Selecting a premium credit card can be difficult, as the benefits and bonuses increase sizably with many of these cards. While the income requirements and higher annual fee can be a barrier for some consumers, those who are eligible will usually find great value in many of the premium credit cards available to Canadians.
Let’s take a look at what the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card offers to potential cardholders.
Overview
Welcome Bonus
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card currently has a welcome bonus in which new cardholders can earn up to 70,000 Avion points:
- Earn 35,000 Avion points upon approval
- Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 in your first 6 months
- Earn 15,000 one-time anniversary bonus points after 12 months of account opening
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card earns Avion Elite points and offers cardholders six complimentary airport lounge visits annually.
70,000 Avion
$5,000
$931+
$399
Yes
Nov 25, 2024
This offer has an expiry date of Nov 25, 2024, so ensure you apply prior to that deadline if you are interested in this offer.
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card is a premium credit card, and as a result, has an annual personal or household income requirement of $200,000.
Earning Rates
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card earns Avion Rewards points for all eligible purchases made on the card at the following rates:
- 1.25 Avion Elite points for every dollar spent on all purchases on the card.
Since the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card earns at the same rate regardless of the purchase category, it can be considered a jack-of-all-trades card and can be a good solution for an individual who wants a simple solution to earning miles and points.
However, if you are interested in optimizing the bonus categories that you are earning on, it isn’t the best card to use as there are other options with much higher earning rates.
Annual Fee
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card has an annual fee of $399.
Benefits
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card offers a few benefits that cardholders who travel frequently will find value in.
Six Complimentary Airport Lounge Passes
RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege cardholders will receive six complimentary airport lounge passes annually. These passes are issued via the Visa Infinite Privilege program, and they grant access to lounges that are part of the DragonPass lounge program.
These passes can be used to grant the cardholder and any guests access to any eligible airport lounge where they can enjoy comfortable seating, free WiFi, and complimentary food and drink (including alcohol).
Airport lounges are the best way to kick off your travel experience, and we recommend all travelers hold a credit card that grants free airport lounge access to improve their next vacation. There are a number of credit cards with various income requirements and annual fees that offer airport lounge access, so do your research into the best card for your personal financial needs if this is a benefit you want to add to your toolkit.
Insurance Coverage
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card offers eleven types of insurance coverage, with many coverages focused on travel. These insurance coverages include:
- Emergency medical insurance
- Travel accident insurance
- Car rental collision and loss damage coverage
- Trip cancellation insurance
- Trip interruption insurance
- Flight delay coverage
- Lost or stolen baggage insurance
- Hotel and motel burglary insurance
- Purchase security
- Extended warranty coverage
- Mobile device insurance
Refer to the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege insurance certificate for additional details, including terms and conditions for eligibility.
Redeeming Avion Rewards Points
RBC Avion Rewards is one of the best loyalty programs in Canada, full stop. These points can be redeemed for travel booked with RBC through the air travel redemption schedule, merchandise, and gift cards for average value.
Redeeming your Avion points for flights directly by using the air travel redemption schedule can be a good choice for many, as this redemption method is easy to understand.
Essentially, cardholders can redeem a set amount of Avion points for a round-trip or one-way flight between two cities and their points will cover a maximum ticket price between these two destinations (which does not include taxes and fees). The maximum ticket price varies based on the pairing of cities within the itinerary.
However, from our perspective, the real value of the Avion Rewards program lies in their frequent flyer program transfer partners. Members who hold an eligible RBC credit card can transfer their Avion Rewards points to WestJet Rewards, British Airways Avios, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, and American Airlines AAdvantage for flight reward redemptions within those frequent flyer programs.
This is easily the best way to get the most value out of your points, especially if you want to travel internationally in business class or first class. The Frugal Flyer team has transferred Avion Rewards points to frequent flyer programs to book aspirational flights such as Qatar Airways First Class, Japan Airlines Business Class, and much more.
Comparable Credit Cards
If you are interested in seeing what other credit cards compare to the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege credit card, there are a few other options that are worth considering before making your decision.
RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite card is a great option for the individual who is interested in a card that earns Avion points but can’t currently meet the income requirements of the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card or for someone who doesn’t want to pay a higher annual fee.
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite card earns Avion Elite points and gives cardholders the opportunity to earn 1.25x Avion Elite points on all travel purchases.
In 2024, we awarded this card as the Best Flexible Points Travel Credit Card.
Check out our RBC Avion Visa Infinite card review for more details.
55,000 Avion
$0
$925+
$120
Yes
Nov 25, 2024
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite card has an annual fee of $120 and earns 1.25 Avion points per dollar spent on all travel purchases, and 1 Avion point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Most importantly, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite card still has access to the same valuable transfer partners, including WestJet Rewards, British Airways Avios, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, and American Airlines AAdvantage.
If you don’t meet the income requirements of the RBC Avion Visa Infinite card, the RBC Avion Visa Platinum card can be a good option as well.
Scotiabank Platinum American Express Card
The Scotiabank Platinum American Express card is a similar premium credit card option worth considering as this card has many benefits and an annual fee that are comparable to those offered on the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card.
The Scotiabank Platinum American Express card earns Scene+ Rewards points and offers cardholders benefits such as no foreign transaction fees and ten complimentary airport lounge access passes annually.
Check out our Scotiabank Platinum American Express card review for more details.
60,000 Scene+
$10,000
$201+
$399
No
Oct 31, 2024
The Scotiabank Platinum American Express card also has an annual fee of $399 and earns 2 Scene+ points per dollar spent, regardless of category. The card also offers 10 complimentary airport lounge passes that can be used at Priority Pass and Plaza Premium airport lounges for the cardholder and their guests.
Scene+ Rewards points are anchored at a value of one cent per point, and they can easily be redeemed against travel and grocery purchases. Finally, the Scotiabank Platinum American Express card does offer no foreign transaction fees as a benefit, which is a rare and valuable benefit offered on only a few credit cards in Canada.
Conclusion
There are only a handful of premium credit cards in Canada, so it is definitely worth exploring all your options before applying. The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card is a good choice if you are interested in participating in the Avion Rewards program and value having access to airport lounges during your travels.
Josh Bandura
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