Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Top 5 Credit Card Sign Up offers for September

Here are the Rewards Canada Top 5 Credit Card Sign Up offers for the month of September! 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 (sign up) offers. As always when choosing a card you should always take other factors into account other than the just sign up bonus, but when most or all of these cards are first year free, they can and do pay off even when you grab them strictly for the sign up rewards. This is the first month in quite sometime that we have included one card with an annual and that's strictly because of the value of the sign up bonus. The other four cards have no annual fee so you can try them out at no cost and decide later on if the card is right for you.

We lose the TD First Class Visa Infinite card this month since it is no longer first year free and we bring back the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express into the list. The card was a mainstay on this list through 2016 and 2017 and now returns thanks to not many good first year free offers being available. Yes the SPG Card has an annual fee but the sign up bonus is worth $400 to $500 at a minimum so even with the $120 fee you are getting $280 to $380 in value.


Here are our top 5 credit card sign up offers for September (in alphabetical order)

BMO Rewards Mastercard- 20,000 Points  (Apply here)
Included in the revamped BMO Rewards program that essentially sees the program devalued the BMO Rewards Mastercard has never been on this list before. It now makes the list because it actually has a limited time sign up bonus and the card has no annual fee so these 20,000 points (worth ~$142) come to you at no charge.  10,000 points are awarded after the 1st purchase and then 10,000 more if you can hit $1,000 in spending in the first three months.

CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite - 15,000 Points (Apply Here)
The CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite card now offers a 15,000 Aventura Points sign up bonus worth up to $300 in travel depending on what type of flight you redeem for and since the annual fee of $120 (and supplementary cards are waived as well) those 15,000 points come at no cost to you. The current offer also includes a $100 travel credit if you book travel via CIBC!

HSBC World Elite Mastercard - 30,000 points (Apply here)
This offer has been extended the first of October so it remains on the list! The card has a 20,000 point welcome bonus and then awards another 10,000 points when you spend $1,000 on the card within 90 days. All of this of course with the first year annual fee being waived! Those 30,000 points are worth $150 in travel rewards. Those points can also be converted to British Airways Executive Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. Also of note is this card has no Foreign Transaction Fees!

mbna Best Western Mastercard - 20,000 Points (Apply here)
The mbna Best Western Mastercard is a no annual fee card so there isn't a time limit to grab it but it is one you get now, cancel and grab again in the future. The 20,000 points is enough points to redeem for one to two nights at many Best Western hotels or you can even convert them to one of Best Western Rewards airline partners like Aeroplan or British Airways. The 20,000 points equates to 4,000 miles in most of their 20 airline partner programs.

Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express - 50,000 Points (Apply here)
The sign up bonus for this card is 50,000 points when you spend $1,500 on the card and it is worth at least $400 when redeeming them for Marriott or Starwood Hotel stays. You can convert them to airline miles in 40+ programs and Marriott/Starwood will kick in an additional 5,000 miles when you transfer 60,000 points at a time.

If you went for all these cards you ultimately could end up with nearly $1,100 in travel credits 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

Earn 2,500 Bonus Aeroplan Miles for Radisson, Country Inn and Park Inn stays

 Here is a really good fall bonus offer from Aeroplan for stays at Radisson family of hotels in Canada and the U.S.. The bonus can be earned twice for a total of 5,000 miles.

Offer details:
2,500 Bonus Aeroplan Miles per stay at at Radisson Blu®, Radisson®, Country Inn & Suites® by Radisson, and Park Inn® by Radisson hotels in the U.S. and Canada. Bonus can be earned twice for 5,000 bonus miles in total. Full details and online booking Until Nov 30, 18

Find many more Aeroplan bonus offers here

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

September 4 Update: Rewards Canada back to full steam, WestJet Seat Sale and 12 new bonus offers

September is here and Rewards Canada will now be back at full steam! As you have probably seen we really cut back over the summer albeit we do try to pass along the important stuff during that time! There will be some catch up posts (like the Priority Pass one from earlier today) with information you may already be aware of so just pass over those if you like. Other than that be prepared for lots of posts coming along on your blog reader, lots of new features and more.

An email to keep an eye out for is from Petro-Points. This one looks to have been sent to those who have HBC Rewards accounts connected to their Petro-Points accounts. It offers up to 500 bonus HBC Rewards Points for shopping at Hudson's Bay or Home Outfitters. Perfect timing for some late back to school shopping!



Posts since our last update:

Travel Deals
WestJet
launched a new seat sale today with savings to over 80 destinations in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe. Book by September 9 for travel until April 30. 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
- 2,500 Bonus Aeroplan Miles per stay at at Radisson Blu®, Radisson®, Country Inn & Suites® by Radisson, and Park Inn® by Radisson hotels in the U.S. and Canada. More... Until Nov 30, 18
- 3,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles when you make your first hotel booking via Rocketmiles. More... Book by Oct 31, 18

Other Bonus Offers
Air France KLM Flying Blue
- Double Flying Blue MIles for stays at all participating Accor Hotels Worldwide. More... Book by Sep 30 for stays until Oct 31, 18

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Receive up to 50% Bonus Mileage Plan Miles when you buy miles online. More... Until Oct 4, 18

Avianca LifeMiles
- Earn up to 125% Bonus LifeMiles when you buy miles. More... Until Sep 18, 18

Emirates Skywards
- OFFER EXTENDED Earn up to 6,000 Skywards miles for Sixt car rentals of 3 or more days Worldwide. More... Book by Sep 30 for rentals until Nov 30, 18

Hilton Honors
- Earn up to Triple Honors Points for stays at Hilton family of hotels Worldwide. More... Sep 10 - Jan 3, 19

IHG Rewards Club
- Double IHG Rewards Club Points + more for stays at IHG Hotels Worldwide starting with your second stay. More... Until Dec 16, 18

Melia Rewards
- Double MeliaRewards Points when you shop online via the MeliaRewards Shopping portal. More... Until Sep 16, 18

Stash Hotel Rewards
- 1,000 Bonus Stash Rewards Points when you book and stay at any hotel via Stash Rewards. More... Until Sep 30, 18

TAP Portugal Victoria
- Triple Victoria Miles for stays at Accor Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Sep 23, 18

United MileagePlus
- 3,000 Bonus MileagePlus Miles when you complete your first hotel stay booked via Rocketmiles. More... Book by Dec 31, 18


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Priority Pass Lounge Visit Fee Increasing on September 18


Priority Pass, the world's largest third party lounge access program sent us an email just over a week ago to advise us to advise our readers of an upcoming increase to the lounge per visit fee. You may have seen the news already as lots of U.S. blogs have covered it but just in case you haven't here are the details.

As of September 18th the per visit fee for entering a lounge will be increased to US$32 from US$27. 
All the new fees, most Canadians should only be paying the US$ amount
It is surprising to note that they haven't increased their prices since 2002 seeing that they are the most aggressive in adding new lounges and experiences each month.

For Canadians you can get Priority Pass via your credit card or you can simply purchase an annual membership and depending on the level of membership that you buy, you may or may not have to pay the entry fee each time you enter a Priority Pass lounge.

The three levels of membership that Priority Pass provides are as follows

  • Standard Membership – full annual fee US$99
    Standard membership provides access to over 950 airport VIP lounges at a cost of US$32 per person per visit. The members designated payment card is charged by Priority Pass with the lounge visit fee following a visit. Guests are charged US$32 per visit.
  • Standard Plus Membership – full annual fee US$249
    Standard Plus membership includes 10 free visits for the member and additional member visits are charged at US$32 per visit. Guests are charged US$32 per visit.
  • Prestige Membership – full annual fee US$399
    Prestige membership Includes unlimited lounge visits for the member. Guests are charged US$32 per visit.
The good news is that Rewards Canada is partnered with Priority pass with which we are pleased to provide our readers the following discounts on their annual memberships:
Standard Membership – full annual fee US$99
Special offer – 20% discount on first year membership – US$79

Standard Plus Membership – full annual fee US$249
Special offer – 10% discount on first year membership – US$224

Prestige Membership – full annual fee US$399
Special offer – 10% discount on first year membership – US$359

To access this special offer for Rewards Canada readers please visit here
To learn more about Priority Pass or other lounge access options as well as to find out which cards in Canada provide lounge access please visit Rewards Canada's Guide to Business Class Lounge Access (Will be updated shortly with the new rates)

IHG Rewards Club - Earn Double Points plus more for IHG stays worldwide until December 16


What appears to be a take on their usual Accelerate offer, IHG Rewards Club has released their next global systemwide promotion for the remainder of the year. Called Double Points Plus More this time since all members will earn double points starting with their second stay the take on Accelerate is the 'plus more' option where each member receives targeted offers to meet that will earn them more bonus points. Here is what I got:


 Let us know what offer you get in the comments below!

Offer details
Double IHG Rewards Club Points + more for stays at IHG Hotels Worldwide starting with your second stay. Full details, online registration & booking. (Registration is required) Until Dec 16, 18

Find many more IHG Rewards Club offers here!

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Hilton Summer Sale - Save up to 25% on weekend stays in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa

This is your last chance to take advantage of  The Hilton Summer Sale! Don't Miss Out On Savings Of Up To 25% On Selected Hotels in Europe, Middle East & Africa. #ad #sponsored

https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?s=2237873&v=3624&q=345663&r=159284Make your summer one to remember with the Hilton Sale. Save up to 25% off breaks across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. To access our best savings, simply join Hilton Honors for free while you book. With hotels in over 100 locations, there is a break for every occasion.

Stays must be booked by September 3, 2018 and completed on weekends until October 7, 2018. Remember that you should also be earning Double Points on these stays with the current summer Hilton Honors promotion that runs until September 9. Find that and all other Honors bonuses here.

Discounts are up to 15% off the Best Available Rate and Best Available Bed & Breakfast Rate and vary by property, excluding Hampton by HiltonTM hotels where the discount is up to 10% off. The Summer Sale Hilton Honors member rates are an additional 10% off the Best Available Rate and the Best Available Bed and Breakfast Rate, for weekend stays.

Click here to take advantage of the Hilton Summer sale 

For purposes of this offer, "weekend" is defined as Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday nights and in Middle East (excluding Turkey, Lebanon, Morocco, Africa) as Thursday, Friday and/or Saturday nights. Must book a minimum 3 days before arrival, this may vary and be reduced at points throughout the campaign



Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Earn up to 1,000 Bonus AIR MILES Reward Miles for shopping online until September 9


With less than a week left before most kids in Canada go back to school many families are out doing their last minute shopping for clothes and supplies. If you happen to be doing that shopping online and haven't done so yet you may want to funnel that shopping through airmilesshops.ca as they offering up to 1,000 bonus AIR MILES when you shop at multiple partners until September 9.

  • Make purchases of $20 or more per store at two stores and you'll receive 100 bonus AIR MILES.
  • Make purchases of $20 or more per store at three stores and you'll receive 300 bonus AIR MILES.
  • Make purchases of $20 or more per store at five or more stores and you'll receive 1,000 bonus AIR MILES.
Simply visit airmilesshops.ca for complete details!

Hilton Honors Moments Made Bigger - Earn up to Triple Points on all stays between September 10 and January 3


Hilton emailed us last night with the details of their next global system Honors bonus points promotion. It is essentially a continuation of their double points on all stays worldwide that we have now seen for quite some time however for this version there is an extra bonus if your stay is at a luxury or resort location in the Hilton family of hotels. That bonus is triple points per stay at those 243 specific locations.

Offer details:
Earn up to Triple Honors Points for stays at Hilton family of hotels Worldwide. Earn Triple points on all luxury and resort stays, double points on all other stays.  Full details, online registration and booking (Registration is required) Sep 10 - Jan 3, 19

  • Registered Hilton Honors members will earn double points per stay on all non-luxury and non-resort properties and will earn triple points per stay at any luxury or resort property during the promotion period. Waldorf Astoria® Hotels and Resorts and Conrad® Hotels and Resorts are considered luxury properties. See here for a full list of luxury and resort properties that qualify for the Triple Points promotion
  • Excludes Hampton by Hilton Hotels in Mainland China.
Find many more Hilton Honors bonus points offer here (many of which can be stacked with this offer)

Monday, August 27, 2018

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan: Up to a 50% bonus when you buy miles until October 4


Just as we saw at this exact time last year (well within 2 days) Alaska Airlines has once again brought out their mystery bonus for buying Mileage Plan miles. The bonus can range from 35% to 50%. The bonus depends on the member and will be revealed when you log in to the buy miles page.

If you reveal the 50% you'll definitely want to consider buying the miles. We were targeted and after reading some other sites it seems many are targeted for the up to 50% bonus but there are some who are not and are getting lower options. If you get the 50% you definitely want to jump on this offer! With the 50% offer you are buying Mileage Plan Miles under U.S. 2 cents a piece:


Seeing that you can redeem miles for premium class flights on British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Hainan, Korean Air and more, there are lots of options for you to use these miles. Remember it only takes 70,000 Mileage Plan miles to fly Cathay Pacific First Class from North America to Asia and that flight alone will cost a lot more than US$1,773.75!

Remember there is no maximum limit on miles you can buy - it strictly limited to 60,000 miles per transaction so you can make multiple purchases if you like.

Offer details
Receive up to 50% Bonus Mileage Plan Miles when you buy miles online. Buy miles here Until Oct 4, 18
The bonus offer varies per member and ranges from 35% to 50% as the maximum bonus. Here is an example of the tiered 50% bonus:
  • Buy 10,000 – 19,000 miles and get a 20% bonus
  • Buy 20,000 – 39,000 miles and get a 35% bonus
  • Buy 40,000 – 60,000 miles and get a 50% bonus

Thursday, August 23, 2018

A portion of WestJet Vacations package purchases will now count towards WestJet Rewards elite status qualification

 
Many frequent flyer programs have allowed you to earn miles or points on vacation packages and even redeem miles or points for vacation packages. However you have never been able to earn elite status qualification on vacation packages with these programs and in what we believe to be an industry first, WestJet rewards becomes one of the first programs to now award elite status qualification with the purchase of WestJet Vacations packages.

As of August 20, 2018, WestJet Rewards has added another way for members to achieve the Silver or Gold tiers by including twenty per cent of their individual spend on WestJet Vacations packages to the qualifying spend calculation (i.e. the amount used to track a member’s progress in achieving or maintaining a top tier). This means if you buy a $1,500 package (before taxes and fees) to an all inclusive resort in Mexico you'll get $300 in qualifying spend towards Silver or Gold WestJet Rewards status. Here are the elite status qualifying requirements:


Unless you buy a lot of vacation packages (or buy really expensive ones - think Sandals or Beaches) chances are you won't reach an elite status on them alone but they will definitely help build your qualification amount up if you do fly with WestJet regularly as well.
 
Also, effective August 20, 2018, Gold members will see an increase in the WestJet dollars they earn on WestJet Vacations packages. For all bookings made on or after August 20, 2018, members in the Gold tier will earn 1.5% back on their individual portion of the base package price of an eligible WestJet Vacations package. Members in the Teal and Silver tiers will continue to earn at 0.5% and 1% back, respectively.


WestJet