Amex Fixed Points Travel ends on January 6, 2027 for most Canadian Membership Rewards cards. If you hold the American Express Cobalt Card or the American Express Gold Rewards Card, you have about 11 weeks left. On the best rows of the fixed chart, 15,000 MR points cover a short-haul return flight with a base fare up to $300.
Amex confirmed the change in a statement on October 20, saying that “beginning January 2027, the Fixed Points Travel Program will no longer be available to certain Cardmembers.” The exact date comes from the Membership Rewards terms and conditions, in the section on the Fixed Points Travel program.
What’s Changing on January 6, 2027
From January 6, 2027, Fixed Points Travel is no longer available except on four products. Amex calls them the Travel & Lifestyle Services Cards:
Those four keep the chart, but they lose online booking. Amex’s terms say the program will no longer be available through digital channels for these cards, so you’ll need to call Travel & Lifestyle Services at the number on the back of your card. In its statement, Amex refers to the same phone service as Travel & Concierge Experiences.
Every other Membership Rewards card loses Fixed Points Travel entirely. Amex’s statement names the American Express Cobalt Card, the American Express Gold Rewards Card, the American Express Green Card, and the American Express Business Gold Rewards Card.
| Card group | Before January 6, 2027 | From January 6, 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| American Express Cobalt Card, American Express Gold Rewards Card, American Express Green Card, American Express Business Gold Rewards Card, and other MR cards | Fixed Points Travel available | Not available |
| Centurion® Card from American Express®, American Express Platinum Card, Business Platinum Card from American Express, and enrolled Corporate Platinum Cards | Fixed Points Travel available | Available by phone only, through Travel & Lifestyle Services |
Platinum holders still get the same chart. It just takes a phone call instead of a few clicks on americanexpress.ca/travel.
Amex also writes that it “may temporarily delay the decommissioning of the Fixed Points Travel program without notice.” So the date could slip. I wouldn’t plan a redemption around that, though.
How Fixed Points Travel Works Today
Fixed Points Travel lets you redeem a set number of points to cover the base fare of an eligible flight, up to a maximum dollar amount for each region. You pay taxes, fees, and carrier surcharges yourself, along with any part of the base fare above the cap.
Amex charges the full cost of the flight to your card when you book. Within 10 business days, a statement credit for the base fare posts, up to the chart’s maximum.
Only economy and business class qualify. Premium economy and first class fares aren’t eligible. Our guide to Amex Fixed Points Travel covers the booking process in more detail.
The Short-Haul Chart Is Where the Value Sits
The economy chart below shows return fares. Value per point assumes your base fare reaches the maximum, which is the best case.
| Region (economy, return) | Points | Maximum base fare | Value per point at the maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Popular short-haul routes | 15,000 | $300 | 2 cents |
| Canada/U.S. short haul | 20,000 | $300 | 1.5 cents |
| Canada/U.S. long haul | 40,000 | $700 | 1.75 cents |
| Alaska, Bermuda, Caribbean, Central America, Hawaii, or Mexico | 50,000 | $800 | 1.6 cents |
| Europe | 60,000 | $900 | 1.5 cents |
| Worldwide | 100,000 | $1,700 | 1.7 cents |
Business class starts at 50,000 points for a Canada/U.S. short-haul base fare up to $800, or 1.6 cents per point. The top row is worldwide business class at 250,000 points for up to $4,500.
The 2-cent row only applies to five popular routes:
- Western Canada: Calgary to Vancouver
- Toronto: to Montreal, New York, and Ottawa
- Montreal: to New York
Consider a Toronto to Ottawa return with a $300 base fare. Fixed Points Travel covers it for 15,000 MR points, or 2 cents per point.
The value shrinks as the fare drops. On a $180 base fare, Fixed Points Travel still costs 15,000 points, or 1.2 cents per point.
The sweet spot is narrow. It works best on a pricier short-haul fare between Canada’s busiest city pairs, booked when cash prices are high.
Your Options After the Cutoff
From January 6, 2027, Cobalt and Gold Rewards cardholders can still put MR points toward flights by transferring them to airline partners. MR points move to Aeroplan at 1:1, and other partners include British Airways and Flying Blue.
Transfers aren’t affected by this change. For most redemptions, moving points to Aeroplan was already the stronger play, and that stays true. Fixed Points Travel’s real role was the fallback when award seats weren’t available or the routing didn’t suit you.
Flexible Points Travel also stays, and Amex says it remains available to all eligible cardmembers. It covers any travel charged to your card at 1,000 points per $10, or 1 cent per point, which is half of what the best Fixed Points Travel rows return.
Quebec Residents Get Different Wording
The terms treat Quebec residents separately. Except on the four Travel & Lifestyle Services Cards, Fixed Points Travel won’t be available for MR points earned after January 6, 2027.
For points earned before that date, the online Fixed Points Travel option still goes away. However, Amex says “equivalent redemption value will continue to be available through other redemption options within the Membership Rewards® program.” The terms don’t say which options those are. Amex points readers to membershiprewards.ca or the number on the back of the card for details.
Should You Book Before January 6, 2027?
It depends on the card you hold and the trip you have in mind.
- Cobalt, Gold Rewards, or Green holders with a short-haul trip planned: If the base fare is close to $300 on one of the five popular routes, booking before January 6, 2027 locks in up to 2 cents per point.
- Holders with no trip in mind: Don’t redeem just to beat the deadline. Your points still transfer to Aeroplan after the cutoff.
- Platinum and Business Platinum holders: Nothing urgent changes, but you’ll need to book by phone from January 6, 2027.
One open question is travel dates. The terms don’t address flights booked before January 6, 2027 for travel after it. If your trip falls after the cutoff, confirm with Amex before you rely on it.
Conclusion
This cuts a secondary option, but it also removes a useful safety net. Our own guide called Fixed Points Travel a secondary method, and outside the 2-cent short-haul rows it mostly was.
If I held a Cobalt and had a Toronto to Montreal trip coming up with a base fare near $300, I’d book it before January 6, 2027. Otherwise, I’d keep earning and send points to Aeroplan when a real trip comes together. The more interesting question is whether a phone-only chart stays on the Platinum cards for long.
This story originally appeared on princeoftravel
