Canadian Travel Hacking

Month: October 2015

  • Aeroplan welcomes Eurowings as its 34th airline partner

    As of October 25, 2015, Eurowings has joined the Aeroplan Program and is Aeroplan’s newest airline partner.

    eurowings

    Eurowings is a low-cost airline based in Düsseldorf, Germany wholly owned by the Lufthansa Group. Eurowings offers service to several domestic and European destinations from its main hubs Düsseldorf and Hamburg.

    Aeroplan Miles earned on all eligible Eurowings flights are also Air Canada Altitude™ Qualifying Miles, and each eligible Eurowings flight will also earn one Altitude Qualifying Segment. Altitude Qualifying Miles and Altitude Qualifying Segments count towards Air Canada Altitude status.

    Star Alliance™ Gold and Silver Benefits are not extended by Eurowings.

    Redemption on Eurowings is currently not offered

  • 2015 Air Canada Altitude Student Program – Hidden Discounts

    Altitude Students is a program designed exclusively for Canadian post-secondary students. It gives them a unique opportunity to enjoy special travel offers and exclusive perks.

    altititude

    It’s totally free to join, and once signed up, the doors open to a world of goodies including discounts on flights and vacation packages as well as contests for great travel prizes and much more!

    Once signed up, the doors open to a world of offers, like:

    • A one-time discount of up to 15% on an eligible Air Canada booking
    • Discounts on Air Canada Vacations® packages
    • A complimentary Inflight Wi-Fi session

    As an added perk, students will also have the opportunity to go on an exclusive package vacation to Ixtapa, Mexico! This unique experience is offered during the February reading week with all seats on the flight reserved solely for Altitude Students. Best of all, this exclusive trip is available at a great price!

    But the good news doesn’t stop there. Students who enroll by November 6, 2015 will have the chance to win cool travel prizes.

    Interested? All it takes to sign up is a student ID and an Aeroplan® Number.

    Here is a link to signup.

  • Uber offers a free ride to and from polling stations for first-time customers

    Uber is offering new users free rides to and from polling stations on Election Day in the cities where it operates.

    uber-canada-promo-code

    A representative from Uber says the company will cover rides to the polling station and back again, for first-time customers only, up to $15 each way.

    Uber says the offer will be available in Edmonton, Calgary, the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa, London, Hamilton, the Waterloo Region, Quebec City and Montreal.

    The ride-hailing app has been embroiled in controversy since it initially launched in Canada last year.

  • CRTC Warning – Beware of vacation offers from callers claiming to represent well-known companies

    Have you been offered a discounted vacation for a week’s stay at a resort over the phone? Some individuals and agencies are calling Canadians and claiming to be affiliated with a well-known company, such as Air Miles, WestJet, Hilton Hotels, Marriott Hotels or Air Canada.

    Be aware that these calls are misleading. The callers in question have not been authorized by these companies to make these calls on their behalf.

    What’s happening: A recorded message will inform you that your telephone number was selected by one of the companies listed above. You are then asked to “press 1” in order to speak with a representative who will offer you a vacation. The callers also display a false callback number (a practice known as caller identification spoofing).

    What you can do: File a complaint with the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) or call 1-866-580-DNCL (3625). You can help investigate these calls by providing as much information as possible, such as:

    • The telephone number at which you received the call;
    • The purpose of the call;
    • The telephone number and name of the telemarketer that appeared on the call display or that the person gave you over the phone;
    • The exact time and date of the call as it appeared on the call display;
    • The callback number that may have been provided to you by the caller;
    • Whether the complaint relates to a fax, residential or business number; and
    • Any other information that you have about the call.

    If you are not on the National Do Not Call List and want to reduce the amount of unwanted telemarketing calls you receive, we also encourage you to register your number.

    If you received a call and are not sure of the caller’s true identity, you should not provide any personal information, including your telephone number. Finally, if you receive a call that you think may be fraudulent, contact your local police or the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501), a national service jointly operated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Competition Bureau.

    Penalties for violating the Rules

    The CRTC takes violations of the National DNCL and the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules seriously. If found in violation, individuals can be issued penalties of up to $1,500 per violation; corporations can be issued penalties of up to $15,000 per violation.

  • How to legally bring alcohol on your next cruise.

    I hate reading tips or hacks or concealing alcohol to bring on a cruise.

    drinking-cruise

    Why go through all this effort to save a few bucks (drinks on a cruise are the same price as a restaurant).

    I am going on a cruise at the end of the year and would love to enjoy a glass of wine in my stateroom on my balcony to relax.

    You’ll want to know if there are corkage fees for cruise lines that do allow you to bring your own booze and drink it during your on-board meals.

    I read this great guide as to each major cruise line’s policies on bringing a bottle of beer/wine or hard spirits.

    According to the guide (I verified with my travel agent):

    • Beer or hard liquor cannot be brought onboard, if found they will be held until end of cruise
    • 1 bottle of wine or champagne (max 750 mL) is allowed, no corkage fee if consumed in cabin. Otherwise corkage fee: $18
    • Bottles of bottle of wine or champagne purchased at port will have corkage fee applied regardless of place of consumption; can be stored until end of cruise for free alternatively
    • Alcohol purchased at port or at ships’ duty-free will be stored until end of cruise

    Good news for me – and no corkage fee for my end of day glass of wine at sea will let me buy a nice bottle of wine and enjoy it.

  • WOW Air: $99 between Toronto or Montreal and Iceland

    Cheap transatlantic flights are finally here for us Canadians!

    wow-air

    WOW air, Iceland’s only ultra low-cost airline, announced today that it will begin service to Europe viaIceland from Toronto and Montréal beginning in May 2016 from just CAD $99 one way including taxes¹. Flights to Europe will departToronto’s Pearson (YYZ) and Montréal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau (YUL) via Reykjavik, offering travellers the cheapest connection betweenEurope and Canada.

    After spending about an hour in Reykjavik, it’s just CAD $149 one way, including taxes, to the following European destinations: London,Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Dublin, to name a few. Service from Montréal will begin on May 12, 2016 and Toronto services will begin May 20, 2016. Both services will operate year-round, with departures on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

    “WOW air prides itself on offering the lowest fares possible as well as the biggest smile and the friendliest service. When we announced our U.S. routes last year, we promised that it was just the beginning of our growth into North America,” said Skúli Mogensen, sole owner and CEO of WOW air. “I’m thrilled to now announce our new routes to Canada, especially as I lived in Montréal for nearly a decade and also because the Icelandic people feel a special affinity for Canada.  ”

    The airline’s entry into the Canadian market is expected to create an estimated 100 jobs in the travel sector and represents an investment of CAD $60 million for the two routes to both Toronto and Montréal airports.

    Originally launched in November 2011, WOW air now connects travellers from twenty destinations across the U.S. and Europe with the Icelandic capital. Total passenger numbers for June to August 2015 were up a massive 45 per cent on the previous year with 295,000 passengers transported on business and holidays. Passenger loads across all services averaged 95 per cent in July.

    WOW air’s expansion into the Canadian market follows the successful launch of transatlantic services from Boston and Washington, DC in early 2015. Both services now operate with consistent carrier loads of more than 90 per cent.

    “We have just had our best summer ever and, with these new routes launching in May 2016, next summer is another chance to break records. These great Canadian cities will become our newest destinations but I look forward to announcing even more in the not-too-distant future!” said Mogensen.

    The flights between Reykjavik and Canada will be operated using WOW air’s fleet of new Airbus A321 Extended Range aircraft. The airline’s Airbus A320 family aircraft will carry passengers between Reykjavik and other European destinations.

    Tickets for the Canada flights will go on sale starting 9:00 a.m. EST on October 1, 2015 via www.wowair.ca.