Jan 8 Update: Priority Club Redemption Changes, new Aeroplan mileage earning at Esso, extended United Elite Status Match

News, Tips & Tricks
It hasn't been too long since InterContinental Hotel's Group Priority Club made some changes to their free night reward charts and as of January 18 of this year further changes are coming. Gone will be the redemption rates based on brand as the reward chart moves to a category format like most of Priority Club's competition. The actual min and max redemption amounts haven't changed as they range from 10,000 points for Category 1 to 50,000 points for Category 9. Priority Club is set to release the hotel list by category on January 9th and according to the director of Priority Club rewards about 30% of hotels will move down in points requirements while another 30% will move up. So when this list comes out and you see that a hotel you want to redeem for is moving up you can still redeem at the old rates until March 18 (only by calling in) and if the hotel is moving down I would hold off until the 18th to redeem for it. More details can be found here.

Aeroplan and Esso have increased the number of Aeroplan Miles you can earn on gasoline purchases. Now when you buy Extra Grade gas you will earn 2 Miles/$3 and if you buy Supreme Grade you will earn 3 Miles/$3. All other gas and eligible store purchases remain at 1 Miles/$3

Good news for Air China Phoenix Miles members, Air China will be increasing their Vancouver - Beijing service to 11 flights per week this summer from the 7 seen over winter. (Source: Airline Route Updates)


Bonus Offers
Air Canada Aeroplan
- 1,500 Bonus Aeroplan Miles when you book an Air Canada Vacations gateway to Palace Resorts before January 31 and travel between February 1 & March 31. More... Book by Jan 31, 13
- Earn up 5,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles when you book a Jamaican getaway with Air Canada Vacations for travel until April 30. More... Book by Jan 31, 13

Air China Phoenix Miles
- Earn up to Triple Phoenix Miles Kilometers for Avis rentals Worldwide. More... Until Feb 28, 13

Carlson Hotels Club Carlson
- Triple Gold Points for each eligible stay at any of more than 1,000 Carlson Rezidor hotels worldwide. More... Until Mar 15, 13
- 2,000 Bonus Gold Points for stays on the Bed & Breakfast Package for Two at participating Radisson & Hotels in North and South America. More... Until Dec 31, 13

Coast Hotels Coast Rewards
- Double Coast Rewards Points for stays at the Coast Phoenix Sky Harbor Hotel. More... Until Jan 31, 13

Jet Airways JetPrivilege
- 2,500 Bonus JetPrivilege Miles Discount when you join the JetPrivlege program via their Facebook page. More... Until ?

Marriott Rewards
- 2,000 Bonus Rewards Points for stays in select room types atthe Imperial Riding School Renaissance Vienna Hotel, Vienna Marriott Hotel, or f the Renaissance Wien Hotel. More... Until Feb 3, 13

United Mileage Plus
- OFFER EXTENDED Elite Status Match that offers top-tier flyers of most other airlines a comparable status in the MileagePlus® program. It only offered for MileagePlus Premier® Silver, Premier® Gold or Premier® Platinum levels More... Until Jan 31, 13
- OFFER EXTENDED Earn up to 12,000 Mileage Plus Miles for stays of 3+ nights on the 'Mileage Plus Bonus Miles Package" at the Hotel New Otani Tokyo or Hotel New Otani Osaka. More... Until Mar 31, 13
- OFFER EXTENDED 2,000 Bonus Mileage Plus Miles for New Otani Club members who are also Mileage Plus members per stay of two consecutive nights or more at the Hotel New Otani Tokyo or Hotel New Otani Osaka. More... Until Mar 31, 13
- OFFER EXTENDED Earn up to 10,000 Mileage Plus Miles for stays at the Hotel New Otani Tokyo Executive House ZEN More... Until Mar 31, 13
- OFFER EXTENDED Earn up to 3,000 Mileage Plus Miles per stay of two consecutive nights or more Hotel New Otani Makuhari Hotel New Otani Osaka The New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel, Honolulu Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong, Beijing More... Until Mar 31, 13

US Airways Dividend Miles
- OFFER EXTENDED 1,000 Bonus Dividend Miles for stays at participating Westin Hotels in the U.S. Canada and Caribbean. More... Until Mar 31, 13
- OFFER EXTENDED 1,000 Bonus Dividend Miles for every Sheraton Club stay at participating Sheraton Hotels in the U.S. and Canada. More... Until Mar 31, 13

Remember to follow Rewards Canada on Facebook and Twitter or subscribe to our Newsletter and RSS feed

Jan 7 Update: Aeroplan Hertz Bonuses, Double Mileage Plan Miles @ Coast Hotels, Delta YVR-JFK update

We see a quiet start to the week with a primary focus on new bonus offers:

News, Tips & Tricks
Delta Airlines has revised their planned yearly Vancouver-New York JFK service to summer seasonal service. The route will operate from June 10 to September 3, 2013. (Source: Airline Route Update)

Bonus Offers
Air Canada Aeroplan
- 3,750 Bonus Aeroplan Miles on rentals of 5 days or more in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the U.S. More... Until Apr 30, 13
- 2,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles on a Hertz rental of 28 days or more at participating Hertz locations in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States. More... Until Apr 30, 13
- 6,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles on a Hertz rental of two months (56 days) or longer in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States. More...Until Apr 30, 13

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Double Mileage Plan Miles for stays at all participating Coast Hotels in Canada and the U.S.. More... Until Jan 31, 13

American AAdvantage
- 2,000 Business ExtrAA Points when you enroll your business in BusinessExtrAA and reach $3,000 in eligible spend plus earn 5,000 AAdvantage bonus miles by flying on American Airlines using your company's new Business ExtrAA account number. More... Until Mar 31, 13

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Double Asia Miles when you book and stay 2 consecutive nights or more at participating Ascott residences Worldwide. More... Until Mar 31, 13
- Double Asia Miles for stays at New Century Hotels & Resorts in Mainland China. More... Until Mar 31, 13

Miles & More
- UPDATED Double Miles & More Miles for Austrian Airlines flights between Vienna and Chicago. More... May 17 - Jul 31, 13
- 1,000 Bonus Miles & More Miles for stays at any participating Accor Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Feb 28, 13
- Double Miles & More Miles for stays at any participating The Doyle Collection, First Hotels, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts or Shaza Hotels Worldwide. More... Book by Jan 31 for stays until Feb 28, 13
- Double Miles & More Miles for stays at any participating Lindner Hotels in Europe. More... Until Feb 28, 13
- Double Miles & More Miles for stays of 2 or more nights at any participating Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts in Europe. More... Until Mar 3, 13

Starwood Preferred Guest
- SPG Bonus Beginnings: Earn Bonus Starpoints or a Free Weekend Night for stays at any participating Starwood Hotels Worldwide. This is a targeted offer and you can check if you are eligible to earn the bonus by inputting your SPG number on the registration page. More... Register by Jan 31 for stays until Reb 28, 13

Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
- Double Royal Orchid Miles for stays at any participating Novotel Hotels and Resorts in Asia. More... Until Mar 31, 13

Jan 4 Update: Air France KLM Promo Awards, Delta SkyMiles Starwood Bonuses, US Airways news

The final day of updates for this week brings us some average bonus offers and more airline and program news, most of which collected on my laptop over the Christmas break.

News, Tips & Tricks
Over the Christmas Break, Rewards Canada donated $500 to the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation on behalf of some our clients (in lieu of Christmas Gift Baskets!). Without the support of the Rewards Canada readers, I would not have the clients I do today so this donation could also be considered on your behalf too!

I finally confirmed a winner for the pair of Maple Leaf lounge passes I was giving away on the Rewards Canada Facebook page. Congrats to Melissa H!

I want to remind Rewards Canada readers of the Air France KLM Flying Blue's nice sign up offer for Canadian residents. Earn 5,000 Bonus Flying Blue miles when you join the program and take one Air France, KLM or SkyTeam flight. This offer is interesting in that the sign up bonus offer for most other countries is only good for Air France KLM flights while this Canadian version includes all of SkyTeam. So if you have a Delta flight between Vancouver and Salt Lake City, a Korean Air flight between Toronto and Seoul etc. then this bonus will apply. Complete details include the offer code can be found on Rewards Canada's main Flying Blue page.

US Airways has now confirmed via their award chart that you cannot use Dividend Miles to redeem for First Class flights on Lufthansa.

US Airways is also cancelling their service Ottawa and Washington Reagan as of Feb 2, 13 (Source: Airline Route Update)

The latest Air France KLM Flying Blue promo awards are out. This time around Economy Class redemptions between Montreal and Europe 1/2/3 are available at 50% off for travel until the end of February.

Virgin Atlantic's service between Vancouver and London Heathrow last summer must have been succesful enough that it returns on May 15, 2013. The flights will operate 3x weekly. (Source: Airline Route Update)

Travel Deals
The Coast Hotels $98 Friday and Saturdays offer is back. Book by Jan 13 for stays until Feb 28

Bonus Offers
Air China Phoenix Miles
- Earn up to Triple Phoenix Miles Kilometers for stays at the Raffles Hotel Makati Philippines. More... Until Mar 31, 13
- Double Phoenix Miles Kilometers for stays at participating Raffles Hotels Worldwide. More...Until Mar 31, 13

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- OFFER EXTENDED Triple Mileage Plan Miles when you rent a Budget vehicle for 3 or more consecutive days at participating airport locations in the U.S. and Canada. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- 1,000 Bonus Mileage Plan Miles when you rent any vehicle for three or more days at participating Hertz airport locations in the US, Puerto Rico, and Canada. More... Until Mar 31, 13

Best Western Rewards
- 500 Bonus Rewards Points for stays at th Best Western Hotel Restaurant Stadskanaal. More... Until Jan 31, 13

Delta SkyMiles
- 1,250 Bonus SkyMiles per stay at La Quinta properties in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. More... Until Feb 28, 13
- OFFER EXTENDED 1,000 Bonus SkyMiles for stays at participating Westin Hotels & Resorts in North America and the Caribbean. More... Until Mar 31, 13
- OFFER EXTENDED 1,000 Bonus SkyMiles on every Sheraton Club stays at participating Sheraton Hotels in the U.S. and Canada. More... Until Mar 31, 13

Etihad Guest
- Triple Guest Miles when you stay at The Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi. More... Until Jan 31, 13

Le Club accorhotels
- Double Le Club Accorhotels Points + Complimentary Breakfast & Internet for stays of 2+ nights at participating Accor Hotels in India. More... Until Feb 28, 13
- 400 Bons Le Club Accorhotels Points for new Le Club members who complete a stays in Dubai. More... Until Feb 3, 13

MEA Middle East Airlines Cedar Miles
- Double Cedar Miles and save up to 33% of on all Hertz rentals Worldwide. More... Book by Jan 31 for rentals until Jun 30, 13

Germanwings Boomerang Club (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Double Boomerang Miles for Germanwings flights to/from Split. More... Until Mar 31, 13

Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- 1,000 Bonus QMiles for Budget rentals of 4 or more days in Singapore. More... Until Feb 28, 13

Scandinavian EuroBonus
- Earn up to 3,000 Bonus EuroBonus points on all Avis rentals Worldwide. More... Until Jan 31, 13
- Earn up to Quadruple EuroBonus points on Hertz rentals of 5 days or more in Europe, USA, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia /NZ, Middle East or Africa. More... Until Jan 31, 13

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



Remember to follow Rewards Canada on Facebook and Twitter or subscribe to our Newsletter and RSS feed

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