Credit Card Recommendations

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

Back in the day when I used to travel on business a ton and was able to charge it to my personal card - this would have been worth it.

The 1.25% isn't worth it for $399 - you'd have to get value from the non financial perks, the biggest which is of this:

Air Canada® 5 benefits such as:
Priority Check-in on Air Canada flights (Primary Cardholder)
Priority Boarding on Air Canada flights (Primary Cardholder)
1st Checked Bag Free on Air Canada Flights (Primary Cardholder)
Four (4) annual Maple Leaf Lounge One-Time Guest Passes when travelling on an Aeroplan flight reward operated by Air Canada
One (1) annual 50% Discount on Companion Tickets for eligible Business Class fares on Air Canada Flights

However, I'm more apt to travel with family now and the above benefits have zero appeal to me - can't exactly ditch them to head into the ML Lounge solo. I have the vaunted 2% on everything no limit AMEX / $99 fee so this Visa definately doesn't have any appeal for me.

That said, the TD points are far better and easier to redeem instead of Aeroplan. Redeeming those for actual flights is hopeless. Safeway Airmiles are slightly better but still never have flights when you need them.

I think you meant RBC points. Which AMEX do you have? I can do the math but I am just trying to figure out the value of AMEX points or Avion points. With Aspire World it's pretty easy. 100 points is 1 dollar, but what is 50000 RBC points worth? With Aspire I basically get 2% back on everything, plus perks like travel insurance. The Scotiabank 4% cash back would be ideal for gas and groceries. I am curious if anything else is better than Aspire for the rest...

[Wormius]

I find the Amex kind of frustrating. 3% back on restaurants, but only about 1 in 10 restaurants actually accept the card. Not sure how Amex lost so many vendors, or if they just didn't have much hold in Canada to begin with.

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I find the Amex kind of frustrating. 3% back on restaurants, but only about 1 in 10 restaurants actually accept the card. Not sure how Amex lost so many vendors, or if they just didn't have much hold in Canada to begin with.

The story has always been that Amex is more expensive for merchants to accept than the other guys. Better consumer rewards/perks, more costly for the merchants. So many don't accept it.

[indes]

You guys are all so much better with your finances than me. That is all.

[VladtheImpaler]

I have tried using my Costco AMEX at restaurants. .. and will let you know when I find one that accepts it. It might be a good card in New York, but pretty useless here. I tried weaseling some sort of a deal our of RBC but I guess they don't want my business that much, so will stick with Aspire. I did order the Scotia one for groceries.

[InBurkeWeTrust]

I currently am using:

Scotia 4% back for groceries and reoccurring bills.
CapOne for everything else. Already at 70k points (35k sign up) collected in a bout 3-4 months. They add up quickly

[Buzzard]

Is anyone else still collecting Air Miles?

We've been collecting them for years but am wondering if it'd be better jumping ship and looking for something better.

Basically you can really only get them adding up by shopping at Safeway using the Amex Air Mile or BMO card and looking for special offers from them. Using their pharmacy also adds a lot. I've never done the math though as I know Safeway is more expensive.

Any ex-hardcore AM collectors done the math and maybe gone to something else?

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by InBurkeWeTrust

I currently am using:

Scotia 4% back for groceries and reoccurring bills.
CapOne for everything else. Already at 70k points (35k sign up) collected in a bout 3-4 months. They add up quickly

You can have it automatically pay your Telus and Enmax or what not?

[Antithesis]

I have my Shaw bill set up to charge automatically to my card (non-Aspire), but I've yet to find a way to be able to set Enmax up on it. The one monthly bill that I still need to pay out of my bank account.

[GeoffSK]

Originally Posted by Buzzard

Is anyone else still collecting Air Miles?

We've been collecting them for years but am wondering if it'd be better jumping ship and looking for something better.

Basically you can really only get them adding up by shopping at Safeway using the Amex Air Mile or BMO card and looking for special offers from them. Using their pharmacy also adds a lot. I've never done the math though as I know Safeway is more expensive.

Any ex-hardcore AM collectors done the math and maybe gone to something else?

I am an airmiles collector. I've done the math and with shopping at safeway no other program makes sense. Especially now that they reduced the amount of taxes you have to pay for flights. Granted they did raise the amount of miles needed but not by much.

Combined with the bmo gold card for 25% off flight redemptions it's hard to beat for me. I couldn't afford to travel every year with my family of five without collecting airmiles. I can earn a flight to California on 6 to 8 shopping trips of $100 to $150 depending on the bonus offeres. So 600 to 1200 of groceries yeilds a $500 ticket on a good deal from saskatoon. Taxes are 130 so $370 value.

I've considered the capital one card too because I think on strickly CC purchases it is a better deal.

[Buzzard]

Originally Posted by GeoffSK

I am an airmiles collector. I've done the math and with shopping at safeway no other program makes sense. Especially now that they reduced the amount of taxes you have to pay for flights. Granted they did raise the amount of miles needed but not by much.

Combined with the bmo gold card for 25% off flight redemptions it's hard to beat for me. I couldn't afford to travel every year with my family of five without collecting airmiles. I can earn a flight to California on 6 to 8 shopping trips of $100 to $150 depending on the bonus offeres. So 600 to 1200 of groceries yeilds a $500 ticket on a good deal from saskatoon. Taxes are 130 so $370 value.



I've considered the capital one card too because I think on strickly CC purchases it is a better deal.

Thanks for your outlook on it. AM's has helped us buy a LOT of vacation time over the years also.

Some of the (Safeway) offers years ago were almost too good to be true, now you have to work a little harder. A lot of people are down on the program anymore, but I think they are either used to the amazing offers of the past, or completely unaware that it's only Safeway where you accumulate any reasonable amount. Even though most of the good offers from the past are long gone, Safeway still has the buy 100 get 100 almost every other week, with the odd one even better.

It really should just be re-branded as a Safeway credit card points program, as it's the only place that offers anything worthwhile!

[cracher]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

However, I'm more apt to travel with family now and the above benefits have zero appeal to me - can't exactly ditch them to head into the ML Lounge solo. I have the vaunted 2% on everything no limit AMEX / $99 fee so this Visa definately doesn't have any appeal for me.

That said, the TD points are far better and easier to redeem instead of Aeroplan. Redeeming those for actual flights is hopeless. Safeway Airmiles are slightly better but still never have flights when you need them.

You can buy ML lounge passes for a few thousand points on the aeroplan site. Still not really worth it though.

With aeroplan points, I'm actually finding booking flights easier than the old TD system. The "market fare" flights are quite flexible and available last minute. The price isn't too bad, especially if you get the diamond status discount. However, I will completely agree that aeroplan is useless for cars/hotels. Giant rip off. 90000 points for 1 night fairmont is not out of line... this is basically the equivalent of two people round trip to anywhere NA on classic fare for staying 1 measly night.

[Old Yeller]

Originally Posted by Buzzard

Is anyone else still collecting Air Miles?

I don't anymore, the last time we redeemed them was on tickets to NYC and because we used airmiles we had to catch connecting flights in Dallas with terrible layover times and it just didn't seem worth it for the money we were saving.

I don't know if it's changed any since then as I switched to an Aspire Travel Rewards card(probably partly because of this thread), but it sure is a lot more convenient redeeming rewards for flights.

[InBurkeWeTrust]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

You can have it automatically pay your Telus and Enmax or what not?

My Bell (cell), telus (tv internet) are a couple I have set. I don't think you can do it with Enmax.

[jwslam]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

but I've yet to find a way to be able to set Enmax up on it. The one monthly bill that I still need to pay out of my bank account.

I'm pretty sure mine is set up...
I remember seeing an option to charge flat rate or floating. If flat, they charge the current bill every month and at the end of the year you either owe them or they owe you.... I think I did it online but i can't find where now...

[albertGQ]

Is it easy or a nightmare to redeem Infinite Avion points for flights? We have quite a bit of points on our Infinte Avion card and would like to redeem them soon

[redforever]

Originally Posted by albertGQ

Is it easy or a nightmare to redeem Infinite Avion points for flights? We have quite a bit of points on our Infinte Avion card and would like to redeem them soon

Very easy...you can do it all on line.

You can book with their travel agent too but you get charged $25 for their service then.

Some flights are not shown on line...like for instance, flights to Morocco with Royal Moroccan Airlines, since that airline is not in alliance with any other airline.

In that case, what I had to do was book and pay for the flight myself. Then I presented those costs to Avion, they reimbursed me for my costs (minus airport taxes and the like) and then docked me the appropriate points from my Avion account. I think they allow something like $2000 for an international flight.

My son has to pay for his flights to Cuba this way as well, not sure why, would have to ask him.

You can use your Avion points for hotels as well, cars too I think although I have never used my Avion points for cars.

[albertGQ]

Originally Posted by redforever

Very easy...you can do it all on line.

You can book with their travel agent too but you get charged $25 for their service then.

Some flights are not shown on line...like for instance, flights to Morocco with Royal Moroccan Airlines, since that airline is not in alliance with any other airline.

In that case, what I had to do was book and pay for the flight myself. Then I presented those costs to Avion, they reimbursed me for my costs (minus airport taxes and the like) and then docked me the appropriate points from my Avion account. I think they allow something like $2000 for an international flight.

My son has to pay for his flights to Cuba this way as well, not sure why, would have to ask him.

You can use your Avion points for hotels as well, cars too I think although I have never used my Avion points for cars.

Awesome. Do you book on the RBC website?

How do you represent the costs to RBC if you book it and pay for it on your own? You just call them up and fax the info? Or they would know since you charged it to your Avion card?

[redforever]

Originally Posted by albertGQ

Awesome. Do you book on the RBC website?

How do you represent the costs to RBC if you book it and pay for it on your own? You just call them up and fax the info? Or they would know since you charged it to your Avion card?

Yes, log into rbc and then into travel rewards and choose flights, hotels, etc

I forget the contact, but phone Avion travel agency. You have to scan and copy your actual costs (minus GST, other taxes) and submit it via e-mail to get reimbursement. I don't have that e-mail address anymore.

[albertGQ]

Thanks redforever!!!