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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.

Avion Rewards members can have it all

You’ve got points 1 , cash back and savings – all in one program.

Points, cash back, and savings – all in one program.

Shop smarter with Avion Rewards

Enjoy more ways to shop, save and earn everywhere, every day.

Deals from over 2,000 brands

Get special prices AND earn points on your favourite brands.

Take that dream vacation

Flights, hotels, cars and more – they’re all yours 2 .

Pay with points

Use your points 2 to shop Apple, Best Buy, gift cards, home decor, sports gear and more.

Do more with points

From bills to investments to charitable giving, use your points 2 for what matters most.

Deals at over 2,400 retailers

Get up to 40% cash back 1

Earn money back in your pocket with the Avion Rewards ShopPlus browser extension.

Flights, hotels, cars and cruises – they’re all yours 2 .

Let ShopPlus find the savings for you

Shop more savvy with the ShopPlus browser extension. You do the shopping, we do the searching. Avion Rewards ShopPlus is available for desktop and mobile iOS users – and it’s free! 

Get the app and you can get it all on the go

Savings, cash back, offers and points– all in your pocket. Get the Avion Rewards app and never miss a deal.

Download the app

Power up your rewards with our partners

and an RBC credit or debit card

Save 3¢/L instantly at the pump

Plus get 20% more Petro-Points & Avion points

Get 5x more Be Well points

Earn faster, save more every time

Get up to 10% back

Save on DIYs, renos and more

Enjoy $0 delivery fees

Get a free DashPass and save up to $120

5 stars for Avion Rewards

Don’t just take our word for it – let the rest of the Avion Rewards family do the talking!

“So easy to use. Works on Canadian stores. WHAT?! Amazing.”

“Amazed with the offers … lots of options to choose from”

“Absolutely fantastic… Great job RBC. As always, the best experience from the #1 Canadian bank.”

I just booked a weekend trip to Montreal through the app. I was able to find what I was looking for in the travel section!

I recently bought a pair of sneakers through the app's Shop the Web section. I found a good deal and earned some cashback!

Join the millions of people already shopping and saving with Avion Rewards

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Cash back percentage varies by brand and is subject to change.

Not all rewards are available for all members.

To participate in this offer, you must have an RBC debit or credit card which is issued by Royal Bank of Canada (excluding RBC commercial credit cards) (“RBC Card”). RBC Business Clients will only be able to link up to two (2) Business Credit Cards and one Business Debit Card to a Petro-Points card.

Any/every/your card means an RBC Card that is linked to a Petro-Points card. A linked RBC Member means you have an RBC debit or credit card issued by Royal Bank of Canada (excluding RBC commercial credit cards) (“RBC Card”) that is linked to a Petro-Points card.

You must be enrolled in RBC Online Banking or the RBC Mobile app in order to link your RBC Card to your Petro-Points card. Card linking may take up to 2 business days to process before savings and bonus points can be applied to purchases. A Linked RBC Card means an RBC Card linked to a Petro-Points Account. Your Linked RBC Card acts as your Petro-Points card. You will automatically earn Petro-Points when you pay for qualifying purchases with your Linked RBC card at Petro-Canada Locations and you do not need to swipe your Petro-Points card before you pay. You can redeem your Petro-Points at Petro-Canada using your Linked RBC Card.

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

Each time you use your Linked RBC Card to pay for qualifying purchases at a 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 available at https://www.petro-canada.ca/en/personal/terms-and-conditions#petropoints .

Petro-Points are not awarded on tobacco products, vaping products, gift cards, transit tickets and taxes on non-petroleum purchases.

To participate in this offer, you must have an eligible RBC Debit Card, Personal Credit Card or Business Credit Card which is issued by Royal Bank of Canada (excluding RBC commercial credit cards) (“RBC Card”). RBC Business Owners will only be able to link up to two (2) Business Credit Cards and one RBC Debit Card to a Be Well Card.

Eligible RBC Debit Cards are debit cards tied to a personal banking or savings account or a business banking or savings account in good standing that is set up to pay for goods and services at a store or merchant that has point of sale or other designated debit card terminals that accept debit card payments.

You must be enrolled in RBC Online Banking in order to link your RBC Card to your Be Well Card. Card linking may take up to 2 business days to process before Be Well points can be applied to purchases. Each time you scan your Be Well Card and pay with your Linked RBC Card, you will earn 50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases at Rexall Locations, in accordance with the Be Well Terms and Conditions available at https://www.letsbewell.ca/terms-conditions .

Be Well points are not awarded on taxes; tobacco products; products containing codeine; lottery tickets; alcohol; bottle deposits; gift cards; prepaid cards and wireless or long distance phone cards; event tickets; transit tickets and passes; post office transactions; stamps; passport photos; cash back; gifts with purchases; delivery charges; environmental levies; Home Health Care services/rentals and any other products or services that Rexall / McKesson Canada Corporation may specify from time to time or where prohibited by law.

To receive a complimentary DashPass subscription for $0 delivery fees on orders of $15 or more at eligible restaurants when you pay with your Eligible RBC Credit Card, you must subscribe to DashPass by adding an Eligible RBC Credit Card, accept the DoorDash terms and conditions, and activate your benefit by clicking “Activate Free DashPass” before July 5, 2023 (“Offer Period”). If you are an existing DashPass subscriber and have already added an Eligible RBC Credit Card to your account you must activate your benefit by clicking “Activate Free DashPass” during the Offer Period. If you have been charged for DashPass you will receive a refund to the method of original payment, in the amount of the monthly subscription fee for the month you activate your complimentary subscription. For all clients, by clicking on “Activate Free DashPass” you agree to the DoorDash terms and conditions which can be found at https://help.doordash.com/consumers/s/terms-and-conditions (opens in a new window)

Existing Cardholders: Get 10% in statement credits on your first $250 of qualifying purchases, and 5% in statement credits on your next $1,250 of qualifying purchases, after taxes and shipping, when you pay with your eligible RBC debit or credit card from now until July 31, 2023 (“Offer Period”) at participating RONA stores and online. No minimum spend required. Statement credits limited to the first $1,500 of total spend during the Offer Period. This offer is not transferable. To take advantage of this offer, you must activate the offer by clicking the “Load Offer” button in RBC Online Banking before you make your purchase.

Once the offer has been activated you will receive a Statement Credit, calculated on the final price of your Qualifying Purchases after taxes and shipping fees at participating RONA stores in Canada and https://www.rona.ca/ Qualifying Purchase made during the Offer Period with any RBC Royal Bank personal debit or credit card, other than an RBC US Dollar Visa card, (“Eligible RBC Card”) to receive:

• 10% in statement credits on the first $250 spent on Qualifying Purchases, and
• 5% in statement credits on the next $1250 spent on Qualifying Purchases (i.e., spend between $250.01 - $1,500)

(collectively, Statement Credits”).

There is no minimum spend required. Statement Credits are limited to the first $1,500 of total Qualifying Purchases during the Offer Period. Qualifying Purchases exclude payments made through PayPal for online orders, payments by Gift Cards and purchases of items that are out of stock and/or not ready for shipping within the Offer Period.

Please allow up to 30 days from transaction, provided your debit or credit card account was in good standing at that time, for the Statement Credit to appear on the account statement tied to your Eligible RBC Card. Please note that if you paid for your Qualifying Purchase using an Eligible RBC Card that is a credit card, the Statement Credit will not be applied as a payment towards the balance of your credit card account.

This offer may be combined or used in conjunction with any other offers, but cannot be applied retroactively to previous purchases. Returns or price adjustments of your Qualifying Purchase may cancel your Statement Credit.

“Qualifying Purchase” is the final price of your purchases after taxes and shipping fees at participating RONA stores in Canada and https://www.rona.ca/ , but exclude payments made through PayPal for online orders, payments by Gift Cards, and purchases of items that are out of stock and/or not ready for shipping within the Offer Period.

RONA inc., not Royal Bank of Canada (“RBC”), is responsible for the sales, returns and shipping terms and conditions applicable to your Qualifying Purchase. RBC reserves the right to cancel, modify or withdraw this offer at any time, even after you have activated it.

How to book a flight with RBC Avion Rewards points

One of the options for redeeming Avion Rewards credit cards is to use your points towards airfare anywhere in the world. Here’s how this works for a fixed-point exchange .

RBC Avion Rewards Points

There are several RBC Avion Rewards credit cards. The one used for this example is the RBC Visa Infinite Avion Card .

With this offer for the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card, you can earn 35,000 Avion points upon approval . No purchase necessary!

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

The current welcome offer, for example, gives you the equivalent of 35,000 British Airways Avios or 350 WestJet Dollars .

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

What’s more, you’ll benefit from a wide range of insurances: trip cancellation and interruption insurance, out-of-province or out-of-country emergency medical care insurance, collision and damage insurance for rental vehicles, and mobile device insurance.

RBC Avion Rewards points can be used to travel anywhere in the world with a round-trip ticket. A one-way trip requires half as many Avion points. Here is the airfare table for a round-trip flight:

On average this equals about 2 cents per Avion point .

How to Book an Airline Ticket with RBC Avion Rewards Points

With 35,000 Avion points, I could afford a plane ticket to Canada or the United States.

From your RBC Online Banking profile, click on the blue Avion Rewards button.

Then, on the Trips page, click on Book a Trip .

Avion Rewards acts like a travel agency. Generally, the prices are the same as the ones found on the sites of the carriers and tour operators.

Its search tool allows you to use RBC Avion Rewards points to book :

• A car rental
• Hotel stays
• Or Vacation Packages

After entering your desired dates and destinations, the results will be displayed. On the left, there is a filter for options.

In this example, the non-stop and no change fee options are selected.

35,000 points can be redeemed on a flight costing up to $750.

In this example, I have chosen a higher class. This exceeds the $750, the remaining balance is added to the taxes and fees.

In my case, the same flight cost about $1,000 on the Air Canada website. This equates to 2.14 cents per point , ($750 divided by 35,000 points) which is excellent!

On the checkout page, RBC shows the points required to book this airline ticket. Any remaining point balance can be used to reduce the tax and fee balance.

For example, 90 points were used to lower the balance by 90 cents. The rest is to be paid with a credit card.

Enter the traveler’s information and make the payment.

An email from RBC Avion Rewards will be sent moments later to confirm. A few minutes later (or a few hours for some), the airline will send confirmation in a separate email. All the details will be there, including the reservation number.

How to Manage an Airline Ticket Purchased with RBC Avion Rewards Points

The booked trip can be found in the My Trips section of the RBC Avion Rewards portal. A link redirects you to the airline’s website.

You will be able to link this reservation to your frequent flyer profile. Here I entered my Aeroplan membership number.

Since I had taken the Comfort fare on Air Canada, I was able to choose a Prefered seat at no charge. This must be done directly on the Air Canada website.

Please note that to change or cancel a flight purchased through the RBC Avion Rewards portal, you must call the RBC Travel Centre directly at 1-877-636-2870.

The airline will not be able to do anything on their end and they will refer you to RBC. Any changes have a cost of $25 for each ticket .

There is also the option to chat with a virtual agent on the RBC site in the Help section.

In addition, if you have eUpgrades with Air Canada, you have the option to apply them at check-in 24 hours prior to your flight.

When your flight is completed, points and qualifications are deposited into your account based on the fare booked.

For example, the Comfort rate booked through RBC gave :

• Aeroplan Points

This counts towards your Aeroplan Status .

Here are other ways to use RBC Avion points .

Another way to redeem RBC Avion Rewards points for travel

Occasionally, the Avion Rewards site may experience technical difficulties or your flight may not appear in the search results.

At that time, call Avion Rewards Customer Service at 1-800-769-2512.

• Get an authorization number to book the flight you want (mandatory);
• Book your own flight directly on the desired airline’s website;
• Send an e-mail to [email protected] with your authorization number obtained earlier from Customer Service, your name, the number of tickets reserved, proof of purchase and itinerary details.

Avion Rewards will then deduct the required points from your RBC Rewards points account to credit the cost of your airline tickets, according to their airfare table.

All posts by Caroline Tremblay

Suggested Reading

The Ultimate Guide to the Avion Rewards Program for Canadians

By Meagen Seatter | Published on 24 Jul 2023

When it comes to credit card reward programs aimed at travellers, Aeroplan is likely the first to pop into most Canadians’ minds. However, the Avion Rewards Program might be more attractive if you primarily travel within Canada. Avion points are easy to collect and redeem for travel rewards, merchandise and more. Members can even transfer their points to other airline loyalty programs.

Avion Rewards are exclusively available to RBC customers, so it’s not as well-known as Aeroplan or Air Miles. Here, we’ll break down how the Avion Rewards Program works, discuss point value, and reveal what kinds of rewards are available to point collectors.

What is the Avion Rewards Program?

The Avion Rewards Program is a reward program owned and operated by the Royal Bank of Canada. It is sometimes referred to as RBC Rewards, an RBC loyalty program previously offered to non-Avion credit cardholders but no longer exists. RBC Rewards was renamed ‘Avion Rewards’ on August 25, 2022.

Cardholders can join Avion Rewards if they hold a select RBC Avion credit card. Travel rewards, discounts at partner retail stores, and using your points to bank with RBC are just a few features that make RBC Avion credit cards a great choice for Canadians, especially those who love to travel.

The program has two tiers; Avion Premium and Avion Elite. RBC ION credit card holders are at the Premium level, while RBC Avion cardholders have access to the Elite level. For this article, we will focus on Avion Elite, which gives members the option of redeeming their points for travel rewards.

How The Avion Rewards Program Works

The major difference between the two tiers is how collectors can redeem their points. Cardholders of either tier can trade Avion Reward points in for WestJet Dollars or Hudson Bay Rewards . Avion Elite Rewards collectors, on the other hand, have access to the Avion Reward Travel Center. Here, members can cash in a set number of points for flights worldwide. Different regions require a different amount of points. For example, a quick trip to an adjacent province or state requires just 15,000 RBC Avion Reward points, while a getaway to a European destination requires 65,000 points. Holidays to far-flung destinations like Australia or the Pacific Islands cost 100,000 points.

Here’s a quick peek at RBC’s Air Travel Redemption Chart:

The number of points required to travel is set by region and covers a maximum base fare only. So, for example, if you want to travel from Alberta to British Columbia, you can cash in 15,000 points for a ticket that costs up to $350, excluding taxes and fees. If a ticket costs more than that, you’ll have to pay out of pocket or cash in more reward points. Also, taxes, surcharges, and other fees charged by the airline that are not included in the exchange rate will have to be paid either out of pocket or you can use the ‘Pay with Points’ option and cash in your Avion Rewards points at an exchange rate of 100 points = $1 CAD.

While on the surface, it may seem like the Avion program doesn’t provide good value (after all, your ticket from Alberta to B.C. costs 15,000 points even if it costs less than $350, too), one major advantage to the program is that it lets collectors travel on any airline, anytime. Unlike other reward programs that blackout peak travel times or place other limits on when you can use your travel rewards, with Avion Rewards, there are no black-out dates or seat or airline restrictions. Plus, rewards aren’t limited to airline tickets; you can use your points like cash to pay for any travel-related expenses, including hotels, car rentals, and even taxes and fees. Points are converted at a ratio of 100 points for $1 CAD. Avion points can also be converted to West Jet Dollars at the same conversion rate.

Are Avion Points Valuable?

The value of Avion Reward points depends on how you use them. If you can find a flight that falls within the sweet spot of Avion’s flight redemption schedule, points hold more value than if you were to convert them to West Jet Dollars or pay with points as cash. The flight redemption schedule can make Avion Reward points incredibly valuable – up to 2.33 cents per point if you can find a ticket that falls within the right price range – it can also have the opposite effect if you can’t find a reasonably priced ticket to where you want to go when you want to travel.

That brings us to the second, and arguably the most valuable, difference between Avion’s two tiers. Avion Elite members can also trade their Avion Reward points for points with 3 other frequent flyer programs:

• American Airlines AAdvantage
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles , and
• British Airways

This handy feature greatly expands the range of destinations collectors can visit with Avion Reward Points. That flexibility alone adds value to the program, even if transferring them gives them a lower monetary value than they have using the Avion grid.

Avion points can be traded for British Airways and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles at a ratio of 1:1. The exchange rate for Avion Rewards to AAdvantage points is 10:7. Still, being able to transfer points to a different rewards system is a major advantage of the Avion Rewards Program, especially for Canadian travel hackers looking to stretch the value of a point as far as it can go.

The bottom line is that Avion points can be very valuable when leveraged correctly. However, their value changes depending on where you’re travelling. Long-haul flights within Canada typically yield the greatest return. For shorter flights, the value is almost on par with Avion’s travel purchase exchange rate of 1 cent per point. Collectors must do a little research before booking to get the highest value from their points.

How To Transfer Points

The flexibility to transfer points to other reward programs is one of the best features of the Avion Rewards Program. To complete a transfer, you’ll need to sign in to your RBC Online account. Underneath your account information, click ‘Avion Rewards’, and you’ll be taken to the Avion Rewards page.

At the top of the screen, you’ll see a row of options. Click ‘Transfer,’ and you’ll be shown a list of all of Avion’s available transfer partners. Simply click the program you want to transfer your points to and allow 4 weeks for the transfer to complete.

Ways to Collect Avion Points

The only way to accumulate Avion Reward points is with an RBC Avion credit card. For every $1 charged to your card, you’ll get between 1 and 1.25 Avion Reward points. Qualifying purchases earn extra points, and new cardholders will get bonus points just for being approved. There are 6 Avion Rewards cards available through RBC to choose from, but we’ve compared their best credit cards in the next section. All 3 are currently offering a welcome bonus of 35,000 welcome Avion Reward points.

Top 3 RBC Avion Credit Cards

Rbc avion visa infinite.

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite card earns you 1.25 Avion points per dollar spent on all travel-related purchases and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else. This card is by far the best travel credit card on the list. Although the annual fee of $120 is steep, the features (like 12 types of comprehensive insurance, including travel and mobile phone coverage) are well worth the cost, and it has reasonable income requirements.

RBC Avion Visa Platinum

The RBC Avion Visa Platinum credit card is very similar to the Avion Visa Infinite, but if you don’t make a lot of travel purchases, this one might be a better fit. It also doesn’t have any income requirements, so it’s a good option for part-time or freelance workers. With this card, you’ll earn 1 Avion point for every dollar spent on all purchases.

RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card has the highest earning potential of the 3, with 1.25 points on all purchases. However, at $400 per year and a minimum income requirement of $100,000, it’s also the most expensive RBC Avion credit card on this list and slightly out of reach for the average Canadian. However, by shelling out for this card, you’ll be rewarded with some lofty perks like a free Priority Pass membership and 6 free airport lounge passes, dedicated parking at Canadian airports, priority service at airport security, and extensive insurance across a range of categories. You’ll also be able to redeem your Avion Reward points for travel expenses at a rate of 100 points = $2 CAD.

Ways to Redeem Avion Reward Points

There are a number of ways to redeem your Avion Reward points, including travel rewards, credits for travel-related expenses, banking, and shopping.

To redeem your points for travel, you’ll first need to sign into your RBC account. Navigate to the Avion Rewards tab to be taken to the Avion Rewards homepage, where you can redeem points for flights, hotels, vacation packages and more. You can also book travel through the Avion Rewards Travel call centre, but a $30 fee applies to all bookings.

If you want to convert your points and redeem them through a different reward program, you’ll need to navigate to the ‘transfer points’ section of the Avion Rewards home page. Follow the prompts to make the transfer to your selected airline program. After the conversion is complete (which can take up to 4 weeks), you’ll redeem points through the airline program’s website.

Avion Elite members can make credit card payments, pay back purchases with points, and use points to pay other eligible bills like the Internet and TV. Points can also be used to send Interac e-transfers, pay down loans and invest with RBC.

Using the Avion Rewards website, app, the RBC Rewards homepage, or the RBC Launch app, you can use your points to purchase products from brands such as Apple, Best Buy, Dyson, and more, either in-person or online. There is also a browser extension called Avion Rewards ShopPlus that automatically searches the web and finds deals suitable for you.

Additionally, you can use your points to purchase gift cards from partner retailers like Amazon, Petro-Canada and Lululemon or donate them for cash value to charities like Ronald McDonald House or the Canadian Olympic Foundation.

FAQs about the Avion Rewards Program

Avion Rewards , sometimes referred to as RBC Avion Rewards or RBC Rewards, is a reward program offered by the Royal Bank of Canada. It is available through RBC’s line of Avion credit cards.

Questions about Avion Travel Rewards can be resolved by phone at the Avion Rewards Travel Centre at 1-877-636-2870 . For other inquiries related to the program, call Royal Bank Visa Avion at 1-800 ROYAL 1-2 (1-800-769-2512) .

Avion Reward points are accumulated through purchases made with an RBC Avion credit card . Points can then be redeemed for travel rewards through the Avion Travel Centre, transferred to other frequent flyer programs, or traded in for West Jet Dollars or Hudson Bay Rewards. You can also use Avion Rewards to pay for merchandise or gift cards , pay bills or investment in RBC financial products.

No, Avion Rewards don’t expire.

Cardholders can manage their points online by logging into their RBC account and clicking on the ‘Avion Rewards’ icon to redeem points for travel purchases, gift cards , and merchandise or use points to make credit card or bill payments. Avion points can also be managed with the easy-to-use Avion mobile app.

Avion Rewards are incredibly valuable if you can find a flight that falls within Avion’s travel redemption grid. Not only do Avion points have a high cash value when leveraged correctly, but with Avion, you can fly on any airline, anytime and in any seat. Avion Rewards can be transferred to other frequent flyer programs, which further extends their value.

The number of points needed for a flight depends entirely on where you want to go. If you’re travelling through the Avion Travel Centre, one-way tickets within Canada and the continental United States start at 7,500 points. Travel to further-away destinations requires more points. Between 35,000 – 55,000 are needed to travel in North America and the Caribbean, and 65,000 points will get you to Europe. For 100,000 points, you can travel to Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South America or the South Pacific islands.

Avion Reward points are worth between 2 – 2.5 cents on the Avion grid. If you transfer them to Cathay Pacific Asia or British Airways, their value sinks to around 1.75 – 2 cents. Points transferred to the American Airlines AAdvantage program retain a value of around 1.25 – 1.5 cents. Avion points can be converted to West Jet dollars at a ratio of 100:1.

You can transfer Avion Reward points to British Airways, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, or American Airlines AAdvantage programs. Avion points can also be converted into WestJet Dollars or to Hudson Bay Rewards.

You’ll need 65,000 Avion points to fly to Europe using the Avion grid.

An Avion Rewards member can transfer Avion points to any account that’s in their name, and secondary cardholders can use the points. You can also transfer points to another person if that person has an Avion Rewards account.

Avion points cannot be transferred to Aeroplan.

To convert Avion points to WestJet Dollars, sign in to your RBC online banking account and navigate to the Avion Rewards tab, which will bring you to the Avion Rewards home page. Click ‘Transfers’ at the toolbar at the top of the screen and scroll to the list of Avion partner programs. Select ‘WestJet’ to convert your points to WestJet Dollars, and allow up to 4 weeks for the transfer to be complete.

Yes, you can use Avion points for flights, hotels and vacation packages, including all-inclusive packages, through the Avion Rewards travel portal .

You can use Avion points for a wide range of travel rewards, including hotel stays.

You’ll need between 45,000 and 55,000 Avion points to fly to Mexico.

There are over 60 retail partners where cardholders can redeem their Avion Reward points for gift cards. Major partners include Amazon , The Keg, Indigo, Petro-Canada, Winners and Starbucks .

Meagen Seatter

• Book Travel
• Credit Cards

Best ways to earn:

Best ways to redeem:.

RBC Avion points are an incredibly useful, transferrable reward currency for Canadians.

Its diverse suite of transfer partners and ease of earning make it a great program to include as part of your points-earning endeavours.

Before we go further, it’s important to distinguish between the different tiers of RBC Avion Rewards. There are subtypes of Avion points: Avion Select, Avion Premium, and Avion Elite.

Avion Elite is the highest Avion Rewards tier, and has the most redemption flexibility. Both Avion Elite and Avion Premium points are earned through RBC credit cards, and can be transferred from one account to the other, if you hold a credit card that earns Avion Elite points.

Comparatively, Avion Select points are a recent addition to the RBC Avion program, and these aren’t nearly as valuable as the other two tiers.

Avion Select points are earned through applicable shopping activity, and can’t be combined with Avion Elite or Avion Premium points.

In this guide, we’ll be focusing on Avion Elite points, while exploring the possibilities of earning Avion Premium points for the sole purpose of converting the Premium points into Elite points.

Earning RBC Avion Points

The main way to earn RBC Avion points is through RBC credit cards. You can rack up Avion points through credit card welcome bonuses and through everyday spending.

Credit cards will earn either Avion Elite points or Avion Premium points.

The credit cards that earn Avion Elite points include all from the RBC Avion lineup.

Meanwhile, the cards that earn Avion Premium points are from the RBC ION lineup.

As long as you have at least one of the RBC Avion cards from the first list, you’ll be able to freely transfer Avion Premium points earned from the ION cards in the second list to your Avion Elite rewards account.

Transferring Avion points from Premium points to Elite points will give you a lot more redemption options.

Credit Card Welcome Bonuses

The best way to earn RBC Avion points is through welcome bonuses.

Welcome bonuses fluctuate depending on the current promotion. However, you can usually expect an RBC Avion card to come with a welcome bonus of 15,000–35,000 Avion points, with the bonus sometimes getting as high as 55,000 Avion points if you’re able to meet the associated spending requirements.

Despite having similar welcome bonuses, the Avion cards do all have slight differences in the benefits they offer, their earning rates, and their annual fees.

The RBC® Avion Visa Platinum†, RBC® Avion Visa Infinite†, and RBC® Avion Visa Business  all have an annual fee of $120 (all figures in CAD).

Meanwhile, the RBC® Avion Visa Infinite† Business has an annual fee of $175, and lastly, the RBC® Avion Visa Infinite Privilege† card has the highest annual fee at $399.

With the higher annual fees, you can usually expect to also see additional benefits, such as higher earning rates and access to airport lounges.

By comparison, the RBC ION cards seriously lag behind in terms of welcome bonuses offered, often ranging from 3,500–7,000 Avion Premium points.

However, the ION cards do have minimal annual fees, with the RBC® ION Visa having no annual fee, and the RBC® ION+ Visa charging a fee of only $4 per month.

Credit Card Spending

In addition to earning the welcome bonus, you’re also able to earn Avion points on your day-to-day purchases.

The RBC Avion-branded credit cards come with the following earning rates on daily spending:

RBC® Avion Visa Infinite†

• 1.25 Avion points per dollar spent on all travel purchases (flights, hotels, car rentals, etc.)
• 1 Avion point per dollar spent on all other qualifying purchases

RBC® Avion Visa Platinum†

• 1 Avion point per dollar spent on all qualifying purchases

RBC® Avion Visa Infinite Privilege†

• 1.25 Avion points per dollar spent on all qualifying purchases

RBC® Avion Visa Business

RBC® Avion Visa Infinite† Business

The RBC ION cards, earning Avion Premium points instead of Avion Elite points, have better earning rates than the cards above, despite fetching little to no annual fees.

Although the ION cards earn less valuable Avion Premium points, you can easily transfer the Avion Premium points earned through ION cards to Avion Elite points at a rate of 1:1, if you hold one of the Avion cards listed above.

The two cards through which you can earn Avion Premium points have the following earning rates:

RBC® ION Visa

• 1.5 Avion points per dollar spent on qualifying grocery, gas, rideshare, daily public transit, electric vehicle charging, streaming, digital gaming, and digital subscriptions

RBC® ION+ Visa

• 3 Avion points per dollar spent on qualifying grocery, dining, food delivery, gas, rideshare, daily public transit, electric vehicle charging, streaming, digital gaming, and digital subscriptions
• 1 Avion point per dollar spent spent on all other qualifying purchases

Avion Rewards

A relatively recent addition to the RBC Avion program is Avion Rewards, which is open for RBC clients and non-clients alike.

Since all points transactions are made under its platform, those with an Avion or ION card product have automatically been registered to Avion Rewards, while those with other RBC products may use their existing RBC credentials to enroll.

Under Avion Rewards, you may benefit from two types of offers: “save & earn” offers, and “shop now” offers.

The former lets you earn Avion points, discounts, and cash back when you use your eligible RBC card at participating online and in-store establishments. Meanwhile, the latter lets you earn cash back on online purchases, akin to the Aeroplan eStore and Rakuten.

Examples of save & earn Avion points offers are as follows:

• Earn 1,000 Avion points when you spend $300 or more at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Canada
• Earn 10x Avion points on Lyft rides
• Earn 2x Avion points on eligible Apple purchases

For save & earn offers, you must opt into each offer by logging into your Avion Rewards account.

Redeeming RBC Avion Points

The best feature of the RBC Avion program is the flexible nature of Avion points.

Avion Elite points can be transferred to airline loyalty programs, redeemed through RBC’s Air Travel Redemption Schedule , or cashed out through gift cards or statement credits.

Comparatively, Avion Premium points aren’t quite as valuable on their own.

Avion Premium points can only be transferred to WestJet Rewards , or they can be cashed out for statement credits and gift cards. Notably, Avion Premium points cannot be transferred to any other airline loyalty program and can’t be used to book travel through RBC’s Air Travel Redemption Schedule.

Given this, the best use of RBC Avion Premium points is simply to transfer them to RBC Avion Elite points, which you can easily do as long as  you have a Avion credit card.

Even if you don’t currently have an Avion credit card, it’s still best to save your Avion Premium points, and make plans to get an Avion credit card in the future.

For this reason, we’ll look exclusively at the redemption options for RBC Avion Elite points.

Transferring to Partner Programs

You can transfer your RBC Avion Elite points at a 1:1 ratio to British Airways Executive Club (Avios) and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, and to WestJet Rewards at a rate of 1 Avion point = $0.01 in WestJet Dollars (WSD).

You can also transfer Avion Elite points to American Airlines AAdvantage at a rate of 10 Avion points = 7 AAdvantage miles.

British Airways Executive Club is great for short-haul journeys, as well as long-haul trips in economy class.

One amazing sweet spot is transferring British Airways Avios to Qatar Airways Avios at a 1:1 ratio. From there, you can book Qatar Airways QSuites one-way from North America to Doha for only 70,000 Qatar Airways Avios.

It’s also worth noting that RBC regularly offers transfer bonus promotions from Avion to British Airways Executive Club. Historically, the most common promotional offer is a 30% bonus on point transfers.

Lastly, keep in mind that there are a few restrictions on the ability to transfer points to these partners. In particular, for British Airways Avios, American AAdvantage, and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, you need to transfer a minimum of 10,000 Avion points at a time. However, there is no such restriction for transfers to WestJet Rewards.

RBC Air Travel Redemption Schedule

If you’re not interested in transferring your Avion points to an airline loyalty program, you can still get great value by redeeming points through the RBC Air Travel Redemption Schedule.

While you won’t be able to get outsized value for your points, you’ll still get more value through this avenue than if you redeemed Avion points for a statement credit or for gift cards.

Through the Air Travel Redemption Schedule, you’ll be able to redeem Avion Elite points at a fixed rate for the base fare of any flight booked through the Avion Rewards portal, powered by Expedia.

Each redemption option allows you to use the specified number of points towards a listed maximum base fare.

It’s important to note that you’ll be responsible to pay for any base fare amount that’s over the maximum base fare listed in each category, as well as for the taxes and additional fees.

If you wish to redeem Avion points for the additional costs, you can choose to do so, albeit at the lower redemption rate of 1 cent per Avion point.

When using RBC’s Air Travel Redemption Schedule to book a flight, you’ll get a value of up to 2.3 cents per Avion point, depending on the origin and destination of your trip and the cost of the base fare.

The maximum value of 2.3 cents per Avion point can be found in the “Quick Getaway” category when you redeem 15,000 Avion points for the maximum return-trip base fare of $350.

In all the other categories, the maximum value you’ll be able to extract is 2 cents per Avion point, when booking a round-trip for the maximum base fare amount.

As an example, if you were to redeem 100,000 Avion points for a round-trip flight from Toronto to Lima with a base fare cost of $1,700, you would receive a value of 1.7 cents per point.

Notably, with the Air Travel Redemption Schedule, the number of Avion points required for a redemption in each category doesn’t fluctuate with the cost of the base fare.

Using the above example of the round-trip flight between Toronto and Lima, even if the base fare was only $900, you would still need to redeem 100,000 Avion Elite points.

Based on this, to extract maximum value from your Avion points when using the Air Travel Redemption Schedule, you’ll want to aim to redeem for base fares that are as close to the category’s maximum base fare as possible.

For this reason, the fixed-rate redemption chart can be particularly valuable for bookings during busy times of year, such as holiday seasons, when travel costs are elevated.

This is because the fixed-rate nature of the Air Travel Redemption Chart allows you to book these more expensive dates of travel for the same number of points as a cheaper date of travel (assuming the base fare remains below the maximum threshold for the category).

Travel Credit

Another option for redeeming your Avion Elite points is for fixed-rate travel statement credits through the Avion Rewards platfo.

By booking through this avenue, most cardholders will receive a fixed rate of 1 cent per point, and if you hold the RBC® Avion Visa Infinite Privilege† or the RBC® Avion Visa Infinite† Business , you’ll have access to a fixed rate of 2 cents per point if you’re booking a business class or First Class flight.

When compared to the Air Travel Redemption Schedule , this may seem like a similar or even slightly worse valuation; however, it can actually prove to be better in certain scenarios.

As we mentioned above, when redeeming Avion points through the Air Travel Redemption Schedule, you are required to redeem the set number of points regardless of the cost of the base fare, as long as it’s under the maximum amount.

Looking at the “Explore North America” category from the Air Travel Redemption Schedule, this means that even if the base fare ends up being less than the $750 maximum listed, you’ll still have to pay the full 35,000 Avion points.

Taking a deeper dive, based on the redemption rate of 1 Avion point = 1 cent, the 35,000 Avion points required for this booking is equal to $350.

This means that if you’re looking at redemptions using the Air Travel Redemption Schedule and you find a base fare within this category for less than $350, you’ll be better off booking the flight on your own and then redeeming your Avion points for a travel credit.

Other ways to Redeem Avion Points

Beyond what’s already been mentioned, RBC provides a number of additional options for redeeming Avion points through the Avion Rewards platform. However, these options are not particularly valuable.

For example, you can use points to send e-transfers, pay bills, add to your existing investments, make a mortgage payment, or even pay off your credit card.

For most of these financial redemption options, you’ll get a value of 0.83 cents per point, and if you want to pay your credit card directly, the value is only 0.58 cents per point.

You can access better value than this by redeeming Avion points for gift cards, with some options offering value as high as 1 cent per point (and occasionally higher during promotions), but the best value can still found by transferring Avion Elite points to partner airline loyalty programs.

One additional option is to redeem Avion points for merchandise, but similarly to the other non-travel redemption options, this doesn’t offer nearly as much value for your Avion points.

RBC Avion is an important rewards program that can help unlock some amazing sweet spots through transfers to partnered airline loyalty programs, such as British Airways Executive Club and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.

Thanks to its unique set of transfer partners, the relative ease of accumulating points via RBC’s Avion- and ION-branded credit cards, and the frequency of transfer promotions, Avion points are extremely useful to collect as a way to supplement the other major Canadian points programs.

19 Comments

Can you tell me how is the Avion Visa Infinite Card better than say.. the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite? RBC Avion Visa Infinite – earn 1.25 points on travel, 1 point everywhere else – transfer points to Cathay/American Airlines/WestJet/British Airway RBC British Airways Visa Infinite -earn 3 points when buying British Airway tickets, 2 points on Dining/Grocery, 1 point everything else

Yes. The Visa Infinite appears to have better flexibility on paper, but since all of those airlines are part of the one-world alliance, you automatically have access to all those airlines anyways, does that “flexibility” even still matter? With the BA card you are very likely to earn much more points? The BA card does cost $45 more annualy, but as it earn more points I think that’s justifiable? not to mention the BA card also gives a free companion voucher every year?

Hi Jon, there a pros and cons to each card mentioned. As you said, one advantage of the Avion family of cards is the ability to transfer to more than one partner program. While British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and American Airlines are all One World airlines, each program has unique sweet spots that can be utilized. There are also occasional transfer bonuses when transferring Avion points to partner programs. You mentioned the British Airways card having a free companion voucher, however this voucher in only awarded after spending $30,000 in a calendar year. An underrated strategy with Avion cards is pairing an RBC ION+ card with an Avion, and taking advantage of the 3x earn rates in popular categories offered by the ION+. An Avion/ION+ combination would have annual feels of $168 ($120 + $48), just about equal to the British Airways Visa Infinite’s $165 annual fee. One other advantage to the Avion/ION+ cards is that you can apply for the Avion Platinum card if you do not meet the $60,000 income threshold of a Visa Infinite product.

I tried Transferring Avion Points to Qatar Airlines and it did not work. Apparently, Qatar Airlines requires to have at least 1000 points balance in order to transfer or purchase additional points 🙁 However, I had a great experience with British Airways – a great value for the tickets!

You can’t transfer directly from RBC Avions to Qatar Avios, only RBC Avions to BA Avios. And if your BA Avios is connected to QR Avios, then you can freely move the Avios between the 2 airlines program

i’ve held the RBC infinite priveledge card for over a year now and finally used it for a redemption at 2cpp (flight for myself & family from Tokyo to Manila this december 2023). I’m so impressed by the discount on the tickets I got via the points redemption that I’m eager to earn more avion points. I wish I could transfer points from my wife’s regular Visa infinite (RBC) avion to mine which gets 2cpp but as far as I can tell this isn’t allowed.

Hi Ricky, Does RBC qualify you back for a welcome bonus if you already received one ?

Generally yes

You never know! 😉

I sometime find booking though airlines is cheaper than using the RBC reward travel orbitz. Does RBC offer price matching?

Can I use my avion points to up grade at the AIRPORT the day of departure.

There’s no easy way to do this. Your best bet would be to bid-upgrade with cash.

can transfer my westjet dollars to avion

Can you redeem Avion points for statement credit.

I’m short 2000 points for a flight . Can you buy points?

Hi, Just wondering if you know when the next RBC avion to westjet dollar promotion is?

I don’t believe this conversion bonus is ever coming back.

Hi Ricky, any idea if there’ll be another transfer bonus to Avios this year?

With it being mid-November already, it’s looking doubtful.

Hi, Can you use RBC Infinite Avion points to redeem PREMIUM Economy class of Air Canada. e.g. 100,000 points from Canada to Middle East. Or does RBC only allow to redeem Economy class?

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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
• 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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"leave limits behind" with avion rewards: expanded program features available to all canadians, regardless of where they bank.

All members can now earn and redeem Avion points, get cash back, access exclusive experiences and more

TORONTO , March 11, 2024 /CNW/ - Avion Rewards , Canada's largest proprietary loyalty program, has launched expanded benefits for its newest membership level, Avion Select, free for all Canadians to join regardless of where they bank. Avion Select members can experience a wide breadth of program features, including up to 40% cash back deals, offers from over 2,400 retailers and brands, the ability to earn Avion points and redeem for virtually anything and much more.

"Accessing value and savings has never been more important for Canadians, and by enabling all of our members to shop, save, earn and redeem, we've created a more inclusive program that offers them limitless choice, freedom and flexibility," said Niranjan Vivekanandan, senior vice president and head, Loyalty & Merchant Solutions, RBC. "By transforming Avion Rewards and expanding the scale and breadth of our program, we're able to deliver an end-to-end loyalty experience that brings everyday value to millions of more Canadians while also increasing reach and access for our retail partners."

Avion Select members can join Avion Rewards and access the following unique features:

Earn points that can be used for virtually anything.  Earn cash back and points that can be used for virtually anything, including gift cards, merchandise, travel and more. By linking their payment card, members will earn cash that they can transfer to any Canadian bank account once they've reached savings worth $15 .

Get unique value and savings of up to 40% from over 2,400 retailers and brands.  Avion Rewards members can save and access value on everyday purchases from partners including Metro, Petro-Canada, WestJet, DoorDash, Rexall and McDonald's Canada . Members will also benefit from the program's innovative and award-winning shopping companion, Avion Rewards ShopPlus, which eliminates the need to hunt for deals by presenting offers from top brands and more retailers than any other savings platform in Canada.

Access exclusive experiences.  Being an Avion Rewards member also means exclusive access to exciting events and contest opportunities, including the chance to win tickets to Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour . As the Official Financial Services Partner and an Official Ticket Access Partner of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour in Canada, RBC and Avion Rewards are giving away hundreds of tickets leading up to the Canadian leg of the tour.

Access to Avion Rewards Travel. Avion Rewards is one of the largest travel platforms in Canada and members benefit from the program's market-leading "any airline, any flight, any time" travel offering, with no blackout periods or seat restrictions. Avion Select members will now have access to this leading e-travel portal as well as the flexibility to book travel with points, credit cards or both.

To showcase the full breadth of the program and its differentiated benefits, Avion Rewards has just launched " Leave Limits Behind ", a bold new marketing campaign that will run nationally across mainstream media, including TV, digital and social. The campaign highlights the flexibility and choice that is central to Avion Rewards, which millions of members have grown to love and is now available for all Canadians to access and experience.

"With our Leave Limits Behind campaign, we're highlighting the limits that consumers often face with traditional rewards programs, while with Avion Rewards, they can get it all – cash back, points and savings – all in one program," said Carolyn Hynds , vice president, marketing, Avion Rewards. "Through our new campaign, we're bringing this insight to life in a fun and playful way and we're excited for more Canadians to see what Avion Rewards has to offer."

Canadians who hold an eligible RBC product will continue to enjoy even more benefits through the program's two additional tiers: Avion Premium and Avion Elite.

To become an Avion Rewards member, Canadians can simply sign up using their email address. For more information visit avionrewards.com or download the Avion Rewards mobile app .

Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 94,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our more than 17 million clients in Canada , the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com .

We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at   rbc.com/community-social-impact .

About Avion Rewards

Avion Rewards is an award-winning internationally recognized loyalty and consumer engagement platform that provides Canadians with the flexibility to shop, save, earn and redeem for everyday merchandise, aspirational rewards and experiences. Its exclusive shopping companion, Avion Rewards ShopPlus, enables members to access offers seamlessly, saving them time and money right where they shop online. Additionally, as one of the largest travel providers in Canada , Avion Rewards makes it possible for members to benefit from the program's market-leading "any airline, any flight, any time" travel offering, as well as its flagship Avion credit cards and concierge service. Learn more at avionrewards.com .

SOURCE RBC Royal Bank

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2024/11/c9614.html

• Find a Branch
• Call 1-800-769-2511

Travel Insurance Claims and Service for RBC Clients Disclaimer 1

We're here when you need us..

Whether you need emergency assistance or have a claims question, our goal is to provide professional, caring support.

RBC Insurance Company of Canada has appointed AZGA Service Canada Inc. (operating as “Allianz Global Assistance”) as the provider of all assistance and claims services.

24-Hour Worldwide Emergency Service

Receive emergency medical assistance day or night.

Collect From Anywhere

Email us disclaimer 1.

Note: If a medical emergency prevents you from calling before receiving treatment, we ask that you (or someone else on your behalf) call Allianz Global Assistance at the earliest opportunity.

Get Help Before or During Your Trip

Contact Allianz Global Assistance as soon as possible if you need to:

Emergency Medical Assistance

Travel the world knowing emergency travel and medical assistance is just a phone call away.

Phone numbers

If you purchased your travel insurance directly from RBC Royal Bank call:

• Toll Free: 1-800-387-2487 (Canada and U.S.)
• Collect: (905) 816-2561 (collect from anywhere)

I f you have travel insurance through your RBC Credit Card call:

• Toll Free: 1-800-533-2778 (Canada and U.S.)
• Collect: (905) 816-2581 (collect from anywhere)

Email - If you are having trouble reaching our assistance provider, Allianz Global Assistance:

please email the information listed below to the Allianz Medical Team at [email protected] Disclaimer 1 :

• Your full name
• Your current location (city and country)
• How we can get in touch with you – phone number and/or email
• Other travelling companions who may require our assistance

(Note: Only messages related to medical emergencies will be responded to.)

Fax numbers

• 1-888-298-6340 (Toll-free fax from Canada & U.S.)
• (905) 813-4719 (Fax from anywhere)

Cancel Your Trip

Call your travel agent, airline, tour operator or carrier to cancel your trip no later than one business day after the cause of cancellation–and then call Allianz Global Assistance.

View phone numbers

1-800-263-8944 (Toll-free from Canada & U.S.)

24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Extend Your Coverage

Most of our plans let you extend your coverage (subject to certain conditions of your certificate of insurance).

Extend coverage under a single trip plan

If you've purchased a single trip plan, the following conditions apply:

• If you have not had a medical condition (Definition opens in new window) during your trip or while covered under your certificate of insurance, you can request an extension before the expiry date of your original certificate of insurance by calling Allianz Global Assistance at 1-866-896-8172 .
• If you have had a medical condition (Definition opens in new window) during your trip and while covered under your certificate of insurance, you must request the extension before the expiry date of your original certificate of insurance by calling Allianz Global Assistance at 1-800-387-2487 toll-free from the U.S. and Canada, or (905) 816-2561 collect from anywhere in the world. Your extension is subject to the approval of Allianz Global Assistance.
• You must pay the required additional premium before the expiry date of your original certificate of insurance.
• If your coverage cannot be extended due to the trip duration limits of your certificate of insurance, you may be able to purchase a new certificate of insurance by calling Allianz Global Assistance.

Extend coverage under a multi-trip annual plan

If you've purchased a multi-trip annual plan, the following conditions apply:

You may purchase a top-up certificate of insurance for the additional number of days beyond the duration covered by your multi-trip annual plan as follows:

• Before your effective date, call Allianz Global Assistance at 1-866-896-8172 to purchase top-up coverage.
• After your effective date and if you have not had a medical condition (Definition opens in new window) during your trip, call Allianz Global Assistance at 1-866-896-8172 before the expiry date of your original certificate of insurance to purchase top-up coverage.
• After your effective date and if you have had a medical condition (Definition opens in new window) during your trip, Allianz Global Assistance before the expiry date of your original certificate of insurance to request approval for and to purchase top-up coverage. Please call 1-800-387-2487 toll-free from the U.S. and Canada, or (905) 816-2561 collect from anywhere in the world.
• The terms, conditions and exclusions of the new top-up certificate of insurance apply to you.
• You must pay the required top-up premium on or before the effective date of the top-up period.

Make a Travel Claim

RBC Insurance Company of Canada has appointed AZGA Service Canada Inc. (operating as “Allianz Global Assistance”) as the provider of all assistance and claims services. They can be contacted 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Knowledgeable claims and service advisors are available to help you.

Report a claim

Medical and travel emergency.

• 1-800-387-2487 (Toll-free from Canada & U.S.)
• (905) 816-2561 (Collect from anywhere)
• Or email Allianz Global Assistance at: [email protected] Disclaimer 1

Trip Cancellation

Let us know you have cancelled your trip

Call your travel agent, airline, tour operator or carrier to cancel your trip no later than one business day after the cause of cancellation—and then call Allianz Global Assistance.

24 hours a day 7 days a week

How to Make a Claim

Follow these steps to submit a claim online:

Note: If you are new to Online Insurance you will need to enrol (Opens new window) by completing our easy 4 step enrolment process in 4 easy steps. Please make sure to have all of your supporting documents and completed forms available when you open a claim online.

Sign In (Opens new window)

Or, to make a claim by mail, please call Allianz Global Assistance at 1-800-387-2487 to obtain a claim form. Mail your completed and signed medical claim form, along with all necessary documents outlined below, to:

Allianz Global Assistance PO Box 277 Waterloo, ON N2J 4A4

Additional Claim information:

Emergency Medical

• Attach all original itemized bills and receipts to support your claim.
• Attach any medical records you may have been given at the time of treatment. For hospitalization claims, a complete copy of your medical records from the treating facility is required.
• For Multi-Trip Annual plans, attach proof of both departure from and return to your province of residence. The type of proof depends on whether you travelled via airline or car.
• For hospitalization claims, a complete copy of your medical records from the treating facility is required.

Please note: Depending on the claim, we may request more information.

• Call your travel agent, airline, tour operator or the carrier to cancel your trip (no later than one business day after the cause of cancellation).
• If you are cancelling because you, an immediate family member or travel companion are sick or injured, the physician who treated the sick or injured person on the date of the cause of cancellation must complete the Medical Information section of the claim form.
• If the medical condition is for yourself or your spouse, you will also need to provide your family physician’s clinical notes from the 90 days prior to your insurance application date up to the present date.
• Provide an itemized copy of your invoice, with a breakdown of the cost of your trip (i.e. airfare, hotels, taxes, service fees, other). You’ll need to provide proof of payment (Definition opens in new window) for each item.
• Attach original unused airline ticket(s) and any other original travel documents. If you received a refund from your travel agent or travel supplier, you’ll need to provide a copy of the statement or refund.
• If cancelling for non-medical reasons, you’ll need to provide substantiated evidence. This could be a copy of a subpoena for court/jury duty, a letter from your employer, a report from your airline/cruise, or a death certificate.

Trip Interruption

• If your trip is interrupted because you, an immediate family member or travel companion are sick or injured, the treating physician must complete the Medical Information section of the claim form. The physician who fills out the form must be the same one who treated the sick or injured person at your travel destination.
• Attach original unused airline ticket(s) along with the new return tickets you purchased. If you paid a change fee, you’ll need to include the original receipts for this cost.
• If the interruption is due to non-medical reasons, you’ll need to provide substantiated evidence. This could be a copy of a subpoena for court/jury duty, a letter from your employer, a report from your airline/cruise, or a death certificate.
• If you have additional expenses as a result of one of the insured risks, you’ll need to provide original receipts for all additional costs such as hotel accommodations, meals, essential telephone calls, or taxi fares.

Check a Claim's Status or Get Help with a Claim

Call Allianz Global Assistance to check a claim's status or get help with a form.

• 1-800-263-8944 (Toll-free from Canada & U.S.) Mon-Fri: 8am-8pm ET
• Fax (905) 813-4701 (Toll-free from Canada & U.S.)

Travel Advisories and Weather Alerts

Before you pack your bags, make sure it's safe to visit your destination.

Travel Advisories

http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/tmp-pmv/index-eng.php

Weather Alerts

http://weather.gc.ca/warnings/

It’s important to confirm your travel arrangements and monitor weather conditions before departing on your trip. Airlines frequently allow changes to travel plans without a change fee. We suggest contacting your airline before heading to the airport to learn about potential delays and rescheduling options.

We offer coverage that helps protect you against carrier delays, missed connections and problems getting to the airport on time.  However, you must purchase trip cancellation and interruption insurance (in a travel insurance package or stand-alone) prior to the time that a severe storm warning or watch is issued. Once a severe weather warning or watch has been forecasted, trip cancellation and interruption losses resulting from the storm are excluded from your coverage.

Claims and Emergencies FAQs

Have a question about making a claim or getting help during a travel emergency? Get the answers you need here.

If you have trip cancellation and interruption insurance and the emergency is covered, it will help pay for your expenses to return home. There are a number of circumstances that qualify as an emergency (for example, the death or serious illness of a family member). These circumstances, as well as terms and conditions, are described in the certificate of insurance.

Trip cancellation and interruption insurance also reimburses you for any cancellation penalties that a travel provider might charge (if you cancel a non-refundable airline ticket, for example).

Remember, in order to be reimbursed, you must call Allianz Global Assistance. You can call Allianz Global Assistance toll-free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-387-2487 from the U.S. and Canada or (905) 816-2561 collect from anywhere in the world.

Yes, as soon as medically possible. There are several reasons to call the emergency contact number first:

• The multilingual representatives of Allianz Global Assistance are experienced experts in coordinating emergency care for travellers in foreign lands.
• They're available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• If you don't call Allianz Global Assistance first, your benefits may be reduced and your coverage may be limited . As stated in your certificate of insurance, if you do not contact Allianz Global Assistance at the time of your medical emergency or you choose to receive treatment from a medical service provider outside the Allianz Global Assistance network, you will be responsible for 30% of your medical expenses covered under your insurance and in excess of your medical expenses paid by your government health plan. You can call Allianz Global Assistance toll-free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-387-2487 from the U.S. and Canada or (905) 816-2561 collect from anywhere in the world.

Of course, obtaining urgent care in an emergency is your #1 priority—and our representatives are here to help at our toll-free emergency contact number. However, if your medical condition prevents you from calling before seeking emergency treatment, then you must call as soon as medically possible.

Someone else (a family member, friend, hospital or physician's office staff, etc.) may call on your behalf–so it's a very good idea to carry your RBC Insurance travel insurance wallet card with you at all times.

We want to do all we can to help you if you have an emergency—starting with reducing your stress level. If you need assistance call Allianz Global Assistance Toll-Free.

It's our goal to settle every claim as quickly as possible. While every claim is different, there are things you can do to speed things up:

• If you require emergency care on your trip , call our emergency contact number immediately, or at the earliest possible opportunity (someone else can call if you're unable to). If you do not, your coverage may be limited and your benefits could be reduced.
• If you need to cancel your trip prior to departing , call your travel agency, airline, tour company or the carrier immediately to cancel your trip no later than one business day after the cause of cancelation. Call Allianz Global Assistance the same day.
• For all claims , carefully read the instructions for submitting your claim. Make sure you fully complete any required claims forms and submit all required documentation at your earliest possible convenience. For example, you may need to provide Allianz Global Assistance with information on your past health history if you are submitting an emergency medical claim or a trip cancellation claim due to a medical condition.

The multilingual representatives of Allianz Global Assistance are ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week when you have a medical emergency. You can rely on them to refer you or (when medically appropriate) transfer you to one of the accredited medical service providers within the Allianz Global Assistance network, so you can receive the care you need as quickly as possible.

Because the representatives are multilingual and have 24-hour access to real-time translation services, they can provide the help you need in your own language—and also have someone to communicate on your behalf with medical personnel who may speak a different language.

Whenever possible, Allianz Global Assistance will also request for the medical service provider within the network to bill the covered medical expenses directly to them instead of you—reducing stress and hassle.

We will pay your eligible medical bills directly to the medical provider or hospital for you whenever possible.

No matter where in the world you are, we’ll be here for you. If you have an emergency, you can call Allianz Global Assistance toll-free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-387-2487 from the U.S. and Canada or (905) 816-2561 collect from anywhere in the world.

The documentation you need to provide will depend on the type of claim, the type of plan you purchased and the province/territory in which you live.

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