Cyber Monday has led to a few promotions being announced in the world of travel rewards points, and some are coming to an end soon already! So here is an overview to remind you to take advantage of them before it is too late… if they suit your situation.
There are a few that can be very interesting.
Important: one promo has expired. To get all our travel rewards content first, make sure to sign up for our new (and free) special newsletter for travel rewards points.
Here are the 4 promos (very short overviews, but most have detailed articles if you want more information).
1. Most Marriott hotels at Off-Peak price until February
- What: Off-Peak price applies every night for most Marriott hotels
- When: book by Dec. 14th, travel by Feb. 28th
- Where: Marriott search engine
- Learn more: detailed article (last July’s, basics are the same)
All Marriott hotels booked with points are at the lowest price level (“Off-Peak”) until the end of February. As you may know, every Marriott hotel costs a fixed amount of points per night, with just 3 price possibilities for each (Standard, Peak, and Off-Peak).
It’s not the deal of the century, because using your Marriott points in Canada (and in most expensive countries) is rarely a good use, except when the cash prices are expensive (which is not really the case at the moment). You need to use your Marriott points well to maximize value (as they are variable-value points).
But it could be a good discount in some cases. We give you examples of nearby hotels for roadtrips in Canada.
All points bookings are fully-refundable anyway, so it’s risk-free. This promo was offered this summer as well, and unfortunately, this time it’s “most” hotels instead of “all” hotels. So just beware: they are advertising the promo as being valid in 90% of hotels and some popular hotels aren’t participating.
We took advantage of this 2 weeks ago in Turkey, staying at the seafront 5-star Sheraton Grand Samsun for just 4,000 points per night (20,000 for 5 nights). Good thing we booked it this summer in case we’d go (again; it’s risk-free).
In category 1 hotels, this promo gives you a whopping 12 free nights just with the welcome bonus you got with your Marriott Bonvoy Card (or 25 nights if you have a travel buddy).
25 free nights with just 2 card welcome bonus is absolutely insane value! That’s the beauty of variable-value points! But admittedly, many of the countries where there are Category 1 hotels might not be open before February 28th. That won’t keep me from booking plenty of them just in case.
► Marriott Off-Peak promo (ends Dec. 14th)
2. Bonus of 5,000 miles for creating a free account (EXPIRED)
- What: get 5,000 Aegean miles for creating a free account
- When: before 4:59pm Eastern today
- Where: Aegean promo page
- Learn more: coming soon
Subscribers to our free travel rewards newsletter got this deal early since it ends very soon (make sure to sign up; it’ll be the most valuable email you’ll get each month).
It’s far from being as good a promo as the amazing free 5,000 Aeroplan points we all told you about this past weekend, but it’s still a free 5,000 miles for very little effort (and they never expire).
You might not be able to use them as easily as the other point currencies in our cheat sheet of thee 5 essential rewards programs for Canadians, but it’s worth taking a minute to sign up just in case.
You can create a free account for you and you and your family members for the 5,000 miles and we’ll soon tell you more.
► Free 5,000 miles (ends today at 4:59pm Eastern)
3. AIR MILES Shop the Block promo
- What: get 800 or 1,200 AIR MILES by completing 5 or 7 offers
- When: ends Dec. 28th
- Where: Shop the Block promo page
- Learn more: last year’s post, update coming this week
We’ll soon have an updated post (with a summary and the details) about this year’s promo, which is a bit harder to unlock than last year, based on the offers available. That’s why we want to tell you right away, because starting early might increase your chances of success.
In short, by completing 7 different offers at 7 different AIR MILES partners, you’ll earn 1,200 AIR MILES bonus miles. That’s almost enough for a free roundtrip short-distance flight! It’s a very similar promo to this weekend’s amazing Aeroplan 5,000 points bonus, although it’s much harder to unlock.
That said, even the 2nd level, completing 5 offers for 800 AIR MILES, is a pretty good deal. That gets you more than halfway to a free roundtrip flight (and it’s about ≈ $96 worth of points for car rentals for example).
And you can easily add to your AIR MILES stash, with many AIR MILES credit cards in Canada, some of which currently have increased welcome bonus offers.
Best AIR MILES credit cards
Amex® AIR MILES®* Platinum
•Bonus: ≈ $276 net value
•3,300 AIR MILES miles
•No minimum income req.
BMO AIR MILES®† World Elite®*
•Bonus: ≈ $276 net value
•2,300 AIR MILES miles
•$80k minimum income req.
BMO AIR MILES®†
•Bonus: ≈ $110 net value
•920 AIR MILES miles
•No minimum income req.
Amex® AIR MILES®* Business
•Bonus: ≈ $100 net value
•2,333 AIR MILES miles
•Non-employment income req.
*conditions apply
► AIR MILES Shop the Block promo (ends Dec. 28th)
4. December credit card ranking
- What: get $300+ as a welcome bonus on 7 cards
- When: best offer ends Dec. 28th
- Where: credit card ranking
- Learn more: summary of best offers
It’s a new month, so we’ve updated our monthly credit card offers ranking.
The new improved design of that page will come in 2021, but the content is there now, with 7 offers that really stand out with over $300 in free travel each with the welcome bonus alone (including the very best, at a whopping ≈ $790 in free travel—it’s just for those who earn $80,000 a year, but 5 of the other 7 top offers have no minimum income requirement).
If you prefer, you can also read our post that helps you decide which one is best for your personal situation instead of the ranking.
► December credit card ranking (#1 offer ends Dec. 28th)
Best credit card offers - December 2020
HSBC World Elite® Mastercard®
•Bonus: ≈ $790 net value
•$80k minimum income req.
•For the most value in Canada
American Express® Aeroplan®*
•Bonus: ≈ $433 net value
•No minimum income req.
•For North American flights
Marriott Bonvoy™ Amex®
•Bonus: ≈ $357 net value
•No minimum income req.
•For up to 8 free hotel nights
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite*
•Bonus: $342 net value
•$60k minimum income req.
•For simpler points
*conditions apply
Want to learn more about travel rewards points?
Summary
A key part of getting the most of your travel rewards points is maximizing the various promos that are regularly offered throughout the year. These 4 have some potential for many travelers. Don’t hesitate to ask us anything in the comments if you want more details.
What would you like to know about these promos? Ask us in the comments below.
Explore awesome destinations: travel inspiration
Learn pro tricks: travel tips
Discover free travel: travel rewards
Featured image: view from the JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa (photo credit: Marriott)
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