Welcome to another month, another week and another day of travel rewards!
News, Tips & Tricks
Earlier today we posted the news about Aeroplan becoming the latest Rocketmiles partner where you can earn thousands of Aeroplan miles
on your hotel bookings. We went back to Aeroplan with one more
question, do miles awarded via Rocketmiles count towards Distinction
status and the answer is yes!! Read more about the partnershiup and
first booking bonus here.
If you read any of the U.S. or U.K. frequent flyer blogs you’ll have known that their versions of The Platinum Card from American Express
were losing access to American Airlines Admiral Clubs and US Airways
Club this March. We can confirm now that this is also the case for the
Canadian version of The Platinum Card as letters have and are being sent out to cardholders about the change. Here is an excerpt:
Airport Club Access/Airport Lounge Changes
Starting March 21, 2014 select American Express Cardmembers will no
longer have access to American Airlines Admirals Club and US Airways
Club airport lounges through their Card benefits. However, these lounges
only represent a fraction of those available through our Airport Lounge
Program. Applicable Cardemembers will still have complimentary access
to Priority Pass lounges, Delta Skyclubs and American Express lounges,
which combined offers access to over 600 lounge locations around the
world.The above doesn’t apply to Cardmembers who qualify directly under
American Airlines’ or US Airways’ access policies. Meaning, any
Cardmember who currently have access to the American Airlines Admirals
Club lounges or US Airways Club lounges will continue to receive this
access under those policies.Finally, Cardmembers can still visit American Airlines lounges by
purchasing a one-day lounge pass or an annual Admirals Club Membership.
If they would like to visit the US Airways Club lounge, they may
purchase a temporary lounge pass or an annual US Airways Club
Membership.
Another program decides to change redemption rates and once again without advance notice! The program is Wyndham Rewards
and the change comes in their points to airline miles conversion. As of
January 31 the decent ratio of 1,000 points to 400 airline miles was
halved, now those 1,000 points will only net you 200 airline miles. As
Ric Garrido puts it on his Loyalty Traveler blog:
When pegged to the base points earn rate for hotel spend in these five programs, the new Wyndham Rewards points-to-miles exchange rate is now the equivalent to most of the major hotel programs dominant in the USA
It is really unfortunate to see this
happen yet again but other than Wyndham now matching chains like IHG,
Best Western and Club Carlson in the airline miles ratio, changes like
these are brought about as the hotel reward programs try to get members
to re-evaluate where they use their points and as any good loyalty
program manager would tell you the best place is for their own brand
redemptions. With a devaluation like this it is the hope of Wyndham
Rewards that they will have less point to airline conversions and more
redemeptions for stays at their hotels as those reward nights typically
bring along incremental revenue like dining, spa services etc. where at
least part of that room redemption can be recouped. You can see the
details of this change here.
Travel Deals
Bonus Offers
Air Canada Aeroplan
– 3,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles on your very first booking with Rocketmiles. More… Book by Apr 6 for stays until Dec 31, 14
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
– Earn up to 40% Bonus Mileage Plan Miles when you buy or gift Mileage Plan miles. More… Until Mar 15, 14
Emirates Skywards
– 2,000 Bonus Skywards Miles on all Hertz car rentals of 3 or more days in the US. More… Book by Mar 31 for rentals Mar 10 – Apr 30, 14
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
– Earn up to 6,000 Bonus QMiles for Qatar Airways flights between Doha and Larnaca. More… Apr 29 – Jul 31, 14
–
Earn up to 4,000 Bonus QMiles for Qatar Airways flights between Doha and Sharjah. More… Mar 1 – May 31, 14
– Double QMiles for stays on the Winter Breaks offer at all participating Kempinski Hotels worldwide. More… Until Mar 31, 14
– Double QMiles for stays at all participating Shaza Hotels. More… Until Mar 1, 14
– Double QMiles for stays at participating Taj Hotels worldwide. More… Until Mar 31, 14
– Double QMiles for Hertz rentals of 3 or more days at participating locations Worldwide. More… Book by Mar 31 for rentals until Apr 30, 14
Southwest Rapid Rewards (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
– Earn up to 2,500 Bonus Rapid Rewards Points when you join the Rapid Rewards program. More… Until ?
Starwood Preferred Guest
– SPG Twice as Nice: Double Starpoints when you dine at over 1,000
participating restaurants and bars at participating Starwood hotels
& resorts. More… Until Apr 30, 14
– Double Starpoints for stays in a Suite at The Le Meridien Zhengzhou. More… Until Feb 28, 14
– 500 Bonus Starpoints for stays at The Westin Houston Downtown. More… Until Apr 1, 14
US Airways Dividend Miles (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
– Earn up to 100% Bonus Dividend Miles when you buy or gift Dividend
Miles. Valid only for those who hold a US Airways Credit Card. More… Until Feb 28, 14