Intro: Is the Amex Cobalt Good for Travel?
Unlocking the full potential of your Amex Cobalt Card goes beyond the benefits of earning points on your everyday expenses.
- 5x points on food and drinks
- 3x points on streaming services
- 2x points on gas, transit & ride sharing
- 1x points on everything else
One particularly rewarding category is the 2x points multiplier for eligible travel and transit purchases within Canada.
In this post, we’ll look at the earning structure of the Amex Cobalt’s 2x points on transit and travel, with a list of merchants where you can maximize your rewards.
Whether you’re commuting, booking flights and accommodations, or renting a car, the Cobalt Card will allow you to strategically earn and redeem points for more travel.
Amex Cobalt 2x Points on Transit & Travel: Earning Structure
You’ll earn 2x points for every $1 spent on:
- Eligible travel and transit in Canada.
What Transit & Travel Purchases Are Eligible to Earn 2x Points With the Amex Cobalt?
Below is a list of well-known transit and travel merchants in Canada where you can utilize your Amex Cobalt Card to earn 2x points:
Gas Stations:
- 7-11
- Canadian Tire Gas+
- Canco
- Chevron
- Circle K
- Co-op
- Esso
- Flying J
- Husky
- Irving Oil
- Petro-Canada
- Pioneer Energy
- Safeway Gas Bar
- Shell
- Ultramar
Airlines:
- Air Canada
- Air Transat
- Alaska Airlines
- Aloft Hotels
- Cathay Pacific
- Flair Airlines
- KLM
- United Airlines
- WestJet
- And all other major airlines
Accommodations:
- Airbnb
- Agoda
- Best Western
- Comfort Inn
- Delta Hotels
- Econo Lodge
- Expedia
- Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
- Four Points by Sheraton
- Hotels.com
- Hyatt Hotels
- Quality Inn
- VRBO
Travel Services:
- Amex Travel
- CAA
Ferries:
- Aquabus Ferry (Vancouver)
- BC Ferries
Trains:
- Via Rail
Car Rentals & Ridesharing:
- Budget Rent a Car
- Evo Car Share
- Hertz
- Lyft
- Uber
- Zipcar
- Taxis
- Limousines
Public Transit:
- Translink (Vancouver)
- TTC (Toronto)
- Subways
How Much Can You Earn With Amex Cobalt 2x Points?
To make the most of the Cobalt Card, prioritize maximizing the 5x points monthly spend cap of $2,500 on food and drink. After reaching this cap, allocate any remaining funds from these expenses to purchase gift cards from the grocery store, specifically for travel and transit, such as gas station gift cards.
Once you’ve exhausted the monthly cap, ensure that all gas, transit, and travel purchases are charged to your Cobalt card. Unlike the points multiplier for food and drinks, there is no spend cap for earning 2x points in the transit and travel category. Therefore, there’s unlimited potential for accumulating points with this multiplier.
How to Redeem Your Amex Cobalt Points for Travel
1 Amex Membership Rewards point = 1 cent at cash value when used as a statement credit.
However, to get the best redemption for travel, you’ll want to transfer your points to an American Express Travel Partner. There are multiple airline and hotel loyalty programs to choose from, including:
Airline Loyalty Programs:
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France
- Asia Miles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Delta SkyMiles
- Etihad Guest
Points from these loyalty programs can be used for flights on other airlines in the same alliance.
Learn More: How Airline Alliances Work
Hotel Loyalty Programs:
- Hilton Honors
- Marriott Bonvoy
Points from these hotel loyalty programs can be used at hotels that are owned by these companies. There is a network of hotels that range from budget, to midrange, to luxury, so be sure to understand what hotels belong to Hilton, and what hotels belong to Marriott to get the most out of your points.
Learn More: List of Marriott Hotel Brands
Learn More: List of Hilton Hotel Brands
Conclusion
Now that we’ve covered the Amex Cobalt Card’s 2x points on transit and travel, keep in mind the other ways to earn points with this Card.
Beyond the unlimited points potential in transit and travel, remember you can also earn 5x points on food and drinks, and 3x points on streaming services.
By strategically leveraging these multipliers and unlocking the versatility of Amex Membership Rewards points, you can transform everyday spending into extraordinary travel experiences.
Learn More: How to Earn the Amex Cobalt Welcome Bonus
So does it mean if I book KLM tickets, for instance, it won’t give me 2x points? I never book air tickets with Cobalt as I have another card for it. Just curious :) Thank you
Hi Volodmyr, booking KLM tickets with your Cobalt Card should still award you 2x the points. All major airlines should award 2x the points. I’ve added it to the list! Thanks, Britt