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  • Amex Platinum Canada Benefit – Example of a Platinum Experience

    Having a Platinum card is expensive ($699 annual fee), but the benefits for me are worth it (at least for the first year).

    Being a Platinum member gets you invites to interesting experiences where you can’t actually get from TicketMaster or get on StubHub or Craigslist.

    AMEX Canada emailed me today with an amazing experience (high cost by tax deductible or I could use my Membership Rewards).

    Here is a screenshot of the offer.

    David Foster Promo with American Express Canada.
    David Foster Promo with American Express Canada.

    Platinum Cardmembers are invited to join world-renowned music producer David Foster and the David Foster Foundation for an afternoon at DeerFields Stables Country Inn. Upon arrival guests will be welcomed with a champagne reception before having the unique opportunity to join David Foster for a musical experience as he shares stories of some of the music industry greats.

    David is a 16 time Grammy award winner (including 3 for producer of the year), has received an unprecedented 46 Grammy nominations, and earned 7 Canadian Juno Awards, an Emmy and a three Oscar nominations. David’s extensive career producing some of the world’s greatest musical icons such as Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Madonna and many more has led to a lifetime of fascinating and humorous stories to share.

    All proceeds of the event will be going to the David Foster Foundation.

    WHEN: Tuesday, July 8, 2014 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

    WHERE: DeerFields Stables Country Inn, 17084 Duffys Lane, Palgrave
    (northern Caledon), ON

    PACKAGE FOR TWO (2) PEOPLE INCLUDES:

    • Invitation for two (2) to a welcome champagne reception
    • Lunch for two (2) catered by North 44 Restaurant
    • Access for two (2) to an intimate afternoon with David Foster, including one-on-one time and photo opportunities
    • Cocktails, wine and beer for two (2) throughout the afternoon.

    Airfare, accommodation and transportation are not included in the package price

    PACKAGE COST FOR TWO (2) PEOPLE: $2,000 CDN per package (guests will receive a $1,600 charitable donation tax receipt issued by the David Foster Foundation)

    Or you can redeem 200,000 Membership Rewards® points per package.

    If you had the Membership Reward points would you use them? 

  • Aeroplan Connections – Earn up to 15,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles

    I received this email promotion from Aeroplan (so YMMV), they have a refer a friend promotion on right now where as a new member you can earn up to 15,000 bonus Aeroplan Miles.

    Aeroplan Bonus.
    Aeroplan Bonus.

    You’ll earn 1,000 bonus miles for joining Aeroplan, which only takes a few minutes. If you don’t have an account and join I appreciate it!

    Joining Aeroplan will allow you to earn miles with a network of over 75 world-class partners, representing more than 150 brands in the financial, retail and travel sectors. And you will be able to redeem those miles for travel to more than 1,300 destinations worldwide.
    Then, you can earn an additional 1,000 bonus miles for each flight segment you fly with Air Canada (up to a maximum of 14,000 bonus miles).

    Here is my invitation link to join.

    1. Gain 1000 miles for suggesting contacts (1,000 bonus miles for inviting one or more of your contacts.)

    2. Gain up to 7000 miles for those who join (1,000 bonus miles per contact who joins Aeroplan).

    3. Gain up to 7000 miles for those who book (1,000 bonus miles for every roundtrip or two one-way segments flown on Air Canada by your Connections contacts.)

    Enjoy!

  • Introduction to Asia Miles for Canadians

    You can earn Asia Miles by flying on any of the Oneworld alliance flights. But for the most part, Asia Miles is associated with the Cathay Pacific airline.

    Asia Miles Guide
    Asia Miles Guide

    Earning Asia Miles:

    The reason why Asia Miles can be valuable for Canadians is because you can use these points to fly on any Oneworld alliance member flights, even Alaska Airlines.

    As a Canadian, you can earn Asia Miles through:

    1. If you have American Express Membership Rewards point, you can transfer a minimum of 1,000 Membership Rewards Points for 750 Asia Miles, and increments of 100 thereafter.
    2. Whenever you fly on a paid ticket with a partner airline, quote your Asia Miles membership number on your reservation. Points are earned as follows:
      • First Class = 150% x actual miles flown
      • Business Class = 125% x actual miles flown
      • Premium Economy Class = 110% x actual miles flown
      • Economy Class = 100%, 50% or 25% x actual miles flown (depending on which type of ticket you bought)

      For example, if you flew on a round-trip between Hong Kong and Toronto on Cathay Pacific, you would earn the following number of points:

      • First Class = 23,388
      • Business Class = 19,490
      • Premium Economy Class = 17,152
      • Economy Class 100% = 15,592
      • Economy Class 25% = 3,898
    3. If you collect Petro Points, you can transfer your points to Asia Miles. Conversions must be in blocks of 10,000 PETRO-POINTS at a ratio of 10:1. 10 Petro Points to 1 Asia Mile.
    4. Earn a 10,000 sign up bonus with the RBC Cathay Pacific Visa Platinum. You will also earn 1 point for every $2 spent on Catha Pacific plane tickets purchases on their website and 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases, (though this card comes with a $150 annual fee).
    5. Convert your RBC Rewards® points (earned through RBC Visa Infinite Avion, RBC Royal Bank® Visa Platinum Avion, RBC Royal Bank Visa Business Avion) to Asia Miles at a ratio of 1 RBC Rewards point to 1 Asia Miles.
    6. You can transfer Starwood Preferred Guest points at a 1:1 ratio.

    Problems with Asia Miles:

    Asia Miles expire 36 months after the day it was deposited into your account. So you will need to use your points within 36 months of when you earned them. That could be a major pain if you cannot accumulate points quickly enough.

    I recommend on using Asia Miles for certain trips but in many cases it would be better to use AAdvantage miles. A trip from YVR to LAX on Alaska would be 20,000 Asia Miles.

    I found that Asia Miles charged 15,000 miles to go from Victoria to Seattle, unlike 9,000 with Avios. So not the best value, it gives you other options if you are an RBC Rewards customer and it is always good to have options when redeeming frequent flyer miles.

    Asia Miles are earned in the OneWorld alliance so you can have some good values.

  • Luftansa Miles & More, 50% off Award Ticket Sale – Montreal to Europe for only 30,000 Miles in Economy Class

    If you are looking to go to Europe for a fall trip, Luftansa’s Frequent Flyer program, has a sale on trips to Europe from Montreal, using Air France.

    Miles and More promotion.
    Miles and More promotion.

    Simply book your tickets by June 30 for travel between October 1-31.

    Remember that you can always transfer miles from Starwood (1:1 ratio) but the points may not transfer in time for the sale.

     

    Here is more information on the sale.

  • Getting Elite status with the VIA Preference program – Via Rail

    As much as I love flying, I loave taking a train! I don’t know – I had a poor experience in Europe while on honeymoon (another post for another time).

    Via Rail frequent traveller.
    Via Rail frequent traveller.

    Via Rail is the most popular train company in Canada. If you travel with VIA Rail, you can sign up for free with VIA Preference to earn loyalty points.

    In Canada we have some of the most beautiful train routes in the world!

    VIA Préférence offers a Welcome Bonus of 500 points for all new members who travel and spend $250 on VIA Rail within six months of registration. With free travel starting at only 550 VIA Préférence points, a first reward trip could be just around the bend!

    You can start earning points as soon as you become a member. You will get a membership number once you sign up for the program. To earn points, you must have your membership number on hand every time you buy a ticket. You can also use your membership number to sign in to your account at viapreference.com so you can update your profile and access personalized content and special offers created just for you.

    Your membership card will be sent to you as soon as you spend $250 on travel with VIA, or take two one-way trips with VIA.

    The qualifying period for each status runs from April 1 through March 31 of each year. You will enjoy the perks of the new status between May 1 and April 30 (i.e. 31 days after the qualifying period ends on March 31).

    Here are the highlights of the elite statuses:

    Préférence

    • Basic membership
    • When you spend between $0 and $999 (before taxes)
    • Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on VIA Rail (before taxes)

    Privilège

    • Achieved when you spend between $1,000 and $1,999 (before taxes)
    • Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on VIA Rail (before taxes)
    • Selection 2 exclusive coupons
    • Access to a priority ticket line in major stations
    • Personalized luggage tag

    Premier

    • Achieved when you spend $2,000 or more (before taxes) and complete at least 8 segments (a one-way trip counts as a segment and if you change, it counts as a new segment)
    • Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on VIA Rail (before taxes)
    • Selection 4 exclusive coupons
    • Access to a priority ticket line in major stations
    • Personalized luggage tag
    • Unrestricted reward travel (except December 23 and 24)
    • Priority boarding in Montréal, Toronto and Quebec City, Business or Economy class
    • Access to Business lounges when travelling in Business or Economy Plus
    • Priority meal selection on board when travelling in Business class
    • Priority access to the VIA Rail Service Centre

    Are any readers frequent Via Rail travellers? What should be my first trip on Via Rail? 

  • American Express AeroplanPlus Gold Card – 30,000 Aeroplan Miles Sign-up bonus, No Annual Fee

    So I signed up for another American Express card. Currently the AeroplanPlus Gold Card miles has a new offer of 30,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles when you charge $500 in purchases for the first three months of Card membership. You also do not pay no annual fee for the first year  ($120 value).

    American Express AeroplanPlus Gold Card Bonus
    American Express AeroplanPlus Gold Card Bonus

    The regular offer is just 25,000 Aeroplan miles so you are earning a nice bonus for using our link! This offer expires July 14, 2014.

    You only need 30,000 Aeroplan points for (2) round-trip short haul flights (could be BC to Oregon or Ontario to New York or North Carolina even) or 25,000 points for a free round-trip flight to anywhere in North America!

    Here is the award chart for 25,000 Aeroplan Miles:

    Aeroplan North America awards chart.
    Aeroplan North America awards chart.

    Here are some ideas for destinations for short-haul flights with Aeroplan:

    Short-haul ClassicFlight Rewards in North America
    Short-haul ClassicFlight Rewards in North America

    On to the other benefits of the American Express AeroplanPlus Gold Card:

    1. Earn 1 Aeroplan® Mile for every $1 of Card purchases up to $10,000 annually, and 1.25 Aeroplan Miles for every $1 of additional Card purchases over $10,000 annually.
    2. No annual fee for up to two Supplementary AeroplanPlus Gold Cards. The annual fee for additional Supplementary AeroplanPlus Gold Cards is $50 each.

    3. 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.

    4. 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.

    5. 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.

    6. Buyer’s Assurance Protection Plan:
      Automatically doubles the manufacturer’s original warranty up to one additional year when you charge the full purchase price to your American Express AeroplanPlus Gold Card.
    7. Purchase Protection Plan:

      Automatically, without registration, insures your eligible purchases against accidental physical damage and theft when you use your American Express AeroplanPlus Gold 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).

    Disclosure: For referring you to this card, I would receive a referral bonus of 10,000 Aeroplan Miles for each approved referral. I appreciate your support of the blog!

    Remember that once you sign up for this card, you can also refer your friends and family to receive the 10,000 Aeroplan mile referral bonus.

    Here is the sign-up link.

  • Trip Report – Hilton Hawaiian Village

    This Hilton Resort is been named a Hawaiian village for good reason.

    This property is at the opposite end of Diamond Head in the heart of Waikiki Beach. This hotel resort is HUGE – has over 22 acres of property to cover (it even has two Starbucks on the property). It has over 20 restaurants and bars and on Friday evenings has a free fireworks show (great value and time at 7:30 for the kids).

    View from our room in the Lagoon tower
    View from our room in the Lagoon tower

    At check-in because of my Hilton Gold status, I was upgraded to the Rainbow tower in a suite with a high floor with a view of the lagoon.

    Our daughter enjoyed seeing the penguins and the turtles and the koi fish around the hotel.

    Some problems I saw saw that the Super pool was freezing! Another problem is that since the children’s pool is connected – as soon as an accident happens – the pool is shut down. Good thing they have another huge pool at the Tapa tower.

    Hanging out at the Hilton Hawaiian Village
    Hanging out at the Hilton Hawaiian Village

    The daily activities are too early for people on holidays – who wants to wake up at 6 am to take a yoga class – couldn’t they have it at 7 AM or 7:30 AM?

    This was an accidental visit for us. It was a prepaid vacation that was offered months in advance (for a an unbelievable price) after searching for accommodation for our last holiday in New Orleans. As we arranged our stay in New Orleans it was offered as a Vacation Ownership promotion. To make a long story short we ended up purchasing a Hawaiian vacation that was never planned only because it was such a great offer. I’m glad we did too!

    Breakfast time at the Hilton Hawaiian Village worked out well with a great breakfast of nice juices and coffee, tea, muffins, fresh fruit, and cereals (just what I enjoy).

    Relaxing area in the Breakfast lounge.

    Here are some photos of our suite. Our daughter had lots of room to run around.

    No crib was needed but she enjoyed being able to run around.
    The room had a sectional to relax and enjoy a nice snooze in the afternoon.
    Busy checking out the complimentary PS3 in the room.

    Hilton really knows how to provide top of the line service to their members.  I am never disappointed with my stays at any of the Hilton Properties. Our room was LARGE, two balcony’s overlooking Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon, sofa and a lounging area where we ate lunches, bar fridge, spa bath with separate shower and an area to unpack move in for the week.
    Travelling with a toddler can be a challenge in confined hotel rooms but here there was no issue.

    Sand castles at the expansive Waikiki beach.
    Sand castles at the expansive Waikiki beach.

    The Hilton Hawaiian Village also provided us with a coupon booklet to eat at the village’s restaurants. Some were small discounts like a free appetizer while some were 15% off at the steakhouses. We made the most of the coupon booklet and remained on the property for most of our stay. It has everything you need so you don’t really need to venture far if you just want to relax.
    My highlight of the Village was the Friday night firework show that started a 7 pm – perfect timing with a toddler.

    Enjoying seeing the penguins every morning.
    Enjoying seeing the penguins every morning (with Elmo).

    I also enjoyed the Luau from our balcony 3 nights in a row. Watching the fireshow and the Hula dancers in the privacy of our hotel room was a real treat as well as a money saver. The first night we ordered pizza and hung out on the balcony watching the show.

    Tapa Bar pool.
    Tapa Bar pool.

    The wildlife in the village was a nice treat for my daughter although she always watched from afar never getting too close. The expansive tropical gardens are impressive.

    Closeup of the penguins from South Africa
    Closeup of the penguins from South Africa

    With all those pools only one was heated, the other 4 were like ice baths. Not many people hung out in those pools only around them. It made the heated pool with slides packed with parents and young kids running around until one kid decide to go pooh in the pool. Then the fun was over and he pool was closed.

    Sign at the Hilton Hawaiian Village
    Sign at the Hilton Hawaiian Village

    We made our way to the Tapa pool which wasn’t heated but had a large shallow area that made the water warm and toddlers friendly. I actually enjoyed that particular area better.

    This was another successful Hawaiian Vacation on the shores of Waikiki Beach.

  • MBNA – Choice Privileges MasterCard: No Annual Fee, 3 Free nights, $60 Cash Back Rebate

    I love to have a variety of cards in my wallet (American Express is not taken everywhere).

    Choices Privleges Card.
    Choices Privleges Card.

    This card rocks as until June 9, 2014 with Choice Privileges card you can earn up to 24,000 points. This is enough for up to 3 free hotel nights at over 1,500 Choice Privileges locations across North America.

    This card has no annual fee. Also, you can earn 2 points for every $1 spent on the card.

    Here are the benefits:

    • Up to 24,000 points (8,000 points, enough for 1 free night upon your first purchase and an additional 16,000 points, enough for two more FREE nights upon making an eligible purchase by July 31, 2014.
    • Up to 15 points for every $1 in eligible purchases at over 5,500 Choice Privileges locations in Canada, the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and Australasia
    • 2 points for every $1 spent on everyday eligible purchases
    • No annual fee 
    • Pus, get automatically upgraded to Elite Gold status, which gives you: 
    1. The ability to book free nights 50 days in advance instead of 30 days
    2. A 10% point bonus on every eligible stay

    You can even make money with this credit card offer by signing up with Great Canadian Rebates and earn $60 cash back rebate!

    Sign up with Great Canadian Rebates first (Disclosure: affiliate link), and then go to the MBNA link.

  • Trip Report – The World’s Longest Beach – Long Beach Washington

    Is Long Beach, Washington really the longest beach in the world? Located on the beautiful Peninsula of Washington State, Long Beach runs 25 miles long and 2 miles wide. It certainly isn’t the longest beach in the world that I’ve been to but it sure is long enough to be called Long Beach!

    Long Beach, Washington State

    We were coming from Victoria, BC along the 101 south down the scenic route. Any scenic route is always longer and winder but traffic was light since it was the August long weekend in Canada we were heading the opposite direction.  It doesn’t matter what time of year or time of day the ferry crossing on the Coho which sails from Victoria Inner Harbour to Port Angeles is always full. I recommend reserving a spot which ever way you are heading unless you want to wait around for 2 sailing if you can even get across on the same day.

    Long Beach ENtrance
    Long Beach Entrance

    The crossing is generally a little choppy and can be hard with a family since family seating is limited. The Coho is a private run company and as with any private run company trying to make a few bucks it’s over crowed with expensive tasteless food so bring your own food unless you want to be feeding the kids greasy fries. They pack the cars in like sardines and the border crossing in Port Angeles is long and not well organized however it is the only crossing so be prepared to put up with long waits and lots of people.

    Pan Handle?
    Pan Handle?

    The drive down is extremely scenic with many places to stop in for a picnic lunch or catch a beautiful sunset. I’ve driven this road twice now and by far the best time is after dinner when the traffic is low and the roads are clear. Driving along the coast in the dark can be hard on the eyes and tired-some.

    The long drive out is worth it once we arrived in Long Beach Washington. The beautiful beach side town if filled with family friendly activities and attractions. With family friendly restaurants, cafes, bakeries and plenty of sweet shops.

    Mrs Canadian Travel Hacking posing!
    Mrs Canadian Travel Hacking posing!

    Activities range from digging for clams,  bicycle build for two along the beach walk way, to amusements such as carousel an carnival rides you find at a fair. With bumper cars to arcades kids of all ages will enjoy.

    Our favourite part of Long Beach by far is the fresh tuna that can be purchased for $7lb and the beach walk that extends for miles int the sand dunes and beach.

    The price for accommodation is reasonable and beach houses can be rented out by the night, or week. The beach house is obviously more family friendly as this gives you the opportunity to BBQ your own fresh fish and enjoy the afternoon on the deck. But if you don’t want to rent a house you can always BBQ on the beach. Long Beach offers family friendly picnic areas with BBQ and tables. In fact you can even bring your own BBQ and drive your car down to the waters edge for a picnic.

    Romantic photo at the beach.
    Romantic photo at the beach.

    The best time of the year to visit is late July and to mid August. Long beach is right on the coast with no land cover so the temperatures can range from extremely warm to mild and breezy along the beach. We have been fortunate to have outstanding weather during our visits  but we always pack a jacket and warm pj. The homes can be cool at night and in the evening!

    If you are looking for a more budget way to enjoy Long Beach you might want to check out local websites or craiglist.com that offer housing swaps. We always manage to find a family that wants to swap their beach house for our condo in Victoria, BC. This makes a very affordable summer break.

    Showcasing the sea.
    Showcasing the sea.

    One of the many events offered in Long Beach is the Kite festival that happens every year in mid August which Long Beach is well known for. The Kite festival is a must for any family!

    Kite Festival.
    Kite Festival.

    Long Beach also offers plenty of farmers markets, whale watching and art festivals. As you can see the attractions, activities and events are endless.

    Map of the area.
    Map of the area.

    For a family friendly vacation with a home away from home Long Beach has got to be one of the must do with a family!

  • Aeroplan Distinction members can now bid on one-of-a-kind experiences and items #dExclusives

    Introducing dExclusives, one-of-a-kind rewards available to Distinction members through an exclusive auction site.

    Sample Aeroplan Distinction Auction
    Sample Aeroplan Distinction Auction

    Distinction members can use Aeroplan Miles to bid on—and hopefully win—a fantastic range of dExclusives rewards. Choose from once-in-a-lifetime trips, to tickets to some of the most exciting events in town to highly coveted collectibles. Here are just some of the dExclusives rewards up for auction:

    – Luxury trip to the 2014 Soccer Championship Finals in Brazil
    – Napa Valley wine tasting weekend
    – Tickets to see OneRepublic in concert
    – Customized Epiphone guitar autographed by Nickelback
    – And many more

    New rewards are being added all the time. What’s more, in addition to the items up for bid in the auction, you’ll occasionally be able to redeem miles for dExclusives rewards available at fixed mileage levels and in limited quantities.

    Be sure to visit aeroplan.com/dExclusives.

    I thought I had a lot of Aeroplan miles but check out the current high bid for the World Cup tickets, 1,126,000 miles!

    This is totally worth it (if you didn’t have the cash for the tickets).

    This dExclusives experience for two includes:
    • 2 roundtrip Business Class flights from anywhere in Canada to Brazil
    • 5 nights’ accommodation at the Hotel Atlantico Business Centro in Rio de Janeiro
    • 4 nights’ accommodation at the Novotel São Paulo Jaragua in São Paulo
    • Daily continental breakfast at your hotels
    • Guided Tour of São Paulo
    • Guided Tour of Rio de Janeiro, including tour of Sugar Loaf mountain
    • Private Hotel transfers to/from the airport and to/from the soccer matches
    • Top category tickets to the Semi Finals in São Paulo
    • Top category tickets to the Finals in Rio de Janeiro
    • At-destination representative for assistance, if needed

    I still think the Lady Gaga concert tickets is a good buy!