a close up of a credit card

Amazing Deal! US Merrill Lynch Card, $1000 Sign-Up Bonus

Merrill Lynch, Bank of America’s wealth management division, is currently offering their fee-free Visa Signature with a 50,000 sign-up bonus after spending $3000 in three months [this is not a referral link]. This is the first time I’ve heard of this credit card being publicly accessible. Their points system is redeemable on any flight, at the rate of 25,000 points for $500. Strangely, the redemption must be on a round-trip flight departing from the United States (boo!). Further, you can only redeem your points at the above rate if your operating carrier is American, Delta, United, or British Airways; any other airline requires a 30,000 point redemption for the same value. Finally, if you spend $50,000 in a year, you’ll receive a $200 travel credit or a Delta Skyclub membership (I think you can guess which has more value).

HURRY! EVA Business Award Seats!!!!

There seems to be a HUGE number of EVA Business Class award seats available for booking. For example, nearly every single day of their schedule to/from Toronto is available after January. Normally these seats are released around a month or two week before departure. EVA is an amazing product (PJs, Rimowa amenity kits, $200+ champagne)! There is no fuel surcharge using Aeroplan.

“Enhancement” – Aeroplan Change/Refund Fees (hint: it sucks)

For many years, Aeroplan charged $90+tax per person for any change or refund to an Aeroplan ticket. This fee applied without regard to the significance of the change – any change came with that fee. For refunds within 22 days before departure, the fee was $90+tax to change the booking to a trip outside 22 days, and an additional $90 to refund that ticket.