On this week's Podcast - Meet the Collectors Podcast Edition: Greg LeBlanc - an avid Air Canada Flyer and Aeroplan member

Chances are that you know about our popular Meet the Collectors series where we feature regular Canadians and interview them about the collecting and redeeming habits and lifestyle. It is only natural to take the Meet Collectors online feature and turn it into a podcast! In this, the first Meet the Collectors Podcast Edition Jeff sits down with Greg LeBlanc who is the Director of Regulatory Affairs for a medical device company. His work takes him on at least 5 to 6 international trips per year and makes Air Canada and Aeroplan his primary airline and loyalty program respectively. Hear how he collects and use his Aeroplan miles between business and family travel. Greg also tells us about the new Air Canada Signature Lounge in Toronto YYZ as he was able to visit it on opening night.

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Links relating to this week's topic:

• Air Canada debuts Signature Suite for Premium International Customers at Toronto Pearson
  

Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Review

Back in 2014 we stated that the first major Canadian financial institution to offer a No Foreign Transaction Fee credit card stood to "to take a big chunk of the Canadian market." This is now reality. Sure we've had No Foreign Transaction fee cards in Canada for more than five years however they were from small card issuers, primarily Chase with their Marriott and Amazon cards and even Sears cards back when they issued them. Then some others came along like Home Trust and HSBC who added this benefit but all in all no big bank touched upon it. That was until March 12, 2018 when Scotiabank introduced the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card, the first No Foreign Transaction fee card from a major Canadian financial institution.

The best overview of this card is with two simple words: well rounded. Scotia has done their homework with this card that launched in March 2018 to provide a little bit of everything that most Canadians want out of a travel rewards credit card. Flexible points, insurance, benefits, airport lounge access and the biggie: No Foreign Transaction fees.

Continue reading the entire review on the main Rewards Canada website 

March 23 Update: Bonus Aeroplan miles for YVR parking and bonuses for booking Hainan or Lufthansa flights online

Not much going on over the past couple of days so it's all bonus offers for you in today's update!

Posts since our last update:

• TD Cash Back Visa Infinite Card: Earn 9% on gas, grocery and recurring bill payments for the first 3 months (up to $3,500 in spend)
  A new offer came out some time ago for the relatively new TD Cash Back Visa Infinite Card that…
• Miles & More: 50% Bonus Miles on all Lufthansa flights booked online
  We haven't seen this good of systemwide or global flight bonus in a long time. Right now Lufthansa will…

Travel Deals
Because one night is never enough! Stay one night and the next is 40% off at participating North and Latin American Starwood Hotels! Find out more here!

Remember to visit Rewards Canada's Travel Booking site to book travel directly with many of your favourite airlines, hotels and more!

Canadian Bonus Offers
Air Canada / Aeroplan
- Double Aeroplan Miles when you reserve online and park with with jetSet Parking or Value Long Term Parking at Vancouver International Airport Parking, for 4 days or more. More... Until May 31, 18

Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings
- Earn up to 20% Bonus Points when you book your flights including those from Canada on Hainanairlines.com. More... Ongoing

Miles & More
- 50% Bonus Miles & More miles on all Lufthansa flights that are booked online including those from Canada More...  Book by May 31 for travel until Aug 30, 18 

TD Bank
- Earn 9% on gas, grocery and recurring bill payments for the first 3 months2 up to a total spend of $3,500 with the TD Cash Back Visa Infinite Card More... Until Jun 3, 18

Other Bonus Offers
Le Club AccorHotels
- Earn up to 500 Bonus Le Club Accorhotels Points for stays at participating Accor Hotels in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia. More... Book by May 20 for stays Apr 1 - Jun 30, 18

SAS EuroBonus
- 2,000 Bonus EuroBonus Points for stays of 2 or more nights at any  participating Radisson Collection or Radisson Blu hotel. More... Until Apr 15, 18
- Earn up to 7,000 Bonus EuroBonus Points on Avis rentals of 3 or more days in Europe, The Middle East, Africa, Asia, USA and Canada. More... Book by Apr 30 for rentals until Dec 31, 18

Stash Hotel Rewards
- Double Stash Rewards Points for stays at the Thatch Caye Resort Dangriga, Belize. More... Book by Apr 21 for stays until Oct 31,18

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- 50% Bonus Flying Club Miles on your first hotel stay booked via Rocketmiles. More... Book by Apr 30, 18

Voila Hotel Rewards
- Double VHR Elite Status Credit when you stay 2 or more nights at participating VOILÀ network hotels Worldwide. More... Until Jul 31, 18

Follow Rewards Canada:

TD Cash Back Visa Infinite Card: Earn 9% on gas, grocery and recurring bill payments for the first 3 months (up to $3,500 in spend)

This offer is no longer available. To see the latest TD offers click here. 

A new offer came out some time ago for the relatively new TD Cash Back Visa Infinite Card that we are just getting caught up to now. This new offer see the removal of the first year annual fee waiver and the introductory offer move from 6% on all purchases to 9% on gas, grocery and recurring bill payments for the first 3 months up to a total spend of $3,500. The 9% is the second highest limited time published return rate we have seen over the past few years on a Canadian credit card. Surprisingly though this new offer falls quite short in total rewards as the old 6% cash back on all purchases and first year free provided a reward value of $330 (or $210 if you don’t include the annual fee waiver) whereas this 9% offer with annual fee only provides a $195 value

TD Cash Back Visa Infinite Card
• Earn 9% on gas, grocery and recurring bill payments for the first 3 months² up to a total spend of $3,500. Must apply by June 3, 2018.
• Earn 3% in Cash Back Dollars on Grocery Purchases, Gas Purchases and Regularly Recurring Bill Payments - $15,000 spend cap per category per calendar year
• Earn 1% in Cash Back Dollars on all other Purchases made with your card
• Customers can contact the TD Credit Card Centre to redeem their Cash Back Dollars at any time (min $25) to help pay down their account balance or redeem their Cash Back Dollars annually (no min) in January to help pay down their account balance.
• Deluxe TD Auto Club Membership
• Travel Medical Insurance
• Delayed and Lost Baggage
• Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance
• Purchase Security and Extended Warranty Protection
Apply online 

This offer is no longer available. To see the latest TD offers click here.

Miles & More: 50% Bonus Miles on all Lufthansa flights booked online

We haven't seen this good of systemwide or global flight bonus in a long time. Right now Lufthansa will award you 50% bonus Miles & More miles on all Lufthansa flights booked online via lh.com! This includes their flights from Canada! It doesn't appear that registration is required so you simply have to book by May 31 for travel until August 30!

Offer details
50% Bonus Miles & More miles on all Lufthansa flights that are booked online at LH.com. Full details can be found here or go straight to book online at Lufthansa Book by May 31 for travel until Aug 30, 18 

March 21 Update: Many more confirmed Cobalt multipliers, AC mainline to fly YYZ-HNL next winter and more!

I have been catching up on responding to lots of comments here on the blog and on the main Rewards Canada website. Lots of them were on our American Express Cobalt Multipliers page as the Rewards Canada community has been providing lots of location contributions. Check it out today as the list of confirmed 5x/2x/1x merchants in Canada and globally continues to grow! It is almost getting too big so I am open to suggestions on ways that we may present the merchants in a better fashion or let us know if you are fine with the current set up! Check out the American Express Cobalt Card Confirmed Multiplier Locations page today!

 Good news for Torontonians looking to fly to Honolulu next winter - Air Canada is putting internationally configured Boeing 767's on the route which replace the current Rouge offering. Can't lie to you, I am little jealous - we used to have the mainline 767 running between Calgary and Maui and we flew on it lots in both economy and business class. This year the route was Rouged but it does go back to mainline next year, albeit on a 737 Max 8 so it won't have the lay flat pods. In some ways I'm glad for the YYC change as it pushed us to try another option to Maui for 2018 - the Rewards Canada family will be flying AC business class to SFO and then Hawaiian Airlines with newer lie flat business class cabins on their Airbus A330. Still though it would be nice to fly AC pods direct to Maui for the time saving. (Source: Routesonline)



Posts since our last update:

• Choice Privileges: Earn 8,000 points when you complete 2 stays Worldwide from April 2 to May 25
  Choice Hotels has revealed the details of their spring promotion and as we usually see, it is the same…
• AIR MILES Mega Miles Event: Earn up to 1,250 Bonus Reward Miles for shopping at multiple sponsors
  The annual AIR MILES Mega Miles event launched earlier this month and presents a really nice bonus mile earning…
• On this week's Podcast - An interview with Scotiabank about their new No Foreign Transaction Fee Passport Visa Infinite Card
  Continuing on the hot topic of No Foreign Transaction Fee credit cards, this episode of the Rewards Canada podcast…
• 100% Bonus when you buy IHG Rewards Club Points - Flash sale until March 22
  IHG has just released another buy points flash sale that offers a 100% bonus when you buy 5,000 or…
• Aeroplan Members will soon be able to earn miles at Amazon.ca
  Some good news from the fine folks at Aeroplan this week which is needed after the news of the…

Travel Deals
Because one night is never enough! Stay one night and the next is 40% off at participating North and Latin American Starwood Hotels! Find out more here!

Remember to visit Rewards Canada's Travel Booking site to book travel directly with many of your favourite airlines, hotels and more!

Canadian Bonus Offers
Choice Privileges
- Earn up to 8,000 Bonus Privileges Points for 2 separate stays you complete at participating Choice Hotels Worldwide including Canada. More... Apr 2 - May 25, 18

Other Bonus Offers
Air France KLM Flying Blue
- 250 Bonus Flying Blue miles on stays of two nights or more at any participating Accor hotel Worldwide. More... Book by Apr 30 for stays until May 30, 18
- Double Flying Blue miles when you book and use transportation services from Driving Blue. More... Until Jun 2, 18

Choice Privileges
- Earn up to 8,000 Bonus Privileges Points for 2 separate stays you complete at participating Choice Hotels Worldwide. More... For residents of the U.S. and Canada only  Apr 2 - May 25, 18
- Save up to 30% when you buy 5,000 or more Choice Privileges points online. More... Until Apr 19, 18

Copa ConnectMiles
- Double ConnectMiles for stays at Barcelo Hotels and Resorts in North America, Central America and South America. More... Until Jun 16, 18

Emirates Skywards
- Triple Skywards Miles for stays at Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, AVANI Hotels & Resorts and Tivoli Hotels & Resorts. More... Until Dec 31, 18

Jet Airways JetPrivilege
- Earn up to 40% Bonus JPMiles when you buy miles online. More... Until Mar 31, 18

Marriott Rewards
- Earn up to 2,000 Bonus Rewards Points pre night for stays at participating Marriott Hotels across the U.S. in 13 states. More... Jun 6 - Jul 13, 18
- Double Rewards Points + a free day on Hertz rentals of 6 or more days at participating locations in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. More... Until Jul 31, 18

Rocketmiles
- 3,000 Bonus Miles or Points in the program of your choice when you make your first hotel booking with Rocketmiles. More... Book by Mar 31, 18

Choice Privileges: Earn 8,000 points when you complete 2 stays Worldwide from April 2 to May 25

Choice Hotels has revealed the details of their spring promotion and as we usually see, it is the same offer they have each quarter. They word the promotions differently in terms of get a free night, get a $50 gift card etc. However the gist of the promos are the same, they will award you enough bonus points after you complete 2 separate stays to have 8,000 points after those stays. In this case it is being promoted as the Free Night offer since you'll have enough points after the two stays to redeem for a hotel stay at their participating 8,000 point level hotels.

Offer details
Earn up to 8,000 Bonus Privileges Points for 2 separate stays you complete at participating Choice Hotels Worldwide. Stay must be booked via ChoiceHotels.com, the Choice Hotels mobile app, or 800.4CHOICE at qualifying rates.  Members will be awarded a minimum of 5,000 and maximum of 8,000 bonus points, depending on the number of base points earned from the two (2) separate qualifying stays. Full details, online registration & booking (Registration is required) Apr 2 - May 25, 18
Restrictions
For residents of the U.S. and Canada only 

AIR MILES Mega Miles Event: Earn up to 1,250 Bonus Reward Miles for shopping at multiple sponsors

The annual AIR MILES Mega Miles event launched earlier this month and presents a really nice bonus mile earning opportunity. If you meet the requirement of using Mega Miles coupons at 3 or 5 or more sponsors you'll be awarded with 650 to 1,250 Reward Miles over and above the base miles and coupon bonus miles awarded. This promotion runs until April 12.


This version of the Mega Miles event see several changes. Previous versions required you to shop at 5 or more sponsors to get the bonus. This time they give you two levels of bonuses, you can make it to only 3 and get a lower bonus of 650 miles or still go for 5 or more and get the full 1,250 bonus miles. They have also added in spending on your AIR MILES credit cards as a qualifier. If you have either a BMO or Amex AIR MILES card and make 20 purchases on either during the promotional period that counts as one sponsor. Have cards from both issuers? Make 20 on each and you have 2 sponsors covered. Now to earn the credit card option from the event you have to opt-in on the Mega Miles site.

For the rest of us without AIR MILES credit cards the cheapest way we found to earn the bonus simply by looking at all the details on the coupons (Alberta region) would be as follows:
Spend ~$30 on a minimum 25L purchase at Shell (10 Bonus Miles coupon)
Spend $30 at Action Car & Truck Parts (4x Bonus Miles coupon)
Spend $40 on almost anything at Rexall (40 Bonus Miles coupon)
Spend $40 with $20 transactions at two separate retailers via airmilesshops.ca (50 Bonus Miles coupon)
Spend $50 at The Children's Place (20 Bonus Miles Coupon)



That's $190 in spending to earn the 1,250 Bonus Mega Miles Miles (or $100 for 3 sponsors to get 650 bonus miles) but then you have to add in your base amount miles plus the coupon bonuses for an additional ~125 miles or so for 1,375 bonus miles in total. We value AIR MILES Rewards Miles at an average of 13 cents each, so you are getting back $178.75 on your $190 in spending, that is a great return. If you strictly earn cash rewards, then you are looking at a return of about $140, still pretty decent for spending $188. For some of you it may take more spending but as we mentioned before if this is shopping you are already planning on doing then jump on the Mega Miles event right away so that you can earn this bonus.

Find out more and print all your coupons here!

On this week's Podcast - An interview with Scotiabank about their new No Foreign Transaction Fee Passport Visa Infinite Card

Continuing on the hot topic of No Foreign Transaction Fee credit cards, this episode of the Rewards Canada podcast is an interview with Scotiabank's Brett Mooney, Senior Vice President, Credit Cards. Brett and Jeff discuss the launch of the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card and look at some of the reasoning behind this new card and why Scotiabank took the leap to be the first major Canadian credit card issuer to offer a No FX fee card.

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Links to this week's topic:

• Introducing the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card - a strong well rounded no foreign transaction fee travel rewards credit card

You can find this and all our other Rewards Canada Round Up Podcast Episodes here

100% Bonus when you buy IHG Rewards Club Points - Flash sale until March 22

IHG has just released another buy points flash sale that offers a 100% bonus when you buy 5,000 or more points. This sale runs until March 22.

Buying 60,000 points (120,000 total with bonus) cost US$600 which means each point will only cost you 0.5 cents. That's up to 24 nights at IHG hotels if redeeming via the PointBreaks 5,000 point level, 12 nights at 10,000 and 8 nights at the 15,000 point level. Even at that highest level it is like you are buying each night for only US$75.

 

Offer Details
100% Bonus IHG Rewards Club Points when you buy points online.  Minimum purchase of 5,000 points. Buy Points here Until Mar 22, 18

Find many more IHG Rewards Club bonus point offers here