Aeroplan is the program most Canadians end up in, because most Canadians fly Air Canada. There is a whole ladder of cards that feed it, and this one sits in the middle, in what Air Canada calls the core tier: more card than the no-fee CIBC Aeroplan Visa or the $89 TD Platinum, and a long way short of the $599 Privilege and its lounges. For a lot of people, the core card is exactly right.
I think of it as the Aeroplan workhorse. You do not carry it for the earn rate, which is modest. You carry it for the travel perks that quietly pay you back: a free first checked bag for you and up to eight companions, a NEXUS credit every four years, and a faster climb toward Air Canada status. The free bag alone covers the $139 fee on a single family trip.
Welcome offer
The welcome offer is worth up to 40,000 Aeroplan points, and it comes in three pieces: 10,000 points on your first purchase, 15,000 more after you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days, and a final 15,000 at your first anniversary once you have spent $12,000 over the year.
The first two pieces are easy, 25,000 points for spending you would likely do anyway. On top of the points, TD rebates the first-year annual fee (for you and up to three additional cardholders) and covers a NEXUS application, which is why TD advertises the package as up to $1,350 in total value.
Front-load the first three months. Clearing the $3,000 in 90 days unlocks 25,000 of the 40,000 points almost immediately; the last 15,000 is a slower burn that needs $12,000 across the year.
Fees & eligibility
The card runs $139 a year, rebated for the first year, with additional cards at $75 each. If you hold TD All-Inclusive Banking, the fee is waived for as long as you keep that account, the same way the Passport pairs with the Scotiabank Ultimate Package. As a Visa Infinite product it asks for a personal income of $60,000 or household income of $100,000.
One thing to know before you travel with it: this is not a no-foreign-fee card. It charges the standard 2.5% foreign transaction fee, so it is best kept for Air Canada and everyday spending at home, and paired with a no-FX card like the Passport when you go abroad.
Earning rewards
Earning is the honest weak spot here, so set expectations accordingly. The card earns at two rates, and you carry it for the travel perks rather than the points-per-dollar:
Redeeming rewards
This is where Aeroplan pulls ahead of a fixed-value program. Points are not locked to one cent apiece: redeem them for Air Canada and Star Alliance flights and a good redemption often returns two cents or more per point, sometimes far more on long-haul business class. The flip side is that Aeroplan uses dynamic pricing, so the same seat can cost very different amounts depending on demand.
You are not limited to flights. Aeroplan points also cover hotels, car rentals, and merchandise, though flights are almost always where the value is.
Perks & benefits
This is the real reason to carry the card. The headline is the free first checked bag on Air Canada, for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation, which is worth about $70 per person round-trip and covers the annual fee in a single family trip. Note what is not here: this card does not include airport lounge access. That belongs to the higher-tier Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege.
Insurance
The insurance is solid for the fee, and it fills a couple of gaps the Passport leaves, including coverage for a lost or stolen phone. As always, the emergency medical window is short and shrinks sharply once you turn 65.
My take
For most people who fly Air Canada, this is the Aeroplan card that makes sense: not the cheapest one, and not the $599 one.
The Aeroplan Visa Infinite is not a card you carry for the earn rate, and it is not the card you take abroad. What it is, is the sensible middle of the Aeroplan lineup: enough card to hand you the free checked bag, the NEXUS rebate, and real status credits, without the $599 the Privilege charges for lounges. For most families the free bag alone covers the fee. Get it if you fly Air Canada a few times a year and want the perks; drop to the no-fee CIBC Aeroplan Visa if you barely fly, or step up to the Privilege if lounge access is the point.
The good
- Free first checked bag for you + 8 companions
- Strong 40,000-point welcome, first year free
- The sensible middle of the Aeroplan lineup
The catch
- Modest 1.5x / 1x earn rate
- Charges the 2.5% foreign transaction fee
- No lounge access (that is the $599 Privilege)