How to get Porter Airlines VIPorter status

Neither path into VIPorter status is free, and both run through a credit card rather than flying. The BMO VIPorter Mastercard, a Canadian card, confers Passport — the entry tier — automatically when your application is approved, no spending required. It carries an $89 annual fee, waived the first year, and the status only stays active while you keep the card open. Authorized users on the account get Passport too, not just the primary cardholder.

The top tier, Venture, comes from a separate card: the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard, also Canadian. Approval alone triggers Venture status the same way it does with the entry card, but the fee is steeper — $199 a year, also waived for the first year. There's no other way to reach Venture; it's the World Elite card or nothing. Between the two, the choice comes down to whether Venture's perks are worth the extra $110 a year over Passport, since both cards deliver status the identical way — instantly, on approval, for as long as you hold the card.