IHG Priority Club Reward Night Changes & Promotion Update

InterContinental Hotels Group is really revamping their Priority Club program in 2013 with both positive and negative changes. We have already seen the news about the changes to Points Earning and that all points will no longer count towards Elite Status, we've seen enhanced Elite Benefits to members in China (hopefully something will be rolled out globally) and now there are changes to the reward nights offered from Priority Club. I outline the changes below plus I also give you an update on Priority Club bonuses as I know that is what many of you visit our main Priority Club page for.

Reward Night Changes
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.

Here is a letter explaining the changes from IHG as pulled from the Priority Club community forum:

Bonus Offer Changes
Many of you were disappointed when Priority Club didn't run a systemwide promotion for Q4 (don't confuse the loosely targeted Stay X Get Y promos as those are not their true systemwide promos) and the lack of one for 2013 yet! I can give you the following update on Priority Club's plans for 2013:

Now that we are into 2013 the latest set of those Stay X Get Y promos, also known as the Stay More Earn More targeted bonuses are out and as you have probably seen they have been changed slightly to add additional bonuses over an above to base Stay X nights. IHG has told me there will be further changes to the promotions they run. Their next true systemwide promotion should be out later this month for the U.S. and Canada but is already being rolled out in other countries (I thought I found one yesterday but that is a systemwide bonus for new members only). The systemwide promotions will be different from their past promotions as there will be different iterations depending on the member and a number of other variables (think Marriott Rewards MegaBonus). It also looks that there will only be 3 systemwide promos for 2013 (as in 2012) but as with all loyalty programs that can change at anytime based on market conditions and what the competition is doing.

Hopefully my little update here will help the vast number of Priority Club members using FFB to gauge what they want to do with program in 2013. As always keep checking the FFB Blog and my Priority Club Bonus page for any further updates or news on the Priority Club program.

Jan 10 Update: Novotel Canada sale, Marriott MegaMiles returns, Alaska Airlines flight bonuses

Not a bad day of updates here on Rewards Canada and Frequent Flyer Bonuses but considering I have a list of 30+ items (features, articles and more) not including the daily dose of bonus offers, I am definitely running behind in what I want to be providing my Rewards Canada readers. Don't fret however, as most of it is not time sensitive and I am slowly putting a dent in that list so just keep checking back for the latest and greatest in the Canadian rewards market. Plus I promise to get back to everyone's email as soon as I can too!

News, Tips & Tricks
Another Chinese Airline will be increasing their summer service from Vancouver. China Southern's Vancouver to Guangzhou flight will increase to daily service from 3x weekly over winter and 5x weekly last summer. (Source: Airline Route Updates)

If you caught my post yesterday on making use of Emirates Skywards Mile Accelerator offers but don't collect Skyward miles, you now have another bonus offer option for EK's flights out of Seattle. Alaska Airlines will be offering bonuses on Seattle-Dubai between February and April. See the offer below.

As well if you find yourself staying at a Marriott hotel at least twice and Marriott Rewards is not a major player in your hotel loyalty card arsenal then you can take advantage of the latest version of the MegaMiles promotion. The offer this time is for Double Miles after your second stay which is not as good as last time around when it was Triple Miles but its better than nothing I guess! See below for details

Travel Deals
Novotel Hotels is offering 10% off plus a $15 credit for each day you stay with them in Montreal, Toronto or Ottawa. Valid until Feb 28,13. Full details.

Bonus Offers
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Triple Mileage Plan Miles for nonstop flights on Alaska Airlines between Anchorage and Seattle. More... May 17 - Sep 3, 13
- Double Mileage Plan Miles for nonstop flights on Alaska Airlines between: Anchorage and Los Angeles; Seattle and Long Beach or Boston. More... May 17 - Sep 3, 13
- Earn up to Triple Mileage Plan Miles when you fly Emirates between Seattle and Dubai. More... Feb 1 - Apr 30, 13

China Airlines Dynasty Flyer
- OFFER EXTENDED Earn up to Triple Dynasty Flyer Miles on Avis rentals of 3 or more days in US, Canada, Europe, Middle East & Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Guam and Taiwan). More... Until Mar 31, 13
- OFFER EXTENDED Double Dynasty Flyer Miles on Avis rentals of 4 or more days in Australia or New Zealand. More... Until Mar 31, 13

Frontier Airlines Early Returns (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Double Elite Qualifying Miles for every trip you take on Frontier Airlines to/from Princeton/Trenton, NJ. More... Until May 31, 13

Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- Up to a 40% Mileage Bank Miles Discount for Mileage Bank Economy Class Award Tickets for travel on Air Berlin. More... Jan 21, 13 - Jan 20, 14
- Double Mileage Bank Miles for stays in a Meritus Club Room or Suite at participating Meritus Hotels & Resorts in China, Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia. More... Until Mar 31, 13

Marriott Rewards
- Marriott MegaMiles: Double Airline Miles for stays at any participating Marriott Hotel Worldwide starting with your second stay. More... Feb 1 - Apr 30, 13

US Airways Dividend Miles
- Earn up to 1,500 Bonus Dividend Miles with the purchase of a Rewards if Found membership. More... Until ?

Emirates Miles Accelerator: Earn Bonus Skyward Miles on select routes

What better time than the start of the year to remind Emirates Skywards members and travelers flying on Emirates about their excellent Miles Accelerator offers. Each month Emirates releases bonus offers on select routes across their network called 'Miles Accelerator'  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. Unlike other 'multipliers' from the likes of American, US Airways etc. you don't pay for these bonsus miles.

For us here in Canada the best options for Emirates flights are out of Toronto (Air Canada and WestJet interline with EK so you can connect seamlessly from other Canadian cities) and also Seattle (where Alaska Airlines partners with EK and offers flights out of Alberta and BC to connect to the Seattle-Dubai flight). Of course you can always choose another U.S. city to connect via and if you are flying beyond Dubai be sure to check if there are Miles Accelerator offers for those sectors as well. We keep a select list of offers on the Rewards Canada site but there are even more using the Miles Accelerator search engine.

For the month of January, the Miles Accelerator offer is available from both Toronto and Seattle as follows:

Route / First Class / Business Class / Economy Class (Round Trip Values)
Seattle - Dubai / 16,000 bonus Miles / 8,000 bonus Miles / Not Available
Toronto - Dubai / 12,000 bonus Miles / 4,000 bonus Miles / Not Available

As you can see both routes do not have bonuses on Economy class flights in January but do in both Business and First Class. As the Miles Accelerator offer seems dynamic as is updated at least once a month if not more I would always recommend you check back every so often to see if Economy Class is added in situations like these (or just opt-in for your route to make sure you don't miss out on any potential bonus miles)

About Miles Accelerator:
The Miles Accelerator feature allows you to search out routes, presumably the ones you need to fly on and see if any of them are offering more miles. Typically flights that are seeing less demand will see a bonus offer. For example, city pairs that have more then one flight a day may have different bonuses offered depending on the flight.  As you can see on the following Frankfurt - Dubai screen grab from November 2011, the early morning flight to Dubai has no bonus for economy class presumably because the flight is showing enough demand:

Sometimes the bonuses are the same for the return flight but on many occasions they are not, as seen on the return Dubai to Frankfurt routing:

Here are some other routes that have bonuses for the month of January
Route / First Class / Business Class / Economy Class (Round Trip Values)
Dallas - Dubai / 16,000 bonus Miles / 8,000 bonus Miles / Not available
Houston - Dubai / 12,000 bonus Miles / Not available / 3,000 bonus Miles
New York - Dubai / 8,000 Bonus Miles / 6,000 Bonus Miles / 4,000 bonus Miles
San Francisco - Dubai / 12,000 bonus Miles / Not available / Not Available
Seattle - Dubai / 16,000 bonus Miles / 8,000 bonus Miles / Not Available
Washington - Dubai / 8,000 bonus Miles / 4,000 bonus Miles / Not Available
Toronto - Dubai / 12,000 bonus Miles / 4,000 bonus Miles / Not Available
Abidjan - Dubai / 14,000 bonus Miles / 4,000 Bonus Miles / 3,000 bonus Miles
Amsterdam - Dubai / 8,000 bonus Miles / 4,000 Bonus Miles / Not available
Bangkok - Dubai / 6,000 bonus Miles / 2,000 Bonus Miles / Not available
Beijing Dubai / 10,000 bonus Miles / 6,000 Bonus Miles / 3,000 bonus Miles
Cairo - Dubai / 6,500 bonus Miles / Not available / 500 bonus Miles
Cape Town - Dubai / ,000 Bonus Miles / Not available / Not Available
Delhi - Dubai / 3,500 bonus Miles / 1,500 bonus Miles / Not Available
Frankfurt - Dubai / 8,000 bonus Miles / Not available / 1,000 bonus Miles
Hamburg - Dubai / 8,000 bonus Miles / 4,000 bonus Miles / 1,000 bonus Miles
Johannesburg - Dubai / 10,000 Bonus Miles / Not available / Not Available
Kuala Lumpur - Dubai / 10,000 Bonus Miles / 6,000 Bonus Miles / 2,000 bonus Miles
London - Dubai / 3,000 Bonus Miles / 2,000 Bonus Miles / 3,000 bonus Miles
Manchester - Dubai / 10,000 Bonus Miles / 4,000 Bonus Miles / 2,000 bonus Miles
Manilia - Dubai / Not available / 6,000 Bonus Miles / 2,000 bonus Miles
Melbourne - Dubai / 14,000 Bonus Miles / Not available / Not available
Paris - Dubai / 10,000 Bonus Miles / 5,000 Bonus Miles / 3,000 bonus Miles
Perth - Dubai / 16,000 Bonus Miles / 6,000 Bonus Miles / 4,000 bonus Miles
Rio De Janeiro- Dubai / 14,000 Bonus Miles / Not available / Not available
Singapore- Dubai / 6,000 Bonus Miles / 4,000 bonus Miles / 3,000 bonus Miles
Seoul - Dubai / 9,000 bonus Miles / 6,000 bonus Miles / 4,000 bonus Miles
Sydney - Dubai / 14,000 bonus Miles / 4,000 bonus Miles / Not available
Tokyo - Dubai / 9,000 Bonus Miles / 6,000 bonus Miles / 6,000 bonus Miles
Vienna - Dubai / 10,000 bonus Miles / 6,000 bonus Miles / Not available
Zurich - Dubai / Not available / Not available / 2,000 bonus Miles

Overall the Miles Accelerator offer from Emirates is a good way to earn some extra miles on your EK flights. The bonus miles do not cost you anything extra, all you have to do is opt-in each month into the Miles Accelerator program and see if you can take advantage of any of the routes that have bonus offers on them. It is wise to check the offers on a monthly basis or visit our Skywards page for a sampling of offers as sometimes the bonuses can get quite large as witnessed on several occasions when you could earn 70,000 Bonus Skywards miles for flights in first class between Los Angeles and Dubai.

Jan 9 Update: Aeroplan/CIBC to offer exclusive reward flights again, SPG Power Up open for registration, Alitalia flight bonuses

News, Tips & Tricks
Aeroplan and CIBC are teaming up once again to offer exclusive flights for CIBC Aeroplan Cardholders. Here is the wording directly from the press release:

Aeroplan today announced it will reserve three flights for Aeroplan Members who are CIBC Aeroplan cardholders offering up an exclusive getaway from Toronto and from Montreal to Orlando, Florida during the 2013 Spring Break period.

Flight Details:
·         Depart Montreal to Orlando – March 5, 2013 – Flight AC7004
Depart Orlando to Montreal - March 12, 2013 – Flight AC7005

·         Depart Toronto to Orlando – March 12, 2013 – Flight AC7002
Depart Orlando to Toronto – March 19, 2013 – Flight AC7003

·         Depart Toronto to Orlando – March 13, 2013 – Flight AC7002
Depart Orlando to Toronto – March 20, 2013 – Flight AC7003

“Aeroplan is pleased to be working again with our partner CIBC to offer our members who hold a CIBC Aero credit card, a unique flight reward experience to Orlando, Florida during a peak travel period,” said David Klein, Vice President, Marketing & Innovation, Aeroplan.  “This is our third edition of the Welcome Aboard Event, and each time we’ve been able to create a flight reward with enhanced service levels and special in-flight extras for our members.”

On each specified Air Canada flight from Toronto and Montreal to and from Orlando, 100 percent of the seats are reserved for Aeroplan Members with a CIBC Aero credit card, along with their guests.  These special flights will include complimentary food and beverage service and complimentary baggage in Economy class. As part of the airport experience, there will be a dedicated, branded check-in counter and branded giveaways at the gate.

Aeroplan Members who are CIBC Aero cardholders can redeem 25,000 miles per flight reward for an Economy Class ticket and 50,000 miles per flight reward for an Executive Class ticket.

Registration is now open for Starwood Preferred Guest's Power Up promotion, please see all the details on Rewards Canada's SPG page.

Bonus Offers
Alitalia MilleMiglia
- Earn up to 650 Bonus MilleMiglia Miles when you fly Alitalia on discount economy classes fares between Rome and Milan Linate. More... Until Mar 31, 13
- Earn up to 400 Bonus MilleMiglia Miles when you fly Alitalia on discount economy classes fares systemwide. More... Until Mar 31, 13

American AAdvantage
- OFFER EXTENDED 2,000 Bonus AAdvantage Miles for New Otani Club members who are also AAdvantage 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 AAdvantage Miles for stays at the Hotel New Otani Tokyo Executive House ZEN More... Until Mar 31, 13
- OFFER EXTENDED Earn up to 3,000 AAdvantage 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

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Earn up to Triple Asia Miles when you rent a car at participating Avis locations Worldwide. More... Until Feb 28, 13

Delta SkyMiles
- OFFER EXTENDED 2,000 Bonus SkyMiles for New Otani Club members who are also SkyMiles 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 SkyMiles for stays at the Hotel New Otani Tokyo Executive House ZEN More... Until Mar 31, 13
- OFFER EXTENDED Earn up to 3,000 SkyMiles 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

Hilton HHonors
- Double HHonors Points for stays of 2 or more nights at tHilton Grand Vacations Club at Sunrise Lodge Park City. More... Until Apr 30, 13

Oman Air Sindbad (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Double Sindbad Miles when you stay for a minimum of two nights at any of the following Shangri-La or Traders Hotel in Dubai or Abu Dhabi; Shangri-La Hotels in New Delhi or Mumbai; Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Sultanate of Oman; or Shangri-La’s Villingilli Resort & Spa or Traders Hotel in Maldives. More... Until Mar 31, 13
- 1,000 Sindbad Miles and 5% off Budget rentals in Europe, Middle East and Africa. More...Until Feb 28, 13
- Double Sindbad Miles and save up to 33% of on all Hertz rentals Worldwide. More... Book by Jan 31 for rentals until Jun 30, 13
- Quadruple Sindbad Miles on all Sixt rentals of 5 or more days Worldwide. More... Until Jan 31, 13

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



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