Bonuses & Fees

The RBC^® British Airways Visa Infinite^† offers a signup bonus of up to 60,000 Avios, and here's how to receive them:

Collect a 30,000 Avios^† Welcome Bonus when you spend $5,000 in the first three months of account opening^†
Collect a further 30,000 bonus Avios^† when you spend another $5,000 in months 4-6 of account opening^†

If you do not meet the $5,000 CAD spend in the first three months, you can still collect 30,000 bonus Avios if you meet the spend requirement in months 4-6.

The annual fee on this card is $165^†. If you have an RBC^® VIP Banking Account, you'll be able to get a fee waiver on one of RBC^®'s premium credit cards, including this one.

Redeeming Rewards

Unlike many other loyalty programs, Avios redemptions depends on the total mileage flown. Avios uses multiple mileage bands, divided into zones.

Furthermore, connecting flights can often be a detriment since by adding a connection, you might have to pay more miles, since your total flying distance will be higher.

Therefore, the best uses for British Airways Avios tend to be for direct flights, and those just under the threshold of the zone limits.

Upon earning 70,000 Avios from this card in the first year (including the points earned upon completing the minimum spending requirement), you could:

Fly two people from Seattle to Hawaii roundtrip
Fly from Toronto to Dublin in one-way in business class
Fly multiple short-haul flights starting from 6,000 Avios one-way
Fly from Dubai to Paris in one-way in business class
Earn 15,000 more Avios, for a total of 70,000 Avios, and fly Qatar Airways Qsuites from North America to the Middle East

The sky really is the limit with Avios, since the price can depend on which carrier you're flying and which region you're flying in.

The Essential Guide to the British Airways Club

This card also comes with a Companion Award eVoucher when you spend $30,000 on the card in one calendar year^†. This voucher allows you to add a companion to your ticket for free when you redeem your Avios for a round-trip flight with British Airways originating in and returning to Canada.

You can also choose to apply the voucher to a solo booking, which would reduce the number of Avios required by 50%.

The Best Credit Cards with Companion Fares

While this sounds like a great deal, keep in mind that Avios redemptions on British Airways long-haul flights come with significant fuel surcharges in the region of $600 in economy class or $1,000 in business class, which can eat into your savings.

However, if you value direct flights from Canada to London, this can be a very valuable benefit.

Lastly, you'll also receive 10% off when booking paid flights with British Airways using this card^†.

As a Visa Infinite^† product, this credit card comes with comprehensive premium travel insurance, including:

Emergency medical insurance^† for the first 31 consecutive days of any out-of-province trips for travellers under 65, or the first seven consecutive days for those 65 and up
Flight delay and emergency purchases insurance^† in the event of a missed connection, delayed flight departure, or denied boarding
Auto rental damage^† and theft insurance^†, which can help you save on the insurance fees that car rental companies charge for vehicles up to a MSRP of $65,000
Hotel burglary insurance^† of up to $2,500 in total
Travel accident insurance^† of up to $500,000 against accidental death or dismemberment

The card also comes with strong purchase protection benefits^†, including an extended warranty that doubles the original manufacturer's warranty up to a maximum of one year^†, and coverage against accidental loss or damage of personal property for up to 90 days from the date of purchase^†.

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