TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Review: Are the Airline Perks Worth It?

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Choosing a Canadian airline credit card is no longer just about how many points you earn. The real value lives in the add-ons: free checked bags, priority treatment at the airport, and built-in insurance that quietly saves you hundreds of dollars a year. After several trips on Air Canada with the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite in my wallet, and a close comparison with other Aeroplan cards, I have a clear view of where this card shines for travelers and where it falls short.

The Basics: What the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Actually Offers

The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite is TD’s core Aeroplan co-branded card aimed at frequent or at least semi-regular Air Canada flyers. As of mid-2026, it carries a 139 Canadian dollar annual fee, which is often rebated in the first year through promotions, and requires a minimum personal income of roughly 60,000 dollars or 100,000 dollars household income to qualify. It is positioned as a mid-tier travel card rather than a premium product with lounge access.

On the earning side, the card gives about 1.5 Aeroplan points per dollar on eligible Air Canada purchases, gas, electric vehicle charging, and groceries, and 1 point per dollar on other everyday spending. In practice this means that a typical family grocery bill of 800 dollars a month could generate roughly 14,400 Aeroplan points a year, before you even factor in flights or gas. If you stack the card with Aeroplan partners, including the Aeroplan eStore and retail partners, you can earn points twice on the same transaction.

Most importantly for airline benefits, the card unlocks a free first checked bag on Air Canada for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation, plus a rebate on a NEXUS application fee every 48 months and comprehensive travel insurance. These are the features that actually change how you travel, and they form the backbone of the card’s appeal for frequent flyers.

From an everyday usability standpoint, the card runs on the Visa Infinite platform, which means you also get access to perks such as select hotel benefits, dining experiences, and concierge services. Those can be nice extras, but in my experience the core value for travelers comes from how often you actually fly Air Canada and whether you check bags.

Free Checked Bag: How the Benefit Works in Real Life

The headline airline perk is simple on paper: the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite gives you and up to eight companions traveling on the same reservation a free first checked bag on eligible Air Canada flights. In practice, there are a few rules that matter. Your flight has to be operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, or under the Air Canada Express banner, and the benefit only applies when you check in with Air Canada. If your itinerary is operated by a partner airline like United or Lufthansa, or you check in with another carrier, the free-bag benefit does not apply.

Here is what that looks like on a real trip. On a Toronto to Vancouver family vacation for four, flying economy on Air Canada, the standard first checked bag fee can run about 35 dollars each way per person on a basic fare. Without the card, checking one suitcase per person on a round-trip would cost you around 280 dollars in baggage fees. With the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite properly linked to your Aeroplan account and the same reservation, that entire cost disappears. Even if you only make that trip once a year, you have already more than offset the 139 dollar annual fee.

There are also small but important technical details. The benefit is triggered by having your Aeroplan number, which is associated with the TD card, correctly attached to the booking. If you book through a third-party site or use a separate booking reference for part of your group, the free bag may not automatically show. Travelers frequently report that if the reservation is not correctly linked, the system will not waive the baggage fee at online check-in, and airport agents may not always override it. In my experience, booking directly with Air Canada and confirming that the reservation shows your Aeroplan profile with the “free first checked bag” benefit is the most reliable approach.

On fares where the first checked bag is already free, such as many international economy tickets or higher fare classes, the card does not add a second free bag. In those cases the checked-bag perk has no incremental value, which is important to remember if most of your Air Canada flying is long-haul economy where a bag is already included.

Priority and Convenience: Beyond the Bag Fee Savings

While the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite does not unlock full elite-style priority services, it does streamline parts of the journey when combined with Aeroplan status and NEXUS. The card itself does not grant priority boarding zones or priority check-in on its own the way the more expensive Visa Infinite Privilege version does, but the synergy with Air Canada’s ecosystem can still noticeably improve your airport experience.

The NEXUS application fee rebate is one of the underrated conveniences. Every 48 months, the card will reimburse up to 100 Canadian dollars of the NEXUS application fee when the fee is charged to the card. For a cross-border traveler who flies between Canada and the United States even once or twice a year, NEXUS can routinely cut queue times at security and immigration by 20 to 40 minutes per trip. On a Montreal to New York business hop where you are landing just before a meeting, that can make the difference between a calm coffee and a frantic dash.

In real life, this is how it plays out. A Toronto-based traveler uses the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite to pay for NEXUS, gets the fee rebated, and then uses the NEXUS lane at Pearson Terminal 1 every time she flies to Chicago or New York for work. Combined with mobile check-in and a carry-on or a single free checked bag, she can typically move from curb to gate in under 25 minutes during off-peak times. The card has not magically made her a business-class passenger, but it has removed friction from multiple trips a year.

There is also the psychological convenience of not worrying about baggage fees on domestic and many transborder Air Canada flights. When you know your suitcase will be free, you are less tempted to cram belongings into an overstuffed carry-on or worry about overhead bin space. For families traveling with strollers, car seats, and bulky winter gear, that simplicity is often worth more than the precise dollar value of the fee waiver.

Comparing Airline Benefits With Other Aeroplan Cards

The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite sits in the middle of the Aeroplan credit card ecosystem. On one side you have entry-level no-fee or low-fee Aeroplan cards that often lack free checked bag benefits or offer weaker earn rates. On the other side you have premium products such as the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege or competing premium cards from other banks, which typically cost several hundred dollars a year but layer on priority check-in, higher earn rates, and sometimes lounge access.

When you compare airline benefits head-to-head, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite stands out for giving essentially the same free first checked bag feature as many of the more expensive cards. Whether you hold the core TD Infinite card or a competing premium Aeroplan Visa, your bag savings on a standard Toronto to Calgary flight will be identical if all you care about is the first suitcase. Where the premium cards pull ahead is in soft perks: priority boarding, priority baggage handling, and in some cases status-qualifying miles or segments when you spend heavily on the card.

There is also the comparison with non-TD Aeroplan cards, such as those issued by CIBC or American Express. Many of those cards mirror the same free first bag on Air Canada and similar earn rates on Air Canada, gas, and grocery spending. In practice, that means a Vancouver-based traveler who only cares about the free bag might pick the TD card simply because her main banking relationship is with TD, simplifying bill payments and customer service. On the other hand, a traveler who values in-airport lounge access may conclude that no mid-tier Aeroplan Visa, including TD’s version, meets that need and instead look at a separate lounge membership or a different premium card.

In my experience, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite offers one of the strongest value-to-fee ratios for travelers who frequently fly Air Canada in economy within Canada or to the United States, check bags often, and do not necessarily need premium cabin treatment. If you are primarily chasing Aeroplan status or want priority services guaranteed on every flight, you may find the airline benefits incomplete without pairing this card with either elite status or a higher-tier product.

Real Trip Math: When the Card Clearly Pays for Itself

To understand whether the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite’s airline benefits are genuinely worthwhile, you need to put numbers against real trips. Consider a family of four traveling from Montreal to Orlando during March break on Air Canada, booking basic economy tickets that charge for the first checked bag. If the airline charges about 35 dollars per checked bag each way, and each family member checks one bag, the baggage portion of the trip would cost around 280 dollars for the round-trip.

With the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite, the primary cardholder’s Aeroplan account is attached to the reservation, and the free first checked bag applies to all four travelers. The 280 dollars stays in the family’s pocket. Against a 139 dollar annual fee, the card has already generated more than 140 dollars of net value from airline benefits alone, not counting points earned on the airfare, groceries, and trip-related spending.

Now look at a solo traveler based in Calgary who flies to Toronto twice a year on Air Canada, booking economy with a checked bag each time. At roughly 35 dollars per direction, she might face about 140 dollars a year in bag fees if she checks a suitcase on each leg. In her case, the free bag benefit almost exactly offsets the annual fee, and any additional flights, Aeroplan redemptions, or trips with travel companions push the value clearly into positive territory.

Where the math becomes less compelling is for frequent flyers who already get free checked bags through Aeroplan Elite Status or who typically buy fares that include a checked bag, such as standard economy or higher on international routes. A Vancouver to Tokyo economy ticket often includes one or two checked bags by default. On those itineraries, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite’s free bag perk does not stack. For those travelers, the evaluation shifts from airline benefits to the value of the NEXUS rebate, insurance coverage, and points earning.

Travel Insurance and Protection: Quiet but Significant Value

While the marketing focus is on Aeroplan points and checked bags, the built-in travel insurance on the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite can be worth hundreds of dollars if you travel even a few times a year. The card typically includes travel medical insurance for out-of-province or out-of-country trips, flight and trip delay coverage, lost or delayed baggage insurance, and car rental collision and damage coverage when you charge your rental to the card and decline the rental agency’s coverage.

Imagine a couple from Ottawa flying to Halifax for a long weekend. Their outbound flight is delayed by 10 hours due to weather. Without coverage, they might pay out-of-pocket for airport meals and possibly a hotel if the delay stretches overnight. With eligible delay insurance triggered, they can claim reasonable expenses, reducing the financial sting of an already frustrating situation. On another trip, their checked suitcase arrives two days late in Vancouver, forcing them to buy clothing and toiletries. Baggage delay insurance can step in here as well.

Car rental coverage is another practical saver. A traveler landing in Calgary, renting an SUV for a week’s drive through the Rockies, can decline the rental agency’s collision damage waiver if the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite’s coverage conditions are met. On a rental where the agency tries to sell coverage at 25 to 30 dollars a day, declining that for a 7-day rental keeps roughly 200 dollars in your pocket. Over a couple of trips a year, the value of that coverage easily eclipses the card’s annual fee.

The key caveat is that coverage details change over time and are subject to conditions, maximums, and exclusions. Before relying on the card’s insurance for a big trip, it is wise to read the latest certificate of insurance from TD and confirm that the trip, traveler age, and expenses qualify. For complex itineraries, such as multi-country backpacking or cruises, you may still want a dedicated travel insurance policy on top of what the card offers.

Who Will Get the Most From the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite?

After comparing the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite with other Aeroplan cards and using it across several Air Canada itineraries, I have a clear sense of who this card best serves. At the top of the list are Canadian travelers who fly Air Canada in economy at least once or twice a year with checked bags, often with family or friends. For them, the free first checked bag for up to nine people on the same reservation is a repeatable, easy-to-understand benefit that can save several hundred dollars a year.

Next are cross-border travelers who value a smoother airport experience. The NEXUS fee rebate every 48 months is effectively a subsidy on trusted traveler status, and when paired with Aeroplan points earning on flights, hotels, and daily spending, it supports a steady flow of discounted or even free flights to U.S. cities. A Calgary-based consultant flying to San Francisco quarterly, for example, can build Aeroplan points on airfare and hotel spend while enjoying expedited security and immigration through NEXUS.

Travelers who already hold or plan to earn Aeroplan Elite Status may still find the card worthwhile, but their evaluation will be different. Since elite members often already enjoy free checked bags and priority services, the incremental airline benefits of the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite are lower. In this scenario, the card becomes more about strengthening your Aeroplan earning, preserving points from expiry, and having a solid backup insurance package.

On the other hand, travelers who seldom or never fly Air Canada, favor low-cost carriers without Aeroplan partnerships, or strictly travel carry-on may struggle to justify the 139 dollar fee. For them, a no-fee cashback card or a flexible travel rewards card without airline-specific perks could be a better fit.

The Takeaway

Viewed purely as an airline perks card, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite is strongest where most travelers feel costs most acutely: checked baggage fees and everyday travel friction. A single family vacation on Air Canada with four checked bags can wipe out the entire annual fee in savings, and the NEXUS rebate plus travel insurance quietly add another layer of tangible value.

Compared with other Aeroplan products, the card occupies a sweet spot. It matches many of the most meaningful Air Canada travel benefits of higher-fee cards while keeping costs moderate. You do not get lounge access or full-scale priority services just for holding the card, but you do get a combination of free checked bags, solid earn rates, and practical protections that directly affect real trips from Toronto to Vancouver, Montreal to Orlando, or Calgary to Los Angeles.

If you are a Canadian traveler who flies Air Canada at least once or twice a year with luggage in tow, and you are not already insulated from baggage fees by Aeroplan Elite Status, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite is well worth a close look. Run the numbers against your own travel calendar, factor in who you typically fly with, and you may find that the airline benefits on this card do more than soften the edges of travel. In many cases, they pay for the card and then some.

FAQ

Q1. Does the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite free checked bag work on every Air Canada ticket?
The free first checked bag generally applies on eligible Air Canada operated flights where a first checked bag would normally be charged, but it will not add an extra free bag to fares that already include a checked bag, such as many international economy or higher fare classes.

Q2. Do I have to pay for my flight with the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite to get the free checked bag?
No, the benefit is tied to your Aeroplan number and the card, not the method of payment, but your Aeroplan profile must be properly linked to the reservation and the flight must meet the eligibility rules.

Q3. Will my travel companions also get a free checked bag with this card?
Yes, when the benefit is applied correctly it can cover you and up to eight travel companions on the same reservation, giving each of you a free first checked bag on eligible Air Canada flights.

Q4. Does the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite include airport lounge access?
No, the core TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite does not include built-in lounge access; you would need to rely on Aeroplan Elite Status, a separate lounge membership, or a different premium card if lounge access is a priority.

Q5. How often can I get the NEXUS fee rebate with the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite?
The NEXUS application fee rebate is typically available once every 48 months when the eligible NEXUS fee is charged to your TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite, subject to the current card terms and conditions.

Q6. What happens if my Aeroplan number is not on the reservation when I check in?
If your Aeroplan number linked to the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite is not attached to the booking, the system may not recognize your eligibility and you might be charged for checked baggage, so it is important to add it before check-in.

Q7. Does the free checked bag benefit work on partner airlines like United or Lufthansa?
No, the benefit is limited to flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, or under the Air Canada Express banner and does not typically extend to partner-operated flights where you check in with another airline.

Q8. Is the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite worth it if I usually travel with only a carry-on?
If you rarely check luggage and do not need the NEXUS rebate or travel insurance, the value of the airline benefits is smaller, and you may want to compare this card with lower-fee or no-fee alternatives.

Q9. Can additional cardholders also access the free first checked bag benefit?
Yes, additional cardholders can generally access the free first checked bag benefit when their Aeroplan numbers are correctly linked to the account and they meet the same flight and reservation conditions as the primary cardholder.

Q10. Does the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite protect me if my flight is delayed or my luggage is lost?
The card typically includes trip delay and baggage insurance that can cover certain expenses when flights are delayed or luggage is lost or delayed, but you should always review the latest insurance certificate for specific coverage limits and conditions.