Ep 039 – Becoming a VIP with VIPorter
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.
(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.
(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.
(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.
(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.
(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.
(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 would like us to answer on Miles Ahead, submit them here.
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a like or a review on your favorite podcast platform.
