Friday, August 23, 2019
Air France Oh La La deals seat sale - fly from Canada to Europe and beyond from $685
Air France's latest Oh La La Deals seat sale sees some great fares for their flights out Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver to Europe, Africa or Asia. The seat sale runs until September 11 and is good for travel October 16 to December 10, 2019 and January 10 to May 6, 2020. Fares to Paris start at $685 from Montreal, $690 from Toronto and $825 from Vancouver. Beyond Paris sees fares like $970 to Dubai (YUL), Johannesburg for $1,080 (YVR) and Beirut from $960 (YYZ).
Click here for complete details and to book this sale!
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Aeroplan Picture Yourself contest celebrating their 35th anniversary! Million of miles in prizes up for grabs!
Aeroplan released a new contest today to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the loyalty program! The contest runs from today to September 25 and requires members to register first. If you don't register for the contest you won't be eligible to win. Now, what can you win? There will be 10 grand prizes of 3.5 Million Miles each. That's right, 3.5 Million Miles for 10 lucky people! Then there are 35 secondary prizes of 100,000 miles each!
Once registered, you will gain a contest entry for the grand prize with every Aeroplan mile you earn or redeem. So the more miles you earn or burn or both - the more entries you get. You'll also 35 more entries by making a Purchase transaction using your Aeroplan affiliated financial card during the contest period. To be able to win one of the secondary prizes of 100,000 miles you must share a photo or video of your travels (or where you would like to travel) with hashtag #withAeroplan on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Be sure to tag Aeroplan as well in those posts! It appears that you must also tag people you want to go with so make sure you do that as well!
The grand prizes will be drawn at the end of the contest period while the secondary prizes will be awarded on weekly basis.
Click here for complete contest details and to register for it!
IHG Rewards Club Accelerate Part 3 – Earn 500 to 40,000 or more points on your IHG stays worldwide from Sep 1 to Dec 31
The third iteration of IHG Rewards Club's Accelerate has been released as the registration for the second part closed on August 17. The individualized systemwide bonus offers provides IHG Rewards Club members with opportunities to earn 500 to 40,000 or more IHG Rewards Club points on their stays. I wasn't able to register for it as Accelerate Part 2 was open to me and runs until October 31 so it appears they aren't allowing members to participate in both overlapping promotions. If registration is successful for you please let us know below and feel free to share what offer(s) you got! Also let us know if you were able to register successfully for it even with having taking part in Accelerate part 2! Perhaps I wasn't eligible since I haven't had any IHG stays during the promotional period for part 2
Offer details:
Accelerate Part 3 - Earn 500 to 40,000 or more Bonus IHG Rewards Club Points when you complete stays at IHG Hotels Worldwide. Bonus varies by member. Full details, online registration and booking (Registration is required) Register by Oct 18 for stays Sep 1 – Dec 31, 19
Find many more IHG Rewards Club bonus points offers here!
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
August 21 Update: Amex Cobalt 5x points cap now in effect, bonus points for stays at the Delta Hotel Ottawa City Centre & more!
Just a reminder that as of yesterday the annual $30,000 cap on 5x points for eats and drinks on the American Express Cobalt Card took effect. If you have spent that much or more up until yesterday there is no need to worry as existing cardholders get to start from $0 as of the 20th. Thereafter it will reset every year on your card's anniversary date. Even with this cap the card still holds on to the title as the Top Travel Rewards Credit Card in Canada. Learn more about this amazing card here.
Fancy a weekend stay in Ottawa over the next few weeks? Maybe you can stay at the Delta Hotel Ottawa City Centre since it is offering 3,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points per stay that includes a Thursday to a Sunday night. This offer runs until September 11. Find out more here.
Canalta Rewards is once again offering a chance to win tickets to a Saskatchewan Roughriders game! The game is this Saturday versus the Ottawa Red Blacks and you have to enter by noon MT today! Find out more here.
Posts since our last update:
- FREE $25 Best Western Travel Card for CAA South Central Ontario Members - No stay required!
You don't come across too many deals like this one these days! For the next week CAA members who…
- August 19 Update: More Air Canada A220 route details, Targeted offer to earn 250 bonus Aeroplan Miles at Starbucks & more
Last week we brought you details of the new Air Canada A220 routes that are coming (YYZ-SJC &…
Travel Deals
Hilton Asia Pacific 100th Anniversary Sale – Save up to 20% for stays through to February 2020Radisson Hotels Save 25% on your next stay. Radisson Rewards members enjoy an additional 5% off! The promotion is valid for participating hotels on stays completed between November 1, 2019 - December 31, 2019. Find out more here.
Remember to visit Rewards Canada's Travel Booking site to book travel directly with many of your favourite airlines, hotels and more!
Canadian Bonus Offers
Marriott Bonvoy- 3,000 Bonus Bonvoy points per stay including any night Thursday-Sunday at the Delta Hotel Ottawa City Centre. More... Until Sep 11, 19
Other Bonus Offers
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan- Double Mileage Plan Miles plus a free day when rent with Hertz for 6 or more days at participating locations in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, on all Car Classes and Collections. More... Until Dec 31, 19
Ethiopian ShebaMiles
- 2,000 Bonus ShebaMiles when you fly Ethiopian between Addis Ababa and Bangalore. More... Oct 27 - Nov 26, 19
IHG Rewards Club
- Double IHG Rewards Club Points for stays at the voco Oxford Thames. More... Until Nov 7, 19
Korean Air SKYPASS
- Triple SKYPASS Miles for stays at all participating Accor Hotels Worldwide. More... Book by Oct 19 for stays until Oct 31, 19
Le Club AccorHotels
- 4x Le Club AccorHotels Points for stays at participating Accor Hotels MyResorts in the Asia Pacific region. More... Book by Oct 31 for stays until Dec 31, 19
Marriott Bonvoy
- 1,000 Bonus Bonvoy points for stays of 2+ nights at the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel and Conference Center. More... Book by Sep 30 for stays until Oct 24, 19
Philippine Airlines Mabuhay
- Earn up to Triple Mabuhay Miles for stays at the Sapporo Excel Hotel Tokyu, Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu, or Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel. More... Until Sep 30, 19
Saudia Alfursan
- Triple Alfursan Miles for stays at any Rotana Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Dec 31, 19
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Earn up to Triple KrisFlyer Miles when you rent a car for 2 or more days with Avis in USA (exclude Alaska), Canada, Europe, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands. More... Book by Sep 30 for rentals until Oct 31, 19
SriLankan FlySmiles
- 1,000 Bonus FlySmiles when you join the FlySmiles program and book your first flight online. More... Unknown End Date
Turkish Miles&Smiles
- Triple Miles&Smiles Miles for stays of 3+ nights at participating Jumeirah Hotels Worldwide. More... Book by Sep 30 for stays until Dec 20, 19
Follow Rewards Canada:
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
FREE $25 Best Western Travel Card for CAA South Central Ontario Members - No stay required!
You don't come across too many deals like this one these days! For the next week CAA members who reside in South Central Ontario can receive a free $25 Best Western Travel card. Simply join Best Western Rewards CAA Preferred Program (join the BW CAA Program here for free) and register for this offer by August 27 you'll get that $25 Best Western Travel card. The card can then be used towards a Best Western stay between August 27 and November 30. If you are already enrolled in the Best Western Rewards CAA Preferred Program simply register for the offer by August 27 to receive your travel card.
If you are a Best Western Rewards member but aren't 100% sure if you joined the CAA Preferred Program version you can call 1-800-237-8483 to check your account. If it turns out that you aren't a CAA Preferred Program member and have already completed BW stays you technically can't join this version of the program although it doesn't hurt to ask customer service at the number listed before to see if they can let it slide and enroll you in the program. If all else fails..... (don't tell them I told you to do this) you could always make a new Best Western Rewards CAA Preferred Program membership and then register for the card. The travel card isn't tied into your account, so if just happens your 'old' Best Western Rewards account is where you collect points, have elite status etc. you can use the travel card for reservations associated with that account.
Some of you may ask - what encompasses CAA South Central Ontario? Here is the map of their locations so this should give you a rough idea of who is eligible. On the other hand if you have a CAASCO membership card in your wallet it's pretty much a given your eligible....
Image courtesy of CAA South Central Ontario |
Click here to register for this offer and to get the complete details!
Monday, August 19, 2019
August 19 Update: More Air Canada A220 route details, Targeted offer to earn 250 bonus Aeroplan Miles at Starbucks & more
Last week we brought you details of the new Air Canada A220 routes that are coming (YYZ-SJC & YUL-SEA) and mentioned it would be flying some routes in Canada and to the U.S. prior to those new routes starting. We now know the routes and schedules for the plane and it is as follows (Source RoutesOnline)
Montreal – Calgary 16JAN20 – 30APR20 11 weekly (3 daily from 05MAR20)
Montreal – Edmonton 05MAR20 – 30APR20 1 daily
Montreal – New York LaGuardia 05MAR20 – 30APR20 1 daily
Montreal – Toronto 19JAN20 – 01MAR20 3 round-trips on Sundays
Montreal – Winnipeg 05APR20 – 30APR20 2 daily
Toronto – Edmonton 06MAR20 – 03APR20 10 weekly
Toronto – Ottawa 07MAR20 – 04APR20 3 round-trips on weekends
Looks like Montreal to Calgary will be the launch route on January 16!
You can learn more about Air Canada's A220 here.
If you have a TD Aeroplan Visa card- check your email inbox for this targeted offer of 250 Bonus Aeroplan Miles when you make 2 Starbucks purchases until Sep 7. Find out more here.
Priority Pass access to The Club Lounges at select airports in the U.S. (Seattle, Las Vegas, Boston to name a few) has now been limited to 3 hours prior to departure. (Source Doctor of Credit)
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! One of the easiest…
- August
16 Update: Air Canada reveals A220 routes including new YYZ-SJC &
YUL-SEA routes, Hilton updates their status match challenge &
WestJet adds Cranbrook-Vancouver flights
Air Canada has revealed details of the routes that will be flown with their new Airbus A220-300 aircraft (formerly…
Travel Deals
Hilton Asia Pacific 100th Anniversary Sale – Save up to 20% for stays through to February 2020Hertz: Save Up To $15 Off Your Next Car Rental with code: 203972. Ends 12/31/19. Find out more here
Remember to visit Rewards Canada's Travel Booking site to book travel directly with many of your favourite airlines, hotels and more!
Canadian Bonus Offers
N/A
Other Bonus Offers
American AAdvantage- Double AAdvantage Miles plus a free day when rent with Hertz for 6 or more days at participating locations in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, on all Car Classes and Collections. More... Until Dec 31, 19
IHG Rewards Club
- 100% Bonus IHG Rewards Club Points when you book a bonus points package for stays at Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® or EVEN® Hotels Worldwide. More... Book by Sep 4 for stays until Oct 4, 19
Le Club AccorHotels
- Double Le Club AccorHotels Points for stays at participating Accor Hotels in the Asia Pacific region. More... Book by Oct 31 for stays until Dec 13, 19
Marriott Bonvoy
- Earn up to 3,500 Bonus Bonvoy Points for stays at the JW Marriott Hotel Beijing. More... Until Oct 31, 19
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Up to a 50% Discount on Qatar Airways Privilege Club Award ticket redemptions for various routes via their "Easy Deals" offer. More... Book by Aug 31 for travel Sep 1 - Oct 31, 19
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Double KrisFlyer Miles on all hotel stays booked via Agoda. More... Book by Sep 30, 19
Follow Rewards Canada:
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! 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
|
Best Western Rewards | Receive a $20 Best Western Gift Card when you complete your next stay at a Best Western Hotel Worldwide. Full details, online registration and booking. (Registration is required) Elite members may get an email offering more than one gift card. |
Until Sep 2, 19 |
For a complete listing of all Best Western Rewards bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Best Western page | ||
Choice Hotels Privileges | No offers at this time |
-- |
For a complete listing of all Choice Privileges bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Choice page | ||
GHA Discovery | No offers at this time |
-- |
For a complete listing of all GHA Discovery bonus offers please visit Rewards Canada's GHA page | ||
Hilton | Double Honors points + additional bonus points on every stay starting on your second stay at Hilton Hotels Worldwide. Full details, online registration and booking (Registration is required) Plus earn additional bonus points as follows: 10,000 Bonus Points on your 10th stay 15,000 Bonus Points on your 15th stay 20,000 Bonus Points on your 20th Stay |
Until Sep 8, 19 |
For a complete listing of all Hilton HHonors bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Hilton page | ||
Hyatt | 2,000 Bonus World of Hyatt Points for your first stay at each of Hyatt's new brands of Thompson Hotels (starting March 28), Joie de Vivre (starting May 15), Alila and Destination Hotels (both coming soon) Maximum bonus of 8,000 points. Plus earn a free night if you stay at all four brands. Full details and online booking | Until Dec 31, 19 |
For a complete listing of all Hyatt Gold Passport bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Hyatt page | ||
InterContinental Hotels Group | Accelerate Part 2 - Earn 500 to 40,000 or more Bonus IHG Rewards Club Points when you complete stays at IHG HotelsWorldwide. Bonus varies by member. Registration is now closed but you can still book your stays at ihg.com | Register by Aug 17 for stays Jul 1 – Oct 31, 19 |
For a complete listing of all IHG Priority Club bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's IHG page | ||
Le Club AccorHotels | No offers at this time |
-- |
For a complete listing of all Le Club AccorHotels bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Le Club AccorHotels page | ||
Marriott | Earn 1,500 Bonus Bonvoy Points on all stays of 2 or more nights at over 7,000 Marriott Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Full details, online registration and booking. (Registration is required) | Register by Sep 2 for stays Jul 2 – Sep 16, 19 |
For a complete listing of all Marriott Rewards bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Marriott 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 3,000 Bonus Radisson Rewards points for
stays at all Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED,
Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson
hotels worldwide starting with your second stay. Full details, online registration and booking. (Registration is required) Maximum of 120,000 bonus points awarded per member during the promotional period. Once registered you can simply book your stays online at: Country Inns & Suites, Park Inn, Park Plaza, Radisson, Radisson Blu, Radisson Red, or The Radisson Collection. |
Until Aug 31, 19 |
For a complete listing of all Radisson Rewards bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Radisson Rewards page | ||
Red Roof Inns RediRewards | Earn 6,500 Bonus RediPoints when you complete 2 separate 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 on time) Full details, online registration and booking. (Registration is required) | Until Aug 31, 19 |
For a complete listing of all Red Roof bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's RediRewards page | ||
Shangri-La Golden Circle | No Offers at this time |
--
|
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 | Double Elite Status Credit for every stay of 3+ nights completed at a participating VOILÀ hotel Worldwide. Full details & online registration (Registration is required) | Until Nov 30, 19 |
Triple VHR Points & Double Elite Status Credit for every stay completed at a participating VOILÀ hotel Worldwide. Full details & online registration (Registration is required) | Until Sep 30, 19 | |
For a complete listing of all Voila Hotel Rewards bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's VHR page | ||
Wyndham Rewards | No Offers at this time |
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|
For a complete listing of all Wyndham Rewards bonus point offers please visit Rewards Canada's Wyndham page |
Friday, August 16, 2019
August 16 Update: Air Canada reveals A220 routes including new YYZ-SJC & YUL-SEA routes, Hilton updates their status match challenge & WestJet adds Cranbrook-Vancouver flights
Air Canada has revealed details of the routes that will be flown with their new Airbus A220-300 aircraft (formerly known as Bombardier C-Series CS300). The planes which are slated to start flying with Air Canada later this year will initially fly on existing Canadian and transborder routes out of Montreal and Toronto such as Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and New York – La Guardia. Then in Spring of 2020 they will be the planes that will fly two new transborder routes for Air Canada - Toronto to San Jose California and Montreal to Seattle. Both of these new routes will start on May 4, 2020 and they are already open for booking.
- The two-class cabin will have a total of 137 seats: 12 in a 2x2 configuration in Business Class and 125 in a 3x2 layout for Economy passengers. Customers will have more personal space thanks to the widest economy seats in the fleet, and the largest overhead stowage bins for an aircraft this size.
- Additional features include larger windows and full-colour LED ambient and customizable mood lighting that contribute to reducing fatigue while travelling. The high ceilings, extra shoulder room and storage make this an unparalleled interior in the narrow-body segment.
- Every seat on the A220 features a Panasonic eX1 in-flight entertainment system with content available in 15 languages and featuring more than 1,000 hours of high-quality entertainment, including access to Bell Media's premium entertainment service, Crave, and Canadian-based multi-platform audio service, Stingray.
- The A220 will come equipped with satellite based high speed connectivity for Wi-Fi access with USB A, USB C, and AC power available to every passenger.
Hilton Honors have updated the requirements for their year round ongoing Status Match challenge. They will no longer offer Diamond status as a match although you will still be able to fast track to that level. The stay requirements have also been increased to 10 nights from 4 to retain your Gold Status and if you complete 18 nights you'll receive Diamond status. Find out more here
- Every eligible member will be matched to trial Gold
- Complete 10 nights within 90 days, and your Gold status will be extended through March 31, 2021.
- Complete 18 nights within 90 days, and you will be upgraded to Diamond status through March 31, 2021.
Posts since our last update:
- Marriott Bonvoy Peak/Off Peak pricing coming in September along with changes to Points Advance, 5th night free & more
We've known the rates, we've known they were coming sometime and now we know exactly when. Marriott Bonvoy has…
- The Ultimate Travel Rewards Credit Card Portfolio for Lower Income Earners
Today we released the 16th Ultimate Credit Card Portfolio on Rewards Canada! In this feature of Rewards Canada's Ultimate…
- August
13 Update: HSBC releases low interest rewards earning Mastercard, BMO
SPC cards discontinued & bonus miles on EVA Air YVR/YYZ flights
HSBC released a new rewards card at the end of July called the HSBC +Rewards Mastercard. The card combines…
Travel Deals
Hilton Asia Pacific 100th Anniversary Sale – Save up to 20% for stays through to February 2020Hertz: Save Up To $15 Off Your Next Car Rental with code: 203972. Ends 12/31/19. Find out more here
Remember to visit Rewards Canada's Travel Booking site to book travel directly with many of your favourite airlines, hotels and more!
Canadian Bonus Offers
Ethiopian ShebaMiles- 20% ShebaMiles Discount when you redeem miles for award tickets on most Ethiopian Airlines international flights including Toronto to Addis Ababa. More... Book by Aug 31 for flights Sep 1 - Nov 30, 19
Other Bonus Offers
British Airways Executive Club- 1,000 Bonus Avios when you rent an Avis Group C car or higher for 5 days or more Worldwide (must be booked via BA). . More... Book by Aug 31 for rentals Sep 1 - Oct 31, 19
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Earn up to Triple Asia Miles for stays at all participating Accor Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Oct 13, 19
Hilton Honors
- Earn up to 7,500 Bonus Honors points for stays at any Hilton Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. More... Targeted offer - may not work for everyone Until Jan 31, 20
IHG Rewards Club
- Double IHG Rewards Club Points for stays at participating new IHG Hotels in Southeast Asia. More... Register by Aug 31 for stays until May 31, 20
Miles & More
- Earn up to 4,500 Bonus Miles & More Miles for rentals at participating Avis rental locations in Europe and the USA. More... Book by Aug 31 for rentals until Nov 30, 19
Marriott Bonvoy
- 500 Bonus Bonvoy Points, a free upgrade and free breakfast for stays at the Hotel Goldener Hirsch or the Sheraton Grand Salzburg. More... Until Oct 31, 19
SAS EuroBonus
- Earn up 3,000 Bonus EuroBonus Points when you rent with Hertz for 1 or more days Worldwide. More... Book by Oct 31 for rentals until Dec 15, 19
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- 50% Bonus KrisFlyer Elite Qualifying Miles when you fly on Singapore Airlines round-trip from Australia to London, Paris, Frankfurt, Manila, Ho Chi Minh City, Phuket, Tokyo, Seattle, Los Angeles, Delhi, Johannesburg and Male. More... Book by Sep 5 for travel until Aug 31, 20
- 30% KrisFlyer Miles redemption discount on selected destinations across the Singapore Airlines and SilkAir network. More... Book by Aug 31 for travel Sep 1 - 30, 19
Stash Hotel Rewards
- Double Stash Rewards Points for stays at The Carmen Hotel Playa del Carmen. More... Book by Nov 3 for stays until Nov 30, 19
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
- Earn 1,000 Bonus ROP Miles on Hertz rentals of 1 or more days in Thailand. More... Book by Oct 31 for rentals until Nov 30, 19
World of Hyatt
- 500 Bonus World of Hyatt points for stays at the Park Hyatt Shenzhen, Hyatt Regency Shenzhen Yantian or Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong More... Sep 1 - Nov 30, 19
- 500 Bonus World of Hyatt points for stays at the Hyatt Place Wilmington Riverfront More... Sep 17 - Dec 31, 19
Follow Rewards Canada:
Marriott Bonvoy Peak/Off Peak pricing coming in September along with changes to Points Advance, 5th night free & more
We've known the rates, we've known they were coming sometime and now we know exactly when. Marriott Bonvoy has revealed September 14 as the date that Peak/Off Peak pricing will take effect for booking free nights with the program. To refresh your memory, here is the Marriott Bonvoy reward night redemption chart now indicating when Peak/Off Peak comes into play.
I guess we've been kind of lucky that it has taken this long for the full chart to be implemented as it was originally revealed way back in April 2018 and we've only had to deal with standard rates since then (and not to mention Category 8 Hotels as Category 7 prices for awhile!) Now we have all the details surrounding the Peak/Off Peak Pricing:
- These rates will extend to all 7,000 Marriott Bonvoy participating properties portfolio wide.
- The fewest number of points members will need for a free night stay will be 5,000 when the property is in Off-Peak. Members who redeem a free night for a category 8 property during an Off-Peak time will save up to 15,000 points when compared to the Standard rate.
- Standard rates will continue to start at 7,500 points per night and will be available a majority of the time year-round, throughout the portfolio
- Peak rates will start at 10,000 points per night and are capped at no more than 15,000 points higher than Standard rates. Even popular destinations will offer Off-Peak rates during certain times of the year
- A majority of days throughout the year will remain in Standard and there will be even distribution between Off-Peak and Peak rates portfolio wide. Although we don't know what dates at what properties. That you will only be able to figure out by initiating a booking on Marriott.com or via the Marriott app (hint: you can use the flexible date finder to see one month at a time)
So what happens if you have already made a reward booking for a stay or stays after September 14 and those nights happen to become Off Peak rates? You are encouraged to cancel your booking and re-book at the lower rate. And what if Peak rates apply? You get to keep whatever rate you originally booked at (the standard rate) however if you make any changes you will then be subject to the Peak pricing.
Cash+Points bookings will also fall under the Peak / Off Peak pricing with a standardized cash amount but varying points amount for Peak/Standard/Off Peak:
Marriott has created some videos to help out with Peak/Off Peak pricing and redeeming for free nights:
The next change comes to Points Advance, the part of the Bonvoy program that allows you to book reward nights even if you don't have enough points. Essentially you book the reward nights in advance with the premise that you will have enough points in your account when the time comes to stay. Up until September 14th you were locking in the rate and date, the change that is coming only locks in the room for you. So if you book a Points Advance stay at a Category 5 hotel you will get that room but what you will pay in points may vary. At the time of booking the standard rate may be in place but if Peak pricing kicks in for the dates you stay you'll be paying 40,000 points instead of 35,000. Of course the opposite could happen as well, that Off Peak pricing will apply and you'll only have to pay 30,000 points. This makes Points Advance more of a speculative booking option - however if points aren't as much of concern as locking in dates is this feature can still be very useful. They are also changing the number of Points Advance bookings a member can have at one time from five to three. Once again, Marriott has provided a video to help educate members on Points Advance:
The last change coming to the program on September 14 is to the 5th night free benefit. This is the benefit where you book four reward nights and get a fifth night for free. Now the benefit is being renamed "Stay for 5, pay for 4" to take into account Peak and Off Peak pricing. What this means is that if your five night stay happens to have varying points rates they will give you the night with the lowest points requirement for free. For example, if you have five nights at a Category 5 hotel, four are Peak and one is Standard, you will get the Standard night free. What they have essentially done here is protect themselves from someone booking a standard rate for their first four nights followed by a free fifth night at a Peak rate.
That's about it in a nutshell! What do you think of the latest announcement from Marriott Bonvoy? Tell us below in the comments!
Click here to visit Marriott's site to learn more about these changes
Thursday, August 15, 2019
The Ultimate Travel Rewards Credit Card Portfolio for Lower Income Earners
Today we released the 16th Ultimate Credit Card Portfolio on Rewards Canada!
In this feature of Rewards Canada's Ultimate Credit Card Portfolios we look at the ultimate one for those who may not earn enough income for the higher end credit cards that require $60,000 to $80,000 in personal annual income. This portfolio looks at credit cards in the Canadian market that offer great travel rewards with low or no set annual income requirements. So with that said what are the best choices for lower income earners? Read the complete feature here to find out!
Find all our Ultimate Card Portfolios here!