This is the last update for this week as we are off tomorrow. Regular updates will return on Monday!
News, Tips & Tricks
Looks like the BMO World Elite changes we mentioned
yesterday are being noticed! We received a few emails of people who are
happy about the changes. I just wish BMO would have responded to our
requests for upcoming changes to cards back in June as the card would
have definitely ranked differently in the 'Travel Points Credit Card with annual fee" category for our 2013 Canada's Top Travel Rewards Credit Card. Chances are and I am saying this without
looking at the full metrics of the change that the card would have
ranked second or third. The main thing keeping this card back is the
fact that you have to book with BMO Rewards, which means you have to
have the points upfront, even if it isn't the full amount where the
other cards at the top of the category allow you to book via any method
and give you time after that booking to redeem your points which means
you can earn more points to make that one travel charge cheaper or that
you can redeem for something you may book while you are on vacation like
a train ticket. So unless no other cards change (which isn't going to happen given that CIBC will have some new cards) you'll see the BMO World Elite move up in the 2014 rankings!
And as we mentioned this is not the only card to see changes coming
this September, another one of Canada's best Travel Rewards cards (we
can't mention the name yet) will get even better as of September 3rd!
Stay tuned.
Reader Question:
One of our readers posed this question to us via email and asked for us to comment:
"The Taxes and other fees charged by Airmiles on Westjet flights
greatly exceed those charged by Westjet for the same flight. This seems
wrong. Will you please comment?"
The reason why the taxes and fees charged by Air Miles on WestJet
fights are higher than WestJet is due to two reasons. One is Air Miles
charges a service fee for their bookings that fall into those fees but the primary reason is that
you are paying a fuel surcharge with the Air Miles redemption. Many
years ago both Air Canada and WestJet starting charging fuel surcharges
on their flights and they showed up as a separate line item but this raised tons of complaints because the cost of a flight ended up being
way higher than the advertised base fare. In response, Air Canada and WestJet
did built those fuel surcharge into the base fare, so when you book
the flight directly you don't see this. However WestJet breaks out the
fuel surcharge when charging Air Miles for the ticket and Air Miles
passes along that surcharge to person redeeming. So what in fact is
happening is you are only redeeming Air Miles for the absolute base fare
of flight and have to pay the same taxes and fees seen from WestJet but also the fuel surcharge which you don't see on their bookings. The same happens when you redeem Aeroplan miles for Air
Canada flights or many of their partner flights. I hope this explains
why there is the difference in taxes and fees for the exact same flight!
Bonus Offers
ANA All Nippon Mileage Club
- Earn up to 100% Bonus Mileage Club miles when you fly on non-stop
flights marketed and operated by United Airlines or All Nippon Airways
(ANA) between Seattle and Tokyo, Narita. More... Until Nov 30, 13
China Eastern Eastern Miles
- 2,000 Eastern Miles Points for stays at participating Langham properties in China. More... Sep 1 - Dec 31, 13
- Double Eastern Miles Points for stays of 2 or more nights at any
Shangri-La hotel, resort, Traders hotel or Kerry hotel Worldwide. More... Sep 1 - Nov 30, 13
Hyatt Gold Passport
- Earn up to 50,000 Bonus Gold Passport Points for eligible stays at any
participating Park Hyatt®, Andaz®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt®, Hyatt
Regency®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, or Hyatt Residence Club™ hotel and
resort worldwide, or any participating M life resort. More... Register between Sep 9 - Oct 31, 13 for stays between Sep 9 - Nov 30, 13
Le Club accorhotels
- Double Le Club Accorhotels for stays at the Novotel Yogyakarta More... Until Oct 31, 13
Shangri-La Hotels Golden Circle
- Triple GC Award Points for stays of four or more nights in a signature suite at the Shangri-La Hotel Paris. More... Sep 1 - Nov 30, 13
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Hyatt: Earn up to 50,000 Bonus Gold Passport Points for stays Sep 9 - Nov 30, 13
Hyatt's Gold Passport program was one of the few hotel programs that
did not run a systemwide promotion over the summer months although some
members were targeted with select offers. Well the wait is over for all
Gold Passport members as they have announced their next systemwide
promotion called "Discover New Possibilities". To earn any bonus points
you have to stay at least 5 nights with Hyatt during that time period.
Registration for the promotion does not open until September 9. For
those of you who don't have too many nights planned this fall you may be
better off taking advantage of SPG's Double Take or Marriott's MegaBonus. Here is the offer as it will appear on RC's Hyatt page later today:
Earn up to 50,000 Bonus Gold Passport Points for eligible stays at any participating Park Hyatt®, Andaz®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, or Hyatt Residence Club™ hotel and resort worldwide, or any participating M life resort.
Bonuses are as follows:
Stay Earn Total Bonus Points Earned
5 Nights 5,000 bonus points = 5,000
10 Nights additional 10,000 bonus points = 15,000
15 Nights additional 15,000 bonus points = 30,000
20 Nights additional 20,000 bonus points = 50,000
Members must register to take part in the promotion. Register Online (Registration is required) Register between Sep 9 - Oct 31, 13 for stays between Sep 9 - Nov 30, 13
Earn up to 50,000 Bonus Gold Passport Points for eligible stays at any participating Park Hyatt®, Andaz®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, or Hyatt Residence Club™ hotel and resort worldwide, or any participating M life resort.
Bonuses are as follows:
Stay Earn Total Bonus Points Earned
5 Nights 5,000 bonus points = 5,000
10 Nights additional 10,000 bonus points = 15,000
15 Nights additional 15,000 bonus points = 30,000
20 Nights additional 20,000 bonus points = 50,000
Members must register to take part in the promotion. Register Online (Registration is required) Register between Sep 9 - Oct 31, 13 for stays between Sep 9 - Nov 30, 13
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Aug 21 Update: 2x Asia Miles for premium fares between Canada & Hong Kong, Air Canada Altitude devalued, Alaska Airlines flight bonus
Most of today's information and news has come to you already in separate posts but here is a summary:
News, Tips & Tricks
Air Canada Altitude has been devalued again. See all the details in our post here. Also stay tuned for a post from an Air Canada Elite member to hear his thoughts on the changes.
BMO is updating their World Elite MasterCard, find our more here.
And not too many new bonus offers for Canadians (we had more on FFB but three are not available to us) including the Cathay Pacific flight offer mentioned earlier today and a pretty decent offer from Alaska Airlines if you fly them frequently via Seattle or Portland to cities like Los Angeles, Dallas and more. Also worth mentioning is the third bonus offer listed below for Etihad flights as I want to note that you don't have to be a big corporation to join BusinessConnect and take advantage of the bonus miles. You can even be a Sole Propietorship (or pretend to be one and use your SIN as your business number.... but you did not hear that here!) to join and then link your Etihad Guest account to your BusinessConnect account to make sure you can earn up to Triple Miles on Etihad flights in September.
Bonus Offers
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Earn up to 10,000 Bonus Mileage Plan Miles on qualifying paid nonstop flights between Seattle(SEA) and Boston(BOS), Las Vegas(LAS), Los Angeles(LAX), Philadelphia(PHL), or San Francisco (SFO), and between Portland(PDX) and Atlanta(ATL), Chicago(ORD), Dallas(DFW), Las Vegas(LAS), Los Angeles(LAX), or San Francisco(SFO). More... Until Nov 12, 13
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Double Asia miles when you register and fly one-way or round-trip in First, Business or Premium Economy Class on Cathay Pacific from Canada to Hong Kong. More... Sep 1- Nov 30, 13 Valid for residents of Canada only
Etihad Guest
- Earn up to Triple Guest Miles on all Etihad flights Worldwide. More... Until Sep 30, 13 Valid for members whose accounts are connected with an Etihad BusinessConnect account only
News, Tips & Tricks
Air Canada Altitude has been devalued again. See all the details in our post here. Also stay tuned for a post from an Air Canada Elite member to hear his thoughts on the changes.
BMO is updating their World Elite MasterCard, find our more here.
And not too many new bonus offers for Canadians (we had more on FFB but three are not available to us) including the Cathay Pacific flight offer mentioned earlier today and a pretty decent offer from Alaska Airlines if you fly them frequently via Seattle or Portland to cities like Los Angeles, Dallas and more. Also worth mentioning is the third bonus offer listed below for Etihad flights as I want to note that you don't have to be a big corporation to join BusinessConnect and take advantage of the bonus miles. You can even be a Sole Propietorship (or pretend to be one and use your SIN as your business number.... but you did not hear that here!) to join and then link your Etihad Guest account to your BusinessConnect account to make sure you can earn up to Triple Miles on Etihad flights in September.
Bonus Offers
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Earn up to 10,000 Bonus Mileage Plan Miles on qualifying paid nonstop flights between Seattle(SEA) and Boston(BOS), Las Vegas(LAS), Los Angeles(LAX), Philadelphia(PHL), or San Francisco (SFO), and between Portland(PDX) and Atlanta(ATL), Chicago(ORD), Dallas(DFW), Las Vegas(LAS), Los Angeles(LAX), or San Francisco(SFO). More... Until Nov 12, 13
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Double Asia miles when you register and fly one-way or round-trip in First, Business or Premium Economy Class on Cathay Pacific from Canada to Hong Kong. More... Sep 1- Nov 30, 13 Valid for residents of Canada only
Etihad Guest
- Earn up to Triple Guest Miles on all Etihad flights Worldwide. More... Until Sep 30, 13 Valid for members whose accounts are connected with an Etihad BusinessConnect account only
BMO World Elite MasterCard being enhanced as of September 1st!
As I mentioned yesterday, watch for changes to come to a few Canadian credit card this September and here is the first of them that we are going to bring you.
A pretty strong card in its own right that came 5th place in the "Travel Points Credit Card with annual fee" category in our 2013 Top Travel Rewards Credit Card rankings, the BMO World Elite MasterCard is getting a slight revamping as of September 1st.
Thanks to Rewards Canada reader Michael D. for passing along this information from a letter he received:
These aren't huge changes but the fact that they are all good is huge given the negative news from many programs over the past few months!
Free additional cards is a great new feature considering the primary card costs $150 (this is now exactly the same as another top card, the American Express Gold Rewards Card)
The redemption rate moves to 2% from 1.9% while not huge it does make this card even better. This redemption rate is because of the card now offering 2 points per dollar instead of 1 and that the method of redemption of BMO Rewards Points is now less complex. Before the changes the card offered 1 point per dollar but that 1 point was worth 1.9% due to a somewhat complex redemption process. The new redemption process as mentioned will be 100 points = $1 (no more trying to calculate what your points are worth at that 1.9% rate) as 1 point will equal a 1% return and since the card will earn 2 points on all eligible spending you actual rate of return is 2%.
The only possible negative aspect of this change is that the sign up bonus gets highly devalued if they don't increase it as of September 1st. The current sign up bonus is 15,000 points which is currently marketed as a $285 travel credit (using the 1.9% value) but because of the new redemption rate of 100 points = $1 that 15,000 points will only equal a $150 travel credit (or with this special link where you get 20,000 points or $200). I wouldn't be surprised if we see the sign up bonus move to 25,000 or 30,000 points as of September 1st to accommodate the new redemption rate but then again because of the new feature that supplementary cards are free the may not as the reduced value of the sign up bonus would compensate for that new benefit.
A pretty strong card in its own right that came 5th place in the "Travel Points Credit Card with annual fee" category in our 2013 Top Travel Rewards Credit Card rankings, the BMO World Elite MasterCard is getting a slight revamping as of September 1st.
Thanks to Rewards Canada reader Michael D. for passing along this information from a letter he received:
Just got a letter from BMO that Effective September 1 ... the redemption rate will now be 2% for every dollar vs 1.9%. Also they are giving free additional cards. Also you will now get 2 BMO points for ever dollar to make it easier to understand the redemption. 100 BMO points will = $1
These aren't huge changes but the fact that they are all good is huge given the negative news from many programs over the past few months!
Free additional cards is a great new feature considering the primary card costs $150 (this is now exactly the same as another top card, the American Express Gold Rewards Card)
The redemption rate moves to 2% from 1.9% while not huge it does make this card even better. This redemption rate is because of the card now offering 2 points per dollar instead of 1 and that the method of redemption of BMO Rewards Points is now less complex. Before the changes the card offered 1 point per dollar but that 1 point was worth 1.9% due to a somewhat complex redemption process. The new redemption process as mentioned will be 100 points = $1 (no more trying to calculate what your points are worth at that 1.9% rate) as 1 point will equal a 1% return and since the card will earn 2 points on all eligible spending you actual rate of return is 2%.
The only possible negative aspect of this change is that the sign up bonus gets highly devalued if they don't increase it as of September 1st. The current sign up bonus is 15,000 points which is currently marketed as a $285 travel credit (using the 1.9% value) but because of the new redemption rate of 100 points = $1 that 15,000 points will only equal a $150 travel credit (or with this special link where you get 20,000 points or $200). I wouldn't be surprised if we see the sign up bonus move to 25,000 or 30,000 points as of September 1st to accommodate the new redemption rate but then again because of the new feature that supplementary cards are free the may not as the reduced value of the sign up bonus would compensate for that new benefit.
Air Canada Altitude devalued once again.....
On August 19th Air Canada's Elite program, Altitude, announced some changes to this already negatively modified program that are once again.... negative (well there is one slight positive).
Here are the details as announced on FlyerTalk by an Air Canada Altitude representative:
More miles with many Air Canada fares
Starting tomorrow – August 20 – all members will earn more Altitude Qualifying Miles on many Air Canada fares:
- Earn 25% Altitude Qualifying Miles when you purchase a Tango
fare for travel within Canada on flights operated by Air Canada and Air
Canada Express. Tango fares for travel across all other markets will
remain at 50% Altitude Qualifying Miles.
- Earn 125% Altitude Qualifying Miles when you purchase a Latitude or Premium Economy fare on all flights operated by Air Canada and Air Canada Express across our network.
- Earn 150% Altitude Qualifying Miles when you purchase an Executive First or Executive Class fare on all flights operated by Air Canada and Air Canada Express across our network.
- Earn Altitude Qualifying Miles when you purchase any fare – including Tango fares, which previously earned non-qualifying Aeroplan Miles – on flights operated by Air Canada rouge .
Note that this change will apply to all reservations, regardless of booking date, for travel effective tomorrow.
eUpgrade Add-ons
In order to preserve the sustainability of the eUpgrade benefit on overseas International flights, beginning March 2014, certain Altitude members will see the introduction of eUpgrade Add-ons. eUpgrade Add-ons are a supplementary payment, in addition to the required number of eUpgrade Credits that will apply as follows:
- eUpgrade Add-ons will apply for Altitude Prestige 25K, Elite 35K, Elite 50K and Elite 75K members.
Add-ons will also apply to the upgraded travel companions of members
who hold one of those Altitude status levels. Add-ons will not apply for
Super Elite 100K members or their companions.
- eUpgrade Add-ons will apply only for travel on longhaul, international flights.
Specifically, add-ons are applicable for travel between Canada and
Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and South America. Add-ons will
not apply for travel within North America, including Sun destinations.
- eUpgrade Add-ons will apply to upgrades from Flex fares. Add-ons will not apply to upgrades from Latitude or Premium Economy fares.
- eUpgrade Add-ons will not change how you request an upgrade.
As today, you will continue to be able to request an upgrade at
aircanada.com/upgrade, through Air Canada Reservations or with an agent
at the airport. Where applicable, however, you will be required to
provide a credit card in order to pay for the add-on. Note that the
credit card will only be charged if your upgrade is successful, and all
charges will be processed in Canadian Dollars (CAD).
- eUpgrade Add-ons will vary by market. The rate you pay will include any applicable taxes, and will be priced as follows:
- Between Canada and Europe, the Middle East & South America: $500
- Between Canada and Asia & Australia: $750
Also beginning in March 2014, a few additional changes to eUpgrades will take effect:
- The eUpgrade Travel Companion benefit will be expanded, and will replace eUpgrade Nominees.
On the day of departure, all Altitude members will now be able to
upgrade one companion who is not travelling on the same reservation, as
long as they are traveling on the same flight. This will give members
more flexibility when upgrading companions who may not be traveling on
the same reservation as them.
- Altitude Super Elite 100K members will retain 2 eUpgrade Nominees. This will be in addition to the new expanded travel companion benefit.
- eUpgrades with Aeroplan ClassicFlight Rewards will no longer be available. This benefit, currently exclusive to Super Elite 100K members, will be removed.
We'll begin with the little bit of good news out of these changes. The ability to earn Altitude Qualifying Miles on more Air Canada fares and increased Altitude Qualifying Miles on Latitude, Premium Economy and Executive Class fares. These changes went into effect as of yesterday.
And now on to the bad news, as of March 2014 you can expect these changes to take place:
eUpgrade Add-ons
What does this mean? Essentially it means you will now have to co-pay to be able to use your eUpgrade credits on Flex fares for International travel (Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and South America). All Altitude Elite members except for Super Elite 100K will be affected by this change.
The Add-on rates are as follows and per flight segment, per upgraded passenger:
That is good chunk of change to be able to use your eUpgrade credits if you are traveling on a Flex Fare which are already quite a bit more expensive than other fares. These upgrade rates are similar to the Last Minute Upgrade options that are sometimes offered during online check in or airport check in and of course with those you don't have to use your eUpgrade credits. Watch the LMU rates will be drastically increased in March so that Altitude members are forced to play the upgrade lotto with eUpgrade credits + co-pay rather than just hope for the best and only pay cash at check-in.
According to Air Canada, here is why they are doing this (sounds like Delta a few weeks back with their reasoning behind Business Class award ticket increases for their new premium product)
eUpgrade Add-ons applied to eUpgrades by Altitude Elite 75K, Elite 50K, Elite 35K and Prestige 25K on long haul international overseas flights will allow us to better balance the system-wide eUpgrade benefit with the cost of delivering and maintaining the premium travel experience of Executive First. Even with this change, the eUpgrade benefit continues to deliver exceptional value to Altitude members in terms of access to the Executive First cabin, for less then the published fare
eUpgrade eligibility and transferability Finally, the last change to the Altitude program is for eUpgrade eligibility and transferability. Gone will be the ability to 'share' eUpgrade credits with your nominees. Now you have to be on the same flight to be able to upgrade a traveling companion who does not have to be on the same reservation however. Also gone is the ability for Super Elites to use eUpgrade credits on ClassicFlight rewards however Super Elites do retain the nominee option but that has been dropped from 4 nominees to 2 because of the new 'travel companion' rule that all Altitude members get.
Of course if you want to see all this on Air Canada's site you can do so here.
In conclusion these changes are primarily negative unless you are a Super Elite 100K member or simply earn AQM's for other status benefits outside of the upgrade options. The biggest hit is to those who are Altitude Elite 75K, Elite 50K, Elite 35K and Prestige 25K because of the new co-pay requirement. Plus when you combine these Air Canada changes with the Aeroplan changes over the past few years (the increased mileage requirements for premium International travel) you can see why some mid-level Air Canada elite members are seriously considering a switch to other Star Alliance based programs.
What are your thoughts on these changes? Comment below, we'd love to hear them and we're also sure many of readers would too!
Aug 28 Update: Read commentary about the changes from a Super Elite 100K member
Cathay Pacific: Double Miles in First, Business and Premium Economy Class between Canada and Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific has just launched their latest flight promotion for flights out of Canada to Hong Kong. Like many of their Canadian promotions in the past it covers only premium fare cabins (ie no economy class) but is a welcome promotion nonetheless if you are planning to fly CX this fall. Here are the details on the offer as they will appear on RC's Asia Miles page later today:
Earn Double Asia Miles when you register and fly one-way or round-trip in First, Business or Premium Economy Class on Cathay Pacific from Canada to Hong Kong. Plus, newly joined members who take advantage of this offer will earn an additional 500 Asia Miles. Register Online (registration is required) Sep 1 - Nov 30, 13
Earn Double Asia Miles when you register and fly one-way or round-trip in First, Business or Premium Economy Class on Cathay Pacific from Canada to Hong Kong. Plus, newly joined members who take advantage of this offer will earn an additional 500 Asia Miles. Register Online (registration is required) Sep 1 - Nov 30, 13
SPG's "Take Two" - Double Starpoints + 2,500 Bonus Starpoints for every 5 nights - Now open for registration
Starwood's latest systemwide promotion called "Take Two" is now open for registration. Here are the details on the promo along with the registration link:
SPG Take Two: Double Starpoints + up to 10,000 Bonus Starpoints on all eligible stays at participating Starwood Hotels Worldwide. Double Starpoints are awarded on all eligible stays plus earn 2,500 bonus Starpoints for every five eligible nights up to 10,000 bonus Starpoints.Full Details, online registration and booking (Registration is required) Register by Oct 31 for stays Sep 1 - Dec 15, 13
Looking to earn more Starpoints? Check out this limited time offer for the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express:
- Earn 20,000 Welcome Bonus Starpoints®* after you charge $1,000 in purchases to your Card in your first three months of Cardmembership - enough for up to 5 free nights. Apply online
- Earn 1 Starpoint for every $1 in purchases charged to the Card
- Enjoy a Free Weekend Night Award when you reach $40,000 in purchases each year
- Experience Starwood Gold Preferred Guest status when you reach $30,000 in purchases each year
- $120 annual fee (annual interest rate 19.99%)
SPG Take Two: Double Starpoints + up to 10,000 Bonus Starpoints on all eligible stays at participating Starwood Hotels Worldwide. Double Starpoints are awarded on all eligible stays plus earn 2,500 bonus Starpoints for every five eligible nights up to 10,000 bonus Starpoints.Full Details, online registration and booking (Registration is required) Register by Oct 31 for stays Sep 1 - Dec 15, 13
Looking to earn more Starpoints? Check out this limited time offer for the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express:
- Earn 20,000 Welcome Bonus Starpoints®* after you charge $1,000 in purchases to your Card in your first three months of Cardmembership - enough for up to 5 free nights. Apply online
- Earn 1 Starpoint for every $1 in purchases charged to the Card
- Enjoy a Free Weekend Night Award when you reach $40,000 in purchases each year
- Experience Starwood Gold Preferred Guest status when you reach $30,000 in purchases each year
- $120 annual fee (annual interest rate 19.99%)
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Aug 20 Update: WestJet adds new 'Plus' fare category, Hyatt bonus in Atlanta, Accor Hotels Private Sale
Everything today revovles around loyalty promotions!
News, Tips & Tricks
WestJet has added a third price category to their fare structure. The new category called 'Plus' is their top end fare which could almost be considered a Premium Economy fare as it offers instant access to their new Premium Economy seats that offer more leg room. Over and above that there are lot of other features to the Plus fare. Here is what Plus includes:
A quick check of fares between Calgary and Vancouver reveals that the Plus option may not be a bad option even for those who may be price conscious:
You can see the price difference is $115.50 between Econo and Plus but if your were to book either the Econo or Flex fare you would have to pay $20-$23 to check a second bag (assuming you are checking a second bag), seat selection would be $10 -$11.50 assuming regular seating, but if you wanted Plus seating it would be an extra $45-$51.75 and then you get a food selection and an alcoholic beverage which would cost you up to $14 on board.
Lets do the math on this:
So even for price conscious people the Plus fare can be attractive if you
meet all of the above assumptions that you have a second bag, want to
eat on board and want the extra leg room. I know if I met those criteria
I would consider to take on the extra $36 for the ability to have
complimentary flight changes and cancellation options. For this example the only reason to
consider Flex Fare would be if you did not want advance seat selection
or have the need for a second checked bag.
Big Bonuses coming?
With September fast approaching and everyone ending their summer holidays, people are going to start exploring how they can earn back the miles and points they redeemed on their summer vacation and this may include switching credit cards or loyalty programs. The Credit Card companies know this are getting ready to pounce with new offers and more. We know of some new offers coming this September so be sure to follow us here on the blog, Facebook and Twitter to make sure you don't miss out these new promotions!
Travel Deals
Accor Hotels has launched their latest 'private sale' with savings of up to 50% of their regular rates. For example stays in the U.S. and Canada of at least 2 nights are being discounted by 40%. Stays must be booked by August 29. Full details can be found here
Bonus Offers
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Earn up to 3 Mileage Plan Miles per dollar spent when you use GroundLink car services. More... Until Sep 30, 13
China Southern Sky Pearl Club
- 2,000 SkyPearl Kilometers for stays at participating Langham properties in China. More... Sep 1 - Dec 31, 13
- Double SkyPearl Kilometers for stays of 2 or more nights at any Shangri-La hotel, resort, Traders hotel or Kerry hotel Worldwide. More... Sep 1 - Nov 30, 13
Emirates Skywards
- Triple Skywards Miles for at all Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. More... Until Sep 30 , 13
Hyatt Gold Passport
- 1,500 Bonus Gold Passport Points for stays at any of 15 participating hotels in Atlanta. More... Until Nov 30, 13
La Quinta Returns
- Get up to a 25% Discount when buy La Quinta Returns Points. More... Until Aug 25, 13
Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer
- Double Safar Flyer Miles on Europcar rentals in France and Morocco. More... Until Sep 30, 13
- Earn up to Triple Safar Flyer Miles on Sixt rentals Worldwide. More... Until Sep 30, 13
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 500 BonusMiles&Smiles and a free upgrade to the next room category for stays on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night on the Best Available Rate at the Movenpick Istanbul. More... Sep 1 - Dec 29, 13
News, Tips & Tricks
WestJet has added a third price category to their fare structure. The new category called 'Plus' is their top end fare which could almost be considered a Premium Economy fare as it offers instant access to their new Premium Economy seats that offer more leg room. Over and above that there are lot of other features to the Plus fare. Here is what Plus includes:
- complimentary flight change and cancel options
- extra baggage allowance (two free checked bags)
- extra legroom (36-inch seat pitch)
- a complimentary food item and alcoholic beverages from our inflight menu
- advance boarding and overhead bin space
- priority security screening at available airports
You can see the price difference is $115.50 between Econo and Plus but if your were to book either the Econo or Flex fare you would have to pay $20-$23 to check a second bag (assuming you are checking a second bag), seat selection would be $10 -$11.50 assuming regular seating, but if you wanted Plus seating it would be an extra $45-$51.75 and then you get a food selection and an alcoholic beverage which would cost you up to $14 on board.
Lets do the math on this:
Base Fare | Second Bag | Plus Seat Selection | Food & Beverage | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Econo | $172.33 | $20 | $45 | $14 | $251.33 |
Flex | $251.08 | $20 | $45 | $14 | $330.08 |
Plus | $287.83 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $287.33 |
Big Bonuses coming?
With September fast approaching and everyone ending their summer holidays, people are going to start exploring how they can earn back the miles and points they redeemed on their summer vacation and this may include switching credit cards or loyalty programs. The Credit Card companies know this are getting ready to pounce with new offers and more. We know of some new offers coming this September so be sure to follow us here on the blog, Facebook and Twitter to make sure you don't miss out these new promotions!
Travel Deals
Accor Hotels has launched their latest 'private sale' with savings of up to 50% of their regular rates. For example stays in the U.S. and Canada of at least 2 nights are being discounted by 40%. Stays must be booked by August 29. Full details can be found here
Bonus Offers
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Earn up to 3 Mileage Plan Miles per dollar spent when you use GroundLink car services. More... Until Sep 30, 13
China Southern Sky Pearl Club
- 2,000 SkyPearl Kilometers for stays at participating Langham properties in China. More... Sep 1 - Dec 31, 13
- Double SkyPearl Kilometers for stays of 2 or more nights at any Shangri-La hotel, resort, Traders hotel or Kerry hotel Worldwide. More... Sep 1 - Nov 30, 13
Emirates Skywards
- Triple Skywards Miles for at all Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. More... Until Sep 30 , 13
Hyatt Gold Passport
- 1,500 Bonus Gold Passport Points for stays at any of 15 participating hotels in Atlanta. More... Until Nov 30, 13
La Quinta Returns
- Get up to a 25% Discount when buy La Quinta Returns Points. More... Until Aug 25, 13
Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer
- Double Safar Flyer Miles on Europcar rentals in France and Morocco. More... Until Sep 30, 13
- Earn up to Triple Safar Flyer Miles on Sixt rentals Worldwide. More... Until Sep 30, 13
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 500 BonusMiles&Smiles and a free upgrade to the next room category for stays on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night on the Best Available Rate at the Movenpick Istanbul. More... Sep 1 - Dec 29, 13
Monday, August 19, 2013
Air France KLM: Earn over 50,000 Flying Blue Miles on Avis car rentals
Here at Rewards Canada we list hundreds of car rental bonus offers each year from the 160+ programs that we track but for the past couple of years no offer has topped Air France KLM's Avis Accumulator offer. This year we originally brought it to you back in March in this post but with just a little over four months left in the year the offer deserved mention once again to either remind you of it or if you weren't aware of it to give you enough time to get to the top bonus level.
The offer is a tiered bonus that will award you with a total 50,500 Flying Blue miles when you complete six rentals of 3 more days each, which are enough miles for a classic award ticket in economy class between North America and Europe. If you haven't credited any such rentals to your Flying Blue account you better hope that you can get in 18 days (6 rentals x 3 days) with Avis in the next four months!
Here are the full details on the bonus offer as we posted it to RC's Flying Blue page back in March:
Earn up to 50,500 Flying Blue Miles on your Avis rentals of 3 or more days per rental Worldwide.
Earn 2,000 bonus miles on your second rental
Earn 5,000 bonus miles on your third rental
Earn 7,500 bonus miles on your fourth rental
Earn 14,000 bonus miles on your fifth rental
Earn 20,000 bonus miles on your sixth rental
For a total of 47,500 bonus miles plus 3,000 base miles unless you are a Platinum member in which case you'll earn 3,600 base miles.
To qualify, reservations at Avis.com must be made using a Flying Blue/Avis Worldwide Discount (AWD) number: Ivory members F982700;
Silver members F982800;
Gold members F982900;
Platinum members F983000
or with a KLM Flying Blue AWD number:
Ivory Z266200;
Silver members Z266100;
Gold members Z190300;
Platinum members K885100
or with an Air France AWD number:
Ivory members i939600;
Silver members i939700;
Gold members i939800;
Platinum members i939900.
There is no registration required for this offer, you just need to ensure that you use on of the above AWD numbers when you a book a 3 day or longer Avis rental anywhere Worldwide at Avis.com
Aug 19 Update: Air Miles Madness, Preferred Hotel Group relaunches iPrefer, plus over a dozen new bonus offers
Welcome to another week of travel rewards news, views and more here on Rewards Canada!
News, Tips & Tricks
Air Miles has a new promotion called "Air Miles Madness Back-to-School Event" that features printable/emailable coupons for use in store at select retailers like Staples, The Shoe Company, Toys R Us and more. Plus every coupon you use enters you into the contest portion of the promotion for a chance to win a trip for 4 to Cancun or Staples Gift Cards. Check it out here
Preferred Hotel Group's iPrefer officially relaunched last week with their new points based system. The program overall is extremely weak and the only real benefit that comes from joining the program is complimentary internet. Find out more about the program here.
Travel Deals
Marriott: Visit Hawaii and get an Extra Night FREE + Daily Breakfast for 2! Book by Dec 5, 13
Bonus Offers
Air Canada Aeroplan
- 1,000 Aeroplan Miles for a minimum of two days at HotelParc Montreal. More... Until Oct 31, 13
Air Miles
- 3X Air Miles Reward Miles when you book a Transat Holidays vacation package or cruise with Marlin Travels. More... Book by Sep 5 for travel Nov 1, 13 - Apr 30, 14
airBaltic BalticMiles (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Double BalticMiles Points for stays at the Grand Rose Hotel. More... Until Oct 11, 13
- Triple BalticMiles Points when you rent a car from CaRent in Lithuania. More... Until Sep 30, 13
Delta SkyMiles
- Triple SkyMiles for stays on the Bed & Breakfast Package for Two at participating Radisson & Hotels in North and South America. More... Until Sep 30, 13
Garuda Indonesia Frequent Flyer (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Triple GFF Miles for Garuda flights in Executive Class between Jakarta and Semarang. More... Aug 20 - Dec 20, 13
Gulf Air FalconFlyer (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Triple Falconflyer Miles for stays at the Al Ghurair Arjaan & Al Ghurair Rayhaan by Rotana More... Until Sep 30, 13
- Double Falconflyer Miles on Budget rentals of 2 days or more in UAE and 3 days or more in Kuwait and 4 days or more in Egypt. Double miles applicable on all rentals in Bahrain. More... Until Sep 30, 13
- Triple Falconflyer Miles for Hertz rentals of 7 or more days Worldwide. More... Until Sep 30, 13
- Quadruple Falconflyer Miles for Sixt rentals of 7 or more days Worldwide. More... Until Sep 30, 13
Marriott Rewards
- Earn up to 5,000 Rewards Points rent any car at participating Hertz locations in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Europe, Mexico, New Zealand and Puerto Rico. More... Until Dec 31, 13
Saudia Alfursan
- Double Alfursan Miles for stays at any participating Marriott Hotel Worldwide. More... Until Nov 30, 13
United MileagePlus
- Earn up to 100% Bonus MileagePlus miles when you fly on non-stop flights marketed and operated by United Airlines or All Nippon Airways (ANA) between Seattle and Tokyo, Narita. More... Until Nov 30, 13
- Earn up to 1,000 Bonus MileagePlus Miles per night on paid qualifying hotel stays booked through united.com/hotels. More... Book by Aug 31 for stays until Sep 30, 13
Remember to follow Rewards Canada on Facebook and Twitter or subscribe to our Newsletter and RSS feed
News, Tips & Tricks
Air Miles has a new promotion called "Air Miles Madness Back-to-School Event" that features printable/emailable coupons for use in store at select retailers like Staples, The Shoe Company, Toys R Us and more. Plus every coupon you use enters you into the contest portion of the promotion for a chance to win a trip for 4 to Cancun or Staples Gift Cards. Check it out here
Preferred Hotel Group's iPrefer officially relaunched last week with their new points based system. The program overall is extremely weak and the only real benefit that comes from joining the program is complimentary internet. Find out more about the program here.
Travel Deals
Marriott: Visit Hawaii and get an Extra Night FREE + Daily Breakfast for 2! Book by Dec 5, 13
Bonus Offers
Air Canada Aeroplan
- 1,000 Aeroplan Miles for a minimum of two days at HotelParc Montreal. More... Until Oct 31, 13
Air Miles
- 3X Air Miles Reward Miles when you book a Transat Holidays vacation package or cruise with Marlin Travels. More... Book by Sep 5 for travel Nov 1, 13 - Apr 30, 14
airBaltic BalticMiles (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Double BalticMiles Points for stays at the Grand Rose Hotel. More... Until Oct 11, 13
- Triple BalticMiles Points when you rent a car from CaRent in Lithuania. More... Until Sep 30, 13
Delta SkyMiles
- Triple SkyMiles for stays on the Bed & Breakfast Package for Two at participating Radisson & Hotels in North and South America. More... Until Sep 30, 13
Garuda Indonesia Frequent Flyer (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Triple GFF Miles for Garuda flights in Executive Class between Jakarta and Semarang. More... Aug 20 - Dec 20, 13
Gulf Air FalconFlyer (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Triple Falconflyer Miles for stays at the Al Ghurair Arjaan & Al Ghurair Rayhaan by Rotana More... Until Sep 30, 13
- Double Falconflyer Miles on Budget rentals of 2 days or more in UAE and 3 days or more in Kuwait and 4 days or more in Egypt. Double miles applicable on all rentals in Bahrain. More... Until Sep 30, 13
- Triple Falconflyer Miles for Hertz rentals of 7 or more days Worldwide. More... Until Sep 30, 13
- Quadruple Falconflyer Miles for Sixt rentals of 7 or more days Worldwide. More... Until Sep 30, 13
Marriott Rewards
- Earn up to 5,000 Rewards Points rent any car at participating Hertz locations in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Europe, Mexico, New Zealand and Puerto Rico. More... Until Dec 31, 13
Saudia Alfursan
- Double Alfursan Miles for stays at any participating Marriott Hotel Worldwide. More... Until Nov 30, 13
United MileagePlus
- Earn up to 100% Bonus MileagePlus miles when you fly on non-stop flights marketed and operated by United Airlines or All Nippon Airways (ANA) between Seattle and Tokyo, Narita. More... Until Nov 30, 13
- Earn up to 1,000 Bonus MileagePlus Miles per night on paid qualifying hotel stays booked through united.com/hotels. More... Book by Aug 31 for stays until Sep 30, 13
Remember to follow Rewards Canada on Facebook and Twitter or subscribe to our Newsletter and RSS feed