Points follow-up

Since the series of posts on points and miles wrapped up, a couple of items of interest have come my way.

A loyal blog follower informs me that there is an AirMiles app for your smart phone. Put in your location and it will show you the nearest AirMiles partners. Text "AirMiles App" to 26898 to go straight to the download page on your iPhone or BlackBerry.

Until November 4, CHOICEprivileges, the loyalty program of Choice Hotels (Comfort, Quality, Clarion, etc.), is offering a free night when you stay two nights. You can join the program here. Further down the page, you'll also see a link to apply for the affiliated MBNA MasterCard to earn points for all your credit card spending. If you do a lot of road trips and are looking to earn free nights at a budget hotel chain, this could be a good program for you.

Something I did not discuss in my series of posts about point programs, is that for the majority of airline and hotel programs, you may purchase points, either for yourself, or as a gift for others. The problem is that the cost is usually more that the points are worth (i.e.: you could book a flight or room directly for less money), but under certain conditions, buying points does make sense. And occasionally, points do go "on sale".

For example, until December 31, Starwood Preferred Guest is selling points for 20% less -- $14 for 500 instead of the usual $17.50. If you need only a few points to get to a reward level, or if you are close to the 20K threshold for earning the 5K bonus for converting to airline miles, this can make sense. SPG allows you to buy up to 20K points in a calendar year and the points appear in your account within 24 hours.

In some cases, you could even save money on a holiday. That's because when redeeming SPG points for a five-night stay, the fifth night is free, so five nights at a category 3 hotel requires 4x7K=28K points. If you purchase 20K points for $560 before December 31, and another 8K for $280 (at the regular rate of $17.50 per 500) in January, that works out to $168 per night for a five-night stay. For January 20-25, the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel is $190 per night. The Westin Fort Lauderdale is $229. I chose these hotels and dates at random. Depending on your choice of date and location, you, too, can find values like this. All you have to do is belong to the Starwood Preferred Guest program and buy points through this link. There's a fuller description of the program in the post dated October 4.

And finally, here's an update to the Aeroplan/BMO Club Sobeys MasterCard snafu (see post dated October 7). I received a letter on October 8, dated October 5, confirming what the Club Sobeys CSR had told me over the phone. But since the change did not take effect until October 15, the Club Sobeys points I received for keeping the credit card when Bank of Montreal took over from Citi were autoconverted. So, props to Sobeys, BMO, and Aeroplan for living up to their end of the (original) bargain. I still plan to cancel the card, since I don't have any need for another MasterCard if it doesn't earn me travel rewards.

How to Tell if You’re Turning into a Conservative

None of us, as the saying goes, is getting any younger, and if like me, you find yourself occasionally forgetting names or standing in the upstairs hallway wondering what it was you came looking for, well don't worry: scientists assure us that's just part of the normal aging process.

If however, you find yourself watching more CTV and less CBC, or thinking to yourself, "My, that young Harper boy has such nice eyes," you might be displaying the early warning signs of a far more serious condition. You might be turning into a (shudder) Conservative.

So with apologies to Jeff Foxworthy, I present the following simple test.

• If you prefer donuts to diplomats, you might be a Conservative.
  
• If you believe 33% of anything is a majority, you might be a Conservative.
  
• If you've ever had to beg a woman to rescue you from a coalition, you might be a Conservative.
  
• If you think an economic action plan should be mostly for sign makers, you might be a Conservative.
  
• If you like your gun long and your census short, you might be a Conservative.
  
• If you're for law and order but against police chiefs, you might be a Conservative.
  
• If you hide behind our troops instead of standing up for them, you might be a Conservative.
  
• If you can't land at your own airbase in the Middle East, you might be a Conservative.
  
• If you've ever backed down from a fight with a guy who drinks pink wine, you might be a Conservative.
  
• If you're for human rights in China but not Toronto, you might be a Conservative.
  

If you answered "yes" to more than five of the preceding statements, talk to your doctor. Help is available.

Treatment generally takes the form of re-learning a few basic skills: thinking for yourself, but not just of yourself. You'll be back to normal in no time.

The Power of One

Ever wanted to be supreme benevolent dictator of Canada? To have your every whim catered to, your every mood indulged? To impose your beliefs and values on the unwilling majority? To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women? Bwahahaha!

Yeah, me too. Anyway, apparently now you, too, can know what it feels like to be Stephen Harper. Sort of.

This past week, federal Industry Minister Tony (Census Slayer) Clement stuck to his (long) guns and maintained that even one dissenting Canadian was enough to kill the long form census.

Yep: angry Agnes Grumbledrawers of Lower Moose Doot, Manitoba was responsible for killing the long form census.

Makes you wonder who was behind the attempt to get rid of the long gun registry. (I'm sensing a pattern here)

You understand the implications don't you? This means that from coast to coast to coast, all through the length and breadth of this great land, not a single, solitary Canadian objects to paying federal income tax. What a nation of selfless troupers! Makes me proud. I shed a tear. But I digress.

No, the real implication here is that you and I too, can deep-six laws and programs we don't like. Just call Tony; he'll get right on it. Talk about democracy in action.

Peeved at the Post Office? Cursing the Coast Guard? Fed up with Fisheries and Oceans? Tell Tony; they'll be gone. Just. Like. That.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work in reverse: you can't just call Tony and ask for something you want. Tony ain't Santa. There are limits, even to Tony's superpowers. He might be able to make gazebos sprout like mushrooms all across Muskoka for the G8 meeting, but he can't actually deliver anything substantial. Want a national pharmacare or eldercare program? Sorry, no. How about decent treatment for wounded veterans? Uh-uh. Action on climate change? Dream on.

All you cranky old gals and grumpy old men out there (I know you secretly read this blog), I know why you love the Conservatives: they aren't just the party of "no"; they're the party of, "HELL NO!" So here's your chance. Just click on this link to send Tony your request.

What about me, you ask. Well, you might be surprised. Me, I'm going to ask Tony to zip it. I figure if those separatist fellas in Quebec get wind of this, we'll be looking at another referendum by Christmas. And this time it won't take a Yes vote of 50% plus 1. Just the 1.

Points 9: The End of the Trail

I'm concluding my series of posts on travel rewards with a recap and a look at some of the best sites and blogs where you can go to learn more.

I was remiss in not including the Shoppers Drug Mart Optimum points program when I discussed Canadians' favourite points programs. Remiss, because it's my wife's favourite program. She likes the store and MBNA has a MasterCard that earns her Optimum points on all her purchases, extra when she uses it at Shoppers. Shoppers also has frequent bonus points days, usually on Saturdays. You redeem for discounts on purchases.

I mentioned Rewards Canada previously, but it's worth reiterating: this is the single best travel rewards site for Canadians. Especially useful are the charts and reviews comparing travel reward credit cards, and the comprehensive listings of bonus offers for airlines, hotels, and rental cars. Both are accessible from the right side of the home page.

A faithful blog reader reminded me that a nice feature of Priority Club was the ability to redeem for hotel rooms with a combination of points and cash. The same is true for Starwood Preferred Guest, though in practice, I've found that most Starwood properties don't offer this option. It can be a valuable way to both stretch your points and save you money, but you need to do the math to determine whether cash, points, or a combination is the best value. That brings us to the question of what is the value of a point? Fortunately, there's a blog that is dedicated to hotel loyalty programs called Loyalty Traveler, written by an American called Ric Garrido. He is extremely knowledgeable, and his analysis of the value of hotel programs and bonus offers is rigourous and complete. Not always applicable to Canadians, but there are none better at what he does.

There are a lot of aspects of point collecting that I haven't touched on, including mileage running. That involves finding the cheapest flight that offers the most points, usually through a combination of bonus offers and convoluted routing. Earning points is not the only goal of a mileage run, though. So is gaining elite status. Those who fly many thousands of miles a year enjoy perks such as upgrades and special treatment that frequent fliers find worthwhile. If you're interested in that aspect of travel rewards, there are two blogs, One Mile at a Time and View from the Wing, that cover the subject well. And I've also mentioned flyertalk before. This is a forum by and for frequent fliers and points junkies. You can find your airline or hotel program by jumping to the forum on Miles & Points.

Finally, on Thursday, October 7, the Toronto Star published a special section on travel rewards. In the search field, type "travel rewards" to find a list of the articles that appeared in the print version.

That concludes the series on points and miles. I'll keep my eye out for good deals and from time to time pull together the best ones in a post. Safe travels.

Points 8: BMO Club Sobeys MasterCard Snafu

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. Seems like the final points blog on best websites will now be number 9.

Yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, October 6), an anonymous comment was left on post Points 2: Earn Aeroplan Miles with No-Fee Credit Card. That was the post where I told you how the BMO Club Sobey's MasterCard earned you Club Sobeys points, points that could be automatically converted to Aeroplan miles. Well, fuggedaboutit.

The comment said: "Please note Club Sobeys Points earned on the new BMO Club Sobeys MasterCard are not eligible to be converted to Aeroplan Miles."

That sounded suspiciously like official corporate speak. I guess I should be flattered who's reading my blog.

So I searched the Club Sobey's website, particularly the pages relating to the BMO Club Sobeys MasterCard for any mention in the Terms and Conditions about this exception. Nothing.

I called Club Sobeys, where a very nice Customer Service Representative (CSR) told me that they had been informed just that day of this change to the Club Sobeys program. Customers who simply collect points and redeem for groceries will not be affected, but those who, like me, autoconvert to Aeroplan, will have points earned on the card saved, and when the number of points required for a grocery redemption is reached, will receive a grocery gift card by mail.

Now, I'm speculating here, but I think the reason for this sudden, unannounced, and after the fact change, is that BMO offers a number of credit cards affiliated with Air Miles, while other banks are tied to Aeroplan. There are probably exclusivity agreements that are being breached if the Club Sobeys arrangement is construed as BMO offering Aeroplan miles, even indirectly.

Again I'm speculating, but it sounds like someone didn't do their due diligence on this one when BMO bought CitiBank's Club Sobeys business.

This certainly isn't any way to run a loyalty program, the purpose of which is to keep customers happy, and well, loyal. If you're a Sobeys shopper who likes to redeem for groceries, this won't make any difference to you. The BMO Club Sobeys MasterCard could still be worth your while. In effect, it now acts just like the PC Financial MasterCard from President's Choice.

But if, like me, the only attraction of the BMO Club Sobey's MasterCard, and indeed of the Club Sobey's program period, is the conversion to Aeroplan miles, then this is a huge disappointment. That's what I told (nicely) the CSR, and asked her to pass my comments on. She said she expected to get the same reaction from other customers.

I've already made a purchase on the card to qualify for the enrolment bonus, which contrary to my expectation, won't be converted to Aeroplan miles. I'll pay my bill and cancel the card.

Points 7: Priority Club

Priority Club is the hotel loyalty program of the Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) and includes such well-known brands as Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, and Staybridge Suites. As I mentioned in my last post, it was the program that got me started in the points game.

About six years ago, we were staying at a Holiday Inn in Montreal with a group of friends and one of them suggested that we join the program because we'd get a free continental breakfast. When I got home I checked my points total online and discovered I was a long way from a free night. I started searching for other ways to add points to my account and a points junkie was born.

I earn a lot of points with Starwood because of the credit card. Unfortunately, Priority Club doesn't offer an affiliated card to Canadians (they do in the U.S.); but I still collect their points for the occasional stay rather than crediting to an airline because Priority Club offers so many other ways to earn points.

To illustrate: I have only one stay at an IHG property this year, which netted me 1500 base points (10 points per dollar spent, room+dinner+bar tab), but I earned thousands more bonus points using codes I entered online prior to my stay. You can find a list of these codes at the Rewards Canada site. And I've earned thousands more, nearly 20K in all, through a variety of other ways, such as surveys and contests.

For example, right now Priority Club is running a contest called The Anywhere Challenge. Each week, you have to guess the mystery location based on a photo and word clues. A new challenge appears each Tuesday and awards 2,000 points to every person who guesses correctly the first day, declining to 500 points for the correct answer on Friday. You can enter by clicking the link, above. And if you're not a Priority Club member yet, you can join.

I won 3,000 points in the first two weeks (the contest runs for eight), but not because I'm a geographical genius. It's because there's a thread on a points hound website called flyertalk where people even more obsessive than I am quickly come up with the answer. Here's the link. Be sure to go to the last page for the latest discussion.

Free nights begin at 15K points, though occasional PointBreaks rates offer some hotels for only 5K. So my one stay, and persistent point-grubbing has earned me a free night. Not only that, because I've earned 20K points in a year, I've qualified for gold status, an elite level of membership (platinum is tops) that gets me preferential treatment, such as free room upgrades.

IHG (especially the Holiday Inn brand) is one of the biggest hotel chains, so there's almost always an HI where you want to stay, whether you're earning or redeeming. And with easy to earn bonuses, you don't have to stay a lot in order to earn status and free nights. So if you want to focus on only one hotel program, I'd recommend Priority Club.

Points 6: Starwood Preferred Guest Program

Last time, I explained how joining hotel loyalty programs, even if you stay only once, is worthwhile, because it allows you to credit points to your favourite airline frequent flier program.

Of course hotel programs can be valuable for themselves, especially if you are loyal to one chain. Wyndham (Ramada, Super 8, Howard Johnson, Travelodge, Days Inn), Marriott, and Best Western each have several thousand properties worldwide, which makes it easy to find one in the location you're staying. And if the rate is competitive, earning points toward a free night might be the deciding factor. I belong to all these programs (of course), but only in order to credit stays to airline plans. I focus on two plans for actually collecting points: Starwood and Priority Club.

I've told you that I have a Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) American Express card. Before Amex, it was affiliated with MBNA, a division of Bank of America that issues credit cards in Canada. It was a no fee card then and was the best travel rewards card on the market, given the value SPG points have both for redeeming for hotel rooms and for swapping (with bonuses) into airline plans. Over the last five years, I've earned over 150K SPG points, which I've redeemed for flights, airline miles, and hotel stays. I've also earned points for stays at Starwood hotels (Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien) when the rate was a better deal than burning points. And sometimes bonus offers, like last year's "Stay twice, get a free night" offer make paying for a room worthwhile.

I've just done that again recently, something points hounds call a "mattress run". The idea is to find a rate which earns points or rewards that are more valuable than the rate paid. Here's what I did. I recently received two offers from Starwood: one was the current general offer of double points for each stay; the other was a targeted offer (since I hadn't stayed at a Starwood property in a while) of 25% off my next reward redemption if I had a stay by October 31. So I went to the Starwood site and looked for a low rate. I found the Four Points by Sheraton Niagara Fallsview for $69 night. And then I found a package deal for $99 a night which included a $45 dinner credit, so I booked that.

Here's how it works out for me. I earn 2 SPG points per dollar spent, so I'll get 200 points. But double points means 400. Taxes, parking ($20), and anything I spend on dinner over $45 (perhaps a glass of wine?) also earn points. And since I'm charging everything to my SPG Amex card, I'll earn another point for every dollar. I expect to get over 700 points. But at that rate I'd have to stay 10 times to get a free night at the Westin Harbour Castle, so that's not the real reason for our little jaunt.

When you redeem your SPG points for a 5-night stay, you receive the fifth night free. But that 25% discount offer earns another free night. Remember Palm Springs? The Westin Mission Hills Resort and Spa (I know, sounds swank) is 10K points a night, so a 5-night stay will cost me 30K points, not 50K. Put another way, since a night the Westin Mission Hills etc. is a little over US$300, my night in Niagara more than pays for itself.

I'll really hate it if I have to give up the SPG Amex next spring. I'm hoping that if the droves of former MBNA cardholders, like myself, who accepted the card because the annual fee was waived for the first year threaten to cancel, Amex either will reduce the annual fee or give a retention bonus.

Looks like I've gone way over my 500 words, so there'll have to be a separate post on Priority Club. That's only fitting, because Priority Club was where points collecting all began for me.