I have never flown with Porter before (being based in Victoria, BC), but I hear it is quiet nice – they even fly to my hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario and are rumoured to want to fly the YVR-YYZ route next!
Porter sale
Porter Airlines Canada is offering you savings to every destination if you book by July 17th and travel by December 14th!
Book by 11:59 pm Eastern Time July 17, 2014. Travel by December 14, 2014. Up to 21-day advance purchase is required.
New bookings only. Discount is not applicable for travel between October 10-13, 2014 and between the US and Canada on November 26 and November 30, 2014. Discount applies only to the regular base fare and does not apply to fees, taxes or surcharges. Fares are subject to availability and may not be available through the entire travel period. Full fare breakdown available for all itineraries on flyporter.com. Fares include all applicable government-imposed taxes and mandatory fees, which may amount to as much as $150 one-way per passenger, depending on routing. Foreign taxes will fluctuate based on the prevailing exchange rate. Fees for optional services, such as itinerary changes, additional baggage, advance seat selection, or certain special service requests, may increase overall cost. Fares are non-refundable but itineraries may be changed for a fee of up to $200 per person per direction, plus any fare differential. Other significant conditions (including a $25 first-checked bag and $35 second-checked bag fee, and charges for overweight and/or excess baggage) may change without notice and are not guaranteed until ticketed. Visit flyporter.com for more information. In case of any discrepancy between advertised fares and the fares shown on the website at the time of booking, the latter shall prevail.
They charge for baggage now so remember when you consider other airlines that do not charge for baggage and the hassle of using the alternate airport in Toronto.
I have been stung trying to use AIR MILES in the past but I saw the dreaded fuel surcharges in the fees. This has changed for certain redemptions but the miles to use these has also increased.
Effective July 17, 2014, you will no longer have to pay cash for fuel surcharges on certain flights. These surcharges will be included in the number of AIR MILES® reward miles required to redeem for qualifying flights. This change will apply to flights within Canada, the United States (including Hawaii and Alaska), Mexico and the Caribbean, and will result in an increase in the number of reward miles required to redeem for flights.
The average increase in the number of reward miles required for flights within Canada, to the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii), to Mexico and the Caribbean will be 16%. Some destinations will see a smaller increase, while others will see a larger increase.
For example:
A round-trip flight, in Low season, will now start at 1,200 reward miles (instead of starting from 950 reward miles)
A flight from British Colombia to Los Angeles will increase by 19% in Low season (1600 reward miles to 1900) and 14% in High season (2275 reward miles to 2600).
A flight from Ontario to New York City will increase by 13% in Low season (1150 reward miles to 1300) and 14% in High season (1400 reward miles to 1600).
I honestly do not see the value using AIR MILES for flights! Use them for gas cards at Shell instead or Cineplex tickets.
If You Haven’t Applied Yet, Here’s Why You Should:
No Annual Fee the first year.
30,000 Aeroplan Miles Sign-Up Bonus – usual spend is 1 Aeroplan Mile for $1 spend so a high sign up bonus makes up for the typical earn rate.
Flight Delay Insurance: Charge your airline ticket to your American Express AeroplanPlus Gold Card and receive up to $500 coverage (aggregate maximum with Baggage Delay Insurance) for hotel, motel, restaurant expenses and other sundry items.
Baggage Delay Insurance: Book a flight with your American Express AeroplanPlus Gold Card and receive up to $500 coverage (aggregate maximum with Flight Delay Insurance) for reasonable and necessary emergency purchases.
Lost or Stolen Baggage Insurance: When you fully charge your airline tickets to your American Express AeroplanPlus Gold Card you can receive up to $500 coverage for loss or damage to your luggage or personal effects while in transit.
Remember that this is a charge Card with a whopping 30% interest rate so make sure you can meet the minimum spending and avoid putting too much of a balance on the card (just meet the minimum spending).
Here is the sign-up link for the American Express AeroplanPlus Gold Card.
Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!
I love to cook eat! I enjoy having a nice tidy kitchen and enjoy eating at home (we are currently doing many renos on our house) unless I am travelling or on holidays when I like to eat out.
Miele Aeroplan promotion.
I like to share these bonus offers as your Aeroplan balance can really add up!
Earning 500 Bonus Aeroplan Miles is easy.
Simply design your Miele dream kitchen using the Miele Kitchen Visualizer, proceed to: “Finalize now” and book an appointment with a Miele Chartered Agent near you.
On the day of your appointment, review your Miele dream kitchen with your Miele Chartered Agent and request a formal quotation for the Miele appliances of interest.
Ensure your Aeroplan number is added to the quotation. Aeroplan will deposit 500 Bonus Aeroplan Miles into your account within 60 days.
NOTES:
Ensure that you provide the same email address to the Miele Chartered Agent which you used when booking your appointment using the Kitchen Appliance Visualizer.
Aeroplan will deposit 500 Bonus Aeroplan Miles into your account within 60 days.
Promotion valid from July 4 to July 31, 2014, inclusive.
Have you ever stayed at a hotel in the Leading Hotels of the World group?
It is a collection of more than 400 properties worldwide that offers a great set of perks that you can buy (I think for some it is a great deal)!
Purchase Elite Hotel Access
For just $150 US you can get the following:
Receive complimentary continental breakfast for two each day.
Enjoy even more luxurious accommodations with a one-category room upgrade.*
Earn one complimentary night at any Leading Hotels for every four or five stays completed before your anniversary date.
With free Internet access, we enable you to be as far away or as linked in as you desire.
Special rate privileges available only to Leaders Club Members
Early check-in, late check-out considerations**
Unique welcome gift for you at each Leading Hotel
Invitations to Leaders Club Events held near your hometown
Invitations to Leaders Club Events held at properties during your stay
Enjoy the exclusive advantages of the Sixt Platinum Card which include up to 15% discount and an upgrade on all offline and Internet private customer rates of Sixt rent a car valid at time and place of rental.
Luggage Free – Send your luggage ahead to nearly any destination, worldwide, to avoid the inconvenience of carrying, checking and claiming bags — even going through customs. Leaders Club members can take advantage of this door-to-door service to over 130 countries worldwide.
Leaders Club members will receive a complimentary two (2) year Leaders Club Unlimited membership with the purchase of your first 25-hour Marquis Jet Card, NetJets Share or NetJets Lease.
Leaders Club members can upgrade their travel experience to nine major cities in Italy on Italo trains to Club Class when purchasing a Prima Class ticket. In Club Class, you will enjoy the comfort of fine leather seats and free Wi-Fi, as well as complimentary food and beverage during the journey.
Not bad for $150 considering breakfast in these cities can be expensive!
They have a better package at $1200 which includes a Priority Pass membership and even airport transfers but I am not sure it would be worth it.
This is achievable by earning 6,000 AIR MILES in one year! This to me seems impossibl
Onyx Benefits
Greater access to airline seats
Book select flights using up to 40% fewer reward miles
Preferential pricing on cruises and vacation packages
Merchandise for up to 50% fewer reward miles
Priority service at the Call Centre
team dedicated to finding and getting a variety of rewards outside of the online Catalogue
Get requested items using reward miles from your Dream balance
Unforgettable Events & Contests
20% fewer reward miles on seasonal activities and dining
Invitations to Exclusive Onyx-inspired gatherings
Free movie passes to select films
Bonus offers into Meet & Greet Contests
Special monthly Giveaways
Are there any die-hard AIR MILES collectors out there?
I have avoided AIR MILES after I tried to book a flight on-line and had to put up with too many fuel surcharges – they are more useful for Shell gas cards than actual travelling unless you find a redemption without a lot of taxes.
airmilesshops.ca Base Offer: Earn 1 AIR MILES® reward mile for every $20 CDN that you spend per transaction per online store excluding shipping, handling and taxes. Base offer may vary, click on online store logo on airmilesshops.ca for offer details. All online stores are subject to change and may be withdrawn without notice at anytime. Collector must sign in at airmilesshops.cabefore purchasing in order to earn reward miles. Reward miles will appear in your Collector Account within 60 days.
LIMITED TIME OFFER. AIR MILES reward miles multiplier offer applies to the total base reward miles earned on qualifying purchase amount excluding shipping, duty and taxes. Online store offers are subject to change without notice. See specific online store for offer details and any restrictions. Bonus reward miles will appear in your Collector Account within 75 days.
I actually bought 2 vanities and they turned out nice (I will share in a future post) and I earned over 20,000 Aeroplan miles!
Jasper National Park is already a tourist haven by itself, especially for those who are nature lovers.
A one-of-a-kind tourist attraction
However, there’s a new addition intended to further increase its allure: the newly opened Glacier Skywalk.
Glacier Sky-Walk
This attraction allows visitors to walk on a glass observation deck so they can marvel at the vast Sunwapta Valley from a height of 918 feet. Opened to the public just recently this past May, the skywalk aims to be Canada’s newest iconic attraction. It’s also a platform to learn more about Columbia Icefield’s glaciology, ecology, and natural history.
The Glacier Skywalk has a vision of providing tourists and locals with an interpretive experience since it’s designed to integrate with the wilderness; there will be guaranteed sightings of waterfalls, as well as animals like mountain goats and bighorn sheep, apart from the view of the vast glacial valley.
However grandly promoted the project is, it wasn’t free from controversy while still under construction. There were environmentalists who were heavily opposed to the project, according to CBC News. This opposition was based on a perceived dangerous effect of the project on certain wildlife.
It was feared that this development would be intrusive on the natural habitat of the animals, and might also create a disturbance to them. This concern, though, was noted by the developers, prompting Park Canada to conduct environmental studies and adopt construction measures for the protection of the animals. Even though the project was initially strongly opposed, its developers were – and still are – positive that it will add value to the whole tourism experience in Jasper National Park.
It is, after all, a rather unusual attraction; one which should be experienced by locals and visitors alike. Sadly, the current state of Canada’s inbound tourism isn’t exactly looking up. Canadian news service The Globe and Mail reports that the already low numbers posited by the country’s inbound foreign travel was further diminished at the first quarter of this year by 2.4%.
Canada’s airports could probably take a page from other major international airports which have undergone important overhauls in the hopes of accommodating more passengers. BBC News says that Glasgow Airport’s 6.9% increase in international passenger volume was largely due to the airport’s more popular airlines opening up more routes. In the UK, airport parking service site parking 4 less documented that Luton Airport is in the midst of a near-complete makeover, including roadway expansions and terminal modernizations. As for Malaysia, they went ahead and built a whole new airport expansion altogether. Dubbed the KLIA2, it caters exclusively to budget airlines; a definite flyer drawer.
With sufficient airport infrastructure upgrades coupled with a really effective tourism campaign, perhaps many more people around the world will get to experience the Glacier Skywalk yet.
Earn 30,000 bonus points with your first card purchase – worth $300 in travel. This card awards Scotia Points where basically when you redeem 1000 points you get $10 towards any travel related expense. So 30,000 would be worth $300 in free travel. Keep in mind that the annual fee is $99.
cds
Here is a rundown of the benefits:
Earn travel rewards up to 4x faster Earn 4x Scotia Rewards points for every $1 you spend at eligible gas stations, grocery stores, on dining and entertainment
Extraordinary travel benefits Receive discounts and other special amenities at hotels, on airfare, car rentals, cruises and vacation packages
24/7 Full Service Travel Agency Book online or call Scotia Rewards Travel Service
Flexible Point Redemption Purchase travel on your card from any travel provider, then call or go online to redeem your points for the travel purchase.
Comprehensive travel insurance Includes travel emergency medical (up to 25 days)
Complimentary Concierge Services 24/7 assistance with your travel and lifestyle bookings
Access to Priority Pass Lounges Worldwide
This is what they show based on my monthly spending (I would probably just get this card for the one-time bonus and apply it to a ferry trip or something I can’t use my Aeroplan or other points for!):
ScotiaBank benefits analysis
For my overview it is a great secondary card with the category bonuses for grocery and gas and the free lounge access with Priority Pass. The $99 annual fee is reasonable with the great benefits and insurance that you get. I still like the bonuses for other cards more but it is a good card to have in your wallet!
Promo code: WJP39 Coupon code: 8ZEMQA7 Book by: July 4, 2014 (2:00 p.m. MT) Travel until: September 24, 2014 Blackout dates: July 31 to August 5, 2014 and August 28 to September 1, 2014
How to get this offer: To redeem this offer on westjet.com, enter the promo code in the booking widget, click ‘Get flights’, then enter the coupon code once prompted. Both the promo code and coupon code are required at time of booking. Discount can only be applied towards fares displayed in the Econo category. Percentage is applied to base fare excluding taxes, fees and charges. Promo code may also be applied on a return flight with the same restrictions.
Conditions:
*Book by July 4, 2014 (2:00 p.m. MT) for travel until September 24, 2014. Blackout dates from July 31 to August 5 and August 28 to September 1, 2014. Discount can only be applied towards fares displayed in the Econo category. Percentage is applied to base fare excluding taxes, fees and charges. Taxes, fees and charges are extra. New bookings only. No cash value. Non-refundable. Discount cannot be used towards the purchase of a WestJet Vacations package. Discount cannot be applied towards multiple city bookings. Promo code cannot be used towards a westjet.com hotel only booking. This promo code cannot be combined with any other promo code or promotional offer. Discount only applies to flights marketed and operated wholly by WestJet, and are not applicable when travelling with our code-share, interline or other airline partners. Travel bank credits cannot be used as a form of payment when using this promo code. Any changes or cancellations to promo code bookings must be made by calling 1-888-937-8538. If booking is changed or cancelled, promo code discount will no longer apply.
®WestJet dollars is a registered trademark of WestJet Airlines Ltd.
**WestJet dollars are awarded on the cost of your hotel room before taxes, fees and surcharges. Valid for completed hotel stays booked on or after November 28, 2012 on westjet.com. Hotel only bookings are non-commissionable.
