Welcome to another Rewards Canada Clash! This time in our Clash of
the Credit Cards we pit the two best airline credit cards in Canada
from Canada’s two largest airlines against each other! Those cards are
the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card and the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard
Past clashes:
- Clash of the Credit Cards! American Express Cobalt™ Card vs. BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card
- Clash of the Credit Cards! HSBC World Elite Mastercard vs. Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card
- Clash of the Credit Cards! Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card vs. MBNA Best Western Rewards Mastercard
- Clash of the Reward Charts! Amex vs. RBC
- Credit Card Showdown: American Express Gold Rewards Card vs. Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
- Credit Card Showdown: mbna SmartCash World MasterCard vs. American Express SimplyCash Card
In this match up we look at over half a dozen criteria to
compare the cards against one another along with a head to head detailed
table comparison. Before we begin I do want to emphasize that some of
the comparison criteria is subjective due to the fact that WestJet
Rewards is a fixed rate currency while Air Canada’s is variable. That
is, when know one WestJet dollar is equal to one Canadian dollar.
Whereas with Aeroplan, an Aeroplan point can be valued below 1 cent to
well above 5 or more cents depending on what you redeem for. For this
comparison we take Rewards Canada’s minimum valuation of an Aeroplan
point of 1.2 cents and higher for our calculations.
Annual Fees / Sign Up Bonus
There are some differences in the annual fees on these cards
with the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card being the more expensive card.
It has a $139 primary card fee versus WestJet’s $119 and additional
cards are $75 each on the TD Card while WestJet is $59. With those
numbers the WestJet card takes the round on annual fees but that being
said the TD card is frequent offered with a first year annual fee rebate
which was the case at the time of first posting this clash. That would
make the TD card better in the first year but from year two on the
WestJet card does better. Note that both banks have chequing accounts
that will waive the annual fees on these cards as well.
Another key note on applying for these cards are the income
requirements – the TD card does better as it is $60,000 personal or
$100,000 household versus the WestJet card’s $80,000 personal or
$150,000 household.
For the standard sign up bonus there are some differences
between the cards. The standard bonus on the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite
is 15,000 points. Well at least that’s what we think it will be as since
the new card launched we haven’t seen a base level offer on the card
but that was the base level on the previous card iteration. The WestJet
RBC World Elite card’s standard offer is 250 WestJet dollars. So when
you compare the two we have a value of $180 with the TD Aeroplan card
and not surprisingly a $250 value with the WestJet card! WestJet takes
the cake on the standard welcome bonus but again we have to stress the
variability in Aeroplan points can easily push the welcome bonus value
on the TD card north of $300.
Currently both cards have increased welcome bonuses (as of
May 2021) with the Aeroplan Card offering up to 20,000 points and a
bonus Buddy Pass when you apply for the card by May 30, 2021 along with
the first year annual fee being rebated. The bonus points and Buddy Pass
are fully achieved when you hit $1,000 in spending in the first 90
days. The WestJet card has a limited time welcome offer of 350 WestJet
dollars + 2x the WestJet dollars on groceries, restaurants and food
delivery (in the first 3 months) and a $0 companion fare. Both the
welcome bonus and the companion pass are awarded when you make the first
purchase on your card. This is a very close match up however with the
TD Aeroplan card’s offer being first year free TD takes the limited time
welcome bonus category.
Rates
The cards are almost equal in terms of the interest rates
they charge. Both are 19.99% on purchases however the WestJet card
nudges the Aeroplan card on cash advance rates with its 21.99% versus
the TD’s 22.99%
Bonus Features & Benefits
Prior to November 2020 this is where the WestJet card stood
out with extra features and benefits – not only over the TD Aeroplan
card but many other cards in Canada. The WestJet RBC World Elite
Mastercard brought benefits like an annual companion pass and first
checked bag free to the forefront. It may not have been the first card
to do so, as the MBNA Alaska Airlines World Elite Mastercard has offered
a companion pass for ages but the popularity and common knowledge of
the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program and WestJet Rewards in Canada
is like night and day. With the latter, WestJet Rewards being Canadian
and front and centre for most of the country, this card was for many
Canadians, the first introduction to companion passes and first checked
bag free benefits.
That takes us right into the three main benefits and features
of the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard The first as already
mentioned is the annual companion pass. This pass that comes on the card
provides the option to book a second ticket on a WestJet reservation
for a set price – $119 in Canada and the Continental U.S and $399 to
anywhere else in the WestJet network including Hawaii and Europe. You do
also have to pay the associated taxes and fees on those flights. The
companion pass can be used for both economy class and premium economy
class fares but not for WestJet business class fares. Used wisely the
companion pass can provide some big time savings especially when
travelling during busy travel seasons. Next up is that first checked bag
free benefit and this benefit alone is why so many travellers have got
this card. It provides exactly what it is titled – the first checked
bag free for the cardholder and up to 8 people on the same reservation.
With checked bag fees on WestJet starting at $30 a bag a family of four
would save $240 on a round trip flight! The third and final benefit
afforded to the WestJet card are those that are provided to all World
Elite Mastercards in Canada and those are free Boingo global WiFi which
includes free WiFi on select airlines including WestJet and Mastercard
Airport Experiences by LoungeKey which is a business class lounge access
membership program in the same vein as Priority Pass.
Recommended reading: Why my wife and I each grabbed our own WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercards
The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card didn’t have a ton of
benefits until it was revamped to coincide with the relaunch of the
Aeroplan program in November 2020. Its new benefits definitely give the
WestJet card a run for its money and then some. First off they matched
the WestJet card with the first checked bag free option. This benefit
provides the cardholder and up to 8 other people travelling on the same
reservation to check their first bag free on Air Canada flights. Just
like WestJet you are looking at no less than $30 a bag here so this
benefit alone can provide some huge savings. The TD card however does
not have an annual companion voucher like the WestJet card – yes it does
have the current Buddy Pass welcome bonus but that is one time pass not
an annual pass like the one on the WestJet card. The next benefit the
TD card has is status points earning – cardholders will earn 1,000
status qualifying points and 1 status qualifying segment for every
$10,000 spent on the card. This is perfect for those chasing that next
level of status who may just come up short with their flights. The card
then provides preferred pricing on Aeroplan award flights, that is if
you have the card you’ll receive a discount in the number of points
required to redeem for any and all award flights. The savings can be
significant with the card thus making this also a very valuable benefit.
The final feature on the card is a NEXUS fee rebate for the cardholder
once every four years. This covers the fee to receive or renew your
NEXUS card.
This is a close category to call as both cards benefits and
features are impressive but the WestJet card takes this round. By having
the companion pass available each and every year, the free WiFi and
lounge access program it provides benefits that appeal to a broader
range of Canadian travellers than the TD Aeroplan card provides.
Points Earning & Redemption
There are definitely some differences in the
cards here for this round – more so for the redemption side which
follows. The WestJet card has an earn rate structure of 1.5% of all
eligible spending being paid out to cardholder in WestJet dollars. That
jumps to 2% for WestJet flight and vacation purchases. The TD card
offers 1.5 Aeroplan points on Air Canada purchases (including vacations)
as well as grocery and gas station purchases up to $80,000 per year.
The rest of the spending on the card earn 1 Aeroplan point per dollar
spent. So if you take our point valuations the Aeroplan card does better
on grocery and gas station purchases however the WestJet card does
better on all other spending at 1.5% versus the minimum 1.2% we would
give Aeroplan for economy class redemptions. But that’s where this is a
tough comparison since Aeroplan has variable value and why you have to
look at both sides of the equation when it comes to loyalty programs and
those sides are earning and redeeming.
So let’s look at the redemption side of things and
we’ll look at value first. The WestJet Rewards program is easy – one
WestJet dollar equates to one dollar that you can use towards your
WestJet flight. This makes the earn on the WestJet RBC World Elite
Mastercard easy to value, it’s the exact same percentage rate they
advertise. 1.5% to 2% are your minimum and maximum, no fluctuating. Easy
as that. Aeroplan on the other hand, being a variable rate currency is
hard to nail down. If you take our minimum value of 1.2% that would put
the earn rates on the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card at 1.2% to 1.8%
which is lower than WestJet. But then they go up from there, if you
redeem for an Aeroplan award flight where you are getting 2 cents per
Aeroplan point of value that puts the card earn rates at 2% to 3% – now
its higher than WestJet. And the rates can keep going up from there. You
redeem for an award flight in business or first class and its not
unusual to get 5% to 8% or even more return. That makes the card earn
rates go as high as 12% or more. Now you should be able to see where we
are going with this. Yes on paper WestJet’s 1.5 and 2% earn rate looks
higher than Aeroplan’s 1 to 1.5 points but that’s not a fair comparison.
So when it comes down to it and you look at both sides of the equation
for value the TD card takes the cake over the WestJet card.
Then there is the question of ease of
redeeming. Yes the new Aeroplan program has made it easier to redeem
Aeroplan points for flights by now providing points+cash options the
WestJet program is still a bit easier in that regard. So long as you
have 15 WestJet dollars or more in your WestJet Rewards account you can
redeem those WestJet dollars against the flight you are booking. With
Aeroplan there are still some set tiers in the points+cash so if you
don’t have enough points you won’t have that option to redeem. WestJet
wins on ease of redemption.
Next up in the redemption category is where and what
you can redeem for. WestJet allows you to redeem WestJet dollars for any
WestJet marketed flight – that is flights on WestJet or their code
share flights on four of their partner airlines to over 200 cities
worldwide. You can redeem for any class of service as well. Air Canada’s
Aeroplan allows you to redeem points for flights on 40+ airlines to
over 1,300 destinations worldwide. Like WestJet you can redeem for any
class of service but that’s where the Aeroplan program (and thus the TD
Aeroplan card) take the lead as you are not redeeming a fixed amount of
dollars against a flight in business class (i.e. $50 against a $3,000
fare) you are redeeming points at level that may only 2 or 3 times the
amount of points required for an economy class flights. That’s where the
Aeroplan program provides outsized value in your credit card spending
versus the WestJet card.
One final note in this category – Aeroplan also many
more non-flight redemption options than WestJet including gift cards,
merchandise and more. That means the points earned on the TD card have
some more flexibility than the WestJet dollars earned on the World Elite
card.
So in terms of where and what you can redeem for the TD card is the better option.
Putting this all together we have to give the round to
the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card for the potential to extract more
value out of each dollar spent on the card and the much broader
redemption options for those points that are earned.
Insurance
Both cards provide decent to very good insurance coverage –
that is the WestJet card is decent and the TD Aeroplan card is very
good. The TD cards takes this round by providing a better travel medical
insurance package plus it has lost and delayed baggage insurance along
with trip cancellation insurance – three travel insurances the WestJet
card does not have. Plus the TD card also has mobile device insurance
rounding out its one two punch against the WestJet card in this
category.
Conclusion
When you look at the chart below you’ll see this is a classic
case of where putting everything down on paper doesn’t tell the entire
story. The cards looked like they match up pretty evenly on points
earning and welcome bonuses but you have to look beyond that. WestJet is
a fixed value program whereas Aeroplan is variable value program. That
is, we use an absolute minimum value of 1.2 cents for an Aeroplan points
however in most cases the value will be more likely at 1.8, 2 and even
in excess of 5 cents per points. Those numbers would quickly change the
chart below and what is written on paper and thus it is those values
that actually put Aeroplan ahead of WestJet. Add in more cities, better
access to premium cabins among more airlines and Aeroplan is the way to
go. Then you throw in things like lower income requirements and better
insurance on the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card and the card continues
to inch ahead of the WestJet card. It is for these reasons the TD
Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card took the top airline card category position
in our 2021 Top Travel Rewards Credit Card rankings and the reasons why
the card is the winner of this clash.
The winner of this clash is: TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
Editor’s Note
Now don’t take this clash as a reason not to get the WestJet
card. It’s still an awesome card for those who fly WestJet and there are
a lot of you! There’s a reason why it held the top spot in the airline
category for several years and is ranked number two right now. It is a
great card. The first bag free benefit is worth paying the annual fee on
the card alone. The annual companion pass is icing on the cake with the
card! What it boils down to is that top end value and redemption
options. Aeroplan has them beat right now.
The Cards Head to Head:
Yellow background indicates the clear winner
for that category. For rows that do not have yellow in either column it
is a tie between the cards.
Basics |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Card Type | Airline | Airline |
|
Annual |
$139 |
$119 |
|
Limited Time Annual Fee Offer |
Yes first year annual fee rebate on primary card + up to 3 additional cards | No |
|
Supp. |
$75 |
$59 |
|
Interest |
19.99% Purchase † 22.99% Cash Advance † |
19.99% Purchase 21.99% Cash Advance |
|
Foreign |
2.5% |
2.5% |
|
Minimum |
Minimum Income $60,000 (individual) or $100,000 (household) |
Minimum Income $80,000 (individual) or $150,000 (household) |
Points Earning |
|
|
|
Standard Welcome |
15,000 points |
250 WestJet dollars |
| Welcome Bonus Value* |
$180 | $250 |
|
Limited Time Welcome |
20,000 Points + bonus Buddy Pass + first year annual fee waiver until May 30, 2021 |
350 WestJet dollars + $0 companion fare + on |
| Limited Time Welcome Bonus Value* |
$540 | $650 |
|
Airline purchases |
1.5 points per dollar spent with Air Canada |
2% back per dollar spent with WestJet |
|
Grocery |
1.5 points per dollar spent^ |
1.5% back per dollar spent |
|
Gas |
1.5 points per dollar spent^ |
1.5% back per dollar spent |
|
All other purchases |
1 point per dollar spent |
1.5% back per dollar spent |
|
^ Annual cap on bonus category spending |
$80,000 |
N/A |
|
Value of points per $1 spent* |
1.2 cents and higher |
1 cent |
|
Elite Qualifying Points |
1,000 Status Qualifying Miles and 1 Status Qualifying Segment for every $10,000 spend on the card |
No |
*Valuations are based upon a minimum valuation of 1.2 cents per point for Aeroplan, in all likelihood most Aeroplan redemptions will have more value than that
|
||
Redemption/Exchange
|
|
|
|
Miles/Points |
Aeroplan |
WestJet Rewards |
|
Cities you can redeem
|
1,300+ |
200+ |
|
Airline partners you can redeem on |
40+ |
4 (as long as they are WestJet code share flights) |
|
Non airline redemption options |
Yes |
No |
Benefits |
|
|
|
Preferred Pricing on Flight Rewards |
Yes |
No |
|
Free first checked bag |
Yes For cardholder + up to 8 companions on the same reservation |
Yes For cardholder + up to 8 people on the same reservation |
|
Annual companion pass |
No |
Yes Travel to Canada and the Continental US for $119 CAD Travel to the rest of the WestJet network for $399 CAD |
| NEXUS Fee Rebate |
Yes |
No |
| Global WiFi |
No |
Yes |
| Business Class Lounge Access |
No |
Yes Mastercard Airport Experiences by LoungeKey |
Insurance |
|
|
|
Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance |
$500,000 |
$500,000 |
|
Flight |
4 hours up to $500 per person |
4 hours up to $500 per person |
|
Delayed Baggage Insurance |
6 hours up to $1,000 per person |
No |
| Lost / Stolen Baggage Insurance | Yes
up to $1,000 per person |
No |
| Damaged Baggage Insurance | No | No |
|
Trip |
Yes $1,500 per person up to $5,000 maximum per account |
No |
|
Trip |
Yes $2,500 per person up to $25,000 maximum per account |
Yes
$5,000 per person up to $25,000 maximum per account |
| Travel Medical Insurance up to 64 years old | 21 Days
Up to $1,000,000 |
15 days |
|
Travel Medical Insurance 65+ |
4 Days Up to $1,000,000 |
3 days |
|
Auto |
Up to 48 days Up to $65,000 MSRP |
Up to 48 days Up to $65,000 MSRP |
| Hotel / Motel Burglary Insurance | Yes
Up to $2,500 per occurrence |
Yes
Up to $2,500 per occurrence |
|
Purchase |
Yes 90 Days Max $60,000 in a lifetime |
Yes 90 Days Max $50,000 in a lifetime |
|
Extended |
Yes Up to 1 year Max $60,000 in a lifetime |
Yes Up to 1 year |
|
Mobile Device Insurance |
Yes Up to $1,000 less deductible and depreciation |
No |
|
Link |
|
|
|
|
|
|
