RBC Avion vs. CIBC Aeroplan vs. TD Aeroplan: Which Travel Visa Wins?

If you are building a Canadian travel wallet, three cards come up in almost every conversation: the RBC Avion Visa Infinite, the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite, and the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite. All three charge a similar annual fee and all three promise big travel value -- but they are not interchangeable. The right one depends entirely on how loyal you are to Air Canada.

The Short Answer

If you fly Air Canada regularly, CIBC and TD Aeroplan cards earn Aeroplan points directly and usually win on value. If you want flexibility across airlines -- or you are not sure yet -- RBC Avion points convert to British Airways Avios, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, American Airlines AAdvantage, and WestJet points (though not to Aeroplan), which makes Avion the safer default for flyers who are not tied to Air Canada.

Side-by-Side Comparison

RBC Avion Visa Infinite

Avion points are the most flexible currency of the three. You earn 1.25 points per dollar on travel and 1 point on everything else, and points convert to American Airlines AAdvantage, British Airways Avios, WestJet, and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, so you are not locked into one airline's route map. Aeroplan is not on that list, so Avion is no substitute for an Aeroplan card if Air Canada is your airline. The tradeoff is that Avion's own fixed-rate travel redemption chart is mediocre -- the real value only shows up once you transfer out to a partner program.

CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite

This card earns Aeroplan points directly, so there is no transfer step and no transfer ratio to worry about. It earns 1.5 points per dollar on gas, EV charging, groceries, and Air Canada purchases and 1 point on everything else, and it includes a free first checked bag on Air Canada flights -- a perk that alone can be worth more than the annual fee for a household that flies Air Canada even once or twice a year.

TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite

Nearly a mirror of the CIBC card -- the same direct Aeroplan earning rates and a free first checked bag -- but with TD's own welcome bonus structure and insurance package. Neither card includes a companion voucher. The two are close enough that the deciding factor is usually which bank already holds your day-to-day banking, since TD and CIBC periodically run different promotional bonuses. Pick one: Aeroplan's terms let it withhold the welcome points if you have already received a welcome bonus on an Aeroplan card of the same category, from TD or any other issuer, and TD's offer also excludes anyone who opened a TD Aeroplan Visa in the last 12 months.

Who Should Get Which Card

• Loyal Air Canada flyer, checks bags often: CIBC or TD Aeroplan -- the free first checked bag can pay for the annual fee almost by itself.
• Undecided or split across airlines/alliances: RBC Avion -- keep your options open and transfer out once you know where you are flying.
• Want both flexibility and Air Canada perks: Some churners carry an Avion card for flexible earning and a direct-Aeroplan card for the checked-bag benefit. In a two-player household, each partner has their own Aeroplan account and their own welcome bonus eligibility.

The Bottom Line

There is no universal winner here -- only a better fit for your travel pattern. If you already know you are an Air Canada household, go direct with CIBC or TD Aeroplan. If you are keeping your options open, RBC Avion buys you flexibility at the cost of some redemption value. Either way, the annual fee on all three is easy to justify once you are using the travel perks, not just the points.