How I Used TD Rewards for 6 Flights Without Paying Cash
Six flights. Zero dollars out of pocket.
In one year, I used TD Rewards points to cover roundtrip and one-way economy flights to Mexico, Turks and Caicos, Miami, Atlanta, North Carolina, and Alberta. The Turks and Caicos flight alone would have cost $504.96 on WestJet, but TD Rewards points wiped out the entire cash cost, including taxes and fees.
None of those were business or first class flights. And honestly? That is exactly why TD Rewards made sense.
Most people hear “points travel” and think premium cabins, lie-flat seats, champagne, and fancy airline meals. I love those redemptions too, and that is what I use Aeroplan, Avion, and American Express Membership Rewards for. But TD Rewards is a completely different tool.
TD Rewards is the program I often use for what I refer to as “real-life travel”: birthdays, family visits, weekend getaways, cheap economy fares, and practical flights I want covered without touching my more valuable airline and transferable points.
This is the real-life version of that strategy in action.
My Six Trips Covered by TD Rewards Points
Here is where the strategy becomes real life.
Trip 1: Turks and Caicos (WestJet)
I needed a flight from Toronto to Turks and Caicos, and WestJet had it for $504.96 roundtrip. I booked through Expedia for TD, applied my TD Rewards points at checkout, and walked onto the plane without spending a dollar out of pocket.
That trip created some of my best travel memories, and it cost zero cash because I understood how to use TD Rewards for the right kind of redemption.
Trip 2: Mexico (Multiple flights)
I booked multiple economy flights to Mexico using a combination of the welcome bonus from my TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite and points I had earned through regular spending. Each flight was between $150-300 cash, which meant I could cover them entirely with TD Rewards and preserve my more valuable points for premium travel on other programs.
Trip 3: Miami
A quick weekend to Miami on an $89 flight. Cheap economy, entirely covered by TD Rewards points through Expedia for TD. The math worked perfectly because the flight was cheap enough that I could offset the entire cost.
Trip 4: Atlanta
The Miami to Atlanta flight was $69 on Frontier, and I could not find the exact fare I wanted through Expedia for TD. So I booked it directly with my TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite and used TD Rewards points after the fact to cover the full cost.
This flexibility matters because sometimes the best cheap fare is not showing up where you expect it to. That is why I do not treat Expedia for TD as the only place to search. I still use Google Flights, airline websites, and nearby airport searches to find the best economy fare first. Then I decide whether to book through Expedia for TD or use the eligible travel purchase redemption option after.
Trip 5: North Carolina
Another family visit covered entirely by TD Rewards. The flight was in the $150 range, and the redemption was straightforward through Expedia for TD.
Trip 6: Alberta
A trip home covered with points. None of these flights were exciting or dramatic, but they happened because I had TD Rewards and understood when to use them.
Why These Trips Happened
What connects all six trips is the philosophy: Find cheap economy flights first. Then apply TD Rewards to wipe out the cash cost. Preserve your more valuable Aeroplan and Avion points for premium cabin travel where they unlock real value.
Those trips helped me show up for friends, meet my partner’s family, connect with creators, rest, build relationships, and say yes to opportunities I might have otherwise talked myself out of.
That is what TD Rewards is good for. Not dream redemptions. Real-life travel.
How to Actually Do This
The process was simple for most of these flights. I found a cheap economy flight on Google Flights or directly on an airline website. I compared the fare to make sure it was actually a good deal. I booked it through Expedia for TD when possible, or I booked directly and redeemed TD Rewards points after the fact. I applied enough TD Rewards points to cover the full flight cost, including taxes and fees. I paid any remaining balance with my TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite and saved my confirmation.
For the Frontier flight, I booked direct because Expedia for TD did not have that specific fare available. The tradeoff is that Expedia for TD usually gives a better redemption rate (200 points per $1 versus 225 points per $1 when you redeem after booking), but missing a $69 flight was not worth the extra points cost. That flexibility is one reason TD Rewards works for practical travel.
If you are booking through an online travel agency, there is one risk worth knowing: if your flight is cancelled or changed, getting support can be harder than dealing directly with the airline. I have personally never had a problem with my Expedia for TD bookings, but there are horror stories, so it is worth knowing the tradeoff before you book.
