Best Aeroplan Credit Cards in Canada for 2026
This page is a spoke of best credit cards in Canada. Cobalt versus the TD Infinite card is its own matchup. How many cents a point is worth on a ticket you will book is the valuation guide, not a number printed on the application.
- TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite: $139, additional card $75, income $60,000 personal or $100,000 household, 1.5 points on gas, EV charging, grocery, and direct Air Canada, 1 point on other purchases.
- CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite: $139, additional card $50, same 1.5-point categories on CIBC's page, plus a first checked bag on Air Canada for the cardholder, authorized users, and companions, subject to the certificate.
- Amex Aeroplan card: $120 annual fee on Amex's comparison table. Confirm the accelerated categories on that page before you quote an earn rate.
- Amex Aeroplan Reserve: $599. 3 points per dollar on direct Air Canada, including Air Canada Vacations. 2 points on eligible dining and food delivery in Canada, not groceries. 1 point on other purchases.
- TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege: $599, additional card $199, income $150,000 personal or $200,000 household. 2 points on direct Air Canada, 1.5 on gas, EV, grocery, travel, transit, and dining, 1.25 on other purchases.
Which Aeroplan card matches how you fly?
| Card | Annual fee | Earn rate worth remembering | Pick it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite | $139 | 1.5 on gas, EV charging, grocery, Air Canada. 1 on other purchases. | You want Visa and a mid-tier fee, and you meet $60,000 / $100,000 income. |
| CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite | $139 | 1.5 on gas, EV charging, groceries, and Air Canada. First checked bag is the published differentiator. | The bag fee you actually pay is worth more than the small differences versus TD. |
| American Express Aeroplan Card | $120 | Amex's compare table shows a $120 fee and a 1-point base on "everything else." Accelerators: confirm on the page. | You want a lower co-brand fee and you already know Amex is accepted where you spend. |
| American Express Aeroplan Reserve | $599 | 3 on direct Air Canada. 2 on dining and food delivery in Canada. 1 on other purchases. | Air Canada spend and the insurance or status benefits clear $599 without a fantasy valuation. |
| TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege | $599 | 2 on direct Air Canada. 1.5 on gas, EV, grocery, travel, transit, and dining. 1.25 on the rest. Bonus rates are capped at $100,000 of those purchases a year on the welcome-guide terms. | You meet $150,000 / $200,000 income and the Visa network matters more than Amex's 3x on Air Canada. |
| Amex Cobalt, then transfer | $191.88 | 5x on eligible Canadian food, then transfer 1:1 to Aeroplan. | Food, not flying, is where the points should be earned. See the Cobalt review. |
Welcome bonuses are omitted. TD, CIBC, and American Express all attach "new cardholder" tests, and Aeroplan's own terms can block a bonus if you recently held another card in the same category. Read the offer on the day you apply. The math for that offer is the welcome-bonus worksheet.
Does the checked bag pay for a $139 card?
Priya flies Air Canada twice a year with one checked bag each way, so four bag events. She does not put a dollar on CIBC's "value" tile. She uses the bag fee Air Canada would charge her on those flights, which she looks up for her fare. If four bags cost her more than $139, the CIBC card's bag benefit can clear the fee before a single point is earned, but only if the certificate covers her fare class, her companions, and the route. If she flies with a fare that already includes a bag, the benefit is worth $0 and the card has to win on 1.5x earn. On $6,000 of grocery, gas, and Air Canada spend, 1.5 points is 9,000 Aeroplan points. At an illustrative 1 cent, that is $90, which does not cover $139. She would need either the bag, a richer redemption, or more spend. The illustration is not a quote from Air Canada or from CIBC.
When is $599 the wrong flex?
Reserve's 3x rate applies to purchases made directly with Air Canada, including Air Canada Vacations bought from Air Canada. A ticket bought through another website, a travel agent, or a hotel booked on aircanada.com is not that rate. Amex's terms say those earn 1 point. Dining at 2x is restaurants and food delivery in Canada, and the terms exclude groceries. If your "travel card" spend is groceries and a once-a-year fare from an online agency, you are paying $599 for the base rate. The fee guide is the test. Lounge visits are priced in the lounge guide, not assumed to be worth the fee.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Aeroplan credit card in Canada for 2026?
For most people who simply want Aeroplan points on everyday Visa spend, TD or CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite at $139 is the published mid-tier. Pick CIBC when the checked-bag certificate covers bags you would pay for. Pick TD when you already bank there and the earn rate is the same 1.5 points on gas, grocery, EV charging, and Air Canada. Pick a $599 card only after the benefits you will use clear the fee. Pick Cobalt when food, not the co-brand, is the earn engine.
Do Aeroplan points from these cards expire?
TD says Aeroplan points will not expire as long as you are a primary cardholder in good standing. That is a cardholder condition, not a promise about the Aeroplan programme itself. If you cancel the card, re-read Aeroplan's current expiry rules before you assume the balance is permanent.
Is the American Express Aeroplan card the same as Cobalt?
No. The Aeroplan cards earn Aeroplan points directly. Cobalt earns Membership Rewards and can transfer to Aeroplan at 1,000 to 1,000. The core Amex Aeroplan card is listed at $120. Cobalt is $191.88. They also fail at different merchants. Holding both only makes sense if each has a job.
What income do I need for Visa Infinite?
TD publishes $60,000 personal or $100,000 household for the Aeroplan Visa Infinite, and $150,000 personal or $200,000 household for Infinite Privilege. If you miss the Infinite figure, TD's page points you to the Aeroplan Visa Platinum. Do not apply for a product you cannot qualify for just to "see."
Should I collect Aeroplan if I do not fly Air Canada?
Only if you will redeem on a partner you actually book. Aeroplan is one currency. A devaluation hits a co-brand balance directly. If you buy the cheapest cash fare on whoever is flying, a cash-back card is the cleaner rebate. The travel-rewards guide separates that structure from a locked airline programme.
Can I get the welcome bonus if I had the card before?
Often no. Issuer offers reviewed in September 2026 exclude current and former cardholders of the same product, and Aeroplan's programme terms can exclude people who received a bonus on another issuer's card in the same category. Read the footnote on the application. Do not plan a year of spending around a bonus you are not eligible for.
