In the Membership Rewards terms updated by Amex Canada on October 1, the program states that Fixed Points Travel will be sharply restricted starting January 6, 2027: only Platinum-series and Centurion cards will qualify, and bookings must be made by phone. Online booking will be shut down. Cards outside the list, including Cobalt and Gold, will be completely out.

This is not a complete cancellation, but for Cobalt cardholders it amounts to one in practice: one of the card’s easiest ways to use its points is going away.

1. What is changing

Starting January 6, 2027 (the “effective date”):

  • Only the following cards will still qualify (officially called “Travel & Lifestyle Services Cards”):
  • Bookings must be made by calling Travel & Lifestyle Services. All online digital channels (the website and app) will be closed to these cards.
  • All cards outside the list will be out, including Cobalt, Gold Rewards, Green, Business Gold Rewards, Business Edge, and Corporate Green/Gold cards.
  • Quebec residents receive special treatment (only for cards other than the Platinum series and Centurion): points earned after January 6 can no longer be used for Fixed Points Travel. Points earned before January 6 also cannot be used for online Fixed Points Travel, but an equivalent value can be obtained through other redemption methods. Cardholders outside Quebec should note that they receive no equivalent compensation.
  • Amex reserves the right to temporarily delay the decommissioning without notice.

Before then: all qualifying cards can still be booked online using the current redemption chart.

2. Current redemption chart (round trip, points / maximum base fare covered)

The following are the current standards in the official terms. They apply only to round-trip flights; all categories must depart from Canada; the base fare excludes taxes, fees, and carrier surcharges, and any amount above the cap plus taxes and fees must be paid separately. If the base fare is below the cap, the difference is not refunded. If any segment of the itinerary is in premium economy or first class, the entire itinerary cannot use Fixed Points Travel.

Economy

Category Example routes Points required Maximum base fare
Popular short-haul Calgary–Vancouver, Toronto–Montreal, Toronto–Ottawa, Toronto–New York, Montreal–New York 15,000 $300
Canada/U.S. short-haul Within a province or to an adjacent province, territory, or U.S. state (excluding Alaska); flights between the Atlantic provinces and Ontario–New York/Michigan also count as short-haul 20,000 $300
Canada/U.S. long-haul To a non-adjacent province, territory, or U.S. state (excluding Hawaii and Alaska) 40,000 $700
Alaska, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Central America, Hawaii, and Mexico Departing from Canada 50,000 $800
Europe Departing from Canada 60,000 $900
Rest of world Africa, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, New Zealand, South America, and the South Pacific 100,000 $1,700

Business class

Category Points required Maximum base fare
Canada/U.S. short-haul 50,000 $800
Canada/U.S. long-haul 100,000 $1,800
Alaska, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Central America, Hawaii, and Mexico 120,000 $2,100
Europe 140,000 $2,500
Rest of world 250,000 $4,500

Source: Amex Bank of Canada’s official PDF, Membership Rewards Terms and Conditions (updated October 1, 2026).

3. Who is affected, and what to do

Cobalt cardholders (the most affected): Fixed Points Travel is one of the easiest ways to use Cobalt points without searching for award space. For example, 60,000 points can cover up to $900 in base fare on a Europe itinerary, or about 1.5 cpp; 15,000 points can cover up to $300 on a popular short-haul route, or about 2 cpp. After January 6, 2027, this option will be gone completely. If you already have travel plans, consider booking online before January 6.

Platinum-series and Centurion cardholders: you will still be able to use the program afterward. The current redemption chart has not changed, but bookings must be made by phone, and the terms reserve the right to change the chart at any time.

All cardholders should note: the terms do not say how tickets booked before January 6 for travel after January 6 will be handled. There is some uncertainty here.

4. Other notes

  1. The product page has not been updated: the Fixed Points Travel product page still lists cards such as Cobalt. Follow the terms PDF and do not be misled by the product page.
  2. No official press release found: we did not find an Amex press release about this cutback. It appears to be a “silent” change in the terms; it has not yet been confirmed whether cardholders received an email notice.
  3. Notice period: under the terms, Amex must provide at least 60 days’ notice for an adverse change. The 97 days between the October 1 terms update and the January 6 effective date meet that requirement.
  4. It may be delayed: the terms explicitly reserve the right to “temporarily delay” the change without notice. The effective date could theoretically move, but do not count on it.
  5. Alternative uses: points can still transfer 1:1 to Aeroplan, British Airways Avios, and Flying Blue (the Canadian version is now 1:1), or be applied to travel at 1,000 points = $10. The high value of the fixed-points chart is what is going away.

Checked: October 16, 2026. The original terms are available in the Membership Rewards Terms and Conditions (English PDF, updated October 1, 2026). All quotations in this article come from the terms; check the actual Amex website when redeeming.

Further reading