It appears that Air Canada has made some changes to the way passengers booked on specific fares can select seats upon check-in.  It seems that travellers who’ve booked an Economy (Basic) or Economy (Standard) fare can no longer select a Standard seat for free at check-in. Rather, Air Canada will now automatically assign a seat upon check-in, and passengers need to pay to change to a different seat if they so desire. There hasn’t been an official announcement by Air Canada about the change, but its website has been updated to reflect the changes. We’ve reached out to Air Canada for confir ..read more

Air Canada and American Express have brought back a special offer for the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card, which exclusively targets members with Aeroplan Elite Status. With the Amex Aeroplan Status Offer, elite members who are approved for a new card and earn 20,000 Aeroplan points between April 25 and July 31, 2024 will earn an additional 20 eUpgrades and 15,000 Status Qualifying Miles (SQM).  This comes in addition to the card’s regular welcome bonus, and is only available to new applicants who currently hold Aeroplan Elite Status. Amex Aeroplan Status Offer: Earn 20 eUpgrades ..read more

World of Hyatt has officially launched its partnership with Mr & Mrs Smith, which adds more than 700 luxury properties Hyatt’s current portfolio, with more to come. After acquiring the luxury travel platform in 2023, select Mr & Mrs Smith properties across the globe are now eligible for earning and redeeming World of Hyatt points, which went live on April 24, 2024. Mr & Mrs Smith Properties Now Bookable through Hyatt Channels Over 700 properties available on the Mr & Mrs Smith platform are now eligible for booking through Hyatt channels.  As a reminder, Mr & Mrs Smith ..read more

Aside from accumulating points that can be used for travel, you’ll need to make sure your cash reserves are healthy, too. Cash back credit cards can be a good option, but there’s another often-overlooked avenue offered by the same institutions: bank account bonuses. Banks occasionally run promotions in which they give welcome bonuses when you open a new chequing account. These promotions are a good way to keep the awards flowing in from many different avenues. What Are Bank Account Bonuses? Chequing bonuses mirror the familiar model for credit card offers: receive a lump sum award upon fulfil ..read more

AIR MILES® has announced a string of changes that will positively impact its over 9.5 million collectors. In the latest round of improvements to the program, we’ve seen an increase to earning rates for eligible cardholders at wholesale clubs, including Costco, as well as at retailers who sell alcohol. Plus, the program is adding more ways to earn AIR MILES® through receipt scanning and online groceries. BMO AIR MILES® Cardholders Earn 2x Miles at Wholesale Clubs The biggest among the improvements announced today is that holders of the BMO AIR MILES®† World Elite®* Mastercard®* and the BMO®† A ..read more

Korean Air and WestJet have strengthened their bilateral codeshare agreement, just in time for the latter’s launch of thrice-weekly Calgary–Seoul (Incheon) service. Under the new agreement, Korean Air will place its flight number on WestJet’s Calgary–Seoul route, while WestJet will place its flight numbers on Korean Air’s Bangkok, Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, and Singapore services. Korean Air and WestJet Strengthen Codeshare Agreement Korean Air and WestJet are offering more routes for their respective passengers under an enhanced codeshare agreement. As a reminder, codeshare ..read more

In this edition of Head-to-Head, we’ll take a look at two relative newcomers to the Canadian credit card scene: Brim’s Air France KLM World Elite® Mastercard® and the Cathay World Elite® Mastercard® – powered by Neo. Representing SkyTeam and oneworld airlines, respectively, these two cards offer the ability to earn Flying Blue miles and Asia Miles through the welcome bonus and daily spending. Let’s take a look at how these two World Elite Mastercards stack up next to each other, and examine which card provides the best overall value to new cardholders. Head-to-Head: Air France KLM World Elit ..read more

Air Canada has added three new sports channels to its available selection of live TV channels, just in time for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.  These channels come in addition to the existing live TV channels available on select Air Canada flights, which were introduced in November 2022. Air Canada Adds Three New Sports Channels to Live TV Selection Air Canada has added three new sports channels to the roster of live TV stations available on select flights. As of April 19, 2024, passengers can enjoy Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet East on eligible Air Canada flights. In May, TVA Sports will ..read more

Air India is set to launch its new A350-900 on its first international route, marking an exciting step in the airline’s ongoing transformation. Beginning in May 2024, Air India will operate the A350-900 on one flight daily between Delhi and Dubai, allowing passengers to enjoy the plane’s modern interior and amenities. Air India’s First International Route for A350-900 Air India has announced the first international route using its new A350-900, with the aircraft scheduled on one of the four daily flights between Delhi and Dubai. The service is set to begin on May 1, 2024, and the flight times ..read more

In this edition of Head-to-Head, we’ll compare two credit cards from Marriott Bonvoy, one of the largest hotel programs for Canadians: the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card. Marriott Bonvoy is currently the only major hotel chain with a co-branded credit card in Canada. Both credit cards offer solid value propositions with reasonably low annual fees, as well as some very desirable perks and benefits. If you’ve got your eye on one of these cards, read on to find out which one is best for you.  Marriott Bonvoy American Express Car ..read more