Flight Review: WestJet WS1468/WS1469 YYC-PSP-YYC

I know I mentioned that I don’t post too many flight reviews in my last flight review but I have found time for another one. So I promise that I will not say this anymore. I will just post my flight reviews when I can! Much like the last one I wasn’t planning on this so there are not a lot photos!

Back in August my wife, our two kids and I planned a trip to Palm Springs which we ended up cancelling because our cat, Cirrus, took a turn for the worse with her fight with melanoma. We knew we didn’t have much time with her so we didn’t even question cancelling the trip. It helped that we booked with WestJet as they are the only ones who serve PSP directly from YYC and the cancellations only cost us $50 a ticket. Fast forward to mid-November with a sizable credit sitting in my WestJet travel bank and our beloved Cirrus no longer with us (we had to put her down on September 1st) we decided that we needed to get out of YYC for some sun, relaxing and decent shopping. I found flights that worked for us leaving December 1st, returning the 5th and tried to book them online using the travel bank credit but as the credit was in my name it wouldn’t let me apply it to everyone in the family (apparently a security feature WestJet employs so that credits can’t be misused). I had to call the sales center to make the booking and it was an easy process having the credit applied for the bookings over the phone. The agent also helped in the seat selection option as we had prepaid our seats initially in August which was never refunded to us after cancelling, so she just applied it to this booking.

Fast forward to November 30 and we do our online check-in from home. No problems for my wife or kids but for me I get the message that I had to get my boarding pass at the airport. Great! I had been randomly chosen for a more detailed search at security. We arrived at YYC for the 10:35am flight with time to spare at 7am with the anticipation that U.S. customs and security could take us awhile as we had experienced in the past. Check in was relatively quick and low and behold for the first time I had the “SSSS” notation on my boarding pass. For a quick second I was actually excited as I had never been singled out for a more detailed search but of course that faded as fast as it came as it just meant more time to be spent in security. The family was hungry since we skipped breakfast as we planned on filling up in the Rocky Mountain lounge after security but now with the extra search and the waits we had experienced before we were thinking we may not be lounging it (happened to the family on our annual Maui trip earlier in the year!)

That being said, customs wasn’t as bad as we have seen before around 7am and even with the extra security check we were through by 8am. A quick right turn after security and up the stairs to the Rocky Mountain Lounge. Our Diners Club MasterCards got us in for free and there were only two other people in the lounge when we entered. The breakfast spread is primarily continental breakfast style but overall it was a good selection. They also had sandwiches and other snacks nicely plastic wrapped should we want to grab some for our flight. The next two hours were spent relaxing in the peace and quiet of the lounge, and in the case of my nine year old, reading the newspaper?!??

Reading the comics of course!

With boarding to start at 10am for our flight we leave the lounge a few minutes before that to grab some reading materials and head to our assigned gate C23. The area is packed beyond packed with WestJet guests (do they still call passengers that?) for flights to Phoenix, Orlando, and Palm Springs. The area past C23 was closed for the arrival of a domestic flight that would change over to U.S. control for the Orlando flight. This is exactly the reason why I love lounge access, the comfy seats and peace and quiet of the lounge compared to zoo in the C21-24 area is not even comparable. Ten o’clock arrives and the WestJet gate agent states that boarding for the Palm Springs flight will start shortly at gate C23. Not more than a few minutes after that we see the display for gate C23 switch from Palm Springs to Orlando. Seriously? You’re switching our gate and plane for the Mickey Mouse fanatics? Yup that is exactly what they did. The gate agent came on the PA announcing the change and that the Palm Spring flight was now going to depart from C24, the gate that was closed off from us since it was domestic arrival. They couldn’t tell us a time the gate would open or even when the plane would arrive, just that it would be shortly.  Well we heard those announcements a few times and the plane arrived late from its original destination (I heard London ON but can’t confirm) and once again that the gate area would be open any minute. Well that was a bust since some of the people getting off the plane decided to go to Tim Hortons and/or the bathrooms right in that area which further delayed it.  Once the doors were open at gate C24 WestJet did a pretty good job of getting the plane turned around, security inspected and we were set to board a little after 11am.

Of course the flight was technically late now as the 10:35 scheduled departure time was well eclipsed by the 15 minute on time rule. According to Flight Aware our actual wheels up time was 11:46. This included about a 4-5 plane wait at Runway 28 for arriving flights and one departing flight ahead of us. The flight was on one of WestJet's newest 737-800s, fin # 817 which has the new seats and no inflight entertainment. They did announce at the gate that the plane had no TV's and you could tell a few people were unhappy about that. To me, while I do enjoy in-flight entertainment it wasn't that big of deal, we had reading material, iPods and activities for the kids but I must admit without the IFE or even moving map display the flight felt longer than it should have (see later for actual flying time which was actually quite good).  The flight wasn't very full so the four of us took up all six seats on both sides of the aisle. This set up provided us with ample space and with none of us coming close to being six feet tall, the leg room was fine. The inflight service was OK but nothing spectacular, the flight attendants were so-so with their attitude, not the bubbly joking type seen on WestJet in the past but not evil dragon lady either. Our scheduled arrival time into Palm Springs was 12:36 but of course with our delayed departure we actually arrived into PSP at 13:39. Flying time was just under three hours.

WS1468 YYC-PSP

We enjoyed a a great vacation in Palm Springs based out of the Westin Mission Hills Resort and Spa (review to follow) but before we know it we were back at PSP for the return flight to YYC. The inbound flight was delayed by about a half hour which of course meant our flight was delayed by about that much.  We had a scheduled departure time of 1:25pm but weren't wheels up until 13:58. The return flight was on a 2010 delivered 737-800, tail number 813 which did have seat back TVs. Since WestJet's live TV option isn't available until almost the Canadian border they provided several movies that are normally pay-per-view for free. Unlike our flight down to PSP this flight was packed. I didn't do a thorough check but it appeared that only a couple of seats may have been open. Once again service was decent for what is provided on 3 hour flights (free non-alcoholic drinks, buy on board food and alcoholic drinks plus the free Cookies or Nuts N Bolts). The flight attendants were indifferent to most people it seemed, not really cheery or friendly and bordering on grumpy. Not really like what everyone seems to rave about with WestJet.  The scheduled arrival time of of 17:33 was missed because the half hour delay but a some time was made up during the flight as our arrival at the gate was at 17:50.  Customs was relatively quick although I still can't wait for Nexus however, should be by June of this year as that is the earliest my whole family could get in together for interviews. Luggage took a bit longer as there were a bunch of flights waiting for luggage in the customs areas but we were lucky enough that we didn't have to wait too long for luggage and we were able to get into the final customs line with only about 10 people in front of us.

WS1469 PSP-YYC

Before these WestJet flights, I had not flown on WS for over a year and half as all my flights have been on Air Canada since March of 2011. I must say that overall I am not as impressed as many people seem to be with them and how they continually berate Air Canada. Who knows, maybe I am a lucky one but all my Air Canada flights are pretty much equal too or better than the WestJet flights I have experienced. Outside of air traffic or weather delays my Air Canada flights are on time and the service at the airports and on board from the flight attendants are just as good if not better than WestJet's. Even my kids seem to prefer Air Canada, and as most parents know, kids tell it like it is and they seem to have preferred their flights on Air Canada. In fact when we told them we were going to Palm Springs, they asked if it was on AC and when told no, it is on WestJet they seemed a little sad. However with that being said, these flights were good and there was nothing really big to complain about. My family and I will definitely fly with WestJet again when the need arises (such as Palm Springs again since we prefer direct flights versus connecting when we can!)

Jan 3 Update: Pay to requalify for AAdvantage Status, Aeroplan discounts 1 way awards, Emirates January Miles Accelerator

Second full day at it in 2013 and it's a busy one:

News, Tips & Tricks
American Airlines is offering 2012 AAdvantage Gold and Platinum Elite members a chance to buy back their status if they failed to requalify. AAdvantage will reach out to members on or after January 30 advising them of their status and then they will have until May 15 to renew. Full details can be found here.

Japan Airlines has changed the Mileage Bank mileage accumulation rate for certain JAL fares. Higher end saver Economy Class fares B and E will now earn the full 100% miles of the flight instead of the previous 70% while the lowest Economy saver fares L,V,S drop to 50% from 70% and the bottem end Q and N fares will only earn 30% of the actual mileage instead of the previous 50%.

Technically a bonus offer but since it is only available for a short time this latest sign up offer is not listed on the main Rewards Canada site: BMO is offering 1,000 Air Miles when you apply for the BMO AIR MILES World MasterCard by January 14, 2013. The miles will be awarded with the first purchase on the card. Apply for the card here (Thanks again to Randy M!)

Air India has postponed the planned reintroduction of their Toronto-Delhi service. Initially slated to start March 1st the airline has not announced when they plan on resuming the flight. (Source: Airline Route Update)

Emirates Skywards Miles Accelerator for January includes Business Class and First Class between Toronto and Dubai. See the link below fore more details

Travel Deals
Air Canada and WestJet both launched major seat sales today. WestJet's is for travel within Canada until Apr 27 and must be booked by January 8th while Air Canada's must be booked by January 10 for travel until May 31 to destinations Worldwide.

Bonus Offers
Air Canada Aeroplan
- 25% Aeroplan Miles Discount when you redeem for a ClassicFlight® one-way reward with Air Canada and Star Alliance ™ partner airline. More... Until Jan 13, 13
- Earn up to 1,250 Bonus Aeroplan miles when you book with Air Canada travel partners and Air Canada. More... Targeted Offer - May not work for everyone
- Earn up to 3,500 Bonus Aeroplan Miles for stays at Delta Hotels and Resorts throughout Canada. More... Jan 14 - Apr 15, 13
- 500 Bonus Aeroplan Miles on any purchase at Birks the first time you present your Aeroplan Card. More... Until Dec 31, 13

American AAdvantage
- Earn up to 15,000 Bonus AAdvantage Miles when you purchase or gift AAdvantage Miles online. More... Until Jan 31, 13

Emirates Skywards
- Earn up to 16,000 Bonus Skywards Miles with Emirate's January Miles Accelerator offers which enables you to earn more Skywards Miles when you fly with Emirates, irrespective of the fare you pay or where you buy your ticket. More... Until Jan 31, 13

Oman Air Sindbad (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Double Sindbad Miles for stays at all Golden Tulip Hotels worldwide. More... Until Feb 28, 13
- Earn up to Quadruple Sindbad Miles for Hertz rentals of 3 days or more Worldwide. More... Until Feb 28, 13

US Airways Dividend Miles
- Earn up to 1,000 Bonus Dividend Miles on any Hertz rental at a participating airport location in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. More... Until Mar 31, 13
- Quadruple Dividend Miles on National Rentals at participating locations in the U.S. and Canada. More... Until Jan 28, 13

Jan 2 Update: Increased sign up bonus for BMO World Elite, Double HHonors Points Worldwide, earn WestJet Dollars for Hotel/Car bookings

 

Happy New Year to all my Rewards Canada blog readers! I hope that you all had a great Christmas break and wonderful introduction to 2013! My break was good and brought in the New Year at the Hyatt Regency Calgary and the City TV NYE Bash at Olympic Plaza. It was a great way to bring in the New Year with my family and friends. I look forward to bringing you another amazing year on Rewards Canada! Just like in 2012 you can count on our Top Travel Rewards Credit Card feature, tons of news, bonuses and information plus I'll be bringing you more new features in 2013! This year will mark the 12th Anniversary of Rewards Canada and I have to thank all of you for your continued support as RC would not be what it is today without you the readers and followers!

News, Tips & Tricks
Somehow I missed this earlier but that could be due to no big announcement from WestJet on this topic, but as of Nov 28 of last year WestJet Rewards members can earn WestJet dollars for booking hotels and car rentals on WestJet.com. Both types of bookings earn 1% in WestJet Dollars on the amount before taxes and fees and may take up to 30 days to be posted to your account. More details can be found on their Car Rental and Hotel pages.

BMO is running a limited increased sign up bonus for their BMO World Elite MasterCard. Until January 31st you can earn a 20,000 BMO Rewards points bonus when you apply for and are approved for the card. The regular sign up bonus for this card is 15,000 points. More details can be found here. (Thanks to big time Rewards Canada fan Randy M for letting us know about this one). As always you can see how this card stacks up against the rest on my Credit Card comparison pages.

According to Airline Route Updates, Air Canada will be delaying the launch of their summer seasonal Toronto-Madrid service to July 1st from the previously announced June 1st.

In the bonus offer section the biggest new bonus is the 1st quarter systemwide bonus from Hilton HHonors for Double Points or Miles. As is the case with most of their promos there are hotels that have chosen not to participate and most are located in the United States but there are a few in Canada that have also chosen not to participate.

Bonus Offers
Air China Phoenix Miles
- 50% Bonus Phoenix Miles Kilometers for flights on Air China between Beijing and Hong Kong. More... Jan 4 - Mar 28, 13
- 30% Bonus Phoenix Miles Kilometers for flights on Air China between Beijing and Delhi. More... Jan 4 - Feb 5 & Feb 16 - Mar 22, 13
- 50% Bonus Phoenix Miles Kilometers for flights on Air China between Beijing and Ganzhou, Jinggangshan or Zunyi. More... Until Mar 27, 13
- 2,000 Phoenix Miles Kilometers for stays of 2 or more nights on the “Linger Longer for a Sweet Suite Surprise” offer at participating Langham Hotels Worldwide.. More... Until Feb 22, 13
- 500 Bonus Phoenix Miles Kilometers per car rental booked via Rentalcars.com. More... Until Jan 31, 13

Best Western Rewards
- 2,000 Bonus Rewards Points PER NIGHT for every qualified night you stay for up to 4 nights at any participating Alaska, Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, Montana or Wyoming Best Western Branded hotel. More... Until Jan 31, 13
- 1,500 Bonus Rewards Points PER NIGHT for every qualified night you stay at a participating Best Western branded hotel in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico or Utah for up to 4 nights. More... Until Jan 31, 13

Delta SkyMiles
- 1,000 Bonus SkyMiles for stays at select JW Marriott,® Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott® Hotels & Resorts, or Gaylord Hotels. More... Book by Jan 15 for stays until Feb 15, 13

Hilton HHonors
- Double HHonors Points or Double Airline Miles for every eligible stay at participating hotels and resorts in the Hilton Worldwide portfolio. More... Jan 7 - Mar 31, 13

Hyatt Gold Passport
- 700 Bonus Gold Passport Points on qualifying rentals of 2 days or more at participating Avis locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. More... Until Dec 31, 13

Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- Double Mileage Bank Miles for stays on the "JAL Mileage Bank Stay Plan"("JAL Mileage Bank Kaiin Goshukuhaku Plan") at participating Prince hotels Worldwide. More... Until Mar 31, 13
- OFFER EXTENDED Triple Mileage Bank Miles for rentals of a compact car or larger for three or more consecutive days in USA, Canada, Hawaii and Guam. More... Until Mar 31, 13

Southwest Rapid Rewards (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- 600 Bonus Rapid Rewards Points with every qualifying stay at all participating Best Western locations Worldwide. More... Until Jan 31, 13
- Quadruple Rapid Rewards Points on qualifying rentals at participating Avis airport locations in the United States with a minimum rental period of three days or longer. More... Until Jan 22, 13

Ukraine International Panorama Club (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Double Panorama Club Miles for flights between Kiev and Baku or Yerevan. More... Feb 13 - Mar 31, 13

Ural Airlines Wings (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- 30% Bonus Roubles on all Ural Airlines flights systemwide. More... Until Mar 31, 13



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Last Day: 50% Transfer Bonus for RBC Rewards to British Airways Executive Club

The ever popular 50% transfer bonus from RBC Rewards to British Airways Executive Club for RBC Avion Cardholders comes to an end today. If you were planning on transferring and forgot to or if you are planning on redeeming some Avios in the near future be sure to take advantage of it by the end of today. Full details can be found here.

Dec 20 Highlight: New Marriott MegaBonus, Next set of IHG Stay X Get Y Bonuses and 3x Points @ Sofitel Montreal

Today is the last day of regular updates for 2012! For any breaking news or offers over the Christmas break please follow Rewards Canada on Facebook and Twitter.
I want wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all the best over the holidays!

News, Tips & Tricks
Today is a big day in terms of hotel bonuses as the next installments of Marriott's Megabonus and IHG's Stay X Get Y promos came out today. I don't believe I have the complete list of IHG Stay X Get Y codes yet but will update as they come out.

Over on the Frequent Flyer Bonuses blog I have some fun with the City Bonus Highlight feature. Be sure to check it out here.

Bonus Offers

Other Bonus Offers added today:
Air China Phoenix Miles
- Earn up to Phoenix Miles Kilometers for stays at at participating Swissotel Hotels & Resorts worldwide. More... Until Feb 25, 13
- Double Phoenix Miles Kilometers when booking the special rate ""Double Miles for Early Birds" 20 days in advance at participating World Hotels Worldwide. More... Dec 1, 12 - Feb 28, 13

InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club
- Earn up to 20,000+ Bonus Priority Club Points with the Q1-2103 Stay X Get Y promotions at participating InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza®, Hotel Indigo™, Holiday Inn®, Express by Holiday Inn™ and Holiday Inn Express® hotels worldwide. More... Jan 7 - Apr 30, 13

Le Club accorhotels
- Triple Le Club Accorhotels Points for stays of 3+ nights at participating Sofitels in the U.S. and Canada. More... Until Jan 31, 13

Marriott Rewards
Marriott MegaBonus: Earn a Free Night or Bonus Rewards Points for stays at any participating Marriott Hotel Worldwide. More... Register by Mar 15 for stays Feb 1 - Apr 30, 13

Starwood Preferred Guest
- Double Starpoints for stays at the W Bangkok. More... Book by Mar 31 for stays until Jun 30, 13
- Double Starpoints for stays at the Vana Belle, Koh Samui. More... Until Jul 15, 13
- Double Starpoints for stays at the Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran. More... Jan 31 - Jun 30, 13

Dec 19 Update: New United routes to Canada, new Hyatt hotel bonuses, Shangri-La bonuses in YVR & YYZ,

Second last day of full updates in 2012 for Rewards Canada brings us the following:

News, Tips & Tricks
United announced some new flights from Canada. They will launch Edmonton to Newark service in May 2013 and seasonal Vancouver to Washington Dulles service from June to August 2013.  This gives Canadian Aeroplan, Mileage Plus and other Star Alliance members more options for earning and burning miles! Source: Airline Route Updates

American Express Canada has finally launched on Twitter. Well that have launched two accounts that is: @AmexCanada and @AskAmexCanada. Great to see them take to my favourite social media channel.

Hyatt Gold Passport will be making some slight changes to their award chart effective February 7, 2013. The changes are minor and the only affected property in Canada is the Park Hyatt Toronto which actually moves down a category! More details can be found here

Hotel	Current Category	New Category
Hyatt Place Chantilly/Dulles Airport-South	2	1
Hyatt Place Tulsa/Southern Hills	2	1
Hyatt Place Sterling/Dulles Airport-North	2	1
Hyatt Regency Albuquerque	2	1
Hyatt Regency Greenville	2	1
HYATT house Chicago/Naperville/Warrenville	3	2
HYATT house San Ramon	1	2
Hyatt Place Las Vegas	3	2
Hyatt Place Louisville-East	1	2
Hyatt Place Pittsburgh-North Shore	1	3
Hyatt Regency Incheon	2	3
Hyatt Regency Oubaai Golf Resort and Spa	4	3
Hyatt Santa Barbara	3	4
Park Hyatt Aviara Resort	5	4
Park Hyatt Toronto	5	4
Hyatt 48 Lex	4	5
Grand Hyatt Tokyo	5	6

Finally check out the latest Golden Circle bonuses below for stays at Shangri-La hotels in Toronto and Vancouver.  These bonuses are great if you plan to stay at one of these locations since you can receive bonus points on regular rooms as in most cases Shangri-La Golden Circle tends to only run bonuses on higher end rooms and suites!

Travel Deals
30% off with The ‘Hotel Indigo® Winter Breaks Offer’ for stays at participating Hotel Indigo® hotels in Europe. Full Details and Online Booking Until Jan 14, 13

Bonus Offers
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- 5,000 Bonus Mileage Plan Miles when you join the Alaska Airlines Board Room. More... Until Dec 31, 12

British Airways Executive Club
- Double Avios for stay sof a minimum of two consecutive nights at any one of the Shangri-La hotel, resort, Traders hotel or Kerry hotels Worldwide when booking online. More... Until Feb 28, 13

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Double Asia Miles when you book and stay for a minimum of two consecutive nights at participating Langham Hotels worldwide. More... Until Feb 22, 13
- Earn up to Triple Asia Miles when you book at a qualifying rate at participating Mandarin Oriental Hotels worldwide. More... Until Feb 28, 13
- Double Asia Miles for stays at qualifying rates in eligible room types at any Sino Group of Hotels property. More... Jan 1 - Mar 31, 13

Hyatt Gold Passport
- 3,000 Bonus Gold Passport Points for stays at the Grand Hyatt Shanghai. More... Until Feb 28, 13
- 5,000 Bonus Gold Passport Points for stays at the Park Hyatt Chennai. More... Until Mar 31, 13
- Double Gold Passport Points for stays at the Park Hyatt Busan. More... Feb 18 - Jun 30, 13
- 2,000 Bonus Gold Passport Points for weekend stays (Fri, Sat and Sun) in a newly renovated Deluxe guestroom at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok. More... Until Mar 31, 13

Shangri-La Hotels Golden Circle
- Earn up to Triple GC Award Points for stays at the Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto or Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver. More... Jan 1 - Apr 30, 13
- Double GC Award Points for stays of 2 or more nights at the Shangri-La Hotel, Haikou. More... Jan 1 - Mar 31, 13
- Double GC Award Points and a Guaranteed upgrade from a Garden View Room to a Horizon Hill View Room for stays at the Shangri-La Hotel, Hangzhou. More... Jan 1 - Mar 31, 13

Wyndham Rewards
- OFFER EXTENDED Double Wyndham Rewards Points on rentals of 2 or more days at participating Avis airport locations in the U.S. or Canada. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- OFFER EXTENDED Double Wyndham Rewards Points on rentals of 2 or more days at participating Budget locations in the U.S. or Canada. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- OFFER EXTENDED 1,000 Bonus Wyndham Rewards Points on National rentals of any car class with a rental 3 days or more in the U.S. More... Until Dec 31, 13

Dec 18 Update: Air Canada rouge, Starwood Bonuses in Eastern U.S.,

Here is a summary of whats going today on Rewards Canada and the world of travel rewards in Canada today:

News, Tips & Tricks
The big news today is the official launch of the much talked about leisure airline from Air Canada. Called Air Canada rouge, the airline will first take to skies on July 1, 2013 out of Toronto and Montreal to select destinations in Europe and the Caribbean. Targeting the family/leisure markets with (supposedly) lower fares Aeroplan members will still earn miles on these flights, albeit a flat rate of mile instead of the actual mileage flown:

If you haven't seen it yet, I am giving away a pair of Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge passes on the Rewards Canada Facebook page. You have to 'like' Rewards Canada first and then comment below my post with which lounge you would use the passes in. (Hint I'm also giving one away on the Frequent Flyer Bonuses Facebook page and the odds are even better there of winning!)
 
Bonus Offers
La Quinta Returns
- Earn up to Triple Returns Points for stays at select La Quinta locations in the United States and Mexico. More... Until Jan 10, 13

Le Club accorhotels
- 500 Bonus Le Club Accorhotels Points and up to 40% off for stays at participating Mercure Hotels in the U.K.. More... Until Apr 14, 13

Saudi Arabian Alfursan (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Double Alfursan Miles on Budget rentals in Saudi Arabia. More... Until Feb 2, 13
- Double Alfursan Miles when you stay for a minimum three (3) nights at Amwaj Rotana in a Club Rotana Room or a Club Rotana Suite. More... Until Feb 28, 13

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Earn up to 46,750 Bonus KrisFlyer Miles when you fly between Hong Kong via Singapore and San Francisco. More... Book by Mar 17 for travel Jan 1 - Mar 24, 13 Valid for residents of Hong Kong or Macau only

Starwood Preferred Guest
- 500 Bonus Starpoints and up to 35% off for Thursday-Sunday stays at participating Starwood Hotels in Delaware, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania or Virginia. More... Until Mar 31, 13

TAP Portugal Victoria
- Quadruple Victoria Miles for stays at the Dom Pedro Palace (Lisbon), Dom Pedro Golf, Dom Pedro Portobelo, Dom Pedro Marina and Meia Praia Beach Club (Algarve) or Dom Pedro Baía Club and Dom Pedro Garajau (Madeira). More... Book by Jan 31, 13 for stays until Feb 28, 13

Dec 17 Update: Instant Club Carlson Gold Status & Bonus Avios on Hotel Transfers

Another short week in store for bonuses as I will wrapping up Rewards Canada for 2012 on Thursday. Of course any amazing offers or breaking news will be posted here on the blog, Twitter and Facebook during the Christmas break.

News, Tips & Tricks
Philippine Airlines Mabuhay members will be happy to hear that they will be increasing their service to Toronto from 3x weekly to daily as of January 17, 2013. Source: Airline Route Update
 
Just in case you missed it earlier today I posted a Credit Card Showdown comparing the American Express Gold Rewards Card and the Scotibank Gold American Express Card. Read about it here

Jet Airways JetPrivilege members (free to join) can get instant Club Carlson Gold elite status and while it is supposed to be limited to residents in the Asia Pacific region people are having success signing up for it outside of the requirements simply by using a fake address from the Seychelles or Hong Kong. They are then planning on updating their address on file to their actual one at a future date. I am already Club Carlson Gold so I don't need to try this but if any of you do please report your success or lack there of below in the comments section!

Finally after Aerosvit announced their Double Miles bonus on buying miles (up to 30,000 only?) their latest offer provides a new way to fly Business Class between Toronto and Kiev or Europe for only ~US$1500 with Aerosvit Meridian's Gift Miles. Be warned however, Aerosvit's Business Class is pretty harsh compared to many other airlines and not even as good as some Premium Economy classes! You can do this by gifting 50,000 miles for US$1,500 which will come with 50,000 bonus miles. That 100,000 miles gets the person gifted the miles business class on Aerosvit from North America to any of their destinations served in Europe. Plus what makes the offer even less pretty is that you have to go buy the miles in person from an Aerosvit office. See below for the link. If you do take (dis)advantage of this, Aerosvit is also offering free mileage transfers between relatives until the end of March.

Bonus Offers
Aeroflot Bonus
- 5,000 Extra Bonus Miles for every fifth round-trip flight with Aeroflot on qualifying fares between Moscow and Kiev, Riga, Samara or St. Petersburg. More... Jan 1 - Dec 31, 13

Aerosvit Meridian
- 100% Bonus Meridian Miles when you gift Meridian miles to friends or relatives. More... Until Mar 31, 13

Air China Phoenix Miles
- Double Phoenix Miles Kilometers when you book an Everyone's an Original winter rate at participating Fairmont Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Apr 30, 13

British Airways Executive Club
- 25% Bonus Avios when you convert your hotel loyalty points into Avios. More... Until Jan 13, 13

Carlson Hotels Club Carlson
- Instant Club Carlson Gold Elite Status when you join Club Carlson via this Jet Airways JetPrivilege promotion. More... Until Mar 31, 13 Valid for residents of Asia Pacific region only

Miles & More
- Double Miles & More Miles when you book an Everyone's an Original winter rate at participating Fairmont Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Apr 30, 13

Credit Card Showdown: American Express Gold Rewards Card vs Scotibank Gold American Express Card.

I have been asked by a few people and reminded by a few to provide a comparison of two very good credit cards in Canada, the American Express Gold Rewards Card and the Scotibank Gold American Express Card. Well I have finally got around to it and spent a lot of time determining how to articulate the comparison of the two cards without writing a novel. I am writing this piece with the intent that the reader has at least some knowledge of how travel rewards work and how credit card reward programs work. You don't have to be an expert but if you are new to the travel rewards game some of this may not make sense to you.

Annual Fees / Sign Up Bonus
In the straight line comparison below the Scotiabank Amex looks to be better but the American Express Gold Card has its annual fee waived in the first year, so technically speaking, the Amex Gold Rewards Card saves you money on annual fees in the first year. Once in the second year the cards equal out seeing that the Scotiabank Amex's sign up bonus is worth $50 more than the Gold Rewards Card. However if you add in one supplementary card for either card the cost of ownership nod goes to the Gold Rewards Card since the first card is free but is eroded if you add more than one.

Interest Rate:
Seeing as the American Express Gold Rewards Card is a charge card where the balance needs to be paid off every month, the interest rate is a lot higher if you miss paying your full balance. The Scotiabank card it the winner here if you carry a balance.


Now onto the primary factors people get travel rewards cards, the rewards and the benefits.

Point Earning & Redemption
The first thing to look at when comparing these two cards in the point earning and subsequently the redemption side (as the two go hand in hand) is how do you want to be rewarded?

For flights do you want to travel in business class or first class or want to convert points into airline and/or hotel programs?
If the answer is Yes, then the only choice is the American Express Gold Rewards Card. Out of the two cards it is the only one that offers a transfer option to frequent flyer and guest programs. This is by far the best way you can get yourself into a first class or business class seat. The two options to look at are Aeroplan and British Airways Executive Club. Both of thest programs have 1:1 transfers from Membership Rewards which means with the card's category spend bonuses you can actually earn 2 Aeroplan Miles or 2 Avios for each dollar spent. No other card in Canada can offer this on a broad range of spending. Add to this occasional transfer bonuses to each program means you can rack up the Aeroplan Miles/Avios even faster. It is well known in the industry that the best redemptions are the ones for first class or business class. Depending on what tickets you redeem for and what you spent to achieve the miles for the redemption you could possibily see return of over 10%! To keep this piece from being a novel please email me or comment below if you want more details on return calculations.

If you don't want premium class flights but want to redeem for economy class flights, hotels, vacation packages, etc. then a few more questions need to be asked as to what card may be right for you. Since both cards have the same redemption ratio of 100 points = $1 in credit and both have the travel anywhere option where you can book travel how you want, when you want, we don't have to look at the redemption side for this portion.The first question is how will you earn points and because of category spend bonuses each card has certain advantages:

How much do you spend on your credit card each year? If you spend more than $10,000 a month on your card chances are you will hit the $50,000 category bonus limit on the Scotiabank American Express Gold Card and you may be better off with the American Express Gold Rewards Card since there is no cap on the category bonuses. However if you spend less than $10,000 a month than the two cards have a heated battle:

Grocery Stores & Gas Stations
If the majority of your spending on your card is in the Grocery Store and/or Gas Station categories where both cards have bonuses, the Scotiabank American Express Gold Card is clearly the winner with its 4x points versus the GRC's 2x points.

Dining & Entertainment
The Scotiabank American Express comes out on top once again as this category also earns 4x points versus the GRC's 1 point per dollar.

Travel
In this category, only the American Express Gold Rewards Card offers a bonus, 2x points on all travel purchases worldwide (not just within Canada like all the other category bonuses from both cards) while the Scotiabank American Express Gold Card only earns 1 points per dollar.

Benefits
The last factor to look at when comparing these cards are the benefits that come with the cards. This section is easy as the Scotiabank American Express Gold Card takes the cake on virtually all the benefits compared. It provides longer out of province medical coverage, has trip cancellation, offer price protection and covers the $99 annual fee of Priorty Pass Business Class lounge membership (you still have to pay the entry fee each time you use a lounge).

Conclusion
Based on the comparison chart below and what I believe to be the travel goals of most non-frequent travelling Canadians, the Scotia Bank Gold American Express appears to be the better of the two cards for most situations. Where it is not the better card and the American Express Gold Rewards Card stands out is primarily if you are looking to move Membership Rewards points over to a frequent flyer or guest program, if you are a big time spender in all categories or if you just spend a lot on travel and/or at drug stores. As many of you know I am holder and big proponent of the American Express Gold Rewards card and considered switching to the Scotiabank card strictly for the Dining/Entertainment category bonus when it first came out. However my rewards needs/wants have shifted from using the Membership Rewards TripFlex feature to transferring my points to Aeroplan, British Airways Executive Club and/or Starwood Preferred Guest, a benefit the Scotiabank Amex just can't provide. So for me at this point I am planning to stay with the American Express Gold Rewards card but ultimately in the near future I am thinking that I am going to move up to The Platinum Card from American Express for all the benefits it provides while travelling.

Chart Notes: Yellow highlighting signifies a clear winner in that category

Feature / Card	American Express Gold Rewards Card	Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
/	Fees/Costs
Annual Fee	$150*	$99
Supp. Card Fee	$0 for first card, $50* each additional card	Gold: $29
Interest Rate	30% Non Revolving	19.99%
Foregn Exchange Transaction Fee	2.5%	2.5%
Minimum Credit Limit	No Preset Limit	N/A
/	Reward Miles/Points Earning
Card	American Express Gold Rewards Card	Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
Welcome Bonus	15,000 Membership Rewards Points	20,000 points
Earning Ratio	1 Point/$	1 Point/$
Gas Stations	2 Points/$	4 Points/$*
Grocery Stores	2 Points/$	4 Points/$*
Drug Stores	2 Points/$	1 Point/$
Dining/Entertainment	1 Point/$	4 Points/$*
Travel	2 Points/$	1 Point/$
/	Redemption/Exchange Options
Card	American Express Gold Rewards Card	Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
Miles/Points deposited to:	Membership Rewards	Scotia Rewards
Travel Agency Redemption Value	10,000 Points = $100	10,000 Points = $100
Minimum Redemption Amount	1,000 Points	5,000 Points
Exchange Options	1 Point = 1 Mile with Aeroplan, British Airways 1 Point = .75 Miles with Alitalia,, Cathay Pacific and Delta 1 Point = 1 Point with Hilton 1 Point = .5 Points with SPG	N/A
Redemption Centre	Any Travel Provider or Membership Rewards	Any Travel Provider or Scotia Rewards
/	Benefits
Card	American Express Gold Rewards Card	Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
Travel Accident Insurance	$500,000	up to $500,000
Flight Delay Insurance	Yes	Yes
Delayed, Lost, Stolen, Damaged Baggage Insurance	Yes	Yes
Trip Cancellation Insurance	No	Yes
Trip Interuption Insurance	Yes	Yes
Travel Medical Insurance	15 Days	25 Days
Auto Rental/Loss Damage Insurance	Yes	Yes
Purchase Protection	Yes	Yes
Price Protection	No	Yes
Extended Warranty Plan	Yes	Yes
Business Class Lounge Access	No	Free membership in Priority Pass
Hotel Burglary Insurance	Yes	Yes
Travel Concierge Service	No	Yes
Enhanced Hotel/Dining Services	No	Hotels
Overlimit Extended Purchasing	Yes	No
American Express Front of the Line	Yes	Yes
Link to Apply	Apply Online	Apply Online
Notes:	* Annual fees waived the first year	On the first $50,000 in those categories

Dec 13 Update: SPG Q1 Promo Details, Air France KLM Sale, Tons of KrisFlyer bonuses

Last day of updates as I'm off tomorow:

News, Tips & Tricks
"In the News" The Rewards Canada Maximize your Miles for Holiday Shopping feature was covered by The Informed Traveler radio show on AM770 CHQR in Calgary, Rob Carrick's Money Matters in the Globe and Mail and will also be on AM770 CHQR's Alberta Morning News the weekend of the 22nd.

Marriott Rewards will be increasing the Platinum Elite Status bonus for stays at Courtyard Hotels to 400 bonus points or a food and beverage item when you arrive at any participating hotels in the US or Canada. Source: Marriott Rewards Insiders

In the bonus offers section I link to new Starwood Preferred Guest promotion for the first quarter of 2013. Registration is not open yet but you can find out all the details about it. The good thing about the promotion this time is that no locations are excluded!

Travel Deals
Air France and KLM are once again offering great business class fares for flights from Canada to Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Fares start at $2499 including all taxes and fees for Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa departures, $2999 for departures from Calgary and Vancouver. They are also offering an economy class sale with fares staring at $899 all in. Bookings must be made December 15 for travel Dec 20 - Jan 15 in Business Class, Dec 25 - May 6 for economy. More details can be found at AirFrance.ca or KLM.com

Bonus Offers
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Earn up to Triple Asia Miles for stays at the Fairmont Makati Manila. More... Until Mar 31, 13

EVA Air Evergreen Club
- Double Evergreen Miles for stays of two or more consecutive nights at participating Regent Hotels & Resorts properties worldwide. More... Until Feb 28, 13

Le Club Accorhotels
- Triple Le Club Accorhotels Points for stays on the "Magnigique Breakfast" offer at participating Sofitel Hotels in Germany. More... Until Feb 14, 12

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Double KrisFlyer Miles when you stay at any participating InterContinental® Hotels Group property in Australasia, Japan, Southeast & Southwest Asia and the Middle East. More...Until Jan 31, 13
- Double KrisFlyer Miles for stays on the Winter Breaks offer at participating Kempinski Hotels in Worldwide. More...Until Jan 31, 13
- Double KrisFlyer Miles for stays of 2+ nights at participating Langham Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Feb 22, 13
- Earn 10,000 KrisFlyer Miles (20x bonus) when you make a qualifying stay for at least two consecutive nights in a suite or villa at The PuLi Hotel & Spa Shanghai, The Datai Langkawi, Hotel Okura Amsterdam or Capella Singapore. More... Until Feb 28, 13
- Double KrisFlyer Miles when you stay on the Best Available or Bed&Breakfast rate at any participating Mandarin Oriental hotel Worldwide. More...Until Jan 31, 13
- Triple KrisFlyer Miles when you stay at a participating Claridge’s, the Connaught or the Berkeley property in London. More... Until Mar 31, 13
- Double KrisFlyer Miles for stays of 3+ nights at participating Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Worldwide. More...Until Jan 31, 13
- Double KrisFlyer Miles when you stay for a minimum of two consecutive nights at the Best Available Rate at participating Rendezvous hotels in Australia and New Zealand. More... Until Jan 31, 13
- Double KrisFlyer Miles when you book online for stays of a minimum of two consecutive nights at any Shangri-La hotel or resort, Traders hotel or Kerry hotel Worldwide. More... Until Jan 31, 13
- Earn up to Triple KrisFlyer Miles for stays at at participating Swissotel Hotels & Resorts worldwide. More... Until Feb 25, 13
- Double KrisFlyerMiles when booking the special rate ""Double Miles for Early Birds" 20 days in advance at participating World Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Feb 28, 13
- Earn up to Triple KrisFlyer Miles when you rent with Avis in North America, Australia, New Zealand.Europe, Middle-East, Africa and Asia. More... Until Jan 31,13
- Earn up to Quadruple KrisFlyer Miles when you rent with Hertz in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand. More... Until Jan 31,13
- 1,000 Bonus KrisFlyer Miles when you renew or sign up on a contract with 4G smartphone on Singapore’s first nationwide 4G network. More... Until Jan 31, 13
Starwood Preferred Guest
SPG Power Up: Earn up to 18,000 Bonus Starpoints for stays at more than 1,100 participating Starwood Hotels Worldwide. More... Register by Feb 28, ,13 for stays Jan 15 - Apr 15, 13