[WArcher]

I was thinking this evening, while I'm stuck in a hotel, somewhere...

I'm 'SuperElite' with Air Canada Aeroplan because of my work (Telecommunications). Aeroplan has great site dedicated to hoovering up all those points and it's not just air tickets but all sorts of merchandise, as well.

It seems to me that the highest point collectors are probably all business users (at least at the Elite or Super-Elite level) and so it seems to me that allowing one to use their Aeroplan points to purchase a PlayBook would make logical and Marketing sense.

Aeroplan gets a boost as a premier destination for Frequent Fliers, RIM associates themselves with high-mileage users who globe-trot, and frequent travellers get a chance to acquire this beautiful business tool (and personal productivity adjunct) with a minimum of stress spent convincing our other halves of the need to spend $700-800 of 'real' money.

There are, already, a lot of laptops and office tools on the AP website and certainly BlackBerry handsets have figured prominently in the past.

So - While I'm stuck in another aluminium cigar tube more than 10KM above the planet the PlayBook that this flight earned me is put to good use.

What do you think? Does this 'cheapen' the brand? Is it a good idea?

I just checked the Aeroplan Website after my post, above. The iPad is now prominently plastered all over the place from 77,500 (16gb) to 122,500 miles (64gb+3g).

Seems the precedent has been set.

[drjay868]

It doesn't apply to me, but I think it sounds like a great plan. I don't think it cheapens the brand either, because its being marketed at RIM's primary focus -- the corporate world first, consumers second. It's not like their advertising in Highlights magazine.

[_StephenBB81]

As a Frequent traveller I actually stay with a Hotel Chain that allows me to convert my Rewards points to FutureShop Dollars EXACTLY for this reason, no need to justify the "cash" value of the toys, they are all just reward point treats, my torch, my table saw, my BBQ, my tour, Magic Bullet, ALL rewards

I have been looking at expanding my Areoplan point gathering with a shift to a new Credit Card, but as a work-o-holic tech junky the return on rewards isn't as attractive, if I could get my BB related items with Areoplan points HELLO new Credit Card for maximizing points!

[Shao128]

As a Frequent traveller I actually stay with a Hotel Chain that allows me to convert my Rewards points to FutureShop Dollars EXACTLY for this reason, no need to justify the "cash" value of the toys, they are all just reward point treats, my torch, my table saw, my BBQ, my tour, Magic Bullet, ALL rewards

Thats the reason I stay at Travelodge when I travel on business. It is so easy to collect points with them. From all the points rewards programs Ive found they give the most value to each point. $50 GC for FutureShop for staying just a few nights in a hotel. The amount Ive collected in FS GC's is literally in the thousands.

[_StephenBB81]

Thats the reason I stay at Travelodge when I travel on business. It is so easy to collect points with them. From all the points rewards programs Ive found they give the most value to each point. $50 GC for FutureShop for staying just a few nights in a hotel. The amount Ive collected in FS GC's is literally in the thousands.

That is exactly who I stay with is Travelodge!!
it kills me I'm coming to Winnipeg next week, and have to Stay at the Holiday inn because of a corporate Rate plan!

if you Travel predominately in Canada, and don't travel for vacation Travelodge Canada's rewards program is THE BEST program, I have done extensive research into this as I spend about 150 days a year in hotels.

Every 7500 Points = $50GC for FutureShop, I get 12 points per dollar, average stay being $90/night which becomes 1080/night, so every 7 nights I get $50
and of my 150 nights a year I spend about 90 of them in Travelodges, so I average about $650 / year in Futureshop dollars from Travelodge.

[Shao128]

The other nice thing with Travelodge is they let you get the points for other rooms from your group. I usually travel with a handful of other people and most of them dont care about the points, so more for me!

[_StephenBB81]

The other nice thing with Travelodge is they let you get the points for other rooms from your group. I usually travel with a handful of other people and most of them dont care about the points, so more for me!

Ya I love that, I've managed to steal those points a few times,
WAY better than the Marriott group! they make you pay for the room if you want the points, you can not get points on your stay if someone else pays for the room