Aeroplan credit cards

Several Aeroplan co-branded credit cards are available with American Express (Amex) and TD Bank. Every card will offer a signup bonus, often equal to a return flight, which is a great start. TD Bank offers three different Aeroplan cards with different annual fees and perks. For example, TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite comes with a welcome bonus of 10,000 Aeroplan points and the current special offer is up to 45,000 Aeroplan points based on the annual spend. This card also offers a anniversay bonus of 20,000 points, a NEXUS card fee rebate, and free checked bags for up to 8 guests.

Amex has three Aeroplan cards: Aeroplan Card, Aeroplan Reserve, and Business Reserve. Travel and dining perks increase with the annual fees. The most basic, American Express® Aeroplan®* Card welcome offer is 35,000 Aeroplan points (based on spend), up to 45,000 with the current offer. The first checked bag is free for up to 9 people. Current bonus offer for American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card is up to 70,000 points (based on spend within the first 3 months).

You can also earn up to 45,000 bonus points by signing up through this Amex referral link.

Aeroplan online retail partners

There are quite a few popular retailers, including Amazon, Apple, Chapters, Under Armour, Rail Europe, and many, many more. All you do is access your shop of choice through Aeroplan, and you will earn points on your entire purchase (double if you use an Aeroplan credit card).

Additionally, they often have special offers that can multiply your points earned, so if you are not in a rush, wait for bonus points to maximize my reward (see the image as an example). 

If you fly for work, even if your employer paid for the flight, you, as the traveller, get the points, so make sure to add that number to your itinerary.

Tip: You can add your reward number to any Air Canada flight up until departure day, so even if you forgot or were not a member at the time of purchase, you can still catch up. If you do happen to forget, you can request missing points on this page.

Tips for using the points

Use them on shorter flights, the ones that cost under 45,000 points. That’s still a lot of destinations, and they have lower taxes (typically under $200) with a lot of direct flight options. Longer flights (such as Europe) use a lot more points, while you can get those flights on sale for much less in cash.

If there is a good seat sale, take that into consideration. For example, flying to Vancouver is generally not cheap, so if the seat sale is under $400, cash will be a better spend than points.

Tips for earning points 

It is important to remember that not all fairs are equal. On Air Canada, you can earn 100% points and SQM on your spend with Flex Fair. Standard fare earns 25% points and 50% SQM, while Basic only earns 10% points and no SQM. The Basic fare is the cheapest but earns basically no rewards and allows zero changes; you cannot even apply upgrade credits to it. It is important to note that these rules do change, so check AirCanada.com to see what the earnings are on the day of your booking.

Ways to maximise your earnings

• Combine your points with those of other family members to have a shared points pull. More about Aeroplan family sharing here.
• Transfer points from other programs you know you won’t cash in. For example, you can convert your Marriott Bonvoy Points to Aeroplan: 3 Marriott Bonvoy points = 1 Aeroplan point. See the full list of possible conversions here.

Status perks and discounts

Since the program revamp status is easier to reach, even the first level, 25K, offers plenty of amazing benefits. There are core perks of the level, and some that you can choose from based on your goals (free stuff or expedited points earning). Currently 25k status level offers complementary preferred seats, priority airport check-in, two complementary checked bags, priority boarding, and 5 eUpgrade credits.

eUpgrade credits

eUpgrade credits are a really cool perk because you can use them to upgrade to a higher cabin. When avaialbel, you request the desired upgrade using your eUpgrade credits, for example, 3 credits to upgrade to business class. In some instances, there is an additional cash fee, stated upfront. The upgrade is not guaranteed, but it is very possible. You can be notified a few days before or even at the last minute during boarding. In the past, I’ve been able to upgrade to flat-lay business using only 3 credits and no cash (Toronto to Cancun), or 3 credits to premium economy, Toronto to Paris.

Aeroplan support

It’s no secret that Air Canada support is, well, not the best, but when you book on points, you get Aeroplan support, and they are much, much more useful – loyalty goes a long way. I once had to reschedule 2 flights over one weekend due to a snowstorm and still got home in time for a good night’s sleep before work on Monday.

* Cover image by Bryce Evans. The rest are all mine from a flight to Cancun, business class.

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This article might contain affiliate links. Read the disclaimer about affiliate links & PR gifting here. 

Airport lounge basics

Airport lounges are most often located after security, have a screen with upcoming flight updates, and in some announcements are made over PA. These lounges are typically less crowded, have a wider range of seating options, and in some lounges, there is table service and even showers. Food and drinks are included in the airport lounge access pass. A few lounges, in my experience those that require a purchase or a subscription (ie. Plaza Premium) have limited inclusions when it comes to alcohol and can have fewer food options in smaller lounges.

There are 3 types of airport lounges:

1. Airline lounge: Access to these lounges is gained either through the airline membership program or with premium flight tickets (business and up).
2. Credit card lounges: In North America, for example, Amex lounges are quite common and are only available to specific credit card holders. Certain other credit cards have partnerships with Airline programs (ie. Aeroplan) and can also come with a limited number of annual lounge passes.
3. Subscription or individual purchase lounges: These can be accessed with a same-day admission purchase or an annual subscription. The more common in North America are perhaps Plaza Premium and Priority Pass.

Tips for Accessing Aiport Lounges

• Aeroplan credit cards are limited to AirCanada/AC Partner lounges, so if you do a lot of international travel this might not be the right fit. That being said, nourish your Aeroplan membership because, with 25K status, you get 2 lounge passes.
• Lounge Pass offers a single visit pass which can be a good deal for long layovers. This visit, however, must be booked at least 24 hours before local arrival, so if you’re having last-minute delays this option is out of the question.
• CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite Card includes 4 lounge passes with an annual fee of CA$139. The card also offers a rebate on one NEXUS application fee every 4 years. Plus you collect Aventura points so this CC is an easy choice which you can use for future flights.
• Priority Pass* includes 1,400+ lounges worldwide, their pricing is a bit tricky. The Standard plan IMO is not really worth it (no free visits). Standard Plus, however, includes 10 “free” visits for an annual fee of US$263 ($26.30/visit) which is pretty good. But, make sure they have lounges where you plan to travel. 
• Smart Traveller app: this app is free and offers up to 30% off for Plaza Premium lounges. And while we’re here, not all Plaza Premium lounges are worth it. Some are very small, and nearly all have limitations on what’s included in the entry fee (no mimosas friends). 
• Dragon Pass: another popular lounge aggregator, once again the base fair (Classic), is not really worth it. But the Preferential package is US$259/year for 8 visits ($32.38/visit) and $35 for guests. These lounges are available globally and in my experience so far have been quite nice.
• Last but not least, the business class tickets nearly always come with lounge access (in addition to other great perks). These tickets can get quite pricey but there are a few ways to get business-class seats for less:
  • upgrading at the time of check-in is often less than the initial ticket rate
  • bidding on the business class seat
  • using your points (for that airline) to update your economy seat. Aeroplan, for example, offers a few upgrade credits to 25K members, more on those here

Images are from the Icelandair Reykjavik airport lounge which was included in the Business Class upgrade gained through a bid, learn more here.

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Do you always purchase travel insurance? When I first started traveling in my 20s it certainly wasn’t something I thought about deeply. But as time went on insuring my health and belongings became a more prominent thought. I will admit that for some odd reason, I used to only purchase travel insurance when traveling outside of Canada but watching a travel companion’s suitcase disappear in transit to the airport made me reconsider my choices. These days all my travel, international or domestic, is insured. There are many insurance companies out there you can find with a quick search offering a wide range of pricing. Today, however, I’d like to talk about budget travel insurance with battleface, a company that focuses on travel insurance exclusively.

Quick company background

battleface is a new travel insurance product for the Canadian market created in collaboration with Hunter McCorquodale and underwritten by Northbridge General Insurance Corporation. The policy can be purchased before or during the trip and allows you to build a comprehensive yet affordable package for a single domestic or international trip. 

According to the company’s CEO Sasha Gainullin, battleface is “designed specifically with the modern traveler in mind, providing affordable and accessible protection”. Needless to say, my interest was piqued. 

What your insurance includes

There are quite a few unique inclusions in the battleface package that you might not be able to find with other insurers including typically uninsured areas and sports activities. But let’s dive into the details. The entire purchasing process took me 5 minutes and all documents were available immediately.

Please note: Pricing is based on age, destination, and duration of the trip with per-day pricing. Therefore, the amounts might differ per individual based on their unique needs. My total package was  $22.52 CA for a 7-day trip to the Dominican Republic and did not include sports coverage. 

Insurance inclusions:

• Trip cancelation (up to $20,000) and interruption (up to $1,000).
• Medical and emergency expenses ($5,000,000) and hospital benefits.
• Personal accident ($50,000).
• Personal liability (up to $500,000)
• Baggage ($2,000) plus personal money and passport ($500).
• COVID-19 medical expenses and quarantine cover for all travellers up to 75 years old.
• Winter ski add-on for cold-winter activities including skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, sledding, and many others. This add-on also insures your equipment to minimize trip interruptions in the event of baggage delay.
• Out-of-province coverage for medical expenses that may not be covered while traveling domestically.
• Coverage for areas deemed “Avoid non-essential travel” and “Avoid all travel”.      
• Maximum trip length 365 days – this is a really cool one because many insurers won’t cover the past two weeks.
• A 10% discount is offered if the coverage is for more than one traveler

I would be curious to know what the most important travel insurance inclusions are for you. But in the meanwhile, stay safe and enjoy your explorations :)!

For more information or to purchase a policy visit battleface.com/en-ca.

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This article might contain affiliate links. Read the disclaimer about affiliate links & PR gifting here.

During the flight

1. Change all your clocks (phone, laptop, watch, etc) right away to the time zone you will be landing in.
2. Sleep during the first half of the flight. The goal here is to stay awake for 12 hours from the point you wake up on the plane to the point that you expect to go to sleep in the new time zone.
3. If you use melatonin, take it 45 min before you want to fall asleep on the plane, 0.5-1 mg.
4. Take advantage of eye masks and earplugs to improve the quality of your sleep and minimize jet lag.
5. Avoid alcohol. While it can help you fall asleep the quality of that sleep will be low causing drowsiness and unrest the next day.
6. Stay away from caffeine. Coffee has about 12 hours of shelf life in your body so even if you feel tired it will still prevent you from falling asleep.

Upon arrival

1. Fight through the jet lag and make sure to go outside and expose yourself to bright light.
2. Avoid wearing sunglasses if you are outside in the morning, this exposure to the sun will reduce melatonin.
3. Do wear sunglasses if you are out in the afternoon to encourage the production of melatonin.
4. Try to exercise or walk for 20-30minutes.
5. Adjust your eating schedule to the new time zone. Resist the urge to eat off your regular schedule.
6. If you need to nap, keep it to 10-20 minutes maximum so you don’t use up quality sleepiness too early in the day.
7. Use melatonin if you cannot fall asleep at the appropriate time naturally.

I’ve tested this method on multiple occasions on 7+ hour-long flights following all steps and occasionally skipping some (like alcohol and coffee) and personally found it a great way to beat the transatlantic jetlag.

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…Is not always the cheapest ticket. It all depends on your needs, comfort, and flexibility. The lowest fare flights almost never include luggage and require you to pay for a seat selection, do not allow any changes, cancelations, or upgrades, and often have connections, some quite long and overnight. It is important to compare the flight exclusions with the level above to see if it might actually be better to pay a bit more to secure a seat of your choice and include luggage.

24-hour check-in 

Available for pretty much any airline these days and I highly recommend taking advantage of it to get better seats, especially for airlines that don’t offer complimentary seat selection. The longer you wait the closer to the bathroom you’ll sit (unless of course, you have status). The other benefit of early check-in is that if you don’t have checked baggage you can head straight to security and that’ll be your only line. This is also a time to see what upgrade options you might have, for flights with unsold seats in higher cabins there might be some reasonable options for upgrading to premium or even business.

Food 

Whether or not you ate beforehand you will likely want to snack if your flight is over an hour so bring snacks with you because in-flight options will be minimal, small, and overpriced. Most airlines no longer offer complimentary meals for flights under 5 hours either so that’s another meal you should bring with you or you’ll be limited to refrigerated salads and dry sandwiches offered by the airline. Some food, like sandwiches, can be brought through security. Most flights include a meal service if you are flying premium economy so it is worth checking ahead of time.

Avoiding jet lag

I tend to always book flights that maximize my daytime at the final destination, arrive early, and leave later in the day, which often means that the departure flight is either early morning or overnight. To avoid jet lag the best thing you can do is go to bed early and sleep on the plane. For flights that take you into a completely different timezone, your sleep pattern should be planned in such a way that you are mentally ready to welcome your new country at the time of day it is. For example, if you arrive in the morning sleep on the plane as you would at home if you arrive in the evening try to stay awake most of the flight so you get sleepy at the right time in the new timezone. It is also very important to hydrate during your flight so a good size bottle of water is a must. More on this topic can be found in this article.

Entertainment

For longer flights always check if your plane has in-flight entertainment so that you don’t get surprised by the pastel shades of the seat in front of you with nothing to watch or listen to and only the SkyMall to read for 6 hours. On that note, SkyMall could potentially be the most entertaining thing you will read – where else can you find Bob Marley garden gnomes and spaceship beds for your cat!

Cover image by Emiel Molenaar @emielmolenaar

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