March 9 Update: What you actually have to spend to get some of the best credit card welcome bonus offers, Targeted Air Canada Flight Bonus, Most Popular Posts from Last Week

Since we have seen a few new card updates this month we have updated our "What you actually have to spend to get some of the best credit card welcome bonus offers" feature. We now list some of the cards like the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card and Scotia Passport Visa Infinite Card twice - once to show what the initial sign up bonus is worth and then again to show the value if you hold it for the 12 month bonus. Check out the updated feature here. (It will be updated again in a day or two as HSBC should have their new offer out on their World Elite card)

Check your email for targeted Air Canada Aeroplan flight offer for flights within Canada. I received it this morning and it offers up to 200% bonus Aeroplan Miles.

Air France has issued details of their Coronavirus flight waivers - they state ANY flights booked before March 31 can be re-booked at no charge. Based on this wording even if you booked something months ago you are able to re-book. Most other airlines are only offering this on new bookings made this month. (Source Air France)

This is similar to Qatar Airways who emailed the following:

Qatar Airways has updated its travel policy so you can travel with confidence, offering you more flexibility and peace of mind. If you have booked or will book flights for travel up to 30 June 2020 you will be offered the flexibility to change your travel plans free of charge by altering the dates of your booking or exchanging your ticket for a travel voucher valid for one year. This includes award flights since we value every Qmile you’ve earned with us as a Burgundy member. So, if your plans change, rest assured that we are ready to support you.

Here are Rewards Canada's most popular posts from last week - Surprises me that everyone is so interested in the least rewarding cards in Canada! Might be on to something here....

1. The least rewarding travel rewards credit cards in Canada
2. A look at the business class redemption feature for the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege Card - it offers up to a 7.5% return!
3. New welcome offer for the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card - Earn up to 30,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles with first year annual fee rebate on Primary Card & 1st Additional card
4. New Hyatt Hotel Openings in Canada for 2020 - 6 hotels confirmed + the reopening of the Park Hyatt Toronto
5. Happy 10th Birthday to WestJet Rewards! We look at where the program is now and reveal some great birthday offers!
   
   

Posts since our last update:

• New World of Hyatt and American AAdvantage Elite Tier Status Challenge
  Over the past few years we have seen expanded partnerships between hotel loyalty programs and airline frequent flyer programs…
• March 6 Update: 100 Bonus AIR MILES when you redeem for concert tickets, WestJet Coronavirus Waivers & affected flight, Aer Lingus summer seat sale to Dublin
  AIR MILES members can earn 100 bonus miles when they redeem miles for concert tickets via AIR MILES Stage…
  

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
- Earn up to 3,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles when you rent a full-size four door (group E) car and up with Avis Worldwide. More... Until May 31, 20

Other Bonus Offers

British Airways Executive Club
- 500 Bonus Avios per night stay at selected Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts around the world when booked via BA Holidays. More... Until Jul 31, 20

Emirates Skywards
- Earn up to 10,000 Bonus Skywards Miles when you rent with Avis or Budget for 3+ days Worldwide. More... Book by Apr 30 for rentals until Jun 30, 20

Marriott Bonvoy
- 7,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points + $50 daily hotel credit when you stay on the Discover the Ben package at The Ben, Autograph Collection West Palm Beach. More... Until May 7, 20
- 2,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points per stay including any night Friday-Sunday at The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit. More... Until Apr 12, 20
- 2,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points per night on Sunday-Thursday nights at the AC Hotel Bloomington Mall of America. More... Until Mar 31, 20

Miles & More
- Earn up to 7,000 Bonus Miles & More Miles when you rent with Avis for 2 or more days Worldwide. More... Book by Mar 31 for rentals until Dec 15, 20

TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go
- Elite Status Match Challenge - If you hold elite status with a SkyTeam airline, oneworld airline, Azul, Emirates or Gol you can join TAP Air Portugal and receive TAP elite status for six months if you join a Club TAP Miles&Go or purchase miles to be eligible for Silver or Gold status. More... Until Mar 31, 20
- Earn up to 5x Miles&Go miles when you buy miles online. More... Until Mar 31, 20




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New World of Hyatt and American AAdvantage Elite Tier Status Challenge

Over the past few years we have seen expanded partnerships between hotel loyalty programs and airline frequent flyer programs emerge and one of those was a partnership between World or Hyatt and American AAdvantage. This partnership is coming up on being a year old (See our post from last year) and essentially the partnership allows elite members in either program to earn additional points or miles in the other program once they linked their accounts. Today the programs announced a limited time offer that is provides an opportunity to fast track to elite tier status in the partner’s program based on qualifying activity:

• Eligible World of Hyatt Explorists and Globalists can register by September 30, 2020 and complete qualifying AAdvantage® activity within three months to achieve AAdvantage® Gold, Platinum or Platinum Pro status through January 2022. Once earned, they can enjoy elite benefits like priority boarding, free checked bags, elite mileage bonus, preferred seats and complimentary upgrades.
  
  • This activity is earned when a member flies on eligible tickets for flights marketed and operated by American Airlines or American Eagle.
• Eligible AAdvantage® Platinum, Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members can register by October 2, 2020 and complete qualifying World of Hyatt activity within 90 days to achieve World of Hyatt Explorist or Globalist status through February 2022. Once earned, they can enjoy elite benefits like a dedicated check-in area, late check-out upon request, room upgrades and club lounge access or complimentary breakfast.
  
  • This activity is earned when a member books an eligible rate or award night through Hyatt channels.

• Eligible World of Hyatt and AAdvantage® members must successfully link their accounts and register in order for qualifying activity to count toward earning elite tier status during the offer period.
• Members can choose when to register for this offer based on the timing that works best for their travel plans. Once registered, they will be notified of the offer details, including the qualifying activities and specific offer period.
• World of Hyatt and AAdvantage® elite members can continue earning more points and miles through this strategic relationship once they link their accounts, including:
  
  • AAdvantage® Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members can earn one AAdvantage®bonus mile for every eligible dollar spent on qualifying Hyatt stays and experiences.
  • World of Hyatt Discoverist, Explorist and Globalist members can earn one World of Hyatt Bonus Point for every eligible dollar spent on qualifying American Airlines flights.This is in addition to the AAdvantage® miles elite members already earn on flights and the World of Hyatt® points elite members already earn for hotels stays. 
  • AAdvantage® miles earned on eligible Hyatt hotel spend are bonus miles and do not count toward elite qualifying miles.
  • World of Hyatt Bonus Points earned for qualifying American Airlines flights do not count toward elite tier status in World of Hyatt.

When this partnership launched the programs did state that there will be limited promotions for fast tracking to elite status and that promise is holding true with this promotion. As is stated in the details for the offer above you may want to time your registration right as you have 90 days or three months to complete the promotion activities to earn status in whichever program you required. So contrary to our normal mantra of registering for a promotion right when it comes out this time it is the opposite. For example if you are a World of Hyatt Explorist or Globalist but don't have any American Airlines flights planned until the fall (which could entirely be the case with the current Coronavirus situation) you'll want to wait to register until sometime in September. Of course if your plans change and you have a flight sooner come back to this offer and register for it before you book that flight. Same goes the other direction in that if you have AAdvantage Platinum, Platinum Pro or Executive Platinum status don't register for this offer until you know can complete your Hyatt activity within 90 days of registering.

Learn more about and register for this offer here.

March 6 Update: 100 Bonus AIR MILES when you redeem for concert tickets, WestJet Coronavirus Waivers & affected flight, Aer Lingus summer seat sale to Dublin

AIR MILES members can earn 100 bonus miles when they redeem miles for concert tickets via AIR MILES Stage Pass. Simply redeem by March 31. Find out more here!

Image via AIR MILES

More Coronavirus waivers and updates to let you know about. In general we are seeing very similar waivers and.or cancellation policies from most airlines and hotels now.

WestJet
WestJet wants you to book with confidence and has implemented the following flexible change policy;

• All new flight bookings made between March 5, 2020 and March 31, 2020 will be allowed a one-time change fee waiver.
• The one-time change fee waiver is available for any itinerary change made more than 14 days from departure.
• Click here for WestJet's Coronavirus update page 

Note as well that details were revealed yesterday that two people on WestJet flight 1199 from Phoenix to Toronto on February 28 has had two guests that are now confirmed to have COVID-19. If you were on that flight here is what you need to do:

Peel Public Health’s investigation has determined that the two cases may have been able to pass the virus to others during their return. Guests who were seated in rows 18-22 of WestJet flight 1199, returning to Toronto Pearson Airport from the Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix on February 28, are directed to self-isolate and call Peel Public Health immediately at 905-799-7700 (or at 905-584-2216 if in Caledon). Guests on flight 1199 are also being advised to self-monitor for signs of cough, fever or respiratory issues and call Peel Public Health if symptoms arise within the next 14 days.

 Image via WestJet

IHG
Guests travelling to or from Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, or the Taiwan region between January 23 and March 31, 2020; and to or from South Korea and Italy between February 28 and March 31, 2020, will be able to change or cancel a valid booking reservation made via the hotel directly, IHG.com, the IHG App, or the IHG Central Reservations Centre, without financial penalty. For bookings made by a travel agent or online booking platform, we are advising guests to contact their agent. (Source IHG)

Marriott Hotels:
The wellbeing of our guests and associates is of paramount importance. We are waiving cancellation fees for hotel stays through March 31, 2020 for guests traveling to or from the following locations: Asia Pacific: Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, French Polynesia Europe: Italy (Source Marriott)

Avianca
Penalty for change of itinerary: $0. Applies for all fares and for groups, on tickets issued between March 4 and 15, 2020 with travel through December 31, 2020. New travel must be completed by December 31, 2020. Only 1 change without penalty per ticket is allowed with 15 days notice at the departure of the original flight. Refunds may apply subject to the conditions of the purchased fare. If you have purchased your ticket at a travel agency, other charges may apply if you make the change at the agency.

COPA Airlines
Keep your options open when buying your ticket through March 5 and March 31, 2020. Changes to the date, flight and/or travel route can be made under the following terms and conditions: Fare differences may apply Tickets purchased between March 5 and March 31, 2020 Original travel dates between March 5 and June 15, 2020 Changes can be made until June 15, 2020 New trip must be completed before or on June 15, 2020 (inclusive) Applies to award tickets Refunds and cancellations apply according to fare rules conditions Applies only to Copa Airlines ticket (Source COPA)

TAP Air Portugal
We would like to count with your help to communicate that with TAP Air Portugal they can book the flights and change the flying date until 21 days before the original purchased airfare without penalty, this applies for every date and destiny for bookings done between the March 8th and 31st.
Here follows the detailed information:

• No penalty fee for flight changes at least 21 days before departure
• Applicable to bookings where non of the flights have been used 
• Ticket validity cannot be extended
• Offered for all routes operated by TAP, all travel dates
• For bookings made March 8-31
• All fares included except Discount
• Loyalty and Corporate program included

 

Posts since our last update:

• American Express Centurion Lounge in Los Angeles set to open on Monday
  The next American Express Centurion Lounge is set to open in Los Angeles on Monday. This is the 12th…
• March 5 Update: Air Canada & Aeroplan offer change fee waivers, Hyatt Place Toronto/Mississauga Centre set to have opening bonus points plus earn bonus Marriott points in Ottawa and Vaughan
  Air Canada and Aeroplan have now officially released details on flight change fee waivers that follow in the footsteps…

Travel Deals

Aer Lingus has summer flights on sale from Toronto to Dublin and beyond. You can enjoy Summer in Ireland from $749*when you fly between July 1, 2020 and August 22, 2020. 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 MILES (Canada)
- 100 Bonus AIR MILES Reward Miles when you use Dream Miles to redeem for concert tickets via AIR MILES Stage Pass. More... Until Mar 31, 20

Hyatt World of Hyatt
- 500 Bonus World of Hyatt points per night at the Hyatt Place Toronto/Mississauga Centre More... Until Jun 29, 20

Other Bonus Offers

Alitalia MilleMiglia
- 3,000 Bonus MilleMiglia Miles on all Budget rentals Worldwide. More... Book by Mar 22 for rentals until Jun 30, 20

Hyatt World of Hyatt
- 500 Bonus World of Hyatt points per night at the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico More... Until May 30, 20
- 500 Bonus World of Hyatt points per night at the Ambassador Chicago More... Until May 30, 20
- 500 Bonus World of Hyatt points per night at the Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center or the Hyatt Centric Downtown Portland More... Until May 30, 20

Marriott Bonvoy
- 10,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points for stays of 2 or more nights in a Suite at the Metropol Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Belgrade More... Mar 29 - Apr 26, 20

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Earn up to 5x KrisFlyer Miles when you rent a car for 3 or more days with Avis in North America (excluding Alaska), Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. More... Book by Apr 30 for rentals until May 31, 20

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- Earn up to 2,000 Miles&Smiles Miles when you rent with Europcar for 3+ days Worldwide. More... Book by Mar 14 for rentals until May 30, 20



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American Express Centurion Lounge in Los Angeles set to open on Monday

The next American Express Centurion Lounge is set to open in Los Angeles on Monday. This is the 12th Centurion Lounge and third to open up this year after Phoenix and Charlotte. Los Angeles is a popular destination for Canadians and the airport itself plays an important connection point for many of us so this it is only fitting that this lounge should be on your radar if you are travelling from or via Los Angeles.

The lounge is located in the Tom Bradley International Terminal but is "accessible post-security from Terminals 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8." This means if you are flying Air Canada you will have access to the lounge since AC flies from Terminal 6. Sorry WestJet flyers, you can't access the lounge from Terminal 2 which is where WestJet flies from. However if you are connecting from an arriving WestJet flight to a flight that does depart from TBIT or any of the other terminals listed above you can utilize the lounge. This is a good option for those flying Air Canada (albeit it is a big of a trek) who can't access AC's Maple Leaf Lounge in T6 or if Priority Pass access is being limited at Alaska's lounge in T6 (plus you have to pay for alcohol in the Alaska lounge...)

Billed as the largest Centurion lounge yet, LAX's is nearly14,000 square feet which is good news as the Centurion Lounges have definitely been a victim of their own success as they do get crowded during peak times. Personally we've walked in and out of San Francisco's lounge and chose to use Phoenix's Escape lounge instead of the Centurion Lounge.

Recommended Reading: Lounge Review: Phoenix Sky Harbor American Express Centurion Lounge & Escape Lounge

The lounge will feature first of their kind tranquility rooms which work at the opposite ends of the spectrum to help travellers beat jet leg or relax or recharge. The Moonrise room is a nighttime themed room that is darker while Sunrise will be bright and set to help wake you up!

Moonrise

Sunrise

There will also be spa services featured from Exhale Spa:

"Guests can indulge in Light Therapy designed to hydrate skin, Reiki treatments to restore the body’s equilibrium, and Ear Reflexology to relax the mind and ease the body. Hand and nail therapies, as well as chair massages, will also be available"

And finally the food and drink - the main two items that Centurion Lounges are known for. Southern Calfornia's Nancy Silverton is the executive chef for the lounge and Amex describes what you can expect from Nancy:

"Leveraging her relationships with local farmers and purveyors, Silverton’s menu will incorporate a variety of local and artisanal ingredients, ensuring guests enjoy a meal or snack that is both seasonal and fresh. Some of these locally inspired dishes include: Asparagus Egg Pie, Panettone French Toast, Farro Salad with Fresh Herbs and Feta, Mozza Meatballs, Roasted Beets with Horseradish Vinaigrette, Butterscotch Budino and more."

Main Bar

 
Drinks wise you can expect the following:

"The new lounge will also offer premium wine selections by Wine Director Anthony Giglio, as well as specialty cocktails by renowned Centurion Lounge mixologist Jim Meehan. Meehan drew cocktail inspiration for this lounge from Los Angeles’ cocktail culture, commercial aviation and Silverton’s menu.* Meehan’s menu of unique cocktails features locally sourced ingredients such as California brandy, Miracle Mile Bitters and Dirty Sue cocktail cherries. Some of the specialty cocktails include the Maliblue Lagoon, a color-coded ode to Malibu’s own blue lagoon and the Private Plane, a playful twist on New York bartender Sam Ross’ classic Paper Plane cocktail."

The "Hollywood Hills"

As a traveller you can access the lounge if you have The Platinum Card from American Express or Centurion Card. Platinum cardmembers can get themselves + 2 guests in when you have a valid boarding pass for same day travel.

Learn more about the new LAX lounge here.

Recommended Reading: Rewards Canada's Guide to Business Class Lounge Access

All images courtesy of American Express

March 5 Update: Air Canada & Aeroplan offer change fee waivers, Hyatt Place Toronto/Mississauga Centre set to have opening bonus points plus earn bonus Marriott points in Ottawa and Vaughan

Air Canada and Aeroplan have now officially released details on flight change fee waivers that follow in the footsteps of what many U.S. airlines are doing to encourage consumers to book sooner than later. Find out more here.

When you purchase a ticket between March 4 and March 31, 2020, Air Canada will allow you to make a one-time change to your flight without incurring a change fee up to 14 days before travel.

Changes can be made online, through your travel agent, or by calling Air Canada Reservations at 1-888-247-2262 (Other numbers). 

The one-time change fee waiver also applies to Aeroplan Flight Reward bookings. Please contact Aeroplan directly if you choose to make changes to your booking. 

Image via Air Canada

At the start of the week we brought you the details of the new Hyatt Hotels that will be opening up in Canada this year. One of those, which is the next slated hotel to open is the Hyatt Place Toronto/Mississauga Centre. The hotel is now listed on World of Hyatt's New Hotel Bonus offer page which details all their new hotels that you can earn 500 bonus points per night at during their first few months of opening. Based on Hyatt's page they have the opening as February 29. We know this isn't the case as right now the earliest you can actually reserve rooms at this hotel is April 14. The page of new hotels that Hyatt is one we track often and see Hyatt update it every week or two so we know the dates they publish right now will definitely shift to when the hotel does actually open. Nonetheless you can be sure to earn 500 bonus points per night in the first few months of opening!

Image via Hyatt

Continuing on the bonus front, there are two new Marriott Bonvoy bonuses that we have become aware of here in Canada as follows:

• 1,500 bonus Bonvoy points when you stay 2 nights or longer at the Element Vaughan Southwest. Full details & online booking 
• 2,500 bonus Bonvoy points when you stay 2+ nights Thursday-Sunday at the Sheraton Ottawa Hotel. Full details & online booking (Hey Anshul - need a staycation to earn some bonus points?)

Posts since our last update:

• A look at the business class redemption feature for the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege Card - it offers up to a 7.5% return!
  The CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege Card is a relative newcomer to our market with it only being released…
• March 4 Update: Update for Air Canada flights to China, Hong Kong & Seoul, Marriott Bonvoy adds two new airline partners, earn 5,000 Bonus Aeroplan miles with Rocketmiles
  Air Canada provided their latest update on flights for regions with Coronavirus scares yesterday. Here is the jist of…

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
- 4x Aeroplan Miles when you convert Coast Hotels Coast Rewards points into Aeroplan miles. More... Until Mar 31, 20

Marriott Bonvoy
- 2,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points on each stay starting with your second stay at over 7,200 Marriott Hotels worldwide. More... Register by May 31 for stays Mar 17 – Jun 14, 20
- 1,500 bonus Bonvoy points when you stay 2 nights or longer at the Element Vaughan Southwest. More... Until Apr 13, 20
- 2,500 bonus Bonvoy points when you stay 2+ nights Thursday-Sunday at the Sheraton Ottawa Hotel. More... Until Mar 31, 20

Other Bonus Offers

Air New Zealand Airpoints
- Triple Airpoints Dollars when you book and take a vehicle trip with Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferries. More... Until Apr 30, 20

Ethiopian ShebaMiles
- 2,000 Bonus ShebaMiles when you fly on Ethiopian Airlines from Bangkok to Addis Ababa More... Until Apr 10, 20

Etihad Guest
- Double Guest Miles when you rent with Avis for 3 or more days Worldwide. More... Book by Mar 31 for rentals Mar 10 - Aug 31, 20
- Double Guest Miles when you rent with Budget for 3 or more days Worldwide. More... Book by Mar 31 for rentals Mar 10 - Aug 31, 20

Marriott Bonvoy
- 2,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points on each stay starting with your second stay at over 7,200 Marriott Hotels worldwide. More... Register by May 31 for stays Mar 17 – Jun 14, 20
- Earn up to 10,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points for stays at the at London Marriott Hotel Park Lane that are booked in advance. More... Book by Apr 30 for stays until Jun 24, 20

Preferred Hotel Group iPrefer
- 5,000 Bonus iPrefer Points when you when you book a stay at one of these 40 Members’ Choice Award-winning hotels from Preferred Hotel Group  More... Book by Mar 10 for stays until Dec 31, 20


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A look at the business class redemption feature for the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege Card - it offers up to a 7.5% return!

The CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege Card is a relative newcomer to our market with it only being released late in 2019 but it is really starting to make some inroads in our market. The card comes with a 50,000 point welcome bonus, a $200 annual travel credit, Priority Pass Lounge access with 6 passes per year, 2 NEXUS fee rebates and much more.

March 4 Update: Update for Air Canada flights to China, Hong Kong & Seoul, Marriott Bonvoy adds two new airline partners, earn 5,000 Bonus Aeroplan miles with Rocketmiles

Air Canada provided their latest update on flights for regions with Coronavirus scares yesterday. Here is the jist of the latest update:

• Flights to Beijing and Shanghai are suspended until April 10
• Flights from Toronto to Hong Kong are suspended until May 30 however the Vancouver-Hong Kong route contiunes to be operated
• Flights from Toronto to Seoul will be temporarily suspended between April 1 and 30

Many U.S. airlines are now providing free flight change waivers for any international flights while United has gone one step further waiving change fees on all flights - domestic or international (Source One Mile at a Time)

Image via Air Canada

Marriott Bonvoy has added two new airline partners that you can convert points to. You can now convert points to Aer Lingus Aer Club and Vueling Club. Aer Lingus is of more importance to the Canadian market as Vueling is a Spanish low cost carrier flying intra-Europe flights. This brings the total number of airline programs for the Marriott Bonvoy program to 45. We have updated our Complete list of Airline & Hotel loyalty programs that you can earn miles or points in with Canadian Credit Cards to reflect this update. (Source Loyalty Lobby)

Image via Marriot

Posts since our last update:

• Happy 10th Birthday to WestJet Rewards! We look at where the program is now and reveal some great birthday offers!
  Yes, it has been 10 years since WestJet launched their frequent flyer program! Rewards Canada was there when WestJet…
• The least rewarding travel rewards credit cards in Canada
  Here on Rewards Canada we spend a lot of time discussing the best credit card options and offers for the…
• March 3 Update: Complete list of new TD Credit Card offers, fly Air Canada's new A220 between Montreal & LAX and No AF KLM Promo Rewards for Canada this month
  Earlier today (well late last night for us) we let you know about the new offer for TD Aeroplan…

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
- 5,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles when you make 3 reservations, each for 2 nights or longer for any hotels booked via Rocketmiles More... Until Dec 31, 20

Other Bonus Offers

Air France KLM Flying Blue
- 75% Bonus Flying Blue Miles when you buy 4,000 or more miles online. More... Until Mar 11, 20
- 60% Bonus Flying Blue Miles when you buy 4,000 or more miles online. More... Mar 12 -29, 20

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Double Mileage Plan Miles when you fly on Condor between Seattle and Munich. More... Register by Mar 31 for travel May 30 – Oct 1, 20

ALL Accor Live Limitless
- Quadruple Rewards points for stays at participating new Accor Hotels Worldwide. More... Book by Apr 19 for stays until May 31, 20

British Airways Executive Club
- Double Avios on Avis rentals of a Group C vehicle or higher for 3 or more days Worldwide. More... Book by Apr 15 for rentals until May 31, 20


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Happy 10th Birthday to WestJet Rewards! We look at where the program is now and reveal some great birthday offers!

Yes, it has been 10 years since WestJet launched their frequent flyer program! Rewards Canada was there when WestJet entered the world of airline loyalty. If you are feeling nostalgic you can read Rewards Canada's first review of the program which was posted the same day the program launched - March 4, 2010. At that time the program was called WestJet Frequent Guest (as all passengers were called guests) and re-reading what I wrote then to what the program has become now is really interesting! The program has really come a long way in the past decade. We even have an interview with WestJet when the program turned one so it is only fitting to cover the program on its 10th birthday!

Now that the program is a decade old WestJet is celebrating with some special offers and Rewards Canada had the opportunity to speak with d'Arcy Monaghan who is WestJet's Vice President Loyalty and Guest Strategy d'Arcy Monaghan.

We kicked off our discussion talking about the growth and evolution of the WestJet Rewards programs. d'Arcy let me know that they now have over 6.5 million members in the program. This number is bigger than the last known numbers out of Aeroplan and is second only to AIR MILES in terms of Canadian based travel rewards programs. He also stated that there are also no signs of the program slowing down its growth. This is evidenced with the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard enjoying a record year in 2019 with its biggest growth ever and that's despite fierce competition in the market.

Next up was a discussion about the most recent changes to the program - namely those surrounding the elite tiers. The past year saw a lot of focus on priority services for elite tier members like priority bag delivery and priority boarding. The former I can attest to working pretty well for us, I would say that three quarters of the time the Rewards Canada family has had our bags come out within the first few minutes of bags arriving on the carousel.

A little over a year ago WestJet launched it's new top tier elite level, Platinum and d'Arcy told me that it is being well received by members, especially those enjoying the unlimited upgrade program at check in and also with gate available upgrades. He also said more enhancements will be coming to the upgrade system for elite members as well as to the milestone awards that were just recently improved this past December.

He told me that we will see further enhancements also coming to WestJet Rewards Member Exclusive fares. One of which I had actually learned about during a meeting with the WestJet Rewards team several years ago and is now coming to frution. That enhancement is Member Exclusive business class redemption options. They are slated to come late this year or early next year and will be available on WestJet and WestJet's partner airlines.

I asked about the addition of more partners to the program like hotel and car rental companies and while on their radar d'Arcy did say this is something that is more likely going to happen next year. He explained for this year their focus is on expanding the utility of WestJet dollars - that is being able to use them for more than just your base fares. As d'Arcy explained to me they are looking at adding options to use your WestJet dollars for seat selection, upgrades and more. This is would be an awesome addition to the redemption side of the program!

Finally WestJet is really excited about their flagship business class lounge that will be opening later this year in Calgary. According to d'Arcy it will be the best domestic business class lounge in North America. If that's the case, we can't wait to see it and try it out!

All I can say is that is has been exciting watching WestJet launch, develop and evolve their frequent flyer program over the past 10 years and I am looking forward to the next 10. Happy Birthday WestJet Rewards!

And now on to the WestJet Rewards Birthday offers!

There are two offers as follows and take note of the Silver for Summer offer - be one of the first 10 to qualify and you Get Gold for Summer:

Get Silver for Summer
Earn Silver status for this summer when you register and book a minimum $800 qualifying spend before March 10, 2020 for travel within Canada between April 14 – June 24.* Plus, the first 10 members that qualify will be upgraded to Gold status. Register for this offer here.

WestJet Seat Sale + 20% off discount code
To celebrate their birthday WestJet is running a seat sale for travel within Canada and between Canada and the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean but also offering a 20% off discount code for Basic and Econo fares. Both offers must be booked between today and March 6. The travel periods do differ however. The discount code is good for March 11 – April 30, 2020 with blackouts on April 8-10 and 13. The seat sale has no blackouts and is good for travel May 1 - June 24.
Click here for details on the discount code and here for the seat sale

All images via WestJet

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The least rewarding travel rewards credit cards in Canada

Here on Rewards Canada we spend a lot of time discussing the best credit card options and offers for the Canadian market. While we do discuss all types of rewards cards you can tell our focus is primarily on travel. Travel is the reward coveted by most Canadians hence the huge popularity in these type of credit cards. With over 70 different travel card options the rewards offered really vary by card and by issuer. We thought it would be fun to look at the opposite end of the spectrum with this post. Instead of the top cards or offers we thought we’d take a look at the least rewarding travel rewards cards in Canada.

Let me start off by saying that the worst or least rewarding credit cards out there are those that don’t  earn any rewards. With this piece we’re not gonna touch up on those but are going to look at the ones that you can actually earn rewards with but are the weakest in terms of redeeming those rewards for travel.

Recommend reading: The True Value in Reward Redemptions


Now, we have always stated that as long as you earning rewards on your credit card spending - and are financially responsible in that you pay off your balance every month - you are ahead of the game whether you are earning 0.5% or 5%. And there can be reasons why you are earning only 0.5% instead of 5%. You may have a poor to average credit rating, you may be a student with little to no credit rating or any one of many other reasons including being new to Canada. However you may also not be aware of what is in the market as you just have stayed put with a card for years or just took the one your bank gave you. Chances are you are fully capable of handling and using a better and much more rewarding card. And that’s where this post comes in - if you have one of the cards listed below and have a good to premium credit rating, pay off your bills every month and have income levels north of $40,000 there are better options for you.

The four least rewarding travel cards in Canada are as follows:

RBC Rewards+ Visa Card
The RBC Rewards+ Visa Card is RBC's entry level rewards card that rewards holders of the card with 1 RBC Rewards Point for every $2 spent on the card but bumps that up to 1 points for every $1 spent on gas, grocery and drug store purchases. When you go to redeem your RBC Rewards points for travel with this card you'll receive a $1 credit towards any travel for 100 points. This means you are receiving a 0.5% to 1% return on your spending. Thus you're average return will be below 1% unless you only use the card for gas, grocery or drug store purchases.

Scotiabank Rewards Visa Card 
Also an entry level card, the Scotiabank Rewards Visa Card rewards 1 Scotia Rewards point for every $2 spent on the card. There are no category bonuses with this card. When you redeem those points for travel you redeem at a rate of 100 points for $1 just like the RBC program above however you have to redeem a minimum of 5,000 points for a $50 credit. This means you are only receiving a 0.5% return on your card spending.

Vancity Enviro Classic Visa
The Vancity Enviro Classic Visa is a card that is only available to BC residents that rewards 1 Vancity Rewards point for every $2 spent on the card. It does have one category bonus, where you earn double the points for booking travel via Vancity Rewards. So for the most part when it comes to day to day spending this card is giving you only a 0.5% return as you redeem 100 points for $1 credit towards travel. You'll get 1% back on those Vancity Rewards travel purchases however.

HSBC +Rewards Mastercard
This relatively new card to our market is HSBC's new entry level card that is marketed more so towards being a low interest rate card with rewards so take this into account if you have this card or are considering it. It also has an annual that at time of posting is being waived for the first year. The card earns 1 HSBC Rewards point for every $1 spent on the card except for dining and entertainment where it earns 2 points per $1 spent. HSBC Rewards points are worth 0.5 cents each when redeeming towards travel which means this card gives a 0.5% return on all spending outside of the 1% for dining and entertainment.

As I already mentioned - just because you have one of the above cards it may not mean this is a bad thing. There could be very good reasons you have one of the above cards and by having one you are ahead of the game when compared to cards that have no rewards at all. However I want to make you aware that perhaps you should review what you have in your wallet to see if you can do even better with your rewards. There are plenty of no fee cards in our market where you will earn no less than 1% which means you could be doubling your rewards if you have one of the above cards.

I recommend checking out our Travel Rewards Credit Card comparison chart to see what options are out there for you!