WestJet Starts Its Ultra-Low-Cost Carrier Swoop

Swoop (Fly) Within Canada for As Low As $39 One-Way

Video Link: https://youtu.be/U_1jRE8e8Y0

A return flight within Canada can cost more than a return flight to Europe. But those days will soon be gone with Canada’s new budge airline Swoop offering ultra-low-cost flights within Canada.

A one-way flight between Abbotsford to Edmonton is as low as $39 one-way. However, there is a catch. You will not be fly out of major airports in big cities such as Toronto or Vancouver. Instead, Swoop operates out of smaller cities’ airports, such as Hamilton in Ontario or Abbotsford in British Columbia. These locations are an hour or more commute from big cities.

Also, you are allowed to have only one personal item. Anything extra will cost you money and so are extra amenities like WiFi, movies, snacks, drinks, and so on.

Most travellers wouldn’t mind paying for the extra items, given the fact they are getting such great deals on fares.

Swoop will start flying in June, but booking is available on its website (www.flyswoop.com) starting in June.

There are more low-cost carriers currently operating or will be operating from Canada internationally or locally. Here is a list of what we have so far:

Wow Air – Iceland based. Started in 2015.

Primera Air – Denmark/Latvia based. From May, 2018.

Flair Air – Kelowna based. In operation.

Jetlines – Vancouver based. From June 1, 2018.

Swoop – Owned by WestJet. From June, 2018.

More carriers mean more competition and lower prices. I hope we will see more of these low-cost carriers to make flying more affordable for Canadians. According to the 2017 Flight Price Index Canada ranks 65th out of 80, making it very expensive to fly out of Canada.

Tuesday Is Not The Best Day to Buy Plane Tickets

Best Days to Buy Flight Tickets

For decades, we have been told that Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best days to buy plane tickets. However, recent research shows otherwise. The reason in the past Tuesdays and Wednesdays were the best days because that’s when sale fares came out and airlines were trying to beat each other with manual intervention and flash sales.

New data and research from airfare forecasting company Hopper shows that Thursdays are the best days to buy tickets. The same research mentions that Sundays are the worst day to buy tickets. However, a lot of other research points towards different directions.

Another research from Texas A&M University shows that weekends are the best days to book tickets. The reason behind this is that airlines try to lower fares on the weekend to catch leisure travelers.

Research from the Wall Street Journal mentions that Sundays are the best days to buy tickets. The same research points out that Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays are the most expensive days to plane tickets.

Research from Expedia and the Airlines Reporting Corporation shows that Sundays are the best days to buy plane tickets when you buy at least 21 days in advance. Weekends are also a good time to buy tickets, but not Fridays.

All these findings can be confusing. So the best thing to do is to keep an eye on your fare for longer and usually fares are lower six weeks prior to your departure date. So keep an eye out and grab whenever you feel they are the lowest. And in general, check them often on Saturdays and Sundays.

Some websites you can use to check your fares are Google Flight, Kayak, Hipmunk, and Skyscanner.

West African Letter Fraud - A Perfect Example

West African Letter Scam

In my book Invest Now I dedicated a whole chapter to Internet Scams. West African letter Fraud is a common form of Internet scam. You receive a letter in the mail convincing you to give out your personal information, and then scammers empty out your bank account. This type of scam can come from anywhere, in any form. It does not have to come from West Africa. Today I have a perfect example of West African Scam to post. I just got this email and picture in my mail box. First, I am going to give you an excerpt from Invest Now, and then I will show you the letter and picture I received.

The following is an Excerpt from my first book Invest Now. Invest Now is jam-packed with timely information and timeless advice for the beginning Canadian investor. Invest Now covers a broad range of topics including Internet Scams. To purchase a copy, visit Chapters Indigo or click here to buy online - Invest Now: A Canadian's Guide to Investing

The Excerpt

West African letter fraud: You meet a 20-something-year-old girl in a chat room. She sends you a few hot pictures. Then she mentions that her dad was a high-ranking government official or industrialist who left her millions of dollars. She explains that she is not able to move this fund from her dad’s account due to regulations, and she needs your help. All you have to do is to give her your bank-account information to transfer her money out of the country; in return, she will give you 40 or 50% of her 10 or 20 million dollars. Wait, even more incentives remain. Since you are such a nice guy, she even would not mind spending a couple of months in a resort with you. You don’t waste a second to grab this lifetime opportunity, handing over your banking information. A few days later, you find out that your bank account was emptied out. Your dream of spending quality time with a beautiful girl as a freshly minted millionaire is gone—and so is all the money in your bank account. Sometimes, the scammer claims to be from Nigeria, but it’s always the same scam. Be aware.

A Perfect Example

from Angie Keong <giveslife@yahoo.com>

reply-to giveslife02@yahoo.com,

to giveslife@yahoo.com,

date Wed, Apr 23, 2008 at 3:37 PM

subject FROM MRS.ANGIE KK

mailed-by yahoo.com

signed-by yahoo.com

Images from this sender are always displayed. Don't display from now on.

hide details 3:37 PM (4 hours ago)

Reply

FROM MRS.ANGIE KK
THE CRY OF A WIDOW
Do accept my sincere apology if contacting you through this medium goes against your moral values and code of conduct. My name is Mrs. Angie KK, the wife of late Mr. Sherif Keong who happen to be an international business man dealing mainly in contracting.There is something I personally need your urgent attention and assistance in, hoping that you are living well with your family over there in your country. I want you to personal assist me to safeguard a reasonable sum to your country or any other place where you are familiar with for a productive investment. The fund were generated through a legal means by my late husband but due to some issue between my late husband and few foes, I am mandated to make this transfer and the onward investment on my own.

The fund in question is the sum of Twenty One Million United State of American Dollars which was deposited on a vault by late husband in a Financial Institute, and it is due to be transferred, but the major problem I was facing for quite a long time now is finding a capable person who will help me to make the transfer, and also negotiate some areas of lucrative investment down on-behalf of my son Franklin

Due to my medical condition(Cancer of the large Intestine which was not noticed at the early stage) and situation of things around me, I can't effect the conveying of the project on my own and for the safety of my son without an aid of someone. This was the major reason that drew my attention to contact you personally for an assistant regarding the execution of this project. I am in a critical position since the doctors have confirmed that the cancer was not noticed at the early stage and it is only a miracle that can heal me. Thus, I am doing all this because I want my son to have a future incase if anything happens to me.
I will give you all the necessary information you would require to know about this project when I read from you. I will be expecting to hear from you any moment from now
Regards
Mrs. Angie Keong

The Lesson

Do not give out any financial or personal information in an e-mail or chat room.

First Published: ADawnJournal.com Apr 24, 2008

Is CIBC Providing Free Credit Score?

CIBC Offers Free Credit Score Via Its App

Just about a year ago, Canadians had to pay $24-$25 if they wanted to access their credit score. However, the landscape of free credit score changed when FinTech loan companies like Borrowell.com, Mogo.ca, and Creditkarma.ca started offering free credit score.

Now, better yet, CIBC customers who have the CIBC mobile banking app on their phone will be able to access their free credit score without even signing up with any one of these three providers I mentioned.

CIBC’s free score is a result of partnership between CIBC and Borrowell and pulls Equifax credit score, which is a proprietary model of Equifax. Keep in mind that this is different than FICO credit score, which is a proprietary model of Fair Isaac Corporation. This credit score is a soft credit inquiry that does not negatively affect credit score.

Besides providing free credit scores, the mobile app has a FAQ section where clients can learn about how credit score works and so on. This is a good thing. Some recent research performed by CIBC shows that 69 percent of Canadians have do not know their credit scores and 45 percent have no idea where or how to obtain their credit score.

I have published a video review of CIBC’s providing free credit score and I also have showed how to access your free credit score on your app. Click on the above link to watch this video and you can follow step-by-step instructions to access your own credit score right away. You do have to have a CIBC account and mobile app to check your free credit score.

Simple Tips To Relieve Stress And Rejuvenate Yourself At Work

Stress Relief Tips

A long day of work can be stressful and draining. Follow these simple tips to relieve stress and rejuvenate yourself at work.

• Splash some water on your face to refresh yourself. This is a simple yet effective way to refresh yourself.

• Go out for a walk. A walk in the fresh air can give you renewed energy to stay up at work.

• Eat some fruits or drink their juices. Drinking coffee can give you instant adrenaline boost to feel revived but over time it causes exhaustion. Fruits and their juices can invigorate you without causing any side effects.

• Keep nature or other soothing photos on your desk. Nature photos can reduce stress and improve productivity.

• Avoid greasy fast food for lunch. Greasy food can make you feel tired and sleepy. Brown bag your lunch. Bringing lunch from home will not only save you money but also a lot healthier.
  
  First Published: Aug 30, 2007 ADawnJournal.com