Just in case there is a confusion, this is the Canadian Thanksgiving. That being said, let’s continue our yearly (2015, 2014) Thanksgiving theme. It is very easy to be negative in this industry. So the time today is to focus purely on the positives of the loyalty rewards world.
Another month, another list of higher than normal credit card sign up bonus promotions. As we close out the year, it does seem like we may be closing out the year strong, granted many of the current offers expire at the end of the month. This year has been a great overall year for credit card sign up bonuses, even though we’ve been seeing record high profits from the major banks.
According to a report by CBC News, it looks like Air Miles decided to change up their reward options. Air Miles has been accused of hiding reward options for certain members. Apparently, Air Miles finally admitted that they previously gave members access to different rewards based on their individual personal preferences. Whatever that means??
WestJet Rewards is offering an interested fast track option that will allow you to qualify for flight benefits received by its Silver or Gold elite status members. If you qualify now, you will receive the benefits until December 31, 2017. You will have to book all your flights between October 3, 2016 and December 18, 2016.
As you already know, I am a huge fan of survey programs, so this is a topic that I always love talking about. One of the programs that I use extensively is AskingCanadians. An argument can be made that this is the best survey program for earning miles and points from a Canadian perspective. The main reason is because they have a fair number of choices to bank your rewards.
A reader asked me last time, what the purpose was of this ranking. Basically, you do what you want with the list, take it for what it is. As a consumer, this list can give you an idea on where to shift your business. For example, if you want to see some of the smaller companies survive and thrive, you will know where to move your business.
I recently tweeted Shoppers Drug Mart to see if they could provide me with an update on the Shoppers Optimum program. Below is our interaction:
I thought I’d do a proper rundown of my favourite loyalty program in Canada. The main reason why it is my top pick is because travelling by train is my most preferred mode of transportation. The icing on the cake is that VIA Rail’s, VIA Preference, offers a very competitive loyalty program with lots of value to be had.
Last time around, we ended up doing an email interview with Marriott Rewards. This time around, I managed to have a phone interview instead Senior Vice President David Flueck (Starwood SPG) and Vice President Thom Kozik (Marriott). The purpose of the interview get an update on the recent merger between Marriott and Starwood.
Apologise for the delay. We did our best to arrange a time, but due to Michelle Bozoki’s (Vice President of Marketing at Marriott International, Canada) busy schedule, we were unable to interview her over the phone. Instead, she provided us with an email response to the questions so that there would not be a longer delay in getting back to everyone.