COASTING ON POINTS

As travel restrictions and public health measures loosen around the world, more and more people are ready to travel. Unfortunately, it looks like airport staff have not been able to keep up. There have been widespread reports of hours-long delays at many airports , resulting in people arriving 3-4 hours early to be able to run to the gate and make their flights. Is there any way to avoid these long line-ups at the airport? Well, there are always Priority Security Lanes and there are a few ways to get in that line instead of the regular line - but they involve a tradeoff between cost and time to implement. Method 1: Fly Business Class Cost: $$$$$           Time to Implement: Immediate Business Class passengers will always have access to priority security lines and check-in processes at the airport. If you're paying cash fares for Business Class, that can get pretty expensive. Alternatively, you can try to collect points to get business class flights for th...

The Amex Cobalt and Scotiabank Gold Amex are the only cards in Canada that offer 5x the points on dining and grocery spend, which equates to 5% cash back  if redeemed for a travel credit. That's the highest ongoing spend bonus in Canada! If that wasn't good enough, starting October 1, 2022, the Scotia Gold Amex will offer 6x the points  on Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, FreshCo, etc. brand grocery stores. That's even higher than the Amex Cobalt! Both the Amex Cobalt and Scotiabank Gold Amex have annual limits on the 5x category. The Amex Cobalt offers 5x up to $30,000 a year, whereas the Scotiabank Gold Amex offers 5x up to $50,000 a year. But wait. What if you don't spend $2,500+ a month on food and groceries? What if you shop at Costco or some other place that doesn't take Amex? No worries - this post is all about clever ways to maximize that 5x bonus and get more out of your card. 1. Shop at grocery stores that take Amex A complaint we hear often about Amex is that not a...

The RBC Visa Infinite Avion is a great card for traveling more and paying less , for a couple of reasons: The RBC Avion loyalty program has a lot of options for converting points.  It depends on your specific goals, but you aren't restricted by airline like Amex or Aeroplan. This post will outline all the different options comprehensively, as well as link to other blogs that detail one option in depth. There are frequent promotions throughout the year to earn a generous welcome bonus. At the very least, you can end up with one round trip flight within North America! Last Updated: May 16, 2022 Disclaimer: Some of the links below are referral links, which means I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This post is not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own. RBC Visa Infinite Avion: The Lowdown Annual Fee: $120 Minimum Welcome Bonus: 35,000 points via the RBC website  upon approval + 20,000 points after ...

Image Credit: Marriott.com Unless you travel frequently for work, it is highly unlikely for most people to get status with airlines and hotels. Generally, airline status with Air Canada or WestJet give perks such as priority check-in, priority boarding, lounge access, checked baggage, and so on. With hotel chains such as Marriott or Hilton, status will get you exclusive access to room upgrades, hotel club lounges, free breakfast, additional points, late checkout among other benefits. To get status or equivalent perks without work travel, you just have to sign up for the right credit cards. Here are the best credit cards in Canada that provide airline and/or hotel status! Last Updated: April 19, 2022 Disclaimer: Some of the links below are referral links, which means I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This post is not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own. American Express Platinum Card Best for: Hotel and car re...

If you're a student or senior just starting to get into credit card rewards, you may find that the really lucrative credit cards require a really high income level to get approved. For example, the BMO World Elite MasterCard requires an individual income of $80,000 and household income of $150,000! If you don't earn that much, it doesn't mean that you should be discouraged from taking advantage of credit card rewards. In fact, most credit card issuers really want your business, and will have credit cards tailored towards you. Here are the top 10 credit cards that have no income requirements! Last Updated: April 15, 2022 MBNA Alaska Airlines Platinum Plus MasterCard Best for: Collecting Alaska miles Annual Fee: $75 Minimum Welcome Bonus: 21,000 Alaska miles after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months Application Link(s): MBNA , Great Canadian Rebates ($50 cash back) WHAT DO YOU GET OUT OF IT?  The MBNA Alaska Airlines MasterCards help you earn poin...

A few years ago, Air Canada and WestJet made a few changes to their fares and fees to compete with low-cost carriers: Air Canada and WestJet hiked checked bag fees on economy flights from $25 to $30 one-way for the first bag, and from $35 to $50 one-way for the second bag. Air Canada introduced Economy Basic , which doesn't come with checked bags even for international flights.  If you're used to packing light, these changes shouldn't bother you too much. However, if you prefer to bring a checked bag with you on long trips - prepare to pay upwards of $60 roundtrip! But wait - did you know that there actually a few Canadian credit cards that include free checked bags as part of their perks? Yes, that's right! These are the cards that include free checked bags as a perk: Last Updated: April 15, 2022 TD Aeroplan or CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Baggage Perk:  1 free checked bag on Air Canada flights for the Primary Cardholder, authorized users and up to eight...