What's your favourite travel loyalty program?

[papertraveller]

It seems like we've tried them all. We bailed on Aeroplan, since it seemed like everytime we needed to book that all of the "base" point deals were gone, and only the seriously inflated point deals remained.

Then we switched to AirMiles, but today I had the first booking experience there. First I learned that availability is added to the system 324 days in advance. Then I learned that booking a one-way flight costs 60 per cent of a return, so there was no benefit in booking the legs separately.

So this morning was the first opportunity to book our return package for March Break 2012 -- and by 8:30 a.m. the return flights were already gone. Because we are heading out mid-week, we are okay. But that inventory disappeared awfully quickly, which makes me wonder just how good a plan this will be.

Mid-afternoon, I checked the flights again. And everything that I had managed to book, was now gone.

So now I'm wondering, what has your experience been? Is it better to go with the programs that offer cash off the travel expenses (TD, RBC, Amex)? What's your favourite program, and why?

I'm happy that I was organized enough to know when the dates were being released for next year, but I'm not wild about the limited inventory.

 

[Tower]

Due to business, I do have the CIBC Aerogold Visa, but I've been disappointed for the longest time with Aeroplan in general. And now they're upping the ante this July!
I've heard others are better and I've charged DW with finding a better card, but she's not Internet savvy and hasn't done anything with it.

I'm very dedicated to my Holiday Inn Priority Club points. They never expire! In 2005, I started a 2-year project that took me all over the mid-west. We stayed at Holiday Inns pretty well exclusively. When I showed up for my first night, I had not stayed at a Holiday Inn for 10 years, yet when I showed my Priority Club card, the gal at the desk did not recognize it, nor did the check in recognize my number. That evening, I logged in to the site, typed in my number and was advised that my number had been changed, but ALL MY POINTS PREVIOUSLY ACCUMULATED WERE SAVED!!!
I've accumulated several free nights since then and have used business travel for family vacations. I love it!
Who cares about Aeroplan miles when we can fly almost as cheaply out of Buffalo over the dispensing fee Aeroplan charges to fly out of Toronto! ($500)

I'm also a member of National Car Rental's program for free rentals. Handy to have when we want to rent a car in Orlando.

 

[mkmommy]

It seems like we've tried them all. We bailed on Aeroplan, since it seemed like everytime we needed to book that all of the "base" point deals were gone, and only the seriously inflated point deals remained.

Then we switched to AirMiles, but today I had the first booking experience there. First I learned that availability is added to the system 324 days in advance. Then I learned that booking a one-way flight costs 60 per cent of a return, so there was no benefit in booking the legs separately.

So this morning was the first opportunity to book our return package for March Break 2012 -- and by 8:30 a.m. the return flights were already gone. Because we are heading out mid-week, we are okay. But that inventory disappeared awfully quickly, which makes me wonder just how good a plan this will be.

Mid-afternoon, I checked the flights again. And everything that I had managed to book, was now gone.

So now I'm wondering, what has your experience been? Is it better to go with the programs that offer cash off the travel expenses (TD, RBC, Amex)? What's your favourite program, and why?

I'm happy that I was organized enough to know when the dates were being released for next year, but I'm not wild about the limited inventory.

I was thinking about booking flights with Airmiles to LA for next March, but I decided to buy tickets on Air Canada as it was going to cost be $1900 to buy the extra 2 tickets I needed plus 3700 airmiles. I got 3 tickets for the same price and I still have my airmiles.

I do have a flight booked with Airmiles to Europe this summer and when I looked the other day the return portion was cancelled, this is the second time there has been an issue and the flight is still 4 months away.

I had an Alaskan Mastercard and I had good luck using the points on AA flights, and it was easy to rack up the points.

I sometimes think PC points are the best, use the points for groceries and then use the savings to the grocery budget on travel.

 

[papertraveller]

I forgot to mention that the three "free" AirMiles tickets cost us just over $500 in additional fees.

So not only are the booking windows very, very tight -- but there are, of course, always additional costs. That's why I'm thinking that it's just better to add up the points on TD, RBC or Amex, where you can apply the amount to whatever flights you do end up booking.

I confess that I've hit a bit of Buffalo fatigue, partially because of the drive and also because the number of direct flights to MCO seems to have been reduced. And for primetime travel (March Break, Christmas) the deals haven't been overwhelming.

Tangentially, I had originally hoped to use these points for a Europe trip that got postponed indefinitely. I'm wondering if the booking experience for them is a bit more flexible than high-traffic routes like Orlando?

 

[mkmommy]

I forgot to mention that the three "free" AirMiles tickets cost us just over $500 in additional fees.

So not only are the booking windows very, very tight -- but there are, of course, always additional costs. That's why I'm thinking that it's just better to add up the points on TD, RBC or Amex, where you can apply the amount to whatever flights you do end up booking.

I confess that I've hit a bit of Buffalo fatigue, partially because of the drive and also because the number of direct flights to MCO seems to have been reduced. And for primetime travel (March Break, Christmas) the deals haven't been overwhelming.

Tangentially, I had originally hoped to use these points for a Europe trip that got postponed indefinitely. I'm wondering if the booking experience for them is a bit more flexible than high-traffic routes like Orlando?

I booked to Paris with a return from Barcelona when the window opened so no issue and was able to get direct flights. I have since looked for other dates as close as 4 months out not peek summer though and have had flight options but for a higher point amounts.

I have read the using points for travel is not the best use of Airmiles,

 

[Sue M]

I have Aeroplan, and can get miles flying Continnental & United. I like Aeorplan because the points don't expire as long as you keep acct current, easy to do just buying gas at Esso. I have the Aeoplan Infinite Visa.

My friend has the Alaska Mastercard and is happy with them.

 

[grantclaire]

I am using a TD Visa Travel Rewards credit card. The annual is a bit high 120.00 but it comes with free medical and trip insurance. No blackout periods. Last year I earned $1000.00 and used it for this Decembers flights to Orlando.

 

[stefanospops]

I'm an Aeroplan guy but have only used the points for flights once. Instead I use my mils exclusively for car rentals when I go to Disney. I have the Amex and CIBC aeroplan cards.

Check out this site for a breakdown of cards if it makes it easier. I typically look for more than a 2% return versus the actual cost of what I am getting. With both my aeroplan cards I am getting 1.25 to 1.5 miles per dollar spent.

http://www.rewardscanada.ca/topcreditcard2010.html

 

[4orm]

SPG! The Starwood program. I had the MBNA free credit card which is now unfortunately gone but AMEX now picked up the program. Even though the AMEX has a fee (but the first year is free and you get 10k points which is enough for a free night at the D/S) it's totally worth it for us. Every year we get enough points to have 5 nights free at the Dolphin/Swan (40000 points get you 5 nights free - 70000 gets you 5 nights at a category 4 and 50000 aeroplan miles if you want their nights and flights option). Other hotels in lesser categories are way cheaper and they even have a cash and points option - a few thousand points and $60 for a room that would regularly cost us $350. You can also transfer the points to many different airline rewards programs and often get bonuses for transferring in 20K point chunks. If you don't mind staying at the Dolphin/Swan for free for a few days during your trip rather than Disney owned the whole time it's so worth it. I feels it's the most flexible of all the programs out there.

Also, AMEX's new gold card is fantastic! Double points on grocery/gas/travel/drugstore expenses (don't forget that many of these stores sell gift cards for other stores that don't give double points, so buy gifts cards for those purchases). The points are like cash and you can apply them to any travel related purchase up to a year after the purchase was made. Right now we have 16K points = $160. We travel in Oct. Anything between now and Sept 2012 we can call up Amex and get a credit on our bill if it's travel related. Awesome!

 

[CanadianPaco]

I have Aeroplan, and can get miles flying Continnental & United. I like Aeorplan because the points don't expire as long as you keep acct current, easy to do just buying gas at Esso.

Same here! It has paid for each car rental on our last 4 trips. Airmiles??!? Ugh/ I bought a camera once. Takes too long to collect points as we don't have many places in town to collect.

 

[Cdn Gal]

We use airmiles and it paid for our trip to Alaska as well as a gorgeous room downtown Vancouver. That said, we will be switching over to Visa Travel b/c they have the best reward program. My girlfriend goes on free holidays all the time b/c of it!

 

[papertraveller]

I have Aeroplan, and can get miles flying Continnental & United. I like Aeorplan because the points don't expire as long as you keep acct current, easy to do just buying gas at Esso. I have the Aeoplan Infinite Visa.

It's my understanding that the miles actually do expire -- something like a seven-year period, I believe.

I am using a TD Visa Travel Rewards credit card. The annual is a bit high 120.00 but it comes with free medical and trip insurance. No blackout periods. Last year I earned $1000.00 and used it for this Decembers flights to Orlando.

We have used the TD points for covering our car rentals, which has always been handy. But I'm wondering now if Amex is a superior plan, because you can accumulate more points faster.

I'm an Aeroplan guy but have only used the points for flights once. Instead I use my mils exclusively for car rentals when I go to Disney. I have the Amex and CIBC aeroplan cards.

Check out this site for a breakdown of cards if it makes it easier. I typically look for more than a 2% return versus the actual cost of what I am getting. With both my aeroplan cards I am getting 1.25 to 1.5 miles per dollar spent.

http://www.rewardscanada.ca/topcreditcard2010.html

Thanks - that will give us good material to consider!

SPG! The Starwood program. I had the MBNA free credit card which is now unfortunately gone but AMEX now picked up the program. Even though the AMEX has a fee (but the first year is free and you get 10k points which is enough for a free night at the D/S) it's totally worth it for us. Every year we get enough points to have 5 nights free at the Dolphin/Swan (40000 points get you 5 nights free - 70000 gets you 5 nights at a category 4 and 50000 aeroplan miles if you want their nights and flights option). Other hotels in lesser categories are way cheaper and they even have a cash and points option - a few thousand points and $60 for a room that would regularly cost us $350. You can also transfer the points to many different airline rewards programs and often get bonuses for transferring in 20K point chunks. If you don't mind staying at the Dolphin/Swan for free for a few days during your trip rather than Disney owned the whole time it's so worth it. I feels it's the most flexible of all the programs out there.

Also, AMEX's new gold card is fantastic! Double points on grocery/gas/travel/drugstore expenses (don't forget that many of these stores sell gift cards for other stores that don't give double points, so buy gifts cards for those purchases). The points are like cash and you can apply them to any travel related purchase up to a year after the purchase was made. Right now we have 16K points = $160. We travel in Oct. Anything between now and Sept 2012 we can call up Amex and get a credit on our bill if it's travel related. Awesome!

We have also accumulated a lot of free nights through the Marriott card, which we're happy with. And your points on Amex are well worth noting. Our main goal now is to try and find something to defray the high cost of airfare, without having to time every trip purchase to the AirMiles 324-day window. Flexibility is always welcome.

Thanks everyone for an enlightening discussion.

 

[aristocat65]

SPG! The Starwood program. I had the MBNA free credit card which is now unfortunately gone but AMEX now picked up the program. Even though the AMEX has a fee (but the first year is free and you get 10k points which is enough for a free night at the D/S) it's totally worth it for us. Every year we get enough points to have 5 nights free at the Dolphin/Swan (40000 points get you 5 nights free - 70000 gets you 5 nights at a category 4 and 50000 aeroplan miles if you want their nights and flights option). Other hotels in lesser categories are way cheaper and they even have a cash and points option - a few thousand points and $60 for a room that would regularly cost us $350. You can also transfer the points to many different airline rewards programs and often get bonuses for transferring in 20K point chunks. If you don't mind staying at the Dolphin/Swan for free for a few days during your trip rather than Disney owned the whole time it's so worth it. I feels it's the most flexible of all the programs out there.

Also, AMEX's new gold card is fantastic! Double points on grocery/gas/travel/drugstore expenses (don't forget that many of these stores sell gift cards for other stores that don't give double points, so buy gifts cards for those purchases). The points are like cash and you can apply them to any travel related purchase up to a year after the purchase was made. Right now we have 16K points = $160. We travel in Oct. Anything between now and Sept 2012 we can call up Amex and get a credit on our bill if it's travel related. Awesome!

I agree on both these cards! I had an Amex Aerogold for a year (got 20000 miles on sign up-so that was ok), but I just cancelled it and got the SPG one instead. The Aeroplan availability is not great. I also find their taxes and fees are higher. For Example I like Alaska Airlines mileage program and a non-stop flight YVR-LAX through them is 25000 miles and $45.40 in taxes. These flights on Air Canada through Aeroplan charge $152.66 in taxes! AND I had to play around with dates on Aeroplan to find availability. SO, after trying out Aeroplan for a year, I switched to the SPG with the first year free. The SPG has the great flexibility of transferring to Alaska Air 1:1 or Aeroplan 1:1.

I also have the Alaska Airlines MC for when stores don't take my AMEX. They give 25000 on sign up (offers vary) and you get a companion ticket every year for $99, which can be booked in Coach or First Class. Also their availability is great! The miles can be used on AA, Delta, Alaska, BA, Cathay and others.

 

[corster]

Basically, here's the way I see it, as far as airfare is concerned:

The Airline Programs (Aeroplan, Alaska, Mileage Plus, etc) offer the best value for your miles - but availability is extremely limited. Your points, once you use them, go the furthest, but you need to be flexible about how you use them. Within the individual airline programs, there are definite differences (Aeroplan for example has the outrageous taxes/fees on tickets, and the 7 year expiry on miles, but also has lower mileage redemption levels than many other airlines)

The Credit Card Programs (Avion, Aventura, TD, Aspire) don't come close to the value of the Airline programs, but are significantly more flexible - you're not restricted to particular airlines, some even let you use your points to cover partial costs.

The Non-Airline Point Programs (like Air Miles) are essentially useless for booking flights, the value of the airline programs aren't there, and the flexibility of the credit card programs isn't there either.

I personally like Starwood Preferred Guest as a "catch-all" program to collect your miles in. You can redeem for some pretty good values at hotels, redeem directly through SPG for airfare at market rates (similar to the Credit Card programs), or transfer your miles on a competitive basis to a variety of airline programs, including Aeroplan.

 

[canadakath]

I also gave up on Aeroplan, and several years ago switched to an RBC Avion card. We more than make up for the annual fee by getting two "free" tickets (up to $750 value, but base fare only) every 2 years or less. Of course, flying in Canada means huge fees over the base fare, so it's still expensive. But we are hoping to book Detroit to Seattle this summer, with fees of only $20 a ticket. I have never booked US travel with them, but hope it will work out OK. We have been lucky enough to get cheap flights from Detroit to MCO all the time, so it hasn't been worth it to use points for those.

I have yet to cash in my AirMiles for anything...

 

[Sprockie]

We are close enough to the border to fly from the U.S. We collect Airmiles. I have found that the taxes and fees to fly using Airmiles is often as much as the actual flight cost from the U.S.
We always use our Airmiles for Alamo gift certificates, disney tickets etc.

 

[CdnCarrie]

We're avid Airmile collectors. Easily collect enough for a free (or almost) free trip a year. However it's super easy in the West to collect miles by shopping Safeway AND using a AM credit card.

Often book the trip with Marlin Travel or directly with AM and just pay the taxes. Or buy my plane tickets OOP and pay the package with AM.