In This Issue: 

​​🚨 Air Canada Pilot Strike Update

🚀 40% Bonus When Buying British Airways Avios

🛫 Up to 85% Bonus with Aeroplan

👨‍💻 Emergency Fund Equipped For the Next Recession

🗺️ Chexy Deals: Business class flights to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon

Update: Air Canada Pilots Strike – Latest Developments

We wanted to give you a quick update on the Air Canada pilot strike. Unfortunately, no agreement has been reached between Air Canada and its pilots yet. Despite ongoing negotiations, both sides remain far apart.

In response, Air Canada has started preparing for a potential orderly shutdown, which could happen as early as September 15. If you’re traveling with Air Canada between September 15 and 23, you can still take advantage of their flexible rebooking policy. You can change your flight for free if your ticket was purchased or Aeroplan points are redeemed by September 9. 

Reschedule to fly between September 9 and 14 or between September 24 and November 30 to avoid disruptions.

Stay tuned for more updates and keep an eye on your email in case of any changes to your itinerary.

Now, back to the regularly scheduled updates. 😜

Buying British Airways Avios 40% Bonus: Should You Take Advantage of the Deal?

Right now, British Airways is offering a pretty good deal where you can buy Avios with a bonus of up to 45%—a tempting offer if you’re planning upcoming trips and want to maximize your rewards. ✅

What’s the Deal?

British Airways is running a promotion until September 19, 2024, where you can buy Avios and receive a bonus based on how much you purchase:

• Buy 2,000–15,000 Avios: Get a 20% bonus

• Buy 20,000–34,000 Avios: Get a 30% bonus

• Buy 35,000–100,000 Avios: Get a 45% bonus

Quick Intro: What Can You Do With Avios?

Avios are incredibly versatile and can be used for everything from short-haul flights to luxurious long-haul business-class tickets. Here are some ways you can make the most of this bonus:

1. Short-Haul Flights: One of the best uses of British Airways Avios is for short-haul flights.

   • For example: You can book flights from London to almost anywhere in Europe for around 4,000–8,000 Avios or Long-haul flights like London to Doha for 25,000- 30,000 Avios.

2. Business Class Flights 💺

   • Qatar Airways Qsuites is a great option for business class flights. With their business class cabin, you can fly from Montreal to Doha for 70,000 Avios—a great use of your points.

Example: Using Avios for Qatar Airways Qsuites

Let’s look at how you could use this British Airways bonus to your advantage with Qatar Airways. Now for some context, during a past promotion, Qatar Airways offered a 50% bonus on Avios purchases. Travelers were able to use this deal to fly in Qatar’s luxurious Qsuites by buying 47,000 Avios (with the bonus adding up to 70,500 Avios), which is enough for a one-way business class flight from Montreal to Doha.

While that promotion has passed, you can now use British Airways Avios to book similar trips. Given that Qatar and British Airways Avios can be transferred 1:1, you could buy Avios during this promo and use them for a future Qsuite experience or other great flight options. 🙌

Tips for Buying Avios During the Promotion

If you’re planning to buy Avios during this promotion, the best strategy is to use a credit card with a high earning rate. This way, you’re not only getting the bonus Avios, but also earning rewards from your card at the same time. Additionally, if you’re working toward a minimum spending requirement for a credit card sign-up bonus, this purchase could help you hit that target while boosting your Avios balance. 🤝

For example, using a card like the American Express Gold Rewards Card or TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card allows you to earn points on top of buying Avios, helping you reach that minimum spend for a sign-up bonus or additional rewards. It’s a win-win!

Is It Worth Buying Avios?

Whether or not you should buy Avios depends on your travel plans. Here are some things to consider:

• If you have specific trips planned and need to top up your Avios balance, this promotion can offer good value, especially for business class redemptions.

• For short-haul flights, the Avios you purchase can cover flights within North America or Europe at low redemption rates, making it a great option for frequent travelers.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re planning a short weekend trip or dreaming of a luxurious business-class flight, British Airways’ current Avios promotion provides a great opportunity to top up your points at a discount. With bonuses of up to 45%, you can stretch your travel budget and take advantage of some fantastic redemptions, whether it’s for short-haul economy flights or long-haul business class experiences like Qatar Airways’ Qsuites. 🚀

If you have upcoming travel plans or need just a few more Avios to unlock that perfect trip, now is the time to consider buying. Just make sure you have a clear use in mind to get the most value out of your Avios.

Aeroplan’s 85% Bonus on Points: Should You Jump In?

Aeroplan is back with an 85% bonus on points purchases until October 10, 2024. If you’ve got a trip coming up and need to top up your points balance, this promotion could be a great way to save on flights. Let’s break it down with real numbers, including how to get from Montreal to Zurich in business class using this deal.

The Deal in a Nutshell

Until October 10, you can get up to an 85% bonus when you buy 100,000+ points. Normally, Aeroplan points cost 3.5 cents (CAD) per point, but with this bonus, the cost drops to 1.89 cents per point. This promotion is targeted so Aeroplan members will receive differing bonuses on these accounts. 🙃

For smaller purchases (below 100,000 points), you’ll still get a bonus, but the rate varies:

• 4,000–10,000 points: 50% bonus

• 15,000–20,000 points: 60% bonus

• 25,000 - 500,000 points: 85% bonus

So if you’re short on points and have a specific redemption in mind, now’s the time to grab them at a discounted rate. Click here to buy points. 👀

Montreal to Zurich: Business Class Math

Let’s look at how this promotion works for a real-life example: a business-class flight from Montreal to Zurich.

This flight will cost you 60,000 Aeroplan points plus the $120 in taxes, so you’ll need to buy 32,432 points to take advantage of the 85% bonus. The bonus will provide the remaining points needed to reach 60,000. 🙌

At the usual 3.5 cents per point, that’ll cost you only $1,135.12 (CAD). But with the bonus in play, it works out to just 1.89 cents per point instead of the usual price. That’s a pretty good deal and a great way to save on your flight.

Is It Worth It?

Yes! Business class flights from Montreal to Zurich can cost upwards of $6,000 to $10,000 CAD if you pay cash. The exact same flight on the same date currently costs $8,443. 😬

With this promotion, you’re getting the same flight for just over $1,200—a huge deal. 

Maximize the Purchase

Make sure to use a credit card that gives you strong rewards for purchases to sweeten the deal further. Since Aeroplan purchases go through Points.com, use a card like the American Express Platinum or TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite to maximize points on your spending.

Our Free Rent Giveaway Contest Is Back – And It’s Better Than Ever!

If you’ve been with us for a while, you might remember our January Free Rent Giveaway, where one lucky renter won a month of free rent just by simply referring the most people that month. 🎊

Since you loved it so much, we’ve decided to bring it back—but this time, we’ve made it even better! Now, the top 5 referrers will win prizes, and the #1 spot still gets a month of rent-free! 🆓

How It Works:

1. Refer Friends & Family: Use your unique referral code, which you can find right on your Chexy dashboard.

2. Earn Rewards: Once your friend or family member signs up and activates their account, you’ll receive $15 and 1 point on the leaderboard.

3. Climb the Leaderboard: Rack up as many referrals as you can by the end of the month. The top 5 referrers will win awesome prizes, and if you finish in the top spot, you’ll get an entire month of rent-free!

Prizes for Top Referrers:

We’re offering a range of prizes for the top 5 referrers, so even if you don’t finish first, you still have a chance to win something great.

Want more details? Check out the full list of prizes and keep an eye on the leaderboard to track your progress. For all the nitty-gritty info, visit our giveaway FAQ page.

Let’s get those referrals rolling and give yourself the chance to win free rent—good luck!

Note: To participate, you must be an active Chexy user and use your unique referral code to share with friends and family.

We’re excited to share exclusive travel and credit card insights through this feature with The Prince of Travel, where we collaborate with expert partners to bring you the latest tips and trends in personal finance and travel. Let’s dive in!

How Can You Score the Best Deals on Aeroplan Award Flights?

If you’ve ever done a quick search for a business class seat from Toronto to Frankfurt and found a jaw-dropping price of 368,500 Aeroplan points on Air Canada, you might think the Aeroplan program isn’t worth it.

But don’t give up just yet—Aeroplan is actually one of the top airline rewards programs available. The example above is a reminder that finding a great award deal usually takes more than a simple search.

Most airlines limit the number of award seats on a flight, but Air Canada does something different: they make all their seats available for award bookings, though only a few are priced as good deals.

The real magic lies in Aeroplan’s fixed award chart for over 50 partner airlines, including United, Lufthansa, and ANA. Using this, you could book the same flight mentioned earlier for as little as 35,000 points by choosing a partner airline like Lufthansa. ✈️

So, how do you find these great deals? Start early and check often. 🧳 Award seats are typically released up to a year in advance, but additional seats often become available closer to the flight—sometimes just days before departure.

To make things easier, it’s best to plan your trip early. If you know a year ahead of time that you want to visit Germany, start searching about 11 months before your intended departure date.

Whether you’re booking 11 months, 11 weeks, or even 11 days in advance, landing a great deal on an Aeroplan award flight is always possible. The key? Persistence and patience. 😬

If you want to learn more on how to book your flights with your Aeroplan points, check out our article here or click the button below.

Is Your Emergency Fund Equipped For the Next Recession? 😥

New Feature Alert! We’re excited to bring you expert personal finance tips from the team here at Chexy. With all the talk about a possible recession, now is the perfect time to ensure your emergency fund is ready to support you during any financial bumps. Let’s get it prepped in three simple steps…

1. Set Your Goal 🎯

First, figure out how much you need. Aim for four to six months of living expenses. So for example, If your fixed expenses total to $4,500 a month. Your emergency fund should at a minimum add up to $13,500 and eventually, you should aim to save up to $27,000. 

This will give you a cushion for unexpected events like job loss or medical emergencies. To set a realistic target, calculate your monthly costs, including rent, utilities, groceries, and debt payments.

2. Open a High Yield Savings Account (HYSA) 🤔

A HYSA is a MUST for your emergency fund. It keeps your savings separate and helps you avoid spending it on non-emergencies. Plus, you’ll earn more interest! Here are three great options in Canada:

• Wealthsimple Cash Account: 3.5% to 4.5% interest, $0 annual fees

• Neo High-Interest Savings Account: 4% interest, $0 annual fees

• KOHO HISA (Essential Plan): Up to 5% interest, $4 monthly fees

Our personal favorite is the Neo High-Interest Savings Account since it offers pretty decent returns at 4% with no added frills. Nevertheless, you can’t go wrong with either of the 3 above options, choose your own calling. 🤑

3. Automate Your Savings 💰

We’ve all heard it… Consistency is key. Set up automatic transfers from your checking account to your emergency fund each month. So saving becomes a habit, and you won’t forget to contribute.

And remember, keep your emergency fund out of reach from your regular spending. Building an emergency fund might be tough, but the peace of mind it provides is priceless. By setting a goal, keeping your funds separate, and automating your savings, you’ll be well on your way to financially rough waters.

You’ve got this! 💰

Credit Card Spotlight 🔦

Welcome to Chexy Credit Card Spotlight! 👀 Each month we’ll recommend a credit card that everyone should have! This time, we’ve got the Scotiabank Gold American Express—perfect for everyday buys and travel. Let's jump in. ✅

Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

Earn up to 6X the Scene+TM points on every $1 CAD you spend in Canada on eligible grocery, dining, and entertainment purchases.

Earn Rates:

6X on every $1 CAD you spend in Canada at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo, Foodland, and more.

5X for every $1 CAD you spend on Dining, Food Delivery, and other eligible grocery stores.

5X for every $1 CAD you spend on eligible entertainment purchases. Includes movies, theatre, and ticket agencies.

3X for every $1 CAD you spend on gas and daily transit options. Includes rideshare, buses, taxis, subway, and more.

3X for every $1 CAD you spend in Canada on eligible select streaming services.

1X on Everything Else

Annual Fee:

The card has a $120 annual fee but your first year is waived!

Check out these awesome deals you definitely don't want to miss if you're thinking about traveling in the next few months!

1. Toronto (YYZ) ➡️ Newark (EWR) ➡️ Amsterdam (AMS)

   • Cost:60,000

     

   • Dates: November 25th, 2024

   • Book: Here

2. Montreal (YUL) ➡️ Barcelona (BCN)

   • Cost: 29,000

     

   • Dates: December 11th, 2024

   • Book: Here

3. Toronto (YYZ) ➡️ Lisbon (LIS)

   • Cost: 60,000

     

   • Dates: April 3rd, 2025

   • Book: Here