Earning Stories: 2,500 Aeroplan Miles on a Hertz SUV rental in Saskatoon

Welcome to the next post in the Earning Stories series right here on Rewards Canada. For years we have provided you with the details on earning points and miles (both regular earning and bonus opportunities) and these stories show the actual offers in action.

This earning story is for a rental we completed for our family in Saskatchewan this past March. We rented a compact SUV for 4 days to get us around the central part of the province. I booked it using this promotion we had listed on Rewards Canada's Aeroplan Bonus Miles page:

Just today however we added a new promotion that has launched that offers 3,000 bonus miles for 3+ days!! Still for the $189 rental of the SUV to earn 2,500 miles on it was a great. The booking was simple via Hertz and I also provided my Hertz Gold Plus Rewards number but that doesn't amount to much in Saskatoon as there is usually only one worker present and no line ups so the benefits from Gold Plus Rewards weren't realized here.

At the outset of the rental we ended up earning the 500 base Aeroplan Miles plus the 2,000 bonus miles from the offer

Here is a screen shot of the miles that posted:

Overall I think this was yet another good earning action for a rental and more so on price when compared to our large SUV rental in Maui earlier this year as it earned the same amount of miles.

Tips for Car Rentals
- Watch the rates that include bonus miles - For us it is about 50/50 in terms of earning bonuses on rentals, many times rates are out there that are quite a bit cheaper and provide more value versus paying more and earning more miles. For a complete list of car rental bonus offers see this page on the main Rewards Canada site.
- Read the fine print - When a bonus offer is available be sure that your rental meets the criteria. Those are primarily minimum number of rental days and vehicle type. There are many promotions that don't get awarded on the smallest/cheapest vehicles.
- Join the Car Rental company's program - Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, National Emerald Club and others all provide great benefits such as dedicated check in counters, bypass check in counters and more.

You can find more Earning Stories listed here!

Hilton HHonors brings back their best buy points bonus ever: 100% until June 3 (US 0.5 cents per point)

Almost as the same time last year, Hilton HHonors has brought back their biggest bonus for buying points. The offer is for a 100% bonus which means the regular cost of US$10 for every 1,000 points is brought down to US$5. This is the best offer for buying Hilton HHonors points and if you potentially have Hilton stays coming up in the next 10-12 months it can be totally worth it to buy the points for those as you can you pull out value of US 8 cents or more on certain redemptions while only paying US 5 cents (check out Loyatly Travelers evaluation here!)

Offer details:
100% Bonus HHonors Points when you buy HHonors points online. Full details Until Jun 3, 16

April 19 Update: Marriott Rewards adds new benefits, AIR MILES Rexall Bonus, earn up to 50,000 bonus Club Carlson points

News, Tips & Tricks
Marriott Rewards has added some new benefits to the program that are seen in the Starwood Preferred Guest program. So even though the two programs won't merge for almost 2 years it looks like Marriott is already going about the route of adding benefits that SPG members are used to and will hopefully make the transition to the new program in a few years easier. In the mean time the 2 million plus Canadian members of Marriott Rewards should rejoice!

Here is an excerpt from the press release as provided to us by Marriott Canada:

· The new Marriott Rewards experiences marketplace gives all members, including The Ritz-Carlton Rewards members, even more access to a collection of unique, curated experiences.
· For an initial group of Elite members of Marriott Rewards, a new Elite concierge service will provide them with a dedicated concierge so that their travel experience is both seamless and tailored to their individual needs.
· Guaranteed late checkout will give Gold and Platinum Elite members of Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards increased flexibility and peace of mind when they travel.
Experiences marketplace
With the experiences marketplace, all Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Members can pursue their passions by choosing from a wide array of curated special events and opportunities for discovery. Whether it’s tickets to one of the hottest shows on Broadway; a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hang out with your favorite sports team; or a private cooking lesson or wine tasting with a world-famous chef or sommelier, members can redeem Marriott Rewards or The Ritz-Carlton Rewards points to access a marketplace of unique experiences that allow them to explore their personal interests in the most meaningful and memorable ways. The experiences marketplace will be available globally to all members in late May.

Elite concierge service
An initial group of Elite members of Marriott Rewards will be invited to participate in a new Elite concierge service. By developing a relationship with the member, the concierge will be able to anticipate their unique needs, ensuring the member’s preferences are recognized and their desires are met before, during, and even after their stay. The concierge will be able to reserve on-property amenities like restaurants, spa treatments and golf, as well as make arrangements for special occasions. The service will launch in late May first for U.S. members of Marriott Rewards traveling worldwide and will continue to expand. Marriott Rewards will actively engage with this group of charter members and seek their feedback to refine the service.

Guaranteed late checkout
The guaranteed late checkout benefit will be available to Gold and Platinum Elite members of both Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards who will enjoy a more seamless travel experience when planning their trip. These members will receive a guaranteed late checkout, which could be as late as 4pm, when making a reservation by phone, when checking in using the Marriott Mobile app, or upon arrival at the hotel. This benefit is available at all fully participating Marriott Rewards hotels with the exclusion of resorts, convention hotels and Marriott Vacation Club. Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards will continue to offer Silver Elite members the benefit of requesting late checkout on their day of departure. Guaranteed late checkout launches globally on May 16.

Emirates is further expanding their code shares on WestJet flights. They will be placing their code and selling tickets on WestJet's flights out of London Gatwick to all 6 Canadian cities that WestJet services from LGW. (Source Airlineroute.net)

Air Algerie is adding an 8th weekly flight between Montreal and Algiers for the summer season. (Source Airlineroute.net)

Earn 80 bonus AIR MILES for Rexall purchases of $50 or more until April 21. Get the coupon here.

Posts since our last update:

• Wyndham Rewards: Receive $100 in Wyndham Rewards Gift Cards when you complete 2 stays in the U.S. or Canada
  Some sly marketing from Wyndham on their latest promotion. It looks enticing at first, $100 in Wyndham Gift Cards when…
• Flexible travel points credit cards aren't only for flights, hotels or car rentals! Whale watch excursions count too!
  Humpback's in Maui!As you know Rewards Canada is all about flexibility. We even have our very popular feature on reward…
• Club Carlson: Earn up to 50,000 Bonus Gold Points for Carlson Rezidor stays until the end of July
  Carlson Rezidor Hotels is the latest chain to reveal their next systemwide stay promotion. A decent bonus if your frequent…

Travel Deals
Emirates has a companion offer for flying in business class out of Toronto. Fares start at $7,799 for two and must be booked by Apr 30 for travel until Nov 30. Find out more here

Bonus Offers
Carlson Hotels Club Carlson
- Earn up to 50,000 Bonus Gold Points when you stay 2 or more nights (non-consecutive) at any Quorvus Collection, Radisson Blu®, Radisson®, Radisson RED, Park Plaza®, Park Inn® by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM hotels worldwide. More... Until Jul 31, 16

Czech Airlines OK Plus
- Double OK Plus Miles for stays at Best Western Hotels in Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia. More... Until Jun 30, 16

EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
- Earn up to 2,500 Bonus Infinity MileageLands Miles when you fly on EVA Air international flights. More... Until Jun 24, 16

Jet Airways JetPrivilege
- 500 Bonus JPMiles on your first booking made via hotels.jetprivilege.com. More... Until May 31, 16
- Double JPMiles when you stay on an eligible rate at any participating Mandarin Oriental Hotel. More... ntil May 31, 16
- Double JPMiles when you stay at any participating Meritus Hotel in Asia. More...Until May 31, 16
- 3,000 Bonus JPMiles on your first hotel booking made with PointsHound. More... Until May 31, 16
- 3,000 Bonus JPMiles on your first Rocketmiles booking More... Book by May 31, 16
- Double JPMiles when you stay at any participating Sarovar Hotel in India. More... Until May 31, 16
- Double JPMiles when you stay participating Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. More... Until Jun 30, 16
- Earn up to Quadruple JetPrivilege Miles when you rent a car at participating HERTZ locations in USA, Canada, Europe, Australia or New Zealand. More... Until May 31, 16
- Earn up to 40% Bonus JetPrivilege Miles when you buy JetPriviliege miles online. More... Until Apr 20, 16

Sonesta Hotels Travel Pass
- Double Travel Pass Points for stays at the Sonesta ES Suites Cleveland Airport or the Sonesta ES Suites Cleveland Westlake. More... Until Sep 30, 16
- Double Travel Pass Points for stays at the Sonesta ES Suites Columbia Baltimore. More... Until May 31, 16
- Double Travel Pass Points for stays at the Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore. More... Until Jun 30, 16
- Double Travel Pass Points for stays at the Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square. More... Until Jun 30, 16
- Triple Travel Pass Points for stays at the Sonesta Bee Cave Austin. More... Until Jun 30, 16

Turkish Miles&Smiles
- Triple Miles&Smiles for stays at all Constance Hotels and Resorts. More... Book by Jun 30 for stays until Dec 22, 16
- Triple Miles&Smiles for Europcar rentals in Turkey. More... Until May 31, 16

Wyndham Rewards
- Receive $100 in Wyndham Rewards gift cards when you complete two qualified stays at participating hotels in the United States or Canada. More... Residents of the U.S. and Canada only. Until Sep 6, 16

Wyndham Rewards: Receive $100 in Wyndham Rewards Gift Cards when you complete 2 stays in the U.S. or Canada

Some sly marketing from Wyndham on their latest promotion. It looks enticing at first, $100 in Wyndham Gift Cards when you complete 2 stays. Considering you could complete two Super 8 stays for even perhaps less than $100 you could come out ahead with this promotion! But be careful the $100 gift cards are actually awarded as four $25 gift cards that can only be redeemed one at a time for stay. This means you'd have to complete 4 more stays to use up the whole $100 and they limit those gifts to check ins until October 31st! If you are a frequent Wyndham family of hotels user then this promotion is pretty decent since you'll be saving $25 per stay later on in the year but for someone who doesn't frequent Wyndham Hotels I don't think you'll be switching brands for this promotion!

Offer details
Receive $100 in Wyndham Rewards gift cards when you complete two qualified stays at participating hotels in the United States or Canada. Full details, online registration and booking (registration is required) Until Sep 6, 16
Awarded as four $25 gift card codes that must be used on four separate stays in the U.S. and Canada by October 31, 2016. Available to residents in the U.S. and Canada only.

Flexible travel points credit cards aren't only for flights, hotels or car rentals! Whale watch excursions count too!

Humpback's in Maui!

As you know Rewards Canada is all about flexibility. We even have our very popular feature on reward card flexibility with the famed yoga infographic. In that piece we state the most flexible travel rewards cards are those that allow you to book travel on your own and redeem for it after the charge posts to your account. What this actually allows you to do is be on vacation or in the midst of any travel, put a travel charge on the card and then when you get home you can redeem your points for the charge(s). Whether it is some train tickets, a ferry ride or even an excursion, as long as it posts as a travel charge you have the ability to redeem for it.

Here is an example from a recent trip we had. We booked a whale watch tour in Maui and paid for it with our American Express Gold Rewards card. When the charge posted I noticed it earned double points which meant Pacific Whale Foundation is set as a travel merchant!

Sure enough when I went online to see what charges I could use my points on it shows up as a redemption option:

The "Use my points" feature on the American Express website is a great way to see what travel related charges you've had that can be redeemed for with the card.

As you can points don't have to be used just for flights, hotels or car rentals. Often there are many other merchants who charge out as travel providers just like this example.

Mama dolphin with baby seen on our Whale Watch tour in
February

On a related note, if you are in Maui during Humpback Whale season (Nov-May) or during other times of the year and want to go see dolphins we highly recommend Pacific Whale Foundation for any excursions on the water. They run a tight ship (no pun intended!) and offer tours on small zodiacs to larger vessels that carry nearly 150 people. We have done no less than half a dozen whale and dolphin watches with them since 2008 and we'll continue going back to them!

Club Carlson: Earn up to 50,000 Bonus Gold Points for Carlson Rezidor stays until the end of July

Carlson Rezidor Hotels is the latest chain to reveal their next systemwide stay promotion. A decent bonus if your frequent Carlson Rezidor hotels but no matter what you should register for it even if you might only have one multiple night stays to get the 5,000 extra points.

Offer details
Earn up to 50,000 Bonus Gold Points when you stay 2 or more nights (non-consecutive) at any Quorvus Collection, Radisson Blu®, Radisson®, Radisson RED, Park Plaza®, Park Inn® by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM hotels worldwide. Register Online (Registration is required) then book online at at Radisson, Park Plaza, Country Inns & Suites, Radisson Blu or Park Inn Until Jul 31, 16

Earn 5,000 bonus Gold Points after completing 2 Eligible Nights
Earn an additional 10,000 bonus Gold Points after completing 5 Eligible Nights
Earn another 10,000 bonus Gold Points after completing 10 Eligible Nights
Earn a final 25,000 bonus Gold Points after completing 15 or more Eligible Nights

April 18 Update: A warning about credit card car rental insurance, the true value in reward redemptions and up to triple Aeroplan miles for Can/U.S. flights

News, Tips & Tricks
All of today's news is from articles and bonuses we posted ourselves. We heed a warning for using your CDW insurance on higher value car rentals, we discuss the true value in reward redemptions and of course give you the details of the latest Air Canada flight bonuses. You'll find all the links below!

Posts since our last update:

• The True Value in Reward Redemptions
  There are people in this world of miles and points who look at maximizing the absolute value for the points…
• Why you need to be careful with rental car upgrades when using the CDW coverage from your credit card
  If you recall we've had a couple posts surrounding one of my family's car rentals recently. More specifically the 10…
• Air Canada: Triple Aeroplan Miles on flights within Canada or Canada and the U.S. booked in Latitude or higher
   Here is a new premium fare bonus from Air Canada for travel in Canada or between the Canada and the…
  
   

Bonus Offers
Air Canada / Aeroplan
- Earn Triple Aeroplan Miles when you fly round trip (or 2 one-way segments) on a Latitude fare or above within Canada or between Canada and the U.S.. More... Apr 15 - Jun 15, 16
- Earn Double Aeroplan Miles when you fly round trip (or 2 one-way segments) on a Flex fare or above within Canada or between Canada and the U.S.. More... Apr 15 - Jun 15, 16

airBaltic PINS (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Triple PINS for stays at Rixos Premium Belek, Rixos Sungate, Rixos Premium Tekirova, Rixos Premium Göcek, Rixos Premium Bodrum, Rixos Beldibi. More... Book by May 1 for stays until Nov 1, 16
- Triple PINS for stays at World Hotels Worldwide. More... Until May 31, 16

American AAdvantage
- 3,000 Bonus AAdvantage Miles on your first Rocketmiles booking More... Book by Jun 30, 16

Emirates Skywards
- Triple Skywards Miles for stays at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa. More... Book by Jul 31 for stays until Apr 30, 17

Etihad Airways
- Earn up to 15,000 Bonus Guest Miles when you have your company join Etihad Business Connect with 2 members and one completes a flight within 3 months of joining. More... Join by May 15, 16

Ethiopian Sheba Miles
- Double Sheba Miles when you fly Ethiopian between New York and Addis Ababa or Lome. More... Jul 1 - Sep 30, 16
- 2,000 Bonus Sheba Miles when you fly Ethiopian between Blantyre and Guangzhou. More... Until May 14, 16
- Double Sheba Miles when you fly Ethiopian to/from New Delhi via Addis Ababa on flight ET688/ET689 transiting to/from Cape Town, Durban, Djibouti, Entebbe, Harare, Hargeisa, Johannesburg, Juba, Khartoum, Mombasa, Nairobi and Tel Aviv .More... Until May 31, 16
- Double Sheba Miles when you fly Ethiopian between Addis Ababa and Hawassa. More... Until Jun 14, 16

TAP Portugal Victoria
- Double Victoria Miles for stays at Altis Hotels in Lisbon. More... Book by May 31 for stays until Aug 31, 16
- Triple Victoria Miles for stays of 3 or more nights at the new INNSIDE New York NoMad. More... Book by Apr 30 for stays until Jun 30, 16
- Triple Victoria Miles on all Europcar rentals Worldwide except in the U.S. and Canada. More... Book by May 31 for stays until Jun 30, 16

Vietnam Airlines Golden Lotus Plus(on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Earn up to 3,500 Bonus Golden Lotus Points for Vietnam Airlines flights between Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City and Paris. More...
- Earn up to 2,000 Bonus Golden Lotus Points for Vietnam Airlines flights between Hanoi, Da Nang, or Ho Chi Minh City and Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, or Nagoya. More... Until Apr 25 & May 1 - 24, 16

Follow Rewards Canada:

The True Value in Reward Redemptions

There are people in this world of miles and points who look at maximizing the absolute value for the points or miles they earn. Heck we even talk a lot about maximizing the value for a point here on Rewards Canada. There are going to be people out there who say that you shouldn't be redeeming Aeroplan miles for education or AIR MILES for merchandise and that you should be using them for flights because there's better value in it. Is this true? Yes on paper it is but what about in reality? This is a question the media asks us frequently and in reality the best value comes from a redemption that makes you happy.

Sure we talk about value, quite a bit. This point being worth 2 cents, that mile being worth 1.5 cents and so on. We do this to provide a benchmark for those that are concerned with achieving the maximum value, comparing program value or at least seeing if what they are redeeming for is worth it in their mind. You are the point maximizers, you know who you are and you're out there but you are the minority. Most Canadians don't have the time or resources to work out the maximum value of their points or miles as they have lots going in their lives. They have kids. They have activities, They work 10 hours a day. They aren't flexible in when and where they can travel and so on. 

So the question is: Are the majority of Canadians maximizing the value of their rewards?

Continue reading the entire article on the main Rewards Canada website

Why you need to be careful with rental car upgrades when using the CDW coverage from your credit card

If you recall we've had a couple posts surrounding one of my family's car rentals recently. More specifically the 10 day rental in Maui:

• Earning Stories: 2,500 Aeroplan Miles on a Hertz SUV rental in Maui 
• Redemption Stories: Using Diners Club Club Reward Points for a Hertz Car Rental

Everything was fine for us and as we mentioned in those posts we were upgraded from a Ford Explorer or equivalent to a Infiniti QX80 that was fully loaded. When I looked up what this car was worth it was in the $70,000 to $80,000 range. The rental was with Hertz as being Hertz Gold Plus Rewards members makes the pick up easy and fast as Maui usually has pretty long line up at all their car rental offices. Also being Hertz Gold Plus rewards means they have my credit card on file, the Diners Club Club Rewards MasterCard and that I decline all insurance coverage, primarily the CDW. However, CDW coverage varies by card and by issuer. So when I found out about the upgrade I wasn't concerned as Diners Club does not put a dollar limit on the car but they do exclude certain makes of cars. Here is Diners' coverage note:

Here are the exclusions:

However if I had used another card and got into an accident I could have been screwed as many issuers cap the limit of the value of a car to C$65,000. Here is the excerpt from all Visa's general coverage:

and BMO World Elite MasterCard's:

Consider this a reminder, a tip and/or a warning. If you are renting a car and you get upgraded (or even pay for a higher end car right off the bat) double check the coverage from your credit card to ensure you are covered for the type of vehicle you get. Even if you have your personal car insurance as back up, some of those also limit vehicles to $65,000, so double check that as well.  In the end you may just have to dish out the money to buy CDW from the car rental company if you want that Cadillac Escalade to drive a bride and groom around for their wedding!

Air Canada: Triple Aeroplan Miles on flights within Canada or Canada and the U.S. booked in Latitude or higher

 Here is a new premium fare bonus from Air Canada for travel in Canada or between the Canada and the U.S.. Like all Aeroplan promos if you booked travel before today it won't count towards the bonus. I booked today but Flex fare only so this bonus won't work for that flight!

Offer details
Earn Triple Aeroplan Miles when you fly round trip (or 2 one-way segments) on a Latitude fare or above within Canada or between Canada and the U.S.. Register Online (Registration is required) Apr 15 - Jun 15, 16

Find  many more Aeroplan Bonus Miles offers here

TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card

• Receive a Welcome Bonus of 15,000 Aeroplan Miles with  your first Purchase
• You could receive another 10,000 Aeroplan Miles when you keep your Account open and active for 90 days after Account approval                                           
• In addition, you could receive 5,000 Aeroplan Miles when you add an Authorized User to your Account by May 27 (Authorized User must call and activate their Card by July 15, 2016)                                                       
• Annual Fee Rebate for the first year(Primary Cardholder only) – that’s $120 in savings!
• Offer Valid until May 27, 2016
• Earn 1.5 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, grocery, drugstore and aircanada.com Purchases made with your Card.
• Earn 1 mile for every $1 you spend on all other Purchases on your Card.
• Earn miles twice when you pay with your TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card and present your Aeroplan Membership Card at over 150 Aeroplan partner brands and with 100 online retailers
• Your Aeroplan miles will not expire as long as you are a TD Aeroplan Credit Cardholder                                                                                                
• Enjoy an extensive suite of travel insurances8 for peace of mind on your next getaway.