-- C. Warren, Oshawa
A: Summer is considered peak season in many destinations but if you do your homework you can still find savings.
For instance, a new survey from pollsters Angus Reid shows that Canadians want luxurious vacations with rich cultural experiences, but they are not willing to break the bank to pay for them.
"One way that Canadians could supplement their travel plans is with travel rewards cards. Although most Canadians are part of a rewards program, less than 30% of Canadians surveyed have actually booked their travel with rewards points," said Patrick Sojka, founder of the online travel rewards site Rewards Canada (rewardscanada.ca/).
Canadians who want to live in the lap of luxury on vacation should start putting their points to work, Sojka says, adding that points holders often don't do enough research on how to obtain rewards.
"Some of the programs do get confusing particularly on the airlines side so it makes it confusing on how to use the points. Sometimes Canadians don't focus on programs where they could win points and don't focus on one or two but instead they sign up for a lot of individual ones," he said.
He recommends that people also look at hotel reward programs, which can be a lot more flexible.
For instance, Starwood Preferred Guests -- the No. 1 hotel reward program -- makes it "relatively easy" to collect points.The hotel chain recently teamed up with American Express to launch an American Express Starwood Preferred Guest card (americanexpress.com).
Sojka advises consumers to focus on only a couple of programs through a rewards credit card, which means you don't have to be a frequent flier or a frequent guest to collect points. And don't forget to take advantage of bonus offers.
"A lot of hotels offer a heck of a lot of hotel bonuses ... Look for chains where the third night is free for a two night stay. Read the e-mail you get from the programs, and visit sites like rewardscanada.ca," he said.
Q: We toured the Hoover Dam years ago when we visited Las Vegas. We'd like to do this again but want to know if there are any new tours?
-- D. Nevine, Etobicoke
A: Papillon Airways has a new Hoover Dam helicopter tour (papillon.com), which departs daily from either their Las Vegas or Boulder City terminals. The 15 to 20 minute flight over the Hoover Dam takes place in a hi-tech EC-130 Eco-Star helicopter. Passengers will see Lake Mead, America's largest man-made reservoir, the tributaries of the Colorado River and the Black Canyon before returning. Adult fares start at $94 US and include transfers to and from major Las Vegas resorts. Contact 1-888- 635-7272 or visit their website for details.
ilona@mycompass.ca
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