June 23 Update: Best Western Rewards Skip a Tier promotion, airberlin topbonus refer a friend bonus and more

News, Tips & Tricks
Another quiet day here on Rewards Canada! Just a few bonuses and the RBC Visa Infinite Avion low interest rate offer for new applicants.

One of the bonuses I am watching closely is the Best Western Rewards Skip a Tier promotion that is listed below. I covered it on our global site and am awaiting a response from Best Western. If it turns out it is open to anyone then I'll post all the details here on Rewards Canada as well! For now you can read all about it on FFB.

Posts since our last update:

• RBC Visa Infinite Avion featuring a 1.9% balance transfer and cash advance interest rate for 10 months
  Normally we do not condone carrying a credit card balance, let alone a balance on a higher end premium…

Bonus Offers
airberlin topbonus
- Save up to 75% topbonus miles when you redeem for award tickets on select airberlin routes. More... Book by Jul 10 for travel until Apr 30, 17
- Earn up to 1,000 bonus topbonus miles when you refer friends and family to the topbonus program. More... Until Jul 31, 16

Best Western Rewards
- Receive the next level of Best Western Rewards Elite Status when booking the Best Western Rewards Rate at any Best Western hotel More... Jul 1 - Aug 31, 16
- 2,000 Bonus Rewards Points on rentals of 3 or more consecutive days at participating Avis locations in the contiguous U.S., Canada, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand and the Fiji Islands. More... Until Aug 31, 16
- 3,000 Bonus Rewards Points on rentals of 4 or more consecutive days at participating Budget locations Worldwide. More... Until Aug 31, 16

Stash Hotel Rewards
- Triple Stash Rewards Points when you book the Summer Splash Package at the Caribe Royale Orlando. More... Until Aug 31, 16
- Triple Stash Rewards Points for stays of 3+ nights at the Hotel Le Marais New Orleans. More... Until Sep 23, 16
- Triple Stash Rewards Points for stays at The Sebasco Harbor Resort. More... Until Jul 31, 16
- Double Stash Rewards Points for stays at The Lenox Hotel Boston. More... Until Sep 5, 16
- Double Stash Rewards Points for stays at The Magnolia Hotel St. Louis. More... Until Dec 31, 16
- Double Stash Rewards Points for stays at The Whitney Peak Hotel Reno. More... Until Jul 31, 16

United MileagePlus
- OFFER EXTENDED 1,500 Bonus MileagePlus Miles when you book a mid-size or larger car with Hertz. More... Until Sep 30, 16


Follow Rewards Canada:

RBC Visa Infinite Avion featuring a 1.9% balance transfer and cash advance interest rate for 10 months

Normally we do not condone carrying a credit card balance, let alone a balance on a higher end premium travel rewards card. However we know there are thousands of Canadians who are having a bit of a tough go at it right now and are carrying balances on their credit cards. Whether its a no fee no rewards card or a high end travel rewards card many of you are paying some super high interest rates on balances being held on cards. Heck the last known study shows Canadians increased the balances they are holding on credit cards by $500,000,000. That's right half a billion more dollars that you are being charged interest on. That's not even the total amount held as balances, simply how much it has increased in about the last 18 months!

So what can you do? First you need to change your spending habits, many Canadians spend upwards of $3 for every $1 they make! That simply needs to change and if you are ready to change you need help. So taking advantage of a low interest offer is something we have always mentioned when talking about debt, whether its a consolidation loan or a credit card with a low interest rate. In the past this normally meant cutting up your premium rewards card and going to a card that didn't reward you but saved you a lot of money. Now with this latest offer with the RBC Visa Infinite Avion you can have the best of both worlds, well at least for 10 months, which for some may be enough time to get you out of that credit card debt. Think about would you rather continue at 19 or 20% interest for 10 months or be able to pay only 1.9% interest? And potentially get a short haul flight out of it as well for only $120. That is what the Infinite Avion is offering. It has its standard sign up bonus of 15,000 RBC Rewards Points which can be used towards a short haul flight with the Avion Air Travel Redemption schedule, it has premium insurance benefits but it does have the $120 annual fee.

What you need to figure out now, is it worthwhile for me to switch to this card to save 18+ percent in interest for $120 but also get a flight out of it? Or you can even redeem those RBC Rewards Points with Payback with Points as a cash back redemption for a $150 statement credit. If you do that, you are $30 ahead and only paying 1.9% interest on any balances you transfer over. Then focus on paying off that balance for the next 10 months rather than earning lots of points. When you have the balance paid off, you are holding one of the top 5 credit cards in Canada and you can start building that points balance up for future travel!

You can find out more about this offer and apply for the RBC Visa Infinite Avion here.

Card details:

• RBC Visa Infinite Avion
  Ability to book flights with any airline with no blackout periods, extremely useful when there are no seat sales
• Up to a 2.3% return on your spending depending on which reward ticket you book
• Option to transfer RBC Rewards Points to WestJet Rewards, British Airways Executive Club, American AAdvantage, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. Look for the transfer bonus to BA several times per year!
• A complete suite of insurance coverage and benefits
• Unwritten ability to redeem for Business Class tickets although at a lower rate of return when compared to the Avion Reward chart

June 22 Update: Starwood Canada Day sale - save 15% or more, Emirates' Toronto-Dubai for $899, WestJet London bonus

News, Tips & Tricks
No industry news for you today!

Posts since our last update:

• WestJet Rewards: Earn 150 Bonus WestJet dollars when flying in Plus between Canada and London UK
  If you are planning to fly to London this fall and being in Plus on WestJet was on your radar…

Travel Deals
Starwood Preferred Guest has launched their annual Canada Day sale. You can save 15% or more for Starwood Hotel stays across Canada until September 6th. Simply book by July 1st. Find out more here.

Emirates has launched a great sale for their flights to Dubai from Toronto. Perhaps feeling the affect of Air Canada's flights you can fly Emirates for only $899 all in for travel Sep 16 to Apr 21 if you book by Jun 30. Find out more here. 

Bonus Offers
Asiana Club
- Earn up to 2,000 Bonus Club Miles when you fly on Asiana between the U.S. and Delhi. More... Book by Jun 30 for travel Jul 1 - Aug 31, 16

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Double Asia Miles for stays at at participating Jinling Hotels. More... Book by Sep 30 for stays until Oct 31, 16
- Double Asia Miles when you stay on the Linger Longer for Less offer at participating Langham Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Sep 30, 16
- Earn up to 5x Asia Miles for stays at Fullerton, Hong Kong Gold Coast and other Sino Hotels. More... Until Aug 31, 16
- Earn up to Quadruple Asia Miles on Hertz rentals of 3 or more days in USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Asia. More... Until Aug 31, 16

Hilton HHonors
- 5,000 Bonus HHonors Points when you stay at least two nights at participating Waldorf Astoria or Conrad hotels & resorts Worldwide. More... Targeted Offer - May not work for everyone Until Dec 31, 16
- 2,000 Bonus HHonors Points for each night you stay at participating Waldorf Astoria or Conrad hotels & resorts Worldwide. More... Targeted Offer - May not work for everyone Until Dec 31, 16

Starwood Preferred Guest
- 3,000 Bonus Starpoints for stays of 3 or more nights at participating Starwood hotels in Greece. More... Until Dec 31, 16
- Double Starpoints for stays at participating Starwood Villas in the U.S. or Mexico More... Until ?

Turkish Miles&Smiles
- Triple Miles&Smiles Miles for stays at Atlantis, The Palm Dubai. More... Book by Aug 31 for stays until Dec 21, 16
- Double Miles&Smiles Miles for stays of 3+ nights at the Titanic Deluxe Bodrum. More... Until Jul 31, 16

WestJet Rewards
- Earn 150 Bonus WestJet dollars when you fly roundtrip on WestJet on a Plus Fare between Canada and London Gatwick. More... Register and book by Jul 31 for travel Sep 6 - Dec 14, 16



Follow Rewards Canada:

Today's Bonus Offer Highlight is brought to you by:

WestJet Rewards: Earn 150 Bonus WestJet dollars when flying in Plus between Canada and London UK

If you are planning to fly to London this fall and being in Plus on WestJet was on your radar be sure to register for this offer and book that trip by the end of July so you can add this nice bonus to your account. You'll earn 150 bonus WestJet dollars when you complete a roundtrip between Canada and London. That's a pretty good bonus you can use towards your next WestJet flight after you enjoy the U.K.!

Offer details:
Earn 150 Bonus WestJet dollars when you fly roundtrip on WestJet on a Plus Fare between Canada and London Gatwick. One way flights will be awarded 75 dollars each. Full details, online registration and booking (Registration is required) Register and book by Jul 31 for travel Sep 6 - Dec 14, 16

June 21 Update: The Ultimate No Fee Travel Points Credit Card Portfolio and RBC & Shoppers call it quits

News, Tips & Tricks
Today we released our latest Ultimate Credit Card Portfolio! This one looks at the best three cards to make a no fee travel points credit card wallet. If you hate paying annual fees on credit cards or don't need the benefits or insurance that come with fee based cards you can still earn a decent amount of travel rewards points with thest credit cards! In the wallet we show you how you can maximize that earn with one Visa Card, a MasterCard and an American Express Card. Find out what the The Ultimate No Fee Travel Points Credit Card Portfolio is here!

Also on the credit card front news is out that RBC and Shoppers Drug Mart are ending their relationship. This doesn't come as a surprise since Loblaw's owns Shoppers and will likely issue a PC Financial Shoppers Optimum Credit Card in the near future.

We have got around to updating another one of our most popular features. This one looked at the great redemption option for short haul flights that British Airways Executive Club provided for Canadians. Well earlier this year that changed and while the amazing 9,000 Avios round trip flights are gone you can still find some great value in redeeming Avios for flights in North America. You can find out which routes and methods for earning Avios in this feature that has now been moved our main website (although you can still read about it on the blog as well). Read on here: Utilizing British Airways' Executive Club for flights in North America

If you have any sporting good needs now is the time to go shop at Sport Chek! Starting tomorrow and only lasting 2 days you'll earn 20x the SCENE points if you spend $100 or more.

Show your SCENE® card at Sport Chek to earn 20X SCENE points on your entire purchase when you spend $100 or more (before taxes)* - that means you could earn a minimum of 2,000 bonus points! Spend $100 and get enough points for:
- 2 FREE General Admission movie tickets
- $20 off at Sport Chek!
Online, shop sportchek.ca to get 2,000 bonus SCENE points when you spend $100 or more (before taxes).* You’ll receive an email with a PIN code once your qualifying purchase has shipped. Enter that code at scene.ca/PIN to deposit 2,000 bonus points before July 7, 2016. 

Posts since our last update:

• The Ultimate No Strings Attached Travel Credit Card Portfolio
  In this feature of Rewards Canada's Ultimate Credit Card Portfolios we look at the ultimate one for earning travel…

Travel Deals
WestJet has launched a two day sale for travel this fall. Book by tomorrow for flights Sep 7 - Dec 14. Find out more here.

 


Bonus Offers
Air Canada / Aeroplan
- Triple Aeroplan Miles when you book direct and stay at any Coast Hotels location in Canada or the U.S. More... Until Aug 31, 16

British Airways Executive Club
- 35% Bonus Avios when you convert hotel points from Starwood, Marriott, IHG, Hyatt, Shangri-La, Club Carlson or Hilton HHonors to British Airways Executive Club. More... Until Jul 5, 16

IHG Rewards Club
- Earn up to 100% Bonus IHG Rewards Club Points when you buy points online. Bonus varies by member. More... Until Jul 18, 16

Miles & More
- 1,000 Bonus Miles & More Miles when you stay 2 or more nights at participating Starwood Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Dec 31, 16

Starwood Preferred Guest
- Save 30% when you buy or gift 5,000 or more Starpoints online. More... Until Jul 1, 16

United MileagePlus
- Save 25% MileagePlus Miles when you redeem for roundtrip MileagePlus Saver Awards in United Economy for travel from the U.S. (excluding Hawaii) or Canada to Europe. More... Book by Jun 28 for travel Aug 23 - Mar 31, 17
- Earn up to 15,000 Bonus MileagePlus Miles for stays at participating Marriott Hotels or Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Hawaii. More... Until Dec 16, 16


Follow Rewards Canada:

The Ultimate No Fee Travel Credit Card Portfolio

In this feature of Rewards Canada's Ultimate Credit Card Portfolios we look at the ultimate one for earning travel points that you can use for virtually any travel and not have to pay any annual fees.We have always recommended that you should carry a Visa, a MasterCard and an American Express card in your wallet. 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 here we outline one card from each brand that will help you build up those travel rewards points faster than ever without having to worry about paying annual fees. Ultimately there are various options that could be utilized for such a portfolio but we look at one card from each issuing family that will provide strong travel point earning.

What is Rewards Canada's Ultimate No Fee Travel Credit Card Wallet?

Continue reading this article on the main Rewards Canada website to find out!

June 20 Update: 50 Bonus AIR MILES at Rexall, Rewards Canada's Exclusive TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite offer and more!

News, Tips & Tricks
Another Rexall AIR MILES coupon for you: 50 Bonus Miles if you spend $30+ between today and June 23. Get the coupon here.

Remember Rewards Canada has an exclusive offer for the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card. Our offer, if you max out the double miles spending is the highest offer in the market right now. Find out more here.

Of course if you follow the links to the two posts below you'll see how you can get a pretty good deal on buying Starpoints and an even better deal using both offers to buy British Airways Executive Club Avios.

Posts since our last update:

• British Airways Executive Club: 35% Bonus Avios when you transfer hotel points and how you can buy Avios for 1.86 cents each
  Wow just after we posted the discount for buying Starpoints this offer came across our desk! British Airways Executive…
• Starwood Preferred Guest: Save 30% when you buy or gift Starpoints (until Jul 1, 16)
  A nice new offer for buying Starpoints emerged today! In spring we saw an offer for up to 25%…

Bonus Offers
Aeroflot Bonus
- Triple Bonus Miles for Avis when you shop at Chic Outlet Shopping Villages. More... Until Jul 31, 16

Air New Zealand Airpoints
- Double Airpoints Dollars when you rent with Budget for 3 or more days in New Zealand or Australia. More... Until Aug 31, 16

Etihad Guest
- 1,000 Bonus Guest Miles + one 3 course dinner when you stay 2 or more nights at the Courtyard by Marriott Rome Central Park. More... Until Aug 22, 16

Le Club accorhotels
- Earn up to 1,500 Bonus Le Club Accorhotels Points for stays at Accor Hotels in Canada, USA, Mexico, Guatemala or Panama. More... Until Sep 15, 16

Marriott Rewards
- 2,500 Bonus Rewards Points when you stay any night Thursday-Sunday at one of 6 newly renovated Marriott hotels in New Jersey or Long Island. More... Until Aug 25, 16
- 5,000 Bonus Rewards Points for Thursday to Sunday night stays at the JW Marriott Cannes. More... Nov 1 - Jan 23, 17


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Today's Bonus Offer Highlight is brought to you by: