Points Miles and Bling (blog) contains referral or affiliate links. The blog receives a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your continued support. Credit Card issuers are not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details, current product information, and Terms and Conditions, click the link included.
The morning after the Points Travel Festival (PTF) in Toronto, I found myself on the airport shuttle sitting next to Marie-Claude from Milesopedia. We’d connected the day before, and now here we were, picking up the conversation like we’d known each other for years. She’s one of the most knowledgeable people in the points space, and one of the warmest, too. That bus ride summed up everything I love about this community.
Speakers & Attendees Gathering at PTF Toronto
Full disclosure: I helped out with PTF Toronto behind the scenes; some prep beforehand, and things like registration and social media on the day. The heavy lifting was all Anshul and Stefan, but being that close to the event made experiencing it as a near-attendee even more rewarding.
PTF Registration Table
I’ll also be upfront: I’m still a beginner. Learning, making the occasional suboptimal redemption (like my AC flight from Vancouver to Osaka), and slowly building my strategy. The industry can feel overwhelming, but every time I show up to one of these events, I’m reminded that the community is nothing like that.
What Is Points Travel Festival?
PTF is a full-day conference built around points, miles, and loyalty travel. The Toronto edition, held April 18, 2026, at the Hilton Garden Inn Toronto Airport, was co-organized by Anshul Singh of Points Miles and Bling and Stefan Krasowski of Chicago Seminars (The Heritage Edition). Around 180 attendees, 20+ speakers, and three content tracks running simultaneously. People came from across North America – Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Seattle, LA, and more – and at least one person made the trip from France.
Sessions at PTF Toronto
Friday Night Reception
The Friday add-on reception sold out. The venue was the Sheraton Gateway (literally connected to YYZ), which made it incredibly convenient for anyone flying in. The food was great: sliders, an amazing hummus spread, and gourmet appetizers, plus two drink tickets per attendee. More than anything, it gave everyone a chance to meet before the main event. By Saturday morning, the room already had a familiarity to it.
Speakers & Attendees at PTF Toronto
Saturday’s venue was the Hilton Garden Inn, a five-minute free shuttle from the terminal, running every half hour. I stayed there for two nights, along with many speakers and attendees. When you’re bumping into the same people at breakfast that you were talking to at the evening party, it extends the event in a way a one-day conference usually doesn’t.
Attendees at PTF Toronto
Saturday (The Main Event)
Saturday ran from 8:30 am to 6 pm, with a reception from 6 – 8 pm. Morning snacks included pastries, fruit, coffee, and tea. Throughout the day, there were soft drinks, water, more snacks, and a rotation of candies from China that became their own little talking point. Lunch was a proper buffet: tacos, rice, salads, and desserts. Good food at a full-day event keeps people in the room, keeps the energy up, and gives everyone a reason to linger.
Evening Reception
The Sessions
The three tracks covered a solid range: Canadian-specific content like Aeroplan strategy and credit card comparisons, global programs including Marriott Bonvoy and hotel upgrades, and broader strategy sessions on flight deal hunting and award search tools. Something for every experience level.
Welcome Session at PTF
Because I was helping run things, I couldn’t plant myself in sessions the way a regular attendee could. But I did get to experience the Speaker AMA and the Industry Panel. Hearing people like Patrick Sojka of Rewards Canada, Greg Davis-Kean, and Nick Reyes of Frequent Miler in a room where you can actually ask questions and get real answers is so much better than just viewing their content online.
Speaker AMA at PTF
The Hallway Conversations Are Where the Real Learning Happens
This is the part that’s hard to put on a schedule. I had a long conversation with Ben Komenkul of Ben’s Big Deal, one of the most well-known names in the points space, who talked through strategy with me and helped me feel more confident about interviewing speakers on camera. That kind of mentorship doesn’t happen in a webinar. It happens when you’re standing next to someone during a snack break, and they just decide to help you.
Making Connections at PTF
And then there’s Marie-Claude. I was struck immediately by how knowledgeable she is and how little she makes you feel that gap. By the time we were sharing the airport shuttle the next morning, it felt less like I’d met a speaker and more like I’d made a friend who happened to be an expert.
That’s the thing about this community. The people who know the most are often the most generous with what they know.
Any Experience Level Welcome
I’ve now been to two PMB meetups (one in Ottawa, one in Vancouver) and a Prince of Travel event, and my favourite thing about all of them has been consistent: nobody makes you feel behind. PTF was no different. The built-in icebreakers early in the day created natural entry points into conversation, and the crowd ranged from seasoned collectors to people just starting to figure out what a transfer partner even is.
Conversations at PTF
You learn from the sessions, but you also learn from the person next to you at lunch who’s been doing this for ten years.
The Air Canada Swag
Air Canada was the giveaway sponsor, and the swag was a tote bag with a water bottle, notebook, and pen. It added a fun, light energy to the day and gave everyone something to get excited about between sessions.
Air Canada Giveaway Items
Worth It?
Saturday tickets were $299 CAD, with the Friday add-on priced separately (and gone fast). What you’re buying isn’t just a day of sessions, it’s access to a room full of people who are excited about the same thing you are, at every level.
I came home with new contacts, a few strategies I’m actively looking into, and the kind of motivation that only comes from being around people who make something feel possible rather than overwhelming. If you’ve been on the fence about attending a points event, especially as someone still finding your footing, I highly recommend attending next year.
The content is great, and the community is the reason to come back. And speaking of, PTF Toronto 2027 has been announced (April 16-17, 2027), and the launch combo sale is on now!
PTF Welcome Session
