American Express Canada and Hilton today announced the launch of the Hilton Honors American Express® Card, marking a new chapter in the companies’ longstanding partnership and introducing a Hilton Honors co-branded credit card to Canada for the first time. Combining the powerful backing of American Express with the award-winning Hilton Honors loyalty program, the new Card gives Canadian travellers flexibility, choice and value, with new ways to turn everyday purchases into rewarding Hilton stays. Cardmembers can earn accelerated Hilton Honors Points on eligible purchases, enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status, and access Hilton’s global portfolio of 28 brands comprising more Read more
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I had the good fortune of spending some time on a call this week with Shin Kawai from Japan Communications. Kawai represents the Japanese island of Kyushu, and also works with Tokyo. Our chat was focused on Kyushu, which is in the far southwest of Japan, just southeast (maybe 135 miles or 215 km’s) of South Korea and has a subtropical climate. The island is home to Nagasaki and several other major cities, including Fukuoka, which is home to Kushida-jinja, a beautiful 8th-century Shinto shrine. I was also quite interested to hear about Yanagawa, which has a series of canals Read more
A new, user-friendly website. More ways to earn points. And 40 million points to give away. Aeroplan is celebrating its 40th birthday this year with a 10-day party that involves giveaways and prizes galore. It’s also a time to reflect back on four decades of what has become one of Canada’s top loyalty programs. In a one-on-one chat earlier this week, Scott O’Leary, Air Canada’s Vice President of Loyalty and Product, said Aeroplan had about 4 million members in 2020. Today that number is more than 8.5 million. “Most of that growth is in the last 24 months,” he said. Read more
Travel rewards programs are a great, no-cost way to save money and earn valuable points towards great trips. And Air Canada’s Aeroplan is one of the best for Canadians. With help from Aeroplan, you can turn your travel dreams into reality with endless redemption opportunities on flights to more than 1,300 destinations worldwide through the biggest network of airline partners. Better still, there are no restrictions or blackout dates to hold you back. I’ve been an Aeroplan member for a good 30-40 years now. I’ve used my points to book dozens of great trips around the world; Europe, Hawaii, Vancouver, Read more
Portugal is seeing a tourism boom, but Hawaii is slow to recover from pre-pandemic numbers. I also have a look at the best travel reward credit cards, the top places for women over 50 to travel this year, and most iconic foods from countries around the world. PORTUGAL TOURISM SPIRALS UPWARD Portugal brought in more money than ever before from tourism in 2023, and the country’s tourism boom shows no signs of slowing down. Tourism revenue increased to more than $36.5 billion CAD in 2023 compared to $30.8 billion the previous year, Secretary of State for Tourism, Read more
