TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card Review
Are you ready for a TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege review? Although the $599 annual fee may be a dealbreaker for some people, the card comes with a massive welcome bonus, a high earn rate, and travel perks that don’t disappoint. Simply put, if you fly Air Canada regularly, this card is worth having in your wallet since it includes free checked bags and Maple Leaf Lounge access. But is this card a good fit for casual flyers? Read my TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege review now and find out.
TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card
- $599 annual fee
- Earn 20,000 Aeroplan points after your first purchase
- Earn 50,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $7,500 in the first 180days
- Earn 30,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $12,000 in the first year
- Earn 2 Aeroplan points per $1 spent on Air Canada purchases, 1.5 points on gas, and groceries, and 1 point on all other purchases
- First bag checked free, priority check-in & boarding on Air Canada flights
- Maple Leaf Lounge access in North America
- DragonPass airport lounge access + 6 free annual passes
Welcome bonus and earn rate
For a card with an annual fee of $599, it’s fair to expect a huge welcome bonus. Fortunately, this card does not disappoint. The welcome bonus has typically ranged between 90,000 – 115,000 points. That’s similar to other premium Aeroplan credit cards, but the full bonus typically requires two or three different spending requirements.
To give you some additional content, 1 Aeroplan point is worth roughly two cents. That means the welcome bonus could have a value of $1,800 to $2,300. Clearly, that’s worth way more than the annual fee.
As for the earn rate, you’ll get 2 Aeroplan points per dollar spent on Air Canada purchases. 1.5 Aeroplan points per dollar spent on groceries, gas stations, travel, and dining. All other purchases earn you 1.25 points per dollar spent. You can also earn Aeroplan points at 150+ merchants via the Aeroplan eStore
Benefits and perks
It’s time to go over the benefits in my TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card review. The card comes packed with perks, which is why many people consider it one of the best Aeroplan credit cards and arguably one of the best travel credit cards in Canada. I think it’s an excellent card for frequent Air Canada flyers since you get so many rewards.
Air Canada benefits
- Free first checked bag – You and your travelling companions (up to eight) get your first checked bag free.
- Priority airport check-in, boarding and baggage handling on Air Canada flights – The primary cardholder and travelling companions on the same reservation all get priority services.
- Priority treatment – Cardholders also get higher priority on standby and upgrade lists.
- Reach Aeroplan status more easily – For every $5,000 you spend on your card, you’ll earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles and one Status Qualifying Segment. In addition, you can roll over up to 200,000 unused Status Qualifying Miles for the following year.
Airport / Maple Lounge access
The primary cardholder and one additional guest get access to Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafés in North America. Note that you must be flying on Air Canada or a Star Alliance partner to be able to access the lounges.
In addition, you’ll get a free Visa Airport Companion membership and six free annual lounge passes. This allows you to access any lounge that’s part of DragonPass. It does not matter which airline you’re flying with, you’ll be able able to access a DragonPass lounge by showing them the Visa Airport Companion app. For reference, similar membership usually costs $99 USD per year, plus $32 USD per visit.
Airport Benefits
Cardholders travelling from Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Montreal-Trudeau airports get access to priority security lines at domestic and international airports. You can also save up to 20% on parking at Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal-Trudeau airports.
Roll over eUpgrade credits
Cardholders can roll over up to 50 eUpgrade Credits each year. Although this benefit will only apply to people that have status and unused credits, it can be quite lucrative since those credits can be used to upgrade you to premium economy or business class.
$100 NEXUS rebate
One nice travel benefit included is the NEXUS fee reimbursement of up to $100 every four years. This perk is good for new applications and renewals as long as you pay with your TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card. It should be noted that this rebate is not just for the primary cardholder, it applies to any NEXUS fee charged to your card.
Annual worldwide companion pass
When you charge $25,000 to your TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card, you’ll earn a worldwide companion pass. This allows a guest travelling with the primary cardholder to purchase a companion ticket at a base fare starting at $99 (plus taxes and charges). This companion pass can be used for any destination Air Canada flies to, but the base fare increases depending on the distance flown. Note that this benefit can be earned every year.
Hotel status
Cardholders that enroll in the free Visa RSVP Reward benefit get free Diamond status with Sandman, Sandman Signature and Sutton Place Hotels. This status entitles you to complimentary room upgrades and a breakfast box at participating properties.
Save on rental cars
Any time you rent a car at Avis or Budget, you’ll save at least 10% off base rates in Canada and the U.S. if you pay with your TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card. For international destinations, the discount is a minimum of 5% at participating locations. Cardholders also get a status bump to Avis President’s Club.
Mobile device insurance
The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card comes with $1,500 in mobile device insurance. This covers mobile phones and tablets where the full price is charged to your card. Interestingly, most credit cards with mobile device insurance in Canada only cover up to $1,000, so this card gives you more.
Travel insurance
- Travel medical – $5,00,000 for 31 days / 4 days if you’re 65 or older
- Trip cancellation – Up to $2,500 per person / $5,000 total
- Trip interruption – Up to $5,000 per person / $25,000 total
- Flight/trip delay – Up to $1,000 / 4 hours
- Delayed and lost baggage – Up to $1,000 / $2,500
- Common carrier travel accident insurance – $500,000
- Hotel/motel burglary – $2,500
- Auto rental collision/loss damage – 48 consecutive days / $85,000
The individual payouts are pretty generous, but hopefully, you never need to make a claim. In case you didn’t know, you get travel medical insurance just for having the card. However, with extended travel insurance, such as trip interruption and delayed baggage, you need to charge your travel purchases to your TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege card.
Purchase insurance
- Purchase security – 90 days
- Extended warranty – Up to one additional year
Purchase security, sometimes known as loss damage insurance, is a benefit you likely won’t use, but if you ever need it, you’ll be glad you have it. It protects your purchases from loss, damage and theft for 90 days from the time of your purchase. As for the extended warranty insurance, your manufacturer’s warranty is doubled up to one additional year.
Visa Infinite benefits
- Concierge service – You’ll have 24/7 access to a Visa Infinite Concierge who can help you make reservations, secure tickets or even purchase gifts.
- Luxury Hotel Collection – Cardholders that book a room via the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection get benefits such as on-site credits and room upgrades.
- Dining Series – Get access to some exclusive dining events, such as tasting menus and chefs’ tables.
- Wine Country program – You can get discounts on purchases, free wine tastings and tours at 85+ participating wineries in British Columbia, Ontario and Sonoma Valley.
- Entertainment access – Enjoy advanced movie screenings and exclusive access to theatre tickets.
- Troon Golf – Get Troon Rewards Platinum Status and 20% off green fees, merchandise and lessons.
How to redeem your rewards
Aeroplan is the loyalty program for Air Canada. Aeroplan is appealing because you can use your points on any available seat with Air Canada. In addition, Aeroplan has 45+ partners where you can redeem your points. Basically, you can get just about anywhere in the world with your Aeroplan points.
The number of points required for a redemption depends on where you’re flying from, where you’re flying to, the distance flown and seat class. As you can imagine, further distances and higher cabin classes will cost you more points. Aeroplan does have a flight redemption chart, so you can quickly reference how many points it’ll cost you to get to your destination.
One downside of Aeroplan is that Air Canada uses dynamic pricing. That means prices increase and decrease based on supply and demand. When there’s a lot of demand, it’s not uncommon to see prices exceed what’s listed in the chart. That said, during low season, you might find some great deals.
Besides flights, you can also use your points on hotels, car rentals, vacation packages, merchandise and more. That said, the value of those redemptions is typically much lower than flight rewards.
Your Aeroplan points only expire if you go 18 months without any account activity.
TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card eligibility
- You’re a Canadian citizen or are a permanent resident
- You’re at least the age of majority in the province or territory where you live
- You have a minimum annual personal gross income of $150,000 or a household income of $200,000
Although TD doesn’t specifically state what credit score you need to be approved for this card, you likely want yours to be at least 725 before applying. That’s because this is a premium credit card and having a credit score at that threshold would have you in at least very good standing.
How the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card compares
The American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card is the closest comparable card to the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege. Both have an annual fee of $599, but the Amex card has an earn rate of 3 Aeroplan points per dollar spent on Air Canada purchases. 2 points per dollar spent on dining and food delivery. And 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
If most of your spending is on Air Canada, Air Canada Vacations and dining, then go with the American Express card. However, if you spend a lot on groceries, gas, and other types of travel, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card is the better choice.
Another card I like to compare is the American Express Platinum Card. Although the Platinum Card has no Air Canada benefits, you do get unlimited access to the American Express Global Lounge collection. This is relevant since Amex has more than 1,200 participating lounges. Whereas the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card only gives you access to Maple Leaf Lounges located within North America. The Platinum Card also allows you to transfer your points to Aeroplan, so you can still get good value out of your points.
Final thoughts
My TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card review is positive. Even though there’s an annual fee of $599, it’ll appeal to people in the following situations:
- You want to earn a lot of Aeroplan points – The welcome bonus is often worth more than 100,000 Aeroplan points, and you’ll earn points on every purchase.
- You frequently fly with Air Canada – You’ll get benefits such as free checked bags, Maple Leaf Lounge access, priority check-in and priority boarding.
- You want to extend the length of your eUpgrades – Cardholders can roll over up to 50 unused eUpgrade credits.
This card is clearly aimed at people who fly on Air Canada regularly, but it can also be appealing to those who are looking to travel for less. The welcome bonus is usually worth around 100,000 Aeroplan points. That can be enough for three to four round-trip tickets within North America. That value of those tickets would be worth much more than the annual fee.
Does the air canada lounge access comes with a complimentary guest?
No, you only get free access for the primary and supplementary cardholders.
Why is your answer no? I copied the information below from your write up.
“Also, you and a guest get unlimited complimentary access to Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafés in North America.”
Andrea,
When the card was first released, there was language in the terms and conditions that said there were no guests allowed. However, since then, people have confirmed that you can indeed bring a guest in.
Do you need your physical card to present or can you show your digital card on Apple pay
The benefits of your card are tied to your Aeroplan number so all you need is your boarding pass.
BEWARE everyone! I got the card on April 1, 2021. Spent $1000 right away. No buddy pass. Air Canada Aeroplan says it is because TD has not credited the account. Now I have spoken to customer service agents at TD who say that after 90 days, they check to see if you met the minimum spend. Then it takes 8 weeks to process the Buddy Pass.
So 5 months in order to get this benefit… By that time the conversion to 30,000 Aeroplan points may no longer be an option.
Christopher,
TD has definitely taken a LONG time to deposit the Buddy Pass into the account for many people. I’m on month 4 right now and still waiting.
Barry,
I have TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege credit card.
(1) Do I get the first bag checked free if I bought the Air Canada ticket with a different credit card?
(2) If my Air Canada reservation included me and my husband, would he also get the first bag checked free? Is it up to 9 people to get the first bag checked free under the same reservation?
Thanks!
Hi Amy,
You get your first bag checked free on Air Canada flights as long as you hold the card, regardless if you paid for the ticket with the card. Your husband does get his first bag checked free as long as he’s on the same reservation as you.
Hi Barry, does the priority 2 boarding and access to free checked bag kick in? Just show your card at check-in?
Yes, once you have the card, it’s tied to your Aeroplan number. Zone 2 boarding will automatically show up on your boarding pass. As for the free checked luggage, I’m not sure if it automatically displays when checking bags online or if you have to go to the counter when at the airport.
Hi Barry
Is the trip delay insurance valid even if I didn’t purchase my tickets using this TD privilege card?
Kim,
You must pay for your flights with your card for the trip delay insurance to be valid.
Barry – It would be nice to get a comparison versus CIBC Visa Aeroplan Infinite Priviledge
As part of your sign up offer, you’ll usually also get an Air Canada Buddy Pass that can be used anywhere within North America including Hawaii and Mexico.
I don’t see this being offered on TD’s website
Shaheemstar,
The current welcome bonus is for points only. There is no Buddy Pass currently being offered.
Hi Barry,
Are the priority benefits on the td card only provided on certain fares or any? And do they have to be a rewards ticket purchased?
Thank you 🙂
Hey Raman,
The benefits apply to both revenue and award tickets of all fare types.
Hey Barry
Does lounge access apply if I use another card to book my flight? I travel a lot for work and the majority of my flights are booked on a corporate card.
THanks
Hey Brandon,
You get lounge access just by having the credit card. You do NOT need to book your flights with the card.
Hey Barry –
As super-elite, I see you can roll over SQM’s and E-Upgrades – which is huge.
Have you heard of any red-flags on these (fine print etc etc …?)
thanks
Hey Neil,
No red flags that I’m aware of. Many people have picked up this card just for the rollover option. It certain helped me. Those e-upgrade credits that I rolled over were used for a business class flight to London.
On a side note, you don’t happen to work in broadcasting do you? If so, we worked together in the early 2000s
oh ya – we rode through 299 together!
Glad to see you’ve built a fantastic new machine for yourself.
probably with picking up the card for the same thing to roll over the 50 upgrade credits and my SQM’s!
Ha yeah,
Glad I got to experience the glory days of television.
Yes, having the card just for the rollover bonus is worth it. Free checked bags and priority services are will be useless if you’re already super elite, but the rollover is worth it.
Also, it’s worth thinking about how often you travel and where you fly to. I use my Aeroplan Privilege card for MLL access when available, but I also have the Amex Platinum Card for international lounge access. Paying $1,200 a year in annual fees may seem crazy, but I value lounge access a lot.
yep – I’m lucky to steer my flights to Star Alliance so always have access to a lounge of some sort. And use the Amex Bonvoy business card. Wish you could stack the 15 nights on the Personal and Business Bonvoy cards like you can in the USA
Neil,
Oh you can. It just requires a bit more work – https://www.moneywehave.com/can-a-canadian-apply-for-a-us-credit-card/
The US personal and business cards stack the 15 elite nights. So if you have both, you start with 30 nights a year. Getting another 20 for Platinum is easy. If you travel regularly, it wouldn’t be so hard to get Titanium.
Sure, setting up a US profile requires a little bit of work, but I think it’s worth it if you’re chasing status. I’m sitting in a Marriott hotel in San Diego right now.
US Amex Bonvoy cards also have no foreign transaction fees.
Great website. Do you know how strict the $150k income requirement is? Eg. if I make between $100k and $149k, have good credit history with the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite, and have a sparkling credit score, is it worth applying for the Infinite Privilege?
Also, on a more philosophical note, I expect that holders of this card will tend to fly business class, so is the Maple Leaf Lounge access associated with this card really that valuable?
Thanks.
James,
Let’s just say that TD will unlikely verify whatever income you put on the application. If that theoretical number happens to be over $150K, you’d likely be approved if you have a good credit score.
As for lounge access, it’s a preference. There’s no denying that Maple Leaf Lounges are better than Plaza Premium lounges. If you travel within Canada a lot, having that access is worthwhile. However, if you fly internationally a lot, you’d likely be better off with the American Express Platinum card since it gives you access to more lounge world-wide.
Hello just finished travelling from LAX to YYZ. Attempted to use the card to access Maple Leaf lounge at LAX was told they had eliminated all credit card access to the lounges in US. The attendant showed me his screen which displayed all the types of cards and status they permitted access and the td aeroplan infinite privilege was not shown. (I think I saw the Chase Arroplan as accepted). Wondering if this a recent policy change or something they are about to announce. I will say the host was very friendly about it and still let my family and I in. Have you heard anything about this for lounges access in the US? I knew Europe was not included but website mentions all access in North America is allowed.
EP,
I have not heard of this policy change. I was at LAX in May and had no issues getting in with the Aeroplan Reserve Card.
As far as I know, TD has not said anything about no longer allowing cardholders access to US MLL.
Thank you Barry.
I found it really odd since all of the websites provide the same information regarding access. The LA lounge is fairly small maybe they’re trying to reduce overcrowding? It would seem like a fairly significant change in benefits for us who travel via these US hubs often.
EP,
I feel like it may have just been a misinformed employee. A change this big would have been announced by TD/Aeroplan already. Plus, the website still shows US MLL being included.
I’m not saying the rep was wrong. But perhaps that info they were sent is incorrect.
Your Aeroplan Black card is tied to your Aeroplan number. In theory, you should get access just by scanning your Aeroplan number.
Yep. I would have thought the same thing except when agent displayed screen with acceptable cards and status.
I also normally see the lounge invitation display on both digital and paper boarding passes and this case it did not.
Thank you again for your replies. I will hopefully chalk it up to a one off.
I was able to enter the LAX lounge with a guest using my TD Infinite Privilege card on September 19, 2022, without issues.
You forgot to mention about the dragonpass lounge access with 6 complimentary visits world-wide!
Just wanted to mention it here 😀
Hey Baery. I didnt buy the ticket from Toronto to Germany using my credit card which is the visa priviledge from TD yet they said I couldn’t come in
Kumar,
Which lounge were you trying to get into? If it’s the Maple Leaf Lounge, you just show them your credit card since the lounge access is connected to your Aeroplan number. If it’s one of the other lounges, you’d have to use one of your Visa Airport Companion passes.
Hey! Do I get lounge access if I book with another airline?
For example, my company uses westjet and Air Canada to book my flights. Lets say they book me from yvr to yyz on west jet, can I still get access to the maple leaf lounge?
Hey Harry,
No, lounge access only applies if you have a flight with Air Canada
Hi Barry, tried to apply for the Visa Infinite Privilege card tonight – just before Jan 3 deadline for the 105K points benefits. Kept getting error with system message on phone, iPad, safari/Chrome. I have other TD aeroplan cards tied to the same aeroplan number and plan to cancel them once I get this one. Is it a problem with multiple aeroplan cards, aeroplan accounts, or computer/tech issue? Any experience with this problem? Thanks.
Hi Arcy,
There are a lot of reports of people having issues when applying for TD cards. Having another TD Aeroplan card is not the problem.
Do you know if they check or what they need for income verification? 2 business owners in our household we make well over the $200K household income, but it’s not all paid in salary. We’ve had issues with income verification in the past.
KimC,
If you’re applying in person, there’s a good chance that TD will ask you for tax statements to prove your income. However, if you’re keeping it in the corporation, they might say you don’t meed the requirements. However, if you apply online, TD has been known to not verify income or even employment. You can read between the lines here.
Barry,
Do you know if holding their Ultimate checking account will rebate $139 from the $599 Privilege fee like CIBC does?
Thanks
Hey Andrew,
No, TD does not apply that fee waiver to premium cards.
Hey Barry,
To receive the third part of the points (35,000 pts as an Anniversary Bonus when you spend $12,000 in the first 12 months.†), does this mean you have to pay the annual fee in full after the first year? So essentially you’d be paying $599-$300 FY and then $599 SY to get the full amount of points?
Hey Kevin,
I’m not quite following you about the $300.
But to answer your question, yes you’d have to keep the card and pay the second annual fee to get the final bonus.
That said, Aeroplan points are worth about 2 cents each, so the final 35,000 points is easily worth $700 which is more than the annual fee. Alternatively, you could just get the first two parts of the bonus for 80,000 points and then cancel before your year is up.
One thing to note. TD/Aeroplan has cracked down on people signing up for multiple cards.
Hi Barry
Is just mere possession of the Aero Infinite privilege card will cover medical/travel cancellation/trip interruption ; hotel cancellation etc even i don’t use to purchase flight tickets /hotel reservation etc( i use my company corporate to purchase tickets /hotels
MAK,
Only travel medical applies for simply holding the card. For the other insurance to apply, you must charge your flights, hotels, and car rentals to the card.
Hi Barry , do you know if the priority services ie priority boarding and baggage handling only apply if you input your aeroplan number in as the frequent flier program vs any other star alliance partners?
Thanks
Hey CHelsea,
Priority boarding and baggage should only apply to Air Canada flights and not their partners.
Hi Barry! This is so incredibly helpful! Thank you so much. I’m living in Toronto and wondering if you know whether or not the credit card allows you access to business class check in like they have at YYZ. It says priority check in is included but I’m unclear if that’s the same as business class check in
Hey Will,
From what I understand, it’s the same thing. – https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/fly/premium-services/priority-services.html
To be perfectly honest, I haven’t checked in at the regular counter in years, so I don’t even know if there’s a separate “priority” section there.
Thanks so much Barry. All good. You’ve been more than helpful with this already. I did find the same section on Air Canada that you mentioned but while the card is listed, there seems to be an asterisks that says “*Only eligible when travelling on an Aeroplan flight reward redeemed from the Primary Cardholder’s Aeroplan account”
Almost makes it sound like you have to redeem points to get priority check in. I called to ask aeroplan but even they didn’t know. Maybe I’ll just go right up to the business class check in and ask next time I’m in the area. Thanks again Barry!!
Hey Will,
I saw that language so I decided to dig deeper and checked the cardholder agreement – https://www.td.com/content/dam/tdct/document/pdf/personal-banking/12381-wg-ap-infinite-privilege-acc-e-02-a3-final.pdf
Based on that, it doesn’t have to be an Aeroplan fare. It would be silly to say you and up to 8 travelling companions on the same itinerary can get priority boarding but it needs to be an Aeroplan ticket. That would imply that everyone needs to be on a family plan.
I honestly suspect the language on the Air Canada page has not been updated as one of the old TD Aeroplan cards only gave specific benefits with Aeroplan bookings.
There’s no reason to think the business check in would not apply to cardholders of the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege card.
Don’t think I ever came across this link in my research. Barry, can’t express how helpful this whole things has been. Completely appreciate the work here and hope others can benefit from your experience! Thanks so much!
Hi Barry,
I currently get my TD Infinite credit card annual fee covered by TD Banking package. Would I be able to use that $139.00 towards the 599.00 cost of this new Aeroplan card?
Thank you
Hey Michael,
Unfortunately, TD doesn’t apply the credit to premium cards.
hi Barry , We are a couple and we enjoy travelling. I came across this card and was trying to assess its airport advantages. There is unlimited complementary maple leaf lounge access allowed in NA — is that only for primary cardholder or can a guest be allowed. If me and my wife are travelling together I would prefer to enjoy lounge access for both but I couldn’t understand from TD website if that’s a part of the feature or not.
Ansh,
The fine print doesn’t say +1, but I’ve never had an issue bringing someone in. Reports online have said the same.
Hey Barry
When the secondary card holder spends, do the aeroplan points get credited to the primary holder?
Thanks
Hey Brandon,
Yes, all points are credited to the primary cardholder.
Hi Barry when it asks to link accounts between the primary and a secondary (spouse card), what links to what? Is it the secondary card linking to the primary? What does this do with points etc? What is the benefit of linking? What are the drawbacks to linking? Thanks
Hey Bruce,
If you’re adding a secondary card, it should just be linked to the primary cardholder’s account. I’m not sure what they’re asking you to link since the points will go to the primary cardholder regardless.
Hi Barry,
First off all I would like to thank you for the in depth review and as well for keeping the post up to date and reply to the comments. Awesome work.
I will start traveling frequently for work and I need to choose an Aeroplan credit card. I have another credit card where the annual fee is waived if I keep min 5000$ in the bank account , do you know if the same applies for this card?
Thanks in advance and thank you again for your work,
Hugo
Hey Hugo,
The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privielge does NOT qualify as a card with an annual fee waiver if you have an all-inclusive account.
How often will you travel and where will you be travelling to? The Maple Leaf Lounge access with this card is only good in North America. If you’re travelling internationally or to U.S. cities with no Maple Leaf Lounge, you might want to consider the Amex Platinum.
Hello Barry,
Thank you for sharing these wonderful resources.
Have you compared Aeroplan Amex card with TD infinite privilege card? Is there any aeroplan amex card that comes close to TD card?
I travel international destination more and I am wondering if Amex is a better choice while also getting the benefits of being able to earn and redeem aeroplan points. I believe you mentioned Amex provides better access to international lounges.
Thanks so much.
Hey Amrit,
It really depends on which International destinations you travel to. I personally prefer the American Express Platinum Card – https://www.moneywehave.com/american-express-platinum-canada-review/ – since it gives you access to more lounges worldwide and comes with better travel benefits.
That said, if you mainly fly air Canada, getting the TDAPVIP may be worth it since it’ll help you earn status quicker and it’ll give you access to Maple Leaf Lounges in North America.
I actually carry both cards. I use Maple Leaf Lounges in North America when available, and my Amex Platinum everywhere else.
Interesting review. I am in month 6 of a dispute with TD over trip interruption. Has anyone else had success with trip interruption and this card?
I have a doctor’s note but TD (via Global Excel) are not covering anything beyond the return flight.
Obviously I am appealing and going to escalate the matter but not what I expected from a top, premium travel card.
Hey Barry,
Thanks for the great insights here. Just wondering whether the 35,000 points happens every year or if that is a one time only thing.
Many thanks
Hey Kent,
It’s a one time deal.
That’s what I thought. So if I’m thinking about going with the $599 card instead of the $139 card, the main difference once you strip out the welcome bonuses (from a points perspective) is going to 1.25 points instead of 1.0 for all purchases. Is that correct?
I’m assuming the Buddy Pass is a welcome (one time only) benefit as well.
Thank again for the fast response.
Hey Kent,
You also get Maple Leaf Lounge access and priority services with the premium card. The Buddy Pass is currently not available with any of the TD cards.
When choosing a card, think about your goals. Are you looking for benefits or do you want to earn points fast?
I already have elite status because I fly so much, so the lounge access is not a factor in my case. The welcome benefits are fantastic, but if I’m going to hold the card for years to come, I want to know that the fee is worth it year after year.
I figure that if I spend 8K per month, the extra .25 gets me 24,000 points per year which would probably be enough to cover the fee.
Does that make sense?
Again, I appreciate how you are helping all of us with this information.
Kent,
If you already have status, the best benefit of any premium ($599) Aeroplan card is the ability to carry over 50 unused eUpgrade credits each year. THe premium cards also allow you to earn SQS and SQM a lot quicker.
As for your math, yes that’s accurate. I value one Aeroplan point at 2 cents, so 24,000 points is about $480.
The only other card I would consider in your case is the Amex Platinum Card. If you frequently travel to destinations without Maple Leaf Lounges, the Amex Global Lounge collection is a good supplement.
Thanks Barry. You’re the best.
Hi Barry,
Any chance you know if this card will allow me to access the United Club lounges in the US? The United airlines website states if you have a MLL membership you can get in, but I was denied entry into the PHX United Club lounge the other day when I showed them my TD infinite privilege card.
Claire,
No, this card only gives you access to MLL in North America. To get access to the United Club, you need to have Gold Star Alliance status (Aeroplan 50K status+)
Great post! Just wondering if I upgrade from a TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite to the Visa Privilege – will I still get ALL the welcomes bonuses?? I got my current card about 18 months ago. Thanks.
Arch,
You’d have to confirm with TD before making the switch as they don’t always offer the same thing for product switches compared to new sign ups.