| Hbc FAQs. |
| Do I need to be an Hbc Rewards member to book travel? |
| Yes, in order to make a travel purchase you must have an active Hbc Rewards account. You will be required to enter in your sixteen digit Hbc Rewards number during the checkout process. If you’re not a member, sign-in now and we’ll immediately provide you with an Hbc Rewards number so you can book your trip. |
| How do I find out how much I can save on a travel booking? |
| Sign-in now using your Hbc Rewards Card and your total points balance and the rebate you are eligible for will be displayed. |
| How secure is my online booking? |
| All reservations made on the Hbc Rewards Travel Program website are done in a 128 bit secure server environment. This means that your credit card information is encrypted before getting submitted over the internet. Secure servers make it virtually impossible for unauthorized third parties to access your personal information. |
| How do I pay for my reservations? |
| Customers may pay for their travel booking by any of the following methods: |
| 1. | Valid Credit Card : A customer may use an Hbc credit card, Visa, MasterCard or American Express. With this option, the entire cost of the travel booking will be charged to the customer’s credit card at the time of purchase. |
| 2. | Combination of Credit Card and Hbc Rewards Points : This option allows Rewards Members to redeem their Hbc Rewards points in specified increments to receive a discount off travel bookings purchased through the Hbc Rewards Travel website or Hbc Rewards Travel Redemption Centre. The balance of the purchase price after the discount will be charged to the Member’s credit card. |
| 3. | Hbc Rewards Points Only : With this option, Members pay for their entire travel booking with the use of Hbc Rewards points. |
| Will I earn Hbc Rewards Points? |
| Yes. All reservations purchased using a Hbc credit card or Hbc MasterCard will be awarded points in the following fashion. Hbc Reward points are awarded at the rate of 100 points for each one dollar spent (before applicable taxes) on travel bookings that are purchased through the Hbc Rewards Travel Website or through the Hbc Rewards Travel Redemption Center. |
| How many Hbc Reward Points can I redeem? |
| Hbc Rewards points can be redeemed at the time of booking to receive a rebate on your travel purchases. Travel purchases using Hbc Rewards points are subject to a minimum point redemption requirement. The minimum purchase using Hbc Rewards points (per transaction) is 200,000 Rewards points per travel booking (resulting in a $20.00 discount applied thereto). Members may redeem additional points in 200,000 point increments only. |
| I have made my reservations online and now need to change/cancel them. May I do this online as well? |
| All changes or modifications once reservations are made must be done through the Hbc Rewards Travel service center. You may contact us at 1-866-847-4090 from Monday to Friday between 8AM and 5PM (Eastern Standard Time). |
| All bookings, once purchased by the customer, are subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable travel supplier. Penalties/fees vary by supplier and in many cases tickets/packages can be 100% non-refundable. These conditions will be communicated to you at the time of purchase. We recommend purchasing travel insurance for unexpected circumstances. |
| May I purchase travel insurance through Hbc Rewards Travel? |
| Yes, we highly recommend travel insurance and will gladly assist you in deciding which insurance plan is right for you. Hbc travel insurance can protect you and your family against unforeseen medical emergencies and travel mishaps. |
| How do I get my ticket? |
| In most cases the Member will receive an electronic ticket receipt as confirmation of their reservation and may then proceed to the airport with appropriate photo identification. For all international travel it is highly recommended to verify with the local country’s consulate to determine what entry documents are required by applicable law. Passengers who do not have the necessary documentation to travel may be denied boarding by participating carriers without compensation. |
| What is an electronic ticket? |
| Electronic tickets, which are also known as e-tickets or e-docs, are offered by most travel suppliers to most destinations around the world. Electronically, your ticket information is sent from our reservation system to the travel supplier. A physical paper ticket is no longer generated, however, an electronic copy of the record is created and e-mailed to you. |
| What are some of the benefits of e-tickets? |
| No paper tickets to remember and nothing to lose. The convenience of an electronic ticket means that all you need to worry about is your passport or required picture id. You do not even need a copy of the electronic document that is sent to you when you purchase your travel reward. Just present yourself at the airline counter, give them your name and destination and you will be on your way. |
| What if an electronic ticket is not available? |
| When an electronic ticket is not available Members may pick up their tickets at the airport on the day of departure. This option is mandatory for all charter flight and vacation package bookings made within 14 days of the departure date. Please be aware that tour operator imposed fees may apply for departures originating outside of Canada and are payable at the place of departure. |
| Can I still earn my frequent flyer points? |
| Yes. You can still earn all of your applicable airline frequent flyer points by making your reservations through the Hbc Rewards Travel website or service center. |
| Can I redeem my frequent flyer points through the Hbc Rewards Travel program? |
| Unfortunately not, you must contact the appropriate airline if you wish to use your airline’s frequent flyer points. |
| I saw a lower advertised airfare yet I cannot find it on the Hbc Rewards Travel website. |
| The Hbc Rewards Travel website will show the lowest available fare. Airlines will restrict the number discounted seats that are made available on their flights and because of this limited availability those seats often sell out quickly. |
| I am looking for a specific flight but it does not come up for the date and times I have requested? |
| The Hbc Rewards Travel program will only display available flights. We suggest verifying that the flight number or flight times have not changed. If none of the flight information has changed then the flight most likely does not operate that date or is sold out. If possible, we suggest modifying your travel dates if you are looking for a specific flight time. |
| Why are there so many different fares offered for the same flight? |
| Airline fares fluctuate constantly. Each airline has a revenue management department that monitors the sale of seats on each flight in its system on a daily basis and then makes strategic decisions on how to adjust the availability of the fare levels on each plane. On each plane you will have dozens of different fare types that will vary depending on when you make your reservation, how long you are staying, and whether you spend a Saturday night at your destination or not. |
| To get the best airfare we suggest making your reservation as far in advance as possible, flying mid week ( Tuesday through Thursday) and spending at least one Saturday night at your destination. |
| May I begin my trip outside of Canada? |
| If you are making a reservation with a scheduled airline, you may depart from any city which that airline services however please keep in mind all travel document requirements of that particular country, i.e. passports, visas etc… |
| If you are however making a reservation for a package or charter vacation, then your trip must begin in Canada. |
| Some helpful hints that may allow you to benefit from some better fares: |
| • | Always try to make your reservations as far ahead of time as possible. Most discounted airfares require that reservations be made and purchased a minimum of 21 days in advance and for international travel sometimes more. |
| • | Stay a Saturday night at your destination as most discounted fares require that you stay at least one Saturday night. |
| • | Round off your stays. Some discounted fares have a maximum stay of 14/21/30 days. If your dates are flexible, adjust your stays to a maximum of 14/21/30days. This is especially true for transoceanic travel. |
| • | When possible travel on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. These are considered mid-week travel dates and passenger loads are usually lighter on these days, because of this airlines try to attract customers to travel on these dates by offering lower airfares. |
| • | Red eye flights. These are typically early morning, late evening or overnight flights. If your travel schedule is flexible you may want to consider these options as airlines typically offer less expensive fares on these flights to balance out the passenger loads on their other flights. High demand flight times usually carry a more expensive airfare. |
| • | If possible, be flexible with your dates and experiment. Our website allows you the flexibility of searching for the best fare when you have the time to do so. Look to depart a day before/after, look to return a day before or after, fly to an alternate airport. The savings you may find will be worth the time invested. |
| • | Have your credit card ready as prices are never guaranteed till ticketed. |