February 10 Update: More Amex Cobalt confirmed multiplier locations, WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard dropping concierge service & more

We've added even more retailers to the American Express Cobalt Card Confirmed Multiplier Locations page on the Rewards Canada site. Thanks to Christian for giving us some more locations in the Vancouver area and Stanley for letting us know about a couple in Japan! See the list here!
 

Last week we let you know how on April 1 we are going to see changes to the companion voucher that comes with the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard. It turns out that on that day as well the card will be dropping the Mastercard concierge service. (Source RBC)

Air Canada has further extended their cancellations for flights to/from China. While the Air Canada site still states that cancellations will be until February 29, RoutesOnline is showing that reservations for flights are closed until March 27.

WestJet announced they will offer new non-stop flights between Calgary and Dawson Creek B.C. as of April 26. The new flight will be operated WestJet Link (Pacific Coastal Airlines) and will operate on a daily basis. (Source WestJet)

RoutesOnline also revealed details of more routes that Air Canada will place their brand new Airbus A220 planes on later this year:

Montreal – Halifax eff 01MAY20 1 daily (11 weekly from 01OCT20)
Montreal – Nassau 02MAY20 – 24OCT20 1 weekly
Montreal – Vancouver eff 01JUN20 1 daily (2 daily from 01OCT20; one-time A220 from Montreal scheduled on 22FEB20)
Toronto – Halifax eff 01MAY20 1 daily
Toronto – Vancouver 15JUN20 – 30JUN20 1 daily (one-time A220 from Vancouver scheduled on 24FEB20)

Posts since our last update:

• Top 5 Credit Card Sign Up offers for February - These cards provide some of the best value out of their welcome bonuses
  Here are the Rewards Canada Top 5 Credit Card Sign Up offers for the month of January 2020! This is…
• Earn double points on Hyatt stays starting with your second stay with World of Hyatt's Bonus Journeys promotion
  World of Hyatt released their first systemwide promotion of the year today. The offer is a simple double points…
• February 6 Update: Flair Airlines offering unlimited flights for 90 days and Air Canada now accepts PayPal
  Making the news over the past 24 hours is Edmonton based Ultra Low Cost Carrier Flair Airlines. Why? Simply…

Travel Deals

IHG See the City Lights Sale - Save at least 15% when book by Feb 29 for stays until Apr 30

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 France KLM Flying Blue
- February Promo Rewards – Save 20% to 50% on the Award Miles usually required for an award ticket. Calgary and Toronto are included this month. More... Book by Feb 29 for travel Apr 1 – May 31, 20

Other Bonus Offers

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Triple Mileage Plan Miles on all rentals of three days or longer at any Dollar location Worldwide. More... Until Dec 31, 20

ALL Accor Live Limitless
- Earn up to 6,000 bonus Rewards points for stays of 2+ nights at participating Accor Hotels Worldwide. More... Register and book by Mar 6 for stays Feb 14 – Jun 7, 20

American AAdvantage
- Triple AAdvantage Miles (3 miles per $ instead of 1) when you rent any vehicle for one or more days at participating Hertz locations in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and United Kingdom. More... Until Mar 31, 20

Caesars Rewards
- 2x Tier Credits when you stay, dine, play and more at Caesars Rewards® destinations. More... Until Feb 29, 20

IHG Rewards Club
- Fast Track to Platinum Elite or Gold Elite status Sign up by May 1, 2020, then stay the required number of nights to upgrade your IHG® Rewards Club status to either Gold Elite or Platinum Elite. More... Targeted Offer for eligible corporate members - May not work for everyone  Until May 1, 20

Marriott Bonvoy
- 2,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points per night + up to 20% off for stays of 2+ nights at 49 hotels in Florida. More... Until Mar 31, 20
- 5,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points PER NIGHT for stays at the SpringHill Suite San Diego Oceanside/Downtown More... Until Mar 31, 20
- 2,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points PER NIGHT for stays at the AC Hotel New York Downtown. More... Until May 1, 20
- 1,500 Bonus Bonvoy Points PER NIGHT for stays at Moxy Copenhagen Sydhavnen. More... Until Feb 29, 20
- 3,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points PER NIGHT for stays on Thursday-Sunday nights (Friday or Saturday night stay required) at The Park Central San Francisco. More... Until Feb 29, 20

Sinagpore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Double KrisFlyer Miles when you book a minimum of two consecutive nights stay at Casa del Rio Melaka . More... Until Mar 31, 20
- Double KrisFlyer Miles when you book a minimum of three consecutive nights stay at Casa del Mar Langkawi. More... Until Mar 31, 20


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Top 5 Credit Card Sign Up offers for February - These cards provide some of the best value out of their welcome bonuses

Here are the Rewards Canada Top 5 Credit Card Sign Up offers for the month of February 2020! 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 (welcome/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 some 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 month we see two first year free cards on the list!

Once again we see no changes this month from January although we should give an honorable mention to the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege Card as it can push a decent value of over $500 but don't play your redemptions right and you could end of with a value of only $1. With many offers ending this month or early in March we should see this list change next month!

Remember as well that you will find this list smack dab in the middle of the Rewards Canada homepage for easy reference!

Here are our top 5 credit card sign up offers for February (in order of welcome bonus value, calculated as minimum mile/points value minus annual fee)

Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card - 50,000 Points (Apply here)

No changes to this card means it stays put on the list The 50,000 points, awarded after spending $1,500 on the card in three months are worth at least $500 in our minds which means after subtracting the annual fee you are coming out ahead by $380. In reality you can pull even more value out of the card (into four figures) as we outlined in our post A look at how The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card provides huge value!  Don't forget you get an annual free night with the card as well on the card anniversary date!
Minimum Income: N/A

Alaska Airlines World Elite Mastercard - 30,000 Miles (Apply here)

This card offers a welcome bonus of 30,000 miles when you spend $1,000 on the card in the first three months of having it. This is one of the easiest bonuses to achieve and this card is one of the most churnable in Canada. There are really no problems in getting it 2-4 times in one year alone! Those 30,000 miles are worth no less than $330 when redeeming for economy class flights and just go up from there like the TD Aeroplan card.
Minimum Income: $80,000 Personal or $150,000 Household

National Bank of Canada World Elite Mastercard - $480 Cash Back (Apply here)
This card's offer hasn't changed in a few months so it retains its spot in the list. You will get $40 cash back for each month you spend $500 on the card in the first 12 months. This will give you $480 in rewards but then subtracting the annual fee of $150 you are coming out ahead by $330.
Minimum Income: $80,000 Personal or $150,000 Household

BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard - 3,000 Miles (Apply here)
This card offers a welcome bonus of 3,000 AIR MILES Reward Miles, split between 1,000 on first purchase and 2,000 more when you spend $3,000 within 3 months of getting the card. The annual fee of $120 is waived in the first year as well meaning these miles come to you at no cost other than card spend. Those 3,000 miles are worth $330 at a minimum when redeeming towards travel.
Minimum Income: $80,000 Personal or $150,000 Household


If you went for all these cards you ultimately could end up with anywhere from $1,700 to over $3,000 in travel value. However 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. We don't really recommend getting all five in one month unless you know you can meet the minimum spend for them all at once, rather you'd want to pick one or two right now, perhaps another next month and so on.

Disclaimers:
American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information click the Apply now link.

Sponsored advertising. The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) is not responsible for the contents of this site including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete and current information on any TD product, please visit the TD site. 

Earn double points on Hyatt stays starting with your second stay with World of Hyatt's Bonus Journeys promotion

World of Hyatt released their first systemwide promotion of the year today. The offer is a simple double points bonus that kicks in on your second stay during the promotional period. Double points offers are great for those longer and/or more expensive stays when compared to flat rate bonus points offers so be sure to keep this in mind if you are planning any long or expensive stays. Of course you'll still want to register for it even if you only have two one night stays planned as you should be making all efforts to earn the most points possible at all times. There is any additional portion of the promotion that is open to U.S. Hyatt cardholders which I know some of our readers do carry - that offers 1,500 Bonus Points with each qualifying stay, starting with the second, that includes a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night.

Offer details:
2x World of Hyatt Points with each stay starting with your second qualifying stay at over 1,000 participating Hyatt Hotels worldwide. Full details, online registration and booking (Registration is required) Register by Mar 31 for stays Feb 15 - May 15, 20

Here are some more World of Hyatt bonus offers to check out

• 2,000 Bonus World of Hyatt Points for stays at participating Hyatt Hotels Worldwide. Full details and online booking. 
  Targeted for Google Employees but it may work for anyone (YMMV)
• 500 Bonus World of Hyatt points for stays at new Hyatt Hotels Worldwide Full details
• Find our complete list of World of Hyatt bonus points offers here

February 6 Update: Flair Airlines offering unlimited flights for 90 days and Air Canada now accepts PayPal

Making the news over the past 24 hours is Edmonton based Ultra Low Cost Carrier Flair Airlines. Why? Simply from their umlimited travel pass promotion. Called the 'Go Travel Pass' the new flight pass from Flair Airlines offers unlimited travel to anywhere they fly for 90 days. There are two options, the low cost option for $499+taxes and fees where you still have pay for add ons and luggage, have black out dates and can't fly on Friday or Saturdays. The more expensive pass option at $699+taxes and fees includes 1 checked bag (add ons are still extra) no black out dates and you can fly on Fridays and Saturdays:

The passes are good for flights between February 13 and May 13 and there are no extensions beyond those dates. What the promotion doesn't state is an end date to actually purchasing a pass.
Learn more about the Flair Airlines Go Travel Pass here.

Images via Flair Airlines

This reminds me of when Air Canada had an unlimited North America flight pass back in 2005 and one well known FlyerTalker from B.C. took advantage of it to fly almost every day for a month as those flights earned Aeroplan miles and he collected over 1 million of them during that month! Read his 2005 blog here.

Air Canada announced today that they now accept Paypal for purchasing tickets in Canada. Find out more here.

Air Canada has introduced a new payment option for customers by enabling them to use PayPal when purchasing tickets online at aircanada.com in Canada. The popular online payment system offers a secure and convenient means to buy tickets, with customers able to pay for their flights with their preferred payment method – bank account, credit cards or Visa Debit card – linked to their PayPal account.

"Air Canada's strategy is to continually provide customers the opportunity to make their purchase using their preferred method of payment. We are therefore pleased to announce our agreement with PayPal, the popular online payment system that is secure, fast and convenient to use. Having now made PayPal available for ticket sales in Canada, we will look to expand the program to other markets as opportunities arise," said Keith Wallis, Senior Director, Payments and Distribution, at Air Canada.

"We're excited to add Air Canada—our first airline partner in Canada—to a growing fleet of airlines across the globe that leverage our global e-commerce platform to expand their reach," said Paul Parisi, PayPal Canada President. "Our two companies share the same goal to provide a great checkout experience for travellers, so they spend less time buying tickets online and more time enjoying their trip." Image via Air Canada

Posts since our last update:

• AIR MILES Bonus Boom - Over 1,000 Bonus Miles available from participating partners February 6 - 12
  AIR MILES Bonus Boom has returned for the next seven days! This time it is a longer period than…
• Alaska Airlines new partner airline flight bonus is one Canadians should really consider - earn 10,000 miles on round trip flights
  Alaska Airlines released a new flight bonus offer earlier this week that us Canadian's should take a closer look…
• February 5 Update: Turkish Airlines Vancouver route now open for reservations, new Amex Offer for Wayfair and 10 new bonus offers
  Back in October Turkish Airlines revealed they will start flying to Vancouver from Istanbul in 2020. We now know…

Travel Deals

Expedia Flash Sale! Up to 45% off. Book by Feb 6 for travel until Mar 18.  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

N/A

Other Bonus Offers

Best Western Rewards
- 3,000 Bonus Rewards Points on all Best Western stays that are booked online. More... Targeted 0ffer – may not work for everyone Register by Feb 10 and book between Feb 8-23 for stays until Apr 19, 20

Delta SkyMiles
- Triple SkyMiles for stays at The Langham hotels in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and London. More... Until Mar 31, 20

JAL Mileage Bank
- Triple Mileage Bank Miles for stays at participating Accor Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Apr 30, 20

Marriott Bonvoy
- 5,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points PER NIGHT for stays in a suite at the The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna.  More... Until Mar 31, 20

Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
- Double ROP Miles for stays at the Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok, Emporium Suites by Chatrium, Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon or the Chatrium Residence Sathon Bangkok. More... Until Feb 29, 20
- 50% Bonus ROP Miles when you book hotels via Kaligo. More... Book by Feb 29 for stays until May 31, 20


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AIR MILES Bonus Boom - Over 1,000 Bonus Miles available from participating partners February 6 - 12

AIR MILES Bonus Boom has returned for the next seven days! This time it is a longer period than we have seen before. There are lots of bonus miles offers up for grabs at AIR MILES sponsors across Canada. Once you get to the Bonus Boom page you can select your province to see your offers. I selected Alberta and there were 25 offers available from BMO to Rexall to Safeway.

I'll probably be able to snag one or two of these offers to score 150 to 200 bonus AIR MILES. I'm sure many of you will be able to do a lot better!

Click here for complete details, the actual coupons and opt-ins!
 

Alaska Airlines new partner airline flight bonus is one Canadians should really consider - earn 10,000 miles on round trip flights

Alaska Airlines released a new flight bonus offer earlier this week that us Canadian's should take a closer look at. This offer is for all of Alaska’s non-U.S. based partner airlines that fly beyond North America. Meaning out of Canada (or the U.S.) to Europe, Asia, Australia etc. You get the picture. And most of the airlines participating do serve Canada. Save for Fiji Airways, Latam and Singapore Airlines you have 12 airlines that this bonus will work with for flights out of Canada. (See the list of airlines below).

This bonus itself is interesting as it is a bonus that will add miles to whatever you earn on a flight so that you reach 5,000 miles earned in total each way as long as you fly between North America and a non-North America destination on one of the participating partner airlines. That means round trip flights will earn 10,000 miles in total. This is a really good bonus especially if you are flying in a fare class that may only earn 25% of the mileage. For example, if you fly the lowest economy fare class on Aer Lingus between Toronto and Dublin and credit it to Mileage Plan you'd only earn 25% of the flown miles or about 1,639 earned miles round trip. So with this bonus Alaska Airlines will throw in an additional 8,361 miles to get you to that 10,000 miles. That's a pretty sweet bonus! What is also great about this offer is that it is valid all year starting March 1st and you don’t even have to register for it. Simply credit the flight to Mileage Plan that is flown between March 1 and December 31 and the bonuses are yours.

Offer details:
Earn a minimum 10,000 Mileage Plan Miles when you fly on eligible Mileage Plan Global Partner flights between North America and a non-North America destinations. Full details. Mar 1 – Dec 31, 20

Earn a minimum of 5,000 total miles each way on Aer Lingus, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Condor, EL AL Israel Airlines, Emirates, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Hainan Airlines, Icelandair, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, LATAM Airlines, Qantas and Singapore Airlines flights between North America and a non-North America destination between March 1 and December 31, 2020. North America is defined as the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Any bonus miles added to reach the 5,000 mile minimum do not count toward elite status qualification. Please allow four to six weeks for miles to be credited to your Mileage Plan account. 

Here are some other Mileage Plan bonus miles offers to check out:

• 30,000 bonus Mileage Plan miles with the mbna Alaska Airlines World Elite® Mastercard® after you make $1,000 or more in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of your account opening.
• Double Mileage Plan Miles when you fly on qualifying Fiji Airways flights to the South Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand. Register online (Registration is required)
• Double Mileage Plan Miles when you fly on Aer Lingus between Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle and Dublin. Full details & online registration (Registration is required) then book online at aerlingus.com.
• Find our complete list of Mileage Plan bonus miles offers here.

February 5 Update: Turkish Airlines Vancouver route now open for reservations, new Amex Offer for Wayfair and 10 new bonus offers

Back in October Turkish Airlines revealed they will start flying to Vancouver from Istanbul in 2020. We now know the schedule and aircraft for the route and that it is now open for reservations (at least for cash bookings). The first flight will take place on June 9 and operate 3x weekly with a Boeing 787-9. Turkish Airlines is a Star Alliance member which means it is a great option for Aeroplan members to utilize for flights to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In fact, maybe you've seen Turkish's recent Super Bowl commercial that reiterates the airlines flies to more countries worldwide than any other airline. However at the time of posting this flight was not showing up at all in some Aeroplan and United MileagePlus searches we conducted. All routing from YVR to IST had the routes connecting via Montreal. It is possible if you call in that Aeroplan may be able to find it but with the system switch over there are still super long wait times to get ahold of an agent. (Source Routesonline)
Schedule per Routesonline:
TK075 IST1405 – 1550YVR 789 247
TK076 YVR1720 – 1450+1IST 789 247

Image via Turkish Airlines

Amex Offers released another deal today as we see a Wayfair offer make its way back for select cardholders. I received it on The Platinum Card from American Express and it offers a $15 credit when you spend $100 or more. You can check to see if you are targeted for it by signing into your Amex account online or via the Amex app. You can also find it on our Amex Offers page which gives detailed instructions and tips on how to make the most of Amex Offers.This offer runs until March 31, 2020

Posts since our last update:

• Marriott's 2020 hotel category changes are here and they aren't pretty globally - not as bad here in Canada
  It's the time of year where we start getting news from all the hotel chains about their hotel category…
• Price increase coming to WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard companion vouchers, base level card voucher to be expanded to include the U.S.
  One of the most popular benefits on Canada's number one airline credit card will be taking a hit come…
• Earn 5x Aeroplan Miles for stays at Choice Hotels Worldwide from February 14 to April 30
  The latest Choice Hotels Aeroplan bonus miles offer has been revealed and it is the same one we have…
• Why The Platinum Card from American Express is the best card to use for booking WestJet flights
  Earlier this year I let you know about how we used The Platinum Card from American Express to save…
• February 4 Update: Aeroplan Costco partnership ending, Rexall launching own loyalty program and will drop AIR MILES, save up to $1,000 on Air Transat packages
  The partnership
  
  

Travel Deals

Expedia Flash Sale! Up to 45% off .Book by Feb 6 for travel until Mar 18. . 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
- 5x Aeroplan Miles for stays for stays at over 7,000 Choice Hotels worldwide. More... Feb 14 - Apr 30, 20

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Earn a minimum 10,000 Mileage Plan Miles when you fly on eligible Mileage Plan Global Partner flights between North America and a non-North America destinations. More... Mar 1 - Dec 31, 20

Miles & More
- Earn Double Miles & More miles on all Lufthansa Intercontinental flights flown in economy class including those out of Canada. More... Until Mar 31, 20
- 2 Bonus Miles&More Miles on all Lufthansa Intercontinental flights flown in Premium economy class including those out of Canada.. More... Until Feb 29, 20

Other Bonus Offers

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Double Mileage Plan Miles when you fly on Aer Lingus between Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle and Dublin. More... Register by Mar 31 for travel Apr 1 – Aug 31, 20

Best Western Rewards
- Triple Rewards Points when you stay at the Best Western Parkside Motor Inn Coffs Harbour, Best Western Zebra Motel Coffs Harbour, Best Western Heritage Motor Inn Corowa, or the Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn. More... Until Feb 29, 20

Czech Airlines OK Plus
- 33% OK Plus Miles discounts when you redeem for award tickets between Prague and Amsterdam, Brussels, Budapest, Düsseldorf, Kiev, Moscow, or Paris. More... Book by Feb 27 for travel until Feb 29, 20

Finnair Plus
- Receive up to 25% discount when you buy Plus Points. More... Until Feb 18, 20

Miles & More
- Earn Triple Miles & More Miles when you fly on Austrian Airlines between Vienna from Boston, Chicago, New York City or Washington D.C. and Vienna. More... Register and book now for travel Mar 29 – Apr 30, 20

Millennium Hotels My Millennium
- 2,000 Bonus My Millennium Points + up to 20% off for stays of 2 or more night at participating Millennium Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Mar 31, 20



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Marriott's 2020 hotel category changes are here and they aren't pretty globally - not as bad here in Canada

It's the time of year where we start getting news from all the hotel chains about their hotel category changes. That is, not changes to award charts or amounts but rather where individual hotels fall into for those categories. Some hotels move up categories, that is become more expensive in terms of the number of points required to redeem for free night, while others go down in price and become cheaper to redeem for.

Today, one of the most popular hotel chains and frequent guest programs, Marriott Bonvoy revealed their changes for 2020. These changes will take effect on March 4 and a total of 29% of their hotels worldwide will be changing categories. That's a lot of hotels! And how is that 29% broken out? 22% will go up in price while only 7% will drop down. What this  means is that over 1,500 hotels will be more expensive come March.

Here in Canada a total of 76 properties out of 255 will be changing categories and we do a lot better number wise compared to the global numbers. 42 of our hotels are actually going down a category while 34 are moving up, a 55-45% split.  Vancouver gets the worst of it with many of their hotels moving up while the opposite is happening in Alberta with lots of hotels going down - a sign of the times I guess!

Some of the notable changes in Canada

• Calgary Airport Marriott In-Terminal Hotel moves down to Category 4 from 5
• JW Marriott Parq Vancouver moves up from Category 6 to 7
• The Algonquin Resort St. Andrews by-the-Sea, Autograph Collection moves up from Category 4 to 5
• The Westin Grand, Vancouver moves up from Category 5 to 6
• Le Westin Resort & Spa, Tremblant, Quebec moves up from Category 6 to 7

A quick look around the globe shows popular locations in French Polynesia, Maldives etc. aren't changing (they could only go down since most are Category 8). A lot of hotels in Hawaii are going up a category - not all of them, but quite a few. Same for California, Arizona and other popular sun destinations for Canadians - a lot of locations moving up in price.

As we always advise when these changes are announced you should book now for hotels that are going up in price and hold off on booking if a hotel you are eyeing will go down in points cost.

You can check out all the changes happening to 2,185 hotels globally here.  (They have a search box where you can filter the results to put in a specific hotel, city or country.)

HT One Mile at a Time
 

Price increase coming to WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard companion vouchers, base level card voucher to be expanded to include the U.S.

One of the most popular benefits on Canada's number one airline credit card will be taking a hit come April 1. The coveted Companion Voucher benefit on the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard will become more expensive for two of three options starting on April 1st.

Screenshot from WestJet

Here is the current companion voucher pricing:

• round trip travel in Canada and Continental U.S.: $99 plus taxes & fees
• round-trip travel to/from Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and Hawaii: $299 plus taxes and fees
• round-trip travel to/from rest of WestJet network: $399 plus taxes and fees

As of April 1st the pricing will be as follows:

• round trip travel in Canada and Continental U.S.: $119 plus taxes & fees
• round-trip travel to/from Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and Hawaii: $399 plus taxes and fees
• round-trip travel to/from rest of WestJet network: $399 plus taxes and fees

As you can see flights within Canada and to the U.S. will be jumping by $20 but a much larger hit takes place for sun destinations as those are going up a full $100 to be the same as Europe flights at $399 each. So we are seeing 20% to 33+% increases in those categories - those are pretty significant!

None of us like to see rewards or benefits devalued - especially when it is one of the most popular benefits but I suspect that is what has led to this increase. The vouchers and this credit card are a victim of their own success. The two most popular redemption options are costing WestJet and they need to recoup some of that money. Based on what reward programs tell us in terms of reward popularity we can safely assume most companion passes are redeemed for travel within Canada and to the continental U.S. which means that WestJet will now earn 20% more cash on those voucher redemptions. Closely followed by Sun Destinations - WestJet does serve many sun destinations so again another popular redemption channel for the vouchers but a 33% increase? That's big and will really make some people reconsider the card if this is the main redemption option they look at. Many times you can get round trip flights to sun destinations that have a base fare at or below that $399 level so it may not make sense to even redeem a voucher for those flights. Europe of course is unaffected as the frequency of flights and number of destinations makes up such a small portion of WestJet's network that voucher redemption volume would match this - and add in the fact that WestJet has shifted their European pricing that the base fare is always quite low to begin with that it may not make sense to redeem the voucher for Economy class flights.

All that being said I still see some big value in the vouchers. That value comes from last minute bookings and premium class bookings. If you are someone who only books seat sale fares or months ahead of time the vouchers will definitely have less value to you now. However if you are like the Rewards Canada family and tend to be spontaneous and book flights on whim at last minute - the vouchers can provide some huge savings. In the past they have saved us literally four figures on last minute flights since both my wife and I have our own cards meaning two vouchers to use. We pay $1000 each for our tickets but our two kids flew those same tickets for $99 plus the taxes and fees.  Now that will jump to $119 for the same situation but I'll gladly pay $119+fees for a $1,000 ticket.

Recommended reading: Why my wife and I each grabbed our own WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercards


The other valuable option for the voucher that remains and this is for all of the options like North America, Sun Destinations and Europe is redeeming the voucher for Premium Economy. The price you pay with a companion voucher doesn't change if you book Premium Economy so this is where the vouchers can really come in handy. With flights to Europe or Maui on WestJet's 787 Dreamliner easily pricing over $2,000 round trip in Premium Economy getting that second ticket for $399 can provide significant savings.

On a plus note - the base level WestJet RBC Mastercard is seeing it's voucher benefit get better come April 1st. The benefit that was just added to the card last year has been available for flights within Canada only and that is being expanded to the continental U.S. as well come April 1st. The price of $199 for the companion does not change with this enhancement.

 
Ultimately it's really unfortunate that we are seeing this change to the vouchers from the World Elite version of the card and I suspect some of you may really consider dropping the card now - primarily those flying economy class to sun destinations - but don't forget that the card does have other benefits, namely the first checked bag free which is a huge $$$ saver as well for the lower fare class buyers.

What do you think of these changes? Will it make you reconsider having the card? Let us know in the comments below!

Earn 5x Aeroplan Miles for stays at Choice Hotels Worldwide from February 14 to April 30

The latest Choice Hotels Aeroplan bonus miles offer has been revealed and it is the same one we have saw right up to end of last year. Once again it's a nice and easy 5x miles on all Choice Hotels stays. You can already book your stays but if you have any stays prior to February 14 those won't count for the bonus.

Here are the Choice Hotels brands as reminder since "Choice" is an actual brick and mortar hotel.

Offer details
5x Aeroplan Miles for stays for stays at over 7,000 Choice Hotels worldwide. Full details & online booking Feb 14 - Apr 30, 20
Simply provide your Aeroplan Number upon check-in, or update your earning preference in your Choice Privileges account.

Find our complete list of Aeroplan bonus miles offers here!