There has been some buzz lately of a startup called Yore Oyster. Here is a summary of what they do.
At present, Yore Oyster offers tips and tricks (presently only for Canadians) on how to get up to 80% off flights using a combination of loyalty points and strategic airline selection when using these points. An easy to read (and free!) PDF is the first step to getting started.
The guide offers some basic, but good insights into flight pricing and the suggested strategy to get the lowest prices. They recommend using a combination of Aeroplan points collected through American Express‘s loyalty cards and using those points strategically on other non-Air Canada airlines (they recommend Delta as one of their top picks). They also offer a concierge service to those looking for additional help implementing the above strategies.
One note: Their American Express links on their webpage are affiliate links (similar to what I’ve used throughout this post) so each time someone clicks-through and signs up, they get a small kickback form American Express ( I on the other hand only get bonus Aeroplan points each time someone signs-up). Personally, I have no issue with this as startups have to make money somehow, but more of an FYI as to why they might be pushing the American Express card over say TD’s Aeroplan card. From personal experience, I find that Amex isn’t as accepted as MasterCard or Visa, which might explain the ‘first year free’ promotion. For those of you looking for a great card, I highly recommend the CapitalOne Aspire card (no affiliate links).