Delta Hotels Privilege interim changes announced prior to an entirely new program coming this fall + MORE Jan 7th

We just received the following email from Delta Hotels. They are making some interim changes to their program prior to completely relaunching it in the fall of 2014:To ensure Delta Privilege remains competitive, and to pave the way for a rewarding new program set to launch in Autumn 2014, changes to the current program needed to be made. These changes to benefits will be effective for reservations made after February 28, 2014 for stays starting on or after March 1, 2014. ♦ Upgrade to Gold – Now in as little as five stays* or 10 room nights, you can be upgraded to Gold and earn all the rewards of a Delta Privilege member, plus:     ♦ $200 hotel credit to be used towards dining, guest rooms, meetings and events     ♦ Two upgrades at time of check-in, based on availability     ♦ Nightly turndown service (upon request)**     ♦ Enhanced partnership savings and rewards with Avis♦ Extended Check-out –This benefit is no longer available for Base members…

TD’s longstanding goal to become the primary issuer of Aeroplan rewards became a reality on January 1st, as their deal with CIBC finalized and a brand new travel rewards credit card hit the market.
The lender has wasted no time launching the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite, a doozy of a travel card featuring plush VIP perks and comprehensive travel insurance. The new card will be followed with additional Aeroplan options in the months to come, as TD develops its new rewards suite and completes the transfer of roughly 550,000 CIBC Aeroplan cardholders.
The End Of A Dramatic Deal
The completed transaction comes after terse negotiations with former provider CIBC, who dominated the Aeroplan reward space for decades. Change arose when Aeroplan owner Aimia announced they would not renew their contract with the lender, and would join forces with TD in the new year.
CIBC initially cried foul, citing breach of contract and their first right of refusal. A three-way settlement was eventually reached, with half of CIBC’s Aeroplan clients sold to TD in a $162…

Welcome to the first full work week of 2014! Here is what transpired on Rewards Canada and the world of travel rewards programs in Canada today:News, Tips & TricksToday is the last day to book Hyatt Gold Passport reward nights at the old rates! The new, more expensive chart comes into effect tomorrow. If you have any planned Hyatt stays coming up where you wanted to redeem Gold Passport points for then you should do it by 11:59EST tonight!Air Canada is running a contest where you can win 125,000 Aeroplan Miles when you participate in their Carbon Offset program on Air Canada flight until Feb 28. Full details.Thanks to long time Rewards Canada subscriber Andrew S. for alerting us to another new hotel reward program. EveryStay Rewards is the frequent guest program for Rodd Hotels & Resorts in the Maritimes. You can be sure this program is now on our radar and will keep you up to date with any news and promotions from them!. Find out more about EveryStay here. In the bonus offer section you’ll find lots of bonuses and one of note is the travel twice and get one free for Amtrak’s Cascade service…

The first Aeroplan flight bonus offer of 2014 is out and it is for a single Air Canada rouge route.Here is the offer as it will appear on RC’s Aeroplan Bonus Miles page tomorrow:Earn 3,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles on Air Canada rouge flights between Toronto and Las Vegas. Valid on Air Canada rouge evening flights AC1853 or AC1854. Register Online (Registration is required) Register and book by Jan 31 for travel Feb 1- 28, 14Can’t make use of this promotion? Be sure to visit our Aeroplan Bonus Miles  page for dozens of other Aeroplan bonuses!

Personal finance can be an intimidating topic, but it doesn’t have to be. With the hundreds of books out there, where is a reader to start? Some people would rather get a root canal than assess their financial situation. And while improving personal finances is one of the most common New Year’s Resolutions, by mid-January many have already given up on their holiday credit card statement. It’s these excuses author and Globe and Mail personal finance columnist Preet Banerjee skewers in his new book, Stop Over-Thinking Your Money.

Banerjee provides five simple rules to follow towards financial success. You’ll note investing isn’t one of them – why should you worry about investing, when you don’t have any money to invest? With household debt at record levels and personal savings rates at paltry levels, Canadians clearly aren’t getting the message. Banerjee’s rules are easy to grasp and actionable – you’ll achieve an “easy a” in personal finance in no time…