A F i e l d G u i d e to s n ow b i r d i n G
M I G RATO RY
PAT T E R N S
The SouThern u.S. iS a
Sunny beT, buT flock To
a new SpoT for SomeThing
beyond The uSual
long-stay vacation:
You don’t have to commit to
the same destination every year.
book an extended-stay vacation
with CAA travel to explore one
city or country for 21 days or
more. it’s a great way to live like
a local, immersing yourself in
regional food, fun and sights.
money matters
Travelling with your CAA Rewards MasterCard? Pierre Dufour, vice
president, cards and payment solutions at National Bank of Canada,
shares his expert tips to keep your cards safe while you’re away.
Portugal: Sip Vinho Verde
and munch on fresh-caught fish
in one of the idyllic seaside villages of the southern Algarve
Coast. For links lovers, the
region boasts some of Europe’s
best golf courses as well.
australia: this spring,
Air Canada debuted its new
direct flight from Vancouver to
brisbane—the first direct flight
from Canada to the land down
under. So now it’s easier than
ever to soak up the sun of the
Aussie Gold Coast.
italy: Channel your inner
Sophia Loren or Federico Fellini
with a sophisticated sojourn in
Sorrento along the Amalfi Coast.
idle away afternoons in a piazza
café nibbling on fresh mozzarella, stroll cobblestone streets
and tour historic church-lined
squares.
around-the-world
cruise: 141 days, 35 countries,
66 cities—all aboard a luxury
ship. Viking recently unveiled
plans to launch a global cruise
from December 2017 to may
2018. think of this as snow sailing versus snowbirding.
caamanitoba.com/travel
50
FALL 2016
CAA mAnitobA
what should i do before
what haPPens if my card
i leave the country?
is stolen or a transac-
Contrary to popular belief,
you do not need to notify
your credit card company
when you’re leaving the country. No matter where in the
world you use your card,
fraud detection systems monitor your account at all times.
tion is declined?
really? i don’t need
Call your bank right away.
You can reach National Bank
at 1-888-9MY-CARD (1-888969-2273), 24/7. We accept
collect calls too. Agents will
either send a replacement or
immediately “unfreeze” your
account if a transaction is
truly your own.
to tell them?
Really. What you should
do though is make sure
your bank has your current cell phone number on
file—if fraudulent activity is
detected, we’ll call you immediately to verify individual
transactions.
i tried buying something but my card was
declined. what’s uP?
National Bank uses a variety
of tools to analyze purchasing transactions, so that we
can implement advanced
fraud detection. Your account
may have been temporarily
frozen because we spotted a
suspicious purchase.
will my card be
accePted wherever i go?
CAA Rewards MasterCard
is accepted worldwide. If
the chip-and-PIN feature—
insert card, enter PIN—is not
available, the magnetic strip
will be. Canadian banks and
credit card companies use
chip-and-PIN technology,
while the U.S. is currently
migrating to it. Many
American locations will
process transactions using
the swipe-and-sign system.
Europe widely accepts chipand-PIN cards.
should i also carry cash?
Bring some local currency
for small purchases and tips.
It’s a good idea to carry your
debit card as well—banks will
rush a replacement to you if
your primary card is stolen.
how can i Protect my
card while i’m away?
Many cards are stolen
from parked vehicles, so
never leave yours in a glove
compartment. Memorize
your PIN and don’t write it
down. If you carry both a
credit and debit card, keep
them in different places—if
you lose your wallet, you’ll
still have a card.
does my card offer any
travel Perks?
CAA Rewards MasterCard
offers baggage insurance—
if luggage is lost or delayed,
you can receive up to $100
per day (for up to three
days). Plus, you can use the
CAA Dollars you earn with
the card to pay for your next
vacation from CAA Travel.
To apply: caamanitoba.
com/mastercard