October 14 Update: U.S. land border to reopen to vaccinated Canadians and World of Hyatt Peak/Off Peak pricing coming very soon so book your stays now

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. This update is brought to you by the HSBC World Elite Mastercard which is currently offering a welcome bonus of up to 100,000 bonus points worth $500 towards any travel and no annual fee in the first year! 

The U.S. Government announced this week that they will be reopening the land border to fully vaccinated Canadians starting in November. I know most of our readers tend to fly to the U.S. but this is great news for those of you who utilize U.S. border cities for flights like Bellingham, Seattle, Detroit, Buffalo and Burlington to name a few! (Source CTV News)

The Ultimate No Fee Aeroplan Credit Card Portfolio!

 

Hot on the heels of our Clash of the Credit Cards where two no annual fee cards that offer Aeroplan points went head to head we figured it would be perfect timing to also put together the Ultimate No Annual Fee Aeroplan Credit Card portfolio. In this feature of Rewards Canada' Ultimate Credit Card Portfolios we look at the ultimate one for earning Aeroplan points all with cards that don't charge any annual fees. Since we launched Rewards Canada back in 2001 we have always recommended that you should carry a Visa, a Mastercard and an American Express card in your wallet and that's what these Ultimate portfolios encompass. The reason why is that there are benefits, promotions and earning potential unique to each brand of credit card. We won't go into detail here as you can read all about it in our feature on how to Maximize your Miles and Points but in this feature we outline one card from each brand that will help you build up those Aeroplan points without having to worry about paying any annual fees. Typically in these portfolios there are various options that could be utilized however when it comes to no annual fee cards that you can earn Aeroplan points with, there are only three in total and each single one just happens to be from each of the individual issuers. You can also find this feature on the main Rewards Canada website

One small positive change coming to the American Express® AIR MILES®* Reserve Credit Card

Last week was a big week for AIR MILES as they announced their first set of changes that have come and will be coming to the programs over the coming months. The biggest change will be with the launch of their new AIR MILES Flights platform that sees such changes as dynamic award pricing, being able to book any fare class and being able to book any flights worldwide. Hence with those changes we see a slight change American Express® AIR MILES®* Reserve Credit Card which ties into to the new AIR MILES Flights program.

October 13 Update: Earn up to 1,000 bonus points at Shangri-La hotels in Canada, save up to 40% with Kimpton's Secret Sale & more!

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. This update is brought to you by the HSBC World Elite Mastercard which is currently offering a welcome bonus of up to 100,000 bonus points and no annual fee in the first year! 

 
You can earn up to 1,000 bonus GC (Golden Circle) Award points for stays at the Shangri-La Vancouver or Shangri-La Toronto Hotels. This offer runs from tomorrow to January 15, 2022. There are also five other hotels globally that are participating in this offer. The offer awards 250 bonus points on stays of 2 nights, 500 bonus points on 3-5 night stays and 1,000 bonus points for 6 or more nights.. Click here to learn more about and to book this offer.

Air Canada launching new Montreal to Delhi flights

 
Air Canada only recently re-started flying to India after the Canadian Government lifted the ban on flights to the country and now the airline is planning to expand on those flights. Starting on October 31 Air Canada will launch 3x weekly service between Montreal and Delhi. They are also increasing flights between Toronto and Delhi to 10 times per week as of October 15. The airline's flights from Vancouver to Delhi will remain the same with daily service.

Here are the latest RBC Offers including 10% off at McDonald's, 10% off at DSW & up to 5,000 points with Petro-Canada

 The RBC Offers program has added a quartet of new promotions this month to bring the complete list to 24 offers.

Be sure to login to your RBC account right away to load these offers (if required) or get the promo codes if required. Personally I received these offers on the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard but I know most if not all should also available for RBC's most popular card the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card and most other RBC cards.

New welcome bonus for MBNA Alaska Mastercards: $200 statement credit + up to 30,000 bonus Mileage Plan Miles

 

MBNA and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan have come out with new welcome offers for their Canadian Mastercards. Right now when you apply for and approved for either of the cards not only will you earn the standard welcome bonus miles but you'll also be able to earn a $200 statement credit. These are the best ever offers seen to date on these cards surpassing last fall's $100 statement credit offer. 

Earn 7x Aeroplan Points for Apple Store purchases made by October 14

 
Aeroplan has brought back their 7x points offer for shopping online with Apple! This works for 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 the option of doing the in store pick up. 

American Express Centurion Lounge opens at London Heathrow

 

Canadian Platinum Card from American Express and American Express Centurion Cardmembers have a new lounge to access at London's Heathrow airport!  The card issuer has opened their first Centurion Lounge in Europe and marks their third overall lounge opening this year.  Now with over 20 lounges worldwide the Centurion Lounge brand is definitely making a name for itself in the market.

Clash of the Credit Cards! American Express Green Card vs. CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card

 

Welcome to another Rewards Canada Clash! This time in our Clash of the Credit Cards we have two no annual fee credit cards that earn Air Canada Aeroplan points go against each other! Those cards are the American Express® Green Card  and the CIBC Aeroplan® Visa* Card. You will also find this Clash posted on the main Rewards Canada site.