Brian,
I haven't heard that but I would not be surprised. With the current exchange rate at $1.25 CAN to $1 US, $8 US would get you about 8 reward credits. That's a pretty good deal. Now for the down side.
Airfare reimbursement is now 20,000 points for a $100 travel voucher. That's quite a decrease from 50,000 for a free flight. Also, Visa cards for points are becoming less frequent. You can earn points pretty easily but there is less to spend them on.
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