Technical issues hamper new flight bookings with BMO Rewards, bank tells customers book elsewhere and redeem points for that travel but at a lower value!

 
UPDATE: We did it! This post seems to have made BMO change their course and are now charging 150 points for $1 instead of 175 to $1. Read our update here.

I went to check out the BMO Rewards site as part of my normal rounds of checking out all the issuers sites for anything new or interesting and it appears BMO Rewards is having technical issues for new flights bookings. Their temporary solution is letting customers they can book the flights themselves with whomever they want and they can take advantage of special promotional rate to redeeming points against the charge however that rate is not as good of rate if you book flights through BMO Rewards.  

New welcome offer of up to 35,000 Scene+ points with the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card

 

Earlier we detailed the new bonus offer for the Scotia Gold American Express Card and as mentioned in that post there is also a new offer for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card. The new offer for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card sees it offer up to 35,000 points which is worth $350 towards any travel.

New welcome offer of up to 45,000 Scene+ points with the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

 

As it is the start of the month get ready for lots of updates coming your way with new credit card offers and extensions. Scotiabank updated many of the offers across their portfolio however it is only two cards that actually see a change instead of extensions. Those cards are tthe Scotia Gold American Express Card and the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card. In this post we'll look at the Gold Amex offer and follow up with a separate post on the Passport Visa offer.

March 1 Update: Amex Offer for St. Louis Bar & Grill, Cobalt Card 30,000 point welcome bonus & American AAdvantage does away with 500 mile upgrades

Here's your Rewards Canada Daily update! Your 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, has no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee in the first year! 

One new Amex Offers offer came out this week. For us this time we got it on the Cobalt Card which is great since this is a dining offer however there are no St. Louis Bar & Grill locations in Calgary but maybe if I make up to Edmonton I could utilize it.

Spend at least $50 in qualifying purchases using your registered Card at participating St. Louis Bar & Grill location(s) or at www.stlouiswings.com by 28/05/2022 and earn a one-time $10 statement credit. Registration cap applies. Terms apply.

New American Express Aeroplan Card offers: Earn up to 110,000 bonus Aeroplan Points

 

American Express released new welcome offers for their trio of Aeroplan co-brand cards today. You'll see that all cards have moved away from offering the bonus Buddy Pass to now offering bonus Aeroplan points for Air Canada, Air Canada Vacations, hotels, and car rental purchases on top of the other points bonuses these cards have been offering for the last little while. With the switch from the Buddy Pass to just a bonus containing points solo travellers can rejoice as you'll be able to take full advantage of any of these welcome offers.

Starbucks and TD expand relationship to reward virtually all TD credit and debit cardholders

In late 2020 when the new Aeroplan program was revealed there was one piece of the news that didn't garner too much of the attention. This wasn't surprising given the sheer breadth of everything that came out from Air Canada and its partners in regards to the new Aeroplan program. That piece of the news was a limited time bonus that only the TD Aeroplan co-brand credit cards had with Starbucks. All of those cards would receive 50% bonus Aeroplan points on Starbucks purchases for a whole year and then that promotion kept being extended until February 14, 2022. And now we know why that was the end date - that's due to this becoming a permanent benefit not only on the Aeroplan cards but virtually all TD debit and credit cards as of today!

February 28 Update: Aeroplan extends flight reward change fee waiver, Canadian North adding Toronto-Iqaluit route & Flair Airlines adds more flights to Kitchener-Waterloo

Here's your Rewards Canada Daily update! Your 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, has no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee in the first year!

Aeroplan has further extended their waiving of all change fees on Aeroplan flight rewards through to March 31, 2022. As of April 1st bookings made by March 31 will be able to be changed once with no fee while bookings that are made from April 1st will return to the standard policy based on the fare option purchased. Click here to learn more.

IHG Hotels & Resorts New Hotel Openings in Canada for 2022 - 7 hotels in the works including the avid hotel Toronto - Vaughan Southwest

Welcome to the fourth and final part of our series on new hotel openings in Canada for 2022! In this part we take a look at IHG Hotels & Resorts who are planning on opening seven new hotels in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec. So let's see what they have in store for this year!

Shoppers Drug Mart PC Optimum Bonus Redemption Event - up to an extra $100 in value for your points

PC Optimum's bonus redemption event for shopping at Shoppers Drug Mart has returned. PC Optimum members will receive up to an extra $100 in value for their points when they redeem them for online or in-store Shoppers Drug Mart purchases.

Lounge Review: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge - Vancouver International Airport Domestic Terminal

Today we are pleased to present the latest Rewards Canada Business Class Lounge Review! This review is provided by Dee who has contributed to Rewards Canada in past with the articles  A look at the great value provided with the Annual Worldwide Companion Pass from Aeroplan's Ultra Premium Credit Cards and Earning Stories: An elite status boost and nearly 20,000 bonus points thanks to Aeroplan's credit card promos and more. This is his first lounge review for Rewards Canada and he has more travel reviews coming our way in the very future. 

Recently, I had a flight to Toronto and decided to check-out the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge in the Domestic Terminal at Vancouver International Airport. The lounge is located by gates C29 and C30, just a short distance after security in section C. Currently, there is a a Lululemon pop-up shop by the lounge and you might miss it if you don’t keep you eye out for it. It is located to your right as you head down and the entrance is between the rock walls with a glass door.