Thursday, November 3, 2016

Rewards Canada's 15th Anniversary Celebration! Week 2: Enter to win a $200 American Express Gift Card


Wow! 15 years! A big thank you to all of our readers and supporters who have helped us reach this amazing milestone! Without you we would not be celebrating this achievement and to show our appreciation we have lots of great contests, points offers and more!

Be sure to enter the contests, take part in our social media initiative for some free points and take advantage of our special booking offers! Over the past 15 years Rewards Canada has built up some great relationships with various travel and loyalty partners and we have teamed up with some of our longest standing partners to help celebrate!

This week you can enter to win a $200 American Express Gift Card!

Find all the details on our 15th Anniversary page!

50% Transfer Bonus for RBC Rewards (Avion only) to British Airways Executive Club is back until Dec 17, 16

Many of you ask when this offer will return and as always we are proud to let you know the much loved transfer bonus from RBC Rewards to British Airways Executive Club is back.  And finally we have great news with it, it has moved back to a 50% bonus rather than the 30% we had seen during the last couple times this offer came about!

The offer is for all of you RBC Avion cardholders (Infinite and Platinum) and runs until  December 17th. Despite the BA devaluations this promotion is still a great deal as BA Avios are a great option for flights to Asia (via Cathay Pacific), short to medium haul within North America  (short haul offer is great on Alaska Airlines or American Airlines see this post here) and even though huge surcharges are added to their UK/Europe redemptions they can still be an alright value because of this bonus based on your spend with the credit card (see my post about Earn & Burn for an explanation). As always though with any frequent flyer program you will have to be flexible in your options when redeeming due to seat availability issues (ie it may be hard to get tickets to Europe in Summer etc.) so take this into consideration before transferring.

Full details on the transfer bonus can be found here

November 3 Update: #RC15 Week 2 Contest, Top 5 Credit Card offers for November, 5,000 Aeroplan Miles with 1 hotel stay

News, Tips & Tricks
Today we launched Week 2 of the Rewards Canada 15th Anniversary Celebrations! You can enter for your chance to win a C$200 American Express Gift Card courtesy of none other than American Express! Find out more here. Thank you to everyone who entered in week 1 and grabbed up the free Marriott points. This week is a contest only but we do have an exlcuisve booking offer coming on November 9th!


SCENE is offering 20x Bonus Points when you buy an Ultimate Dining Gift card which can the be used at over 800 restaurants across Canada including Swiss Chalet®, Harvey's®, Montana's BBQ & Bar®, Kelseys®, milestones®, East Side Mario’s®, Bier Markt®, Fionn MacCool’s®, Paddy Flaherty’s®, The Landing Group® and New York Fries. Find out more here. You have until Nov 30 to take advantage of this! Might make a good Christmas present!


Delta Airlines unveiled its plans for a Premium Economy cabin for their International flights. The new cabins will be installed on their new Airbus A350's that they start taking delivery of in 2017 and also retrofitted to their 777s. (Source View from the Wing)

Also on the Delta newsfront is their new partnership with airbnb. You can now earn SkyMiles on all airbnb stays. The earn rate is 1 SkyMiles for every $1 spent. Find out more here.


Posts since our last update:



Bonus Offers
Air Canada / Aeroplan
- Earn 5,000 Aeroplan Miles when you register and stay at Radisson Blu, Radisson, Park Inn by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites By Carlson in the United States or Canada. More... Until Dec 31, 16

Air France KLM Flying Blue
- 8,000 Bonus Flying Blue Miles on your first hotel booking of 2 or more nights made via PointsHound. More... Book by Nov 30, 16
- Up to 50% Bonus Flying Blue Miles when you buy miles online. More... Until Nov 13, 16

Avianca LifeMiles
- Earn up to 6x LifeMiles when you rent with Hertz in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States. More... Until Dec 31, 16

British Airways Executive Club
- Double Avios on all your hotel stays booked via Kaligo. More... Book by Dec 31 for stays until Apr 30, 17
- 2,000 Bonus Avios on your first hotel stay booked via Kaligo. More... Book by Dec 31 for stays until Apr 30, 17

Emirates Skywards
- Earn up to 3,000 Skywards Miles when you rent with Avis in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or North America. More... Until Dec 31, 16

EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
- Earn up to Triple Infinity MileageLands for stays at participating Hilton hotels Worldwide. More... Until Dec 31, 16

IHG Rewards Club
- 5,000 points per award night - IHG Rewards Club PointBreaks Redeem only 5,000 points for stays at select hotels Worldwide. Offer and participating hotels are subject to change at any time. More... Until Jan 31, 17
- Double IHG Rewards Club Points for employees of select companies when you stay at IHG Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Dec 31, 16

Le Club accorhotels
- 4X Le Club Accorhotels Points for stays at new Accor Hotels Worldwide. More... Book by Nov 30 for stays until Dec 31, 16
- Earn up to Quadruple Le Club Accorhotels Points for stays at Accor Hotels in North and Central America. More... Until Dec 31, 16

Preferred Hotel Group iPrefer
- Triple iPrefer Points for stays at participating Preferred Hotel Group Preferred Pride Hotels Worldwide. More... Book by Nov 28, 16

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- 30% discount when you redeem your KrisFlyer miles online for select Singapore Airlines or SilkAir flights. More... Book by Nov 16 for travel Feb 6 - May 31, 17


Follow Rewards Canada:
LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Pinterest Google+ YouTube Instagram RSS Newsletter

Top 5 Credit Card Sign Up offers for November

Here are the Rewards Canada Top 5 Credit Card Sign Up offers for the month of November! This is not a 'best' credit card list like our Top Travel Rewards Credit Card rankings but instead a look at cards that have very good acquisition offers. As always when choosing a card you should always take other factors into account other than the sign up bonus, but when most or all of these cards are first year free, they can and do pay off even when not taking into account insurance packages and other non-reward benefits. In fact all of the cards on this list for October are first year free so you can try them all at no cost, get over $900 in rewards and decide later on if the card is right for you. All the while earning the sign up bonus which can be used to subsidize your travels!  Just ensure you drop any cards you don't like before your 1st year anniversary.
   
This month we once again go with an all no fee in the first year or ever selection of cards. The only change is the drop of the American Express Air Miles Platinum Credit Card which still has a 2,000 miles and is no longer first year free and has a change in spend to $1,500. We swap it out with the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card since its first year free offer is back! Nice to get the card with $200 for free!  

So here are our top 5 credit card sign up offers for November (in alphabetical order)



American Express Gold Rewards Card - 25,000 Points (Apply here)
A mainstay offer here on Rewards Canada, the American Express Gold Rewards card has its first year fee of $150 waived and will award you 25,000 Membership Rewards points when you complete $1,500 in spending in the first three months. That 25,000 points is worth a $250 travel credit via Amex's TripFlex feature or can be converted to 25,000 Aeroplan Miles (1 Round trip Economy Award ticket within North America) or 25,000 British Airways Executive Club Avios (as much a 3 one way Economy Award tickets in North America, see this article for details.)


Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Visa - 30,000 Points  (Apply here)
The best no foreign transaction fee card in Canada makes it to this list due to a very strong acquisition offer. I mean who can complain with 30,000 to 50,000 points awarded on approval all at no cost as the card has the annual fee waived in the first year! They also give you a 15 night credit into the mix which automatically provides you with Marriott Rewards Silver Elite status. Please note there is a 50,000 point offer floating around that is specific for Marriott Elite members and some people are reporting that they getting the points while some others are not. YMMV but no matter what you should get at least 30K.




Scotiabank Gold American Express Card - 20,000 Points  (Apply here)
A very strong card in the earn category for Gas, Grocery and Dining/Entertainment purchases, the current sign up bonus for the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card is 20,000 points when you reach $750 in spending in the first three months. That 20,000 points is equal to a $200 travel credit and since this card is a book anywhere card you can book the travel how you want when you want and when the charge shows up on your account you can redeem the points against the charge. The card normally has a $99 annual fee but of course that is waived in the first year if you apply by January 31, 2017!

If you went for all these cards you ultimately could end up with over $900 in travel credits and hotel free nights but even if you only take on one or two you are helping your travel budget significantly at no cost other than regular credit card spend

Scotiabank Gold American Express Card - First Year Free with a 20,000 points sign up bonus!

Although we gave it a quick mention yesterday in our daily update, the revised offer for the Scotiabank Gold American Express card deserves its own post!

The card with some very strong category earning (Gas, Grocery, Dining & Entertainment) has had the 20,000 point sign up bonus for some time now however it had the annual fee attached. However now we see the return of the FYF with the 20,000 points if you spend $750 in the first three months! This is a chance from the previous $500 requirement but $750 is easily achievable in those first three months. The offer of 20,000 points is worth $200 in travel and since it is first year free you essentially get that $200 for free!  This offer is valid until January 31, 2017

This card ranked third in the Travel Points Card with annual fee category in our 2016 Top Travel Rewards Credit card rankings and you'll definitely see it in our Top 5 Sign Up offers for November.

Here are some details on the card:

Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

20,000 Scotia Rewards bonus points,with $750 in net purchases in first three months - worth $200 in travel. Apply Online
Earn 4x Scotia Rewards points for every $1 you spend at gas stations, grocery stores, on dining and entertainment Earn one point on all other eligible purchases
Extraordinary travel benefits
Flexible Point Redemption
Comprehensive travel insurance
  • Use your points to purchase travel online or over the phone through our full-service travel agency. Or book your own travel using your card and go online to redeem points for the purchase.
  • Receive discounts and other special offers on hotels, airfare, car rentals, cruises and vacation packages.
  • Complimentary Concierge Services
  • Low price airfare alerts
  • Receive up to 25% off qualifying car rentals
  • Travel emergency medical coverage is automatically provided for eligible persons for up to 25 consecutive days
  • Redeem points for merchandise and other rewards
For more details or to apply for the card please see here.

You can also read our in depth review of the card here

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

HUGE BONUS - 5,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles with just one Radisson Blu, Radisson, Park Inn or Country Inns stay in the U.S. or Canada!


This is one of the biggest Aeroplan hotel mileage bonuses we have seen in some time! You can earn 5,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles for completing just one stay at a Radisson Blu®, Radisson®, Park Inn® by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites By Carlson Hotel in the United States or Canada. On top of that you'll still earn 20 Gold Points per dollar spent. It doesn't mention anything about not being able to combine it with the Double Points or Double Elite Night offer we posted earlier today so it is entirely possible that the two offers can be combined. No matter what, you can easily find some of these hotels for under $100 per night and to get 5,000 Bonus Aeroplan miles for that is a huge score. Please note this bonus can only be earned once per member.

Here is an example of a stay below $100


Offer details:
Earn 5,000 Aeroplan Miles when you register and stay at Radisson Blu®, Radisson®, Park Inn® by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites By Carlson in the United States or Canada. Register Online (Registration is required) then book online at at Radisson, Country Inns & SuitesRadisson Blu or Park Inn Until Dec 31, 16

Find many more Aeroplan bonuses here.

Starwood Preferred Guest: Up to a 50% Discount when you buy or gift Starpoints!


Starwood has come out with a new buy or gift Starpoints offer that is the best offer yet - at least for some of us. The offer varies by member and runs from a 25% to 50% discount on the price of buying 5,000  or more Starpoints. If you are lucky enough like we were here at Rewards Canada and get the 50% discount, this is an amazing deal as it brings the price of buying a Starpoint down to 1.75 cents (USD) Seeing that it is super easy to redeem Starpoints with values well above 2 cents (typically 3-4 cents) you can see why if you are offered the 50% discounts that you should buy. It is even great if you want to convert the Starpoints to frequent flyer miles. Since you only have to buy 20,000 Starpoints as SPG adds in another 5,000 when you transfer 20K or more you are essentially getting 25,000 airline miles (with most of their partners) for US$350! 

Have a look at our post from back in May in "Why you should still consider getting the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express" as it gives some examples of hotel stays where you could buy points and save some big money redeeming points for those stays instead of paying cash.

Offer details
Up to a 50% Discount when you buy or gift Starpoints! Discount varies by member Buy or gift Starpoints here. Until Dec 31, 16

Club Carlson: Double Gold Points or Elite Night Credit on all Carlson Rezidor stays Worldwide


Earlier this week Carlson Rezidor Hotels revealed their newest systemwide global hotel promotion for the remainder of the year. The offer is up for the member to choose and is either Double Points on all stays or Double Elite Night credit on all stays. As Gold status is relatively easy to achieve through the U.S. based Club Carlson Visa or globally via most Platinum Cards from American Express I suspect most of you will choose double points. However it doesn't mean the double elite night credit is a bad option especially if you are nearing the next status level in the Club Carlson program and this little boost will ensure you hit that next elite level.

Offer details:
Earn Double Gold Points or Double Elite Night credit for stays at any participating Carlson hotels worldwide.  Register Online (Registration is required) then book online at at Radisson, Park Plaza, Country Inns & Suites, Radisson Blu or Park Inn Until Dec 31, 16

Find many more Club Carlson Bonus Points offers here.

November 2 Update: Last day to enter #RC15 Contest #1, card updates from Scotia, Amex & BMO, and some great bonuses!

News, Tips & Tricks
Today is the last day to enter the first contest of Rewards Canada's 15th Anniversary celebration! Be sure to visit and enter the contest for a chance to win one of three prizes of 15,000 Aeroplan Miles. It is also the last day to earn some free Marriott Rewards points with the celebration! Find out more here!


WestJet announced today it will begin daily service between the Greater Sudbury Airport and Toronto Pearson International Airport starting February 3, 2017. Operated by WestJet's regional airline, WestJet Encore, the service will increase to three daily flights in May 2017. (Source WestJet)


On Monday we saw the official opening of the new International terminal in Calgary! If you are flying from or connecting via YYC all your International and Transborder U.S. flights will now operate from the new terminal. (Source YYC)
The new 186,000 square metre (two million square foot) terminal adds 24 aircraft gates at YYC, and incorporates numerous technologies and processes designed to streamline the passenger experience throughout the airport. These include North America’s first call-to-gate passenger boarding system, North America’s first full CATSA Plus enhanced passenger screening system, enhanced U.S. and Canadian customs technology, a state of the art Crisbag tote-based baggage system and the YYC LINK, a custom-designed and Canadian-build passenger shuttle service that transports passengers between the domestic and international facilities.
There are a few small Scotia credit card updates that kicked in yesterday. The Scotiabank Gold American Express now requires a spend of $750 in the first three months instead of $500 to receive the 20,000 bonus points but and this is a big but it is FIRST YEAR FREE AGAIN! The Scotia Momentum® VISA* Infinite card keeps its first year free offer but has now added a 1.99% introductory balance transfer option for the 1st six months. We don't condone carrying a balance but if you have to for several months these are the options to look out for to save yourself some money on interest charges. Finally the 4,000 bonus point sign up bonus for the Scotia SCENE® VISA* card has been extended to the end of January.


Also some changes from American Express: The American Express AIR MILES Platinum card changed by having its spend requirement tripled! You now have to spend $1,500 instead of $500 to earn the 2,000 Bonus AIR MILES. The card is still first year free (not first year free anymore) but now you have to spend at least $500 per month in the first three months to get that bonus. Also the no fee American Express AIR MILES moves from giving 500 AIR MILES on the first purchase to having a spend requirement of $500 to get that same bonus.

Finally another quick card update see the BMO Air Miles World Elite MasterCard sign up bonus doubled to 2,000 miles from the standard 1,000 miles.

Posts since our last update:

Bonus Offers
Air France / KLM Flying Blue
- November Promo Awards - Save 20% to 50% on the Award Miles usually required for an award ticket. More... Book by Nov 30 for travel Jan 1 - Feb 28, 17

Carlson Hotels Club Carlson
- Earn Double Gold Points or Double Elite Night credit for stays at any participating Carlson hotels worldwide. More... Until Dec 31, 16

Choice Privileges
- Receive up to 40% Bonus Privileges Points when you buy Choice Privileges points online. Bonus varies by member. More... Until Dec 2, 16

Starwood Preferred Guest
- Up to a 50% Discount when you buy or gift Starpoints! More... Until Dec 31, 16

Voila Hotel Rewards
- 1,000 Bonus VHR Points when you join the Voila Hotel Rewards program. More... Until ?


Follow Rewards Canada:
LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Pinterest Google+ YouTube Instagram RSS Newsletter

Air France KLM Flying Blue Promo Awards - Save 25% on business class award tickets between Canada & Europe

 The newest set of Air France KLM's Promo Awards went live earlier this week and for us Canadians this set has four of the cities they serve in our great country! With promo awards the discount ranges from 25 to 50% off the regular amount of miles required to redeem for these flights. As you can see just by the discount this can be a very good offer if you get 50% off for Business Class! However for us here in Canada we don't get any 50% offers this time round but we do get 25% off which can definitely be utilized by some! So while 25% isn't as good as 50% of course, it still is something to look at if you were planning travel in the first two months of the year.

Offer Details:
Save up to 50% with Promo Awards Save 25% to 50% on the Award Miles usually required for award ticket. Destinations vary by each promotional period. Full Details Book by Nov 30 for travel Jan 1 - Feb 28, 17

Here are the Canadian offers available for booking this month for travel in January and February of next year.