matters. RBC presents the Avion Visa Platinum as earning travel points "you can use on any flight, anytime", while the Avion Visa Infinite is presented around premium rewards and coverage and the Avion Visa Infinite Privilege around elite perks and lounge access.[5]
How much are points worth in a travel portal?
Because the provider prices the travel, the worth of a point is not a single published rate that applies to every booking; it moves with the itinerary and with the redemption chosen. RBC states this directly: the value of an Avion point depends on the eligible RBC product the member holds and on what the member wants to redeem for.[5]
That product-dependent pricing is why two cardholders in the same programme can get different amounts of travel from the same balance. It also means a portal price and an airline award price are set by different parties — one by the bank programme, the other by the airline whose seats are being booked — so the two are not directly interchangeable comparisons.
Is a portal redemption the same as transferring to an airline programme?
No. A transfer moves the balance out of the bank currency and into an airline's programme, after which the airline's award rules, fees and seat availability govern the booking; the bank no longer sets the price. A portal redemption keeps the points with the issuing programme and spends them at that programme's price for travel it sells.
The practical consequence is breadth versus control. RBC's redemption menu covers travel, gift cards, merchandise, credit card balance payments and retirement savings,[5] whereas a balance moved into an airline programme can only be spent on that programme's awards. On the other side, a portal booking depends on what the provider's channel can sell at the price offered, so a member who needs a specific date or routing may find the award route more suitable even where a portal price looks lower.
For a cardholder deciding between the two, the question is which party sets the price: with a portal, the bank does; with a transfer, the airline does.
Limits and exceptions
- Eligibility of the purchase. BMO's Pay with Points applies to eligible purchases, and BMO refers to eligible travel purchases specifically, so not every transaction on the card qualifies for redemption.[3]
- Account standing. At RBC, Avion points do not expire as long as the Avion Rewards eligible account remains open and in good standing, but any unredeemed points are forfeited twelve months after the member voluntarily closes the account or RBC closes it for any reason other than for cause.[5]
- Product-dependent value. The value of an Avion point depends on the eligible RBC product held and the redemption chosen, so a quote for one card does not carry over to another.[5]
- Programme scope. The rules described here belong to BMO Rewards and Avion Rewards respectively; each programme's own terms govern its redemptions, and a rule that applies to one does not apply automatically to the other.
Frequently asked questions
Do Avion points expire if I do not redeem them?
RBC says Avion points do not expire while the Avion Rewards eligible account remains open and in good standing. Unredeemed points are forfeited twelve months after the member voluntarily closes the account, or after RBC closes it for any reason other than for cause.[5]
What can I redeem BMO Rewards points for?
BMO lists travel purchases, merchandise and gift cards, and a contribution to a BMO savings or investment account. Through Pay with Points, points can be applied directly to eligible travel purchases such as flights, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages and cruises.[3]
Why is a point worth different amounts on different bookings?
At RBC, the value of Avion points depends on the eligible RBC product held and on what the member redeems for, so the same balance can produce different outcomes depending on the card and the redemption chosen.[5]
Can portal points be used on any flight?
RBC markets the Avion Visa Platinum as earning travel points "you can use on any flight, anytime", while the Avion Visa Infinite and Avion Visa Infinite Privilege are presented around premium rewards, coverage, elite perks and lounge access.[5] Availability in any programme's travel channel still depends on what that channel sells.
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Other Canadian bank programmes, including CIBC Aventura, Scene+ and TD Rewards, are not covered here; their travel redemptions are described on their own pages.
- BMO Rewards credit cards and Pay with Points, checked 18 October 2026
- RBC rewards credit cards and Avion Rewards, checked 18 October 2026