January 10 Update: IHG changes Best Rate Guarantee, Lufthansa A350 to fly YVR-MUC route, Air France seat sale to Asia

IHG has changed their best rate guarantee
from offering the first night free on a succesful claim to now offering
up to 40,000 points. Over the years most hotel chain’s BRGs have been
tightened and harder to take advantage of. (HT YHBU)

1. Under the Program (as further described below),
if you book a hotel room at an IHG branded hotel using any IHG direct
channel (such as a branded website, call center or the mobile app), and
within 24 hours of making your reservation you find a lower rate
online for the same hotel room, number of guests, and reservation
dates, and submit a qualified guarantee claim form, we’ll match the
lower rate and give you 5X the IHG® Rewards Club points, up to a
40,000-point maximum,  for the room rate for that hotel stay. 

If you have a $150 stay and make a claim, instead of earning the base 1,500 points
you would end up getting 7,500 points. As you can see the 6,000 points
extra isn’t worth the same amount as getting the first night free! It
gets even worse if the stay is at a Staybridge or Candlewood Suites
since those locations only have 5 points per dollar earn rate.

Good news for those of you who like to travel to Poland or use Poland
as your jumping off point for Eastern Europe, the Baltic’s or Russia – Air Canada
is upgrading their Toronto-Warsaw route to mainline service from Air
Canada Rouge. That means the flights will now be flown with an
International configuration 767 with Executive Class Pods. Even Economy
Class on these planes is better than Rouge so overall a good upgrade for
everyone. The flights run from early June to early September. (Source Routesonline)

Lufthansa is upgrading the aircraft they use on
their summer seasonal Vancouver-Munich route come this May! Gone is the A330-300 and
in comes the new A350-900XWB! Lufthansa starting taking delivery of the
new planes early in 2017 and is a welcome change for the Vancouver
route! Let us know if you plan on flying this route when the new plane
comes on board – we’d love to have you review it for Rewards Canada!
(Source Routesonline)

Image Source: Lufthansa

Posts since our last update:

Travel Deals

Air France is offering some great rates on flights to Asia from Canada. Fares start at $919. Book by January 15. Find out more here.

  • Montréal – Delhi from $ 919
  • Montréal – Bangkok from $ 939
  • Montréal – Beijing from $ 969
  • Montréal – Mumbai from $ 1 085
  • Toronto – Bangkok from $ 915
  • Toronto – Beijing from $ 939
  • Toronto – Delhi from $ 1 315
  • Toronto – Mumbai from $ 1 640
  • Vancouver – Bangkok from $ 1 015
  • Vancouver – Beijing from $ 1 039
  • Vancouver – Delhi from $ 1 529
  • Vancouver – Mumbai from $ 1 640

Qatar Airways is offering up to 35% off their flights out of Montreal! Book by January 16 for travel until December 10. Find out more here.

Remember to visit Rewards Canada’s Travel Booking siteto book travel directly with many of your favourite airlines, hotels and more!

Canadian Bonus Offers

Air Canada / Aeroplan

– Quadruple Aeroplan Miles on all stays at over 6,500 Choice Hotels worldwide. More… Until Mar 31, 18

Other Bonus Offers

Carlson Hotels Club Carlson

– 3,000 Bonus Gold Points when you book the VIP Privilege Package at a
participating Radisson Blu®, Radisson®, Park Plaza® or Park Inn® by
Radisson hotel in China. More… Until Feb 28, 18

– OFFER EXTENDED 3,000 Bonus Gold Points when you complete a stay booked via the Club Carlson mobile app. More… Ongoing

EVA Air Infinity MileageLands

– 2,000 Bonus Infinity MileageLands Miles on your first hotel stay booked via Rocketmiles. More… Book by Mar 31, 18

Iberia Plus

– 25% Avios Discount when you redeem for all award travel on Iberia, Iberia Express or Air Nostrum. More… Book by Jan 31, 17

Marriott Rewards

– Earn up to 2,000 Bonus Rewards Points for Sunday – Thursday stays at Gaylord Hotels in the U.S.. More… Until Mar 31, 18

– 10,000 Bonus Rewards Points when you book Vacations by Marriott with
airfare and a minimum four nights at participating Autograph Collections
Worldwide. More… Book by Jan 31 for travel until Apr 30, 18

SAS EuroBonus

– Double EuroBonus Points for stays at any participating Radisson Blu,
Quorvus Collection, Park Inn by Radisson or Radisson RED hotels. More… Until Jan 31, 18′

United MileagePlus

– OFFER EXTENDED 1,500 Bonus MileagePlus Miles when you book a mid-size or larger car with Hertz . More… Until Mar 31, 18

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