Summer travel can be expensive for Canadians, but if you use Ebates – you can get cash-back when you shop online.
Sign up for an Ebates account and receive double cash-back on many travel related businesses!
Here’s a list:
Start shopping through Ebates.ca now.
Offers end July 29, 2014.
I love the Aeroplan distinction program as it is not just a frequent flyer program (I no longer travel frequently for work).
It gives you many nice bonuses like bonus Aeroplan Miles for stays, reduced miles for Market Fare Flight Rewards, bid miles on dExclusives, one-of-a-kind experiences and items offered through an exclusive online auction site.
I don’t fly as much (2 little ones and I have been busy this year).
I wanted to show Canadians that even if you do not fly a lot that you can still earn many frequent flyer miles!
Look at my statement below, shopping at Thriftys, pump my gas at Esso, and I bought a vanity with a promotion at Shop.ca. These are activities where I just purchased at my favourite merchants but I planned to stack to earn the bonus miles. The way I looked at this is that I earned a free flight!
As a result of my careful spending, I became a Distinction Silver member this month – without flying with Air Canada or any other Star Alliance members once all year!
I love to save money on hotels as status is not that important as I like to stay at different chains.
Have you ever heard of a “out of order” rate for a hotel?
One time our Priceline reservation was for the wrong day but the manager gratiously offered a spare room (with just a sofa bed) – we were grateful, but I have never used this before.
I read about this on Reddit.
Apparently, a hotel can have a room or two with a minor problem like a broken TV, refrigerator, or a table. These rooms can’t be charged at full price and they aren’t in the hotel’s inventory of rooms. These are called “out of order” or dirty rate rooms. You’ll have to call the hotel directly to book these rooms.
Do any of my readers have any experience with these type of rooms?
Star Alliance™ Gold and Silver Benefits are not extended by Germanwings.
Have any of our readers flown with them before? A good opportunity to pad your balance while travelling this discount airline in Germany.
My favourite drug store in Canada – Rexall (because they offer 1 Aeroplan mile for every $1 that you spend there).
They have a great promo on right now to earn 100 free Aeroplan miles when you subscribe to their newsletter.
If you entered your loyalty number, your Bonus Miles will be credited to your members account within 10 business days after the end of this promotion.
This ends July 24, 2014.
Easy!
For a limited time, you’ll receive Double Aeroplan® Miles each time you fly round-trip to select destinations in Canada until October 31, 2014.
Simply register and book by August 29, 2014 . Make sure you register even if you don’t plan to fly (you never know when you might see a good seat sale or book a trip for work)!
Eligible routes:
The Bonus Aeroplan Miles for eligible flights flown will be awarded for new bookings only made between July 8, 2014 and August 29, 2014, for travel on select eligible flights between July 8, 2014 and October 31, 2014. In order to qualify as a new booking, the booking must have been created for the first time with a new booking reference number during the eligible booking period of the promotion. Any booking made prior to the start of the promotion that is subsequently changed to include travel dates within the qualifying travel period will not be considered a new booking that is eligible for the promotion.
The Double Aeroplan Miles will be applied exclusively towards miles earned based on distance flown as per the fare mileage accrual rules. The class of service bonus miles and miles earned in conjunction with the Altitude Bonus Select Privilege are excluded.
Valid on select eligible scheduled non-stop flights operated by Air Canada (including flights operated under the Air Canada Express brand) only for travel between July 8, 2014 and October 31, 2014.
To qualify, the round-trip or two one-way flight segments must be travelled in the eligible fare options (booking classes) within Canada:Tango (S,T,L,A,K); Flex (M,U,H,Q,V,W,G); Latitude (Y,B); Premium Economy Lowest (E,N); Premium Economy Flexible (O); Business Class Lowest (D,Z,P); Business Class Flexible (J,C).
A minimum of one round-trip or two one-way segments is required to earn any Bonus Aeroplan Miles.
Valid on published fares and Flight Passes which are eligible for Aeroplan mile accumulation. Offer is not valid when traveling on an Air Canada Unlimited Flight Pass.
Bonus Aeroplan Miles are not Altitude Qualifying Miles and do not count towards Air Canada Altitude.
Bonus Aeroplan Miles will be credited up to three weeks after the qualifying flights are completed.
Upgraded flight segments (eUpgrades, Last minute paid upgrades, Star Alliance Upgrade Awards, etc) will be tracked for this promotion based on the eligibility of the original Economy Class fare purchased.
Aeroplan Flight Rewards are not eligible for mileage accumulation.
Bonus Aeroplan Miles cannot be sold and are non-transferable. They have no cash value and cannot be converted to cash or refunded if unused.
Offer is subject to change at Air Canada’s sole discretion without notice; other conditions and restrictions may apply.
Thankfully I don’t have this problem anymore but for my readers under 25, when you rent a car, you usually need to pay a hefty surcharge (because you are an inexperienced driver).
I feel for you as I remember paying these for a trip but I have some tips and tricks that will help you out!
1. Get a AAA or CAA membership.
Young renters usually have to pay $15- $25 extra per day for a “Young Rental” fee. Did you know that owning a AAA card waives this fee?
2. Get a free USAA membership (US Only).
All you have to do is sign up for a free USAA account here. Click on “Our Products”, then “Retail Discounts”. Finally, click “Learn More” underneath Rental Cars. They have a table with each company listed with their discount code and a list of the benefits.
Each code knocks off underage driver fees and additional driver fees for Avis, Budget, Enterprise and Hertz. You also get a discount beyond that (25% with Avis and Hertz).
3. For all my Canadian and US friends, join Hertz Gold Rewards for free!
A Complimentary #1 Club Gold Membership For Young Renters:
Are you 21 or older? Start enjoying the benefits of a complimentary Hertz #1 Club Gold membership with your next rental with Hertz.
In addition to waiving the $60 membership fee, You’ll also enjoy: Automatic discounts on our Standard and Leisure Rates.
Sign up here and use CDP #1826991 (GOLD FAMILY DISCOUNT PROGRAM) and remember to select it when booking.
4. Book under a corporate code.
Do you belong to a college or university or does your employer have a corporate code?
Sometimes these codes will bypass the car rental standard pricing for the driver surcharge.
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 Airlines Canada is offering you savings to every destination if you book by July 17th and travel by December 14th!
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:
I honestly do not see the value using AIR MILES for flights! Use them for gas cards at Shell instead or Cineplex tickets.
Just a quick reminder that the increased 30,000 Aeroplan Miles sign-up bonus on the American Express Aeroplan Plus card only runs through July 14, 2014.
The normal sign-up bonus is 20,000 Aeroplan miles with no annual fee the first year. I posted some great reasons to apply for the card.
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!