Greg,

Yes, if you have a year of lots of travel, that’s where you want to get a premium card to maximize benefits.

The Cobalt card is the best daily card for accumulating points, but the Amex Business Gold has the best welcome offer of 75K points when spending $5K in the first three months. When using a referral link for the business gold, you get 5K extra points. The current bonus for the cobalt is 1,250 points when spending $750 each month, for 12 months. That’s a total of 15,000 points on a spend of $9,000.

Hi Again Barry,

I looked at the Cobalt AMEX – I agree, this paired with my current CIBC Aeroplan (No Fee) is the way to go for now. When I look ahead to a year of travelling in the future, perhaps something with a larger welcome bonus and perks (Amex Platinum) is better at that time.

For now, it’s point accumulation.

Thanks.

Greg

Hey Greg,

So the fastest way to earn points is with welcome bonuses that card provided. At the very least, start with one big bonus so you get a lot of points right away. That’s why I recommend then American Express Business Gold Card. You then want a card that gives you a lot of points on your daily spending.

For mid-tier Aeroplan cards, like the Visa Infinite Cards, you only get free checked baggage and good travel insurance. You get no priority boarding. The American Express Gold Card gives you four free lounge passes to Plaza Premium and good travel insurance, but you don’t get free checked bags. If you want priority boarding, Maple Leaf Lounge Access, and priority check-in, you’ll need a higher end card, like the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card – https://www.moneywehave.com/td-aeroplan-visa-infinite-privilege-card-review/

Feel free to continue asking any questions or send me a message through my contact page and we can discuss things in more detail.

Hi Barry,

Thanks for the quick response, Barry.

I guess the two goals are:
1) Earning fastest way to earn points (Aeroplan – for free flights)
2) Perks (specifically: insurance, but also priority boarding/lounge access) – this is why I considered the American Express Gold https://www.moneywehave.com/american-express-gold-rewards-card-review/

Thanks for your feedback.

Greg

Hey Greg,

So it really depends on your goals here. Are you looking to earn points fast or do you just want better Air Canada benefits?

The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card is good as it includes the NEXUS rebate as you stated, and the annual fee is also waived if you have an all-inclusive bank account with TD.

If you’re looking to earn points fast you’re better off with this strategy:

Get the Amex business Gold – https://www.moneywehave.com/american-express-business-gold-rewards-card-review/ – It gives you 75K points when you spend $5,000 in the first three months. You can then convert those points to Aeroplan. That welcome offer is better than anything Aeroplan is offering right now.

You could also get the Amex Cobalt Card – https://www.moneywehave.com/american-express-cobalt-review/ – Although it lacks Air Canada benefits and a Nexus rebate, the daily earning rate is the best out there. You could then complement that card with your existing No fee Aeroplan Visa when Amex isn’t accepted but Visa is.

I currently have the CIBC (no fee) Aeroplan VISA Card and am looking at upgrading my cards, not at the same time. I thought about the CIBC Aeroplan Infinite card, but I am considering the TD Aeroplan VISA Infinite Card, because of the Nexus rebate. As you mention in your reviews, they are essentially the same.

I am also looking at a companion card, one that complements the Aeroplan program. I was thinking the American Express Gold Rewards Card because of the perks.

Can you comment on this strategy or do you have any other suggestions?

Greg

Saad,

The benefits of the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card are tied to your Aeroplan number. That means you don’t have to pay for your tickets with said card. The first checked bag benefit applies to any Air Canada operated flight. There is no limit for the number of flights as long as it’s operated by Air Canada. The only time you might run into a situation is if you’re on a codeshare ticket and the first segment is not operated by Air Canada.

Furthermore, does the first checked baggage benefit extend to round-trip flights, encompassing each individual segment of the journey, as long as it involves an Air Canada flight? If so, could you please specify the total number of flights for which this benefit applies?

If you’re talking strictly about Expedia for TD and the CIBC travel portal, they’re essentially the same.

With TD Rewards, if you book travel on your own (as in not on TD Rewards), there’s a lower redemption value for your points. For CIBC Rewards, you must book through their portal or call in and have them make the booking for you.

With American Express Membership Rewards, you can book directly at any travel site. For example Air Canada, Marriott, Booking.com and then you can apply your points to those purchases. This is beneficial as some companies require you to book directly to get the lowest price or to take advantage of your status benefits.

Ok, I see.
Those 2 portals that I mentioned (Expedia for TD and CIBC Rewards center) also allows us to book things on our own using the points from their respective credit cards. I was just looking a second opinion about which one of those may have been found better than the other one.
But all good 🙂