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Equifax Free 30-day trial.
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Sobeys is winding down its Club Sobeys Program — As of September 12, 2014, at Sobeys locations and as of September 10 at Thrifty Foods locations in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Aeroplan members will no longer be able to convert their Club Sobeys/Club Thrifty Foods points to Aeroplan Miles.
I am disappointed, the ratio was nice to earn Aeroplan Miles and I am a big Thrifty’s fans (they are transferring the plan to AIR MILES).
Any Club Sobeys or Club Thrifty Foods points that have been converted to Aeroplan Miles prior to these dates or Aeroplan Miles already deposited in the members account will not be affected.
Members in Ontario who are currently signed up to automatically convert their Club Sobeys points to Aeroplan Miles are not affected by this change and can continue to accumulate miles as usual.
Members can still earn a minimum of 1 Aeroplan Mile per $1 spent when shopping at Sobeys and Thrifty Foods or any grocer of their choice by simply using your Aeroplan—affiliated financial card.
To be eligible, the hotel reservation MUST BE BOOKED USING THIS PROMOTIONAL LINK (www.rocketmiles.com/alaskaair-3k-bonus) by 11:59PM CT on 30 September 2014 and check-out must occur by 28 February 2015.
Strictly limited to first time customers of Rocketmiles 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.
There are numerous ways to get from Vancouver island to Seattle however my desirable crossings is using the Victoria Clipper. When you compare time and cost of the journey the clipper offers good value for both. The Clipper is one of the fastest catamarans. It takes approximately 2.5 hours to complete the journey.
View of the Victoria Clipper
The journey not only offers a a quick and convenient way to travel it also gives passengers a panoramic view of the island, mountains and sea with the opportunity to spot seals, whales, and sea lions.
Another view of the Clipper
The check in is quick and easy with priority boarding for young families and anyone requiring assistance. The clipper has an easy access for wheelchairs and is stroller friendly. Bags are checked in prior to boarding. There is also secure containers foe bikes too.
On board the Victoria clipper there is gift and duty free shopping.
Organized and well-laid out.
The staff is extremely friendly and drop by your both to offer assistance with food and beverage service. I enjoyed the complementary tea and coffee.
Victoria Clipper Gift Shop
What more can you ask for in a early crossing!
There is child friendly change tables. It is warm with a comfortable temperature onboard. The crossing is smooth for the most part however choppy for approximately 1hr. The staff offer passengers motion sickness pills for a more pleasurable ride. Smoking is available outside in designate area.
Enjoying the crossing.
I had to leave my stroller which was inconvenient since all my bags and car seat was attached to the stroller.
We arrived as scheduled but what I didn’t enjoy was the long wait outside to pick up the luggage. It was very cold and seem like a long wait to grab our bags. Luckily for us it was a wed night and there were very few people on the boat. We made it through customs within 30 minutes and right downtown our hotel was only a block away.
We certainly do not have any American Express Syncs like they do in the United States but at least this helps a bit! This is a great promo to stack with their existing coupon codes and promotions.
AMEX promo
I think some of the prices on this website are quite high but if you can find a great deal (that you can anywhere else online) and remember that you are earning Aeroplan miles you can do well. They now offer many retail cards so if you are an Aeroplan Distinction member like me on a purchase of a $200 Gap Options card (to be used at Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic), you can earn 2 Aeroplan miles at Shop.ca per every dollar spent (in addition to every mile you earn on your credit card).
Use Great Canadian Rebates to get cash-back when making your purchase (just 4% cash back right now), or Ebates (7% cash back).
It’s easy to earn your Statement Credit:
Register your eligible American Express Card between July 23, 2014 and September 30, 2014 at amexnetwork.ca/shopca. Purchases made during the offer period prior to registration of your eligible Card in this program are not qualifying purchases.
Once you’ve registered, use your registered American Express Card to make a cumulative purchase of $200 or more at SHOP.CA between July 23, 2014 and September 30, 2014.
After the offer period ends a $50 Statement Credit* will be applied to the eligible Basic Cardmember’s American Express account.
Here are the special terms:
To be eligible for one (1) $50 (CAD) statement credit; make a cumulative spend of $200 or more at SHOP.CA. To be eligible, the card must be registered prior to making any purchases. The purchase(s) must be charged to your registered Card during the offer period. The qualifying purchase must be completed by 11:59:59 pm EST on September 30, 2014 and subsequently posted to the account to be a qualifying purchase for this offer. Statement credit may take up to 2 billing cycles to appear on your statement and up to 8 weeks to be credited to the account, after the Cardmember has completed the qualifying purchase(s). If the statement credit is being applied to a credit card account, please note that this does not satisfy the requirements to pay the minimum due. A statement credit does not constitute a payment. The Cardmember must continue to make separate payments of at least the minimum due in accordance with the Cardmember agreement and account statement. We reserve the right to substitute an American Express Gift Card or cheque in lieu of the statement credit. American Express is responsible for fulfillment of this offer.
One of my must haves is free wifi when I am on the road (as a blogger and someone that is always connected).
Many hotels offer this but sometimes it could be slower than a Starbucks in Seattle!
The Wifi speeds are faster than my home connection!
Hotel WiFi Test is crowdsourcing its speed data by having you test the Wi-Fi in a hotel. It can pin down your location and run a speed test.
For many travellers, WiFi speed is a vital feature of a hotel room, and is a major selling point for everyone from businessmen to backpackers. However, most hotels don’t actually care much about the WiFi quality since they can always advertise “Free WiFi”, which doesn’t make any claims about the actual quality or speed. Free is always a good price, but travelers are often disappointed by the WiFi quality they find.
As its name suggest, Hotel WiFi test is a site that lets you find out the internet speed of hotels around the world. It relies on user generated content though: meaning users have to go to hotels and test the WiFi, simply by running the site and it will automatically pin down your location and run a speed test. After the website uses your internet location to check your approximate location, it shows you a list of hotels near you. You simply select the hotel you are in and the website will check your speed and figure the results into the rating.
Currently, the website lists a few hundred tested site from popular locations around the world, and in Singapore, over 34 hotels have been tested for their WiFi speed at the time of this writing. Some of the hotels include Marina Bay Sands, which has the highest internet speed of all the hotels tested in Singapore, Grand Copthorne Waterfront, Shangri-La, The Fullerton and many more. Other than Singapore, 33 hotels in Bangkok have also been tested for their internet speed.
I am currently an American Express Platinum card owner (especially with the current sign-up bonus of 60,000 Membership reward points = $600 of free travel or 60,000 Aeroplan or Avios miles). They even give you a $200 annual travel credit.
Free night at Fairmont properties with your AMEX card.
They have teamed up with Fairmont to have a nice promotion.
Stay an extra night, based on a minimum night stay, at any of the featured Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, compliments of American Express.
The Fairmont properties featured are also part of the FINE HOTELS & RESORTS program. As a Platinum Card member you can enjoy special program privileges7 such as:
Daily breakfast for two people
Room upgrade*
An additional special benefit unique to each property, such as a food & beverage credit or massage for two people**
Whether you’re making a quick stop-over or are planning a long-overdue vacation, there is nothing quite like arriving at one of Fairmont’s luxurious Hotels & Resorts. And now, for a limited time, you can enjoy a complimentary night stay at any of these featured Fairmont properties when you book with your Platinum Card. Minimum stay requirements vary based on location – see below for details.
COMPLIMENTARY 4th NIGHT
The Savoy, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, London | United Kingdom
Where old fashioned glamour sparkles with a new lustre.
Enjoy a complimentary 4th night with a minimum paid 3 night consecutive stay when you book by December 26, 2014 for stays ending by December 30, 2014.1† Terms & Conditions apply.
COMPLIMENTARY 4th NIGHT
The Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui | Hawaii
Hawaii’s only all suite and villa luxury oceanfront resort.
Enjoy a complimentary 4th night with a minimum paid 3 night consecutive stay when you book by December 17, 2014 for stays ending by December 21, 2014.2† Terms & Conditions apply.
COMPLIMENTARY 4th NIGHT
The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa, Sonoma | California
Filled with natural mineral hot springs, in the heart of Wine Country.
Enjoy a complimentary 4th night with a minimum paid 3 night consecutive stay when you book by December 25, 2014 for stays ending by December 31, 2014.3† Terms & Conditions apply.
COMPLIMENTARY 3rd NIGHT
The Plaza, New York City | New York
A timeless urban resort with a contemporary spirit.
Enjoy a complimentary 3rd night with a minimum paid 2 night consecutive stay and a bonus $50 Food & Beverage credit when you book by November 16, 2014 for stays ending by November 19, 2014.4† Terms & Conditions apply.
COMPLIMENTARY 4th NIGHT
The Fairmont Orchid, Kohala Coast | Hawaii
Inspired by culture, well-being and genuine Aloha.
Enjoy a complimentary 4th night with a minimum paid 3 night consecutive stay when you book by December 16, 2014 for stays ending by December 20, 2014.5† Terms & Conditions apply.
British Columbians can once again collect reward points on pharmacy purchases thanks to a successful legal challenge by Sobeys.
On Friday, July 25, the Supreme Court of British Columbia struck down the College of Pharmacists of BC bylaws that, since December 2, 2013, have prohibited pharmacy patients in the province from earning loyalty rewards, including Safeway’s AIR MILES® and Club Thrifty Foods Points on non-government funded pharmacy prescriptions.
Sobeys frequent flyer miles.
“We are delighted that as a result of our efforts, Safeway and Thrifty Foods’ pharmacy customers will once again be able to earn the rewards they enjoy to enrich their lives, help buy products and travel,” said Sandra Aylward, Vice President, Professional and Regulatory Affairs, Sobeys Inc.
“Safeway and Thrifty Foods will now move quickly to reinstate our Safeway AIR MILESÒ and Club Thrifty Foods Points reward programs so that pharmacy customers at both banners will once again be able to earn rewards on their non-government funded pharmacy purchases,” said Aylward.
British Columbians that shop at Safeway, Thrifty Foods and Sobeys banner stores will also continue to earn loyalty rewards for purchases made throughout the balance of the store.
This is a beautiful ship – very tasteful and classy but it is not extravagant. There is plenty of room for everyone on board and no major bottlenecks for passengers. You will find official documentation and instructions in Italian, German, French, Dutch, and English.
MSC CRUISES – Great ship.
We had some hits with the food on board (veal shanks and roasted salmon and cheesecakes) and misses like gnocchi where you needed to chew (instead of melting in your mouth – no potatoes?).
We really enjoy the breakfasts (enough of our breakfast cereal favourites and great coffee) on the cruise and versatility of the menus for a 10-day cruise.
Enjoying the pool
The entertainment was incredible – I could sit at the piano bar every night and I was a happy guy! The musicians and singers are talented performers.
Incredible entertainment each night.
The main problem with this cruise line is the service and communication. First, English is a second or third language for many employees and this doesn’t work when the majority of passengers are from North America.
I asked numerous employees for directions on board and I received answers like “Yes, Sir”. Well, I didn’t ask for a yes or no answer, if you do not know then ask a supervisor.
Relaxing with the baby carrier.
Another thing employees must realize is that even though someone may not look Italian, they can understand what you are saying (employees were speaking about us one evening when going to the formal restaurant).
Also, the main managers of the area, cafeteria, entertainment, security, excursions, always had a frown on their face. I mean to see them smile I would expect them to make an announcement on the intercom!
Cleanliness is important in the dining areas and I expected an employee to force all passengers used hand sanitizers when using the buffet. I didn’t experience too much confidence in the cleanliness and I spoke to other passengers that felt the same way.
My daughter and I sleeping in the room.
One excursion that we booked was the Montego Bay Shuttle Bus (for $20 per person). This was from the Falmouth, Jamaica stop. I recommend staying at the port and avoid this tour because this just takes you to the same type of shops in Montego Bay. This city I will never go back to (vendors are pulling you into their shops and areas to buy their t-shirts and souvenirs). The port area is easy to access and less pressure to buy anything.
Finally, another major problem is that even though it seems to be family friendly the cruise line is not when it comes to toddlers and infants. Children under 3 cannot take part in any of the official Kids Club or Mini Club activities. All I was looking for was an area where we can bring her to crawl around and play with some toys – not a miracle to ask for.
I like some aspects of this cruise line but I wanted to point out some of the problems of the ship before making your decision to book your next cruise.
Housekeeping was not as one would expect on this cruise line. I actually made a complaint because my rooms was not cleaned at 4:00pm not to mention the smelly diapers starting to stink up the whole cabin. Needless to say I think my I made a statement when I placed the garbage filled with spoiled diapers in the hallway because that never happened again.
Children’s pool was not open throughout the whole 11 night cruise but we overlooked this when taking her to a wading pool in the main lounge.
As a Canadian, Aeroplan is my favourite frequent flyer program. I have flown to Hawaii, Ontario and have a BIG trip planned for 2015 (future blog post).
They are constantly evolving and they try to improve the program ( I know many programs are being devalued but understand that it is a business and they have many great redemptions for Canadians). It basically started as a promotional tool for Air Canada’s business travelers but has evolved to the Distinction program with all sorts of retailers involved. It is also a spin off of Air Canada that was the first publicly traded loyalty company.
We have a great contest for our Canadian Travel Hacking and Boarding Area readers.
How about a chance to win 30,000 Aeroplan Miles (That’s enough for 2 short-haul ClassicFlights or 1 long-haul ticket in North America or one-way ticket to Europe).
