Nov 29 Update: Last week of Shangri-La's Golden Cirlce Game (Free points!), American and US Airways set to merge, Worldwide bonuses

Final day of the week here on Rewards Canada. What does Friday hold in store? Read on to find out!

News, Tips & Tricks
This is the last week of Shangri-La's Golden Circle 3rd anniversary game! Be sure to enter to get the last 200 points (if you played right form the start then you'll have accumulated 1,200 points for free when you complete this last week). I messed up and missed week 4 so I will end up with 1,000 points which is still good for a free night at select Shangri-La locations or more than enough for a Food & Beverage credit. You can play the game here

WestJet is launching a new Ottawa to St. John's service next June. Timings are set to for easy connections to their new St. John's to Dublin flight. (Source: AirlineRoute.net)

The bankruptcy judge for American Airlines has approved the merger between AA and US Airways. It is the expected that the two airlines will officially merge on December 9. (Source: Bloomberg)

Travel Deals
Air France has put their Premium Economy class on sale for flights out of Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. Fares start at $1149 including all taxes and fees. Tickets must be booked by Dec 2 for travel Jan - Mar , 2014 and include a Saturday night. Find all the details at airfrance.ca

Bonus Offers
airberlin topbonus
- Double topbonus Miles on rentals at participating Europcar locations Worldwide. More... Until Feb 28, 14

Bangkok Airways FlyerBonus (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Double FlyerBonus Points when flying on eligible Japan Airlines flights Worldwide. More... Dec 1 - Mar 31, 14
- Double FlyerBonus Points for stays at the Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi. More... Until Dec 30, 13

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Triple Asia Miles when staying at least three consecutive nights or Double Miles for two consecutive nights at any Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts, Traders Hotel or Kerry Hotel at the Best Available Rate.More... Until Feb 28, 14
- Triple Asia Miles when you stay in an Executive Club Room or Suite for two consecutive nights or more at Swissôtel properties in Asia Pacific.More... Until Feb 28, 14

China Southern Sky Pearl Club
- Earn up to 3,000 Sky Pearl Kilometers for stays of two or more nights at the Langham Place, Guangzhou More... Until Feb 28, 14
- Triple Sky Pearl Kilometers when staying at least three consecutive nights or Double Kilometers for two consecutive nights at any Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts, Traders Hotel or Kerry Hotel at the Best Available Rate. More... Until Feb 28, 14

Etihad Guest
- 50% Bonus Guest Miles on all hotel reservations booked through PointsHound for the month of December. This bonus is in addition to the base earning rate of up to 5,000 miles per night! Etihad Guest members who book in the month of December will get an automatic upgrade to Level 2 Status on PointsHound for the first 3 months of 2014. More... Book between Dec 1 and 31, 13

Olympic Air Travelair Club (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- 1,000 Bonus Travelair Miles when you join the Olympic Air Travelair Club More... Until ?

Scandic Hotels Friends
- Save up to 10,000 Points when you redeem your Scandic Friends points  for reward night stays between Dec 20 and Jan 31 at more than 80 selected Scandic hotels. More... Dec 20 - Jan 31, 14

Southwest Rapid Rewards (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Earn up to 1,000 Bonus Rapid Rewards Points when you shop online via the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal. More... Until Jan 5, 14

Emirates Business Class Companion Fare offer for flights out of Toronto

Emirates has launched a new companion offer for business class bookings on their Toronto-Dubai flights. The offer is for 2 to 8 people traveling together and gets progressively cheaper per person with the more people you book.  This could be a pretty good deal for those businesses that need to send a team of people over to the Middle East for meetings, consulting etc. Flights must be booked by Dec 3 for travel before Jan 10, 14. For complete details or to book visit Emirates.com/ca

Nov 28 Update: Lindner Nights added to RC, KLM Worldwide seat sale and a new ultra low cost carrier in Canada?

Here is your Thursday round up:

News, Tips & Tricks
We added a new hotel reward program to the arsenal of frequent guest programs that we cover on Rewards Canada. That program is for the German based Lindner Hotels and Resorts. The program is called Lindner Nights and right now if you join the program and link your account to your social media accounts they will give you 2,000 points for free! While not enough for a free night they do run cash+points offers and many of them right now only require 2,000 points plus a small cash amount. You can find the Lindner Nights page on Rewards Canada here and for more details on the Cash+Points offer see our post over on the Frequent Flyer Bonuses blog.

Aeroplan has a short term bonus for shopping at Home Hardware. From today until Saturday you can earn 3x the miles on for every $2 you spend at Home Hardware, Building Centre and Home Furniture locations. Full details

Looks like another group of ex airline execs are looking to start up a new airline here in Canada. JetLines, based out of Vancouver hopes to bring Ultra Low Cost flights (think Ryanair, Spirit Airlines etc) to Western Canada. It is unlikely they'll have a Frequent Flyer program at launch or perhaps ever as many of the ULC airlines don't offer one except for Spirit Airlines and few others. Source: Financial Post

Travel Deals
KLM has launched a pretty awesome Worldwide sale for flights out of Canada. London can be had for $825 all in and Dubai for $985 all in, both from Eastern Canada. For Calgary/Vancouver departures, $200 needs to be added to those fares. Many other destinations are also available. Tickets must be booked by Dec 2 for travel Jan 1 - May 6, 2014 and include a Sunday night. Find all the details at KLM.com

Bonus Offers
ANA Mileage Club
- Double Mileage Club Miles on purchases at any of the nine Chic Outlet Shopping Villages in Europe and receive an extra 200miles whenever you book the Shopping Express. More... Until Dec 31, 13

Best Western Rewards
- Double Rewards points when you book a family room at participating Best Western Hotels in Denmark. More... Until ?

Emirates Skywards
- Earn Double Skywards Miles for stays at participating Hyatt Hotels in Europe, Middle East, Asia & Africa. More... Until Jan 31, 14

Finnair Plus
- Double Plus Points for Sixt rentals in the Netherlands, Germany, UK, France and Austria. More... Until Dec 31, 13

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards
- Double Gold Plus Rewards Points when you add Hertz NeverLost GPS, extras like SiriusXM® Satellite Radio, Pre-Pay the Fuel and Protection Plans. More... Valid for residents of the U.S. and Canada only Until Jan 31, 14

Hilton HHonors
- Double HHonors Points for stays at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Salt Lake City Airport  More... Until Feb 18, 14

Hyatt Gold Passport
- 2,000 Bonus Gold Passport Points plus special amenities at participating Hyatt hotels in Japan. More... Until Jan 17, 14

Lindner Hotels Nights
- 2,000 Bonus Nights Points when you link your Lindner Nights account with your social media account(s) More... Until Jan 31, 14

Stash Hotel Rewards
- Triple Stash Rewards Points for stays of 3+ nights at the West Inn & Suites Carlsbad. More... Until Feb 28, 14
- Triple Stash Rewards Points and 15% off Best Available Rate for stays of 3+ nights at the Bourbon Orleans Hotel New Orleans More... Until May 31, 14
- Triple Stash Rewards Points for stays at the Kennebunkport Inn. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- Triple Stash Rewards Points for stays at John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort. More... Until Dec 31,

Air Miles: 10x or more Reward Miles on AirMilesShops.ca purchases until Dec 4

We can't leave out the Air Miles collectors form the maximizing your miles for holiday shopping! Their online shopping portal, airmilesshops.ca is also running an amazing Black Friday offer much like their Aeroplan counterparts and theirs is already live.

AirMiles Members who shop at any of the airmilesshops.ca participating retailers will earn a 10x the Air Miles Reward Miles on all purchases of $20 or more in single transaction plus you can even more bonus miles of 2 to 10x above for their selected Black Friday partners! The 10x + 10x retailers are Old Navy, the Gap, Banana Republic and the Source. The Air Miles offer runs until Wednesday Dec 4th.

Aeroplan: 5x to 10x the miles on all eStore purchases made Nov 29 - Dec 3

A lot of the posts here on Rewards Canada and our features in the media over the past few weeks have been about maximizing your miles for holiday shopping and this post is no different. Now that Canada has fully adopted the Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping frenzy seen in the U.S. it is not only the retailers putting many items on sale but the online e-malls offering up more miles or points for accessing those retailers via their shopping portal

Aeroplan has forwarded me their Black Friday/Cyber Monday offer for shopping via their portal eStore and it is a pretty decent offer! Members who shop at any of their participating retailers will earn a minimum 5x Aeroplan miles with some retailers going as high as 10x the miles! The offer runs between Friday November 29th and Tuesday December 3rd.

For me this is a Homer Simpson 'Doh!' moment as we have already done some our Christmas shopping via the portal at only 2x the miles. There is still some shopping left for us to do so we are going to make sure we get it done this weekend so that we maximize our miles on those purchases! We recommend you do so to!

Nov 27 Update: up to 4x Flying Blue Miles on Hertz rentals, News recap, Air Miles bonus for Best Western stays

Here is what the middle of the week brings on Rewards Canada:

News, Tips & Tricks
All of the news today had separate posts so here is a recap with links:

Tangerine Saturday returns on November 30 - Double Aeroplan Miles for CIBC cardholders

ATB Gold My Rewards Travel MasterCard 100,000 Point Sign Up Bonus - Classic case of "Remember people it's all about the EARN and the BURN"

Air Miles: 60 Bonus Reward Miles for Best Western stays in Canada, the U.S. and Caribbean


Bonus Offers
Air France KLM Flying Blue
- Earn up to Quadruple Flying Blue Miles on Hertz rentals in Belgium; Brazil; Canada; France; Germany; Italy; Luxembourg; Moroco; Netherlands; Qatar; Spain; United Kingdom; USA and Venezuela. More... Book by Dec 15 for rentals until Feb 28, 14

Air Miles
- 60 Bonus Air Miles Reward Miles for each qualified stay at Best Western branded hotels in Canada, the United States, or the Caribbean Islands. More... Nov 30 - May 4, 14

Bangkok Airways FlyerBonus (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com)
- 150 Bonus FlyerBonus Points when you fly 6 one way sectors between Bangkok - Mandalay, Bangkok - Yangon, Bangkok - Nay Pyi Taw, Bangkok - Vientiane, Bangkok - Luang Prabang, Bangkok - Siem Reap or Bangkok - Phnom Penh. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- Double FlyerBonus Points on Budget rentals of three or more days in Thailand. More... Until Jan 31, 14

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Double Asia Miles when you book and stay in a Club room or above at any Langham property Worldwide. More... Until Jan 31, 14

Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- Up to 66% Mileage Bank Miles Discount for JMB award tickets on all eligible Bangkok Airways flights systemwide in eligible fare classes. More... Until Dec 31, 14

Le Club accorhotels
- 500 Bonus Le Club Accorhotels Points for stays on the "Winter Collection" offer at participating Sofitel Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Jan 15, 14
- Double Le Club Accorhotels Points for stays at any one of 6 participating Accor hotels in the French Alps. More... Until Dec 20, 13
- Double Le Club Accorhotels Points for stays of 2 or more nights at any one of 10 participating Accor hotels in Japan. More... Dec 1 - Feb 28, 14

Marriott Rewards
- 1,000 Bonus Points per stay at the Residence Inn Birmingham Downtown at UAB. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- 500 Bonus Points per stay at the Residence Inn Corona Riverside. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- 2,000 Bonus Points per stay at the Atlanta Marriott Norcross. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- 2,000 Bonus Points er stay including a Sunday, Monday or Thursday night at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Warner Robins. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- 2,000 Bonus Points per stay Sunday - Thursday at the SpringHill Suites Macon. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- 1,000 Bonus Points per stay Sunday - Thursday at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Cordele. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- 500 Bonus Points per stay Sunday - Thursday at the Residence Inn West Springfield. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- 2,000 Bonus Points per stay at the Courtyard Portland Downtown/Convention Center. More... Until Dec 31, 13

Philippine Airlines Mabuhay
- Double Mabuhay Miles for stays at the Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi More... Until Jan 30, 14
- Double Mabuhay Miles when you stay for two consecutive nights or more at participating Marco Polo hotels in Hong Kong, China or the Philippines. More... Dec 1 - Jan 31, 14
- Triple Mabuhay Miles when staying at least three consecutive nights or Double Miles for two consecutive nights at any Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts, Traders Hotel or Kerry Hotel at the Best Available Rate. More... Dec 1 - Feb 28, 14

Tangerine Saturday returns on November 30 - Double Aeroplan Miles for CIBC cardholders

Another last hurrah for CIBC Aerogold Visa cardholders comes this Saturday with the return of Tangerine Saturday.

What is Tangerine Saturday? It is quite simple really. Essentially CIBC Aerogold cardholders were earn Double Aeroplan Miles on all eligible retail purchases made on November 30th only, in store or online.

You can find the complete details here

Eligible merchants include grocery stores, drug stores, department stores, specialty retailers and most online retailers but exclude (among others) travel, entertainment, dining, or telcom service providers. Bonus miles are awarded based on the sum total of purchases (including taxes but excluding any returns or disputed charges). Bonus miles are available for domestic transactions only. Bonus miles will be earned on top of applicable grocery and drug multipliers, as illustrated: All CIBC Aerogold Visa cards (other than CIBC Aero Classic Visa): 2X the Miles promotion = 1 Base Mile + 1 Bonus Mile = 2 miles (or 2.5 miles if applicable grocery/drug multipliers apply) per dollar spent. CIBC Aero Classic Visa: 2X the Miles promotion = 1 Base Mile + 1 Bonus Mile = 2 miles (2.5 miles, if applicable grocery/drug multipliers apply) / $2 spent.

Air Miles: 60 Bonus Reward Miles for Best Western stays in Canada, the U.S. and Caribbean

The current Air Miles offer of 40 Bonus Miles for Best Western stays wraps up on Saturday and they are not wasting anytime in pushing out the next bonus offer! Air Miles members can earn even more Reward Miles with the promotion for Best Western stays until May of next year.

Here is the offer as it will appear on our Air Miles Bonus page later today:

60 Bonus Air Miles Reward Miles for each qualified stay at Best Western branded hotels in Canada, the United States, or the Caribbean Islands. Full details, Online Registration and Booking Nov 30 - May 4, 14 (Registration is required)

ATB Gold My Rewards Travel MasterCard 100,000 Point Sign Up Bonus - Classic case of "Remember people it's all about the EARN and the BURN"

The other day when I was driving home I heard an ad on the radio for the ATB Gold My Rewards Travel MasterCard. What caught my attention was the offer of 100,000 bonus points if you spend $50 on the card by January 31st! Whoa I thought as no card in Canada has offered a 100,000 point sign up bonus before and it reminded me of the immensely popular British Airways 100,000 Avios card offer south of the border.

Now I'll admit it's been awhile since I last looked at all the details of this card and could not recall the value of those points. So I decided I would be like many radio listeners and take the approach that I don't know much about the ins and outs of rewards programs and think wow 100,000 points that must be amazing and also think that it is like most other programs in that 100,000 points will get you a big travel reward! I mean if it was equal to Aeroplan or British Airways that would be enough miles for a business class ticket to Europe or multiple economy class tickets within North America. Even other programs like Amex's Membership Rewards that 100,000 would be worth $1,000 in travel if you don't convert to their airline partners.

When I got home I looked up the details on the card to refresh my knowledge of it. Guess what I learned once again and I hope that most people will do the same before jumping on this offer? That 100,000 points is worth a whopping $100! That's right $100 of travel credit. This is a classic case of some sly marketing at work in the hope that you won't examine the burn side of the program and simply apply for the card thinking the 100,000 point bonus is huge. It's not. So just like our post earlier in the year trying to educate Canadians about looking at both sides of a program, I want to stress to you Remember People it's all about the Earn AND the Burn!

Nov 26 Update: Save 10% on Hyatt Gift Cards, JAL to introduce Sky Suite 767 on Vancouver route and you can test the seats in person in YVR

Busy day in the rewards world today! As seen already RBC with their Best Buy/Future shops news plus the Aeroplan Distinction bonuses and the following tidbits along with new bonus offers:

News, Tips & Tricks
Tip of the day: You should always consult the Rewards Canada Car Rental Bonus Listing before you rent a car to see if there is a bonus that can boost your mileage earning on your planned rental. See it in action here!

Are you planning any Hyatt stays soon? Why not save yourself 10% by buying Hyatt Gift Cards? From now until the end of the year you can save 10% on Hyatt Gift Card purchases by using promo code GPGIFT when you buy them online at Hyatt (Hyatt Gift cards can be used at Hyatt locations in the U.S., Canada and Caribbean)

Japan Airlines will be introducing the JAL Sky Suite 767 on their Vancouver - Tokyo route as of Dec 1st. The Sky Suite 767 offers lie flat business class and more room in economy class.

If you are in the Vancouver area and are Japan Airlines Mileage Bank member you can view the new seats at the HSBC Pendulum Gallery between Dec 6 and 13th:

Bonus Offers
Air Canada Aeroplan
- Earn 50% Bonus Aeroplan Miles in any eligible fare class on select Air Canada routes Worldwide. More... Register and book by Dec 31 for travel Jan 4 - Mar 31, 14

American AAdvantage
- Earn Double AAdvantage Miles when you fly between the U.S. and Tokyo or between the U.S. and South Korea. More... Nov 21, 13 - Feb 28, 14
- Earn Double AAdvantage Miles when you fly roundtripon Japan Airlines between San Diego and Tokyo. More... Dec 1, 13 - Feb 28, 14

China Eastern Eastern Miles
- Earn up to Triple Eastern Miles Points for stays at any Shangri-La hotel, resort, Traders hotel or Kerry hotel Worldwide. More... Dec 1, 13- Feb 28, 14

JetBlue TrueBlue (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- 2,013 Bonus TrueBlue Points when you book a flight using your TrueBlue points. More... Register and book by Dec 2 for travel until Jan 31, 14

Le Club accorhotels
- 500 Bonus Le Club Accorhotels Points for stayson the "Magnifique Romance” rate at participating hotels in United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and Italy. More... Book by Dec 31 for stays until Feb 28, 14

Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer
- 500 Bonus Safar Flyer Miles when you like Safar Flyer on Facebook and then refer friends to join Safar Flyer. More... Until Dec 31, 13

Starwood Preferred Guest
- SPG Bring on the Nights: Earn up to 15,000 bonus Starpoints for stays at all Starwood hotels Worldwide. More... Register by Feb 28 for stays between Jan 5 - Apr 30, 14 REGISTRATION SHOULD OPEN MID DECEMBER

Aeroplan Distinction 2014 Flight and Hotel Bonuses Revealed

Aeroplan's Distinction status continues its expansion with the unveiling of 'Distinction Bonus Offers'. Note that these are different than the Aeroplan bonus mile offers that are offered (see our Aeroplan page for all those offers) I do potentially see some members getting confused with these Distinction Bonus and the Aeroplan bonuses. Just remember that Distinction Bonuses will simply make you reach the various Distinction status levels faster while Aeroplan bonus miles actually add miles to your redeemable miles balance. Looks like we got confused! These are actual Aeroplan Bonus miles based upon your Distinction status. So an eligible flight will earn your base Aeroplan Miles + your Distinction bonus per the chart and status levels listed below (+ any Aeroplan bonus miles if there is a promotion going on). These Distinction bonus miles DO NOT count towards your status for the next year. Also beware of the T&C's attached to the Distinction Bonus earning (see the bottom of the post) All the details can also be found at:
http://www4.aeroplan.com/distinction_acgetawaybonus?currentLanguage=en

Here is the news from Aeroplan:

We are now unveiling the Air Canada destinations and hotel partners that will allow members with Distinction status to earn even more bonus miles starting January 1, 2014.  Bonuses include:

Air Canada Getaway bonuses

Members with Distinction status will earn up to 1,500 bonus miles per eligible round trip including a Saturday night when travelling with Air Canada to one of more than twenty popular destinations grouped in the following categories:

The number of Distinction bonus miles changes with the member’s Distinction level:

·        dDiamond members: 1,500 Distinction bonus miles per round trip
·        dBlack members: 1,000 Distinction bonus miles per round trip
·        dSilver members: 500 Distinction bonus miles per round trip

Bonus miles for hotel stays
The hotel partners are now confirmed on who will be offering 250 Distinction bonus miles per eligible stay to dDiamond and dBlack members on up to 20 stays per year, for up to a maximum of 5,000 Distinction bonus miles per calendar year.  That’s in addition to the base and bonus miles members earn for each qualifying stay. To be eligible for the Distinction bonus, members must earn miles in the Aeroplan Program at the time of stay. Hotels include:

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, whose network includes over 65 world-renowned luxury establishments;
Marriott, which offers over 3,800 hotels, including more than 17 banners, in over 74 countries;
Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which owns over 1,100 hotels and resorts in close to 100 countries.

T&C's (bolding is by Rewards Canada):

*Must be an eligible Aeroplan Member with Distinction status. You must provide your Aeroplan Number at time of booking or prior to the first departure flight. An eligible roundtrip is defined as having a Saturday night stay occurring at an eligible destination listed on the Aeroplan website. Distinction bonus miles for eligible roundtrips completed will be awarded for new bookings made on or after July 15, 2013, for travel between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2014. In order to qualify as a new booking, the booking must have been created for the first time with a new booking reference number on or after July 15, 2013. Any booking made prior to July 15, 2013, that is subsequently changed to include travel dates within the qualifying travel period will not be considered a new booking that is eligible for this benefit. Valid on eligible scheduled non-stop flights operated by Air Canada and under the Air Canada Express banner for travel between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2014, with a Saturday night stay. Not valid on flights operated by Air Canada rouge. Entire reservation must include Air Canada or Air Canada Express flights only. No Air Canada rouge, Star Alliance or other airline segments may appear in the same booking. Distinction bonus miles are awarded based on Distinction status once the last qualifying flight in the booking has been completed. All travel must be completed (all segments flown) before the bonus will be issued. To qualify, the flight segments must be travelled in one of the following fare options: Tango; Flex; Latitude; Executive Class Lowest; Executive Class Flexible; Executive First Lowest; and Executive First Flexible. Valid on published fares and Flight Passes that are eligible for Aeroplan Mile accumulation. Offers are not valid when travelling on an Air Canada Unlimited Flight Pass. To qualify, a minimum of one round-trip or two one-way segments must be on the same reservation. Combining two (2) one-way tickets (with different booking reference numbers) to make a round trip with a Saturday night stay in between them are not eligible to qualify for these bonus miles. Combining two reservations to make a roundtrip with a Saturday night stay is not eligible to qualify for these bonus miles. Multi-city bookings are eligible provided that your Saturday night stay occurs at the eligible destination. In the case of arriving in and departing from different destinations, both must be eligible in order to qualify for these bonus miles. Open-jaw at point of origin is permitted. Stopovers and same-day connections are not eligible. The bonus miles are for each individual passenger in the booking provided that they each have Distinction status, and that each Aeroplan Number was provided at time of booking or prior to the first flight departure. These Distinction bonus miles do not qualify towards Distinction status. Distinction bonus miles are not Altitude Qualifying Miles and do not count towards Air Canada Altitude status. Bonus miles will be credited up to three (3) weeks after the qualifying flights are completed. Distinction bonus miles cannot be retroactively credited. Aeroplan Flight Rewards are not eligible for mileage accumulation. Offer and list of eligible destinations are subject to change at Air Canada’s sole discretion without notice and other conditions and restrictions may apply. Please visit aeroplan.com regularly as eligible destinations may change during the same calendar year.

RBC, Best Buy and Future Shop Announce New Enhanced Rewards Redemption Option

Just in time for the holiday shopping season comes this new merchandise redemption option from RBC Rewards. It is always good to have more redemption options in certain loyalty programs, especially one like RBC Rewards since they have cards that are not travel specific but earn RBC Rewards Points and those cardholders may not be as interested in travel rewards, those travel rewards seem to be more for the Avioners! (as RBC likes to call them). This redemption option goes beyond the typical merchandise options seen in many loyalty programs in that the merchandise is not coming from RBC Rewards but rather two well known electronics retailers in Canada, Best Buy and Future Shop. The redemption option lets you redeem your points right at the point of sale online with Best Buy or Future Shop giving you access to all of the items these retailers carry on their website rather than a limited number of items often seen in many reward catalogs.

We approached RBC for the redemption value (since no one in the Rewards Canada family are RBC Rewards members) and they tell us it is 1,000 RBC Rewards Points = $6.50 towards your Best Buy or Future Shop purchases. This translates to a 0.65% rate of return assuming you earned 1 point for $1 spent on your RBC credit card. That return gets a little bit higher if you earned points via the Infinite Avion when booking travel (it earns 1.25 points on travel bookings).  This return however is far below the potential 2%+ seen on travel with the Avion card but it is inline with many of the merchandise and point of sale rewards seen from other loyalty programs those typically range from less than .5% to 1%.


Couple things to take away from the press release, apparently RBC Rewards is now the largest loyalty rewards program in Canada, usually its Air Miles that lays that claim to fame. I'm sure it is all in how you look at the numbers. Second and this is the really interesting part in this new redemption option is that you will be able to use any combination of cash and points to order merchandise from Future Shop or Best Buy. This is very similar to what many airline frequent flyer programs have implemented with cash+miles options for flights and cash+miles for hotels (Iberia Plus does this one).

You can find all the details on this redemption option here and there is even a contest to boot!

So to all you RBC Rewards members, what do you think of this new redemption option? Do you think you will make use of it or will you stick to travel or other rewards?

Here is an excerpt from RBC's press release that was forwarded to me early this morning:

RBC, Best Buy and Future Shop today announced the first redemption option of its kind in Canada that provides clients access to over 90,000 unique merchandise and electronic items, through the RBC Rewards online channel.

“RBC Rewards is excited to expand our relationship with Best Buy Canada and Future Shop. This relationship changes the landscape for redemption selection and convenience, giving clients more control over how they use their points,” said Linda Mantia, executive vice-president, Cards and Payment Solutions, RBC. “We know that quality and variety of rewards are key drivers of client satisfaction for loyalty programs and this launch allows us to open up endless possibilities for our clients to redeem their points for their choice of merchandise and electronics.”

RBC Rewards is the largest and most flexible loyalty rewards program in Canada, enabling clients to redeem their reward points from the largest selection of merchandise in Canada. Clients can earn rewards points every time a purchase is made on an eligible RBC credit card and redeem for merchandise, travel, gift cards and certificates and RBC Financial Rewards vouchers, such as redeeming points to pay down your mortgage or putting the points towards a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP).

“We are very pleased to work with RBC to offer this first-of-its-kind rewards redemption opportunity. This program leverages Best Buy Canada’s unique multichannel capabilities, which include Reserve and Pick Up in store, and delivery to Canadians as early as next day,” said Ron Wilson, president and chief operating officer, Best Buy Canada.

Highlights of the redemption option include:
Access to more merchandise – Over 90,000 merchandise and electronic items available on BestBuy.ca and FutureShop.ca, including new technology items the day they are released.
Sales – With sales on hundreds of items per week, clients also have access to these items for fewer points.
Choice in how you want to pay – Ability to pay with any combination of points or credit cards.
Real time – Clients are able to check to see if an item is in stock at their chosen Best Buy or Future Shop location.
In-store pick up – Along with the ability to receive items at your doorstep, clients will now be able to pick up items in a Best Buy or Future Shop store – something they could not do before.
Fast delivery – Most orders will ship the same day with delivery within 2 to 3 business days.

PointsHound: Earn 1,000 Points / Mile Bonus On Your First Mobile Booking

PointsHound.com the third party hotel booking site that awards miles & points for those bookings is offering a 1,000 mile/point bonus for your first booking that you make via a mobile device. To take advantage of this offer visit PointsHound.com from your mobile device and book by December 2. (this is our referral link, if you haven't joined yet you can do so via this link. You and us will each get a bonus on your first booking)

Terms:
1,000 Points awarded on a first mobile booking made between 12A GMT Tuesday November 26 and 12A GMT Tuesday, December 3
Please allow 2-4 weeks from check-out of hotel reservation for points to post to your account
Must book on a smartphone or tablet to qualify for mobile booking bonus
One (1) bonus maximum per valid PointsHound account
By participating in this promotion, you agree to PointsHound’s Terms & Conditions

Starwood: Earn up to 15,000 Bonus Starpoints with SPG Bring On The Nights (Systemwide promo for Jan-Apr 2014)

Starwood has revealed the details of their first 2014 systemwide promotion:

Earn 2,500 bonus Starpoints for every five eligible nights you stay (up to 10,000 bonus Starpoints and 20 eligible nights). Plus, get an additional 5,000 bonus Starpoints when you hit 25 eligible nights. 

The promotion is valid for stays January 5 - April 30, 14 and all Starwood properties are participating this time! Registration will start sometime in mid-December and you must register by February 28th to earn the bonus Starpoints.

Full details can be found here.

Air Canada: 50% Bonus Aeroplan Miles on select AC routes Worldwide

Now that the Earn Your Wings promotion is over, Air Canada has released a new flight bonus promotion that offers a straight 50% Aeroplan Bonus with any fare when you fly between January 4 and March 31, 2014 on many routes. You must register by December 31 to take advantage of the bonus and like all new flight promotions this offer does not work for bookings made prior to November 25th.  Register online (Registration is required)

Here are the routes the offer is applicable on:

Nov 25 Update: Club Carlson sign up bonus, AAdvantage transfer bonus from Diners Club, IHG 50% Buy Points bonus

Welcome to a new week here on Rewards Canada! After the short week of last this one will be 5 days of updates on all the latest in the travel rewards industry in Canada!

News, Tips & Tricks
Tip of the day: You should always consult the Rewards Canada Route Bonus Listing before you book a flight to see if there is a bonus that can boost your mileage earning on your planned flight. See it in action here!

We have updated the Rewards Canada credit card comparison charts with the new CIBC Aventura Visa offerings. Some of these changes don't take place until Jan 1, 2014 but that is close enough to warrant the update on the site now. Since you will no longer be able to convert Aventura points to Aeroplan we have also moved the card to our Travel Points category and comparison chart and will remove it from the Hybrid category at the end of the year. See how this card stacks up against the rest on our Travel Points chart or All Credit Cards chart.

iI you are not a member of Club Carlson, the frequent guest program for Carlson Rezidor Hotels (Radisson, Country Inns etc) you can earn 4,500 bonus points if you join by tomorrow and complete a stay in the next 30 days. Full details

Travel Deals
Accor Hotels Super Sale is offering of 30% off + free breakfast at over 2,000 of their locations Worldwide (Le Club members will get up ot 40% off, free to join). Book by Nov 29.  Full Details and Online Booking

 

Bonus Offers
Air Canada Aeroplan
- 7x Aeroplan Miles on any Bentley purchase of $150 or more. More... Until Dec 24, 13

American AAdvantage
- 25% Bonus AAdvantage Miles when you convert your Club Rewards points into American Airlines AAdvantage miles.More... Residents of Canada Only Until Dec 31, 13

Emirates Skywards
- Triple Skywards Miles on Hertz rentals of a Group C car or higher for 7 or more days in France. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- Double Skywards Miles on Hertz rentals of 5 or more days in Moscow or St. Petersburg. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- Earn up to Triple Skywards Miles on Hertz rentals of 3 or more days in Warsaw. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- Double Skywards Miles for Sixt rentals in Ukraine. More... Jan 16 - Apr 30, 14

Iberia Plus
- Double Avios when you fly on any Qatar Airways flight Worldwide between November 15, 2013 and December 19, 2013, and between January 6, 2014 and January 31, 2014.More... Register by Dec 31 for travel until Dec 19 & Jan 6 - 31, 14
- 25% Avios Discount on select Iberia Plus award tickets. More... Until Dec 31, 13

IHG Rewards Club
- Earn 50% Bonus IHG Rewards Club points when you buy points online by Dec 2. More... Until Dec 2, 13

Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- Double Mileage Bank Miles for Japan Airlines flights between San Diego and Tokyo. More... Dec 1, 13 - Feb 28, 14 Valid for JMB Members in the Americas only

Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Earn up to 14,000 Bonus QMiles for Qatar Airways flights between Doha and Hangzhou. More... Dec 20 - Feb 28, 14
- Earn up to 14,000 Bonus QMiles for Qatar Airways flights between Doha and Clark. More...Until Dec 31, 13

South African Airways Voyager
- Double Voyager Miles for stays at any participating Kempinski Hotel worldwide. More... Until Jan 15, 14
- Earn up to Triple Voyager Miles when staying at any Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts, Traders Hotel or Kerry Hotel at the Best Available Rate. More... Until Feb 28, 14

SriLankan FlySmiles
- Double FlySmiles Miles for flights in Economy class from Male to Colombo, Chennai, Bangalore, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- Triple FlySmiles Miles for FlySmiLes members who ship goods from the United Kingdom or Singapore to Sri Lanka. More... Until Dec 31, 13

Starwood Cyber Monday Sale - Save up to 40% in North and Latin America - book by Dec 6

Starwood Hotels has launched their annual Cyber Monday sale that provides up to 40% savings for stays at participating Starwood Hotels and Resorts in North and Latin America. Simply book by Dec 6 for stays through January 26, 2014 at hotels and April 27, 2014 at resorts. Click here for complete details or to book this offer. Please note that these are prepaid non refundable rates so be sure that you will be able to complete the stay before you book!

Spectacular IHG Europe Flash Sale - rates from 25GBP/25EUR

Over the past three months IHG has been known for their Reward Night flash sales but here is one that is simply based on price and what good prices they are! Here is the offer from IHG:

Book on 25th November – 26th November for stays between 16th December – 26th January 2014 and you could stay for as little as £25/€25 per room.

We've superb locations across the UK and Europe to choose from - so whether you're planning on visiting friends and family over Christmas, have always wanted to see in the New Year in Edinburgh, or maybe visit London's famous January sales? We've a hotel room to suit every taste, and pocket.

Don’t miss out! This incredible value offer is only available for 48 hours.

Christmas offer prices at all participating hotels:

• Holiday Inn Express^® £25 per room or €25 in Europe
• Holiday Inn^® £35 per room or €35 in Europe
• Crowne Plaza^® £45 per room or €45 in Europe
• Hotel Indigo^® £65 per room or €65 in Europe
• InterContinental^® Hotels and Resorts £125 per room or €125 in Europe

Click here for complete details or to book an IHG stay in Europe or the U.K.

Earn up to 30 Bonus Air Miles per card when buying gift cards at Canada Safeway

Just in time for the holidays came this email from Safeway offering bonus Air Miles on Gift Card purchases! As you know we have always passed along the 'trick' of earning more miles or points on Gift Card purchases by buying them at Grocery Stores when you have a card that offers a grocery store accelerator. Some of those cards include one of our faves the American Express Gold Rewards Card (2x Points), the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card (4x Points), CIBC Aerogold and Aventura cards (1.5x Miles) and numerous others. This offer came at the right time as we have discussed maximizing the miles you earn this past week on CTV BC (see the video here) and on CKNW Vancouver. This is a great example of how can you maximize those miles by earning the bonus on the Gift Card and also taking advantage of any credit card multipliers!

Until November 28 you can earn up to 30 Bonus Air Miles on select Gift Card purchases at Safeway Stores in Canada. You have to print off the coupons to get the bonus miles, which you can do so here

These are only 6 of the 15 offers available with this offer!

Nov 22 Update: Jumeirah Sirius devaluation, RocketMiles bookings help the Philippines, Petro-Points Digital Rewards

Last day of the work week brings lots of news and bonus offers!

News, Tips & Tricks
Tip of the day: Are you a few miles short of an award? Buying miles is always an option and we track all bonus offers for buying/gifting/transferring miles on our Buy Miles page. Sometimes these buy miles offers (US Airways as an example) are worthwhile to buy a lot of miles to redeem for flights. See it in action here!

Petro-Points has introduced digital rewards to their rewards catalog. These digital rewards include
•    Music: Singles and albums
•    Movies: 24 hour rentals or unlimited streaming
•    TV shows: Single episodes and full seasons
•    eBooks and Audiobooks
Always good to see more redemption options, especially from a program where some of us may not be collecting enough points for some of the pricier rewards. Find out more about this new Petro-Points redemption option here.

We posted an offer on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com for a new Hilton HHonors credit card for Australia residents and that raises the question if a Canadian card is on the horizon. The Australian market is very similar to Canada's in terms of loyalty program participation and a small, spread out population. Here in Canada Hilton is growing steadily, we know that in Calgary alone there are going to be no less than 3 or 4 new Hilton brands opening here in the next few years. We here at Rewards Canada would not be surprised if an HHonors credit card comes to our market by 2015.

British Airways has re-branded their online shopping mall as "Gate 365" but it doesn't appear there are any other changes to it. You can earn up 12 Avios per dollar spent at over 150 online retailers. See more here.

Lost in the midst of devaluations from United, Hyatt, Alaska was another program that has released some increased rates for redemptions and that was Jumeirah Sirius. The frequent guest program for the luxury chain Jumeirah released their 2014 award night redemption rates and many of those have gone up by 50 to 400 points over the 2013 rates. To see the 2013 and 2014 redemption charts click here.

Rocketmiles is helping out in the Philippines!

Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest tropical storms ever recorded, recently swept through the Central Philippines, leaving behind a path of destruction. Rocketmiles is committed to providing assistance by sending relief packages to one specific area in need, Bantayan Island.

You can help us in our efforts.

For every booking made through this link, an additional relief package* containing food, hygiene, and essential home goods will be added to our shipment on your behalf. The effort is made possible with the help of the Bangon Bantayanons organization.
*Each package will contain 1 tent, 1 gas lamp, 6 pounds of rice, 1 gallon of water, 15 canned goods, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, shampoo, laundry detergent, baby wipes, matchsticks, and disinfectant.
 

Bonus Offers
Air Miles
- 250 Bonus Air Miles Reward Miles when you book new, individual Transat Holidays and Nolitours vacation packages only via Marlin Travel including airfare and a minimum of 7 nights accommodation at a participating resorts. More... Book by Nov 30 for travel Dec 21, 13 - Apr 30, 14

American AAdvantage
- Earn up to 18,000 Bonus AAdvantage Miles when you buy AAdvantage Miles online. More... Until Dec 31, 13

China Airlines Dynasty Flyer
- Double Dynasty Flyer Miles on all Sixt Rentals Worldwide. More... Until Dec 15, 13

Etihad Guest
- Triple Guest Miles on all Europcar rentals Worldwide. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- Double Guest Miles on the purchase of tickets at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. Simply present your Etihad Guest membership card. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- Double Guest Miles on the purchase of tickets at Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi. More... Until Dec 31, 13

Hyatt Gold Passport
- Earn up to 30% Bonus Gold Passport Points when you buy Hyatt Gold Passport points online. More... Until Nov 29, 13

Marriott Rewards
- $100 Bonus Bucks when you stay at least two consecutive nights Sunday - Thursday at participating Marriott Hotels in 10 U.S. states. More... Book by Dec 20 for stays until Jan 6, 14
- 3,000 Bonus Points per stay of 2 nights or more at the SpringHill Suites Old Montreal. More... Until Dec 21, 13
- 1,500 Bonus Points per stay at the Courtyard New Orleans Downtown/Convention Center. More... Until Dec 31, 13

Saudia Alfursan
- Double Alfursan Miles on all Budget car rentals in Saudia Arabia. More... Until Jan 31, 14

Southwest Rapid Rewards (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Double Rapid Rewards Points on every eligible stay at a Country Inns & Suites® hotel in the U.S. More... Until Dec 31, 13

IHG Rewards Club members can save an extra 10% on weekend stays in Europe

Right now, members can get an extra 10% or more off the lowest online rates by booking their stay direct with IHG. Simply book by January 31 for stays until February 28 that include a Friday or Saturday night. Full details and online booking

Book between 14 November 2013 and 31 January 2014 for a stay between 1 December 2013 and 28 February 2014, including a Friday or Saturday night, at selected (see participation list ) European Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza and Hotel Indigo hotels and quote “IHG Rewards Club Exclusive Rate” to receive a discount of at least 10% on all retail rates (Best Flexible Rate with Breakfast, Best Flexible Rate, Advance Saver Rate Room Only, Weekend Escapes Rate, Advance Saver Rate with Breakfast, 21 Day Super Saver with Breakfast, 21 Day Super Saver Room Only, where available). Offer only available to IHG Rewards Club members.

Rocketmiles: Get 3,000 Bonus Miles For Mobile Bookings

Better late then never with certain promos! We've been meaning to pass this offer along to our readers for a week and half now but it got stuck in our serious back log of bonuses to add to FFB! (we even discussed it with the Rocketmiles crew in Vancouver last week at an industry conference)

The promotion awards 3,000 Bonus Miles in the program of your choice that is partnered with Rocketmiles for stays that are booked via a mobile device by 11:59pm CT Nov 30  and completed by Dec 31, 13. You must book your stay via the special promotion page at https://www.rocketmiles.com/mobile-bonus/ but if you are not a member of Rocketmiles yet you can join via our referral link to earn 1,000 more miles on your first booking and we'll get a referral credit of the same amount. So if this will be your first time using Rocketmiles you should be able to get 4,000 bonus miles over and above what they award for the stay itself.

Delta Hotels: Double elite stay/night credit on all stays until the end of the year

This is one program we probably don't give enough coverage to here on Rewards Canada other than the their Aeroplan bonus promos or occasional 35% offers. The Delta Privilege program is benefit type frequent guest program as they do not award points for the program itself although you can earn Aeroplan or Asia Miles with it. The benefits that the program provides are great even at the basic level, free internet and late check out being the key features that are included in all levels of the program. In fact last winter we had a stay at the Delta Kananaskis Lodge and on the morning of check out we heard there was a bad accident blocking the highway back into Calgary. Rather than being stuck on the highway for hours we were able to enjoy the pool and hot tub on that snowy day since our Delta Privilege membership provided us with 3pm late checkout (non-resort locations goes until 6pm!) Rewards Canada will have a more thorough review of the program in the coming weeks but all we can say is that the benefits get even better when you reach Gold, Platinum or Platinum Plus in the program which leads us into this promotion that launched on November 15th.

Delta Privilege members will receive double elite status stay/night credits until Dec 31 on all of their eligible Delta stays. Which means you can get Gold status with 3 stays if haven't had any stays yet this year or if you have hopefully this promotion will help you earn Platinum or Platinum Plus status. For complete details on the promotion please click here.

Nov 21 Update: US Airways to leave Star Alliance on March 1? Shangri-La contest week 5 (free points!), 5x Aeroplan Miles on Esso fills

What does Thursday have in store? Read on to find out!

News, Tips & Tricks
According to this article on FrequentBusinessTraveler.com, US Airways is set to leave the Star Alliance on March 1 and join the oneworld alliance one month later. What does this mean? If you are a Dividend Miles member not too much as you will be able to continue to redeem for US Airways flights but will of course lose access to Star Alliance flights (primarily Air Canada for us Canadians) and Aeroplan members or members of other Star Alliance airlines well if you had US Airways travel planned in the next few months now is the time to redeem for those flights and vice versa for Dividend Miles members looking to redeem on Air Canada or other Star Alliance airlines

We have not been heeding our own advice and totally forgot to enter week 4 of Shangri-La's Golden Circle 3rd Annivesary contest which means we'll only come out with 1,000 free points instead of 1,200 (that 1,000 points is still enough for a free night at select hotels) So here is early notice, don't forget to enter week 5 of the 6 week contest! 

Travel Deals
Delta Hotels is offering up to 35% off for stays at their locations across Canada. Simply book by Nov 24 for stays until Mar 2, 2014. Full Details and Online Booking

Bonus Offers
Air Canada Aeroplan
- 5x Aeroplan Miles when you fuel up three times or more with Regular Grade gasoline or Diesel Fuel purchases and swipe your Aeroplan Card (or your Speedpass linked to Aeroplan) at Esso stations across Canada. More... Until Dec 1, 13

Air France KLM Flying Blue
- Earn 3,000 Bonus Flying Blue Miles when you join the Flying Blue program and complete your first Air France, KLM or any SkyTeam partner flight by June 30, 2014. More... Join by Jan 31, 14 Restrictions: Residents of Canada only

British Airways Executive Club
- Triple Avios for stays at any participating Accor Hotel Worldwide. More... Until Dec 31, 13

Delta SkyMiles
- Triple SkyMiles for stays at any Sofitel or Novotel hotel in North America for 2 or more nights. More... Until Mar 31, 14

Iberia Plus
- Triple Avios on all Europcar rentals Worldwide More... Until Dec 31, 13
- Triple Avios on all Hertz rentals of 3 or more days Worldwide. More... Book by Dec 15 for rentals until Dec 31, 13
- Triple Avios on all Sxit rentals of 3 or more days in Germany and Spain. More... Book by Dec 26 for rentals until Dec 31, 13

JetBlue TrueBlue
- Earn up to 5x TrueBlue Points on any Hertz rental of 2 or more days at participating locations in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. More... Until Mar 31, 14

La Quinta Returns
- Earn up to Triple Returns Points for stays at participating La Quinta locations in the U.S. More... Until Dec 5, 13

Air France KLM 3,000 Flying Blue miles sign up bonus for Canadians returns!

Today sees the return of the Canadian Air France KLM first flight bonus when you join their Flying Blue program that we saw this past summer. This is a duplicate of the summer offer and as such is unlike most other AF KLM sign up bonuses as this one is not limited to AF KLM flights but is open to any SkyTeam flight! So you can fly Delta, Korean, Czech Airlines, or any other SkyTeam airline to earn this bonus. 

Here is the offer as it will be posted on the Rewards Canada's Flying Blue Bonus Miles page tomorrow:

Earn 3,000 Bonus Flying Blue Miles when you join the Flying Blue program and complete your first Air France, KLM or any SkyTeam partner flight by June 30, 2014. Use promo code CAXM when you join the Flying Blue program online at KLM.com (CA). Join by January 31, 14
Restrictions:
Residents of Canada only

Can't make use of this promotion? Be sure to visit our Flying Blue Bonus Miles page for other flight,  hotel, car rental and other mileage bonuses!

Nov 20 Update: American 'boost' your status offer, Coast Hotels adds More Rewards as partner, 3x Points/2x Status Credit with Voila Hotel Rewards

Wednesday is mixed bag of news and bonuses! We hope that everyone's week is going well!

News, Tips & Tricks
American AAdvantage  is offering current elite status members who may not reach status for 2014 an opportunity to 'boost' their status for a small cost if you fall within a predetermined boost range. Even if you don't get within boost range you can always buy back your status but it will cost you more than the boost rate. Click here for complete details

Coast Hotels Coast Rewards has added the Overwaitea Food Groups' More Rewards as a partner. Now More Rewards members can earn More Rewards points on Coast Hotel stays in Canada and the U.S. To celebrate the launch of the new partnership More Rewards Members can earn 6x the points per dollar spent on Coast Hotel stays until Jan 31, 14. See all the details here.

Bonus Offers
airberlin topbonus
- Double topbonus Miles for flights on Qatar Airways Worldwide in all eligible booking classes More.. Register by Dec 6 for travel Nov 15 - Dec 19 & Jan 6 - 31, 14

IHG Rewards Club
- Double IHG Rewards Club Points plus, save up to 15% on qualifying Hertz Affordable Rate rentals of one or more days at participating locations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Brazil, Europe, Mexico, Middle East, New Zealand and St. Thomas. More... Until Dec 31, 13

JetBlue TrueBlue (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Earn up to 50% Bonus TrueBlue Points when you buy or gift TrueBlue points online. More... Until Dec 31, 13

Jumeriah Sirius
- Double Sirius Points for stays at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray. More... Until Jan 31, 14
- Earn up to Triple Sirius Points for stays on the Sirius Winter Flavours package at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Jumeirah Emirates Towers or the Madinat Jumeirah Dubai. More... Until Apr 30, 14

Marriott Rewards
- Double Rewards Points plus, save up to 15% on qualifying Hertz Affordable Rate rentals of one or more days at participating locations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Brazil, Europe, Mexico, Middle East, New Zealand and St. Thomas. More... Until Dec 31, 13

Starwood Preferred Guest
- 20,000 Bonus Starpoints with the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express. More... Residents of United Kingdom Only

United MileagePlus
- Earn up to 100% Bonus MileagePlus miles when you fly United between San Francisco and Taipei. More...  Mar 29 - Jun 20, 14

Volia Hotel Rewards
- Triple VHR Rewards Points & Double Elite Status credit when you stay at any VHR brand—other than the one where you initially enrolled. More... Until Dec 31, 14

Nov 19 Update: American & US Airways to offer reciprocal FFP benefits in the new year, United shopping bonus, Virgin Atlantic Buy Miles bonus

Today is a bonus offer day! Just a little bit of news to pass your way otherwise are you bonusing?

News, Tips & Tricks
Last week we mentioned that the American Airlines-US Airways merger is back on track and according to this USA Today article the airlines will begin offering reciprocal FFP benefits on each others flights as of January 7th. This is good news for flyers in each program as now you can expand your choice of flights to earn miles in either the Dividend Miles or AAdvantage programs.

Bonus Offers
Air Canada Aeroplan
- Earn up to 100 Bonus Aeroplan Miles each you time you fill up with gas at Esso stations across Canada. More... Until Dec 8, 13

airberlin topbonus
- Double topbonus Miles for stays at select Lindner Hotels in Europe. More... Dec 1 - 21, 13 and Jan 5 - 31, 14

Germanwings Boomerang Club (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Triple Boomerang Miles on your next hotel booking made via HRS.de. More... Book by Nov 24 for stays until Feb 28, 14

Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- Double Mileage Bank Miles on all eligible Bangkok Airways flights systemwide in eligible fare classes. More...Dec 1, 13 - Feb 28, 14

United MileagePlus
- MileagePlus Shopping Earn up to 2,500 Bonus MileagePlus miles when you shop via MileagePlus shopping. More...  Full details Until Dec 31, 13

US Airways Dividend Miles
- 5x Dividend Miles on rentals of 1 day or more at participating Avis airport locations in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico (excluding Alaska). More... Until Apr 30, 14
- Quadruple Dividend Miles qualifying rentals of 1 or more days at participating Budget airport locations in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico (excluding Alaska). More... Until Apr 30, 14

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- Earn 20% Bonus Miles Flying Club Miles on Miles Booster Purchases for Virgin Atlantic flights. More...  Until Dec 12, 13
- Earn up to 20% Bonus Miles Flying Club Miles when you buy, gift or transfer Flying Club Miles online. More...  Until Dec 12, 13

WestJet Rewards
- Earn 5x WestJet Dollars when you fly on WestJet Encore between Calgary or Vancouver and Ft. St. John. More...  Until Feb 7, 14
- Earn 5x WestJet Dollars when you fly on WestJet Encore between Vancouver and Terrace. More...  Until Jan 31, 14

Another small devaluation to tell you about, this time it's Alaska Airlines (although its not as bad as the others!)

The last 10 months haven't been too great in the Frequent Flyer and Frequent Guest world as programs from Aeroplan to United and many in between have announced changes to their award/reward charts. A few weeks ago when we discussed the negative changes to the United MileagePlus program we had crossed our fingers that Alaska Airlines wouldn't follow suit. Unfortunately they have. Last week they announced some changes to their award tickets that will take effect on January 14, 2014. This changes really only affect Mileage Plan members in British Columbia and Alberta. Why? The increases are only for flights on Alaska Airlines metal and they only serve cities in B.C. and Alberta. Of course those of you in the East can be affected if you fly with them within the U.S. however most Mileage Plan members outside of Alberta/B.C. I would imagine are redeeming for Mileage Plan partner flights and those awards were not affected as they only account for 16% of their total flight redemptions. With all the being said, the actual changes to the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan award ticket chart are minor in comparison to what we saw from Aeroplan, Delta and United.

Here are the three Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan award charts that will see the changes in January. Remember these are for flights on Alaska Airlines only, not their partners.

Award tickets for travel within the U.S. and Canada

Award tickets for travel between the U.S./Canada & Hawaii

Award tickets for travel between the U.S./Canada & Mexico

Essentially the best award flights (essentially saver tickets at the lowest level) for travel between Canada and the U.S./Alaska/Hawaii/Mexico or or within the U.S. have not changed for coach class. Only the refundable awards in all those areas and better availability coach awards to Hawaii will see slight increases of 2,500 miles each way and we even see a part of the award chart get better, First Class award tickets that come with restrictions to Mexico drops by 2,500 miles each way!

All in all this is what award devaluations should look like. Very minor and acceptable in our minds and we believe that most Mileage Plan members would feel the same.