Dec 5 Update: Club Carlson Sign Up Bonus, Get a $75 Prepaid Amex Card for Vancouver Stays, Alaska Airlines bonus on Kelowna flights

Here is the Thursday rewards roundup for you:

News, Tips & Tricks
As a follow up to yesterday's post about Air Canada's 787 Dreamliners, AirlineRoute.net provides the initial routes that the first 787s will fly:

eff 01MAY14 Toronto – London Heathrow 12 weekly (until 29JUN14 from YYZ, until 30JUN14 from LHR)
AC856 YYZ1830 – 0625+1LHR 788 x12
AC848 YYZ2040 – 0835+1LHR 788 D
AC869 LHR0830 – 1115YYZ 788 x23
AC857 LHR1205 – 1450YYZ 788 D

eff 01MAY14 Toronto – Zurich 6 weekly (until 29JUN14 from YYZ, until 30JUN14 form ZRH)
AC878 YYZ1805 – 0750+1ZRH 788 x3
AC879 ZRH1000 – 1250YYZ 788 x4

eff 01JUL14 Toronto – Tel Aviv 1 daily
AC084 YYZ1830 – 1205+1TLV 788 D
AC085 TLV1355 – 1850YYZ 788 D

Effective May 1, 2014, Malaysia Airlines will no longer be a Delta SkyMiles partner and SkyMiles members will not be able to earn miles for Malaysia Airlines flights through the SkyMiles program. Full details

If you are not a member of Club Carlson, the frequent guest program for Carlson Rezidor Hotels (Radisson, Country Inns etc) you can earn 4,500 bonus points if you join by December 10th and complete a stay in the next 30 days. Full details

Travel Deals
Receive a a $75 Prepaid American Express card when you make a Vancouver hotel booking via beVancouver: Full details here.

Through a partnership with American Express, beVancouver is pleased to offer a $75pre paid gift card for any booking made through December 31st 2013, for a stay by February 28th 2014. This promotion is offered at all our properties and gift cards can be used to cover all hotel costs, such as room rates, on-site restaurants, and room service, or at surrounding restaurants and shops. This booking is cancellable and you will receive your $75 American Express pre paid gift card at check in from the hotel. All standard terms and conditions apply.

Bonus Offers
Alaska Airlines MileagePlan
- 5,000 Bonus Mileage Plan Miles when you fly 2 round trips to any of the following Alaska Airlines ski destinations Kelowna, Mammoth Lakes, Redmond/Bend, Reno, Salt Lake City, Steamboat Springs/Hayden, Sun Valley/Hailey, or Wenatchee More... Dec 15 - Mar 31, 14

American AAdvantage
- Earn up to 15,000 Bonus AAdvantage Miles for round-trip travel on American between New York (JFK) and Los Angeles. More... Jan 7 - Mar 31, 14

British Airways Executive Club (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- 600 Bonus Avios on hotel with parking bookings made via Holiday Extras. More... Book by Dec 21, 13

Eva Air Infinity MileageLands
- 400 Bonus Infinity MileageLands miles on all car rentals booked via rentalscars.com. More... Until Feb 28, 14

Garuda Frequent Flyer (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Double GFF Miles on all Garuda Indonesia flights Worldwide. More... Until Dec 31, 13

Southwest Rapid Rewards (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Earn 500 Rapid Rewards points on every southwestgiftcard® purchase of $200 or more More... Until Dec 9, 13

US Airways Dividend Miles
- Double Dividend Miles on weekend rentals of 2 or more days, or rentals of 5 or more days, at a participating airport or off airport location in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada or Mexico. More... Until Feb 28, 14

Air Canada debuts their 787 (online at least!)

Just got this email from Air Canada:

"Introducing Air Canada’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner – a new standard for International Business Class. Experience luxurious 180-degree lie-flat seats with direct aisle access, adjustable cushion firmness and headrest cushions complete with a massage feature."

Find all the photos, videos etc. of the new Air Canada 787's at http://787.aircanada.com/en

 

 

Tangerine Saturday extended to Dec 7 and 14 - Double Aeroplan Miles for CIBC cardholders

Looks like last Saturday's Tangerine Saturday was a huge success as it returns for the next two Saturday!

What is Tangerine Saturday? It is quite simple really. Essentially CIBC Aerogold cardholders were earn Double Aeroplan Miles on all eligible retail purchases made on December 7th or 14th only, in store or online.

You can find the complete details here

Eligible merchants include grocery stores, drug stores, department stores, specialty retailers and most online retailers but exclude (among others) travel, entertainment, dining, or telcom service providers. Bonus miles are awarded based on the sum total of purchases (including taxes but excluding any returns or disputed charges). Bonus miles are available for domestic transactions only. Bonus miles will be earned on top of applicable grocery and drug multipliers, as illustrated: All CIBC Aerogold Visa cards (other than CIBC Aero Classic Visa): 2X the Miles promotion = 1 Base Mile + 1 Bonus Mile = 2 miles (or 2.5 miles if applicable grocery/drug multipliers apply) per dollar spent. CIBC Aero Classic Visa: 2X the Miles promotion = 1 Base Mile + 1 Bonus Mile = 2 miles (2.5 miles, if applicable grocery/drug multipliers apply) / $2 spent.

Dec 4 Update: Starwood Suite Night Awards extended, Emirates Miles Accelerator out of YYZ, bonus HHonors points at the new YQR DoubleTree

Middle of the week here in the world of Rewards Canada brings:

News, Tips & Tricks
Starwood Preferred Guest Platinum elite members who have not used up all of their Suite Night Awards can breathe a sigh of relief as the expiration on them has been extended from Dec 31 to April 30 of next year. (HT The Mr. Pickles)

In the bonus offer section you'll see the listing for the latest Emirates Skywards Miles Accelerator offers and Toronto returns to the list for this month. If you planning on traveling to Dubai or beyond you can earn an additional 14,000 bonus miles in First Class or 4,000 miles in Business Class between YYZ-DXB. Of course even more bonus miles can be earned if you are connecting to another flight out of Dubai. See the link below for even more routes that have bonuses this month.

Can you count on a Christmas bonus this year from your employer? For many that answer is no! But one bonus you can count on is the ability to earn more miles and points on your holiday travels.  So make sure you have "A Holiday Bonus You Can Count On"

SAS Scandinavian EuroBonus members can now pay with points to access SAS lounges in Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm. The cost is 3,000 EuroBonus points per person and you can redeem right at the lounge entrance. More details can be found here.

Bonus Offers
Air Canada Aeroplan
- Earn 1,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles for every $100 Best Western Travel Card purchased. More... Until Dec 31, 13

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Earn up to Triple Asia Mile for stays at participating Millennium & Copthorne Hotels worldwide. Earn double miles for stays of 3-4 nights or triple miles for 5+ nights. More...Until Feb 28, 14
- Double Asia Miles when you stay for a minimum of two consecutive nights on A Winter to Remember package at participating Regent Hotels & Resorts properties worldwide More... Until Feb 28, 14
- Triple Asia Miles on all completed rentals booked via Rentalcars.com. More... Until Jan 31, 14

Emirates Skywards
- Earn up to 16,000 Bonus Skywards Miles with the December Miles Accelerator offers which enable you to earn more Skywards Miles when you fly with Emirates, irrespective of the fare you pay or where you buy your ticket. More... Until Dec 31, 13

Etihad Guest
- Earn up to Quadruple Guest Miles on Etihad flights Worldwide for Etihad Guest members whose accounts are connected to an Etihad BusinessConnect account. More... Until Dec 31, 14

Hilton HHonors
- Double HHonors Points for stays at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Conference Centre Regina. More... Dec 10 - Mar 31, 14

Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- Double Mileage Bank Miles for American Airlines flights between - Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) Los Angeles (LAX) and Tokyo Narita (NRT) - Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Seoul, South Korea (ICN). More... Dec 16, 13 - Feb 28, 14 Valid for JMB Members in the Americas, Japan and South Korea only

Miles & More
- 1,500 Miles & More Miles when you book a Hertz rental of 3 days or more Worldwide. More... Book by Dec 31 for rentals Dec 5 - Mar 31, 14
- Double Miles & More Miles on Hertz rentals of 1 or more days in Germany. More... Book by Dec 31 for rentals until Feb 28, 14

1,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles for Best Western $100 Travel Card Purchases - Triple Dip Opportunity

Here is an offer that we saw a few times last year but this is the first time it has come around in 2013. At first this offer may not look like anything special but by taking advantage of it you can actually complete a rare to come by 'triple dip'. You've heard me on the Rewards Canada website and on TV, radio and in print talking about double dipping (using a mileage earning credit card and swiping your loyalty program card the same time) all the time but almost never mention triple dipping anymore as it generally unheard of anymore.

How is this a triple dip?
Dip #1: Purchase the Best Western Travel Rewards card with an Aeroplan earning credit card (or any other reward credit card since a triple dip does not have to be in one program)
Dip #2: Earn the 1,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles for purchasing the Travel Card (see below)
Dip #3: Book and Stay on a mileage or point qualifying rate at any Best Western to earn miles/points for that stay.

(You could technically make it a quadruple dip when the next Aeroplan bonus comes out for actual Best Western stays)

Here is the offer as it will appear on RC's Aeroplan Bonus Miles page later today

Earn 1,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles for every $100 Best Western Travel Card purchased. Full details Until Dec 31, 13


Can't make use of this promotion? Be sure to visit our Aeroplan Bonus Miles page for dozens of other flight, hotel, car rental and other mileage bonuses!

Air France KLM Flying Blue Promo Awards: Canada-Europe Award tickets for up to 50% off

The latest set of Air France KLM Flying Blue Promo awards are out and this time there are only two Canadian cities included instead of the four we saw a few months ago.

What are the promo awards? The promo awards are a discount of 25-50% off the regular Flying Blue mileage requirement for select AF KLM flights in select cabins.  Due to increases in the regular award mileage requirements earlier in the year the promo awards not as grand as they used to be but overall are they are still considered a great deal when compared to the regular mileage requirements or even to what mileage would be required in other programs for a similar ticket. Here is an example of this increased rate: previously you could get a round-trip Montreal-Europe Business Class promo award ticket for 50,000 miles but now it will cost you 62,500 miles. Overall this is still a great deal but of course not as great as it used to be. To take advantage of an award ticket deal you must book your promo award ticket between Dec 29 for travel until Mar 31. More details can be found here.

The Toronto-Europe offer of only 25,000 miles round trip in Economy is a great deal and you could easily get this by transferring 20,000 Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints into Flying Blue (they'll give you a bonus 5,000 miles for the 25,000). If you have the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express that means you can get a flight to Europe for only $20,000 in spending which is virtually unheard of for any other credit card in Canada. (taxes and fees not included of course)

Here are all the offers for flights out of Montreal and Toronto, the only two cities in Canada included in this round.

 

Dec 3 Update: Lindner Nights Free Points update, 3x Aeroplan Miles at the UPS Store and 15 other bonuses

Here is what we have for you today!

News, Tips & Tricks
Last week we mentioned the Lindner Hotels Nights offer of 2,000 points for simpy connecting a social media account to your Lindner nights accounts and we can tell you that we signed up for it yesterday and the points posted immediately. Now those 2,000 points can't get you a free night but they have cash+points offers of 2,000 points + a small Euro payment (three right now are 2,000 points + 45EUR) for a night at select hotels in Germany. When we checked what the night actually cost at one of the hotels it was 139EUR so this simple offer can save you at least 90EUR if you can stay in one of their locations. For more details on the offer see our post over on the FFB blog.

Travel Deals
Radisson Blu Flash Sale: Save up to 30% on B&B in rates in the U.K. and Ireland (must book by Dec 5)

Bonus Offers
Air Canada Aeroplan
- Triple Aeroplan Miles on every transaction you make at the UPS store. More... Until Dec 24, 13

Air France KLM Flying Blue
- Save up to 50% with Promo Awards Save 25% to 50% on the Award Miles usually required for award ticket. Destinations vary by each promotional period. More... Book by Dec 29 for travel until Mar 31, 14
- Quadruple Flying Blue Miles and up to 40% off at almost 900 participating Accor properties throughout France. More... Book by Jan 15 for stays Dec 21, 13- Jan 31, 14
- Double Flying Blue Miles for stays at Best Western Hotels in France. More... Jan 1 - Feb 28, 14
- Triple Flying Blue Miles when staying at least three consecutive nights or Double Miles for two consecutive nights at any Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts, Traders Hotel or Kerry Hotel at the Best Available Rate. More... Until Feb 28, 14
- Double EuroBonus Miles for Europcar rentals of 3 or more days in France. More... Jan 6 - Feb 15, 14
- Double Flying Blue Miles when you rent a Sixt mid-size car in France. More... Book by Jan 15 for rentals Jan 9 - Mar 31, 14

airberlin topbonus
- Double topbonus Miles for stays at Dorint Hotels and Resorts. More... Until Dec 31, 13
- 2,500 topbonus Miles per rental with Sunny Cars. More... Book by Dec 31, 13 for rentals until Jan 31, 14

Avianca LifeMiles
- 100% Bonus LifeMiles when you buy LifeMiles online. More... Until Dec 30, 13 Restrictions Only available to those members who were joined before Dec 3

Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Earn Double Status Credits when you fly Qantas anywhere in Australia. More... Register and book by Dec 31 for flights until Jan 31, 14

Saudia Alfursan
- Triple Alfursan Milesfor stays at the Amwaj Rotana- Jumeirah Beach Residence- Dubai. More... Until Jan 31, 14
- Triple Alfursan Miles when staying at least three consecutive nights or Double Miles for two consecutive nights at any Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts, Traders Hotel or Kerry Hotel at the Best Available Rate. More... Until Feb 28, 14

United MileagePlus
- Double MileagePlus miles when you fly nonstop on United or United Express® between Seattle and Los Angeles (LAX), Portland (PDX), San Francisco (SFO) or Anchorage (ANC). More... Register and book by Dec 31 for travel until May 31, 14
- 50% Bonus MileagePlus miles when you fly a trans-Pacific United flight to the U.S. or Canada. More... Register and book by Dec 31 for travel Feb 1 - Mar 31, 14
- Double MileagePlus miles when you fly between Tampa and any Copa Airlines destination. More... Dec 16, 13 - Feb 16, 14 Targeted offer - may not work for everyone

Avianca LifeMiles: 100% Bonus on Buying Miles is back for December

Hot on the heels of the announcement of the US Airways Share Miles promotion yesterday, Avianca LifeMiles has also brought back their 100% bonus on buying miles promotion. The offer runs until December 30 and basically doubles any amount you buy up to 75,000 miles for a total of 150,000 miles (or 1.5 cents per mile). Remember you are only allowed to buy up to 150,000 miles in a calendar year. Also you have to have been an Avianca LifeMiles member as of December 3 to take part.

Avianca is now a member of the Star Alliance. So while before I used to tout this offer as a way to get Lufthansa business class from North America to Europe for $1800, you can now use the miles on any Star Alliance airline. The program also offers one way rewards at exactly half the round trip cost and does not charge fuel surcharges on award tickets.

With business class tickets to Europe going for 105,000 miles and Asia for 125 - 130,000 miles you can travel 'luxuriously' for a lot less with this deal. What used to be a decent feature of LifeMiles is their Cash + Part Points option but that was recently devalued. This option only requires that you have 40% of the points for a reward (so buy 40% during this 100% bonus period) and then you can buy the rest of the miles (the other 60%) at about 1.56 cents per mile (used to be 1.25 cents!).

Some things to consider with the buy miles option before you pull the trigger is that their call center tends to be on the less helpful side so you are better off booking award tickets online which also means you are limited to the powers of that source, mixed class awards are not allowed unless you book each award ticket as separate one way flights and they have devalued the program without notice in the past so only buy these miles if you think you will use them in the next short while

For complete details on the Avianca TACA LifeMiles 100% Bonus or to buy the miles please see here