Save 20% on Avis car rentals in Canada and a tip for getting them at a lower price

The final part of the three part promotion from Air Canada, Avis and Fairmont Hotels that we still need to cover here on Rewards Canada is the car rental special from Avis. The first two parts can be found in the following posts:

• Save 20% on all Air Canada flights within Canada when you book by June 16 - good for travel until May 15, 2021! 
• Fairmont Hotels Explore Canada offer - Get every 2nd night free for stays at 18 Fairmont Hotels until June 30, 2021

The Avis portion sees the car rental company also offer 20% off their base rates for rentals in Canada. These rentals need to be booked by June 16, 2020 and the actual rental only needs to be completed by June 16, 2021. You must quote AWD # C285901 when you book online at Avis.

Here's a quick look at a 2 day rental in Toronto:

The above rental was quoted on the global Avis.com using the AWD # C285901. I also tested it out from the actual offer page on Avis' Canada site Avis.ca and (not) surprisingly they charge more for the same rental even with the 20% off:

This comparison is for a 2 day rental from Avis at Pearson International and as you can see the .ca site is over $60 more for the exact same rental! So that's the tip for finding the rental at a lower price - don't book it on the .ca site. Go to Avis.com and manually enter the AWD # C285901 or just use the code that automatically populates with this link as it also gives you the 20% off.

One more comparison for you. This is Vancouver's Georgia & Hornby Avis location - care to take a guess which screen shot is .ca and which is .com?

New welcome offer on the BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard 10% cash back in your first 3 months and annual fee waived in the first year

BMO is getting in on the 10% game that we have now seen from most of the big banks for their premium cash back cards! BMO is now offering 10% cash back on all purchases made in the first three months on the BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard. The 10% cash back is awarded on all purchases you make up to $2,000 which will translate to up to $200 cash back. This is a decent welcome bonus for a cash back card and matches many that are in market right now. The offer doesn’t end there however as new cardholders will also get their first year annual fee rebated which means you can try this card out at no cost to you other than your actual credit card spending.

Once you have hit that $2,000 in spending your earning will revert to the standard rate of 1.5% on all purchases. This is where BMO's premium cash back card differs from much of its competition. Most competitors have accelerated earning on select categories of spending (4%, 3%, 2%) on set amount of spend annually but then only offer 1% on all other purchases. Compare this to BMO's 1.5% on all purchases all the time. No $20,000 cap on this category and only a bonus for groceries or other select categories. This is where you need to do your research - where do you spend your money on your cards? Will those category bonuses from other cards net you more cash back or are you someone who has a lot of spending spread out across a of categories where that extra 1/2 percent on the BMO card will earn you more cash back than its competitors.

BMO CashBack cards also now provide some of the best liquidity when it comes to cashing out your cash back rewards. You can redeem your cash back rewards when you hit $1 in rewards or choose to have your cash back automatically deposited to your account each time it hits $25. There are very few cards that actually let you redeem as little as $1 - in fact it is only BMO and Brim Financial who do so. This is where the cards stands out from its primary competitors whose cash out limitations are a little higher ($25 for TD) or only let you cash out once per year (Scotia, Amex & CIBC)

Recommended reading: Rewards Canada's Guide to Credit Card Cash Back Liquidity

The card also features a pretty good insurance and benefits packages for a cash back card. Some of those are includes Out of Province Emergency Travel Medical Insurance, Trip Interruption Insurance, Flight Delay and Baggage Insurance,  180 day Purchase Security (double what most cards have), Extended Warranty Insurance, $500,000 Common Carrier Accident Insurance, and Auto Rental and loss Damage Insurance. It also provides complimentary roadside assistance for cardholders.

With travel at a stand still the cash back wars are in full force. There are no less than five offers in our market with a 10% welcome bonus on all spending and then there are even a few more category specific 10% percent welcome offers. Overall the BMO 10% offer is one of the better ones out of the bunch. Not that the welcome bonus is any different than its competition but rather it's the combination of that welcome offer with the long term flat earn rate of 1.5% coupled with being one of the easiest cards to cash out your rewards with as to why it is a top offer.

Learn more about this offer and apply for the BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard.

Below is the most current for this card and may not be reflective of the post above:

Save 20% for summer stays at Toronto's Le Germain Hotel Maple Leaf Square

Travelzoo has advertised an offer for stays at the Le Germain Hotel Maple Leaf Square in Toronto. You can book discounted stays for this summer that are 100% fully refundable. The Travelzoo offer  provides up to a 20% savings over regular rates at this hotel. It does appear that the CAA/AAA and Toronto residents rates are the same as this Travelzoo offer. Stays must be booked by June 17.

Here is an example of the rates:

Here is what is included in the offer:

• $207-$231 per night ... June 1-30
• $231-$255 per night ... July 1 - Sept. 7, including Canada Day, August long weekend and Labour Day
• Accommodations in a Classic Room with one king or two queen beds
• Stays in upgraded Prestige Rooms and Suites are also discounted
• All guests enjoy continental breakfast

What you need to know:

• Cancellation Policy: Cancel or modify your booking without charge before 4 p.m. on the day of arrival.
• Price based on up to two guests sharing a room
• Children 12 and under stay for free; additional guest charge of $30 per adult
• Pets are allowed on request; extra fees apply
• On-site parking is available; extra fees apply
• Free Wi-Fi

Find out more and book this offer here.

June 4 Update: Canada's 1st Red Roof Inn now set to open in August, Hyatt extends COVID-19 cancellation policy, up to 50,000 bonus Be Well points at Rexall this weekend

We've mentioned in some blog posts some time ago that Canada's first Red Roof Inn was slated to open in Calgary earlier this year however it appears that COVID-19 delayed that opening. According to Red Roof's site the Red Roof PLUS+ & Suites Calgary is now taking bookings for opening on August 25, 2020. This hotel was formerly a Travelodge hotel and is the first of several planned Red Roof Hotels planned to open up in Canada over the next 5 years.

Hyatt hotels have provided us with an update to their COVID-19 cancellation policy:

With some very limited exceptions, existing reservations booked before July 1, 2020, for arrivals through July 31, 2021, can be cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival. This includes Advance Purchase Rate reservations. 

Reservations made after April 1, 2020 at select Destination Residences or under Special Event Rates, after June 3, 2020 at Hyatt Residence Club properties, and any other reservations made after June 30, 2020 that disclose a different cancellation or refund policy at the time of booking are excluded from this policy and subject to the cancellation or refund policy disclosed at the time of booking. Please visit the Change and Cancellation Fee Waiver Exceptions for a list of excluded properties. 

Please note: These policies apply to reservations made through Hyatt directly. Guests who booked via online travel agents or other third parties are advised to contact their booking provider for information on their policies and for assistance. These policies do not apply to convention and group business due to the contractual nature of these reservations. Guests with reservations at a Hyatt Residence Club property who did not book through Hyatt channels should contact Hyatt Residence Club. 

Reservations with MGM, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and Lindblad Expeditions

Cancellation policies for MGM Resorts International, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and Lindblad Expeditions may vary from Hyatt’s policies and will be noted in the rate’s Rate Rules section during booking.

We have updated our COVID-19 resource page to reflect this update from Hyatt

You can earn up to 50,000 bonus Rexall Be Well points when you shop at Rexall this weekend. Spend $50 to get 25,000 points ($10) or $70 or more to get the 50,000 points ($20 value). No coupon required.

It's been a few weeks since we provided stats on hotel occupancy in Canada. At that time it was hovering around 16% and good news is that the numbers are slowly creeping up. For the last week of May Canadian hotel occupancy was 21.4%. Still drastically lower from the 70.4% seen for the similar time period in 2019. However while the numbers are slowly creeping up the average daily rate is still 40% lower than 2019 and the hotels' revenue per room is still down over 80%. (Source HNN)

Airline Schedule Updates
This will now be a standard feature for the foreseeable future in our daily update posts as we summarize Canadian operations based on data from RoutesOnline and other sources. Remember that many of these route plans are subject to change and right now they are changing frequently!

KLM will be restarting flights from Calgary and Vancouver to Amsterdam in July. (Source KLM)

Remember to visit and bookmark our COVID-19 resource page where we are keeping you up to date with all the latest airline, hotel, lounges and loyalty program news, policies, closures and more.

Posts since our last update:

• Save 20% on all Air Canada flights within Canada when you book by June 16 - good for travel until May 15, 2021!
  Air Canada, Avis and Fairmont Hotels launched a combined promotion today called Explore Canada. All three travel providers have…
• Fairmont Hotels Explore Canada offer - Get every 2nd night free for stays at 18 Fairmont Hotels until June 30, 2021
  Ok - you might be like whoa stop it with all the Fairmont deal posts and I admit there…
• The Platinum Card from American Express is offering up to $250 in statement credits for select grocery stores & Uber Eats
  Another new Amex Offers offer to let you know about! This offer is for The Platinum Card from American…
• Vancouver's Fairmont Pacific Rim now part of Stay Close Buy 1 night get 1 free offer!
  Late last night Fairmont Hotels added yet another hotel to their amazing Stay Close offer that provides every 2nd…
• Receive a 20% bonus when you buy Best Western Travel Cards for future travel
  The offers for future travel just keep on coming! The first one for today comes from Best Western and…
• June 3 Update: TurboTax offer for RBC cardholders, Amex offer for Pink Martini Queen Street and Canadian Alaska Airlines Mastercards will not see elite benefits like the U.S.
  There is a new RBC Offers special out for TurboTax where you can get 20% off Standard, Premier, Self-Employed,…

Deals:

Fairmont's Stay Close - 8 Canadian and 5 U.S hotels offering every 2nd night or 2nd room free for the rest of 2020!

Instacart: Get $10 when you place your first order with Instacart! Register here. 

Travelzoo and Whistler's Summit Lodge Boutique Hotel are selling discounted vouchers for future stays that are 100% fully refundable. You can buy vouchers that provide up to a 40% savings and includes breakfast & parking. Stay in a Deluxe King Studio, with a king bed, balcony, fully equipped kitchenette and dining table for two $139 (one night, check in June 1 - July 2; Aug. 30 - Sept. 30) Stay in a spacious Executive Studio, with a king bed, balcony, fully equipped kitchenette and dining table for four $149 (one night, check in July 3-31) $299 two nights, (check in Aug. 1-28) Find out more here. 

SkipTheDishes - Sign up with this link to get $5 off your first order over $15. Find out more here

WealthSimple Trade:  Receive $5 when you deposit and trade at least $100 worth of stock with WealthSimple Trade. Find out more here (We will also receive $5 when you receive $5)

Rewards Canada receives a small commission when you use any of the above offers. You don't have to chose to use our links but we thank you in advance if you do.

Canadian Bonus Offers

N/A

Other Bonus Offers

ALL Accor Live Limitless
- Triple ALL Rewards Points for stays at participating hotels in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, French Polynesia and the Ala Moana Honolulu Hotel in Hawaii. More... Targeted offer - may not work for everyone Until Aug 31, 20

Marriott Bonvoy
- 5,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points, free breakfast & VND 700,000 daily hotel credit for stays at any one of 5 hotels in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh. More... Book by Aug 31, 20

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Double KrisFlyer Miles when you book hotel stays via Trip.com PointsPLUS. More... Book by Sep 30 for stays until Dec 31, 20


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Save 20% on all Air Canada flights within Canada when you book by June 16 - good for travel until May 15, 2021!

Air Canada, Avis and Fairmont Hotels launched a combined promotion today called Explore Canada. All three travel providers have offers as part of the promotion:

Earlier today we brought you details of Fairmont's 2nd Night offer (as it is essentially an extension o of the Stay Close offer we have seen since May) and now we wanted to highlight Air Canada's offer.

The airline is offering 20% off all Air Canada Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class base fares for flights within Canada. You simply have to book by June 16, 2020 for travel between June 15, 2020 and May 15, 2021. There do not appear to be any blackout dates however seats can be limited and subject to availability. To take advantage of the offer simply use promo code HX66NYU1 when you booking your flight online at aircanada.com.

Here are some examples of pricing for flights between Calgary and Toronto in July - on an internationally configured Boeing 787-8 no less. Economy class as low as $198 each way, lie flat business class from $1055.  Other business class fares on Airbus A220 and A320 flights are pricing out just above $700 each way.

If you have the Platinum Card from American Express we recommend using it to pay for these flights (and basically everything and anything else) thanks to its Double Points promotion. As the card typically earns 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar on travel these purchases will earn 4 points per dollar right now. Those points can be converted to Aeroplan on a 1:1 basis which means you'd be earning 4 Aeroplan Miles per dollar spent on Air Canada flights! No other card even comes close to that!

Learn more about and book this offer here.

Fairmont Hotels Explore Canada offer - Get every 2nd night free for stays at 18 Fairmont Hotels until June 30, 2021

Ok - you might be like whoa stop it with all the Fairmont deal posts and I admit there have been lots as Fairmont has been adding hotels every few days to their Stay Close offer where you get every 2nd night (or 2nd room) for free for the rest of 2020. In fact our latest post was just a few short hours ago as the Fairmont Pacific Rim was added into the deal.Well if you are sick of the Fairmont posts I'm sorry but here is another one that in fact most of you should like and take note of as it brings many more of their Canadian hotels into the mix. This latest offer from Fairmont Hotels is called Explore Canada and is in partnership with Air Canada and Avis with three promotions:

The Fairmont portion of Explore Canada is an expansion of the Stay Close offer. In fact it uses the same promo code (PLCL) as the Stay Close offer The booking code has now been updated to PLCA and instead of only being available for stays until the end of 2020 this version is good for stays until June 30, 2021! The only caveat is they state that all bookings need to be made by June 16. Here are the participating Canadian Fairmont hotels and the dates this offer is valid:

This is 18 of their 19 properties in Canada - the only hotel that isn't participating is the Fairmont Vancouver Airport hotel.  You do have to prepay the stay(s) but they are fully refundable as long as you cancel within time. Depending on which hotel you book that cancellation period is anywhere from 24 hours to 7 days before your check in date.

This is the perfect promotion for this summer and beyond as most Canadians that are planning to travel will be doing so within our fine borders. You have discounted hotel rates, discounted flights on Air Canada and car rental discounts from Avis. The perfect travel trio.

Click here for complete details and to book this awesome deal.

Terms & conditions:
Buy one night and receive a complimentary second night during the same stay. A 1 night prepaid fully-refundable deposit is required. This promotion is subject to availability and may not be combined with any other offers, promotions or packages. For stays through June 30, 2021. Blackout dates may apply. 

You may also use your complimentary night as a second room on the same night. Should you wish to do so, please book a two night stay and then you must call the hotel directly to amend the reservation. The reservation will be amended to have two rooms in the same room category for the price of one for one night. 

ALL Rewards points may not be redeemed to cover the cost of any charges associated with stays booked on this offer either at time of booking or during the stay. This includes, but is not limited to charges for room rate/restaurant/in-room dining/spa/golf. 

Members who book through this offer will receive the on-property benefits associated with their tier level at time of stay. 

Members will earn points at standard earn rates for room charges and all eligible spend that is charged to their room during the stay.

The Platinum Card from American Express is offering up to $250 in statement credits for select grocery stores & Uber Eats

Another new Amex Offers offer to let you know about! This offer is for The Platinum Card from American Express and offers up to $250 in statement credits when you use your registered Platinum Card to shop at Sobeys, Metro, Longo's, Save-On-Foods and Uber Eats. What makes this offer really appealing is the credit is equal to whatever you spend at these stores up to that $250! Here is the excerpt from the Terms and Conditions:

you can get a statement credit equal to the amount of  the purchase transaction after taxes and applicable fees, up to a maximum of $250 (CAD) in statement credits, during the offer period and subsequently posted to your account.

You do have to register for the offer simply by logging in to your online account with Amex or via the Amex mobile app. We have added the offer to our Guide to American Express Canada 'Amex Offers' which also details how you can access and use these offers.

Be sure to also check out the up to $780 in statement credits that are available for The Business Platinum Card from American Express

Vancouver's Fairmont Pacific Rim now part of Stay Close Buy 1 night get 1 free offer!

Late last night Fairmont Hotels added yet another hotel to their amazing Stay Close offer that provides every 2nd night or 2nd room free for stays at select hotels in Canada and the United States.
Here is our previous coverage of the offers:

• Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac and Fairmont Winnipeg now part of Stay Close Buy 1 night get 1 free offer! 
• Fairmont Chateau Laurier Ottawa and Faimont Royal York Toronto now part of Stay Close Buy 1 night get 1 free offer!
• Fairmont’s Canadian mountain resort hotels offering every 2nd night or 2nd room free for the rest of 2020!
•  Fairmont Hotels Stay Close – Every 2nd night or 2nd room free for the rest of 2020 at three U.S. locations!

The hotel that was added is the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver. If you want to take advantage of the offer here the booking window isn't very long - you have until June 16 to book but their window for stays is much longer than the rest of the hotels - you can book stays until June 30, 2021 for this hotel!

Here's a quick look at the rates for the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotels (July 10-12):

 Just like all the other hotels this deal is exactly 50% off the daily rate and is also significantly cheaper than other special rates. The rates must be prepaid in advance however they are fully refundable as long as you cancel in advance. The Fairmont Pacific Rim is showing a cancellation policy of only 24 hours before so there is lots of flexibility compared to the 7 day cancellation policy at the Canadian mountain resorts!

There no black out dates specified for this hotel.

Remember that Fairmont Hotels is now part of the ALL Accor Live Limitless program so stays at Fairmont Hotels will rack up points in that program.

For more details or to book this offer you can do so via these links:

• Fairmont Banff Springs  
• Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge  
• Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise  
• Fairmont Chateau Whistler
• Fairmont Chateau Laurier Ottawa
• Fairmont Royal York Toronto
• Fairmont Winnipeg
• Fairmon Le Chateau Frontenac 
• Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel

• Fairmont Austin
• Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
• Fairmont Washington D.C. Georgetown
• Fairmont El San Juan Hotel
• Swissotel Chicago
   

Here are the terms & conditions of the offer for the Pacific Rim Hotel:

Buy one night and receive a complimentary second night during the same stay. A 1 night prepaid fully-refundable deposit is required. This promotion is subject to availability and may not be combined with any other offers, promotions or packages. For stays through June 30, 2021. Blackout dates may apply.

 

*You may also use your complimentary night as a second room on the same night. Should you wish to do so, please book a two night stay and then you must call the hotel directly to amend the reservation. The reservation will be amended to have two rooms in the same room category for the price of one for one night.

 

ALL Rewards points may not be redeemed to cover the cost of any charges associated with stays booked on the “Stay Close” offer either at time of booking or during the stay. This includes, but is not limited to charges for room rate/restaurant/in-room dining/spa/golf. Members who book through the “Stay Close” offer will receive the on-property benefits associated with their tier level at time of stay. Members will earn points at standard earn rates for room charges and all eligible spend that is charged to their room during the stay.

Images via Fairmont Hotels

Receive a 20% bonus when you buy Best Western Travel Cards for future travel

The offers for future travel just keep on coming! The first one for today comes from Best Western and they are offering a 20% bonus on Best Western Travel/Gift Cards. When you buy a $100 gift card they will give you a $20 bonus card to use. You can buy up to $500 worth of gift cards with this promotion to receive $100 in bonus cards. You also have the choice to buy the cards in CAD or USD which is great for us Canadians seeing that most will be travelling within our own borders this year. Note the terminology difference in the cards – the travel/gift card is a true gift card – that is it has no expiry date as they can’t put one on them due to laws against it in countries like the U.S. and Canada. However the bonus card is not considered as such since it is an incentive and you are not paying cash for it. That means they can put an expiry on the bonus card and have done so. Any bonus cards you receive are only valid until December 31, 2020. Nonetheless if you think you’ll be traveling and staying at Best Western hotels this year then by all means avail of this offer to garner those savings!

Offer details:
Receive a $20 Best Western Bonus Card for every $100 Best Western Travel/Gift Card you purchase. The bonus card is awarded for purchases of up to $500 of gift cards. Learn more and purchase gift cards here. Until Sep 30, 20

June 3 Update: TurboTax offer for RBC cardholders, Amex offer for Pink Martini Queen Street and Canadian Alaska Airlines Mastercards will not see elite benefits like the U.S.

There is a new RBC Offers special out for TurboTax where you can get 20% off Standard, Premier, Self-Employed, Assist & Review, or Assist & Review Self Employed products. See our Guide to RBC Royal Bank 'RBC Offers' for more details. The offer runs until June 30 and I received it on the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard.

American Express also has a new Amex Offers deal for those in the GTA region for shopping at Pink Martini Collection Queen Street. If you spend at least $100 you will earn a $15 credit. Unlike a lot of this offers which are one time only this one can be earned up to 5 times. See our Guide to American Express Canada 'Amex Offers' for more details

I have confirmation from MBNA that we will not be seeing any enhanced offers on the Alaska Airlines World Elite Mastercard like has been seen for Alaska Airlines credit cards in the U.S.. See this post of ours for background info on the limited time offers Alaska is providing.

Airline Schedule Updates
This will now be a standard feature for the foreseeable future in our daily update posts as we summarize Canadian operations based on data from RoutesOnline and other sources. Remember that many of these route plans are subject to change and right now they are changing frequently!

The latest update from Lufthansa has them resuming 3 times weekly service between Toronto and Frankfurt as of tomorrow. The source says June 3 however Toronto's departures/arrivals don't show any flights for today but they do for tomorrow. (Source RoutesOnline)

Remember to visit and bookmark our COVID-19 resource page where we are keeping you up to date with all the latest airline, hotel, lounges and loyalty program news, policies, closures and more.

Posts since our last update:

• Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac and Fairmont Winnipeg now part of Stay Close Buy 1 night get 1 free offer!
  Fairmont Hotels keeps adding more hotels to their amazing Stay Close offer that provides every 2nd night or 2nd…
• Aeroplan officially adds Etihad Airways as an airline partner
  You may recall that back in April of 2019 news came out that Etihad Airways would become a partner…
• June 2 Update: TAP Air Portugal ready to go with flight specials out of Toronto and British Airways Executive Club changes terms so you can't sue them
  TAP Air Portugal is starting to promote the return of their flights out of Toronto for travel in July…

Deals:

Fairmont's Stay Close - 8 Canadian and 5 U.S hotels offering every 2nd night or 2nd room free for the rest of 2020!

Travelzoo and Whistler's Summit Lodge Boutique Hotel are selling discounted vouchers for future stays that are 100% fully refundable. You can buy vouchers that provide up to a 40% savings and includes breakfast & parking. Stay in a Deluxe King Studio, with a king bed, balcony, fully equipped kitchenette and dining table for two $139 (one night, check in June 1 - July 2; Aug. 30 - Sept. 30) Stay in a spacious Executive Studio, with a king bed, balcony, fully equipped kitchenette and dining table for four $149 (one night, check in July 3-31) $299 two nights, (check in Aug. 1-28) Find out more here. 

SkipTheDishes - Sign up with this link to get $5 off your first order over $15. Find out more here

WealthSimple Trade:  Receive $5 when you deposit and trade at least $100 worth of stock with WealthSimple Trade. Find out more here (We will also receive $5 when you receive $5)

Rewards Canada receives a small commission when you use any of the above offers. You don't have to chose to use our links but we thank you in advance if you do.

Canadian Bonus Offers

N/A

Other Bonus Offers

Aeroflot Bonus
- Earn up to 5,000 Bonus Miles when you rent with Avis for 3 or more days in Russia. More... . Book by Jun 30 for rentals until Dec 31, 20

Air France KLM Flying Blue
- Double Flying Blue Miles for stays at all participating World Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Mar 31, 21
- Triple Flying Blue Miles for stays at all participating World Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Mar 31, 21

Miles & More
- Double Miles & More Miles when you rent with Sixt for 3 or more days in Germany. More... Book by Jun 30 for rentals until Sep 30, 20


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