Canadian Travel Hacking

Category: General

  • Air Miles Expiration is gone but expect redemptions to be worse

    I haven’t used Air Miles Dream miles for a long time (except for buying a Dyson vacuum and Peg Perego car seat on sale).

    I have never found any good redemption values.

    Loyalty One has cancelled their Expiration policy.

    air-miles

    They removed the deadline (after a lot of negative press). CBC did a Marketplace segment but unfortunately I am not sure what those users were doing (they showed 5 users trying to redeem their Dream miles).

    Take my advice, either don’t bother collecting these miles (going out of your way to shop at retailers that offer these), or redeem them for Cash Miles and save yourself the agony of trying to redeem for a flight.

    What this means for most collectors as LoyaltyOne needs to pay for these rewards that collectors redeem is that the price of some of the rewards will go up.

    I just want to start a petition where I can see the good ol’ days back with them (about 7 years ago), where they had easy rewards to understand and redeem for, like Cineplex or Starbucks gift cards, and not this complicated rewards structure.

    What are your thoughts on the Expiration Policy removal?

     

  • Air Canada Launches Membership Program for Kids

    All Aeroplan members between the ages of 2 and 12 who reside in Canada or the United States qualify to become Skyriders. Take this opportunity to help make their flying experience extra special.

    ac_kids

    The Skyriders starter kit consists of various useful items all emblazoned with Pax cheerfully flying across them. Your kids will get a friendly introduction letter, a sturdy luggage tag and a logbook to keep a record of each one of their flights.

    This is fun for kids (I can’t wait to show my little ones their little flight book).

    Here is a link for more information.

  • Yet Another Class Action Suit – Air Canada / WestJet Baggage Fee

    I read this new article today about yet another class action suit for Air Canada / WestJet.

    A proposed class action lawsuit alleges that Air Canada and WestJet “colluded to fix the price” and introduce a charge for a first checked bag fee within days of each other.

    The suit also plans to claim that the added charge has “unjustly enriched” the two airlines, because it comes with no extra service.

    “It doesn’t seem fair and it doesn’t seem right,” says Lorne Hoedel, a Regina resident and the lead plaintiff in the proposed lawsuit.

    When the fees came out, I was surprised how quickly Air Canada was able to respond with a new policy (unless they were working on implementing it in that time).

    Personally, I would love to see some of the extra fees go down on the regular ticket as I don’t pay for this fee anyways (I have the CIBC Aerogold Visa card – waives baggage fee).

    What do you think of this suit? 

    Here is a link to the story on CBC.

  • How to Join Air Miles Canada Class Action Lawsuit

    It is incredible what is happening with Air Miles Canada at the moment.

    This week, JSS Barristers, a Calgary law firm, filed a class action lawsuit against LoyaltyOne, the company that owns and operates the Air Miles rewards program in Canada.

    head-logo

    The proposed class includes persons, resident anywhere in Canada, with a positive Dream Rewards Miles balance at any time on or after December 28, 2011.

    You do not need to take any positive steps to join the lawsuit. If you fall within the proposed class, you are automatically a member of the class, unless you expressly choose to opt out.

    I personally collect Air Miles when I get a good offer or with regular shopping but I don’t go out of my way to collect them.

    Here is my Transactions to show where I use my miles. I would avoid Dream Miles like the plague as it take so long to collect.

    My Statements for Last Twelve Months

    Date Description Reward Miles Bonus
    10 Sep 16 TUSCANY BONUS REWARD MILES +200
    03 Sep 16 BROADMEAD 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +3
    03 Sep 16 TUSCANY 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    27 Aug 16 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +2
    21 Aug 16 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 99186504645 -95
    20 Aug 16 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +8
    13 Aug 16 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +2
    06 Aug 16 TUSCANY 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    31 Jul 16 Dream Reward CONF# 92750334002 -50
    30 Jul 16 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    30 Jul 16 BROADMEAD 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +4
    30 Jul 16 TUSCANY 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    25 Jul 16 REXALL COOK ST BONUS REWARD MILES ON PRODUCT +5
    23 Jul 16 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +2
    23 Jul 16 JAMES BAY 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    25 Jun 16 Dream Reward CONF# 92738244802 -2
    18 Jun 16 HILLSIDE 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +2
    11 Jun 16 TUSCANY 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +2
    11 Jun 16 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 99172561435 -285
    07 Jun 16 UPTOWN MALL 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    04 Jun 16 SWCB UNIVERSITY HEIG 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    04 Jun 16 QUADRA BONUS REWARD MILES ON PRODUCT +5
    04 Jun 16 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +2
    28 May 16 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +2
    21 May 16 TUSCANY 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    16 May 16 IRIS STANDARD OFFER +33
    16 May 16 IRIS 10 X AM ON PURCHASE +297
    08 May 16 850 LANGFORD PKY VIC 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    07 May 16 TUSCANY 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    07 May 16 Dream Reward CONF# 92727723790 -190
    07 May 16 Dream Reward CONF# 92727723808 -190
    04 May 16 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 99165219892 -95
    03 May 16 BONUS REWARD MILES +50
    30 Apr 16 HILLSIDE 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    02 Apr 16 TUSCANY 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +2
    28 Mar 16 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 99158747214 -475
    22 Mar 16 AMERICAN EXPRESS PROMOTION +500
    19 Mar 16 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +2
    12 Mar 16 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    06 Mar 16 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 99155123401 -190
    05 Mar 16 TUSCANY 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    05 Mar 16 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 99154934170 -285
    27 Feb 16 TUSCANY 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    22 Feb 16 AMERICAN EXPRESS PROMOTION +500
    20 Feb 16 QUADRA BONUS REWARD MILES ON PRODUCT +4
    20 Feb 16 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    13 Feb 16 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +3
    10 Feb 16 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 99150678896 -665
    06 Feb 16 JAMES BAY 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    06 Feb 16 TUSCANY 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +3
    03 Feb 16 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 99149562763 -570
    02 Feb 16 UPTOWN MALL 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 -1
    30 Jan 16 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +2
    30 Jan 16 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 99148996384 -190
    29 Jan 16 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 99148646187 -190
    22 Jan 16 AMERICAN EXPRESS PROMOTION +500
    16 Jan 16 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +3
    13 Jan 16 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 99145849768 -570
    09 Jan 16 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    07 Jan 16 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 99144771278 -190
    31 Dec 15 UPTOWN MALL 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    31 Dec 15 UPTOWN MALL 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +2
    26 Dec 15 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +4
    26 Dec 15 TUSCANY 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +4
    26 Dec 15 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 89142411951 -475
    26 Dec 15 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 89142499659 -475
    25 Dec 15 AMERICAN EXPRESS PLATINUM +3
    24 Dec 15 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 89142168064 -475
    23 Dec 15 APPLE.COM AIRMILESSHOPS.CA PURCH BONUS +25
    22 Dec 15 UPTOWN MALL 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +3
    22 Dec 15 AMERICAN EXPRESS PROMOTION +1,500
    19 Dec 15 QUADRA BONUS REWARD MILES +400
    19 Dec 15 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +2
    19 Dec 15 HILLSIDE 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +6
    13 Dec 15 TILLICUM MALL 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    12 Dec 15 TUSCANY BONUS REWARD MILES +200
    12 Dec 15 QUADRA 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    11 Dec 15 GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE BONUS REWARD MILES +50
    26 Nov 15 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 89135949421 -95
    22 Nov 15 AMERICAN EXPRESS PROMOTION +1,000
    14 Nov 15 TUSCANY 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    08 Nov 15 AIR MILES Cash Reward CONF# 89133275753 -1,140
    07 Nov 15 REXALL TUSCANY 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +3
    03 Nov 15 APPLE.COM 1 REWARD MILE FOR EVERY $20 +51
    31 Oct 15 TUSCANY 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +2
    26 Oct 15 Dream Reward CONF# 82655500070 -3,800
    22 Oct 15 CUSTOMER INSIGHTS MYLCBO REGISTRATION +30
    22 Oct 15 AMERICAN EXPRESS PROMOTION +1,000
    10 Oct 15 PARKSVILLE BONUS REWARD MILES ON PRODUCT +4
    10 Oct 15 TUSCANY BONUS REWARD MILES ON PRODUCT +200
    10 Oct 15 PARKSVILLE 1 REWARD MILE PER $20 +1
    07 Oct 15 Dream Reward CONF# 82655500062 -1
    03 Oct 15 TUSCANY BONUS REWARD MILES ON PRODUCT +25
    24 Sep 15 Current balance preference 100%AIR MILES CASH 0%DREAM

    Full Disclosure: I redeem my Dream Miles for anything but travel because I am not a fan of their award chart. I am also not a fan of their redemption catalog (fluctuating prices) and not enough discounts for elite members (I am Oynx). 

    Here is a link to the class action.

  • $520 for Air Canada Maple Leaf Access (Minister Charges Taxpayers for Access)

    I wish Minister Philpott knew about travel hacking and the benefits of some our credit cards before charging Canadian taxpayers for Air Canada Maple Leaf Access.

    I still don’t know why politicians charge for elite privileges like limo services or first class flights. These shouldn’t be used by MPs.

    Spokesman Andrew MacKendrick told The Canadian Press on Monday that Philpott intends to repay the $520.

    In a statement, Philpott said she has already directed her department to review all of her expenses, vowing to fully reimburse any other filings found to be inappropriate.

    “I apologize and we will take steps to ensure this does not happen again,” she said.

    Here is a link to the story from Canadian Press.

    What are your thoughts when politicians charge taxpayers for these extra perks? 

    I understand that many travel a lot more than the average person and need to provide good service to their constituents, but there is a level of expectation needed.

  • Visit National Parks and Historic Sites For Free on July 1 (Canada Day)

    I am so proud to be Canadian and our government needs to show our citizens how gorgeous our country is!

    Parks Canada photo
    Parks Canada photo

    To celebrate this day on July 1st, access to all national parks and national historic sites managed by Parks Canada will be free.

    We have so many national parks and historic sites so this is a nice perk to have this free for just one day (I think the US has many days like this each year).

    Here is a link to all the locations and the activities they have planned.

    I will be in Halifax enjoying the activities at the Civitel.

    What are your plans?

  • NewLeaf Travel is Back – Flights take off July 25, 2016 (Pros and Cons)

    NewLeaf Travel Company Inc. is resuming sales with ultra-low fares and an expanded route map.

    Customers will be able to book flights on the NewLeaf web site from 12 Canadian cities: Halifax, Moncton, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Kelowna, Kamloops, Fort St. John, Abbotsford and Victoria.

    The first flights can now be booked for July 25, 2016.

    I wanted to share some pros and cons of this new airline:

    Pros of New Leaf

    Getting WestJet and Air Canada to lower prices

    It will be interesting to see if when WestJet and Air Canada start to match prices on these routes.

    I did a sample search between Victoria and the furthest East on a direct flight I could go is Winnipeg:

    new-leaf
    This is a great price compared to a comparison on Google Flights.

    google-flights

    They have really brought down the prices by a huge amount!

    Flying Boeing 737-400 passenger jets

    It is impressive that they are using more modern jets and in my experience some of the US-based are still using the older jets (like Allegiant).

    Cons of New Leaf

    No flights available everyday

    One of the positives of the major airlines that I have experienced is that they will help you find an alternative way to get to your destination. I am not sure about New Leaf – time will tell.

    new-leaf-schedule

    If the plane is not working when would the next flight take place?

    From their website

    • NewLeaf and the carrier will make all reasonable efforts to transport the passenger and his/her baggage at the times indicated in timetables.
    • NewLeaf will not guarantee and will not be held liable for cancellations or changes to flight times that appear on passengers’ tickets due to force majeure.

    Large difference in fees for baggage

    The maximum allowable size of a carry-on bag is 23 x 40 x 55 cm (9 x 15.5 x 21.5 inches) including handles and wheels. If the bag exceeds these dimensions or cannot be safely stowed on a particular flight, it will be checked for a $80 fee.

    Yikes! That is a large fee that is almost as much as the flight!

    Large List of Airlines that are now defunct

    The fact that there is a page on Wikipedia does not bode well for this airline! History is not on there side as these 2 major players can match prices for a while to put them out of business.

    What do you think about New Leaf? 

  • Air Canada grounds Toronto family after passports are stolen

    I read a strange story from the Toronto Star where a family had their passports stolen from their hotel room during an Arizona vacation last April, Air Canada assured them that their return tickets were enough to fly back to Toronto.

    On their departure day, the family of four did make it through Phoenix airport security. But just before an Air Canada agent handed them their printed-out boarding passes, another agent came along — and told them it was “illegal under Canadian law” to travel back to Toronto without passports.

    “Everyone was telling us their concern was U.S. customs and security letting us through,” she told the Star.

    Tharmaseelan’s family isn’t the first to be unexpectedly grounded thanks to mixed messages from Air Canada staff about missing passports. Last year, a Kelowna, B.C., woman who lost her passport on an Air Canada plane wasn’t allowed to board a return flight from Philadelphia — even though, she told Global News, officials had repeatedly assured her she could.

    When Tharmaseelan called the Canadian consulate about her family’s stolen passports, they told her to speak with her airline. An Air Canada rep told her that, because they’d purchased round-trip tickets, all of their information was still logged in Pearson International Airport’s system.

     

    I am not sure what I would do if my passports were stolen but I wouldn’t trust any airline without verifying an emergency passport.

    What would you do if you lost your passport outside of the country?

  • Flying WestJet’s Vancouver to London, England has no free meal!

    Imagine flying over 9 hours in Economy and not getting a measly meal!

    westjet-boeing-767-300-March5

    Westjet isn’t offering free meals in economy class on its new long-haul route and it’s the first carrier to do this on a direct flight from Vancouver to Europe. It takes nine to nine and a half hours to get to London’s Gatwick airport.

    “Within Canada, we are the only carrier charging for hot meals in the economy section of our aircraft,” WestJet spokesperson Robert Palmer said in an emailed statement.

    The airline started flying to London from Vancouver on May 6 and it’s running the non-stop service six times weekly until mid October.

    “Our guests have always told us that they do not want to pay for things they do not need or want, and that includes expensive meals,” said Palmer.

    WestJet considers itself a low-cost carrier and says its major competitor, Air Canada, is a legacy carrier and uses a different business model.

    “Fares will include more features, but they’re also more expensive. Comparisons between the two types of carriers are problematic because you’re comparing two different business models,” said Palmer.

    WestJet also points to the Norwegian Air flight from New York to London, on which the company does ask for meal payment on certain fares.

    But other low-cost airlines such as Air Transat, with non-stop service from Vancouver to London, do offer free meals on all flights to Europe.

    Transport Canada says there are no rules around providing free meals on flights.

    How much do these meals cost anyways?

    What do you think? Is this is a dealbreaker for you (all things being equal amongst carriers)?

  • Air Canada passenger suffers ‘horrible pain’ after being stuck in cramped seat

    Colin Savage has spent a lifetime staying fit and healthy, but one long airplane flight changed that.

    Until recently, the 64-year-old Victoria man would cycle an average of 400 kilometres a week and run marathons. Now he is short of breath and has trouble moving around.

    In January, Savage travelled to Argentina on a hiking trip. The trip home included a 10-hour flight from Chile to Toronto on an Air Canada 777 airplane.

    Knee space on commercial flights

    Knee space is limited on economy flights. Top: Air Canada Rouge, Bottom: Air Canada Economy. (Gabor Lukacs/ Facebook)

    Savage says for most of the flight, passengers were discouraged from getting out of their seats because of turbulence. At 6-2″, that was a problem for Savage.

    “In their seats, my knees were up against the seat in front of me. I was constantly squirming around trying to get comfortable.”

    A day and a half after he returned home, he felt a sudden sharp pain in his lower back. When it was still there the next morning he went to a hospital.

    “I went through horrible pain, I don’t know if you’ve broken a rib, I have, and this pain was a hundred times worse,” Savage says.

    Two CT scans later, doctors told Savage he had deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which was likely the result of having to sit for most of the 10-hour flight, and that blood clots had migrated up his leg, through his heart and into his lungs.

    What is DVT?

    DVT is a condition where a blood clot develops within a deep vein, usually in the thigh or leg. It can break off and make its way to the lungs, where it can cause breathing problems.

    According to the World Health Organization, passengers traveling in cramped areas for more than four hours are at risk.

    Dr. James Douketis, president of Thrombosis Canada, says given the number of people who fly, deep vein thrombosis poses a public health risk. (CBC)

    Savage raised the DVT issue with Air Canada and got this response:

    “Medical evidence has shown that deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the result of a pre-existing personal medical condition, related to an individual rather than a transportation system. International courts have confirmed that based on the aforementioned evidence there is no liability to air carriers for DVT that occurs during a flight.”

    This is a very scary condition and personally I always try to walk a little bit but one of my friends who was a pilot always tells me to stretch and stay active for these long flights. The longest flight I took was SFO to SYD and in Premium Economy we had lots of room but for my taller friends I can certainly see how it would be painful.

    I took a flight from Toronto to Cayo Coco in Cuba once with Skyservice and my friend who was 6’3″ had problems in the flight (even my legs were pushed against the seat in front of me.