Travel Just Got More Rewarding With RBC And Airbnb Canada

RBC Rewards and Airbnb Canada help customers earn bonus RBC Rewards points just in time for the holidays

TORONTO, Dec. 7, 2015 /CNW/ - Ever wanted to vacation in a Victorian castle, or an ultra-modern cottage in the mountains? Just in time for the holidays, RBC Rewards is giving customers a chance to earn their way to their dream destinations even faster by teaming up with Airbnb Canada. For a limited time, RBC Rewards customers can earn 2x the RBC Rewards points when they book an Airbnb stay anywhere in the world, with first time Airbnb Canada guests earning an additional 7,000 bonus RBC Rewards points as a welcome bonus.

"Whether it's a weekend getaway or a trip of a lifetime, Canadians love to travel. It's often the little things that make those travel experiences more rewarding, such as staying in unique accommodations off the beaten track," says Athena Varmazis, vice-president, Global Loyalty Programs and Rewards, RBC. "This offer with Airbnb Canada allows us to provide RBC Rewards customers with greater value and flexibility, making their travel experiences even more rewarding."

According to the 2015 RBC Travel Rewards poll, 45 per cent of Canadians said that accelerated earning options are very important when choosing a rewards program, proving that Canadians place a high value on earning rewards points faster. And not surprisingly, 57 per cent of Canadians also want their reward program to be easy to participate in. With this new offer, RBC Rewards and Airbnb Canada are making it even easier for customers to have rewarding experiences when travelling.

Here's how it works
RBC Rewards clients who book an Airbnb stay until February 29, 2016 using their RBC Rewards credit card will automatically earn twice the points for every $1 CAD in bookings. Those booking for the first time on Airbnb will receive an additional 7,000 welcome bonus points. For more information, visit https://www.airbnb.ca/stay/rbc-rewards.

"In the past year, more than 935,000 Canadians used Airbnb to book their travel, both within Canada and to top destinations worldwide," says Aaron Zifkin, country manager for Canada, Airbnb. "By working with RBC Rewards, we are making it even more enticing for Canadians to travel and experience the unique travel experiences Airbnb provides."

No matter what your travel preferences, with more than two million Airbnb listings worldwide, and more than 33,000 in Canada, Canadians can enjoy more choice and flexibility of where to stay while earning bonus RBC Rewards points this holiday season.

About RBC Rewards
As one of Canada's premier providers of loyalty programs, RBC has the reward options that help clients get the most from their points. From using points to pay down their credit card balances with Payback with Points to exciting merchandise, travel and gift cards redemptions, Canadians have flexibility and choice in how they use their points. For more information, please visit www.rbcrewards.com.

About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is Canada's largest bank, and one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We are one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management, insurance, investor services and capital markets products and services on a global basis. We employ approximately 78,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 37 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com.

RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives through donations, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2014, we contributed more than $111 million to causes worldwide, including donations and community investments of more than $76 million and $35 million in sponsorships.

About Airbnb
Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world - online or from a mobile phone. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and over 190 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.

SOURCE RBC

Heather Colquhoun, RBC Communications, 416-974-3283
Meghan Edwards, North Strategic (on behalf of Airbnb), 416-300-5720