TD Improves Aeroplan Visa Infinite Travel Insurance Coverage

TD Travel Credit Card Insurance Changes

First Published Date: February 11, 2016

TD recently announced some improvements to its travel credit cards. These improvements will kick in starting March 30, 2016.

The most striking change will happen to the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite. Its Trip Cancellation Insurance will go up from $1,000 to $1,500 per insured person up to $5,000 per trip. TD’s other travel credit card, TD First Class Visa Infinite, will not get this upgrade.

Even after the increase, $1,500 is still low per person coverage compared to other travel credit cards like the BMO World Elite MasterCard and the ScotiaBank Gold American Express card, as these offer $2,500 Trip Cancellation Insurance per person.

The other important change TD is making that applies to both TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite and TD First Class Visa Infinite is the Pre-Existing Condition Period for Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance. For those under 65 years old, it will go down to 90 days from 180 days.

There are other changes being made. Contact TD to find out more. It’s worth mentioning that due to its recent devaluation, TD First Class Visa Infinite is no longer favoured by credit card users as one of the top travel credit cards in Canada. Read my other article about this devaluation here.

Also, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card does not provide any anniversary bonus. And when you read its features on the TD website, it sounds like it provides many perks such as lounge access, priority boarding, free checked baggage, etc., but these perks are designed in such a way that you will not be able to use it because the catch is you have to fly Air Canada on Aeroplan miles; your objective should be to not fly Air Canada, as it charges hefty fuel surcharges that can be easily avoided by flying other Star Alliance flights that do not charge fuel surcharges. I wrote more on this here.

Two Common Rewards the American Express Gold Rewards Card Is Not Giving You

What’s The Amex Gold Rewards Card Missing?

First Published Date: November 15, 2015

Although the American Express Gold Rewards Card is a premium travel rewards card with a hefty $150 annual fee, it’s missing two common benefits that are a must for a travel rewards card. Most other premium travel credit cards that have an annual fee of $99 to $120 will provide you these important benefits.

These two benefits are:

– Trip Cancellation Insurance and

– Concierge Service

You should not go on a trip without these two, as they will be lifesavers in case you have to cancel your trip or require assistance before or during with concierge service help.

Trip Cancellation Insurance reimburses you in case a trip has to be cancelled due to covered causes like illness, death, and much more. Concierge Service is like having your own personal assistant and can help you in various scenarios in your own country or foreign lands where you don’t know anyone.

Features like these (and many others like those discussed here) aren’t provided by the American Express Gold Rewards Card, but you will find these features in many other travel rewards credit cards that have a lower annual fee than Amex gold.

Before making your rewards credit cards selections, do thorough research and visit the A Dawn Journal Credit Card Section for more tips. Here are some articles you can start with.

Which Credit Cards Offer an Annual Companion Flight?

Save Money with an Annual Companion Flight

First Published Date: November 25, 2015

There are many perks and features credit cards come with that a lot of people aren’t aware of. Today, I will talk about how you can travel for a lot less with the annual companion flight that comes with some credit cards.

There are currently two credit cards that offer an annual companion flight. What this means is that you buy one plane ticket at regular price and you get a companion ticket at a heavily-discounted price. Here are the two cards:

WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard – Buy a ticket at regular price anywhere within Canada or U.S. (excludes Hawaii and Puerto Rico) where WestJet flies and get a companion round-trip with you for $99 (excluding taxes, fees and charges). Read my WestJet RBC World Elite review here. Annual fee = $99.

MBNA Alaska World Elite MasterCard – Buy a ticket at regular price anywhere within Canada, U.S. (including Alaska and Hawaii) or Mexico where Alaska Airlines flies and get a companion round-trip with you for from $121 USD. Annual fee = $75.

There are some other cards that offer an annual companion flight with a catch, such as you have to fly on rewards points or spend certain amounts. Example: American Express Air Miles Reserve Card, American Express AeroplanPlus Reserve Card, American Express AeroplanPlus Platinum Card, and RBC British Airways Visa Infinite

Which Credit Cards Offer Airport Lounge Access?

Free Lounge Access with Credit Cards

First Published Date: December 13, 2015

When you are on a long international flight, the crummy and horrible waiting area can be a torturous place to spend your time. Your travel experience can get even worse if you have several never-ending layovers in between. Lounge access can make your whole journey memorable, with free amenities such as better food, resting area, shower facility, drinks, workstation, and much more that you would not have access to otherwise. Airport lounges are the travel industry’s best-kept secret and annual membership is expensive. But savvy travellers can score access to these calm, secluded, and ultimate relaxation area lounges for free, regardless of their flight class, with some credit cards that offer free lounge access.

Credit Cards with Lounge Access

1. BMO Air Miles World Elite MasterCard

Credit Card Annual Fee = $120

Lounge Access = 2

2. BMO World Elite MasterCard

Credit Card Annual Fee = $150

Lounge Access = 4

3. Amex Air Miles Reserve

Credit Card Annual Fee = $299

Lounge Access = 4

4. ScotiaBank Amex Platinum

Credit Card Annual Fee = $399

Lounge Access = 10

5. Amex Business Platinum

Credit Card Annual Fee = $399

Lounge Access = Unlimited

6. Amex Aeroplan Plus Platinum

Credit Card Annual Fee = $499

Lounge Access = Unlimited

7. Amex Platinum

Credit Card Annual Fee = $699

Lounge Access = Unlimited

American Express Platinum or American Express Gold Credit Cards?

Amex Platinum and Gold Are 2 Different Things

First Published Date: September 29, 2015

A common question American Express credit card users, or even those do not hold any Amex cards but are considering it, are struggling to answer is should they choose the Amex Platinum or Gold. Or would it make sense to even choose both?

Today I will try to answer these questions by keeping things simple and without going into too much detail about these cards’ perks and features.

The very first striking anomaly anyone will notice in these two cards are the wide gap in annual fees. The Platinum charges a hefty $700 and the Gold charges a $150 annual fee (in Canada). However, based on your objectives, these fees may or may not be justified.

The American Express Platinum card is all about perks and features. This card makes sense for those who travel often and want to enjoy traveling in style and distinction. The card gives you access to over 600 airport lounges across the globe and also provides elevated hotel status for many big name hotel chains. This means benefits like a room upgrade, late checkout, and so on. If you do not fly or stay in hotels often, a platinum card may not provide any value to you. By often I mean not traveling one or twice a year, but once or twice a month.

While the platinum card is packed with features, it’s terrible with rewards points because it offers only 1.25 points for every dollar. This is where the American Express Gold comes in. The Amex Gold is a credit card that is designed for rewards points and it’s much generous for points on each dollar you spend, such as 2 points for every dollar at eligible gas, grocery store, and travel purchases. The gold card would make perfect sense for those who don’t travel often and don’t need to access lounges and elevated hotel status.

These are the very basic elements that separate these cards on the surface. Both cards offer much more and the only way to find out what suits you most is to go through all the features and benefits before making any decisions. You will find users who do not travel, but still hold the Platinum card and you will find users that hold both platinum and gold cards. So which card(s) is best for you totally depends on your lifestyle, what you want, and what you value most.

Disclosure: Information provided here may not be accurate and no longer valid. The mentioned card provider is not related to A Dawn Journal and neither monitor this site nor responsible for any inaccurate information. Contact the card company directly for accurate and updated information.