October 18 Update: Hertz becomes Skyteam's first non-airline partner, American Airlines raising Admirals Club fees and more!

Hertz has become the first ever non-airline partner of an airline alliance. On October 16th it was announced that Hertz has partnered with SkyTeam. (Source Hertz)

SkyTeam is the first airline alliance to offer its Frequent Flyers access to car hire benefits plus the opportunity to earn miles when renting a vehicle.  Passengers participating in the Frequent Flyer programs of SkyTeam member airlines will receive a special code for their Hertz car rental bookings. Hertz covers SkyTeam's global network of 1,072 destinations with more than 10,000 rental locations around the world.  Car hire reservations can be made online, by phone or through the Hertz app.   

Lots of coverage lately of business class lounges and one area we cover in our Guide to Business Class lounge access is annual memberships offered by individual airlines. One of those is American Airlines and their Admirals Club memberships and as of Feb 1, 2019 the cost for those are going up by US$100 for individual memberships and family memberships will cost US$325 to US$475 more per year. You can also use AAdvantage miles to purchase these annual memberships and those prices are actually going down (Source One Mile at a Time)

Posts since our last update:

• Loyalty Lesson Learned - Don't brush off reward programs
  We welcome guest contributor, Matthew Couto - a Millennial traveller who left his desk job to travel the world.…
• Kimpton Hotels Annual Sale - 30% off and 2x Elite Qualifying Points for stays until Feb 28, 19 - Must book by Oct 22
  As we mentioned in yesterday's update, Kimpton Hotels has now launched their annual sale that offers up to 30%…
• WestJet travellers can save 20% on Plaza Premium lounge fees
  What happens if you are flying WestJet and don't have elite status with their Rewards program or don't have…

Travel Deals
Air France is running a Premium Economy sale on their flights out of Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Book by Oct 23 to enjoy fares that start at $1,505. Book online 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
- 1,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles on qualifying Avis rentals Worldwide of 3 days or more during the week, or 2 days or more during the weekend. More... Until Feb 28, 19
- Triple Aeroplan Miles on qualifying Budget rentals Worldwide of 3 consecutive days or more during the week or rentals of 2 consecutive days or more on the weekends. More... Until Feb 28, 19

Other Bonus Offers
American AAdvantage
- 1,000 Bonus AAdvantage Miles per qualifying stay at any Hyatt Place or Hyatt House hotel around the world. More... Register by Nov 30 for stays until Jan 31, 19

Iberia Plus
- 9,000 Bonus Avios for Avis rentals of 3 or more days in Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands and United Kingdom. More... Until Dec 15, 18

Le Club AccorHotels
- 4x Le Club AccorHotels points for stays at new Accor Hotels Worldwide. More... Book by Nov 19 for stays Jan 14 - Apr 14, 19
- Triple Le Club AccorHotels Points for stays at participating Fairmont, Raffles, Swissôtel, Rixos Hotels, Mgallery By Sofitel, Pullman, Mercure, Novotel, ibis and ibis Styles hotels in Turkey. More... Book by Dec 1 for stays Jan 31, 19

Rocketmiles
- 1,000 Bonus Miles or Points in the partner program of your choice when you book a stay at any Las Vegas MGM property on Rocketmiless. More... Book by Nov 16 18 for stays until Mar 31, 19

Follow Rewards Canada:

Loyalty Lesson Learned - Don't brush off reward programs

We welcome guest contributor, Matthew Couto - a Millennial traveller who left his desk job to travel the world. We learn a lesson from his travels and time off - using a rewards program credit card could have helped him save a lot more money by helping to pay off some of those travels. In this piece Matthew gives us his background and three credit cards he hand picked that he would have liked to have before his adventure started. 

I left for Australia almost two years ago after quitting my desk job. I had a one-year visa, financial freedom and no plan. I decided if I woke up one morning and wanted to be in Sydney, I would leave that day. I had it all figured out.

My second night in Melbourne, I met my girlfriend.

We fell in love over the next six months, and went long distance when I left for Europe. But there’s a catch: she is half Australian, half French. Her father’s family lives in Melbourne, her mother’s near Montpellier and her sister in Mexico City. She is a global woman and travels frequently to stay in touch with her family. Naturally, as her partner, I came along for the ride.

What I expected to be a year in Australia blossomed into a round-the-world adventure. Since November 2016, I’ve taken six intercontinental flights which meant I used my credit card much more than I expected.

My Flight Path
Infogram

I’ve realized too late what I could have been earning if I’d used a rewards points program. They were never on my radar, and now I’ve missed the opportunity to turn my expenses into a free flight - or more.

Looking back, I put nearly $25 000 on my credit card over 19 months. Here’s what I would have had today using one of these three travel credit cards.


1. Scotiabank More Rewards VISA

Great for the budget traveller, this card has no fee and only requires an annual income of $12 000. You get 4 points per dollar spent and 6 points per dollar at featured businesses like Overwaitea Foods, which are primarily in Western Canada. It’s best used to book flights, where it gives a 2.54% return with featured businesses. You also get 15 000 bonus points if you sign up before October 31, 2018.

Since I was spending outside of Canada, I would have received the normal return of 4 points per dollar, and earned 115 000 points (including the sign-up bonus). This amounts to approximately $500 to put towards flights booked through MyRewards.ca.

Conclusion: Within the coming year I will certainly fly round-trip to Mexico City to visit my girlfriend’s sister, and if I had been using the Scotiabank More Rewards VISA, that flight would be free.

2. American Express Cobalt Card
With up to 30 000 bonus points in your first year if you spend at least $500 per month (not difficult while traveling), and a $10 monthly fee that saves you from a full-year commitment, this accessible card has a great return on a variety of products.

You get 5 points for every dollar with restaurants, bars, grocery stores and food delivery in Canada, 2 for eligible travel purchases and 1 for everything else.

I spent about $1000 on eating and drinking out while in Toronto for four months in the middle of my trip (5 points), $6000 on flights (2 points) and $18 000 on everything else (1 point). With the 30 000 point bonus, that’s 65 000 points with a value of more than $600 to put towards flights purchased through AMEX or shows with Ticketmaster.ca. You can also redeem points towards Amazon.ca purchases, hotel stays and car rentals.

Conclusion: I rented a car for a week in Queensland, Australia to go camping with my girlfriend. That rental could have been free. We’ve also discussed renting a hotel room when we need space from our crowded 2-bedroom apartment currently housing six people (it’s a long story). That solitude could have been free too.

3. Rogers Platinum Mastercard
Most rewards points programs give you a better return on eligible purchases made in Canada. However, for someone leaving Canada immediately and spending solely overseas, this card is a great option. With no annual fee, you get a 3% cashback return on purchases in foreign currencies - cancelling out the foreign exchange fee of 2.5% and earning a 0.5% cashback with the difference.

I spent around $20 000 in foreign currencies during my trip, which equals $600 of cashback rewards. Unlike points programs, you can use that money however you want.

Conclusion: My transactions were mostly in foreign currencies and the cashback rewards would have been significant.

A Life Lesson

I’ve always thought rewards programs weren’t worth the time and effort, but I’ve realized with the right program anyone can earn significant savings. These programs aren’t just for frequent flyers on business trips. I signed up for a new credit card anyways before I first left Canada, and if I had just done a little research, I could have saved with a travel credit card.

I missed out on the opportunity to have my next flight, hotel stay or car rental - you name it - for free. If you’ve been thinking about a trip of your own, I hope you have as wild of an adventure as I did. Just don’t make my mistake.

Kimpton Hotels Annual Sale - 30% off and 2x Elite Qualifying Points for stays until Feb 28, 19 - Must book by Oct 22

As we mentioned in yesterday's update, Kimpton Hotels has now launched their annual sale that offers up to 30% off stays but also 2x Elite Qualifying points for IHG Rewards Club! You must book between Oct 18 and 22 for stays until Feb 28, 19 to receive the discount and double elite points. You can use this offer at any Kimpton Hotel including the new Kimpton Saint George Hotel in Toronto. Full details can be found here. 

Find many more IHG Rewards Club bonus points offers here

WestJet travellers can save 20% on Plaza Premium lounge fees

What happens if you are flying WestJet and don't have elite status with their Rewards program or don't have a credit card that offers access to business class lounges? Well the good news is that many airport business class lounges offer single entry rates where you can purchase one time entry into a lounge and you can get discounts off those single entry rates for showing your WestJet boarding pass(es). One of the better discounts is 20% off entry to the popular Plaza Premium lounges. Plaza Premium offers 12 lounges across Canada in four cities. Of those 12 WestJet boarding passes get the discount at 10 of them.

Edmonton International Airport

Plaza Premium Lounge (US Transborder) Read our review of this lounge here

Plaza Premium Lounge (Domestic/International Departures)

Toronto Pearson International Airport

Plaza Premium Lounge (International Departures, Terminal 3)

Plaza Premium Lounge (Domestic Departures, Terminal 3)

Plaza Premium Lounge (US Transborder, Terminal 3)

Vancouver International Airport

Plaza Premium Lounge (International Departures)

Plaza Premium Lounge (Domestic Departures)

Plaza Premium Lounge (US Departures)

Plaza Premium Lounge (Domestic Departures Pier C)

Winnipeg Richardson International Airport

Plaza Premium Lounge (Near Gate 5, Departures)

Here are Plaza Premium's current single entry rates into their lounges in Canada:

Simply show your WestJet boarding pass to receive your 20% discount at any of the above lounges and save US$8 to US$12.80 per entry. You can also join Plaza Premium's Arrture loyalty program to earn points for future lounge visits passes.

Find out more about the WestJet Plaza Premium discount here!

Learn more about other single entry and yearly membership options in our Guide to Business Class lounge access 

October 17 Update: Aeroplan renews Accor Hotels partnership, 2x Elite Qualifying Points for Kimpton stays & Triple Aeroplan Miles at Coast Hotels

Aeroplan announced today the renewal of their partnership with Accor Hotels. This is now more significant for many of us as the iconic Canadian Fairmont Hotels is owned by Accor and is part of the Le Club AccorHotels program. While many miss the old Fairmont President's club program for its awesome benefits (we being some of them!) the new Le Club AccorHotels program will typically award more Aeroplan miles on Fairmont stays since it is tied into the price rather than the flat rate that used to be awarded. (Source Aeroplan)

Kimpton Hotels is launching their annual sale tomorrow. We are giving you a heads up as not only does it offer up to 30% off stays but also 2x Elite Qualifying points for IHG Rewards Club! The first Canadian Kimpton Hotel opened up earlier this year in Toronto and will be part of this offer. You must book between Oct 18 and 22 for stays until Feb 28, 19 to receive the discount and double elite points. Full details can be found here. (Remember - don't book until tomorrow!)

Posts since our last update:

• RBC to WestJet transfer bonus returns - 10% bonus until November 15
  The RBC Rewards transfer bonus to WestJet is back until November 15. Once again it is only a 10%…
• Great offer for the HSBC World Elite Mastercard - Up to 75,000 bonus points + first year annual fee waived
  Of course only a few hours after we posted our Top 5 Credit Card sign up offers for October…

Travel Deals

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 for stays at the Chelsea Hotel Toronto More... Until Dec 30, 18
- Triple Aeroplan Miles for stays at Coast Hotels in Canada and the U.S. More... Until Nov 30, 18

WestJet Rewards
- 10% Bonus WestJet dollars when you transfer RBC Rewards Points to WestJet Reward dollars. More... Until Nov 15, 18

Other Bonus Offers
Choice Privileges
- Double Privileges Points for stays at the Cambria Hotel College Park. More... For Residents of the U.S. and Canada only Until Dec 31, 18
- Double Privileges Points for stays at the Cambria Hotel Mount Pleasant. More... For Residents of the U.S. and Canada only Until Dec 31, 18

Marriott Rewards
- 2,000 Bonus Rewards Points PER NIGHT for stays at all participating Courtyard Hotels in the U.S. More... Ongoing offer


Follow Rewards Canada:

RBC to WestJet transfer bonus returns - 10% bonus until November 15

The RBC Rewards transfer bonus to WestJet is back until November 15. Once again it is only a 10% bonus but many of you who jumped on the RBC Visa Infinite Avion first year free offers with 25K bonus points earlier this year have been waiting on this offer! With the 10% transfer bonus you'll receive 1.10 WestJet dollars for every 100 RBC Rewards Points transferred. Find out more here.

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Great offer for the HSBC World Elite Mastercard - Up to 75,000 bonus points + first year annual fee waived

Of course only a few hours after we posted our Top 5 Credit Card sign up offers for October a new offer gets released that should be in that list! No matter, it gets its own post since it is a really good offer and will no doubt be on the list for November.

The offer is from HSBC for their relatively new World Elite Mastercard. This is not their 'Premier World Elite' which is meant for people who bank at HSBC but rather this card is for any Canadian and it is essentially the same as the Premier version. When HSBC launched this card earlier this year it became obvious they didn't want to only market their credit cards to those who bank with them, rather they now want to get into the entire lucrative Canadian credit card market. It is about time they did as Canadians, slow as they may have been to adapt, are learning they don't have to get credit cards from the bank they bank with, rather they can get whatever card they like and HSBC wants part of that pie.

Now enough backgrounder and on to the details of this great offer!

Up until the end of the year you can apply for the HSBC World Elite Mastercard and get up to 75,000 bonus HSBC Rewards Points along with having the first year $149 annual fee waived.  The bonus is awarded as follows:

• 20,000 Welcome Bonus
• Earn additional points when you charge the following amounts to your card within 120 days of account opening :
  

  When you charge :	You will earn an additional :
  $1,000 to $4,999	+ 5,000 Points3
  $5,000 to $9,999	+ 25,000 Points3
  $10,000 or more	+ 25,000 Points3

The 75,000 points once achieved are worth $375 in travel rewards but this card isn't just a travel points card, it is actually a Hybrid Card. This means points can also be converted to partners outside of HSBC Rewards. In this card's case, they can be transferred to British Airways Executive Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. The points convert as follows:

• 2.5 points to 1 Avios
• 3 points to 1.35 KrisFlyer Miles 
• 3 points to 1.2 Asia Miles 

This means the sign up bonus is worth 30,000 Avios in British Airways Executive Club which if you have followed us for sometime now know that is a good amount for a lot of various redemptions. Here are some options to check out

• How to get select Canada to U.S. award flights faster by utilizing British Airways' Executive Club 
• How you can easily get a free flight between Toronto and Dublin, Ireland (pre taxes/fees) or 4 flights for $240+fees 

 The sign up bonus isn't the only good feature about this card however. It is one of only eight cards in Canada that has No Foreign Transaction fees, it also comes with a $100 annual travel enhancement credit (to use on bag fees, seat selection etc) and like most World Elite Mastercards in Canada it has airport lounge access membership via LoungeKey.

Overall an amazing new offer from HSBC to get people to try out their card and services!

Also note the first year free waiver option is not available for Quebec residents so instead they offer up to 105,000 bonus points for getting the card and simple holding on to it!:

HSBC World Elite Mastercard

• Earn up to 75,000 Bonus HSBC Rewards Points when you apply for and are approved. 20,000 points awarded upon approval. Then spend the following within 120 days to earn bonuses as follows: $1,000 - $4,999 = 5,000 bonus points, $5,000 -$9,999 = 25,000 bonus points, $10,000 or more = 25,000 points
• Annual Fee: $149 (Waived in the first year)
• Earn 3% in travel rewards on all eligible travel purchases (6 Points per $1) and 1.5% in travel rewards on all other eligible purchases (3 Points per $1).
• No Foreign Transaction Fee
• Transfer your HSBC Rewards points towards other eligible loyalty programs (British Airways Executive Club, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles)
• Complimentary membership in Mastercard Airport Experiences provided by LoungeKey
• $100 annual travel enhancement credit (to use on bag fees, seat selection etc)

October 16 Update: Update to No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Cards for Canadians feature, Lufthansa lounge in DTW now part of Priority Pass & more!

We made a small update to our No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Cards for Canadians feature. We have now added the HSBC World Elite MasterCard to the list. There are now eight true no FX fee cards in Canada. Granted 6 of those 8 are essentially various version of each other  (Brim and HSBC)  Check out the feature here.

 For those of you in Southwestern Ontario who use Detroit as your jumping off point for your travels around the world there is good news from the latest Priorty Pass Lounge update email. The Lufthansa Business Lounge in the North Terminal of DTW is now a Priority Pass lounge.  For sun seekers you now have access to the VIP Lounge Puerto Vallarta International as well. Learn more about Priority Pass (included our exclusive discount offer) and other business class lounge access options in our Guide to Business Class Lounge Access.

Posts since our last update:

• Earn 5x Aeroplan Miles for Choice Hotels stays Worldwide until December 31
  Aeroplan's next bonus with Choice Hotels is here and they have made it one of the best yet. Normally…
• United MileagePlus: 30% bonus when you convert hotel loyalty points to MileagePlus Miles
  United MileagePlus has brought back their bonus for transferring hotel loyalty program points to MileagePlus. The bonus is 30%…

Travel Deals
Air Canada is offering 20% off economy class flights to Europe. Bookings must be made today for travel Nov 1 - Jun 15. Book online 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
- Earn 5x Aeroplan Miles for stays at over 6,500 Choice Hotels worldwide. More... Until Dec 31, 18

Other Bonus Offers
Aegean Miles&Bonus
- 30% Miles&Bonus Discount on select award tickets within Greece and between Greece and Europe, the Middle East or Africa. More... Until Nov 30, 18
- 50% Miles&Bonus Miles when you buy miles. More... Until Oct 31, 18

Le Club AccorHotels
- Earn up to 600 Bonus Le Club AccorHotels Points for stays at Accor Hotels in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia. More... Until Dec 31, 18

Miles & More
- 500 Bonus Miles & More Miles for stays at participating Mercure, Novotel or Novotel Suites hotels Worldwide. More... Book by Oct 31 for stays until Dec 31, 18

Radisson Rewards
- 5,000 Bonus Points for every stay of 2 nights or more booked at any participating Radisson Collection hotel. More... Until Feb 28, 19

United MileagePlus
- 30% Bonus MiileagePlus Miles when you exchange hotel points for award miles. More... Maximum bonus is 25,000 miles Until Nov 30, 18

Follow Rewards Canada:

Earn 5x Aeroplan Miles for Choice Hotels stays Worldwide until December 31

Aeroplan's next bonus with Choice Hotels is here and they have made it one of the best yet. Normally ranging from 2 to 4x miles the bonus sees a boost to 5x miles for the remainder of the year!

Offer details:
Earn 5x Aeroplan Miles for stays at over 6,500 Choice Hotels worldwide. Full details & online booking Until Dec 31, 18

Find many more Aeroplan bonus offers here.

United MileagePlus: 30% bonus when you convert hotel loyalty points to MileagePlus Miles

United MileagePlus has brought back their bonus for transferring hotel loyalty program points to MileagePlus. The bonus is 30% and they will award up to 25,000 bonus miles in total after you have completed all your transfers. Your best conversion bet is from Marriott/SPG but also IHG thanks to the latter's buy points bonus.With this bonus you could actually 'buy' MileagePlus miles for just over US 1.9 cents each with the current IHG Rewards Club buy points bonus. You can buy 200,000 points for US$1,000 with IHG and then convert those to MileagePlus. The 200,000 converts to 40,000 MileagePlus Miles and the 30% bonus boosts that to 52,000 miles.

Offer details
30% Bonus MiileagePlus Miles when you exchange hotel points for award miles Full details and online registration.  Until Nov 30, 18
Maximum bonus is 25,000 miles

Find many more MileagePlus bonus miles offers here.