Canada's Top Travel Rewards Credit Cards for 2010

Today on RewardsCanada.ca we posted our second annual picks for Canada's top travel rewards credit cards.. We have combed over 60 different credit cards offering travel rewards for Canadians and of those there are a few that really stand out. While it is practically impossible to give this question a perfect one card answer, we can breakdown the market of Canadian Travel Rewards credit cards into five major categories that these cards fall into. Without further ado, here are the top travel rewards credit cards for 2010 as picked by RewardsCanada.ca:

Top Airline Credit Card
CIBC AeroGold Visa / AeroGold Visa Infinite

Top Hybrid Travel Credit Card
RBC Visa Platinum Avion / Visa Infinite Avion

Top Travel Points Credit Card (with annual fee)
Capital One Aspire Travel™ World MasterCard®

Top Travel Points Credit Card (with no annual fee)
American Express Blue Sky Credit Card

Top Hotel Points Credit Card
Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express

For the complete article, details on each card plus runners up in each category please visit the full Canada's Top Travel Rewards Credit Card for 2010 page on the Rewards Canada website

Care to comment on our choices? Want to voice your opinion on the good and the bad of all the Travel Rewards Credit Cards in Canada. Share you views and experiences by leaving a comment below.

Air Canada adding service to New Orleans

Following on the heels of WestJet's announcement of service to New Orleans, Air Canada will return to New Orleans with daily non-stop service starting on Oct 30. The new route will be flown with Jazz CRJ-705 aircraft with executive and economy class onboard.

Flight Timings:
Toronto-New Orleans Dep 0950 Arr 1200
New Orleans-Toronto Dep 1235 Arr 1620

Source: Air Canada Press release

Royal Air Maroc increases Montreal-Casablanca service

According to Airline Route Updates, Royal Air Maroc is increasing service between Montreal and Casablanca for the winter season. The number of flights will go up to 7 from 5 effective Dec 16, 10.

Flight Timings of new flights:
Montreal-Casablanca Dep 0735 Arr 1925 Days 46
Casablanca-Montreal Dep 2105 Arr 2359 Days 46

WestJet adds New Orleans, Grand Cayman and Santa Clara, Cuba

From the WestJet press release:

CALGARY, July 7 /CNW/ - WestJet today unveiled its winter schedule for 2010-2011, featuring three new destinations, 10 new routes and expanded service on more than 30 others - and at everyday low fares all year-round.

Beginning in November, WestJet will launch seasonal, non-stop service to New Orleans, Santa Clara (Cuba) and Grand Cayman Island, all from Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

WestJet will also launch new seasonal, non-stop service between the following cities:

- Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Montreal and Montego Bay, Jamaica
- Montreal, Calgary and Varadero, Cuba
- Toronto and Palm Springs

WestJet will extend its non-stop service from seasonal to year-round between the following cities:

- Ottawa and Halifax
- Ottawa and Vancouver
- Toronto and Bermuda
- Toronto and Samana, DR
- Toronto and Puerto Vallarta
- Montreal and Punta Cana. >>

WestJet will increase the number of seasonal, non-stop flights this winter from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal to exciting destinations such as Honolulu, Maui, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas.

Air Canada/Middle East Airlines launch codesharing services

Thanks to Airline Route Updates for the news:

As of Jul 1, Air Canada and Middle East Airlines launched codesharing services on each others flights. Air Canada has placed their flights numbers on MEA's flights between Beirut and Geneva and London Heathrow while MEA will be codesharing on AC's Canada-London flights and Montreal-Geneva flight.

WestJet Winter Services Reduced at Hamilton International Airport

Hamilton, Ont. – (June 24, 2010) – It was announced today that some of WestJet winter services at John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport will be reduced, effective November 1, 2010. WestJet flights to and from Hamilton International throughout this summer will continue as normal.

The change in winter schedule will affect services to Moncton, Halifax, Winnipeg and Edmonton. Regular services to Calgary, which include 13 scheduled weekly flights, will continue as will WestJet flights to Cancún, Mexico; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and Orlando, Florida. WestJet intends to return in summer 2011.

Source: Hamilton International Airport

InterContinental Hotels Group RBC Canadian Open Promo

If you are planning on attending the RBC Canadian Open in late July, or are just going to the Toronto area at the time, IHG is offering a pretty decent promotion for staying at their Toronto area hotels that includes 1,000 bonus Priority Club points, Free Parking and if you choose, 2 Adult tickets to the Canadian Open for anywhere from $86-$130 on top of room cost versus the a cost $140 advance or $160 at the gate. For more details or the book online please click here.

Air Canada eases restrictions on the use of upgrade certificates for the summer

In a repeat of the same promotion last summer, Air Canada is once again easing the restrictions on the use of elite upgrade certificates for the summer travel season. From June 29 to September 6, members holding certificates will be able to upgrade from any Tango Plus fare for flights within Canada or from Canada to the U.S. See the excerpt below from the Air Canada website for details. For further information please visit AirCanada.com

• Eligible travel period:
• June 29 – September 6, 2010
• Eligible destinations:
• Canada
• Continental United States
• Hawaii (with the use of 2010 Top Tier System-Wide Upgrade Certificates only)
• Eligible fares for this offer:

Eligible fare options	Eligible booking classes	Upgrade request
Tango Plus	M, U, H, Q, V, W, S, L, A	Super Elite: within 7 days Elite: within 4 days Prestige: within 2 days
Latitude	Y, B	Anytime prior to departure

Easy way to earn extra Aeroplan miles if you are planning Best Western stays

Best Western is once again running their bonus miles promotion for buying Best Western Travel Cards online. Best Western travel cards are just like gift cards and can be used towards stays at any Best Western Hotel. This promotion offers buyers a whopping 1,500 bonus Aeroplan miles for every C$100 in Travel Card purchases. On top of this you will earn whatever miles or points you earn on your credit card to make the purchase and then you will earn your regular Best Western Rewards or Aeroplan miles on the actual hotel stay.

If you collect miles in other programs the promotion is also available for AIR MILES, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta, Southwest and US Airways but the bonus per $100 is not as lucrative as the Air Canada offer. The travel card bonus offer is valid for purchases made until Aug 31, 10

Best Western is also running another promotion at this time that can be taken advantage of with the travel card offer in that for every two stays you complete Worldwide between June 20 and August 15 you will earn a free stay voucher that can be used in the U.S. or Canada.

For details and to purchase travel cards with the Aeroplan offer please see here
For all the other programs see here
For the stay 2 earn 1 offer please see here

Scotiabank Launches New ScotiaGold Passport Visa Travel Booking Website

For all of you ScotiaGold Passport Visa holders, you have a new website that you can do your reward bookings with and they'll even give 250 bonus points just for visiting the new site. The site allows cardholders to book travel with their reward points, cash or a combination of both.

Source: Scotiabank Press Release