Best Canadian travel credit cards, 2026

Seven cards, every annual fee in the math. Figures verified September 30, 2026 against Milesopedia, Frugal Flyer, Prince of Travel, NerdWallet Canada, MoneySense, Rates.ca, and Rewards Canada. Welcome offers change constantly — the issuer's page is the final word.

January 12, 2027 fee increases (announced): TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite $139 → $159 · TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege $599 → $699 · Amex Aeroplan Reserve $599 → $799. Applying before then locks the current fee for the first year.

The short verdicts

Best Aeroplan card for most people: TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite — up to 50,000 points, free checked bags, $139/yr.

Best earner: Amex Cobalt — 5 pts/$ on food in Canada. But zero trip cancellation insurance. Know the trade.

Best premium: Amex Aeroplan Reserve (3 pts/$ on Air Canada) or TD Visa Infinite Privilege (broader lounge + status package, $150K income required).

Best flexibility: RBC Avion Visa Infinite — any airline, no blackouts, transfers to Avios / WestJet / Cathay.

Full comparison

Card	Annual fee	Welcome offer*	Earn rates	Standout perk	The catch
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite*	$139 ($159 from Jan 12, 2027); supp. $75	Up to 50,000 Aeroplan pts (10K first purchase · 15K on $3K/90 days · 25K anniversary on $12K/yr)	1.5x groceries, gas/EV, Air Canada direct · 1x else	Free 1st checked bag — cardholder + up to 8 companions; NEXUS rebate up to $100/48 mo; preferred pricing	No lounge access	Apply — link coming soon
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite*	$139; supp. $50	Tranche structure like TD's — current total varies by tracker (40K–50K); confirm on CIBC.com	1.5x gas/EV, groceries, Air Canada direct · 1x else	Free 1st checked bag + up to 8 companions; preferred pricing; cheaper supp. card than TD	No NEXUS rebate; different insurance mix than TD (medical $5M/15 days vs TD $2M/21 days; trip interruption $2K vs $5K)	Apply — link coming soon
American Express Cobalt® Card	$15.99/mo = $191.88/yr; supp. $0	Up to 15,000 Membership Rewards (1,250/mo × 12 when you spend $750/mo)	5x eats & drinks in Canada (cap $2,500/mo spend) · 3x streaming · 2x gas/transit/rideshare · 1x else; transfers 1:1 to Aeroplan	Best food earning in Canada, no minimum income; $1K/mo food spend ≈ 60,000 pts/yr ≈ ~$1,200 of flights at 2¢/pt	No trip cancellation / trip interruption insurance. No lounge access, no free bag	Apply — link coming soon
American Express® Gold Rewards Card	$250; supp. $50	Up to 60,000 MR public offer (5K/mo on $1K × 12); up to 70,000 via referral	2x travel, gas, groceries, drugstores in Canada · 1x else; transfers 1:1 to Aeroplan/Avios/Flying Blue	$100 annual travel credit; Priority Pass + 4 Plaza Premium visits/yr; has trip cancellation ($1,500/person) — the cover Cobalt lacks	Weaker food earning than Cobalt (2x vs 5x)	Apply — link coming soon
*American Express® Aeroplan® Reserve Card**	$599 ($799 from Jan 12, 2027); supp. $199	Up to 85,000 Aeroplan pts (60K on $7,500/3 mo · 25K in month 13)	3x Air Canada / AC Vacations direct · 2x dining & food delivery · 1.25x else	Unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge (North America) + guest; priority check-in/boarding/bags; annual companion pass after $25K spend	Fee jumps to $799 in Jan 2027; Priority Pass visits cost extra	Apply — link coming soon
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege*	$599 ($699 from Jan 12, 2027); supp. $199	Largest Aeroplan welcome offer — trackers currently differ (85K vs 100K); confirm total on TD.com	2x Air Canada direct · 1.5x gas/EV, groceries, travel, transit, dining · 1.25x else	Unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge + guest; 6 DragonPass visits/yr; companion pass from $99; status boosters (1,000 SQM/SQS per $5K)	$150K personal / $200K household income required	Apply — link coming soon
RBC® Avion® Visa Infinite	$120; supp. $50	Up to 70,000 Avion pts (35K on approval · 20K on $5K/6 mo · 15K anniversary) — apply by Nov 25, 2026	1.25x travel · 1x else	Book any airline, no blackouts; transfers 1:1 to British Airways Avios, Cathay Asia Miles, WestJet Rewards	No lounge access, no free checked bag, no travel credit	Apply — link coming soon

*Welcome offers as tracked September 30, 2026. Two offers (flagged in the table) had conflicting totals across reputable trackers at verification time; we show the structure and send you to the issuer for the live total rather than print a number we couldn't pin down. Income requirements: TD/CIBC Aeroplan Infinite and RBC Avion — $60K personal / $100K household. Amex cards — no published minimum income. All figures CAD.

How we value points

We value an Aeroplan point at ~2¢ CAD (Prince of Travel: 2.1¢; Milesopedia and Frugal Flyer: ~2.0¢, fall 2026). A 50,000-point welcome offer is therefore ≈ $1,000 of flight value when redeemed well — partner fixed-chart bookings, not dynamic-pricing traps. Our full method: Points vs Cash — The Exact Break-Even [video link placeholder].

Insurance fine print that actually matters

Cobalt has no trip cancellation or interruption coverage. If you book expensive prepaid trips on it, price standalone insurance against Gold's $250 fee before deciding.
TD vs CIBC Aeroplan Infinite insurance is NOT identical despite identical fees and earn rates: TD travel medical $2M/21 days vs CIBC $5M/15 days; TD trip interruption $5,000/person vs CIBC $2,000. Pick by the coverage you'd actually claim.
Premium cards (Reserve, Privilege): travel medical $5M; trip cancellation $1,500–$2,500/person depending on card. Full certificates are on the issuer pages.

Affiliate disclosure: if you apply through links on this page (once live), Northbound Points may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Rankings are editorial and are never sold. This page is education, not financial advice, and we are not financial advisors. See the full disclosure.