Why proprietary credit card reward programs are the best option for most Canadians

This feature article was posted to the main Rewards Canada website last Wednesday December 9th right before our computer crashed. Hence not much action here on Rewards Canada since then!

As much as Canadians love their reward programs there are two universal truths: a.) It takes too long to accumulate meaningful points and b.) There are never enough flights available when you want to travel.

While I’ve written and conducted numerous media interviews on the topic, the best advice I can offer is to understand your options.

At their core, true frequent flyer programs such as Aeroplan are all about rewarding your travel behavior. Sure you can earn miles through your credit card spend but the bulk of your earning power is still associated with travel.

The AIR MILES Reward Program funny enough is less about frequent travel and more of frequent shopping. You earn a bulk of your miles by shopping at partner retailers, taking advantage of bonus offers and double or triple dripping by using your associated credit card.

So are you a frequent flyer or a frequent shopper? Knowing this is the first step to understanding how you can earn more points faster.

Problem is it still doesn’t solve the reward redemption part of the equation. Sadly, flight inventory continues to plague both programs and unless you’re either super flexible on where you want to go or can plan months and months in advance, there are limited options.

Or are there???

Continue reading the whole article here.