To show our appreciation to frequent travellers, we have created three levels in the VIA Préférence program: Préférence, Privilège and Premier, with each level offering exclusive advantages and benefits.
Every member begins at the Préférence level. You can then qualify for a higher level depending on how much you spend and travel with VIA Rail during the “qualifying period” that runs from April 1 through March 31 each year.
For members in all levels, the following year's membership level is determined as follows:
- If you travel and spend from $0 to $999 (before taxes) with VIA Rail during the qualifying period, you will be a Préférence member.
- If you travel and spend from $1,000 to $1,999 (before taxes) with VIA Rail during the qualifying period, you will be a Privilège member.
- If you travel and spend for $2,000 or more (before taxes) and complete at least 8 segments (i.e., one-way trips, keeping in mind that changing trains constitutes a new segment) with VIA Rail during the qualifying period, you will be a Premier member.
At the end of the “qualifying period,” membership levels are calculated and confirmed to each member. Starting May 1 until April 30 of the following year, qualified members will enjoy the advantage of a higher level for a 12-month period, which is called the “benefit period.”
| Préférence | Privilège | Premier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points per dollar spent | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Membership Card | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Earn more points based on fare chosen Learn more > | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Earn points with special offers Learn more > | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Exclusive coupons with a choice of bonuses and discounts | No | 2 | 4 |
| Access to Business lounges when travelling with an Economy Plus* fare ticket | No | No | Yes |
| Access to Business Lounges when travelling with an Economy Multi Pass | No | No | Yes |
| Priority meal selection on board when travelling in Business class** | No | No | Yes |
| Access to a priority ticket line in major stations | No | Yes | Yes |
|
Priority boarding in Montréal, Toronto and Québec city, in Business or Economy class |
No | No | Yes |
| Unrestricted reward travel (except Dec. 23 and 24) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
*Except when travelling with tickets booked using a Commuter Pass or tickets booked with a CN or a CP rail pass.
**Due to demand, your meal selection may not be available on board.
| Préférence | Privilège | Premier |
|---|---|---|
| Points per dollar spent | ||
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Membership Card | ||
| Oui | Oui | Oui |
|
Earn more points based on fare chosen Learn more > |
||
| Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Earn points with special offers Learn more > |
||
| Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Exclusive coupons with a choice of bonuses and discounts | ||
| No | 2 | 4 |
| Access to Business lounges when travelling with an Economy Plus* fare ticket | ||
| No | No | Yes |
| Access to Business Lounges when travelling with an Economy Multi Pass | ||
| No | No | Yes |
| Priority meal selection on board when travelling in Business class** | ||
| No | No | Yes |
| Access to a priority ticket line in major stations | ||
| No | Yes | Yes |
| Priority boarding in Montréal, Toronto and Québec city, in Business or Economy class | ||
| No | No | Yes |
| Unrestricted reward travel (except Dec. 23 and 24) | ||
| Yes | Yes | Yes |
*Except when travelling with tickets booked using a Commuter Pass or tickets booked with a CN or a CP rail pass.
**Due to demand, your meal selection may not be available on board.
Modifications to status qualification criteria due to COVID-19
April 2021 update
We understand that many of our members' travel plans have been disrupted over the past year, so we've made the following changes in response to the current situation:
- We extended the status of existing Privilège and Premier members through April 30, 2022.
- We lowered the eligibility criteria, making it easier to qualify for Privilège or Premier status. On May 1, 2021, members who have spent $500 or more (before taxes) on train travel will reach Privilège level, while those who have spent $1,000 (before taxes) and travelled 4 segments will reach Premier level.
- Any dollars spent or segments travelled during the last qualifying period (between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021) will be carried over into the current qualifying period, giving members a head start towards qualifying for a top-tier status for the next benefit period.
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