Almost half of all Canadians (49 per cent) are planning to travel for vacation in the next 12 months. But a CIBC survey finds many aspects of travel are stressful or leave folks wanting more.
Nearly all respondents (93 per cent) said they would love to get through security and customs more quickly. And most (74 per cent) would like to have access to airport lounges. But more than half of those surveyed (54 per cent) think their lounge dreams are unattainable.
The survey, conducted among 1,525 randomly selected Canadian adults, also found that we worry about having our credit cards stolen or losing our cell phones while on holidays. The study found that 46 per cent of Canadians admit to losing or accidentally damaging their cell phone. Looking at their most recent incident, 50 per cent said they’d dropped their phone and 21 per cent said it got wet.
With those findings in mind, CIBC has added a wide range of great new perks and insurance coverage to its premium CIBC Aventura rewards cards at no added cost.
A CIBC survey of Canadians finds that southern Europe, including France, is our number one dream destination. JIM BYERS PHOTO
New and continuing cardholder benefits available now include:
– Airport lounge access: with a Priority Pass membership, get access to 1,200+ airport lounges across the globe and kick back with four complimentary lounge entries per year. I don’t know about you, but enjoying the snacks and comfortable seating at an airport lounge prior to a flight always puts me in a better mood. Even if you only save a few dollars by having your meal in the lounge, it’s nice to not have to stand in line at Tim Hortons for a sandwich to take on the plane. An afternoon or evening glass of wine in the lounge is never a bad thing, either.
– Less time in lineups – more time travelling: receive a rebate on your NEXUS application fee and you could enjoy smoother crossings at the US-Canada border. I’ve been a NEXUS member for years and find it saves huge amounts of time at security. Not only is it faster at the U.S. border points at Canadian airports, but the NEXUS card also will usually get you TSA pre-clearance at U.S. airports, which often means you don’t have to take off your jacket or shoes, or even take your laptop out of its case.
– New mobile device insurance and more: travel with even greater coverage including mobile device insurance (coverage up to $1,000 for lost, stolen or accidentally damaged devices – at home or way); hotel burglary insurance and improved trip cancellation insurance. We all know how important our phones are to us now; they’re our personal agendas, address books, web surfing devices, and cameras. Having $1,000 in insurance to help out for a phone that’s dropped into a fountain (or, ahem, someplace worse) is a terrific feature.
– Personalized trip planning: the Aventura Travel Assistant is available 24 hours a day to assist with trip planning and the unexpected.
– Flexible Points: use Aventura points for any airline, any flight. That’s something that can’t be said for every rewards card on the market.
“For travellers and vacationers, the journey starts well before they board a plane,” said CIBC’s Prashant Sharma, Senior Vice-President of Cards. “We’ve looked at some of the most common needs and challenges, from beginning of the trip to the end and found ways to help clients put their minds at ease and enjoy the experience,”
“Canadians want to get the most out of each trip,” said Sharma. “Aventura’s enhanced card benefits are meeting this demand and helping give clients a frictionless, memorable travel experience.”
A CIBC survey finds Canadians still love their beach holidays. Owning a CIBC Aventura travel rewards card can help you get there faster. JIM BYERS PHOTO
The CIBC study also looked at places and travel styles of Canadians. Here are some highlights.
– One in four of us spend more than $5,000 on our holiday.
– Our favourite vacations involve relaxing on a beach (29 per cent), visiting cultural or historical spots (26 per cent) and participating in eco-adventures (12 per cent).
– Our favourite dream destination is southern Europe, including France, Italy, Spain and Greece (37 per cent). Next is Australasia, including Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti and Polynesia in general (23 per cent). Coming third was the Caribbean, including Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua and The Bahamas (22 per cent). Staycations in Canada came in at 17 per cent.
– Twenty five per cent of adults aged 18-34 said their ideal vacation would involve nature travel/eco-adventure and backpacking/exploring.
– Seventy four per cent think all credit card coverage should extend to mobile phones.
– If their flight is delayed by four hours or more, 73 per cent of Canadians said they’d kill time at the airport by grabbing a bite to eat or finding a quiet spot.
For details on CIBC Aventura and corresponding card benefits visit cibc.com/thetravellerscard or rewards.cibcrewards.com/Home.aspx
