So I can’t say that we’ve totally immersed ourselves in the “loyalty card” craze, but we’re definitely sampling the product. We’re buying groceries, filling up at the pumps, using specific accommodations, and purchasing via Credit Card anyway… so why not. It’s usually as easy as carrying the second card. Almost all is double-dip (each purchase sending rewards to 2 cards)! Our latest trip planning effort is a weekend stay in Toronto and we’re going to try and get back and forth in November as inexpensively as possible, while still being comfortable, by way of reward points. Here we go!
We’ve long been collectors of rewards/points including Air Miles, AeroPlan, HiltonHonours, and Travel Points garnered through our Credit Card use. We don’t do so naively, recognizing that it does come at a cost as corporations collect boundless pieces of personal information on our buying habits and purchasing, and we see continued exposure to focused marketing and advertising. Nothing is free… But I digress. Traditionally, the only points we’ve used are the Credit Card points, transferring those into discounts on either flights or all-inclusive purchases. It’s nice to be able to knock anywhere from $500 to a $1,000 off the top of our bigger flights. We generally do that a few times a year. In November, however, we’re trying to create a “getaway” trip that doesn’t reach so deeply into the cash flow by using our “other” rewards points. Here’s what we’ve managed.
Firstly, airfare. We have two different cards in use… Air Miles and Aeroplan. It so happens that we also have collected Air Miles on an “expiry” track due to changes in that company’s policy. Thus, it seemed sensical to start using points we’re about to lose if not redeemed. Janie started with a quick calendar check for November and opted for return flights from Stanfield to Pearson. These were booked directly through the Air Miles website, and we accomplished securing flights for the cost of associated airline fees in the amount of $140 bucks each. Okay… That’s decent.
Next up… Where to lay our heads? Anyone who has followed along with our travels would know that we stay at Hampton Inns when on the road. Modest and practical, we find this level of the Hilton chain gets the job done for us without surprises. We’ve never used any of the points collected on those stays. I normally book our stays using the HH App so we booked from there. In the end, we decided on all points for 1 full night in Halifax, then point/cash combo for a 2 night downtown stay in Toronto. All in $150 bucks for three nights. Pretty happy with that as well!
In short… Roughly $450 and travel/accomm for two covered. That kind of makes the fumbling around with cards and check out swipes worth something. Good thing… About the only way I could afford Leafs tickets! I’ll keep an eye to these bookings to make sure that things roll out as advertised. Next steps are to build in attractions to round out time on the ground in Toronto… That’ll be November blog fodder I’m sure.