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Since 2015, we’ve written a lot of articles on milesopedia about points and miles: how to earn them and most importantly… how to use them the best way! We are always happy when readers take a few minutes to tell us about their experience!
Murielle D. is one of milesopedia’s most devoted fans, which the members of the Facebook group “ milesopedia – Credit cards and Rewards “will certainly recognize!
Here is her “postcard” that she sent us:
So Murielle took matters into her own hands! A novice to points and credit cards in general, she learned by reading, reading, reading… and asking a few questions in the Facebook group.
The article Murielle mentioned above is about using Delta Skymiles for flights to Hawaii. But of course, this is possible for any North American destination.
18,000 Delta Skymiles round trip/person from Toronto to Phoenix… a real bargain! Murielle and her husband obtained these miles through business travel. But be aware that you can also earn Delta Skymiles in Canada in two ways:
If you want to learn more about the big benefits of the Marriott Bonvoy program at the airline partner level, check out this article!
There are still travelers who do not read milesopedia and continue to pay full price for their air tickets and hotel nights? 😆
15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points (equivalent to 5,000 starpoints): a bargain for a hotel near an international airport like Toronto.
Since the demise of the Marriott Bonvoy card, the only way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points or starpoints is through one of the two American Express Marriott Bonvoy credit cards.
Each of them allows you to obtain 20,000 starpoints or the equivalent of 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
The card offered by the National Bank allows you to use $250 of travel credits annually for specific expenses (and not interchangeable with each other):
It’s best to wait for a promotion (free first year and/or welcome bonus of NBC points) before signing up.
Priority Pass lounges can be excellent(like this lounge in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam) or not so good. Everything will depend on how full the show is (this is particularly the case with the National Bank show in Montreal).
Murielle shared on the Facebook group some pictures of this show:
And here is Murielle and her spouse with their friends in this Premium Plaza salon.
… or when your readers tell you about the benefits of certain credit cards! The free Wi-Fi with Gogoflight is interesting! This is a benefit that is not promoted at all by CIBC… and one that I could not find by reading all the pamphlets provided by CIBC! Murielle’s explanations:
This offer expired in September 2017, but passes could be used for 1 year. Once again, well done Murielle!
Most credit cards linked with a “travel” loyalty program allow points to be applied to travel expenses (airfare, hotels, car rentals…). It’s a simple and effective way to find the best rate on your own! Discover our detailed article on this subject.
Excellent use of Marriott Bonvoy points in this scenario. Especially since for every 4 nights booked with points, the fifth is free – whether with Marriott Bonvoy or Marriott Bonvoy. Evidently, since his trip, the hotel moved up a category in Marriott’s latest annual change in March 2018: 5 nights there now cost 100,000 points. Always a bargain against the daily rate charged!
New converts to loyalty program benefits! The Marriott BonvoyTM American ExpressMD Card offers 20,000 starpoints, which is already a great deal considering all the things you can do with it. The promotion that took place during the summer of 2017 was exceptional.
Because there are not only planes, lounges, hotels and points in travel… It’s interesting to see how much can be done in this beautiful part of Arizona!
Here are some pictures sent by Murielle:
I agree with all of this: the Lower Antelope Canyon is not to be missed when visiting this area!
BMO Rewards points earned through BMO Rewards credit cards – such as the BMO World Elite MasterCard – must be used on the BMO Rewards travel portal. The rates are identical to what you would find on Expedia, Hotels.com or Booking.com.
If I were Murielle, I would have complained to the front desk about the view: it was definitely not the type of room reserved. Whether the reservation was made with points or cash is irrelevant here! There is still time to complain to BMO Rewards and earn some points for your trouble!
Thank you Murielle! If you would like to ask her specific questions about using her points & miles to put this trip together, head over to this dedicated post in the facebook group!
Savings this way:
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