August 20 Update: Radisson Rewards extends pause on points expiration and adds elite night rollover, Cobalt multiplier at iconic Calgary Drive-In & WestJet's international flight schedule for September

Radisson Rewards have further updated their policy in regards to points expiration and elite status. Previously they extended points expiry by 6 months and extended elite status set to end February 2021 to February 2022. Now they have updated that policy by further extending the pause of points expiration and added an elite earning rollover component. These are some welcome updates to the program seeing how travel is still curtailed. Of course if you have the Platinum Card from American Express you don't have to worry about losing Gold Elite status since that will automatically update each year you have the card however for those of you who don't the addition of elite earning rollover will hopefully help you out for 2022.

• Point expiration suspension: We are extending our pause on the expiration of Radisson Rewards points. Any points that were set to expire between March 1, 2020 and March 30, 2021 will now expire on March 31, 2021, if the account remains inactive.
• Elite status extension: We have extended your 2020 status – whether it’s Silver, Gold or Platinum - through February 2022, for those whose status would have expired in February 2021. This means you will continue to enjoy all the great Silver, Gold or Platinum member benefits you have access to today.
• Elite earning roll over: All eligible nights and stays earned in 2020 will roll over to 2021 and be applied toward maintaining or increasing your Elite status in 2022.

These updates from Radisson Rewards have been added to our COVID-19 resource page

Image via Radisson Hotels

 
One more new American Express Cobalt Card Multiplier for you, well hopefully as the final charge hasn't posted yet. This one is an iconic Calgary restaurant: CB Drive Inn. The other day we made it out there for some Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (Copyright Food Network) food from this joint that has been a Calgary institution (and by institurion some will say a good institution whilte others will say really bad) since the 1970s. Low and behold going through the drive thru and there's the American Express Shop Small sticker so out came the Cobalt card! Our chili dogs, fries and drinks should not only earn 5x points but we should also receive $5 back thanks to the current Amex Shop Small promotion. Learn more about Confirmed Cobalt Multiplier locations here and learn more about Amex's Shop Small promotion here.

 

Airline Schedule Updates
A summary 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!

Here is WestJet's planned international operations for the month of September
Calgary – Atlanta 3 weekly 737-700 (selected dates -800)
Calgary – London Gatwick 3 weekly 787-9
Calgary – Los Angeles 3 weekly 737-700
Calgary – Paris CDG 2 weekly 787-9
Toronto – Cancun 1 weekly 737-800
Toronto – Kingston 1 weekly 737-700
Toronto – Montego Bay 1 weekly 737-800
(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:

• Summary of global hotel systemwide bonus points promotions – August Edition
  Here is your monthly update of all the global hotel bonus points promotions that are available. We are starting…
• Top 5 Small Business Credit Card Sign Up offers for August - These cards provide the best value out of their welcome bonuses
  Here are the Rewards Canada Top 5 Small Business Credit Card Sign Up offers for the month of August…
• Coast Hotels Coast Rewards Points Bonanza - Earn double points or miles on all stays until September 14
    As soon as Coast Hotels last double points promo ended last week they revealed another one! Points Bonanza,…
• August 19 Update: AIR MILES adds redemption options for Spotify and gaming subscriptions, Hawaii delays reopening plan to October 1, new Tangerine Savings Account offer
    AIR MILES expanded their reward catalog offerings yesterday with some great new redemptoin options for digital services. You…

Deals:

 Air Transat Here Comes the Sun Promotion. Early bird perks and extra flexibility for travel between August 5, 2020, and April 30, 2021 Book by September 11, 2020. Find out more here.

Book a South package and benefit from Option Flex* which allows you to:
Change your travel dates
Transfer your vacation package
Cancel your trip
Price Drop Guarantee
A reduced deposit of only $100​
Final payment 25 days before departure

If you aren't using the Ampli Cash Back app yet you can get $5 when you download the app and join today with promo code AMPLI5 Find out more here

Fairmont Hotels Stay Close - Buy Night 1 Get 1 Night free at select hotels in Canada, U.S. and Mexico. 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

Preferred Hotel Group iPrefer
- OFFER EXTENDED Earn up to 5,000 Bonus iPrefer Points + Automatic Elite Status for stays of 2 or more nights at participating Preferred Hotels in Canada More... Book by Sep 2 for stays until Dec 31, 20

Other Bonus Offers

Etihad Guest
- 30% Guest Miles discount when you redeem miles for Etihad award flights. More... Book by Aug 27 for travel until May 31, 21

IHG Rewards Club
- 2,000 Bonus IHG Rewards Club Points for stays at the Kimpton Pittman Hotel Dallas. More... Book by Sep 8 for stays until Dec 30, 20

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Earn up to Triple KrisFlyer Miles when you rent a car with Avis for 2 or more days in North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Asia More... Book by Sep 30 for rentals until Oct 31, 20


Follow Rewards Canada:

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Summary of global hotel systemwide bonus points promotions – August Edition

Here is your monthly update of all the global hotel bonus points promotions that are available. We are starting to see more offers emerge as hotel companies try to encourage any sort of travel now that there is even the smallest glimmer of hope that parts of the world are starting to return to normal.

One of the easiest ways to rack up lots of hotel points is to take advantage of these systemwide bonuses that come from many of the big chain programs and also from the lesser known programs. In fact, right now it should be rare for you NOT to earn a bonus. Unless you are staying at a boutique hotel or perhaps an independent hotel most other hotels out there have a bonus. So take advantage of it! These systemwide bonuses simply require you to register beforehand and they do not affect hotel pricing as long as you book a point eligible rate which are most rates out there. Of course booking through a third party site like Expedia or Rocketmiles does not count as most chains only award points on bookings that are made directly with them. Without further ado here are all the current promotions that are available to everyone:

Provider	Offer	Validity Date
ALL Accor Live Limitless	4x ALL Rewards Points for stays at new Accor Hotels Worldwide. Full details, online registration & booking. (Registration is required)	Book by Sep 18 for stays until Nov 8, 20
	For a complete listing of all ALL Accor Live Limitlessbonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's ALL Accor Live Limitless page
Best Western Rewards	Receive a $25 Best Western Gift Card when you complete one stay at a Best Western Hotel in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. Full details, online registration & booking  (Registration is required) For residents of the U.S. and Canada only	Until Sep 7, 20
	Receive a $25 Best Western Travel Card when you complete 1 stay at a Best Western Hotel and submit a gas receipt or electric vehicle charging receipt within 10 days of your stay. Full details & online booking For residents of the U.S. and Canada only	Until Aug 31, 20
	For a complete listing of all Best Western Rewards bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Best Western page
Choice Hotels Privileges	Earn up to 8,000 Bonus Privileges Points after every two separate qualifying stays at participating Choice Hotels Worldwide. Full details, online registration & booking (Registration is required) For residents of the U.S. and Canada only	Jun 10 – Sep 7, 20
	For a complete listing of all Choice Privileges bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Choice page
Coast Hotels Coast Rewards	Double Coast Rewards Points, Aeroplan Miles, Mileage Plan Miles, HawaiianMiles and More Rewards Points when you stay at any Coast Hotels location in Canada or the U.S. Full details	Until Sep 14, 20
	For a complete listing of all Coast Rewards bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Coast Rewards page
GHA Discovery	Double Elite Night Credit for stays at participating GHA Hotels Worldwide. Register online (Registration is required)	Until Dec 31, 20
	For a complete listing of all GHA Discovery bonus offers please visit Rewards Canada's GHA page
Hilton	Earn 2,000 Bonus Honors points per stay at Hilton Hotels worldwide plus 10,000 bonus points for every 10 nights stayed. Full details, online registration & booking (Registration is required )	Until Sep 7, 20
	For a complete listing of all Hilton HHonors bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Hilton page
Hyatt	Triple World of Hyatt Points starting with your second stay at Hyatt hotels and resorts worldwide and participating M life Rewards destinations, Small Luxury Hotels of the World hotels and Lindblad Expeditions. Register online (Registration is required) Elite Member Offer details: 2,500 Bonus World of Hyatt Points + Triple Points for stays at Hyatt hotels and resorts worldwide and participating M life Rewards destinations, Small Luxury Hotels of the World hotels and Lindblad Expeditions. 2,500 bonus points will be awarded on your first stay and then the 3x points on all stays after that. Register online (Registration is required)	Register by Aug 31 for stays Jun 15 – Sep 15, 20
	For a complete listing of all Hyatt Gold Passport bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Hyatt page
InterContinental Hotels Group	Earn up to 4x IHG Rewards Club Points on all IHG stays. You will earn 2x points for your first 2 stays, 3x points on your third stay and 4x points on all stays after that. Full details, online registration & booking (Registration is required)	Until Sep 8, 20
	For a complete listing of all IHG Priority Club bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's IHG page
Marriott	2,500 Bonus Bonvoy Points per stay at any participating Marriott Hotel Worldwide. Plus earn a one time bonus of 5,000 points when you complete 3 stays. Full details, online registration and booking (Registration is required)	Until Oct 18, 20
	For a complete listing of all Marriott Rewards bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Marriott page
Millennium Hotels My Millennium	No offers at this time	--
	For a complete listing of all Millennium Hotels My Millennium bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's My Millennium page
Preferred Hotel Group iPrefer	No offers at this time	--
	For a complete listing of all Preferred Hotel Group iPrefer bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's iPrefer page
Radisson Rewards	Earn 5,000 Bonus Radisson Rewards points on each stay at all Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, and Country Inn & Suites by Radisson hotels worldwide. Full details, online registration & booking (Registration is required)	Until Dec 31, 20
	For a complete listing of all Radisson Rewards bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Radisson Rewards page
Red Roof Inns RediRewards	50% bonus RediPoints for stays at any Red Roof location, including The Red Collection and Hometowne Studios by Red Roof in the U.S., Japan, Brazil and Canada (if the Canadian location opens in August as is slated right now)  Full details, online registration and booking. (Registration is required)	Until Sep 7, 20
	For a complete listing of all Red Roof bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's RediRewards page
Sandman Hotels	Double Lucky13 rewards stamps for stays at all participating Sandman Hotels in Canada and the U.S. Full details	Until Dec 31, 20
	For a complete listing of all Radisson Rewards bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Sandman Hotels Lucky13 Rewards page
Shangri-La Golden Circle	Double GC Points for stays at any Shangri-La hotel, resort, Kerry hotel, JEN hotel and Traders hotel Worldwide. Full details & online registration (Registration is required)	Until Aug 31, 20
	For a complete listing of all Shangria-La bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Golden Circle page
Sonesta Hotels Travel Pass	No offers at this time	--
	For a complete listing of all Sonesta Hotels bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Travel Pass page
Voila Hotel Rewards	30% Bonus VHR Points for each stay at any participating VOILÀ hotel Worldwide. Full details & online registration (Registration is required)	Until Sep 30, 20
	For a complete listing of all Voila Hotel Rewards bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's VHR page
WorldHotels Rewards	No offers at this time	--
	For a complete listing of all Wyndham Rewards bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's WorldHotels page
Wyndham Rewards	Earn 7,500 Bonus Wyndham Rewards Points when you complete two separate stays at participating Wyndham Rewards Hotels Worldwide. Full details, online registration & booking.	Register by Sep 8 for stays until Sep 10, 20
	For a complete listing of all Wyndham Rewards bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Wyndham page

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

Here are the Rewards Canada Top 5 Small Business Credit Card Sign Up offers for the month of August 2020!  This is not a 'best' credit card list like our Top Travel Rewards Credit Card rankings but instead a look at cards for small businesses 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 three first year free cards on the list!

Here are our top 5 small business credit card sign up offers for August:

BMO Rewards Business Mastercard (Apply here)

Minimum value: $357

This card had its welcome bonus boosted last week to 50,000 points when you spend $5,000 on the card in the first three months. On top of that they are waiving the $120 annual fee in the first year which means you get the full value out of those 50,000 points which when redeemed via bmorewards.com for travel will net you just over $357. This is the highest welcome bonus value out of all small business cards in Canada.

Marriott Bonvoy™ Business American Express® Card  (Apply here)

Minimum value: $350

This card awards 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points which are awarded after spending $1,500 on the card in three months. Those points are worth at least $500 in our minds which means after subtracting the annual fee you are coming out ahead by $350. 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! 

CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card for Business Plus (Apply here)

 Minimum value: $350
This card offers welcome bonus of 20,000 Aventura Points when the first purchase is made at any time. An additional bonus of 15,000 Aventura Points is awarded when you make $3,000 in net purchases during the first 4 monthly statement periods. Those 35,000 points are worth no less than $350 as the first year annual fee on this card is also waived. That is a minimum however as when you redeem the CIBC Aventura flight award chart you can get more value out of those points (up to $700) dependent on the price of the airline ticket you are redeeming for.

BMO^® AIR MILES^®† Business^® Mastercard^®* (Apply here)

Minimum value: $330
Like the other BMO Business card on this list, this card comes with a first year annual fee waiver which means the 3,000 AIR MILES welcome bonus comes at no extra cost. You'll receive 1,000 bonus miles on your first purchase and 2,000 more miles if you spend $5,000 on the card in the first three months of having the card. We value AIR MILES Reward Miles at no less than 11 cents each when you redeem for travel so that puts this welcome bonus value at a minimum of $330.

American Express Business Edge™ Card  (Apply here)

Minimum value: $201

The American Express Business Edge Card is the best overall Small Business card in Canada thanks to numerous factors. Its 30,000 Welcome Bonus points when you charge $5,000 in purchases to your Card in your first three months of Cardmembership is worth $201 ($300-$99 annual fee) may be less than other cards on this list but it has a stronger everyday earn rate on many purchases (Check out our American Express Business Edge Confirmed Multiplier Locations) and then you can also earn a 1,000 point bonus every month for the life of the card for each month you spend $3,000 or more on the card. This means in the first year alone you could earn up 42,000 points.

If you went for all these cards you ultimately could end up with over 1,500 in travel credits but even if you only take on one or two you are helping your travel budget significantly at no cost other than regular credit card spend. 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.

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.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Coast Hotels Coast Rewards Points Bonanza - Earn double points or miles on all stays until September 14

 

As soon as Coast Hotels last double points promo ended last week they revealed another one! Points Bonanza, mmm Bonanza, I wish Bonanza buffet was still around (I do believe there is one in Edmonton... maybe our YEG readers can confirm) but then again this pandemic has kind of put a stop to buffets for the most part.... Sorry, time to get back on track here! The Coast Rewards points bonanza takes their previous double points promotion but expands it beyond Coast Rewards to include all of their earning partners. This means you can earn double points or miles with five different programs. Simply choose your earning preference in your Coast Rewards account and any stays until September 14 will earn double in that program. This means for Aeroplan each stay will earn 500 to 1,000 miles, Mileage Plan will be 1,000 miles, Hawaiian is 400 and More Rewards will be 2 points per pre-tax dollar.

Offer details:
Earn Double Coast Rewards Points, Aeroplan Miles, Mileage Plan Miles, HawaiianMiles or More Rewards Points when you stay at any Coast Hotels location in Canada or the U.S. Full details Until Sep 14, 20

Image via Coast Hotels

August 19 Update: AIR MILES adds redemption options for Spotify and gaming subscriptions, Hawaii delays reopening plan to October 1, new Tangerine Savings Account offer

 

AIR MILES expanded their reward catalog offerings yesterday with some great new redemptoin options for digital services. You can now redeem Cash Miles to pay for your Spotify membership fees at the usual Cash Miles rate of 95 miles to $10. On top of this option there are now Dream Miles options to redeem for 12 month digital gaming subscriptions and those are Nintendo Switch Online, Xbox Live Gold Membership, PlayStation NOW, and PlayStation Plus. These are all welcome new additions to the AIR MILES reward catalog as travel is still curtailed and many collectors are looking for different options to use their miles on.  Learn more at airmiles.ca

 

No so good news for Canadians who were getting excited to go to Hawaii soon. After seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases the state has delayed its non-quarantine reopening to tourists from September 1st to at least October 1st. (Source State of Hawaii)

Beginning Oct. 1, 2020, trans-Pacific travelers arriving in Hawaii from out-of-state will have the option to get a valid COVID-19 test prior to their arrival, and show proof of a negative test result, to avoid the 14-day quarantine. Evidence of a negative test result must be provided upon arrival in Hawaii.

 
Tangerine has an updated the offer for their Tangerine Savings Account: Become a new Client and earn 2.50%* interest for the first 5 months on your first Savings Account. And within 24 hours of a Raptors win, you could earn $250*. Find out more here.

To earn 2.50% interest*

1. Become a new Client online within 24 hours of a Raptors NBA 2020 Playoffs win using promo code 'RAPTORSWIN'

2. Open your first eligible Savings Account and Chequing Account within 30 days

3. Earn 2.50% interest in your Savings Account for 5 months

To get a payroll Bonus of up to $250*

4. Complete steps 1 to 3

5. Add your payroll - have the first payroll direct deposit in your Chequing Account within 60 days of opening the Account

6. Keep your payroll direct deposits going into your Account for at least 3 straight months and you'll earn a $250 bonus after the 3rd month

7. Don't worry if you've entered the promo code 'RAPTORSWIN' during the Playoffs but not within 24 hours of a Raptors win, you can still get a $200 payroll Bonus when you complete all the other steps

 

Airline Schedule Updates
A summary 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!

Here is Air Canada's planned transborder flights for September:

Montreal – Boston 1 daily E175
Montreal – Chicago O’Hare eff 08SEP20 Increase from 3 to 5 weekly, E175 operating
Montreal – Fort Lauderdale 2 weekly A320
Montreal – New York LaGuardia eff 08SEP20 1 daily E175
Toronto – Boston eff 08SEP20 Increase from 6 to 7 weekly, E175 operating
Toronto – Chicago O’Hare 2 daily E175
Toronto – Fort Lauderdale 2 weekly A320
Toronto – Houston 1 daily E175
Toronto – Los Angeles 5 weekly 787-8/-9
Toronto – New York LaGuardia 13 weekly E175
Toronto – San Francisco eff 09SEP20 A220-300 replaces A320, 5 weekly
Toronto – Washington Dulles 1 daily E175
Vancouver – Los Angeles 1 daily A320
Vancouver – San Francisco 1 daily A319

(Source RoutesOnline)

And United Airlines' planned transborder operations for September are as follows:

Chicago O’Hare – Calgary 02SEP20 – 30SEP20 1 daily Embraer E175 operated by Skywest, replacing Republic Airways
Chicago O’Hare – Montreal 02SEP20 – 30SEP20 Skywest CRJ200 replaces ExpressJet ERJ145, 1 daily
Chicago O’Hare – Quebec City 02SEP20 – 30SEP20 Skywest Embraer E175 replaces ExpressJet E145, 1 daily
Chicago O’Hare – Toronto 02SEP20 – 30SEP20 Increase from 2 to 3 daily (1 daily GoJet CRJ550 and 2 daily Republic Airways E175)
Denver – Calgary 02SEP20 – 30SEP20 Skywest Embraer E175 replaces A320, 1 daily
Houston – Calgary 02SEP20 – 30SEP20 1 daily service suspended
Newark – Toronto 02SEP20 – 30SEP20 Reduce from 7 to 5 weekly, Republic Airways E170 operating
San Francisco – Vancouver 02SEP20 – 30SEP20 Skywest Embraer E175 replaces A319, 2 daily
Washington Dulles – Toronto 02SEP20 – 30SEP20 Increase from 1 to 2 daily, Commutair Embraer ERJ145 operating

(Source RoutesOnline)

Turkish Airlines has once again pushed back the launch of their highly antiicpated Vancouver route. The new route to Istanbul from YVR is now not slated to start until December 1. (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:

• Event Review: Sneak peek at Air Canada’s transformed loyalty program event in Montreal [Guest post]
    Today we welcome a new contributor to Rewards Canada as we collaborate with Anshul Singh of Points, Miles…
• Top 5 Cash Back Credit Card Sign Up offers for August - These cards provide the best value out of their welcome bonuses
   Here are the Rewards Canada Top 5 Cash Back Credit Card Sign Up offers for the month of August…
• New increased welcome bonus of 1,150 miles on the BMO AIR MILES No-Fee Business Mastercard + earn 5x miles at Shell until the end of the year
    Just like its personal counterparts the no fee version of BMO's AIR MILES business card also sees a…
• New increased welcome bonus of 950 miles on BMO's no fee AIR MILES cards + earn 5x miles at Shell until the end of the year
  BMO updated their portfolio of no fee AIR MILES credit cards today with a new increased welcome bonus offer…
• Hyatt Place Toronto/Mississauga Centre is now open for business
    Back on March 2 we brought you our annual New Hyatt Hotel Openings in Canada post that detailed…
• August 17 Update: New Amex offers for Burberry, Lululemon, The Chesterfield Shop, More details on the Walmart World Mastercard and last day to grab the HSBC World Elite 60K+FYF offer
  A trio of new offers are available as part of the Amex Offers program. Check your card accounts to…

Deals:

If you aren't using the Ampli Cash Back app yet you can get $5 when you download the app and join today with promo code AMPLI5 Find out more here

Fairmont Hotels Stay Close - Buy Night 1 Get 1 Night free at select hotels in Canada, U.S. and Mexico. 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

Coast Hotels Coast Rewards
- Double Coast Rewards Points, Aeroplan Miles, Mileage Plan Miles, HawaiianMiles and More Rewards Points when you stay at any Coast Hotels location in Canada or the U.S. More... Until Sep 14, 20

Other Bonus Offers

Emirates Skywards
- Receive up to a 25 % discount when you or gift buy Skywards Miles. More... Until Aug 30, 20

EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
- 4x Infinity MileageLands Miles for hotels booked via Trip.com's PointsPLUS. More... Book by Aug 31 for stays until Dec 31, 20



Follow Rewards Canada:

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Event Review: Sneak peek at Air Canada’s transformed loyalty program event in Montreal [Guest post]

 

Today we welcome a new contributor to Rewards Canada as we collaborate with Anshul Singh of Points, Miles & Bling.  Based in Ottawa, Anshul is well known in the Canadian points and miles circuit hosting weekly virtual points & miles events, having presented at PointsU and much more. His first contribution to Rewards Canada is a look back at Air Canada's event this past July announcing the new Aeroplan program. The timing for this post was perfect as Rewards Canada was not able to attend this event in Montreal. We look forward to more collab's with Anshul! Now here's his recap of the event:

Having waited over a year for details on the new Aeroplan program, I was excited to receive an invitation from Air Canada, for a sneak peak into the new Aeroplan program. Without hesitation, I confirmed my availability for the media event, which was held in Montreal on July 29th, 2020. The event was to host a group of up to 20-25 people, including AC folks, in Montreal.

The day of the event started with a scheduled pickup at the hotel. In keeping with strict COVID guidelines, each guest was provided with a separate car and brought to the event venue. In fact, the Health and Safety guidelines for the event were shared in advance:

Health and Safety
“Please note that all attendees must wear masks/face coverings throughout all indoor areas as mandated by the province of Quebec. Masks will be available at the event, however please ensure you have your own upon arrival to the venue. Upon registration we are pleased to provide you with your own Air Canada CleanCare+ kit which contains hand sanitizer, antiseptic wipes, and a face covering.
 
With an abundance of caution, the presentation will take place in a tented outdoor area at L’espace Canal with physical distancing seating arrangements in place. Masks may be removed while eating or drinking.”

The venue L’Espace Canal, is a chic urban space with waterfront terrace, which made for a picturesque setting to this marquee event. Once at the venue, I followed the Air Canada signs through the building to access the event space in the rear of the building.  Air Canada event staff was on site to guide me to the terrace for the presentation. Upon registration, I was handed a welcome package in an Air Canada bag which included AC cloth masks, a CleanCare+ kit (hand sanitizer, antiseptic wipes, bottle of water), name tag, AC branded pen and book! With registration completed, I was able to network and chit-chat with AC staff and other guests arriving at the venue - Masks on!

The Agenda for the day was presented as following;

Agenda
10:00 – Arrival and Registration
11:00 – Session begins
12:45 – Lunch
17:00 – Session concludes

The presentation area (media tent) on the terrace was setup with physical distancing in mind, including the snacks and coffee section which was managed by the venue staff, who helped serve the items on hand:

The sessions were led by senior Air Canada executives, Mark Nasr, VP – Loyalty and eCommerce, and Scott O’Leary, Managing Director – Loyalty Planning and Development. Before they did that, the attendees were instructed to keep their phones and recording devices in a sealed envelope (provided with the welcome package), while AC staff came around to make sure that was happening. What?! This was the first indication that this was going to be a special presentation and not just a bullet points of takeaways. It became pretty evident that this was no run of the mill media event, since the Air Canada team not only showcased the new Aeroplan program, but they were also keen to hear first reactions from the group. The conversations were candid, and feedback was genuine. Mark and Scott did not shy away from any uncomfortable conversations, including current program shortcomings, and even disclosing some of the rationale behind the final decisions that went into features of the new program.

Having led us in a deep dive of new brand, and flight rewards, our minds soaked with exciting new information, the AC team had one more trick up their sleeves. As the scheduled lunch rolled up, I chuckled at the sight of venue staff pushing Air Canada food trolley towards us. Lunch included AC Signature Class boxed meals, with 2 main options, Chicken Curry, and Vegetarian Lasagna. Chef Antonio Park himself was in attendance, who shared the sustainable food sourcing vision at Air Canada, specifically the need to engage with Canadian food providers, in a COVID stressed global food supply chain. 

Currently, for flights departing Canada, an all-inclusive pre-packaged meal box crafted by Chef David Hawksworth on flights to Europe and Israel, Chef Antonio Park on flights to Asia, and Chef Vikram Vij on flights from Canada to India - feature a hot main course, salad, dessert and packaged bread.

• Salmon and Apple mix, rocket tomato salad, Olive balsamic vinegar
• Curried Chicken and wild rice
• Oka, medium Cheddar, Brie, crackers, fruit

, 
• Caramel Custard
  

• Prawn, mango and avocado salad, honey and chili vinaigrette
• Grilled eggplant and zucchini lasagna, tomato sauce 
• Oka, medium Cheddar, Brie, crackers, fruit


• Lemon tart
  

Post-lunch sessions were equally engaging as we discussed the nuts and bolts of new AC status, family account, priority rewards, and the suite of credit card perks . If you haven’t read about the details of the new AP program yet, I recommend the following;

The new Air Canada Aeroplan program revealed - it all goes live on November 8!

 

The New Aeroplan Program – Bold, Radical, and Transformed!

 

I realized how immersed I was throughout the seven hours, when the closing comments for the event sneaked up on me. The sessions were truly engaging, and a reaction inducing affair. Far from your typical ‘media event’, the 7 hours seemed short, and my mind was rushing with scenario based examples and questions. The only thing that would make it better, if they allowed us access to the new portal and let us play in that sand box for another 7 hours☺. The world is not perfect, but this media event nearly was. 

Be sure to check out Points, Miles & Bling!

 
All images courtesy of Anshul Singh except the title image courtesy of Aeroplan

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

 

Here are the Rewards Canada Top 5 Cash Back Credit Card Sign Up offers for the month of August 2020! This is not a 'best' credit card list like our Top Cash Back 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 four of the five of the cards offering the first year free.

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

BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard  - 10% cash back on all purchases up to $2,000 (Apply here)
Welcome offer cash back value: $200

This card is offering 10% cash back on all spending during the first three months of having the card. The 10% is capped at $2,000 of spending for a maximum return of $200 cash back as your welcome bonus. The card does come with a first year annual fee waiver on the primary card and allows to redeem as little as $1 cash back at anytime for a statement credit.
Minimum Income: $80,000 (individual) or $150,000 (household)

 

CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card - 10% cash back on all purchases up to $2,000 (Apply here)
Welcome offer cash back value: $200

This card is offering 10% cash back on all spending during the first four billing cycles of having the card. The 10% is capped at $2,000 of spending for a maximum return of $200 cash back as your welcome bonus. The card does come with a first year annual fee waiver on the primary card and up to three additional cards. Cash back on this card is awarded once per year as a statement credit. Minimum Income: $60,000 (individual) or $100,000 (household)

 

ManulifeMONEY+ Visa  Infinite  - 10% cash back on grocery purchases up to $2,500 (Apply here)
Welcome offer cash back value: $250

This card is offering 10% cash back on grocery spending during the first three months of having the card. The 10% is capped at $2,500 of spending for a maximum return of $250 cash back as your welcome bonus. The card does come with a first year annual fee waiver on the primary card. Cash back on this card is awarded quarterly as a statement credit.
Minimum Income: $60,000 (individual) or $100,000 (household)

SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express - 5% cash back on all purchases up to $6,000 (Apply here)
Welcome offer cash back value: $201 ($300 - $99 annual fee)

This card is offering 5% cash back on all spending during the first six months of having the card. The 5% is capped at $6,000 of spending for a maximum return of $300 cash back as your welcome bonus. This is the only card on the list that does not have its first year annual fee waived. That fee is $99 hence the welcome bonus sign up value of $201. Cash back on this card is awarded once per year as a statement credit.
Minimum Income: N/A

 

TD Cash Back Visa Infinite* Card - 10% cash back on all purchases up to $2,000 (Apply here)
Welcome offer cash back value: $200

This card is offering 10% cash back on all spending during the first three months of having the card. The 10% is capped at $2,000 of spending for a maximum return of $200 cash back as your welcome bonus. The card does come with a first year annual fee waiver on the primary card and the first additional card. Cash back on this card can be redeemed at anytime for a statement credit as long as your cash back rewards balance is $25. This limited time offer ends September 8, 2020.
Minimum Income: $60,000 (individual) or $100,000 (household)

 

Between these five cards there is over $1,000 in cash back welcome bonus rewards! However even if you only take on one or two you are helping your finances 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:

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. 

New increased welcome bonus of 1,150 miles on the BMO AIR MILES No-Fee Business Mastercard + earn 5x miles at Shell until the end of the year

 

Just like its personal counterparts the no fee version of BMO's AIR MILES business card also sees a boost to its welcome bonus. The new bonus for the BMO® AIR MILES®† No-Fee Business® Mastercard®* is 1,150 Reward Miles which is 150 miles over the previous offer that we have seen for sometime now. That 1,150 miles is worth $120 in cash if you are collecting AIR MILES Cash Miles in your account. Travel wise, the 950 is worth about $149.50 (on average we value AIR MILES at 13 cents each when redeeming for travel) but I feel like lots of members have shifted to Cash Miles right now due to many not wanting to travel. If you are thinking of grabbing one of these cards so that you can get the $120 in value in Cash Miles be sure to set you AIR MILES earning preference to Cash Miles prior to apply for one of these cards.

There has also been an limited time accelerator added to this card and also the fee based  BMO® AIR MILES®† Business® Mastercard®* for purchases at Shell. That accelerator is 5x the base miles you earn at Shell - this means it will be 5 times the following:

• 1 AIR MILES Reward Mile for every 20L of Shell Bronze, Shell Silver or Shell Diesel fuel; or
• 1 AIR MILES Reward Mile for every 10L of Shell V-Power® Premium fuels; or 
• 1 AIR MILES Reward Mile for every $5 spent at a Shell convenience store (“Convenience Store Transactions”), which exclude tobacco products, lottery tickets (instant and scratch), Shell gift cards, partner/third-party gift cards, prepaid credit cards, phone cards, and any other goods or services specified from time to time or as excluded by law.   

You can find all the BMO AIR MILES  and other BMO card offers on our BMO page.

 

New increased welcome bonus of 950 miles on BMO's no fee AIR MILES cards + earn 5x miles at Shell until the end of the year

BMO updated their portfolio of no fee AIR MILES credit cards today with a new increased welcome bonus offer of 950 AIR MILES Rewards Miles. This is an increased of 150 miles over the previous offer that we have seen for sometime now. That 950 miles is worth $100 in cash if you are collecting AIR MILES Cash Miles in your account. Travel wise, the 950 is worth about $123.50 (on average we value AIR MILES at 13 cents each when redeeming for travel) but I feel like lots of members have shifted to Cash Miles right now due to many not wanting to travel. If you are thinking of grabbing one of these cards so that you can get the $100 in value in Cash Miles be sure to set you AIR MILES earning preference to Cash Miles prior to apply for one of these cards. 

These are the no fee AIR MILES cards from BMO that have this new welcome bonus offer of 950 miles when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months:

• BMO AIR MILES Mastercard
• Shell AIR MILES Mastercard from BMO 
• BMO IGA AIR MILES Mastercard 
• BMO Sobeys AIR MILES Mastercard 

There has also been an limited time accelerator added to all of the above cards and also to the BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard and the Shell AIR MILES World MasterCard from BMO for purchases at Shell. That accelerator is 5x the base miles you earn at Shell - this means it will be 5 times the following:

• 1 AIR MILES Reward Mile for every 20L of Shell Bronze, Shell Silver or Shell Diesel fuel; or
• 1 AIR MILES Reward Mile for every 10L of Shell V-Power® Premium fuels; or 
• 1 AIR MILES Reward Mile for every $5 spent at a Shell convenience store (“Convenience Store Transactions”), which exclude tobacco products, lottery tickets (instant and scratch), Shell gift cards, partner/third-party gift cards, prepaid credit cards, phone cards, and any other goods or services specified from time to time or as excluded by law.   

You can find all the BMO AIR MILES  and other BMO card offers on our BMO page.

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Hyatt Place Toronto/Mississauga Centre is now open for business

 

Back on March 2 we brought you our annual New Hyatt Hotel Openings in Canada post that detailed six new hotels the chain was planning on opening this year. Two weeks after that Canada pretty much shut down due to the Coronavirus and that led to many planned hotel openings being postponed. In fact one of those hotels, the Hyatt Place Toronto/Mississauga Centre was postponed from April to June, to late July but we can tell you now that the hotel officially opened last week on Wednesday!

This is the first Hyatt Place brand hotel to open in Ontario with the next one planned for Ottawa. There are already several Hyatt Place hotels open in B.C. and Alberta with even more coming later this year including the Hyatt Place Prince George which is the first modular-build Hyatt Place hotel opening by the end of the month.

The Hyatt Place Toronto/Mississauga Centre is a 123-room hotel that falls into Category 2 in World of Hyatt’s award chart. This means members can redeem 8,000 points for a free night in a standard room. To celebrate the opening there are several offers available for staying at the hotel:

• Earn 500 Bonus Points for qualifying nights now through November 30, 2020, part of Hyatt’s new hotel member offer 
• Enjoy up to 20% off and free breakfast for stays with check-in dates on or before December 20, 2020 
• Earn Triple points through World of Hyatt Bonus Journeys, starting with the second qualifying stay from June 15 to September 15 – members must register by August 31
• Elite members can register to earn 2,500 Bonus Points on their first qualifying stay
  

Right now the daily rates are quite low to stay here so I wouldn't recommend using points for stays just yet as the value per point will be quite low:

These are  rates for August 21

Are you excited for the opening of this new Hyatt Place in Toronto? Do you plan on staying here soon? Let us know in the comments section below! 

Image courtesy of Banko Media Inc.