The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card: Should You Keep It?
/The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Review
First Published Date : October 14, 2015
The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card is a travel rewards credit card that lets you earn Aeroplan miles for everyday purchases that can be used towards Air Canada (and 26 other Star Alliance flights) and various other rewards such as hotels, vacations, car rentals, entertainment, merchandise, and so on offered by Aeroplan.
The Cost
Annual Fee = $120 Additional cards = $50
Minimum annual income required = $60,000 (Or $100,000 household income)
Rewards Points Snapshot
– Earn 1.5 miles for every $1 spent at eligible gas stations, grocery, drugstore, and on eligible aircanada.com purchases, excluding Air Canada vacation packages.
– Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on everything else.
First Time Bonus
A 15,000 miles welcome bonus when you make your first purchase. Another 10,000 miles bonus is usually offered when you spend $1,000 within 3 months (check the TD website for details as TD is always changing these bonus terms and conditions). Also, the annual fee is NOT waived for the first year.
Anniversary Bonus
None.
Features & Benefits
– Complimentary first checked bag when you travel on an Aeroplan reward flight operated by Air Canada.
– Priority check-in and boarding when you travel on an Aeroplan reward flight operated by Air Canada
– Access to Maple Leaf Lounge when you travel on an Aeroplan reward flight operated by Air Canada.
– Access to Visa Infinite 24/7 concierge service.
– Emergency Medical Insurance (15 days<65, 4 days>65 or older, Amount: 1 M/per person).
– Travel Accident Insurance (Up to $500,000 CAD).
– Auto Rental Theft and Collision/Loss Damage Insurance (Amount not provided by TD)
– Trip Cancellation Insurance ($1,000 each, maximum $5,000).
– Trip Interruption Insurance ($5,000 each, maximum $25,000).
– Flight Delay Insurance (After 4 hours, maximum $500 per occurrence).
– Lost and Delayed Luggage (maximum $1,000).
– Extended Warranty Insurance (1 additional year).
– Purchase Security (90 days).
What’s Missing
– Hotel/Motel Burglary Insurance
– Price Protection Insurance
My Take
Although on the surface it looks like the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite is showering you with many Air Canada benefits such as lounge access, priority boarding, free checked baggage, etc., you will not be able to use any of them. Let’s put is this way: You don’t want to use them, as the condition is you have to fly Air Canada and you should avoid Air Canada at any cost when you are flying on Aeroplan miles.
This is because Air Canada charges hefty fuel surcharges on Aeroplan flights and if you are an Aeroplan member your objective should be to not fly Air Canada, as there are other Star Alliance airlines that will not charge you fuel surcharges.
For example, let’s take Turkish Airlines, which is one of the Star Alliance members that does not impose fuel surcharges. If you book a one-way flight from Toronto to Istanbul, your total fees would be about $54. However, if you book the same trip using Air Canada, you will be paying $536 because Air Canada is charging you fuel surcharges.
So what does this mean at the end of the day? The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card basically provides no benefits, except insurance benefits and a Visa Concierge benefit. And even the insurance benefits are flawed, as the Trip Cancellation Insurance is only $1,000, whereas many other travel rewards cards provide $2,000 to $2,500.
Another point worth mentioning is that TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card only provides 1 mile on travel purchases, although it is a travel rewards credit card.
As of this writing, I hold this card. I picked up the TD offer to receive 25,000 bonus Aeroplan miles and the waiving of the first year annual fee. In the future, I am planning to discontinue this card unless I can make TD continually waive the annual fee.
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. A Dawn Journal or my YouTube Channel are not compensated by or affiliated with any credit card companies. All credit card articles are 100% unbiased and honest.
