do rbc travel points expire

Avion Rewards Guide | Formerly RBC Rewards

Avion Rewards  is Royal Bank of Canada’s loyalty program. The program used to be known as RBC Rewards, but a name change was introduced to simplify things.

To be honest, the program is likely popular since RBC is one of the big banks in Canada and has an insane number of clients. That’s not to say the program isn’t any good. Heck, I think it’s one of the better bank programs available since it’s easy to earn points, and you have multiple redemption options.

That said, like any loyalty program, RBC Rewards has different ways to earn and redeem points. What you use your points for can make a big difference when it comes to value. Way too many people burn their points on basic travel redemptions or statement credits when they could easily get more value for their points. Here’s how to maximize your RBC Rewards points.

Avion Rewards points value

Since it costs 1,000 points to redeem $10 in travel, the base value of one RBC point is 1 cent. That’s similar to other bank travel loyalty programs. That said, if you have an RBC ION Visa card, it costs 172 Avion points for $1 in travel, so that’s a value of .71 cents per point.

As you can see, travel redemptions and travel gift cards are clearly the ones that give you the most value for your points. The Air Travel Redemption Schedule is especially worth noting since you can more than double the value of your points. Although financial rewards may have a lower initial value, you could come out ahead in the long term.

One thing to note is that RBC Rewards and RBC Avion are slightly different. Even though many RBC credit cards allow you to earn RBC Rewards, you may not get the full benefits thatcpme with RBC Avion credit cards.

With standard RBC Rewards points, you don’t get as many travel benefits/options. Since RBC Avion points are more valuable, you’ll want to hold one of the three RBC Avion cards, which are as follows:

• RBC Avion Visa Platinum
• RBC Avion Visa Infinite
• RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege

How to redeem RBC Avion points for travel

With RBC Rewards, you must book through their travel portal or via the phone, but RBC will charge you $30 for that privilege. While this will annoy many people since you may have specific travel sites you prefer, RBC Rewards is a full-service travel agency, and you can book any of the following:

• Car rentals
• Vacation packages

You can use your RBC Avion Rewards points for any seat on any flight, and there are no blackout periods or seat restrictions. Points can be used to pay the entire price of airfare, including taxes. If you don’t have enough points to pay for the whole redemption, you can use as few points as you wish since no minimum redemption is required. The remaining balance will be charged to your RBC Rewards credit card. Unfortunately, RBC Rewards can’t be applied to travel booked on your own.

RBC Avion Air Travel Redemption Schedule

If you have an RBC Avion card (not a RBC Rewards card), you can use your points on the  RBC Air Travel Redemption Schedule , which allows you to book flights for fewer points. The catch is, that the redemption has a maximum ticket price and you can’t do a partial redemption. You must have all the points required to make a redemption. Even with the limit in place, you can get a greater value than 1 cent per point via the redemption schedule, which is why it’s appealing. Additionally, you book business or economy class tickets. Here’s the redemption chart and what you’ll get:

The chart may appear complicated but look strictly at the value. Depending on how you redeem your points, you could get a value of up to 2.33 cents per point which is more than double the regular redemption rate. Using the redemption schedule is handy whenever you need to book an expensive flight such as a long-haul. There has been more than one occasion where I’ve had to fly from Toronto to Ottawa at the last minute. Instead of paying the insane $500-600 that Air Canada and WestJet were charging, I redeemed RBC points to help offset my short-haul flight costs.

There are no blackout dates, and every seat is available on every carrier with the Redemption Schedule, so it can be easy to value. Quite often, I’ll compare the cost of a flight on  Aeroplan  to RBC before deciding which points I should use.

The RBC Air Travel Redemption Schedule and the ability to convert your RBC Rewards points to other loyalty programs is why I rank RBC Rewards ranks #2 on my list of  Canada’s best bank travel rewards programs .

How to redeem Avion Rewards points for gift cards

RBC Rewards has a wide variety of merchants where you can use your RBC points for gift cards. Unfortunately, there are different values depending on the gift card you redeem. Here are some of the redemptions and merchants available.

• 1,400 RBC Rewards points = $10 Amazon gift card
• 3,500 RBC Rewards points = $25 Bath & Body Works gift card
• 3,500 RBC Rewards points = $25 Beer Store gift card
• 7,000 RBC Rewards points = $50 Best Buy gift card
• 10,000 RBC Rewards points = $100 Air Canada gift card
• 10,000 RBC Rewards points = $100 Fairmont Hotels & Resorts card
• 14,000 RBC Rewards points = $100 Food Basics gift card
• 35,000 RBC Rewards points = $250 Golf Town gift card

Since the value of each gift card is different, you need to calculate the value of one point so you know what you’re getting. To do that, you take the dollar value of the redemption and multiply it by 100. You then take that number and divide it by the points required. For example, with Food Basics, it would be $100 X 100 / 14,000 = .71 cents per point.

What you’ll quickly notice is that travel gift cards are usually worth 1 cent per point, whereas any other merchant is .71 cents each. RBC often has gift cards redemption bonuses (10% to 30% bonus) including travel related gift cards that make them an attractive option. There was a good promo on Petro Canada gift cards one summer, so I cashed in a bunch of points and gave the gift cards to my dad.

How to redeem Avion Rewards points for financial rewards

When logged into RBC Rewards, if you look under the Shop & Redeem menu, you’ll see there’s an option to use your points for RBC financial rewards. Assuming you have financial products with RBC, you can use your points for the following:

• Add to your existing investments
• Mortgage payments
• Repayment to your line of credit.

It takes 12,000 RBC points to get $100 in financial products which gives you a value of .83 cents per point. At first glance that may seem like a lot, but think about the long term. With mortgage and line of credit payments, you’re basically paying off your loan earlier which you immediately save on the interest. If you’re adding to your investments, you can take advantage of  compound interest  which could make your redemption very valuable in the long run.

If you use your points for a financial reward that’s put towards your  RRSP , you could also get a tax break. Putting in your  TFSA  would allow you to invest with tax free gains. It’s a win-win situation, but you won’t see the reward for many many years.

Redeeming Avion Rewards points for merchandise, statement credits, and charitable donations

The final three redemption options for your RBC Rewards points are merchandise, statement credits, and charitable donations. Although the RBC Rewards merchandise catalogue is quite large and there are some quality products available, the number of additional points required for the value is not worth it at all. I would advise avoiding using your points for merchandise. That said, there are occasionally discounts on merchandise redemptions, so sometimes the transactions aren’t a terrible deal.

Using your points for a statement credit is an even lower value. It takes 17,200 points to get $100 off your statement. That means your points would be worth .58 cents per point. Unless you’re facing financial difficulties, you’re better off redeeming your points for anything else.

RBC Avion points   transfer partners

I love programs that let you convert points to other loyalty programs since it adds flexibility and value. Avion Rewards has one of the most extensive and valuable lists of conversion partners when it comes to Canada’s bank travel reward programs. American Express Membership Rewards is better, in my opinion, but RBC Rewards isn’t far behind.

Here is the list of programs you can convert Avion points to, but note that except WestJet Rewards, only Avion cardholders can transfer their points to the following partners:

• WestJet Rewards : 1,000 RBC points = $10 WestJet dollars
• Hudson’s Bay Rewards : 1,000 RBC points = 2,000 HBC Rewards points (worth $10 at Hudson’s Bay)

If you are an Avion cardholder you can also benefit from these conversion options:

• American Airlines : 10,000 RBC points = 7,000 AAdvantage miles
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles : 10,000 RBC Points = 10,000 Asia Miles
• British Airways : 10,000 RBC points = 10,000 Avios miles

It’s hard to put an exact value on airline miles since there are so many variables, but generally speaking, their value is around a minimum of 1.5¢ per mile for economy tickets. Often you can get double the value if you’re booking in business class. That said, WestJet Rewards uses a dollar system, so they have a fixed value.

It’s a good idea to log into RBC Rewards often since they have many redemption promotions throughout the year, which boost your points’ value. In addition, RBC Rewards had a few transfer bonuses (10% to 30% bonus points) for Westjet, Asia Miles, British Airways Avios Miles, and American Airlines AAdvantage Miles. That meant you got extra value when transferring your points to a partner.

Of particular interest is how you can transfer your points to WestJet dollars. Nothing stops you from holding an RBC Avion card and the RBC WestJet World Elite Mastercard. Both cards come with good sign up bonuses so you could quickly rack up those WestJet dollars. For example, the RBC Avion card typically has a welcome bonus of 15,000 points which can be transferred to WestJet for $150 WestJet dollars. The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard’s standard bonus is $250 and a companion voucher. When you combine the two, you’ll have $400 in WestJet dollars without having to spend much. No purchase is required to get the bonus with the Avion card, and you only need one purchase with the WestJet Card.

Do RBC Rewards points expire?

There’s a lot of conflicting information out there about when RBC Rewards points expire. I have confirmed that  RBC Avion points don’t expire  as long as you have an active eligible RBC Royal Bank credit card. If you cancel your card, you have 90 days to redeem them before losing them. The first-in, first-out rule you may have read about online is an old outdated article. RBC really needs to delete that page. If you’re unsure when your points expire, you could always call customer service to confirm.

How RBC Avion compares to others

RBC Avion Rewards is easily one of the best travel loyalty programs of Canada’s big five banks. There are many reasons why I rank RBC Rewards so high, including:

• No blackout dates
• No minimum number of points to redeem
• A fixed points flight program
• Many transfer partners to convert points to
• Many promotions for redemptions
• Value of points

In my opinion, RBC Rewards is only second to  American Express Membership Rewards . American Express holds the first place because RBC Rewards lacks an option to book travel on your own (you can only book through their portal) and because RBC Rewards credit cards don’t really have any increased earn rates which limit how fast you can earn points. You can also read my reviews of  CIBC Rewards ,  BMO Rewards ,  TD Rewards  and  Scene+  to see how RBC Rewards compares.

How to earn RBC Avion Rewards

To earn RBC Rewards, you must have a credit card account that earns you RBC Rewards. As you can imagine, the easiest ways to earn points are via credit card sign up bonuses and everyday purchases you make on your RBC Rewards credit card. Currently, there are six personal credit cards and two business credit cards that will earn you RBC Rewards points. To make things a bit complicated, RBC Rewards has two tiers of RBC Rewards points: regular and Avion RBC Rewards points. Points from an Avion account have more redemption options, and these options are the most valuable ones. With this in mind, the RBC Visa Infinite Avion card is arguably the best card to earn Avion points and is one of the  best RBC credit cards .

RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card

• $120 annual fee
• 35,000 Avion points on approval
• 20,000 Bonus points when you spend $5,000 in the first 6 months
• Earn 1.25 Avion points for every $1 spent on travel purchases
• Earn 1 Avion point per $1 on all other purchases
• Comprehensive travel insurance
• Mobile device insurance up to $1,500

The sign up bonus for new cardholders is typically 15,000 points which isn’t much compared to some of the  best travel credit cards in Canada . That said, the  RBC Visa Infinite Avion Card  often has promotions where the welcome bonus is 25,000 – 35,000 points, and the annual fee for the first year is waived. Whenever a promo like that comes around, it’s worth signing up for the card.

The earn rate of 1.25 points per $1 spent on travel is decent, while the 1 RBC Reward point earned per dollar spent on all other purchases, including bill payments, is pretty common. Here’s something that many people don’t realize. You don’t need to make any purchases to get the bonus. The terms and conditions say you get it after the first statement.

Another little-known trick is that you can  switch  from the RBC WestJet World Elite Mastercard to the RBC Visa Infinite Avion Card and vice versa. This is useful if you’re not able to maximize your points and want to try something new. That said, be sure to use up your points before you make any changes.

The RBC Visa Infinite Avion Card also provides good travel insurance when travelling outside Canada. Not only do you get travel medical, but you’ll also be covered for trip cancellation/interruption, delayed and lost baggage, hotel/motel burglary and more. Obviously, some exclusions apply, so read the certificate of insurance for complete terms.

Link to your Petro-Points card

RBC has a deal in place with Petro-Canada where you can save 3 cents per litre at Petr-Canada, 20% extra Petro-Points, and 20% extra RBC Rewards points.

To be eligible, you just need to add your Petro-Points number to your RBC online banking account. You would link your Petro-Points card to all of your eligible RBC debit or credit cards. 

Final thoughts

Avion Rewards is one of the  best bank travel rewards programs . The RBC Visa Infinite Avion card may not give you the best signup bonus or have the highest earn rate, but there’s no denying that once you have the points, they’re easy to use. There are no blackout dates and no minimum points required to make a redemption, so you’ll never run into any issues using your points. If you’re a fan of RBC, check out my  RBC InvestEase review  and find out how you can reduce your investment management fees.

About Barry Choi

Barry Choi is a Toronto-based personal finance and travel expert who frequently makes media appearances. His blog Money We Have is one of Canada’s most trusted sources when it comes to money and travel. You can find him on Twitter: @barrychoi

97 Comments

Can you explain more on the comprehensive cancellation insurance for traveling? For flight

What I mean is you get travel medical, trip accident, trip cancellation, lost luggage, etc. You cAN READ THE FULL DETAILS HERE.

https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/credit-cards/travel/rbc-visa-infinite-avion/rbc-visa-infinite-avion-certificate-of-insurance.pdf

Barry choi, What about outright flight cancellation by company with no booking possibility ? this happened to me 5 years ago and Avion card could not do anything!

When saying trip cancellation … talking from whom??

What do you mean by company with no booking possibility? With fight cancellation, it only applies to reasons that are outlined in your insurance policy.

When should I pay for a flight as opposed to redeeming points. I want to go to Vancouver – Honolulu -L.A. – Vancouver. Points 45000 plus $266 Cash $960 Plse advise and thx,Lawrence

45,000 Rewards points would be worth $450 + $266 for taxes = $716. Since the value of your redemption via the fixed travel program is $960, you come out ahead using the fixed program.

How much is 28906 rbcrewards point please

10,000 points = $100 so you have $289 at the base value. Your points are worth more if you use the RBC Rewards Air Travel Redemption Schedule

Hi. I have 10500 pts and I purchased my ticket for $2000 whose base fair is $1400. What’s the best way to go with the schedule?

You need 15,000 points to make a claim within or to an adjacent Province/Territory/U.S. State. That fare has a maximum base price of $350 so you can’t use the fixed redemption schedule.

you could just 10,000 points to redeem $100.

Sorry Barry. I have 105000 points. I missed a zero. Can you please update your response?

If you’ve already paid for your ticket, you can’t use the air redemption schedule. Assuming you didn’t 100K points gets you a flight from any major gateway in Canada/U.S. to destinations in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific, Middle East, Africa, South America

Hi Barry, thanks for the article and for all the Q&A work as well !!

I’m looking at making the switch to Amex. I have 160k reward points I’ve saved up over the years. Looking to cash out or use these points up somehow with the best value. Appears as tho 10,000 points for $100 value is about the best offer from RBC rewards? Also, do you know if these points expire if I got rid of my RBC Avion card?

Yup, 10K points for $100 is indeed the best value. You lose all your points if you cancel your card. Your best bet would be to transfer your points to WestJet Dollars or hotels.com giftcards as they have good value.

I product switched to the RBC British Airways Visa almost 4 months ago. My account has remained in good standing however, I haven’t received the welcome bonus of 15k points yet. I have called RBC multiple times and each time I have been told that BA awards the points but when I speak to BA, they say that RBC needs to award the points. Do you have any idea who should be awarding the points? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

In theory, it should be BA that actually issues the points but RBC would have to authorize it.

I would advise escalating the case with RBC first to see if that resolves anything.

If I wish to use my Avion Rewards points to pay off my credit card bill, is it straight 100 points/per every $1?

No, it takes 172 points to claim $1 in statement credit so you’re devaluing your points quite a bit if you were to go that route.

Is this card best to earn miles to book a points first class flight from Vancouver to Tokyo?

I just noticed RBC is offering 50% more points if converted to Avios, does the same offer ever happen with AA points?

The 50% bonus is quite rare. I’ve never seen it with AA.

Is it worth it to convert your Avion points to BA Avios given the 50% bonus on until Dec 15th? I live in Vancouver and typically fly to Hawaii in Winter and Europe in summer. Your insight is much appreciated.

If you plan on using those BA points, then yes, it’s a great deal. That said, I’m not sure which airlines you can use BA Avios points to get you from Vancouver to Hawaii.

Hi, is it worth buying the air Canada gift cards at a 10% discount? Are they easy to use and are there any hidden charges / rules to these we should know about?

Buying the gift cards gives you a guaranteed discount of 10%, but you might get better value if you used your points on the fixed travel program. It’s honestly a personal choice but I imagine you wouldn’t have any issues with using the gift cards. As far as I know there are no additional charges or rules, but read the fine print before you commit.

Do my RBC rewards expire at any point

Not as long as you have a credit card account that earns you RBC Rewards active with them that’s in good standing.

RBC Reward points expire after 3 years on a First In, First out basis.

That is incorrect. If you refer to handbook, the first page states that RBC points don’t expire.

https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/credit-cards/travel/rbc-visa-platinum-avion/rbc-visa-platinum-avion-benefits-guide.pdf

The reference to points expiring after 3 years is old and should have been removed from the website.

my mistake, you are correct. I believe my knowledge was outdated.

I just logged into my RBC Rewards and I see that I have a – 69K point balance. How is it possible to end up with a negative reward points balance?? I have never even used my rewards and forgot that it was even available. Any help would be appreciated.

You’d have to check with RBC about that

Do you think it is worth keeping the RBC Infinite Avion card beyond the first year? Is it worth the $120 per annum annual fee considering that I am also paying fees for amex gold card and BMO cash back card?

Thanks for your insight

Hi Viviene,

I personally wouldn’t keep three credit cards with annual fees. Of the three cards you mentioned, I’d probably drop the BMO cash back card but that’s because I prefer travel points. Who do you bank with? Do they waive the fee for any cards?

I bank with BMO but it’s a joint account and the waiver goes towards my partner’s BMO MC world elite card. I figure the cashback we get each year more than pays for the annual fee.

What does RBC Avion offer that justifies its fee? It seems as if it would take a long time to build up any significant number of points.

Well it’s really for you to decide based on your spending. E.g. if you moved all the spending from your cash back card to the RBC card, you could more in points for flights than what the annual fee would cost you. I think the RBC Rewards fixed flight travel chart offers good value especially if you’re looking at short haul flights. However, that may be redundant since you have the Amex Gold which also has a fixed points program.

How would you compared the two fixed points program? I tend to focus on transferring my Amex points to Avios and haven’t really looked at the Amex fixed points program. I also feel that the Amex Gold has more to offer than the RBC card in terms of travel insurance and flexibility on how to use points. But I may be wrong….

Both programs have their sweet spots. Amex is arguably better since you have more transfer partners. The Amex Gold has a slightly higher earn rate on travel. but RBC Rewards has occasional promos where if you transfer your points to BA, you get 25 or 50% more points.

I do agree that the Gold Amex is a better overall card.

Is there anyway I can browse through options for say a vacation package, that would be qualified for if I had 150000 points? For example my 150000 points would allow me to go to Cayo Largo Cuba, or Puerto Plata Dominican Republic or Cozumel Mexico…you get the idea.

It doesn’t give you an option to search for results based on X points. All really allows you to do is search by price from low to high after you’ve selected a country.

I have always been a fan of the RBC Avion program until today when I tried to change a departing flight and was told that all the flights I chose were “not available” although there were clearly seats for sale on both the airline website AND Expedia. RBC only offered a few very poor flight options. I thought “any flight” meant “any flight”. I have never encountered this before. We ended up buying new flights from the airline after spending over 30 minutes on hold, suffering through a painfully frustrating conversation with an agent and draining the battery on my phone.

I’m going to bail on Avion after learning that they recognize an Air Canada fuel surcharge of 570$ per ticket to europe in a time of extended, sustained low fuel prices. It was going to cost me 1100$= in fees when flights can be purchased outright for just over 1600$.

Value lost due to poor decisions at Avion….. adios!

That’s Air Canada’s fault, not Avion.

How long does it take to convert RBC points into Asia Miles? Is it instantaneous or do you have to wait 6-8weeks?

It usually takes 4-5 days for the transfer to Asia Miles

I have around 200k in avion points. I am trying to figure out the best option for using them as we are moving to Europe for a year. I looked into the flights but almost 1/2 goes to the taxes, etc. I was wondering if it was best to use them while we are there for short trips. So, what would be the best value? (ie rental car, hotels, ?), anything else?

Points for flights to Europe are typically of low value due to the fees. Using them within Europe is also not a good value since you wouldn’t be able to use the fixed travel program. You could use the RBC travel portal when you’re abroad and book points at 10,000 points = $100 in travel.

Alternatively, you could convert your points to WestJet dollars at a 1:1 ratio. On occasion, there are promos where you can convert to hotels.com giftcards which can be a good value.

Hi Barry, we have ~250,000 RBC Avion points and I’m trying to maximize getting to FCO (Rome) this summer from YYZ (Toronto.) We also have 90,000 in Aeroplan.

Traveling with a 15 month old so really wanted to optimize for lie-down seats. But they are pricey. ($8000 for two seats on AC’s direct flights.)

Can you suggest a way to optimize our points to make it work?

Flying from Toronto to Europe is one of the worst redemptions regardless of the program due to high airport taxes. With Aeroplan, you need 110K points for a return business flight so that won’t really work.

For RBC, I don’t think you can use your points for business so that doesn’t really help.

The best value I can think of right now and this is honestly not the greatest solution is to consider transferring your points to WJD. If you have the WestJet World Elite Mastercard, you can use the companion voucher for premium economy. I just booked two flights from YYZ to LGW for $2400. Of course, you would still need to get a flight to Rome and you’d only be redeeming your points at a 1% value.

IMO, you’re better off paying cash for this route and saving your points for later.

Help. We have 175000 Avion points. Looking to use them from YVR to LHR. If I use the points for 3 fares return it looks like another $700 each on top !!!! With Aur Canada. Flights in September are approximately $700 each return. Can you give any advice. I have not checked if BA charges the same.

Flights to Europe are a terrible value due to the high taxes. You’re better off saving your points for a different redemption.

Is it possible to use Avion points to pay for an upgrade on an already booked flight? Is it worth it? Looking at this for a flight from Houston to Auckland on Air New Zealand.

You’d have to call and ask. You definitely can’t do upgrades via the RBC Travel portal.

Is there a time limit to redeem accumulated points? And I wld like to purchase a gift card for electronics?

Your points don’t expire as long as you have an active RBC credit card that’s in good standing.

I am a bit lost with car rental points… if my rental was $800.00 how many points would I need

That falls under travel so it would cost you 80,000 points.

Barry, Can RBC Avion Visa Infinite cardholders redeem for a Premium Economy class seat instead of Economy class? Thanks!

RBC Rewards is a full service travel agency so you can book premium economy, but it’ll cost you more points. It’s unlikely you’d be able to book premium under the Air Travel Redemption Schedule since the price would exceed the maximum base price.

Barry, RBC Avion Visa Infinite redemption schedule From Canada to Hong Kong: 100,000 points. Maximum ticket price: $2,000.

Normally the Air Canada Premium Economy ticket from Canada to Hong Kong costs close to (less than) $2,000. It’s not worth to redeem Economy class, which is about $1,000 or less. That’s why I would like to know whether I can redeem Premium Economy class or not.

As long as the base ticket price is below $2,000, you should be able to redeem a premium economy flight using your RBC Rewards points.

Hi Barry, I’m totally torn between Scotia Passport and RBC AVion? Which one do you really prefer if we plan on going US visits and Asian Countries as well?

Both cards a bit different. The Scotiabank card is a good all-in-one card since it has no forex fees, but the RBC Avion has a fixed points travel chart which can be of good value. Since you’re based in Canada, Air Canada/Aeroplan cards are good for US travel thanks to the new Buddy Pass. WestJet companion vouchers can also be handy.

Barry, early thanks for answering my question. I am contemplating on utilizing approx. 111,000 Avion points for Best Western gift cards. I presume the gift cards are in Canadian funds? Travel contemplated is in the U.S. once the ban is lifted. How is the difference in currency handled by U.S. based Best Westerns?

The gift cards are only worth it if you’re getting an equal value to your RBC Avion points. E.g. 1,000 points = $10. Yes, the cards would come in CAD. If you use them outside of Canada, you would be subject to the exchange rate at the hotel which will definitely have a markup.

Avion $350 air fare fee for interprovincial travel is useless to many Canadians outside the Upper / Lower Canada belt. Many interprovincial one way tickets are $350 or more. I’ve amassed nearly a million dollars over the years on my Avion card, and travel with my family of 6, using the points. I always have to wait for airlines to post sale prices before I can use the points, because their reward amount is set too low. Its not a cheap card either. I’ve never complained, but its been the same price system for over 10 years. Hello! Inflation!

Paying the taxes on flights is also a bummer. I’ve often just bought sale priced flights with cash, because the Avion rewards taxes where close to half the flight cash amount. Didn’t see the point in wasting them.

How do I book a business class seat? We’d like to go back to Europe next year and want to fly business class. I have over 300,000 points with Avion.

Two years ago we booked two business class seats after transferring points to British Airlines, What a nightmare!

I swore that I’d move to another point card to get better service, connections, etc.

Please help.

RBC has a travel rewards portal where you’d book your flights and then redeem your points.

Aeroplan is a lot easier these days, it’s worth considering switching to a card that earns you Aeroplan points.

We have 215000 points with RBC and travel to Mexico, US and are thinking of going from Edmonton to Amsterdam and returning to Edmonton from Rome. What are the best way to use our points. Is transferring points to Westjet a better deal than buying Westjet gift cards .

To maximize your value, you should use the RBC Air Trave Redemption schedule – https://www.rbcrewards.com/#!/travel/redemptionSchedule

It’ll cost 65,000 points to get to Europe with a max ticket value of $1,300. That works out to 2 cents a point which is double the normal value.

Ad for WJD, it’s a better value to transfer your points directly instead of buying gift cards

Any luck with product switching lately and receiving the welcome bonus of 15,000 points for Avion Infinite?

Darn. Seems to still work for WJ MC. Perhaps makes sense to PS to a no AF card and then cycle back.

I recently “purchased” airline tickets using Avion points. Unfortunately I mistakenly selected the Flexible Points Pricing and as a result ended up using roughly twice as many points as would have been needed under the Fixed Points Pricing. The difference is somewhere around 35,000 points. I requested that Avion reverse this mistake but was advised that it was their policy to not allow such a change. I requested to talk to a manager, but they basically advised that this wasn’t going to happen (they told me it would take 6 weeks). Any advice.

Unfortunately, it’s unlikely they’ll reverse the charges. This happens with all points programs.

Hi Barry… I have over 1 Mil points… and on flight can I upgrade to Exec or 1st Class with my points ?? I don’t see it anywhere when i am looking at the booking … Any ideas. Thanks Mike

In the RBC Avion travel portal, you should be able to choose premium economy or business class seats for your flights.

What are the pros & cons of flex points vs flexible points booking w Avion? How do I know which we should use?

All rbc rewards and avion rewards points can be used on any travel purchase made through the RBC travel portal.

I have been reading your awesome feedback from Avion customers! I recently tried to receive information from the RBC Rewards program call centre and it was horrific – unprofessional and unknowledgeable agents, transferring me first to Expedia and then to Air Canada. They wore me down. I then went online and read reviews on the performance of the program – from what I saw, every customer who had to make a change on their travel booking experienced exactly the frustration I did.. Has this program gone down hill in recent years on their customer service assistance?

The program itself is fine, but I imagine every travel operator is experiencing customer service issues. I guess the real problem is knowing who to call. If you book travel through the Avion travel portal, technically speaking, you will go through them to make changes even if you booked an Air Canada flight.

Hi Barry, I’m unsure whether to use my avion infinite Visa card to pay a Europe bike tour purchase as the surcharge is 4 percent or pay with an e-transfer. The foreign currency rate I’m billed at was 1.49. I look forward to your response. Also, if I pay with an e-transfer will I have any travel protection? Thanks in advance! Barbara

Hey Barbara,

A 4% surcharge is quite a bit. That said, an e-transfer may come with fees too. I personally would just choose what’s cheaper. That said, if you don’t pay with your credit card, you don’t get any protection if you need to cancel your tour for a qualifying reason.

Hi Barry, Thank you for your responses. I really appreciate it! Barbara

Regarding financial rewards, more specifically applying a credit to an existing RBC mortgage: is the cash value going to be considered a lump sum payment or something else? I ask this because the options to pay down a mortgage faster are limited to double-up payments upon each scheduled payment, and one lump sum payment (aka prepayment) of up to 10% of the initial principal per year. I already used my yearly lump sum and I’m concerned that I wouldn’t be allowed to redeem my Avion points towards my mortgage or I may be allowed to do so, but I could be issued a penalty for not following the rules. I couldn’t find anything online about what the value of the points redeemed is considered to be.

Hey Stephanie,

If I had to guess, it would count as a prepayment. You’d have to call them to find out for sure.

Too old to travel. So thinking of using my Avion points to buy RBC merchandise. How can I see what is available if I don’t do any banking transactions on a computer?

You need to go to the RBC Avion website to see what items are available for redemption – https://www.avionrewards.com/index.html

On the web site that I see, the first thing that they want is your Visa number. And that is exactly why we don’t do money matters on line.

Avion Rewards is a credit card rewards program. Using your credit card number is how you log in.

Hello I redeemed 130,000 points for a flights to Barcelona from Toronto and had to cancel. What is the value of these points so that I can make a travel insurance claim

That’s a value of $1,300.

Hi Barry, Thought you might be interested in my experience being transitioned from HSBC World Elite MC to RBC Avion Visa. Since I don’t have anything that spells out the fees, conversion rate, etc. I called the RBC conversion team. They are waiving the $120 annual fee for the first year and that’s it. Although the HSBC card did not charge the 2.5% foreign conversion fee, the RBC card does. The extra points which HSBC gave for travel expenses are likewise not available with the RBC card. It seems to me that if I wanted this card I would be better off applying for it and getting the bonus. Very disappointing.

You should have received paperwork about the details of your new card. HSBC World Elite MC holders being switched the Avion Visa Infinite will still get no FX fees on their card.

You’re correct about losing the travel credit after the first year.

The Avion card is a clear downgrade, I mention a few other options in this article – https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/household-finances/article-hsbc-clients-may-not-love-their-new-rbc-credit-cards-but-rbcs-avion/

Thanks Barry. I don’t subscribe to the Globe but I assume you suggested the Scotiabank Passport Visa as an alternative. I don’t want to take up your time with all this but I applied for the Scotia card and it developed into a real mess. I’m still trying to find out what happened, currently waiting to hear back from their Escalated Customer Concern team.

I suggested a few.

The Amex Cobalt for high earn rate, Rogers Mastercard for Costco (if you use Rogers), and Platinum for high end travel benefits. If you want no FX, the Scotiabank card is indeed good, but I like the EQ Bank card cuz it has no fees.

I’ll def check into the EQ card, thanks again.

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Your Complete Guide to RBC Avion Points (Spring 2024)

The flexibility of the RBC Avion program can be a great resource for Canadians who are looking to travel the world on points. 

As I’ve referenced numerous times on this blog, obtaining and leveraging high-end travel credit cards can result in thousands of dollars worth of savings over the year. 

When looking at the credit card market in Canada, the majority of credit cards you will come across are “co-branded” credit cards. What this means is that you will be able to earn and leverage points within a particular loyalty program. 

In the travel space, you will see branded credit cards for the following travel loyalty programs:

• British Airways 
• Cathay Pacific
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Best Western

If you regularly use these programs, I strongly encourage you to look at the branded credit cards associated with these programs. 

While co-branded credit cards can provide immense value to Canadians, they are limited in the sense that you can only leverage the points for that individual program or one of their transfer partners. 

For example, WestJet credit card holders earn points solely for the WestJet Rewards program. While that can provide immense value, there isn’t a lot of flexibility for those looking to redeem their points (you can only redeem them for WestJet products).

Some programs in Canada allow you to transfer your points to other loyalty programs. These programs can be immensely valuable to Canadians. You can combine high sign-up bonuses, with enhanced flexibility. It’s a win-win.

In this post, we’ll talk about one of the best rewards programs in Canada, RBC Avion Rewards.

What are RBC Avion Points

The RBC Avion program allows credit cardholders to earn points on their purchases, which can then be redeemed for various rewards such as travel, merchandise, gift cards, and more.

Cardholders can accumulate Avion points by using eligible RBC Avion credit cards for their everyday spending. The number of points earned per dollar spent may vary depending on the specific credit card and promotional offers.

One of the notable features of RBC Avion points is their flexibility in redemption, particularly for travel-related rewards. Cardholders can use their points to book flights on any airline, with no blackout dates, and have the option to cover taxes and fees with points as well.

Here are 4 Things You Need to Know About RBC Avion Points

• 1. You Can Earn Avion Points Through RBC's Branded Credit Cards

How to Transfer Your RBC Avion Points

• 3. You Can Redeem Avion Points Directly Through RBC's Travel Portal
• 4. Owners of any RBC Credit Card Can Save 3c/L at Petro Canada

What is the value of 1 Avion Point?

Do your avion points expire, 4 takeaways for your travels, stay up to date on the latest travel deals, rbc avion overview, earning rbc avion points, 1. you can earn avion points through rbc’s branded credit cards.

As mentioned earlier, the number of transfer partners available through RBC Avion Rewards makes it one of the top loyalty programs in the country. 

You can earn Avion points through several credit cards offered by RBC

Currently, the RBC Visa Infinite Avion is the easiest way to earn a large amount of Avion points

The $120 annual fee is offset by the following perks & benefits:

• 35,000 Avion points upon approval
• 20,000 Avion points upon spending $5,000 in the first 6 months
• 1.25 Avion points per dollar spent on travel
• 1 Avion point everywhere else
• Trip Interruption insurance – up to $5,000
• Emergency medical travel insurance
• Cancellation Insurance – up to $25,000
• Flight delay insurance – up to $500
• Mobile device insurance – up to $1,500
• Special discounts throughout the year

The RBC Visa Infinite is a great way to earn transferrable Avion points.

Canadians will have to make a personal decision as to whether or not the $120 annual fee is worth spending after year 1. It also should be noted that RBC allows you to rotate through different credit cards without a new credit check, continuously earning a modified signup bonus each time. 

Read >>> Our full review here

In Addition to the RBC Visa Infinite, several cards allow you to earn Avion points including: 

• RBC Avion Platinum
• RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege 
• RBC Avion Business
• RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business

Redeeming RBC Avion Points

2. rbc avion points are king because of their flexibility.

One of, if not the best reason for you to start collecting Avoin points is that you can transfer those points to a bevy of transfer partners including: 

• WestJet Rewards  (100:1 ratio)
• British Airways Executive Club  (1:1 ratio)
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles  (1:1 ratio)
• American Airlines AAdvantage (1:07 ratio)

If you have 50,000 Avion points, you’d receive the following miles when transferring out your points :

The bottom line is, that regardless of where you’d like to take your vacation, Avoin Points can help you get there. 

Occasionally, RBC will offer “bonus transfers” on certain airline partners.  

A. Click “Avion Rewards” on your banking homepage

B. Click on the “Transfer Points” tab at the top of the screen

C. Scroll down to the “Convert Points” section and click on “Convert Now”

D. Determine the amount you want to convert and confirm the transfer

3. You Can Redeem Avion Points Directly Through RBC’s Travel Portal

Redeeming Avion points for flights only covers the base fare. You will still have to pay taxes and fees (which can be in the hundreds of dollars). 

If you don’t want to transfer your points to the partners mentioned above, Avion points can be redeemed directly through RBC’s in-house travel portal. 

There is also a table for one-way flights, which is shown below

In most cases, Canadians will probably better off transferring out your Avion points to RBC’s transfer partners: 

• WestJet Rewards
• British Airways Executive Club 
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles 
• American Airlines AAdvantage

If you are looking for a particular flight that cannot be attained through the aforementioned programs, striving for a redemption value of 2 cents per point (cpp) should be a target to strive for. 

Maximizing Your Avion Experience

4. owners of any rbc credit card can save 3c/l at petro canada.

It’s also worth noting that Petro Canada has a relationship with RBC that will allow you to save 3 cents/litre if you link your RBC debit or credit card with your Petro Points account. Needless to say, you should be taking this initial step if you own an RBC credit card. 

You can link your card here

Conclusion 

With their bevy of transfer partners, and the ability to earn a large amount of points through signup bonuses, RBC Avion points are a great rewards currency in the Canadian market. It may not have the earning capability of American Express Membership Rewards, but it stands head and shoulders when compared to the other big banks, primarily due to the flexible nature of the program. 

Assuming you are transferring out your points to British Airways, Cathay Pacific, or WestJet Rewards you can expect to get a return of 1.9 cents per point of value. The occasional bonus transfer also gives the program added value.

As long as you’re an Avion cardholder, your points will not expire. If you cancel your Avion card, you’ll have 90 days to either use the points or transfer them out. 

1. RBC Avion credit cards provide you with great signup bonuses and high earnings on everyday spending. Having one of these cards in your portfolio is a recommendation (especially to use as a backup to your American Express, as some retailers don’t accept AMEX).

2. Transferring out your Avion points to RBC’s transfer partners provides you with the maximum return on investment.

3. If you currently own another RBC credit card and would like to transfer to the RBC Visa Avion, you can perform a credit card switch on the RBC banking page, or by calling their credit card hotline. Switching from one RBC credit card to another DOES NOT impact your credit score.

4.  If you hold an RBC credit card, link up your card to Petro Canada to provide increased savings at the pump.

Disclaimer: this post may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a small commission if you make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you. For more information, please visit our discl aimer page

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RBC Avion Visa Infinite Review 2024: A Flexible Travel Credit Card With No Blackout Dates

Updated: Mar 12, 2024, 3:44am

Fact Checked

A straightforward credit card with a flexible travel rewards redemption schedule, especially since you can use Avion points for travel with any airline around the world with no blackout dates. However, given the high income requirements and annual fee, the base earn rate is low, the only accelerated earn rate is for travel purchases and the other benefits and features are limited to certain kinds of travel insurance.

• Earn points on every dollar spent
• Earn 1.25 points for every dollar spent on eligible travel purchases
• No blackouts or seat restrictions when using points for flights
• High annual fee
• Requires a minimum personal income of $60,000  or a minimum household income of $100,000.
• Imposes higher acceptance cost on merchants, so might not be accepted at their discretion.

Table of Contents

Introduction, quick facts, rbc avion visa infinite rewards, rbc avion visa infinite benefits, how the rbc avion visa infinite stacks up, methodology, is the rbc avion visa infinite right for you.

• Get 35,000 Welcome Points on approval and 20,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 in your first 6 months*. Apply by April 30, 2024.
• Earn 1 Avion point for every dollar you spend* and an extra 25% on eligible travel purchases.
• Extensive insurance including: mobile device insurance, travel insurance (trip cancellation, interruption and emergency medical) and other eligible purchases to protect you and your family
• Earn $0.03 per litre of fuel at Petro Canada and 20% more Petro-Points and Avion points when you link your card
•   †Terms and conditions apply. Refer to the RBC website for up-to-date offer terms and conditions.

Apply for the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card — A flexible travel card with no blackout dates

On RBC’s Website

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite card is pretty basic in the grand scope of the Canadian travel credit card landscape. The regular earn rate is low (at 1 point for every dollar spent) and the only accelerated category is eligible travel, which will earn you 25% more. Perks and benefits are also limited to a few types of travel insurance. Considering the annual fee is $120 and you need a minimum personal income of $60,000 to qualify, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite is lacking compared to other travel credit cards at this price point.

That being said, it’s not a bad card. You can get some pretty decent deals from the flight redemption schedule. Plus, the fact that you can use Avion points for any airline in the world with no blackouts or seat restrictions is also beneficial.

• Earn Avion points on every purchase at a rate of 1 point per dollar spent and 1.25 points per dollar spent on eligible travel.
• Points do not expire and can be redeemed towards travel with any airline with no blackout periods or seat restrictions.
• Cardholders can benefit from increased rewards with participating programs at Petro-Canada and Rexall when they link their card.

Earning rewards

Cardholders will earn Avion points on every dollar spent and at a slightly accelerated rate for eligible travel purchases. Aside from travel, there are no accelerated categories, however, there are also no earning caps or limits on how many points you can earn with this credit card.

Redeeming Rewards

Avion points can be redeemed online at avionrewards.com or via the RBC Avion app. As this is a travel credit card, your Avion points will have the best value when redeemed towards flights with the RBC Avion redemption schedule (a rate of $0.02-$0.0233). You can also redeem them through the RBC travel portal at a rate of $0.01 per point. You can also transfer Avion points to Westjet, British Airways and American Airlines. RBC Avion points can also be used for merchandise and gift cards, or they can be put towards your credit card statement or donated to charity.

Rewards Potential

While the flexible redemption schedule for RBC Avion points is great, the earn rates and rewards potential is lacking compared to similar credit cards with high accelerated rates and a strong earning schedule. This means earning points with the RBC Avion Visa Infinite will be slower. That being said, cardholders can still come out ahead. Based on average Canadian spending, Forbes Advisor estimates this card could earn $178.72 in rewards value per year after the annual fee.

• $0 delivery fees from DoorDash for 12 months
• Visa Infinite benefits
• Earn 50 Be Well Points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases at Rexall Pharmacies
• RBC Visa Avion benefits

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 20.99%
• Cash Advance:  22.99%
• Balance Transfer: 22.99%
• Foreign Transaction Fee: 2.5%
• Balance Transfer Fee: 3% of transaction amount
• Annual Fee: $120
• Any Other Fees: additional card: $50, dishonoured payment: $45, overlimit fee: $29 (does not apply in Quebec)

RBC Avion Visa Infinite vs. TD® Aeroplan® Visa Platinum* Card

The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Platinum* Card comes with an $89 annual fee and also earns rewards at a rate of 1 point per dollar spent. While there are no accelerated categories, Aeroplan members can double dip and earn double the points at participating retailers. This card also comes with comprehensive insurance plus the Aeroplan program, which is one of the top rewards programs in Canada. With similar structures, the TD Aeroplan Visa Platinum Card is likely a better pick since it does have a lower annual rate.

RBC Avion Visa Infinite vs. PC World Elite Mastercard

The PC World Elite Mastercard is a no-annual-fee credit card aimed at individuals who are more interested in earning free  groceries than redeeming points for travel or shopping rewards. Cardholders earn points at a rate of 30 to 45 points per dollar spent at participating PC Optimum rewards brands and 10 points per dollar spent elsewhere. While the PC World Elite Mastercard does come with travel insurance, it’s not a travel card. If you are in the market for a card where the rewards are best for travel, then the RBC Avion Visa Infinite is the better pick.

RBC Avion Visa Infinite vs. CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card

Another Aeroplan card to compare is the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card. At $139 per year, it’s a little pricier than the RBC Avion Visa Infinite card, however, it also has higher earn rates of 1.5 points per dollar spent on gas, groceries, Air Canada travel and electric vehicle charging. All other purchases earn 1 point per dollar spent. Since it is an Aeroplan card, you can also double dip with Aeroplan partners allowing you to earn even faster. It is a little bit more expensive, but the earning and rewards potential is also much higher, meaning it is more lucrative as a travel credit card.

When determining a rating for individual credit cards, the Forbes Advisor Canada editorial team factors in an exhaustive list of data points. With rewards, the scoring model used takes into account factors such as, but not limited to, reward rates and categories, fees, welcome bonuses, and other benefits and features. Keep in mind, what may be best for some people might not be right for you. Conduct informed research before deciding which cards will best help you achieve your financial goals.

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite card is attractive thanks to the fact that you can earn points across all purchases and the redemption schedule for flights is incredibly flexible. That said, it will be slow going earning points with the majority of purchases at the lower earn rates for this credit card. Plus, perks and benefits outside of travel insurance are lacking. If you are a frequent traveller and are really looking to get into maximizing points and rewards, it may not be the best option for you.

Related : Rounded up the best credit cards

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the benefits of rbc avion visa infinite.

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite allows you to earn points on all purchases without having to worry about a spending cap. Points can be redeemed for merchandise, gift cards, travel and more with travel being the most lucrative option.

What is the minimum income for RBC Avion Visa Infinite?

Eligible candidates will need to have a minimum personal income of $60,000 or a household income of $100,000 to qualify for this credit card.

Does RBC Avion Visa Infinite have lounge access?

No, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite credit card does not offer any type of lounge access to cardholders.

Hannah Logan is a Canadian freelancer writer and blogger who specializes in personal finance and travel. You can follow her adventures on her travel blog EatSleepBreatheTravel.com or find her on Instagram @hannahlogan21.

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Sign In to Avion Rewards

Sign in with:

If you have a personal credit card or deposit account, you need to enrol in RBC Online Banking to enjoy Avion Rewards. It’s easy and secure.

Start planning your next adventure

All members can redeem Avion points, pay with a credit card or both

Fly on any airline with exclusive pricing & benefits for Avion Elite

Get exclusive deals on hotels, resorts and more around the world

Car rentals

Access a fleet of rental cars, trucks and vehicles at home and abroad

Book flights plus hotel packages to thousands of destinations

Things to do

Catch a show, tour sites & attractions, treat yourself to authentic local cuisine and more

Fly over 500 airlines with exclusive pricing & benefits for Avion Elite

Book all-inclusive vacations to thousands of destinations

Catch a show, tour sites & attractions, treat yourself to 5-star dining and more

Already a member? Sign in to get the latest travel offers

How many points do you need to travel?

Avion Elite members get there sooner with exclusive fixed-points pricing on any airline, any flight, any time. No blackout dates or advance seating restrictions, even during peak periods. 

Quick Getaways

• Within or to an adjacent province/territory
• Within or to an adjacent U.S. state

Max Ticket Price* $350

Explore North America

• Anywhere in Canada/U.S. except Hawaii and Alaska

Max Ticket Price* $750

Holiday Destinations

• Western Canada/U.S. to Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska
• Eastern Canada to Bermuda, Central America, Caribbean

Max Ticket Price* $900

Take a Vacation

• Eastern Canada/U.S. to Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska
• Western Canada to Bermuda, Central America, Caribbean

Max Ticket Price* $1,100

Visit Europe

• Major gateway in Canada/U.S. to destinations in Europe

Max Ticket Price* $1,300

100,000 pts

See the World

• Major gateway in Canada/U.S. to destinations in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific, Middle East, Africa, South America

Max Ticket Price* $2,000

*Excluding any applicable taxes, surcharges and fees.

Max Ticket Price* $175

Max Ticket Price* $375

Max Ticket Price* $450

Max Ticket Price* $550

Max Ticket Price* $650

Max Ticket Price* $1,000

Avion Elite members can also redeem for hotel stays, car rentals and more, using this simple conversion:

You also have the flexibility to redeem for flights using this conversion, including paying taxes and fees * If you are an RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege for Private Banking, RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege, RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business or RBC Commercial Avion Visa cardholder, you can redeem your points at the rate of 100 points = $2 CAD for first or business class air fare, including paying taxes and fees.

Still have questions? Visit our Travel FAQs page

Family vacations or bucket-list trips, eligible Avion Premium members 1 can redeem using this conversion:

Redeem a minimum of 1,000 points – the remaining balance can be paid with a credit card.

ION & ION+ credit card holders and Avion Rewards Core Accounts redeem using a conversion rate of 172 points = $1 (minimum 2,500 points)

Road trips, weekend getaways or vacations, Avion Select members can redeem travel using this conversion:

Redeem a minimum of 2,500 points – the remaining balance can be paid with a credit card.

Travel sooner 2 as an Avion Elite member

Get the RBC Avion Visa Infinite card to become an Avion Elite member and enjoy exclusive benefits to help you travel sooner 2 on points with any airline, any flight and anytime.

Convert points for travel

Avion Premium and Elite members can convert points to other loyalty or frequent flyer programs, so you can fly and earn your own way. 1

WestJet Rewards

American Airlines

British Airways

Cathay Pacific

Frequently asked questions

Still have questions? Check our Travel FAQs

Avion Rewards travel

Redeem your points for flights, hotels, car rentals, and more.

How many Avion points do you need to travel?

Rbc avion visa credit card holders.

Choose any airline, any flight, any time. There are no blackout dates or advance booking restrictions, even during peak periods.

Avion credit card holders can also redeem for all type of travel, using this simple conversion:

Redeem points using this conversion rate for hotel stays, car rental, cruises, and more. You can also use it for flights when you don’t want to redeem from the Air Travel Redemption Grid above.

Want to travel sooner?

With an RBC Avion credit card, you could be travelling sooner with any airline, any flight, any time. Apply for an RBC Avion Visa Infinite card today and get.

View Legal Disclaimers Hide Legal Disclaimers

Redeeming Avion points for your travel needs is easy

Just use this conversion rate if you’re:

• redeeming for a flight not using the Air Travel Redemption Schedule;
• redeeming for a hotel stay, car rental, cruise or vacation package;
• paying any amount above the maximum dollar value within a category;
• paying taxes, surcharges and fees.

If you are an RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege for Private Banking, RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege, RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business or RBC Commercial Avion Visa cardholder, you can redeem your points at the rate of 100 points = $2 CAD for first or business class air fare, including paying taxes and surcharges and fees.

Don’t forget, if you’re short a few points, you can always purchase travel by redeeming your points and using your credit card.

For more information, see our Avion Rewards Terms and Conditions .

By Sandra MacGregor

Fact Checked: Scott Birke

Updated: April 01, 2024

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Avion Rewards guide

Rbc rewards are now avion rewards.

RBC Avion Rewards, overseen by the Royal Bank of Canada, the biggest of the Big Five banks, is one of the most popular loyalty programs in Canada. Though it offers an impressive variety of redemption options overall, the program is particularly appealing to frequent fliers who covet the bank’s Avion credit cards. Whether you’re a more casual Avion Rewards earner or a seasoned jet setter, our RBC Avion Rewards guide will help you decide if Avion Rewards is the loyalty program you’ve been looking for, or if you should keep up the hunt for the perfect spending and travel companion.

How do you earn Avion Rewards points?

The best way to earn RBC Avion Rewards points is by making purchases with an RBC Avion credit card such as the RBC Avion Visa Infinite and RBC ION+ Visa. Our full list below and summary RBC Avion Rewards chart shows all the  RBC credit cards  you can use to rack up points and how much they earn.

• RBC Avion Visa Infinite

• Rates & Fees

1 Earn 1 Avion point for every dollar you spend*.

25% extra Avion points on eligible travel purchases

$1,500 mobile device insurance

3¢/L savings on fuel at Petro-Canada and always earn 20% more Avion points

50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible products at Rexall

20% off at Hertz and earn 3x the Avion points

$0 delivery fees for 12 months from DoorDash

$120 Annual Fee $50 for each additional card

20.99% Purchase APR

22.99% Cash Advance APR

22.99% Balance Transfer Rate

Very Good Recommended Credit Score

$60,000 Required Annual Personal Income

• RBC ION+ Visa

3 Avion Ion points† per $1 on qualifying grocery, dining, food delivery, gas, rideshare, public transit, EV charging, streaming, digital gaming and online subscriptions

1 Avion Ion point per $1 on all other purchases

$48 Annual Fee $4 per month

22.99% Cash Advance APR 21.99% for residents of Quebec

22.99% Balance Transfer Rate 21.99 for Quebec residents

Good Recommended Credit Score

Full list of Avion Rewards credit cards that earn Avion points

The following RBC Royal Bank credit cards earn Avion points on net purchases and are points-earning credit cards:

• RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege
• RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege for Private Banking
• RBC Avion Visa Platinum
• RBC ION Visa
• RBC Rewards Visa Preferred
• RBC Visa Gold Preferred
• RBC Visa Platinum Preferred
• Signature RBC Rewards Visa
• RBC Rewards Visa Gold
• RBC Rewards+ Visa
• RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold
• RBC Visa Classic II
• RBC Visa Classic II Student
• RBC Mike Weir Visa
• RBC Avion Visa Business
• RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business
• RBC Royal Bank Visa CreditLine for Small Business
• RBC Commercial Avion Visa

Refer to RBC Page for up to date offer terms and conditions.

There's no distinction between the points earned from a standard RBC card vs. an Avion card, like the  RBC Avion Visa Infinite . Both cards earn Avion Rewards points—though some Avion cardholders may mistakenly refer to their points as such. The difference between an Avion card and a standard RBC rewards card is that Avion cards are intended to appeal to those looking specifically for travel rewards cards. Avion cards have higher annual fees, better welcome offers, and feature additional travel-friendly perks (like good travel insurance packages and exclusive experiences). Finally, though both Avion and non-Avion cardholders use the same travel portal to redeem points, Avion cardholders get better value for their points when redeemed for travel.

If you don’t feel comfortable using credit, keep in mind that you can still earn RBC Rewards points with a debit card. If you enrol an eligible RBC bank account (such as the RBC Day to Day Banking or Advantage Banking accounts) in the  Value Program  you can earn RBC points every time you use your debit card.

What can Avion Rewards be used for?

Avion Points value varies substantially depending on how they are redeemed, and Avoon Rewards can be redeemed for a wide variety of purposes, including travel, merchandise, charitable donations, paying with points and gift cards. You can also use the Avion Rewards ShopPlus browser extension to earn money back when shopping online.

Redeeming travel points For Avion and Non-Avion cardholders

When you want to redeem your RBC Rewards for travel, you’ll notice that there’s a different redemption option based on whether you have an RBC Avion card or not.

If you don’t have an Avion card, then your redemption options for travel are very straightforward: 100 points = $1 travel value. To redeem your points for travel you simply sign in to the RBC Rewards Travel page and select a travel purchase. There is no minimum number of points required to redeem for travel, and if you don’t have enough points to cover a full travel redemption you can pay the remaining balance with your credit card.

If you are an Avion cardholder, you can select round-trip flights on any airline based on the Air Travel Redemption Schedule. The number of points you need to redeem depends on your destination, and each destination has a maximum ticket price (not including fees and taxes). If you exceed the maximum ticket price, RBC lets you charge the additional cost to your credit card or pay the difference at a rate of 100 points = $1. 

It’s clear from the travel redemption schedule that Avioners get more value for their points when they redeem them for travel compared to non-Avioners. Whereas the value of one point for non-Avioners is locked in at 1 point = 1 cent, Avioner point values range from 2 cents to as high as 2.33 cents per point. 

Note that while there are redemption differences between Avion and non-Avion cardholders, there are some important benefits that both cardholders share. Both can redeem their points for a number of different travel-related purchases, such as flights, cruises, vacation packages, hotels, and car rentals. Furthermore, both enjoy no blackouts or seat restrictions when they book their travel. Plus, both can use RBC Rewards points to cover air travel fees and taxes at a rate of 100 points per $1. 

RBC Avion Rewards points conversion

Another appealing feature of the Avion Rewards program is that you can transfer your Avion points to a few other participating loyalty programs. 

All Avion Rewards cardholders can convert their Avion Rewards points into WestJet dollars and Hudson’s Bay Rewards points. For every 100 RBC Rewards points converted, you receive 1 WestJet dollar (minimum 1,000 pts needed to convert). For every 500 RBC Rewards points converted, you receive 1,000 Hudson’s Bay Rewards points (minimum 500 pts needed).

RBC Avion cardholders have even more conversion options. They can transfer points to the aforementioned programs, but they can also convert RBC Rewards points to other participating travel rewards programs:

• American Airlines (10,000 RBC Rewards points = 7,000 AAdvantage miles)
• Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles (10,000 RBC Rewards points = 10,000 Asia Miles)
• British Airways (10,000 RBC Rewards points = 10,000 Avios)

Note that all cardholders can also transfer RBC Rewards points to a second RBC Rewards account held in their name. You can also transfer RBC Rewards points to a family member or friend if they have an RBC Rewards account. 

Other Avion Rewards redemption options

The Avion Rewards program is incredibly flexible and points can be redeemed for an impressive variety of pursuits outside travel, including merchandise, charitable donations, and gift cards. You can also put points toward an RBC Financial Reward, by transferring them to accounts like an RBC investment portfolio or  RESP . Finally, you can take advantage of a relatively new feature called  Pay With Points  that lets you pay bills, pay down your credit card statement, or even make purchases in-store with an eligible digital wallet app like Google Pay.

Here’s a look at what your Avion Rewards points are worth: 

• Merchandise : $0.006–$0.0085 per point. Point value varies because there’s a wide range of items you can redeem points for, including Bose stereos, Fitbit smartwatches, Cuisinart kitchen appliances, and more. RBC Rewards also has an impressive range of Apple products like MacBook Pro and iPhones. 
• Gift Cards : $0.0071–$0.01 per point. When redeeming points for gift cards, points usually have a value of $0.0071 each. However, sometimes RBC Rewards will have special bonuses where the points needed for a redemption are reduced, which gives your points more value. For example, normally you need 1,400 points to redeem for a $10 Amazon.ca gift card but sometimes the same $10 Amazon.ca gift certificate is available for only 1,000 points, bringing your point value up to one cent per point. There is a good selection of gift cards aside from Amazon.ca, including Best Buy, Air Canada, A&W and more.
• Charitable Donations:  $0.01 per point. Redemptions can be donated to Hope Air, Own The Podium, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and The David Foster Foundation.
• RBC Financial Reward:  $0.0083 per point. You can contribute to your RBC investment portfolio, RBC personal loan, RBC mortgage, RBC line of credit, and more.
• Pay With Points:  $0.0058 per point. If you use Pay with Points to pay down your statement credit you get the worst value for your points. 

Redeeming points is a straightforward process: Head to the Rewards portal and sign in when you’re ready to redeem. There may be minimum redemption requirements depending on what redemption option you use. For example, there are set point minimums required when you convert points to other loyalty programs, as well as a minimum of 12,000 points needed to redeem points for RBC Financial Rewards. 

Do Avion Rewards expire?

Avion Rewards points never expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing. However, you’ll have limited time periods to redeem your points after closing your account: 90 days for self-serve, online point redemption and 365 days to redeem by calling in to the RBC advice centre.

Other Avion Rewards program benefits

RBC has point-earning partnerships with both Rexall and Petro-Canada. With Petro-Canada, you earn 20% more RBC Rewards points when you use a linked eligible RBC Rewards credit card to make purchases. You also instantly save 3 cents per litre at Petro-Canada locations. With Rexall, RBC cardholders with a linked debit or credit card earn 50 Be Well points (Rexall’s rewards program) per $1 they spend at Rexall stores. 

RBC also has a new partnership with DoorDash that gets eligible cardholders a free DashPass subscription for up to 12 months, as well as unlimited deliveries with no delivery fees on orders over $12.

Is RBC Avion Rewards the best travel program in Canada?

So how does RBC stack up? To get a sense of how competitive the RBC Avion Rewards program is, it’s helpful to compare it to the two other most popular travel rewards programs in Canada:  Aeroplan  and  AIR MILES .

The new Aeroplan flight award chart features dynamic pricing, so the value you get for an Aeroplan point depends on numerous factors like flight distance, exact destination, and route popularity. Since Aeroplan recently revamped its program, point values now generally range anywhere from about 1.5 cents per point to as high as 2 cents, which is a lower range than the travel redemption values for Avion cardholders. Unlike Avion, Aeroplan points cannot be transferred to other loyalty programs, but you can transfer points from some other loyalty programs to Aeroplan. That said, there’s a larger selection of  Aeroplan credit cards  issued by multiple financial institutions (TD, CIBC, and Amex) and they tend to feature more travel perks than Avion cards, including the likes of free checked bags, NEXUS application rebates, and free airport lounge visits.

AIR MILES, while not strictly a travel reward program, gives you the best (if not the most consistent) value when you redeem them for travel. Value ranges anywhere between 8 to 25 cents a point, depending on when and where you fly. However, AIR MILES are slow to add up because  AIR MILES credit cards  typically only earn 1 MILE per $5–$25 you spend, depending on the card. It’s also worth noting that unlike with RBC, the values for Aeroplan points and AIR MILES don’t change based on which credit card they were earned with. So although an entry-level Aeroplan or AIR MILES card might earn points at a slower rate than a card with a high annual fee, the ‘class’ of the card doesn’t affect how much its points are worth when it’s time to redeem.

All told, I recommend RBC Avion Rewards to those who meet the income and credit score requirements for an Avion card, and who are willing to pay an Avion card’s annual fee for access to its high-value point redemptions. Avion is particularly appealing for those who find themselves making a lot of short-haul flights within Canada or to nearby U.S. states, for which your points get exceptional value. It’s also a great option if you fly frequently with American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, or British Airways, and you like the flexibility of transferring your points to one of those loyalty programs in order to maximize value and get free flights.

On the other hand, if you only qualify for an entry-level, non-Avion card, there are other  travel rewards programs  or even  cash back credit cards  out there that might offer more sign-up bonus points, better regular earn rates, and better value for your points.

Pros and cons of RBC Avion Rewards program

Flexible program with lots of redemption options

Points can be earned with your debit card if you have a qualifying bank account

You can convert points to several other participating loyalty programs

Non-Avion credit cards have weak to non-existent welcome bonuses and ho-hum earn rates

Must have an Avion credit card to get maximum point value when redeeming for travel

Relatively low value for points when redeeming for statement credits

Avion Rewards Guide , RBC Royal Bank, Dec 22, 2023

About our author

Sandra MacGregor has been writing about finance and travel for nearly a decade. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications like the New York Times, the UK Telegraph, the Washington Post, Forbes.com and the Toronto Star. She spends her free time travelling, and has lived around the globe, including in Paris, South Korea and Cape Town.

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RBC Avion Visa Infinite Review 2024: Is It Worth It?

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own.

RBC Avion Visa Infinite Review 2023: Is It Worth It?

NerdWallet CA

Good for travellers who collect Avion points.

With this card, you can earn one Avion point for every CAD spent, and enjoy perks like 12 months free Doordash deliveries.  Learn more about our star rating methodology.

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite card offers new cardholders up to 55,000 Avion Points. There are no spending categories to keep track of; cardholders earn one Avion point on all purchases and 1.25 points on eligible travel purchases. However, the card’s $60,000 minimum income requirement and $120 annual fee may be high for some applicants.

RBC Avion Visa Infinite

• Annual Fee $120
• Interest Rates 20.99% / 22.99% 20.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances.
• Rewards Rate 1x-1.25x Points Earn 1.25x Avion points on eligible travel-related purchases and 1x on everything else.
• Intro Offer Up to 55,000 Points Get 35,000 Welcome Points on approval and 20,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 in your first 6 months1. Apply by April 30, 2024.
• Get up to 55,000 Avion points* (a value of up to $1,100†), that’s enough to fly anywhere in North America or the Caribbean!
• Earn 1 Avion point for every dollar you spend* and an extra 25% on eligible travel purchases.
• Avioners can book flights with points on any airline, on any flight, at any time, early or last minute, with no blackout periods or restrictions.
• Avioners earn points that never expire so your points will be waiting for your next adventure.
• Redeem your points for travel and more. Use points for anything from paying bills and paying your card balance to redeeming for Gift Cards and Merchandise at top brands like Apple. The Avion Rewards program gives you the freedom of choice to use your points your way, and helps you make the most as an Avioner.
• Eligible Avion Rewards members can also convert points to other loyalty programs including WestJet dollars, British Airways Avios points and Hudson’s Bay Rewards points.
• Link your RBC card with a Petro-Points membership to instantly save 3₵ per litre on fuel at Petro-Canada stations and earn 20% more Petro-Points and 20% more Avion points.
• Link your RBC card with a Rexall Be Well account and get 50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible products at Rexall. Redeem Be Well points faster for savings in store on eligible purchases where 25,000 Be Well points = $10.
• Get access to RBC offers which provides access to earn points faster at specified brands.
• Extensive insurance including: mobile device insurance, travel insurance (trip cancellation, interruption and emergency medical) and other eligible purchases to protect you and your family.
• Avioners get access to luxury Visa Infinite benefits including first in line for exclusive events, and hotel and dining benefits.
• Avioners no longer need 14-days to book travel using the RBC grid.
• Get $0 delivery fees for 12 months from DoorDash¹⁷ – Add your eligible RBC credit card to your DoorDash account to:
• Get a 12-month complimentary DashPass subscription± – a value of almost $120.
• Enjoy unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees on orders of $15 or more when you pay with your eligible RBC credit card.
• Corresponding legal references and product terms are available on the RBC website, which will be available and agreed upon in the customer onboarding process.
• Full review
• Customer ratings
• Eligibility
• How to apply

RBC Avion Visa Infinite vs TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite

• Rating methodology

RBC Avion Visa Infinite full review

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite card is one of six personal credit cards from the Royal Bank of Canada that offers Avion points — a loyalty program specific to RBC. You can spend Avion points on a range of products like flights, electronics, investments and more. The company’s Visa Infinite card is among the more expensive of RBC’s personal Avion credit cards. 

Benefits of the RBC Avion Visa Infinite card

• 35,000 Avion Points upon approval and 20,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 in your first 6 months. Apply by Apr. 30, 2024.
• No seat restrictions or blackouts when you book travel using Avion points.  
• Free Doordash deliveries for 12 months. (Must activate before Jan. 1, 2024).
• Discounts and additional Avion points available when you rent with Hertz, or link the card to a Petro-Canada card. 

Drawbacks of the RBC Avion Visa Infinite card

• Minimum income requirement of $60,000 ($100,000 for household).
• No airport lounge access. 
• RBC has low Trustpilot and BBB ratings. 

Who should get the RBC Avion Visa Infinite card?

You may want to get the RBC Avion Visa Infinite card if you:

• Want to collect Avion points on all purchases.
• Have a Be Well or Petro-Canada card and want to take advantage of extra discounts. 
• Use Hertz or Doordash and want to take advantage of the card’s free delivery offer and rental car discounts.

Is RBC Avion Visa Infinite worth it?

If you want a card that offers consistent Avion points across all purchases the RBC Avion Visa Infinite may be right for you. However, the high income requirement, lack of airport lounge access and an average earn rate that’s lower than other RBC credit cards may reduce this card’s value for some people. 

Our Nerd’s verdict: A mid-tier travel card with flexible rewards

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite touts itself as a premium travel card, but I’m not sure I agree. Premium cards in this category offer complimentary airport lounge access, annual travel credits and NEXUS fee rebates, to name a few — all of which the RBC Avion Visa Infinite is missing. That said, I think the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card is a fine choice for Canadians on the hunt for a well-rounded rewards card. You can earn up to 1.25 Avion points per $1 spent, and the card offers fuel discounts at Petro-Canada, Hertz rental discounts and insurance coverage that includes trip cancellation, trip interruption and emergency medical coverage. Overall, the card will appeal to those who want to collect rewards with diverse redemption options and travellers seeking the peace of mind provided by a card with travel insurance.  — Shannon Terrell

RBC customer ratings

• Below average in customer satisfaction: RBC ranks 8 out of 13 in J.D. Power’s 2023 Canada Credit Card Satisfaction Study.
• Low Trustpilot rating: 1.2 out of 5 possible stars based on over 1,000 customer reviews, as of this writing.
• Low Better Business Bureau rating: 1.2 out of 5 possible stars based on over 130 customer reviews, as of this writing. RBC is not accredited by the BBB itself.

RBC Avion Visa Infinite eligibility

Who qualifies for the rbc avion visa infinite card.

To qualify for the RBC Avion Visa Infinite card, you must earn a gross income of at least $60,000 ($100,000 per household) or have a minimum of $250,000 investable assets. 

In general, you must be at least the age of majority and a resident of Canada to qualify, unless otherwise stated by the card issuer. 

Approximate credit score needed for approval

Canadian credit card issuers rarely disclose required credit scores, which makes it hard to know your chances of approval when comparing credit cards. What we do know is that higher scores have better chances of approval — that’s true no matter what type of credit you’re applying for. Want to learn more? Visit our “ What Credit Score is Needed for a Credit Card? ” page.

» MORE: How to Check Your Credit Score

RBC Avion Visa Infinite rewards

Earn 35,000 Avion points when you’re approved for the RBC Avion Visa Infinite card and 20,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 in your first 6 months (must apply by April 30, 2024).

You could save up to $1,100 on flights. The card’s 35,000 welcome points can be used to purchase a long-haul return flight to eligible destinations with a maximum ticket price of $1,100.

• Earn 1 Avion point for every CAD spent on all purchases. 
• Earn 1.25x Avion points on eligible travel purchases. 
• Earn 1.20x Avion points on eligible Petro-Canada purchases. 
• Earn 3x Avion points on eligible Hertz purchases. 

How to apply for the RBC Avion Visa Infinite card

• Click the Apply Now and then the Get Started buttons on the RBC Avion Visa Infinite web page.
• Confirm if you are an existing RBC customer or not. Sign in if you are an existing customer for a faster application process. 
• If you are not an existing member, review the card’s terms and conditions and click Continue. 
• Enter your personal details, such as full name, email, date of birth and address.
• Enter any employment or financial information requested. 
• Review and submit your application.

Both cards have similar income requirements, but have different loyalty programs and earn rates.

Reasons you might want a different card

If you’re looking for a rewards card outside of the Avion points program, that has higher earn rates and offers airport lounge access, you may want to look elsewhere. 

RBC Avion Visa Infinite facts

Rating methodology.

NerdWallet Canada rates credit cards according to overall consumer value and their suitability for specific kinds of consumers. Factors in  our evaluation methodology  include annual and other fees, rewards rates, the earning structure (for example, flat-rate rewards versus bonus categories), redemption options, bonus offers for new cardholders, introductory and ongoing APRs, and other noteworthy features such as airline or hotel perks or the ability to transfer points.

Frequently asked questions about RBC Avion Visa Infinite

No. RBC Avion Visa Infinite does not offer access to airport lounges. The bank’s higher-tiered card (RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege) does offer lounge access.

You must have a minimum gross income of $60,000 ($100,000 for the household) or at least $250,000 of investable assets to be eligible for this card.

About the Author

Georgia Rose is a lead writer on the international team at NerdWallet. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Independent and The Associated…

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How Long Do RBC Avion Points Transfers Take?

RBC ‘s in-house rewards currency is known as RBC Avion points. Similar to Amex Membership Rewards , Avion points are a transferable currency, in that you can choose to convert them into points in a handful of external loyalty programs.

Avion points can be transferred to four different airline partners, as well as Hudson’s Bay Rewards. Given this flexibility, Avion points are an important asset to have as a Miles & Points enthusiast.

When planning out a redemption, it’s important to know how long it takes for points to arrive in your loyalty program account once they’ve left your RBC Avion account. In this guide, we’ll go through the transfer times for converting RBC Avion points into airline partner programs, as well as any other pertinent information to be aware of.

Transferring Points from RBC Avion

RBC issues a number of credit cards that earn Avion points. Earning Avion points is a great way to supplement your balance of other transferable points currencies, such as American Express Membership Rewards or HSBC Rewards , with the goal of using them for travel.

In Canada, there are a total of seven credit cards that accumulate Avion points: the RBC Avion Visa Infinite , the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege , the RBC Avion Visa Platinum , the RBC US Dollar Visa Gold, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business , the RBC Avion Visa Business , and the RBC Visa CreditLine for Small Business.

The cards range from entry-level to top-tier, and so there should be at least one card on this list that suits most travellers.

In general, it’s best to only transfer Avion points out of your account once you’ve lined up a specific redemption. This way, they remain versatile, as they aren’t shoehorned into a single loyalty program.

RBC Avion points can be converted to American Airlines AAdvantage miles , British Airways Avios , Cathay Pacific Asia Miles , and WestJet Dollars .

It’s also possible to transfer them into Hudson’s Bay Rewards; however, unless you do a significant amount of shopping at the department store, it’s generally recommended to avoid transferring your points this way.

Prior to making a transfer, you’ll need to register for an account with the loyalty program to which you’d like to transfer points. Once you’ve done so, head to your RBC Avion Rewards account , sign in, and select “Transfer” at the top of the page.

Once here, scroll down, click on “Convert Now”, select the program to which you’d like to transfer points, and then follow the prompts. You typically need to enter your membership number and email address at this stage, so have both of those handy.

Keep in mind that points transfers are one-way only, and once they leave your RBC Avion account, they can’t return. Therefore, you’ll want to be 100% certain that you want to make the transfer, as you won’t be able to get them back into a transferable form once they’re gone.

The below chart summarizes the estimated transfer time as listed by RBC, the realistic transfer time, the minimum transfer amount, and the transfer ratio for each partner program. Further down, we’ll go into a bit more detail about the nuances of each loyalty program.

Transferring RBC Avion to American Airlines AAdvantage Miles

RBC Avion is the sole Canadian transfer partner of American Airlines AAdvantage . The US-based loyalty program has a number of compelling redemptions, and it can indeed be very worthwhile to have AAdvantage points at your disposal.

The transfer ratio from RBC Avion to American Airlines AAdvantage is a slightly unfavourable 1:0.7, and the minimum transfer amount is 5,000 RBC Avion points.

The listed transfer time is up to four weeks, but in reality, the points will hit your AAdvantage account in a few days, but could take up to a week.

In Canada, American Airlines AAdvantage miles are otherwise very difficult to earn, which makes RBC Avion points both unique and valuable.

It’s worth noting that AAdvantage allows award holds, which means that you can place a booking on hold, transfer points in, and then complete the booking.

You can place a hold of up to five days if your flight departs 14 days or more in the future, or just for one day if it’s in the next two weeks. The cost is $35 (USD) for an award hold, and you’ll need to call AAdvantage to request it.

The hold can buy you some time to transfer your RBC Avion points into your AAdvantage account without losing out on the flights you’d like to book.

Transferring RBC Avion to British Airways Avios

British Airways Avios is perhaps the most frequently used transfer partner of RBC Avion .

Once again, the advertised transfer time is up to four weeks, but in reality, you can typically expect your points to arrive in a few days, and sometimes up to a week.

The minimum transfer amount is 10,000 Avion points, and the ratio is 1:1.

Prior to initiating a transfer to Avios, you may want to hold off for a transfer bonus event, which typically appears once or twice a year. During a transfer bonus event, you’ll benefit from an even more favourable ratio, usually with a 30–50% bonus.

For example, if you were to transfer 10,000 Avion points to Avios without a bonus, you’d wind up with 10,000 Avios. During a 30% transfer bonus, you’d get 13,000 Avios, and during a 50% bonus event, you’d get 15,000 Avios.

These numbers really start to add up as you make larger redemptions, and it’s perhaps the best way to score an aspirational flight on Qatar Airways Qsuites at a significant discount.

Keep in mind that British Airways Avios transfer to Qatar Airways Avios instantly at a 1:1 ratio, so during a transfer bonus event, you’re essentially extending the Avion bonus to Qatar Airways Avios, too.

Transferring RBC Avion to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Another Oneworld airline loyalty program that’s a transfer partner of RBC Avion is Cathay Pacific Asia Miles .

The estimated transfer time from RBC Avion to Asia Miles is up to four weeks; however, in general, you can expect the transfer to take around a week.

You’ll need to be sure that the personal information on your RBC Avion account exactly matches the personal information on your Asia Miles account. If it doesn’t, expect to run into lengthy delays for any transfers, which can be very frustrating.

The minimum transfer amount is 10,000 Avion points, and the transfer ratio is 1:1.

It’s worth noting that RBC Avion has the most favourable transfer ratio to Asia Miles in Canada. Recall that the Amex MR ratio is 1:0.75, and the transfer ratio from HSBC Rewards to Asia Miles is 25:8.

Therefore, RBC Avion is arguably the best route to Asia Miles in Canada.

In the past, there have been a few transfer bonuses available; however, the most we’ve seen is 15%, and the events are far less frequent than with British Airways Avios.

Asia Miles also allows award holds of up to three days at a cost of $39 (USD) for partner airlines. However, since the transfer time is likely to take longer than this, it’s not particularly useful.

One of the best aspects of Asia Miles is that you have access to more Cathay Pacific award seats than other programs, including First Class and business class.

Asia Miles also offers an award waitlist, which can be handy if you aren’t able to find your preferred redemption right away.

Transferring RBC Avion to WestJet Dollars

Lastly, RBC Avion points can transfer to the WestJet Rewards loyalty program. If you choose to do this, your Avion points become WestJet Dollars, which can be used to book flights with WestJet and other affiliated airlines.

The listed transfer time is again up to four weeks, but you can generally expect the process to be complete in a few days or up to a week, at most.

RBC Avion points convert into WestJet Dollars at a 100:1 ratio, which means that every 100 Avion points converted equals 1 WestJet Dollar. The minimum transfer amount is 1,000 Avion points, which is the lowest threshold amongst all transfer partners.

Unfortunately, WestJet Rewards isn’t as interesting as it once was. The program underwent an overhaul in 2020, which essentially eroded the most attractive features of the loyalty program.

However, WestJet Dollars can come in handy if you tend to fly WestJet anyway, since they can be used to offset the cost of flights.

You can also use them with WestJet Vacations and on other expenses, such as Disneyland tickets.

Furthermore, when used in conjunction with a WestJet Companion Voucher , WestJet Dollars can help you reduce the cost of a trip for two.

Transferring to/from Hudson’s Bay Rewards

It’s worth noting that you can transfer RBC Avion points to Hudson’s Bay Rewards at a 1:2 ratio, with a minimum transfer amount of 500 Avion points. There is no publicly listed transfer time.

If you happen to be sitting on a large sum of Hudson’s Bay Rewards, you can actually transfer them into RBC Avion points, albeit at a fairly unfavourable ratio of 4:1. The minimum transfer amount is 40 Hudson’s Bay Rewards.

Unless you don’t have a compelling reason to use the points for merchandise, at least you have an option to turn them into RBC Avion points. Indeed, this is certainly a much better option than letting your points expire.

RBC Avion points are a useful points currency to collect, since they can be transferred to four airline partners. With a number of credit cards that earn RBC Avion points, they’re also relatively easy to earn.

Most of the airline transfer partners belong to the Oneworld alliance, which makes RBC Avion points less versatile than, say, Amex MR points , which has transfer partners in all three major airline alliances.

However, with a favourable transfer ratio to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles , frequent transfer bonuses to British Airways Avios , and the only pathway to American Airlines AAdvantage in Canada, collecting RBC Avion points is surely worth your time and effort.

When you’re ready to redeem, expect your RBC Avion points transfer to take less than a week for all transfer partners. In some cases, it only takes a few days, which means you won’t have to wait long to score an aspirational redemption.

• Earn 80,000 MR points upon spending $15,000 in the first three months
• Plus, earn  40,000 MR points  upon making a purchase in months 14–17 as a cardholder
• And, earn 1.25x MR points on all purchases
• Also, receive a $200 annual travel credit
• Transfer MR points to Aeroplan and other frequent flyer programs for premium flights
• Unlimited airport lounge access for you and one guest at Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, Centurion, and other lounges
• Credits and rebates for business expenses throughout the year with Amex Offers
• Bonus MR points for referring family and friends
• Qualify for the card as a sole proprietor
• Annual fee: $799

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RBC Rewards becomes Avion Rewards

RBC Rewards is now called Avion Rewards .

One of the benefits of this is that it simplifies the range of RBC credit cards: some were part of the Avion program, such as the most popular, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card while some others were part of the RBC Rewards program.

Now they are all part of the same Avion Rewards program. But there are different levels of Avion members!

Avion Premium and Avion Elite membership levels

In order to distinguish the different Avion credit cards, there are two levels in the Avion Rewards program:

• Avion Premium
• Avion Elite

Here is the breakdown of the credit cards between Avion Premium and Avion Elite:

All Avion members, whether they are Avion Distinction or Avion Elite , benefit from cash back offers, RBC online offers , and can pay with points or redeem them for gift cards or products.

Note that you can become a Avion Distinction member not only with certain credit cards, but also with other eligible RBC products: RBC Personal Deposit Accounts, Personal RBC investment products, RBC installment loans, lines of credit and home equity financing.

However, as was previously the case, only Avion Elite members – those with an Avion credit card – will be able to access the Air Travel Redemption Schedule and the Avion Collection experiences.

Also, Avion Elite members get exclusive Elite level offers to earn or redeem points.

Here are the differences in the use of points between Avion Premium and Avion Elite:

Therefore, if you wish full flexibility in using your Avion points, it will be necessary to have an Avion credit card such as the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card .

You can then convert your points to airline partners like American AAdvantage , British Airways Executive Club , or Asia Miles .

If you do not have an Avion Elite credit card – but have another Avion Premium credit card such as the RBC ION Visa Card or the RBC ION+ Visa Card – you just need to apply for an Avion card such as the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card to turn your points into Avion Elite points!

Avion Rewards online shopping portal

RBC launched of a browser extension called Avion Rewards ShopPlus , providing offers on more than 1,900 brands. However, you need to download the mobile application, which means you can only use the extension on Safari and from your mobile device.

Even though it’s not available on desktop, it’s the closest thing RBC created to online shopping portals such as AIR MILES (airmilesshops ), Aeroplan ( eStore ) or Rakuten .

Current Avion Rewards Offer

With this exceptional offer for the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card, you can earn up to 55,000 Avion points:

• 35,000 Avion points on approval
• 20,000 Avion bonus points when you spend $5,000 in your first 6 months

This offer expires on April 30, 2024, and will not be renewed. Take advantage of it before it’s too late !

You can use your Avion Rewards points for travel or redeem them with other loyalty programs such as :

• American Airlines AAdvantage
• British Airways Executive Club (and Qatar Airways Privilege Club)
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
• WestJet Rewards

For example, with the current welcome offer, you can get 55,000 British Airways Avios Points or 550 WestJet Dollars .

With the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card, you earn 1 point per dollar and 1.25 points for travel purchases.

And you’ll benefit from a wide range of insurance coverage: Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance, Out-of-Province/Country Emergency Medical Insurance, Rental Vehicle Collision/Loss Damage Insurance, Mobile Device Insurance.

Bottom line

RBC states that there will be no further changes:

• The value of your points will remain the same
• Points will not expire
• Point earning ratios will not change

Frequently asked questions about Avion Rewards

If i was already a member of the rbc rewards program, do i need to enroll in the avion rewards program.

No, you will be automatically enrolled. Simply visit the Avion Rewards website or access the Avion Rewards app to discover the benefits of Avion Rewards.

What is the difference between RBC Rewards points and Avion points?

No, you are automatically enrolled. You can simply sign into the Avion Rewards website or the Avion Rewards app to discover what Avion Rewards has to offer.

From now on, your points will be called Avion points (formerly RBC Rewards points).

Will my RBC Rewards points expire under Avion Rewards?

No, your RBC Rewards points will not expire, but since August 25, 2022, they have been renamed Avion points.

Your points are yours to use as long as your account remains open and in good standing.

Has the way I earn Avion Rewards points changed?

No. You will continue to earn points on:

• Eligible purchases made through your credit card accounts, banking rewards accounts, or eligible personal deposit accounts enrolled in the Value Program
• IAdditional / bonus points earning opportunities and/or offers available from merchants, retailers or service providers from time to time

What happens to the value of my RBC Rewards points now that the program has become Avion Rewards?

The value of your existing points will not change.

Who is eligible to participate in the Avion Rewards program?

Customers who own one of the following products are eligible for Avion Premium membership:

RBC Personal Deposit Accounts

• RBC Advantage Banking, RBC Day to Day Banking, RBC No Limit Banking, RBC No Limit Banking for Students, RBC Signature No Limit Banking, RBC Student Banking, RBC VIP Banking, U.S. Personal and RateLink Essential.

RBC Personal Credit Cards

• RBC Rewards+ Visa, RBC Rewards Visa Gold, Signature RBC Rewards Visa, RBC Rewards Visa Preferred, RBC Cash Back Mastercard, RBC Visa Cash Back, RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard, RBC Visa Classic Low Rate Option, RBC RateAdvantage Visa, RBC Visa Platinum, RBC U.S Dollar Visa Gold.

RBC Business Credit Cards

• RBC Visa CreditLine for Small Business

RBC Personal Investment Products

• Life Income Fund (LIF), Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP), Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP), Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF), Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), Canadian Market-Linked GIC, Income Builder GIC, Non-Redeemable GIC, One-Year Cashable GIC, Prime-Linked Cashable GIC, RateAdvantage GIC, RBC Canadian Banking MarketSmart GIC, RBC Canadian Utilities MarketSmart GIC, RBC ESG Market-Linked GIC, RBC North American MarketSmart GIC, RBC US MarketSmart GIC, Redeemable GIC, US Dollar Term Deposit.

RBC Installment Loans, Lines of Credit and Home Equity Financing

• Government Sponsored Student Loan, Personal Instalment Loans, RBC Employee Student Loan, RBC Energy Saver Loan, RSP Loan, Royal Credit Line, Royal Credit Line for General Program, Royal Credit line for Professional in Medical & Dental Studies, Royal Credit Line for Professional Studies (i.e. MBA/EMA, Law, Masters of Accounting, Master of Finance, Master of Science in Business Mgmt), Royal Credit Line for Special Programs, Royal Credit Line for Students – Students Studying Abroad, Adjustable Rate Mortage (ARM), Construction Mortgage, Fixed Rate Mortgage, Investment Properties Mortgage, Low Down Payment Mortgage, Manufactured Home Construction Mortgages, Ratecapper Mortgage, RBC Homeline Plan, Reverse Mortgage, Variable Rate Mortage, where the product is not tied to a business banking profile

Clients with one of the following products are eligible to participate as an Avion Elite Member :

• RBC Avion Visa Platinum
• RBC Avion Visa Infinite
• RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege
• RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege for Private Banking
• RBC Avion Visa Business
• RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business card

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WestJet dollars FAQs

• Earn with credit card

How do I earn WestJet dollars?

To earn WestJet dollars, you will need to join the program and provide your WestJet Rewards ID on eligible transactions:

When will my WestJet dollars appear in my account?

WestJet dollars will appear in your account within 30 days of completion of travel.

What’s the difference between WestJet dollars, tier qualifying spend and milestone qualifying spend?     

WestJet dollars are the reward currency you receive when you add your WestJet Rewards ID to an eligible WestJet flight, vacation package or land-only booking, have activity on a WestJet RBC ®  Mastercard ‡  credit card, or travel with one of our partners. The WestJet dollars you earn can then be redeemed on future flights or vacation packages.

Tier qualifying spend is a calculation used to track your progress to Silver, Gold or Platinum status and includes certain portions of your individual flight and vacation package spend with WestJet, along with amounts earned through  Status Lift , a benefit provided to primary cardholders of a WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡.  

Milestone qualifying spend is a calculation used to track your achievement of milestone awards. It includes the same individual flight and vacation package spend amounts considered for tier qualifying spend, but excludes any amounts earned through Status Lift.  

What’s included in tier qualifying spend?

Tier qualifying spend includes: 1) 100% of the amount spent on eligible published base fares for WestJet-marketed flights you have flown within a qualifying year, 2) 20% of your portion of the base package price for eligible WestJet Vacations packages, awarded based on the date of your outbound flight and processed as a single amount upon completion of the package, and 3) effective September 1, 2021, any amounts earned from Status Lift in a qualifying year.

The following are not eligible toward tier qualifying spend: Basic fares, Member Exclusive fares, contracted fares, tour operator fares, WestJet Vacations group package bookings, partner-marketed flights, ancillary partner bookings made on westjet.com, WestJet Vacations land-only bookings, gift cards, taxes, fees, charges, and any portion paid with WestJet dollars or any other reward program redemption.

What’s included in milestone qualifying spend?

Milestone qualifying spend includes: 1) 100% of the amount spent on eligible published base fares for WestJet-marketed flights you have flown within a qualifying year and 2) 20% of your portion of the base package price for eligible WestJet Vacations packages, awarded based on the date of your outbound flight and processed as a single amount upon completion of the package.

The following are not eligible toward milestone qualifying spend: Basic fares, Member Exclusive fares, contracted fares, tour operator fares, WestJet Vacations group package bookings, partner-marketed flights, ancillary partner bookings made on westjet.com, WestJet Vacations land-only bookings, gift cards, taxes, fees, charges, any portion paid with WestJet dollars or any other reward program redemption, and any amounts earned from Status Lift.

What is my qualifying year?

Your qualifying year is the period used to track your progress toward achieving Silver, Gold or Platinum status in the program. As of January 1, 2021, all new members are assigned a qualifying year that begins on the date of enrolment and ends on December of the same year. Each subsequent qualifying year is the next January 1 to December 31 period. This aligns to the  recent program change  to a standard calendar year qualification period for all members. Those who belonged to the program prior to January 1, 2021 previously had their qualifying year extended to December 31, 2021 to align to the calendar year.

Is the tracking of my tier and milestone qualifying spend based on the date of purchase or the date of travel?

Tracking of tier and milestone qualifying spend earned from travel is based on the dates your flights are flown or vacation packages are completed. For example, with a qualifying year of January 1 to December 31, your tier and milestone qualifying spend is tracked based on travel completed during that period. For WestJet Vacations packages, tier and milestone qualifying spend is awarded based on the date of your outbound flight and processed as a single amount upon completion of the package. When the outbound and inbound flight dates fall in different years, the qualifying spend is earned for the qualifying year the outbound flight is taken. E.g. A vacation package with an outbound flight on December 25, 2022 and an inbound flight on January 2, 2023, the qualifying spend will be posted to 2022. Tracking of additional tier qualifying spend amounts earned through  Status Lift is based on your WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡ statements issued during your qualifying year (January 1 to December 31), not the actual dates on which you made the purchases.

How much is a WestJet dollar worth?

One WestJet dollar is equivalent to one Canadian dollar when redeemed on the base fare portion of an eligible flight or vacation package. WestJet dollars cannot be used towards the payment of taxes, fees or charges. Please refer to Redeeming WestJet dollars for more information.

How do I make a booking using my WestJet Rewards ID?

When booking a flight on  westjet.com  select ‘Sign in’ located at the at the top-right corner of the page and sign into your WestJet Rewards account using your 9-digit WestJet Rewards ID or email address and password. With this one quick extra step our system will auto-populate your guest details, including your WestJet Rewards ID, into the booking. You will also be prompted to sign in during your booking. When booking a WestJet Vacations package, enter your 9-digit WestJet Rewards ID in the member number field, found on the Payment screen.

What qualifies as a WestJet-marketed flight?

A WestJet-marketed flight is any flight that has a WS carrier code preceding the flight number (eg. WS 656, WS 3109, WS 5010). The flight may be operated by WestJet, WestJet Encore, WestJet Link by Pacific Coastal, or a partner airline. Regardless of which carrier operates it, if the flight number starts with WS and you have purchased an eligible published fare you will earn WestJet dollars on that flight.

What is a published fare, and can I earn WestJet dollars on all fares?

A published fare is one that is publicly available to all guests on our website and most of these fares are eligible for earning. Certain published fares, namely Basic fares and Member Exclusive fares, as well as unpublished contracted fares made available to online travel agencies, for example, are not eligible for earning.

Do WestJet dollars expire?

Most WestJet dollars do not expire, however there are  certain circumstances , such as when WestJet dollars are issued through promotions, compensation, or limited-time promotional offers, when they will expire. You can keep tabs on expiry dates, as applicable, by visiting the  Expiring WestJet dollars  page in your WestJet Rewards account.

What can I earn each year when I fly with WestJet?

Earn rates and flight benefits are determined by your WestJet Rewards tier at the time travel is completed. There are four  tiers  in the WestJet Rewards program:

As a new member, you’ll start in the Teal tier. Starting with your first dollar and up to $2,999 in tier qualifying spend in your qualifying year, you will earn WestJet dollars at a rate of 0.5 per cent back on eligible WestJet flights and 0.5 per cent back on eligible WestJet Vacations packages.

Once you reach $3,000 in tier qualifying spend in your qualifying year, you’ll move up to the Silver tier with earn rates of 3 per cent back on eligible WestJet flights and 1 per cent back on eligible WestJet Vacations packages as long as you continue to maintain Silver status. You’ll also receive Silver flight benefits, including your first and second checked bags free, four airport lounge vouchers along with two one-time use guest lounge vouchers, four advance seat selection vouchers and Zone 2 boarding. You will also be eligible for space-available complimentary upgrades to Premium (with the purchase of EconoFlex, excluding flights to/from Europe and Asia) or Business (with the purchase of PremiumFlex or Premium on 787 Dreamliner flights within Canada only).

At $5,000 in tier qualifying spend in your qualifying year, you’ll move up to the Gold tier with earn rates of 5 per cent back on eligible WestJet flights and 1.5 per cent back on eligible WestJet Vacations packages as long as you continue to maintain Gold status. You’ll also receive Gold flight benefits, which include your first and second checked bags free, priority baggage, priority boarding, no fee for same-day flight changes, unlimited lounge access for yourself and up to five immediate family members along with two one-time use guest lounge vouchers, six advance seat selection vouchers, priority security screening, priority check-in, and access to a Gold priority support number. As a Gold member you now also have early access to purchase confirmed upgrades to Premium or Business up to 48 hours prior to departure, as well as higher priority for space-available complimentary upgrades to Premium (with the purchase of EconoFlex, excluding flights to/from Europe and Asia) or Business (with the purchase of PremiumFlex or Premium on 787 Dreamliner flights within Canada only).

At $8,000 in tier qualifying spend in your qualifying year, you’ll advance to the Platinum tier with earn rates of 8 per cent back on eligible WestJet flights and 2 per cent back on eligible WestJet Vacations packages as long as you continue to maintain Platinum status. Your Platinum flight benefits will include first, second and third checked bags free, priority baggage, priority boarding, no fee for same-day flight changes, unlimited lounge access for yourself and up to five immediate family members along with two one-time use guest lounge vouchers, unlimited advance seat selection for yourself along with six one-time use guest vouchers, priority security screening, priority check-in, and access to a dedicated Platinum priority support number. As a Platinum member, you’ll have continued early access to purchase confirmed upgrades to Premium or Business up to 48 hours prior to departure, along with the highest priority for space-available complimentary upgrades to Premium (with the purchase of either EconoFlex or Econo, excluding flights to/from Europe and Asia) or Business (with the purchase of PremiumFlex or Premium on 787 Dreamliner flights within Canada only).

Milestone awards are tied to your milestone qualifying spend in any given qualifying year and are awarded only once the spend requirements are achieved, regardless of your tier status. The first two milestone awards are issued at $4,000 and $6,000 in milestone qualifying spend, respectively, and are WestJet-wide companion vouchers. Starting at $8,000—and at every $2,000 after that—you’ll get to choose from several award options, allowing you to select the option that’s most rewarding to you.

Learn more about  WestJet Rewards tiers  and  milestone awards.

Can I earn WestJet dollars on flights and vacation packages booked online at westjet.com as well as through WestJet’s contact centre?

Yes. WestJet makes it easy for you to earn WestJet dollars on your flights, vacation packages and land-only bookings, regardless of how you book. You can earn WestJet dollars on reservations made on our website or by  calling us . You can also earn WestJet dollars on reservations made by a travel agent. Some fare restrictions apply; please see published fares below.

Do I need to purchase my flights and vacations directly from WestJet in order to earn WestJet dollars?

No. You are eligible to earn WestJet dollars as long as you have purchased an eligible published fare and your 9-digit WestJet Rewards ID (also known as your Frequent Flyer Number) has been added to your booking. This includes bookings made through a travel agent or through a Global Distribution System (GDS). Eligible published fares include: Econo, EconoFlex, Premium, PremiumFlex, Business and BusinessFlex. You will not earn WestJet dollars on Basic fares, Member Exclusive fares or any unpublished fares (ie. contracted fares not publicly available at  westjet.com ).

How do I earn on WestJet Vacations packages (includes air)?

It’s simple. Just add your 9-digit WestJet Rewards ID to the member number field when booking a WestJet Vacations package on westjet.com, or provide it to a vacations specialist or travel agent to add to your booking. WestJet dollars awarded will be based on your individual portion of the total eligible spend and your tier status at time of the outbound flight date. Teal members earn 0.5% back on their eligible spend, Silver 1 per cent, Gold 1.5 per cent and Platinum 2 per cent. Eligible spend on a WestJet Vacations package includes base airfare, hotel, attractions, transfers and/or meal plans, but excludes all taxes, fees and other charges. WestJet dollars are not awarded on WestJet Vacations group bookings.

How do I earn on a WestJet Vacations land-only booking (does not include air)?

When you go on vacation but don’t need flights, WestJet Vacations can make a land-only booking – hotels, meal plans, car rentals, airport transfers or attractions – and you can earn WestJet dollars on them too. All members earn one per cent, regardless of tier status, on the individual portion of the base price. These bookings are made through the contact centre only.

Can I earn WestJet dollars on flights and vacation packages that I have booked for others?

No. WestJet Rewards is an individual traveller program. Eligible spend will only be applied to the account belonging to the person whose name and WestJet Rewards ID matches those appearing on the booking. This also applies for bookings made for children. To earn WestJet dollars, each individual traveller must join WestJet Rewards and have their own WestJet Rewards ID.

Are there any other ways that I can earn WestJet dollars?

Yes. WestJet dollars can also be earned through either the WestJet RBC ® World Elite Mastercard‡ or the WestJet RBC ® Mastercard ‡ . These two credit cards are a great way for anyone to earn WestJet dollars, regardless of how often they fly with WestJet. If you are a WestJet Rewards member, you can accelerate your earnings through everyday spending on your credit card. For more information, visit our WestJet RBC credit cards page. Additionally, you can also earn WestJet dollars on car rentals as well as through our partner airlines. For more information visit Our partners page.

I forgot to add my WestJet Rewards ID. Can I still earn WestJet dollars?

Yes. You are eligible to receive credit as long as you were a member at the time the flight was flown and you submit the request within 12 months of your flight date. The timeframe to submit a missing rewards request for partner airline activity may be shorter; please see  Our partners  for more details. All missing rewards requests must be submitted using the online form available when you  sign in to your account . When submitting the form please be sure to complete all fields, including the  airline ticket number . Please allow up to 30 days for processing. It is highly recommended that you keep your boarding passes, as they are the best source for the information you’ll need to submit a missing rewards request.

How do I submit a missing rewards request?

If you did not add your WestJet Rewards ID before travel, and you were already a member at the time of travel, you may submit a missing rewards request as follows:

• Click ‘Sign In’ in the top-right corner of westjet.com
• Sign in using your WestJet Rewards ID or email address and password
• Click on ‘My account’ in the top right corner, then ‘View account’
• Click ‘Manage dollars’ on the left side of the screen
• Click ‘Missing Rewards’
• Submit a new request by selecting the request type
• Input the required information

Your  airline ticket number  can be found on the boarding pass or confirmation email. Please allow up to 30 days for processing of your request.

Can I earn WestJet dollars with other airlines?

Yes. As WestJet continues to expand its interline and code-share partnerships, reciprocal frequent flyer agreements with airlines around the globe will be introduced. These partnerships give WestJet Rewards members greater opportunity to earn WestJet dollars, particularly on routes that WestJet does not operate. To view our current airline partners, along with details on how to earn WestJet dollars, please see  Our partners .

If I purchase flights marketed by a partner airline, will they count towards my tier and milestone qualifying spend?

No. Only flights marketed by WestJet and purchased with an eligible published fare are eligible. Partner-marketed flights do not count towards your tier or milestone qualifying spend, however, they provide you with a great way to add more WestJet dollars to your account, particularly when your travel plans take you outside WestJet’s network. WestJet dollars awarded on partner-marketed flights are based on distance flown (instead of amount spent) plus class of service bonus, when applicable. To learn more about earning WestJet dollars with our airline partners, please see  Our partners .

Are there any other ways to increase my WestJet dollars?

Yes. If you are a member of the Avion Rewards program or are an eligible RBC banking account holder who earns Avion Rewards points you can convert your points to WestJet dollars. Visit  www.avionrewards.com  to learn more.

How can I earn WestJet dollars through use of a credit card?

WestJet offers two credit card options for earning WestJet dollars: the WestJet RBC ® Mastercard ‡ and the WestJet RBC ® World Elite Mastercard ‡ . Both card options give cardholders the opportunity to earn WestJet dollars on everyday purchases and use them towards the future purchase of a WestJet flight or WestJet Vacations package. WestJet dollars earned on credit card spend are in addition to any WestJet dollars earned through flying with WestJet.

What is the difference between the WestJet RBC Mastercard and the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard?

You earn WestJet dollars with both cards. The difference is with the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard you earn WestJet dollars faster and have a wider selection of benefits. With this card, you earn 1.5 per cent back in WestJet dollars on everyday purchases and 2 per cent back in WestJet dollars on WestJet flight or vacation package purchases. Plus, as the primary cardholder, you receive a higher amount of welcome WestJet dollars, an annual World Elite round-trip companion voucher eligible for anywhere WestJet flies starting at $119 CAD (plus taxes, fees and charges), your first checked bag free (for you and up to eight additional guests on the same reservation), and enhanced travel insurance coverage including Out-of-Province/Country Emergency Medical Insurance. You can also take advantage of complimentary Boingo Wi-Fi for Mastercard holders *** , save with on-demand apps and subscription services, plus link your card to instantly save 3¢/L ‡‡  on fuel and earn 20% more Petro-Points ‡‡‡  at Petro-Canada locations. Also, exclusive to this card, your everyday purchases on the card can help bring you closer to achieving the next tier status with Status Lift .

With the WestJet RBC Mastercard, you earn 1 per cent back in WestJet dollars on everyday purchases and 1.5 per cent back in WestJet dollars on WestJet flight or vacation package purchases. As the primary cardholder, you receive welcome WestJet dollars, an annual credit card companion voucher eligible for travel within Canada or to/from the continental U.S. for $199 CAD (plus taxes, fees and charges) and a suite of insurance coverage including Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance. You can also link your card to instantly save 3¢/L ‡‡  on fuel and earn 20% more Petro-Points ‡‡‡  at Petro-Canada locations.

How do I apply?

You can apply from any of the links on  our WestJet RBC credit cards page .

When and how will I know if I am approved?

RBC Royal Bank will contact you to confirm the status of your application.

What is the annual fee and interest rate?

Please visit  our WestJet RBC credit cards page  for a comparison of the features and benefits, as well as the annual fee and interest rates for each card.

Can residents of countries other than Canada apply for the WestJet RBC Mastercard or WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard?

No. The credit cards are available to Canadian residents only.

Will I earn WestJet dollars on all my purchases?

Yes. Every purchase made with your WestJet RBC Mastercard or WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard will earn WestJet dollars. They are not earned on cash advances (including credit card cheques and balance transfers), interest charges or fees. Credits for returns and adjustments will reduce or cancel the dollars earned by the amounts originally charged.

When will I start earning?

You will be eligible to start earning as soon as you receive and activate your credit card. Every purchase you make using your WestJet RBC Mastercard or WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard will earn WestJet dollars.

Can I confirm the WestJet dollars balance on my credit card statement?

No. Your credit card statement will only provide the number of WestJet dollars earned through use of your WestJet RBC Mastercard during the current statement period. You may obtain your current balance and more info on WestJet dollars earned and redeemed by  signing into your WestJet Rewards account .

Will I earn WestJet dollars on my full WestJet or WestJet Vacations purchase when I pay with my WestJet RBC Mastercard or WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard?

Yes. You will earn on the full amount paid (including taxes) when you pay for your WestJet or WestJet Vacations purchase with either of the WestJet RBC credit cards. Plus, as a WestJet Rewards member you can add your WestJet Rewards ID to the booking and double dip to earn even more.

Can I earn the extra 0.5 per cent in WestJet dollars when I book WestJet flights or vacation packages through a travel agent?

Yes. Please ensure that you provide your travel agent with your WestJet RBC Mastercard or WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard number to process payment for your WestJet flight or WestJet Vacations package. Payment must be made directly to WestJet, with WestJet appearing as the merchant on your credit card statement, for you to receive the additional WestJet dollars on the transaction.

Most WestJet dollars do not expire, however there are  certain circumstances , such as when WestJet dollars are issued through promotions, compensation, or limited-time promotional offers, when they will expire. You can keep tabs on expiry dates, as applicable, by visiting the  Expiring WestJet dollars  page in your WestJet Rewards account.

Why do I require a WestJet Rewards ID?

A WestJet Rewards ID is required to create a WestJet Rewards account. If you do not already have a WestJet Rewards ID, one will be created for you upon approval of your credit card application and you will also be automatically enrolled in WestJet Rewards, giving you the ability to also earn WestJet dollars when you fly with WestJet. You can use your WestJet Rewards ID to sign in to your WestJet Rewards account to keep track of your accumulated WestJet dollars. You will also need to use it on our website or provide it when you call us to redeem your WestJet dollars. To earn WestJet dollars when you fly with WestJet, be sure to select WestJet as your loyalty program and input your WestJet Rewards ID in the member number field when booking flights on westjet.com or provide it to us when you call, or ask your travel agent to include your WestJet Rewards ID on your reservation.

How can I access my WestJet dollars balance and other account information?

Once you've been approved for your WestJet RBC Mastercard or WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard, WestJet will email you a WestJet Rewards ID and temporary password (if you do not already have a WestJet Rewards ID), along with instructions on how to sign in and change your password. Simply enter your WestJet Rewards ID and password  here  to access your account and view your WestJet dollars balance.

Where can I find more information about all the benefits of my card, including insurance coverage?

Full details on the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard can be found at  rbc.com/westjetworldeliteinfo . Full details on the WestJet RBC Mastercard are available at  rbc.com/westjetcardinfo .

How can I use my WestJet dollars?

WestJet dollars can be used like cash to pay for all or part of the base fare of an eligible WestJet flight, WestJet Vacations package or a WestJet Vacations land-only booking, available on westjet.com or through WestJet’s contact centre. Effective February 29, 2024, WestJet dollars can also be used to pay for all or part of the base fare of an eligible Sunwing Vacations package booking made through Sunwing’s contact centre. WestJet dollars cannot be applied against taxes, fees or charges and can only be used for new bookings.

Exception : Certain WestJet dollars refunded by WestJet Vacations due to travel disruption can be redeemed for a future vacation package, including the taxes and fees, and will be valid for 12 months.

For more information about eligible flights and vacation packages, visit our WestJet dollars page .

Do I need a minimum amount of WestJet dollars to redeem?

Yes, and the minimum redemption amount required varies by booking type.

• For WestJet flights in Economy, Premium or Business, a minimum of 15 WestJet dollars per guest, per direction of travel, applies.
• For flights purchased with a Member Exclusive fare, the entire base fare for all guests on the booking must be paid with WestJet dollars.
• For WestJet Vacations packages or Sunwing Vacations packages, a minimum of 50 WestJet dollars per booking applies.

Can I use my WestJet dollars toward taxes, fees and charges?

No. WestJet dollars can only be used toward the base fare or base package price at the initial time of booking of your flight or vacation package. Taxes, fees and charges must be paid with a credit card at the time of booking.

Exception : WestJet dollars refunded by WestJet Vacations due to travel disruption can be redeemed for a future vacation package, including the taxes and fees, and will be valid for 12 months.

Can I use WestJet dollars to book flights on other airlines or with hotel or car rental partners?

Members may redeem WestJet dollars on any flight marketed by WestJet, including code-share flights operated by Aeromexico, Air France, Delta, KLM or Qantas. To book a code-share flight offered by WestJet,  book online  or  contact us by phone . Redemptions on hotels and car rentals are not available at this time.

Can I use my WestJet dollars to book a flight or vacation package for someone else?

Yes. To ensure security of your WestJet dollars account, a booking made using your WestJet dollars must be made by you and directly with WestJet or Sunwing.

Can I transfer my WestJet dollars to another person who holds a WestJet Rewards account?

Yes. You are allowed to transfer WestJet dollars of any amount to another account holder for a fee of $50-$59 per transfer. The fee must be paid with a credit card at the time of transfer.

To request a transfer of WestJet dollars, please  call us and we’ll confirm the details and/or obtain your payment information.

How do I make a booking using my WestJet dollars?

To book a flight and redeem your WestJet dollars, you can either 

To book a flight and redeem your WestJet dollars, you can either   book online  or  call our contact centre . To redeem WestJet dollars on a vacation package, you can either  book online   or  call WestJet Vacations . To redeem WestJet dollars on a Sunwing Vacations package, you can call Sunwing Vacations contact centre . 

When I make a change to a reservation, and WestJet dollars were used toward the original payment, can I use WestJet dollars to pay for the difference in fare?

No. WestJet dollars may be used on a new reservation only. All changes after the original booking date that result in an amount owing, including fare or fees, must be paid for with another form of payment, such as a credit card.

Can I use WestJet dollars and Travel Bank credits to pay for a flight?

Yes, this is possible in certain instances. When booking a flight on westjet.com, WestJet dollars and Travel Bank can be used together when making a booking for multiple guests, or when adding extras such as seats, for example. If these two payment types do not cover the remaining amount, you will be prompted to use a credit card for the balance. 

Can I redeem online at westjet.com, westjetvacations.com or sunwing.ca?

Yes. You can redeem WestJet dollars on flights or WestJet Vacations Packages when you book online . For Sunwing Vacations packages, redemption is currently not available online; please call their contact centre . 

Can I redeem my WestJet dollars through my travel agent?

Yes. Your travel agent can redeem WestJet dollars on your behalf, through the WestJet or Sunwing contact centre at the time of booking. You (the WestJet Rewards member) must be one of the travellers on the booking for a travel agent to complete the redemption.

Can I redeem my WestJet dollars on a group booking?

No. WestJet dollars can only be redeemed on individual bookings; they cannot be redeemed on WestJet air-only group bookings or WestJet or Sunwing vacation package group bookings.

What will happen to my WestJet dollars if I need to change or cancel my flight?

If WestJet dollars have been used as a form of payment on a fare where a change or cancellation is allowed, you’ll need to  contact us by phone to make changes to your reservation. Change or cancellation fees may apply. If you cancel your flight, any WestJet dollars redeemed on the reservation will be returned to your account and the original expiry date of the WestJet dollars (if applicable) will continue to apply. Please be aware that Basic fares are 100% non-refundable with no change options allowed; as such, any WestJet dollars used on a Basic fare booking will be forfeited.

For changes on a Member Exclusive fare (booked with WestJet dollars), original booking must be cancelled and a new booking made, subject to Member Exclusive fare availability. This cancellation and rebooking can be done on  Manage Trips , by calling our  Contact Centre , or through the priority support numbers available to  Platinum  and  Gold  members. 

What will happen to my WestJet dollars if I need to change or cancel my WestJet Vacations or Sunwing Vacations package?

If the change or cancel results in a refund to the original form of payment(s), the WestJet dollars may be returned to your WestJet Rewards account.

How do I buy WestJet dollars?

Sign in to your account  with your WestJet Rewards ID and password and select "Buy WestJet dollars". Your order can be charged to a valid Mastercard (including either WestJet RBC ®  Mastercard ‡ ), Visa, Discover, Diners Club, JCB or American Express credit card. WestJet dollars can only be purchased online. Just like earned WestJet dollars, purchased WestJet dollars can be used for any reward redemption.

Is there a minimum or maximum amount of WestJet dollars that can be purchased?

WestJet Rewards members must purchase a minimum of 25 WestJet dollars per transaction, up to a maximum of 3,000 WestJet dollars per calendar year.

Can I get a refund on the WestJet dollars I bought?

No. WestJet dollars purchased are non-refundable.

Does buying WestJet dollars count towards my tier qualifying spend for Silver, Gold, or Platinum status?

No. Buying WestJet dollars does not count towards tier qualifying spend to achieve or retain top-tier status, nor does it count towards milestone qualifying spend to earn milestone awards.

How long will it take for the WestJet dollars I bought to appear in my account?

Generally, WestJet dollars that you buy will appear in your account immediately after you complete your purchase, but please allow up to 48 hours.

Will the WestJet dollars I bought expire if I don’t use them right away?

In June 2017 we made some  changes to WestJet dollar expiry  and WestJet dollars purchased through points.com no longer expire. They are yours to keep for as long as you want, and use whenever you’d like.

Effective June 6, 2017, we’ve made some changes to WestJet dollar expiry. Most WestJet dollars no longer expire, but some still will. We can explain.

WestJet dollars directly earned from purchase transactions with WestJet or its partners, including a WestJet Credit Card, will no longer expire. We refer to these as base WestJet dollars as they represent the base amount, or minimum, you earn on eligible transactions.

Bonus WestJet dollars awarded through promotions, compensation, or limited-time promotional offers will continue to have expiry dates.

Need an example? Let’s say you’re a Silver Rewards member and you’ve paid for and taken a flight with WestJet – the base amount of WestJet dollars you earned (i.e. 3% back in WestJet dollars on WestJet flights) are yours to keep for as long as you want, and use however you’d like. No expiry. Then, on your next trip you decide to take advantage of a Rewards offer which awards bonus WestJet dollars. The bonus WestJet dollars you’ve been awarded will have an expiry date. So basically, base WestJet dollars don’t expire; bonus WestJet dollars do.

Please note: As communicated by email on May 13, 2021, we are giving members with expiring WestJet dollars more time to use them while travel is affected by COVID-19:

• WestJet dollars that expired between March 1, 2020 and May 9, 2021 have been reinstated to members’ accounts and will be available for use until May 10, 2022.
• WestJet dollars that were due to expire between May 10, 2021 and September 30, 2021 have been extended one year from the original expiry date.

To view updated expiry dates, visit  Expiring WestJet dollars .

Do you have more examples?

Need a binary, either/or representation? We’ve got a chart.

Does this only affect WestJet dollars I earn as of June 6, 2017? What about the WestJet dollars already in my account?

This also applies to WestJet dollars already in your account. So, if you have base WestJet dollars that were previously set to expire, such as those earned through purchases on a WestJet RBC ®  World Elite Mastercard ‡ , the expiry dates have been removed; however, any bonus WestJet dollars awarded or gifted to you, such as through a limited-time offer or as compensation, will continue to maintain the original expiry dates.

How can I check if I have expiring WestJet dollars?

You can easily find this information when you sign in to your WestJet Rewards account and check the  Expiring WestJet dollars  page.

How can I ensure that I use expiring WestJet dollars first when I redeem?

We take care of that for you. All of WestJet’s booking systems are configured to automatically use the earliest expiring WestJet dollars first. All you need to do is decide where and when you want to go.

Where can I find more information on WestJet dollar expiry?

For our full legal terms and conditions, see our  WestJet Rewards terms and conditions .

Helpful links

1 ®Registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada

2 ‡Mastercard is a registered trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. Used under license.

3 *** Available in-flight on aircraft where WestJet Connect is available. Terms and conditions apply. Boingo services provided by Boingo Wireless, Inc. See  wifi.mastercard.com  for full details.

4 ‡‡ Each time you use your  linked Eligible RBC Card  to purchase any grade of gasoline, including diesel, at a Retail Petro-Canada Location, you will save three cents ($0.03) per litre at the time of the transaction.

5 ‡‡‡ Each time you use your  linked Eligible RBC Card  to pay for qualifying purchases at a Retail Petro-Canada Location, you will earn a bonus of twenty percent (20%) more Petro-Points than you normally earn, in accordance with the  Petro-Points Terms and Conditions .

• Find a Branch
• Call 1-800-769-2511

Redeem Points

Do more with your avion points.

Pay bills, save for the future or donate to a great charity – use your points where they’re needed most.

Pay it with points

Pay credit card with points

Pay down your eligible RBC * credit card balance with your Avion points and leave more in your wallet.

Pay back purchases with points

Redeem your points towards eligible past purchases and receive a statement credit.

Pay bills with points

Use your points to pay for household bills like internet, TV and more.

More ways to use your points

Send interac e-transfers.

Redeem your points to send Interac e-transfers from one bank account to another.

Save for the future

Use your points to help pay down loans or contribute to investments.

Your points can be redeemed for:

• RBC Registered Rewards ®
• RBC Homeline Reward ™
• RBC Mortgage Reward ™
• Royal Credit Line Reward ™
• RBC Personal Loan Reward ™
• Trade With Points ™ with RBC Direct Investing

Donate to charity

Donate your points to support worthy causes like Tree Canada, Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada, Hope Air and Canadian Olympic Foundation.

Use your points for a huge selection of items from top brands like Apple, Best Buy and more.

Do it all with points in the Avion Rewards app

The Avion Rewards app lets you access your account quickly and easily. Use your points for bill payments, credit card payments, Interac e-transfers and more. Shop, earn, save and redeem – all in the app.

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