Earn up to 3x IHG Rewards points on all IHG stays Worldwide from May 5 to August 16

IHG Rewards systemwide global promotion for the remainder of spring and the better part of the summer has been revealed. The promotion has been developed to encourage multiple stays with the brand as there is no bonus on your first stay. You have to complete multiple stays to start earning bonus points. You’ll earn 2x points on your second stay and 3x points on your third and every stay after that.

April 29 Update: Air Transat will now provide refunds for flights cancelled by COVID-19, Amex Offer for Kinton Ramen & we added a Brim Financial page!

 Here's your Rewards Canada Daily update! Your daily dose (or near daily dose) of loyalty program, credit card and travel news, bonuses, deals and more.

 
Air Transat released news today that they will receive $700 Million in funding from the Federal Government and as such will now allow travellers who received travel credits as a result of COVID-19 to request refunds for those credits. It's been a long time coming for Canadian consumers to get refunds on all the flights and vacation packages that had to be cancelled since last March. WestJet took the initiative first out of the big carriers with Air Canada and now Air Transat only announcing refunds once they were granted loans from the government. Air Transat has set up a dedicated page on their website where you can request a refund for your travel credit. Visit that page here and please let us and our fellow readers know how the process works out for you!

Marriott Bonvoy further extending free night award expiry to January 2022 and points expiration to March 2022

 

 

Once again excellent news coming out from Marriott today - they are providing further extensions to free night awards and points expiration! These changes will be effective as of May 6, 2021:

Free Night Award (FNA): Members who currently have a Free Night Award (FNA) that had an original expiration date in 2020, or which will expire before January 2, 2022, as part of their Cobrand Credit Card Benefit, Annual Choice Benefit, promotions or travel package will be able to redeem it through January 3, 2022. Please note that FNAs with an original expiration date before 2020 will not be eligible for the additional extension. Members do not need to take any action because the system will automatically update their account with these extensions on May 6, 2021.

Why I think Aeroplan didn't put an expiry date on the Buddy Pass to Points conversion option

 
Earlier today Rewards Canada broke the news that Air Canada nixed the April 30 end date for the Buddy Pass to Aeroplan Points conversion option and have left it open indefinitely. And here's my opinion piece why I think they didn't put a set end date on it. Before I start however I must stress that this is just a guess and a prediction - so please do not take this at full value but use it perhaps to guide and inform you in what may happen in the next month.

Earn 7x points when shopping with Apple via the Aeroplan eStore

 

Aeroplan has brought back their 7x points offer for shopping online with Apple! This works for all eligible online purchases, even those you pick up in store! This is how I used to do all my Apple purchases, buy online and pick up typically within 2-3 hours at the Apple store all the while earning tons of Aeroplan points (plus the points or miles earned on the credit card!). Now with the pandemic however I have had my Apple orders shipped to my home but I wanted to let you know you do have that option of doing the in store pick up. This offer of 7x points runs until April 30 and note that some items on the Apple store are excluded from earning points.

Learn more about this offer here.

HT Points, Miles & Bling

Confirmed! Air Canada removes the April 30th end date for the Buddy Pass to Aeroplan Points conversion option (no set expiry for now)

For the better part of month now most of the discussion surrounding Air Canada's Aeroplan has been on the officially unpublished but well documented option to convert Air Canada Buddy Passes to Aeroplan points. News surfaced in March that you could call up Aeroplan and have the Buddy Pass that comes as part of the welcome bonus on numerous Air Canada Aeroplan co-brand credit cards to Aeroplan points. This was welcome news for those who had applied for one of the new cards but were solo travellers who would never use the pass or for those whose future travel plans may have changed due to the ongoing pandemic creating so much uncertainty.

April 27 Update: Share your hotel award night finds, Seniors' Bonus Day at Shoppers Drug Mart on April 29 & Novotel Toronto Centre closed for renos

Here's your Rewards Canada Daily update! Your daily dose (or near daily dose) of loyalty program, credit card and travel news, bonuses, deals and more.

 
Hey Rewards Canada readers! Let us know about your Marriott Bonvoy award night finds in Canada or other hotel programs for that matter! Yesterday we published a new article detailing some great free night options for using the 60,000 points you can earn on the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card. In that article we only look at a handful of hotels as there are so many dates and hotels to choose from in Canada that it is tough for us to find them all. That's where we know the Rewards Canada Community can help! With thousands of you out there we know some of you are searching and booking award nights here in Canada and we would love to be able to share those amazing finds with the rest of our readers! So if you have booked or even just come across some amazing ones in your searches feel free to share your finds in the comment section below or by email to info@rewardscanada.ca with the details!

Join Air Canada for Business by June 30 and unlock some benefits immediately without having to spend $10,000

 

Air Canada has revealed a new offer, well I believe it to be an extension of an offer from 2020 for their Air Canada for Business program. The offer allows any small business that joins the program to receive some of the benefits right from enrollment rather than having to reach the $10,000 annual minimum spend normally required to get them!

New welcome offer of 100,000 PC Optimum points on PC Financial Credit Cards

 
We see the return of the 100K offer for PC Financial Mastercards. You can receive this bonus when you apply by May 6 and it is good for any one of the three cards in their portfolio:

• PC Financial Mastercard
• PC Financial World Mastercard
• PC Financial World Elite Mastercard
  

How to use the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card to get some awesome free hotel stays in Canada this summer

 
We are on the cusp of the summer travel season and right now the way things are shaping up it looks like for most Canadians who do choose to travel it will be within our own fine borders. That means staycations and road trips for the most part but even perhaps flights to another province. Of course when you get to your destination your going to need accommodations and one of the best ways to save money on those stays is by utilizing a hotel rewards program. One of the best in Canada is Marriott's Bonvoy program and the easiest way to rack up those points quickly is with their co-brand credit cards from American Express. In as little as one month and no more than three months you can have enough points for some amazing hotel stays in Canada this summer and beyond.