How travellers maximise rewards card deals

How travellers maximise rewards card deals

Canadians can repack their beach bags for a soggy spring tour of London, if a great deal is on the table. Travellers aren't as concerned about where they are going, what time of year it is or how they are getting there if it means saving money.

According to a recent TD Canada Trust Poll, 99 per cent of Canadians look for a deal when they are booking their vacation.

Travellers love to stretch their dollars with not only travel deals, but also by cashing in points for travel packages. Special rewards credit cards can be used for everyday purchases to collect points faster, which in turn can be cashed in for a flight, hotel or a travel package.

Sixty-seven per cent of travelling cardholders consciously collect extra travel rewards in advance of booking a trip. This means using the same card for collecting travel rewards for each and every purchase to reach a points goal.

Forty per cent of collectors have used or redeemed their rewards points for travel over the past year. Twenty-three per cent have felt that their travel rewards helped them to afford their trip. One in five (19 per cent) say the reason they took advantage of the travel points was because of the lagging economy.

According to the poll:

* 23 percent of Canadians said they would not travel if they were not able to get the deal they wanted. They would prefer to stay at home rather than paying full price.
* 60 per cent of travellers would consider changing the dates of their vacation if they could save on travel.
* 42 per cent would even consider changing their vacation destination to get a better deal.
* 62 per cent of Canadians are willing to plan far enough in advance to save money on early booking discounts.
* 55 per cent of travellers will avoid peak travel seasons when prices are overinflated due to demand.
* 54 per cent of Canadians will search for the best package deal before booking a trip, and 35 per cent of them will wait until the last minute to get vacation sell-off deals.

Season, mode of transportation and travel destination can all be switched as quickly as it takes to repack the swimsuit for a brolly in order for Canadians to maximize their spending power.

Written by Melanie Dixon.