There are trips, and then there are trips that make you question why you ever agreed to spend another weekend sitting on your couch scrolling through your seven streaming services. Picture this: snow-dusted mountain peaks, a luxurious lakeside hotel, spa treatments, incredible dining, and the kind of scenery that makes your camera roll look like a professional travel campaign. Now imagine that the entire experience is tied to a loyalty program designed to make your everyday spending work a little harder.
Welcome to the world of BMO Blue Rewards. To celebrate the evolution of its loyalty program and its growing travel partnerships, BMO Blue Rewards organized a three-day escape to Alberta’s breathtaking Lake Louise. The itinerary combined outdoor adventure, indulgent dining, luxurious accommodations, and a healthy dose of relaxation. And while the Canadian Rockies certainly know how to steal the spotlight, the trip highlighted something equally interesting: how a loyalty program can connect the everyday purchases we make with the experiences we’d actually want to have. Because collecting points is nice. Turning them into travel opportunities? Now we’re talking.
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A new era of rewards, minus the complicated stuff
Before getting into the mountain adventures, let’s talk about the program making all this possible. Earlier this year, BMO announced the transformation of the iconic AIR MILES program into Blue Rewards, introducing a refreshed loyalty experience designed to make earning and redeeming points simpler and more flexible. The transition brought existing AIR MILES collectors into the new program, automatically converting their Miles into Blue Points at equivalent value. No complicated paperwork, no unnecessary hoops to jump through, and thankfully, no need to become a mathematician to understand your rewards.
The program also introduced an expanded network of partners, a streamlined digital experience, and a travel booking platform powered by Expedia Group. More recently, BMO expanded earning opportunities for eligible banking clients. Those with most BMO chequing accounts can earn one Blue Point for every $2 spent on qualifying grocery, wholesale, gas, and EV charging purchases, subject to a monthly earning cap. Activated partner offers can also unlock double points at participating businesses, including Instacart, Dollarama, and select MTY Group restaurants.
In other words, that grocery run or quick lunch could contribute to something more exciting down the road. And speaking of roads, ours led straight into the Rockies.
First-class scenery, mountain air and a little luxury
The adventure kicked off with a morning Porter Airlines flight from Toronto Pearson to Calgary. After landing in Alberta, a private transfer took the group toward one of Canada’s most recognizable destinations: Lake Louise. The destination for our two-night escape was the iconic Fairmont Château Lake Louise, a luxury property overlooking the famous glacier-fed lake and surrounded by the dramatic peaks of Banff National Park.
Let’s just say this isn’t your average hotel check-in. With its remarkable setting and mountain scenery, the château offers the sort of backdrop that makes even a casual stroll feel cinematic. It’s the kind of place where you might briefly consider abandoning your inbox and becoming a full-time mountain enthusiast. Naturally, the itinerary didn’t waste much time getting into vacation mode.
Our first afternoon included a visit to BASIN, the hotel’s wellness experience, for some much-needed relaxation and rejuvenation. After a morning of travelling, the opportunity to swap airport hustle for spa attire was a welcome change of pace. The evening brought everyone together for a welcome dinner at Fairview Bar & Restaurant, located within the hotel. Great surroundings, an elevated dining setting, and an opportunity to settle into the mountain atmosphere? Not a bad way to kick off a Monday.
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Hiking boots on, worries off
Day two was where the itinerary really flexed its adventurous side. Following breakfast in the Fairmont Gold Lounge, it was time to trade cozy hotel comforts for the great outdoors. First on the agenda: the Fairview Lookout hike.
There’s something about the Canadian Rockies that makes ordinary fitness routines feel painfully uninspired. Why stare at a treadmill screen when you could be surrounded by towering mountains and spectacular alpine scenery? The hike offered a chance to appreciate Lake Louise from a different perspective, with the area’s natural beauty taking centre stage.
And after working up an appetite, the next stop was Banff. A private transfer brought the group to Parker’s Table at Rimrock Banff for lunch before an afternoon visit to the Banff Gondola. If you’re unfamiliar, the gondola takes visitors up Sulphur Mountain, delivering sweeping views of the surrounding peaks and valleys.
It’s one of those experiences that reminds you just how ridiculously beautiful Canada can be. With free time scheduled afterward, there was also an opportunity to explore Banff at a more leisurely pace before heading back to Lake Louise. The evening wrapped up with dinner at Walliser Stube, the château’s alpine-inspired restaurant, where the dress code called for cozy chalet vibes. After a full day of mountain adventures, that sounded like exactly the right assignment.
Porter Airlines joins the rewards party
Of course, the flights were more than just transportation. They also highlighted one of the newest additions to the Blue Rewards ecosystem. In September, Blue Rewards announced a partnership with Porter Airlines, naming the carrier its preferred airline partner. The collaboration allows members to link their Blue Rewards and VIPorter accounts, opening up additional opportunities to earn rewards across both programs. Eligible linked members can earn VIPorter points up to 20% faster, while those redeeming Blue Points for qualifying Porter flights through Blue Rewards Travel can receive bonus Blue Points based on booking value.
There’s also a welcome offer of 500 Blue Points and 500 VIPorter points for eligible members who link their accounts. The idea is simple: make the travel experience more rewarding before you’ve even reached your destination. For anyone who enjoys escaping the daily grind, that’s a partnership worth paying attention to.
The best rewards aren’t always things
Three days. Two nights. One spectacular Canadian destination. And a pretty compelling reminder that sometimes the best way to recharge is to get away from your usual routine. The Lake Louise getaway served as a showcase of the program’s travel ambitions and its partnerships with brands such as Porter Airlines and Fairmont. As loyalty programs evolve, there’s increasing value in flexibility, convenience, and meaningful experiences. Whether you’re collecting points through everyday purchases or redeeming them toward your next vacation, the goal is to get more out of money you’re already spending.
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The combination of everyday earning opportunities, travel partnerships, and simplified redemption options offers a fresh approach to an established Canadian loyalty program. And if this Rocky Mountain escape demonstrated anything, it’s that travel remains one of the most exciting ways to enjoy the rewards of everyday life. After all, groceries are necessary. Gas is necessary. That midweek takeout order? Debatable, but we’re not judging.
If those purchases can eventually help get you closer to a memorable getaway, all the better. Because while the Blue Rewards points might be the currency, experiences are the real reward. And between the mountain views, luxury accommodations, outdoor adventures, and indulgent meals, this particular escape made a pretty convincing case for collecting a few more.
Now, about that next vacation…
Feature image by Ranjeet Kumar Singh
