Beginners Guide to TD Aeroplan Credit Cards

TD Canada Trust offers Canadians a simple way to earn Aeroplan points directly through its lineup of Aeroplan co-branded credit cards.

Whether you’re new to the world of points or just looking to level up your everyday spending, TD’s suite of Aeroplan cards is one of the most accessible entry points into the program.

Currently, TD offers three personal Aeroplan credit cards, each with its own combination of earn rates, benefits, and travel perks. (There’s also a business version, but we’ll save that for another day.)

In this post, we’ll walk you through the personal cards, highlight what makes them worth having, and show you how to redeem Aeroplan points for maximum value.

What Is Air Canada Aeroplan?

Aeroplan is the loyalty program for Air Canada, Canada’s flagship airline.

Aeroplan is widely considered the most valuable loyalty program in the Canadian Miles & Points landscape because of its utility and value, its excellent partnerships with other airlines, and the ease of earning points in Canada.

Aeroplan points can be redeemed for some truly incredible flight experiences, such as fully lie-flat business class seats and multi-city trips using Aeroplan’s generous stopover policy.

TD’s suite of Aeroplan co-branded credit cards offer an excellent way to engage with Aeroplan, and they allow cardholders to earn points on everyday spending and through welcome bonuses.

Additionally, Aeroplan credit card holders can enjoy Air Canada perks and benefits to further improve their travel experiences.

In Canada, Aeroplan points can be earned in many ways, including through spending on co-branded credit cards, by making purchases through the Aeroplan eStore, and with a variety of everyday partners such as Uber/Uber Eats, Starbucks, LCBO, Journie, and more.

Aeroplan points can also be earned by transferring Membership Rewards points from an American Express account. Membership Rewards points transfer to Aeroplan at a rate of 1:1.

Once you’ve accumulated some Aeroplan points, you can redeem them in a variety of ways, including for flights, hotel bookings, merchandise, gift cards, and more.

Of the above redemption options, the most valuable way to redeem your points (by far) is for flights booked through the Aeroplan portal.

In a later section, we’ll go over this option in detail; however, if you’d like to learn more about the other redemption options, you can check out our Essential Guide to Aeroplan.

TD Aeroplan Credit Cards

As mentioned above, TD currently offers three personal Aeroplan co-branded credit cards: TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card, TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, and the TD® Aeroplan® Platinum Visa* Card.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison to help you decide at a glance.

Feature	TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege Card*	TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Card*	TD® Aeroplan® Visa Platinum Card*
Annual Fee	$599	$139	$89
Income Requirement	$150,000 personal / $200,000 household	$60,000 personal / $100,000 household	None
Welcome Bonus	80,000–115,000 Aeroplan points	~50,000 Aeroplan points	~20,000 Aeroplan points
Accelerated Earning (Gas, Groceries, Air Canada)	2 pts per $1 spent on Air Canada 1.5 pts per $1 spent on gas, groceries, dining, travel	1.5 pts per $1 spent	1 pt per $1 spent
Base Earn Rate (All Other Purchases)	1.25 pts per $1 spent	1 pt per $1 spent	1 pt per $1.50 spent
Free First Checked Bag	Yes, for cardholder and up to 8 companions	Yes, for cardholder and up to 8 companions	No
Airport Lounge Access	Maple Leaf Lounges (+1 guest) + 6 Visa Airport Companion Program visit)	No	No
NEXUS Credit	$100 (once every 48 months)	$100 (once every 48 months)	No
Annual Worldwide Companion Pass	Yes (after $25,000 spend/year)	No	No
Elite Status Boosts	1,000 SQM + 1 SQS per $5,000 spent, plus rollover up to 200,000 SQM & 50 eUpgrades	1,000 SQM + 1 SQS per $10,000 spent	None
eUpgrade Validity	eUpgrades valid for 24 months (for Elite members)	Standard 12-month validity	Standard 12-month validity
Best For	Frequent Air Canada flyers seeking top-tier perks	Everyday travellers	Entry-level cardholders

TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege*

The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card is TD’s premium Aeroplan credit card, providing cardholders with the best earning rates, the most significant welcome bonus, and the best Air Canada perks.

The card’s welcome bonus fluctuates depending on the bank’s current offer and has historically fallen between 80,000 and 115,000 Aeroplan points.

As with any credit card offering a welcome bonus, it’s best to apply for the card when there is an elevated offer as the bonus is only valid for first-time cardholders.

The fees and eligibility requirements for this card are as follows:

• Annual fee: $599 (all figures in CAD)
• Supplementary cardholders: $199
• Minimum income requirement: $150,000 (personal), $200,000 (household)
• Estimated credit score needed: Good to Excellent

The earning rates for the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card are slightly elevated compared to its mid-tier counterpart, the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, with cardholders enjoying 0.25–0.5 more Aeroplan points in a couple of the earning categories.

The earning rates for the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege are as follows:

• 2 Aeroplan points^† per dollar spent on eligible Air Canada® purchases, including Air Canada Vacations®^†
• 1.5 Aeroplan points^† per dollar spent on eligible groceries, gas, dining, food delivery, and travel^†
• 1.25 Aeroplan points^† per dollar spent on everything else^†

As an example of the earning power of these rates, let’s imagine that you spend $1,000 per month on gas and groceries, earning 1.5 Aeroplan points per dollar spent.

With this amount of spending, over the course a year, you would earn 18,000 Aeroplan points ($1,000 x 1.5 earn rate = 1,500 points x 12 months = 18,000 points).

Based on Aeroplan’s redemption chart below, 18,000 points can be used for a few different redemptions.

For example, it is generally enough to book a one-way economy flight from Toronto (YYZ) to Vancouver (YVR) or perhaps a one-way business class flight from Vancouver (YVR) to Los Angeles (LAX) on a partner airline.

Keep in mind that Air Canada’s redemptions are priced dynamically so the actual prices can end up being considerably higher when there is a large demand for a particular flight/seat.

The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* card also comes with an array of travel perks and benefits.

These benefits include priority boarding and check-in, and a free first checked bag on all Air Canada® flights^†, airport lounge access at Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges and through the Visa Airport Companion Program, $100 NEXUS credit, the ability to earn an Annual Worldwide Companion Pass after spending $25,000 on the card per year^†, and more.

For Aeroplan members who are working towards elite status, the card also allows you to earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles (SQM) and 1 Status Qualifying Segment (SQS) for every $5,000 you spend on the card^† and the ability to rollover up to 200,000 SQMs and 50 eUpgrades per year^†.

Check out our full guide to Aeroplan Elite Status to learn more about how these benefits can improve your travel experiences. 

The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* also comes with excellent insurance coverage for travel medical, flight delay and cancellation, car rentals, and more.

As a premium card with a high minimum income requirement and a considerable annual fee,

This card is ideal for frequent travellers with higher incomes who can take full advantage of the premium perks and strong base earn rate.

The card is also a good choice for Air Canada frequent flyers given its excellent associated perks.

For more in-depth information about the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege*, including full details on its extensive perks, benefits, and insurance coverage, check out our dedicated guide.

TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card

The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card is TD’s mid-tier Aeroplan offering. It comes with a generous welcome bonus and decent earning rates, and is a card that we recommend for all Canadian travellers.

The welcome bonus usually hovers around 50,000 Aeroplan points, which is typically more than enough for a round-trip economy flight within continental North America.

The fees and eligibility requirements of this card are as follows:

• Annual fee: $139
• Supplementary cardholders: $75
• Minimum income requirement: $60,000 (personal), $100,000 (household)
• Estimated credit score needed: Good to Excellent

The earning rates for the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* are decent, with the notable elevated rate for gas and grocery spend.

The earning rates for the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* are as follows:

• 1.5 Aeroplan points^† per dollar spent on eligible gas, grocery, and Air Canada® purchases, including Air Canada Vacations®
• 1 Aeroplan point^† per dollar spent on all other purchases.

Since the earning rate for the gas and groceries category is the same with the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite card as it is with the premium TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* card, we’ll simply remind you of the example we used above.

If you were to spend $1,000 per month on gas and groceries, earning 1.5 Aeroplan points per dollar spent in this category, you would earn 18,000 Aeroplan points ($1,000 x 1.5 earn rate = 1,500 points x 12 months = 18,000 points).

As we mentioned above, these 18,000 Aeroplan points can be redeemed on their own for some North American flight options, or alternatively, you could continue to earn more points and save up for a flight further abroad.

In terms of perks and benefits, the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* offers cardholders a free first checked bag on Air Canada flights, preferred pricing when redeeming Aeroplan points for Air Canada flights^†, a $100 NEXUS credit, and more.

The card also provides strong insurance coverage for travel and car rentals.

Given its strong welcome bonus, reasonable annual fee, and good earning rates and travel perks, we recommend the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card as one of the four essential credit cards for Canadian travellers.

The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* is best suited for individuals who fly Air Canada at least once a year (to take advantage of the free checked bag), and for those who can use it as a good option at grocery stores and gas stations (utilizing the 1.5x earning rate).

However, we do feel it’s important to note that there are better credit card options for grocery spending and earning Aeroplan points.

The American Express Cobalt Card earns 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent at grocery stores, and these points can be transferred to Aeroplan at a rate of 1:1.

That said, the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* is an excellent Visa option for grocery stores that don’t accept American Express, and for individuals who’d prefer to keep their wallets simple and only carry one widely accepted card.

If you’d like to learn more about the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite*, you can peruse our in-depth guide, which provides an abundance of additional information.

TD® Aeroplan® Platinum Visa* Card

The TD® Aeroplan® Platinum Visa* Card is TD’s entry-level offering, which despite its lower income requirement, still comes with a decent welcome bonus, typically around 20,000 Aeroplan points.

The fees and eligibility requirements for this card are as follows:

• Annual fee: $89
• Supplementary cardholders: $35
• Minimum income requirement: N/A
• Estimated credit score needed: N/A

Additionally, this card often comes with a first-year annual fee rebate.

The TD® Aeroplan® Platinum Visa* Card offers cardholders the chance to earn Aeroplan points on everyday spending, with a slightly elevated rate for gas, groceries, and eligible Air Canada purchases.

The card’s earning rates are as follows:

• 1 Aeroplan point^† per dollar spent on eligible Air Canada®, Air Canada Vacations®, gas, and grocery purchases^†
• 1 Aeroplan point^† for every $1.50 spent on all other eligible purchases^†

To get an idea of what these earning rates can get you, let’s look at the same $1,000 per month spend on gas and groceries that we used above.

With the category earning rate of 1 Aeroplan point per dollar spent, spending $1,000 per month would earn you 12,000 Aeroplan points over the course of a year ($1,000 x 1x earning rate = 1,000 points x 12 months = 12,000 points).

Looking at the first band of Aeroplan’s North American redemption chart, we can see that 12,000 points could potentially get you a return flight in economy class for a flight distance of up to 500 miles.

It’s worth noting that it can be difficult to find redemptions at the lowest end of the points range; however, if you book far enough ahead or at the last minute, these redemptions are certainly available on eligible routes.

In addition to the ability to earn Aeroplan points on all eligible purchases, the TD® Aeroplan® Platinum Visa* provides cardholders with preferred pricing when redeeming Aeroplan points for Air Canada® flights^† and some basic insurance coverage.

The TD® Aeroplan® Platinum Visa* is best suited for someone who’s looking for a low-cost credit card that will earn points for travel or for someone who is working to build/rebuild their credit.

You can learn more about the TD® Aeroplan® Platinum Visa* in our full in-depth guide found here.

Redeeming Aeroplan Points Earned on Your TD Credit Card

Once you’ve got a nice stack of Aeroplan points, it’s time to start exploring your redemption options.

With a TD credit card, the points earned through everyday spending and the welcome bonus get deposited directly into your Aeroplan account each month after your statement posts.

Once the points are in there, you can redeem them for flights, hotels, and more, but as we mentioned above, the best value by far is found when redeeming your points for flights.

Aeroplan points can be redeemed for award flights with Air Canada, with the airline’s Star Alliance partners, and with its other partner airlines. As it stands, you can redeem Aeroplan points for flights with 45+ airlines.

The Aeroplan booking process is both straightforward and heavily nuanced, so the redemption process can either be simple or more complicated depending on how interested you are in seeking the best value for your points.

Check out our step-by-step guide for booking through Aeroplan’s portal. In this guide, we do our best to demystify each step so that you can book with confidence.

We’ve also written more about the redemption process in depth in our Essential Guide to Aeroplan, so if you’d like to learn about how to really take advantage of Canada’s best loyalty program, you’ll definitely want to check it out.

The key thing to keep in mind when planning a flight redemption using Aeroplan points is that Air Canada flights are subject to dynamic pricing, which means that the price fluctuates depending on demand for the particular flight and seat.

Comparatively, award flights with partner airlines have static pricing but the availability of award seats is limited since these airlines will typically only offer a portion of their seats for redemption bookings.

In simple terms, to figure out if you’re getting a good deal on your award redemption, you’ll need to look at the Aeroplan Flight Reward Charts.

In each chart, look up the starting at prices for Air Canada flights and the singular price for booking with partner airlines.

For the Air Canada award bookings, if the flight you want to book is priced closer to the starting at price listed in the chart, this is generally considered a good deal.

Likewise, if it’s priced much higher, above the median price, you may want to look at other dates or partner flights that have lower pricing.

Overall, Aeroplan is an excellent program, and one that you can get more and more from as you engage with it and understand it better.

We have a wealth of resources on how to get the most from your Aeroplan points, so be sure to take a look at our guides to learn more about Aeroplan and the incredible travel opportunities it opens up.

Conclusion

TD Bank offers three co-branded Aeroplan credit cards that allow you to earn Aeroplan points.

Aeroplan is one of the best loyalty programs in North America and its points can be used for valuable redemptions such as flights, hotel bookings, and more.

If you’re looking for a credit card that earns Aeroplan points redeemable for exceptional flight experiences, the TD Aeroplan cards are certainly worth considering.

If you’d like to revisit the TD Aeroplan card options, click here.

FAQs

Can I have a TD Aeroplan credit card if I don’t bank with TD?

Yes, you can. To pay your TD Aeroplan credit card bill without a TD bank account, simply search for TD as a payee within your online banking’s bill payment feature, and then add your TD credit card number as the account number.

Can I book travel for other people with my Aeroplan points?

Yes, you can make a booking for someone else using your Aeroplan points. To do so, go through the search and booking process as usual within the Aeroplan portal, using your friend/family member’s name and information in lieu of your own.

Do I have to redeem my Aeroplan points for travel?

No. Aeroplan points can also be redeemed for hotels, car rentals, merchandise, gift cards, flight upgrades and extras, and travel activities and experiences.

Can I exchange my Aeroplan points for cash?

No, Aeroplan points cannot be redeemed for cash; however, they can be redeemed for a wide array of gift cards and merchandise.