Frugal Flyer

My wife and I stayed at the Westin Verasa Napa during her birthday trip to Napa in 2026. While there were some elements of the stay that could have been better, the staff provided an excellent birthday treat, and my Nightly Upgrade Award was cleared for a suite. I booked this stay at the Westin Verasa Napa on an industry professional rate, and sadly, cash or “cash equivalent”...

Singapore Airlines has long been regarded as one of the best premium airlines in the world. Known not only for its excellent business class, but maybe even more so for its flagship First Class Suites, which is only rivaled by Etihad Airways’ First Class Apartment and Residence. Beyond the impressive hard product, Singapore Airlines is renowned for its exceptional service. The...

Travelling with a partner or friend on Porter Airlines? There’s a credit card perk that can knock the entire base fare off your companion’s ticket, and it’s the real deal. The Porter Companion Pass, available exclusively through the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard, is one of the more compelling perks in Canadian aviation right now. But there are a few catches worth knowin...

I stayed at the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa using an 85K Marriott Free Night Certificate before embarking on a Hilton Timeshare marketing package. While the hotel has an excellent breakfast, and they cleared my Nightly Upgrade Award to a nice suite, I’m not sure the price is justified if you book during high season at peak pricing. I booked this stay usi...

There are a few popular and aspirational destinations that have a high cash outlay to get to, whether you are taking a seaplane to the St Regis Maldives or taking a small regional aircraft to JW Masai Mara. The short flights to Koh Samui in Thailand are perhaps not as expensive as the above examples, but they can still run $300 to $400 CAD per person for a round-trip booking....