Ease the Stress of Holiday Shopping with RBC #AvionVIP

I really really really dislike holiday shopping. It’s true. An afternoon at the mall during the holiday shopping season can turn me into a Grinch in no time! My top 4 complaints:

1. The parking. You drive around and around and around the mall searching for a spot, any spot. Parking lot arguments break out as people fight over the limited spaces. The space I find is always wayyyyyy at the back and by the time I get into the mall I’m already tired. Then, there’s carrying all those packages which are now breaking my fingers back to that space wayyyyyyyy at the back of the parking lot.
2. The coats.  I get so hot wandering around the mall with my coat on and an overheated Cyn is a cranky Cyn.
3. The bags. After a few stores, I am now not only bogged down by a heavy winter coat but also by my bags of purchases.
4. The crowds. I start overdosing on the noise and busyness of it all.

So, when I heard about the RBC #AvionVIP Holiday Boutique experience, I thought, well now, this is a holiday shopping trip I can get behind.  It easily addresses ALL of the items on my holiday shopping complaint list and then some!  Starting on November 23rd and going until December 31st, RBC Avion has set up RBC Avion Holiday Boutique VIP Lounges in Coquitlam Centre, BC, Halifax Shopping Centre, NS, Mall Champlain in Montreal, PQ, and Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Toronto, ON. All shoppers can partake of these lounges, although there are perks that come with being an Avioner.

The experience began with the parking.  There was no circling the lot, no vying for that one empty spot with 6 other shoppers. Nope. When I headed off to shop at Yorkdale Mall, RBC Avion card in hand, I got to bypass all that and head straight for the valet parking. Normally $15, it was free for me as an Avioner!  The customer service was fantastic and I already felt like a pampered VIP!

I was greeted by a concierge who directed me to the Avion Holiday Boutique – it was very close to the valet making it really convenient for the end of the day when my shopping was done.

As soon as I walked into the RBC #AvionVIP experience, I was struck by the beauty and magic of the setting.  Lovely holiday music was playing, gorgeous decorations, low-lighting that made it seem so much more comfortable and soothing than the harsh light out in the mall, and lots of cosy places to sit down and relax.

First up, I took advantage of the (free to Avioners) coat and parcel check. No need to lug around a heavy coat and get overheated this time! And once I was loaded down with bags, I could bring them back here and drop them off to be checked and held for me until I was ready to head home! (Not an Avioner? You can still use the coat check for a donation to charity).

It had been a long drive from London to Toronto, so I sat down in the super comfy chairs and rested a bit before I braved the holiday crowds and did my shopping. It was so calming and gave me a chance to catch my breath a bit and review my lists, coming up with a shopping game plan before getting started. There was even an outlet for me to charge my phone while I got organized!

Swarovski tree

Swarovski decorated tree – just stunning! https://t.co/cfi3gxiqbp

— CynGagen (@CynGagen) December 9, 2013

Off I went to shop, feeling refreshed and recharged. Yorkdale Mall has so many amazing stores – quite a few that we don’t have in London and I’ve never been in before: Anthropologie, Crate n Barrel, Williams Sonoma, Lego and Disney to name a few. I was able to find all the gifts I needed for everyone on my list. Once loaded down, I could pop back in to the RBC Avion Holiday Boutique to drop them off at the coat and parcel check orrrrrrrrrrrr………..

Free gift wrapping in the RBC #AvionVIP holiday boutique lounge – such a time saver! https://t.co/iB7YFuxa10

— CynGagen (@CynGagen) December 9, 2013

even better than that, I could drop them off and have them gift wrapped!  Once again, it was free of charge for Avioners! Wow – what a timesaver that was! Now I could just bring my gifts home, completely wrapped and ready to go under the tree.  (Not an Avioner? You can still get your gifts wrapped for a charge that will be donated to charity).

While I waited for my gifts to be wrapped, I decided to partake of the cafe, exclusively for Avioners, and yes, completely free.

Coffee tea hot chocolate flavoured water cookies candies…all kinds of yummy goodies in the RBC #AvionVIP … https://t.co/pkOhnMxjN6

— CynGagen (@CynGagen) December 9, 2013

Walkers Shortbread, Purdy’s Chocolates, Second Cup coffee, tea, hot chocolate, flavoured water – even a selection of candies and toppings to use with your hot drinks! They thought of every indulgence here!

And RBC knows that kids are VIPs too with holiday books on hand to give them a break from all that holiday shopping stress too. The little ones couldn’t come with me that day but I saw several moms with their kids taking advantage of the lounge.  The kids loved having a comfy place to sit down, drink some hot chocolate, have a candy cane and read some fun Christmas books.  It was a lovely break for kids and adults alike. We even all started chatting with each other, sharing our tips for holiday shopping and navigating the mall and I even came home with a new blogger pal!

It was so much fun being a VIP Avioner for the day!  I never thought it could be possible to shop in style and comfort but it really was! Are you an Avioner? Even if you’re not, I strongly suggest that if you live near one of the featured malls, you take advantage of the #AvionVIP experience.

Considering becoming an Avioner so you can experience rewards all year round”?

With an RBC Avion card:

Earning is simple and easy —
You’ll earn RBC Rewards points every time you make a purchase with your RBC Avion card.

Great value and then some —
Earn 1 RBC Rewards point for every dollar spent on purchases.Plus, earn bonus points when shopping through the RBC Rewards eMall™.

Premium and Extensive Insurance package including trip cancellation and protection for your trip, hotel, rental vehicle, and purchases.

Choose air travel rewards from the Air Travel Redemption Schedule starting as low as 15,000 points and fly on any airline, anytime with no blackouts, or seat restrictions†.

Book travel rewards instantly. Only the RBC Rewards program has an online booking tool that’s powered by Travelocity‡.

And many more perks! Check out both the RBC Infinite Avion Card and the RBC Platinum Avion Card details here: http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/credit-cards/travel-credit-cards/

Disclosure: I am part of the RBC Avion Holiday Boutique Blogger Campaign with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group.  The opinions on this blog are my own.