Aeroplan officially adds Etihad Airways as an airline partner + MORE Jun 3rd

TAP Air Portugal is starting to promote the return of their flights out of Toronto for travel in July and beyond. It does appear for the most part that Portugal will begin opening up on July 1 to international travel (their beaches are set to open June 6!) but there will be some restrictions in place (see below for the current requirements of the Azores as an example but this could change). I would recommend reading this page on Visit Portugal to learn more about their opening plans and what it will entail as a Canadian travelling to Portugal. The airline will operate 1 flight per week between Toronto and Lisbon and 2 flights per week between Toronto and Ponta Delgada for the month of July. Flights start at C$309 one way or 29,000 Miles&Go Miles. Of course it is entirely possible that you will have to self-isolate upon return dependent on what transpires with Canadian regulations over the next few weeks and months. And of course due to current lack of travel there is Aeroplan availability on a lot of these flights in both economy and business class…

You may recall that back in April of 2019 news came out that Etihad Airways would become a partner of Aeroplan as of May 1, 2019. Well that was news that was accidentally released as the partnership was not set to launch at that time. Well we can pass along the news that it is finally official as Etihad is now an airline partner of Aeroplan. This brings the total number of airlines that you can earn and redeem Aeroplan miles on to 35.Here are some key points provided by Aeroplan on the new partnership with Etihad* Etihad flights will be subject to the Fixed Mileage Flight Reward chart, available here* Members will be able to book Etihad flights online at aeroplan.com, as well as via their Contact Centre.* Etihad flights can be combined with flights operated by Air Canada and other international partners.* Fuel surcharges will not apply on Etihad operated flights.When you fly Etihad Airways on eligible paid tickets you will earn Aeroplan miles as follows:It’s great to see this partnership come to fruition as Etihad connects Toronto to hundreds of global destinations via Abu Dhabi and gives Aeroplan members that many more choices to redeem their miles on for award flights…

Scientists discover what an armored dinosaur ate for its last meal  Science DailyWestern Canadian scientists discover what an armoured dinosaur ate for its last meal  Yorkton This WeekArmour-Plated Dinosaur’s Last Meal Found Beautifully Preserved, 110 Million Years Later  ScienceAlertBest-preserved dinosaur stomach ever found reveals ‘sleeping dragon’s’ last meal  Livescience.comDinosaur stomach contents reveal last meal and time of death  New AtlasView Full coverage on Google News

For a limited time, American Express is offering consumer cardmembers more value for Points for Purchases. From April 17, until September 30, 2020, cardholders can use 1,000 points for a $10 statement credit on all eligible non-travel related purchases. That means Membership Rewards points are currently worth one cent each when redeeming for a statement credit.
Typically, the highest redemption value is reserved for travel. But since travel redemption is a waiting game, American Express has created a way for cardholders to access nearly the top value for their points.

Turning the American Express Cobalt card into cash back
A big bonus for the American Express Platinum Card
How much are statement credits worth?
More ways to use your points

Turning the American Express Cobalt card into cash back
The American Express CobaltTM Credit Card offers cardholders five points per dollar spent on groceries, restaurants and food delivery. Converting those points to a statement credit means cardholders can see 5% back, which is a higher value than any cash back card on the market…

The single biggest mistake when trying to control and pay down debt is failing to eliminate the highest-interest debt first. You have to prioritize by two factors: the rate of interest being paid and whether or not it’s tax deductible. Credit-card debt for consumption purposes is the most pernicious because a) the interest rates are onerous at near 20% a year; and b) there’s no way to deduct the expense of this interest from your taxes.
Given this, the obvious conclusion is to pay off high-interest, non-deductible credit-card debt ahead of all other debts—ahead of student loans and ahead of mortgage debt, both of which usually involve much lower rates of interest.
The second biggest mistake is paying off non-tax-deductible debt ahead of valid tax-deductible debt. You may ask what debts ARE tax deductible? Well, if you are a business owner you may have a corporate credit card you use exclusively for valid business expenses that should therefore be deductible from business income: valid auto expenses, office supplies and equipment, various professional services and the like…