RBC Avion Visa Infinite vs TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Compared

Follow us on Google

For Canadian travelers, the choice between the RBC Avion Visa Infinite and the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite can shape how comfortably and cheaply you move through the world. Both cards sit in the same premium tier, both promise elevated travel experiences, and both carry similar annual fees. Yet they reward very different styles of travel and spending. After digging into the current offers, earn rates and fine print as of June 2026, I put them side by side to see which one makes more sense for different kinds of travelers.

Card Overview: Two Heavyweights With Different DNA

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite and TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite look similar at first glance: both are Visa Infinite products with robust travel insurance, both charge around a mid-range annual fee, and both target Canadians who travel at least a few times per year. Where they diverge is in how their rewards ecosystems are built and how flexible those points are once you start booking real trips.

RBC Avion Visa Infinite earns Avion points, a flexible bank currency that can be redeemed through the RBC travel portal for flights on hundreds of airlines or transferred to select airline partners. In practice, that means you can book a Toronto to Lisbon flight on a European carrier, a Vancouver to Tokyo ticket on a Japanese airline, or a domestic hop to Halifax using the same pile of points, often without worrying about blackout dates or specific award charts.

TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite, on the other hand, plugs you directly into Aeroplan, Air Canada’s frequent flyer program. Your spending turns into Aeroplan points which you can redeem on Air Canada and Star Alliance partners. If you fly Air Canada a few times a year, or you are already loyal to Aeroplan, this tight integration can translate into preferred pricing on award flights, free checked bags, and occasional upgrades that are simply not available through a generic bank rewards program.

Think of RBC Avion as the generalist card for travelers who value flexibility to fly on any airline at decent value, and TD Aeroplan as the specialist card for travelers who want to squeeze maximum value from Air Canada and its partners, especially on longer or premium-cabin itineraries.

Fees, Interest and Foreign Transactions

On the cost side, both cards sit in what has become the standard pricing for premium travel credit cards in Canada. As of mid 2026, RBC Avion Visa Infinite charges an annual fee of about 120 dollars for the primary cardholder, with a lower fee for additional cards. TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite typically comes in slightly higher at around 139 dollars per year, again with an extra fee for authorized users. Promotional offers sometimes rebate the first year’s fee, but in normal years you should budget to pay these amounts to keep the cards.

Purchase interest rates are in the low 20 percent range for both products, which is typical for Canadian credit cards. These are not cards to carry a balance on. If you tend to stretch payments over several months, any rewards you earn will be quickly wiped out by interest. Used as tools for everyday spending that you pay off in full, however, they can be powerful travel engines.

For foreign currency, both cards charge a foreign transaction fee on purchases in non Canadian dollars. RBC Avion Visa Infinite adds about 2.5 percent on top of the exchange rate, while TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite applies a similar 2.5 percent margin. That means if you tap either card at a café in Paris for a 20 euro bill, you will see roughly 20 euros converted to Canadian dollars at the bank’s rate plus that 2.5 percent fee. It is not ideal if you spend months abroad, but for most one or two week vacations, the overall cost is still modest relative to the value of the rewards and insurance you receive.

If avoiding foreign transaction fees is your top priority, neither of these cards is perfect. You may want to pair them with a separate no foreign transaction fee card for heavy overseas spending, using RBC Avion or TD Aeroplan mainly for airfares, hotels and big-ticket travel purchases where the rewards and insurance matter most.

Welcome Bonuses and Earning Points on Everyday Spending

For many travelers, the welcome bonus is the moment when a new card more than pays for itself. As of June 2026, RBC is advertising a welcome offer on the Avion Visa Infinite of up to 70,000 Avion points if you apply by mid July and meet spending requirements. That typically includes an initial chunk of points on approval, a second tranche after you spend several thousand dollars in the first few months, and sometimes an anniversary bonus after the first year. The bank itself values that stack of points at up to roughly 1,500 dollars in travel when used efficiently through its booking platform.

TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite’s welcome bonuses tend to be smaller in headline number but still significant, often around 40,000 to 45,000 Aeroplan points once you meet a year long spending requirement and in some promotions a first-year fee rebate. Depending on how you redeem Aeroplan points, those 40,000 points might cover a round trip economy ticket within North America with taxes and fees, or be a solid chunk toward a more aspirational redemption like a business class seat from Montreal to Zurich on a Star Alliance partner.

Beyond the headline offer, the ongoing earn rates are where the cards start to cater to different lifestyles. RBC Avion Visa Infinite generally offers 1 Avion point per dollar on most purchases, with a higher earn rate on travel booked through RBC’s own travel booking service. If you consistently buy flights and hotels through that portal, you can often earn 1.25 points per dollar on those travel purchases, which adds up quickly for frequent flyers who prefer to search across multiple airlines.

TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite focuses its multipliers on categories like gas, groceries and Air Canada purchases. Typical earn structures give you more Aeroplan points per dollar spent at supermarkets, gas stations, electric vehicle charging stations and on tickets bought directly from Air Canada. For example, fueling up at a highway gas station in Alberta or doing a weekly grocery run at a major supermarket can earn Aeroplan at a bonus rate compared with generic spending. If a family spends a large part of its monthly budget in these categories, the TD card can generate a steady stream of points year round.

Redemption Flexibility and Real Trip Examples

On paper, RBC Avion Visa Infinite stands out for flexibility. You can redeem Avion points through the RBC travel agency style portal for almost any flight on hundreds of airlines, as well as for hotels, rental cars, vacation packages and even cruises. There are usually no blackout dates for flights booked this way, and you see real time cash prices rather than award inventory. Points typically have a fixed or semi fixed value when redeemed this way, so a 600 dollar flight from Toronto to Vancouver might require something in the range of 60,000 points depending on the exact promotion and program rules at the time.

RBC also runs a classic flight reward chart where a set number of Avion points can cover flights within certain geographic regions and price caps. For instance, a round trip from Montreal to Miami might be slotted into a North America or sun destination chart category with a points cap that can be advantageous when cash prices are unusually high during winter holidays. If you are trying to get a family to Florida over Christmas break, being able to sidestep surging cash fares with fixed price Avion rewards can be a major win.

TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite, by contrast, drops you straight into the full Aeroplan program. That opens up redemptions across the Star Alliance network and select additional partners. A traveler based in Calgary might use Aeroplan points to fly Air Canada to Frankfurt and then connect onward to Athens on a partner airline, all on a single ticket booked with points. Someone in Vancouver could target a business class Aeroplan redemption to Tokyo on a partner carrier, something that RBC’s fixed value portal style redemptions rarely match for outsized value.

Where TD’s card shines is when you are willing to hunt for premium cabin sweet spots and saver level awards. For example, two travelers planning a honeymoon could save for a year, putting all household gas, groceries and Air Canada purchases on the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite, then combine the welcome bonus with ongoing earn to book business class tickets from Toronto to Lisbon via a Star Alliance hub. Redeemed strategically, that same 70,000 to 100,000 point range can sometimes be worth far more than a similar number of fixed value Avion points applied to economy tickets.

Perks, Insurance and On the Ground Experience

Both cards are serious about travel insurance, which is often overlooked but becomes the most important feature the first time a trip goes sideways. RBC Avion Visa Infinite includes emergency medical coverage for out of province travel up to a certain age, as well as trip cancellation and interruption, travel accident coverage, lost and delayed baggage insurance, flight delay coverage, rental car collision damage waiver and mobile device insurance. For a typical Canadian family flying from Ottawa to Orlando, paying for the flights with the Avion card could mean the kids’ suitcases are covered if they go missing and non refundable Disney tickets could be partially recovered if a medical issue forces a last minute cancellation.

TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite mirrors many of these protections, with strong travel medical, trip cancellation and interruption, baggage, flight delay and rental car coverage when you charge the relevant travel expenses to the card. On a ski trip from Toronto to Calgary, for instance, paying for your flights and rental SUV with the TD card would generally trigger coverage if your skis are delayed or your luggage is lost at the carousel.

Where TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite adds more tangible day to day perks is in its Air Canada benefits. Cardholders receive a free first checked bag on Air Canada flights for themselves and travel companions on the same booking, which can easily save a family of four over 200 dollars on a round trip if they are each checking a suitcase. Priority check in and priority boarding can also be available, making the airport experience smoother at busy hubs like Toronto Pearson or Montreal Trudeau.

RBC Avion Visa Infinite lacks airline specific perks like free checked bags or priority boarding because it is not tied to a single carrier. Instead, its peripheral benefits show up in areas like access to the Visa Infinite Hotel Collection, where cardholders can enjoy perks such as room upgrades, late checkout and complimentary breakfast at participating properties when booked with the card. That can make a weekend in New York or a city break in London more pleasant, especially if you value hotel experience over airline status.

Which Card Fits Different Types of Travelers

If you consider yourself an airline agnostic traveler who simply wants to book the most convenient or cheapest flight regardless of carrier, RBC Avion Visa Infinite is often the better fit. A traveler based in Winnipeg who alternates between WestJet, Air Canada and low cost carriers to visit family across Canada will appreciate being able to redeem the same Avion points for many different airlines. The lack of blackout style restrictions through the RBC portal also simplifies life if you travel mostly in economy and care more about dates and times than which logo is on the tail.

Frequent Air Canada flyers, however, will usually come out ahead with TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite. If you fly Air Canada from Montreal to Vancouver three or four times per year for work, the combination of extra Aeroplan earn on those tickets, free checked bags, priority services and access to preferred pricing on Aeroplan award flights is hard to beat. On a single family trip, the checked bag savings alone can offset most or all of the annual fee.

Families with heavy grocery and gas spending also lean naturally toward the TD card. Consider a suburban Ontario household that spends 1,200 dollars a month on groceries and 400 dollars on gas and electric vehicle charging. At elevated earn rates in those categories, they can generate thousands of extra Aeroplan points annually without changing their lifestyle. Those points can be banked toward a summer trip on Air Canada to Vancouver Island or a winter escape to Cancun.

On the flip side, if you are a points enthusiast who values the ability to pivot between programs as conditions change, Avion’s flexible ecosystem has appeal. You might use Avion points one year to book a last minute March Break holiday on a charter airline to the Caribbean, then the next year transfer points to an international partner to patch together a complex itinerary that would be difficult or expensive with Aeroplan alone. In that sense, RBC Avion Visa Infinite works like a Swiss Army knife for travelers who do not want to be locked into a single airline loyalty scheme.

The Takeaway

Choosing between the RBC Avion Visa Infinite and the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite is less about which card is objectively better and more about which one aligns with how you actually travel. Both have comparable annual fees, similar interest rates and solid travel insurance. Both can generate enough value through welcome bonuses and ongoing earn to justify their costs many times over if you use them strategically and pay balances in full each month.

RBC Avion Visa Infinite is the card for flexibility seekers. It suits travelers who are happy to shop across multiple airlines, who may mix and match carriers for different trips, and who want a straightforward way to redeem points for flights without obsessing over award charts. Its strength lies in the ability to fly almost anywhere with almost any airline, supported by a robust bundle of travel protections and hotel perks.

TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite is the natural choice for Air Canada loyalists and for households whose budgets are dominated by gas, groceries and frequent domestic or transborder flights. It turns everyday spending into Aeroplan points that can unlock high value redemptions on Air Canada and Star Alliance partners, while also smoothing the airport experience with free checked bags and priority services. For a family that flies Air Canada two or three times a year, those airline specific perks alone can outweigh the modest difference in annual fee compared with RBC’s card.

In the end, many frequent travelers will find room for both approaches, pairing an airline focused card like TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite with a flexible bank points card such as RBC Avion Visa Infinite or another no foreign transaction fee product. But if you are starting with one, ask yourself a simple question: Do you see more Air Canada planes than any other airline in your travel plans over the next two years? If the answer is yes, TD Aeroplan likely deserves the first spot in your wallet. If not, RBC Avion offers a broad, adaptable platform for turning everyday spending into flights, hotels and memories almost anywhere you decide to go.

FAQ

Q1. Which card earns more points on everyday spending, RBC Avion Visa Infinite or TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite?
The answer depends on your spending mix. RBC Avion Visa Infinite generally earns a flat rate on most purchases with a bonus on travel booked through RBC’s portal, which suits travelers who spend heavily on flights and hotels. TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite offers higher earn rates on gas, groceries and Air Canada purchases, so households with large grocery and fuel bills often accumulate more points with the TD card.

Q2. Which card is better for booking flights outside of Air Canada?
RBC Avion Visa Infinite is usually better for non Air Canada flights. You can use Avion points through the RBC travel portal to book tickets on many different airlines, from low cost carriers within Canada to international airlines in Europe or Asia, typically with no blackout dates. TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite focuses on Air Canada and Star Alliance partners, so it is strongest when you are flying within that network.

Q3. Do either of these cards waive foreign transaction fees?
No. Both RBC Avion Visa Infinite and TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite charge a foreign transaction fee on purchases made in non Canadian currencies, generally around 2.5 percent above the exchange rate. If avoiding these fees is critical for you, consider pairing either card with a separate no foreign transaction fee card for everyday overseas spending.

Q4. Which card has better travel insurance coverage?
Both cards offer strong, broadly comparable travel insurance packages, including emergency medical for trips outside your home province, trip cancellation and interruption, flight delay, baggage insurance and rental car collision damage coverage when you charge eligible travel expenses to the card. The exact limits, age caps and conditions differ, so it is important to review each certificate of insurance before relying on coverage for a specific trip.

Q5. How do welcome bonuses compare between RBC Avion Visa Infinite and TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite?
As of mid 2026, RBC is advertising a larger headline welcome bonus in terms of number of Avion points than the typical Aeroplan bonus on TD’s card, sometimes up to 70,000 Avion points for new applicants who meet spending thresholds. TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite often offers around 40,000 to 45,000 Aeroplan points and sometimes rebates the first year’s annual fee. The real value of either bonus depends on how you redeem the points, with Aeroplan potentially delivering outsized value on premium cabin flights and Avion providing simpler, flexible redemptions.

Q6. Which card is better for a family that flies Air Canada a few times per year?
TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite is usually the stronger choice for Air Canada families. The free first checked bag benefit can save substantial money when multiple people are traveling with suitcases, and the card earns bonus Aeroplan points on Air Canada tickets. When those points are later redeemed for family trips, the combined savings from checked bags and award flights often outweigh the card’s annual fee.

Q7. Which card should I choose if I want maximum flexibility on airlines and destinations?
If flexibility is your priority, RBC Avion Visa Infinite is the better starting point. Avion points can be used to book flights on many airlines through the RBC travel portal, often without being limited to specific seat allocations or blackout periods. This is ideal if you mix and match carriers based on schedule, price or destination, or if your travel patterns change frequently from year to year.

Q8. Do either of these cards offer airport lounge access?
Neither RBC Avion Visa Infinite nor TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite includes built in airport lounge access as a core feature. Some higher tier versions of these product families, such as Visa Infinite Privilege cards, do offer lounge passes, but those are separate products with significantly higher annual fees. If lounge access is important, you may need to consider a different card or buy a standalone lounge membership.

Q9. Can I hold both RBC Avion Visa Infinite and TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite at the same time?
Yes, many Canadian travelers carry both cards. One common strategy is to use TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite for Air Canada tickets, gas and groceries to maximize Aeroplan earnings and airline perks, while using RBC Avion Visa Infinite for general travel purchases and as a flexible backup for flights on non Air Canada carriers. This dual card approach requires discipline in managing annual fees and spending, but can offer a powerful combination of airline specific and flexible rewards.

Q10. How often do the welcome offers and perks on these cards change?
Welcome offers, limited time bonuses and sometimes even category earn rates can change several times per year based on bank marketing cycles. For example, both cards have recently run promotions with elevated welcome bonuses or temporary fee rebates. Before applying, it is wise to check the latest offer details directly with RBC and TD to make sure you are capturing the most current incentives available.