Happy New Year to all of our readers, subscribers and fans! What better way to start the New Year than with the release of new travel rewards credit cards! Of course we have known about these cards for months and even the rumoured information that was leaked out in early December (see our post here) As we mentioned in that post if the information was correct, which it is, the new TD Aeroplan cards didn’t live up to hype that was surrounding them prior to their details being leaked. First, lets take a look at the three consumer TD Aeroplan cards that are available and what they offer then we’ll follow up with our thoughts.
Enrollment Bonus: 10,000 miles
Miles Earned: 1 Aeroplan Mile/$1.50
Bonus #1: 1 mile/$1 on gas, grocery and drugstore purchases
Bonus #2: Aeroplan Card and TD Visa can be used together at Aeroplan partner locations
Insurance: Delayed/Lost Baggage, Flight Delay, Collision Loss and Damage
Insurance, Common Carrier, Purchase Security & Extended Warranty,
Emergency Travel AssistanceAnnual Fee: $89 Primary User, $35 Authorized User
Income Requirement: None
Interest Rate: 19.99%
Minimum Credit Limit: $1,500
Exclusive Privileges: None
Air Canada Benefits: None
Enrollment Bonus: 15,000 miles + a 2 for 1 ClassicFlight Short Haul award if you apply by May 9, 2014
Miles Earned: 1 Aeroplan Mile/$1.00
Bonus #1: 1.5 mile/$1 on gas, grocery and drugstore purchases
Bonus #2: Aeroplan Card and TD Visa can be used together at Aeroplan partner locations
Insurance: 15 Day Travel & Medical Insurance, Trip Cancel/Trip
Interrupt, Delayed/Lost Baggage, Flight Delay, Collision Loss and Damage
Insurance, Common Carrier (incl. Auto Rental), Purchase Security &
Extended Warranty, Emergency Travel AssistanceAnnual Fee: $120 Primary User, $50 Authorized User
Income Requirement: $60,000 or $100,000 household
Interest Rate: 19.99%
Minimum Credit Limit: $5,000
Exclusive Privileges: Concierge
Air Canada Benefits: When travelling on Reward flights: One annual
one-time use Maple Leaf Lounge access pass, First checked bag free,
Priority check-in, Priority boarding
TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege
Enrollment Bonus: 25,000 miles + a 2 for 1 ClassicFlight Short Haul award if you apply by May 9, 2014
Miles Earned: 1.25 Aeroplan Mile/$1.00
Bonus #1: 1.5 mile/$1 on gas, grocery and drugstore, and Air Canada purchases
Bonus #2: Aeroplan Card and TD Visa can be used together at Aeroplan partner locations
Insurance: 22 Day Travel & Medical Insurance, Trip Cancel/Trip
Interrupt, Delayed/Lost Baggage, Flight Delay, Collision Loss and Damage
Insurance, Common Carrier (incl. Auto Rental) – (expanded vs. Infinite
coverage), Purchase Security & Extended Warranty (expanded vs.
Infinite Coverage), Emergency Travel AssistanceAnnual Fee: $399 Primary User, $99 Authorized User
Income Requirement: $200,000 household
Interest Rate: 19.99%
Minimum Credit Limit: $10,000
Exclusive Privileges: Privilege Concierge, Global Lounge Service (Airport Angel),
Hilton HHonors Diamond Status, Fairmont Hotels Premier Status (with accelerated Platinum offer), Security VIP Fast Lane (Selected Airports), Golf Program, Sports
packages (Olympics; FIFA), Music, food and wine experiencesAir Canada Benefits: First checked bag free on Air Canada flights,
Priority check-in on Air Canada flights, Priority boarding on Air Canada
flights, Four annual one-time use Maple Leaf Lounge access passes (when travelling on Reward flights), 50% discount on
companion tickets for eligible Executive Class fares on Air Canada
Flights available once per calendar year
We here at Rewards Canada are a little disappointed with the actual cards, primarily the main Infinite card:
The best of the three which is the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card offers some great travel benefits and is in actuality a very good credit card. What hampers it is a small sign up bonus for an elite level card with higher annual fee and a high income requirement that places this card out of reach of those who could really use the added Air Canada benefits of Priority Check-in and Priority Boarding. Why do we think this? This is card targeted to people who travel semi-frequently and frequently on Air Canada. And of those people, those who make over $200,000 are more than likely to have or will achieve status with Air Canada and get those benefits anyways via the Altitude program. There are many Canadian’s who fall into the $100,000 to $200,000 bracket to whom this card would be better served. However we also see it from Air Canada’s point of view, they don’t want a whole throng of people getting priority access to check in and boarding making life worse for their Altitude Elite Status members. Ultimately the number of people getting the top card is capacity controlled by the $200,000 income requirement, mind you I believe only a select few of those in the 100K-200K bracket would be willing to pay the $399 annual fee so the income requirement will always be a sticking point with us. While it may seem high, the annual fee is in line with the American Express AeroplanPlus Platinum ($499/year) which offers similar if not better benefits (ie. it earns more miles, full time Maple Leaf lounge access and has a standard 2 for 1 short haul ticket etc. although the TD Privilege card includes Business Class!) and would be worth paying for if you don’t have status with Air Canada but are traveling enough that priority check-in and boarding will make your life better. A nice benefit that can make this card also worthwhile is the once per calendar year 50% discount on a companion Air Canada business class ticket (if you actually buy J or C class). Other somewhat hidden benefits of the card are Airport Angel membership + 6 free visits (see our Guide to Business Class Lounge Access for more details), Hilton HHonors Diamond Status (this is a pretty good benefit!) and accelerated access to Fairmont Platinum Premier status
The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card will be the mainstay card and the primary replacement for the CIBC Aerogold Visa Infinite Card and is essentially the same as the latter. The primary difference is a few benefits being offered when flying on an Aeroplan Reward ticket operated by Air Canada like 1st checked bag free, a Maple Leaf lounge pass and priority check in/boarding. This is probably the most disappointing card of the bunch. It isn’t anything new, there is nothing exciting about it and like we have mentioned in many reviews and media interviews about its predecessor, the CIBC Aerogold Visa Infinite Card, the only reason it took first place in Rewards Canada’s Top Travel Rewards Credit Card – Airline category, was the strength of the Aeroplan program, not the card itself. More than likely, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card will take top spot in our Airline Category for 2014, not because the card itself is amazing but because the Aeroplan program offers so much for Canadian’s and one of the easiest ways to earn Aeroplan miles is by spending on this card.
The TD Aeroplan Visa Platinum falls somewhere in between the Visa Infinite Card mentioned above and the base model from CIBC, the AeroClassic visa. The TD cards costs more than the AeroClassic but also earn more miles and offers more insurance options than the CIBC card.
Ultimately the new cards are not a huge change from the CIBC cards. Those current CIBC cardholders who are being transferred over the TD won’t really notice any changes as most will get the Infinite Card which is essentially the same as their current CIBC Aerogold Infinite. I really wish they had pumped the card up with some high octane fuel and made the Infinite card better but they saved that for the limited amount people who will be going for the Infinite Privilege card. All in all I wish I had more good things to say about these cards but right now personally I’ll be sticking to my American Express Gold Rewards Card, Diners Club Club Rewards MasterCard plus I’ll be adding the American Express AeroplanPlus Gold to my portfolio this month but I may, just may, grab the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card if it is free with my TD All Inclusive Banking plan to replace my TD First Class Visa Infinite which comes free with the plan.