Canadian Travel Hacking

Year: 2014

  • Get $75 credit when booking roundtrip on Porter with MBNA Mastercard

    Book a return flight with Porter Airlines and receive $75 towards your next flight.

    • Book between February 1 and February 28th
    • Must pay with MBNA Mastercard
    • Must have or signup to VIPorter frequent flier program
    • Use promo code MCPA2014

    Use promo code MCPA2014 to book a round-trip flight between 11:59pm Eastern Time February 1, 2014 and February 28, 2014 for travel between February 1, 2014 and April 11, 2014 Fares may not be available February 14, 2014 to February 17, 2014; March 14, 2014 to March 15, 2014 and March 23, 2014. Promo code is restricted to one-time use only. A credit of $75 CAD will be applied to the corresponding VIPorter account towards you next round-trip booking. The credit must be used towards a round-trip booking for travel between April 11, 2014 and June 13, 2014. Fare may not be available April 18, 2014 to April 21, 2014 and May 16, 2014 to May 19, 2014. Up to 21-day advance purchase may be required.

  • Earn 3,000 Bonus @Aeroplan Miles on your first booking with Rocketmiles

    Rocketmiles has added Aeroplan as a partner. They have a signup bonus of 3,000 bonus miles for a reservation.

    Here is how the website works:

    Another bonus that Rewards Canada found out is that the miles count towards Distinction.

    Book a premium hotel on Rocketmiles and automatically earn thousands of Aeroplan Miles.

    • Earn up to 5,000 miles per night on every hotel, every time.
    • Great hotel rates and no fine print. Simple as that.
    • Save up miles for the trip of your dreams.

    Look at this sample booking for Vancouver, BC, the Sutton Place hotel earns 9,000 Aeroplan miles for a $149/night booking.

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    Register with RocketMiles here.

    Limited to first time customers and subject to investigation post-purchase. Limit one per customer. Limit one per stay. Promotional offer can not be applied to existing bookings or retroactively applied to bookings not made using the link above. Promotional offer CANNOT be combined with ANY other bonuses or offers. Rocketmiles reserves the right to retract a bonus AT ANY TIME if it detects fraud, stacking of bonuses, technical errors, cancel/rebooking activity (defined by identical search criteria), or ANY other deceptive behavior attempted to circumvent the limits expressed above.

  • Canada Day Challenge 2014

    Image of the Canada Day Challenge poster, on the image a boy holding a pencil and a paint brush, a young girl with a camera and another young girl holding an electronic tablet.

    • Be original.
    • Be creative.
    • Be part of the 2014 Canada Day Challenge!

    If you’re between 8 and 18 years old and live in Canada, you’re invited to express what Canada means to you by submitting an original poster design, a digital photograph, or a piece of creative writing inspired by the theme Canada: Strong and Free. You could win some really great prizes, including a VIP invitation to attend Canada Day 2014 events on Parliament Hill!

    Entries will be accepted until February 15, 2014. Be sure to check out How to Enter to learn more about this year’s exciting contest!

  • Born in year of the horse? – Complimentary Afternoon tea offered by Shangri-La Hotel

    Born the Year of the Horse? Shangri-La has a treat for you. Visit the property’s Xi Shi Lounge for acomplimentary afternoon tea offered by Shangri-La Hotel.

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    Available from 31 January 2014 until 28 February 2014, guests a tea tower comprised of various savoury items, including BBQ pork brioche buns, curried tofu and almond wraps, duck spring rolls, and smoked salmon bagels with yuzu mayonnaise.

    Sweets include: coconut rice cake, a twist on the traditional Nian Gao; egg tart; black sesame rice balls in ginger soup; and green tea opera cake; as well as afternoon tea classics like butter and orange infused scones with housemade clotted cream and a selection of jams.

    While enjoying the flavours of the afternoon tea, a variety of live Chinese music and entertainment, including traditional erhu and flute soloists, will be available in the lounge Monday through Wednesday, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

    Xi Shi Lounge, located at Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver is open Monday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m, and open until 2:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The lounge is accessible through the hotel or via its direct entrance on Alberni Street.

    *Offer is valid for one guest per table, with a minimum party of two. Guests must show proof of age; offer is non transferable and non-refundable. Offer ends 28 February 2014. Those born in the years 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990 and 2002 are Year of the Horse in the Chinese Zodiac.

    Source

  • Earn Double Aeroplan Miles when you fly with Bearskin Airlines–February 2014

    Great promotion from one of my original Aeroplan partners (I used to fly with them living in Thunder bay – great little airline).

    Between February 01 and 28, 2014, fly Bearskin Airlines on all Flex or Liberty* fares and earn double Aeroplan Miles for every one‑way segment. That’s up to 200% of the miles you fly for each eligible Bearskin Airlines flight.

    Eligible routes:

    Between Thunder Bay and:

    • Sudbury
    • Timmins
    • Sault Ste Marie
    • North Bay

    Between Ottawa and:

    • Sudbury
    • Timmins
    • Kitchener‑Waterloo
    • Sault Ste Marie
    • North Bay

    Source

  • CapitalOne Aspire Travel MasterCard 35K bonus points + $75 Cash Back

    When you get approved you will get 35,000 bonus points (worth around $350) and extra $75 cash back when you sign up through our referral link to Great Canadian Rebates.

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    Every year they also give you 10k anniversary bonus points which basically makes the annual fee around $20/year.

    For every $ spent you get 2 points (2% cash back on travel). Points can be used to pay for travel-related purchases. 10,000 points is equivalent to $100.

    Read my detailed review on the Canadian Travel Credit Cards page. This card is highly rated, even though I don’t actually own one!

  • Tour operators impose ‘currency surcharge’ on Canadian travellers

    Transat A.T. (TSX-TRZ.B) spokeswoman Debbie Cabana confirmed Thursday that Canada’s largest tour operator is adding a $35 currency surcharge to sun destinations and Florida effective Jan. 27.

    Published reports say Sunwing and Air Canada Vacations are also both implementing $35 surcharges to offset the falling loonie — Air Canada (TSX:AC.B) effective Jan. 27 and Sunwing effective Jan. 30.

    Sunquest, a unit of Thomas cook, got the ball rolling on the issue earlier this month, warning travellers to book by Jan. 11 to take advantage of lower prices before it began taking measures to compensate for the lower Canadian dollar.

    Sunquest did not give a specific figure for its planned price increases aimed at offsetting rising hotel as well as fuel costs, which are priced in U.S. dollars.

    “The increase will depend on the cost of the hotel itself — the more expensive properties will see a higher increase, for the less expensive ones the increase will be less noticeable,” spokeswoman Kerry Sharpe said in an email at the time.

    Meanwhile, WestJet (TSX:WJA) said Wednesday that it had “no intention” of imposing a currency surcharge on vacations in response to the falling dollar.

    “We are committed to the transparency of our advertised prices,” Tim Croyle, WestJet Vacations vice-president and general manager, said in a release.

    “We believe the base price should reflect the true price of the package, and that the only taxes and fees charged should be those that are passed on to government and regulatory bodies, not used to offset cost increases.”

    Source: Canadian Press

  • Hornblower Cruises – Harbor Cruises – San Diego

    Taking a Hornblower Cruise is the perfect way to see San Diego. We went on Memorial Day and had a fabulous time.

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    We were joined by many other tourists and families looking for a better view of the San Diego Bay (they have a North and South bay tour and we just stayed for the North tour – easier with our baby).

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    We enjoyed a professionally narrated tour of many landmarks from the sea. 9083550061_7047515df7_h-500x200We covered over 13 miles on the Big Bay, passing by Seaport Village, Shelter Island, ship-building and dry-docking facilities, Coronado Island, Point Loma, and Cabrillo National Monument, among many others.9085779616_34cb3dfc03_z-500x2009083548705_e84df43d33-300x200

    The narrators point out marine animals and birds.

    We found many opportunities to take photos and see a new perspective of this big city.

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    I recommend getting a seat at the top of the boat but everywhere on the boat has a nice view.

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    The washrooms are on the bottom floor and can be quiet tight but just leave your stroller in the front room.

  • Save $25 off Hotwire booking with App download

    Book your next hotel with our app for an additional $25 off. Minimum $100 hotel booking. Valid 12/31/13 to 3/31/14.

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    Promo code: APP25

    Source

  • Hotels.com Canada: Save 10% off select hotels with the code 10INJAN14

    You can save 10% off select hotels when using the code 10INJAN14!

    This offer lasts through 1/28/14 and is available in both the United States and Canada!

    Hotels.com®

    Hotels.com Canada: Hotels.com Canada: Save 10% off select hotels with the code 10INJAN14! Book by 1/28/14, Travel by 7/1/14