The RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card is a great way for Canadians to earn Avios.
While Aeroplan gets a lot of buzz amongst Canadian travelers, the British Airways Executive Club (and their “Avios” currency) should not be overlooked.
By signing up for the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card, you can easily save up to $1,000 on your dream vacation.
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The Basics
Annual Fee: $165
Sign-up Bonus: 60,000 Avios
First Year Free: No (However, If you have an RBC VIP Banking Account, you receive a fee waiver on one of RBC’s premium credit cards, in which case the annual fee would be waived)
GCR Rebate: $0
Referral Bonus: None
Lounge Access: No
First Year Value: $850
RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Sign-up Bonus
New cardholders earn 15,000 Avios upon approval
New cardholders will earn 35,00 Avios upon spending $6,000 in the first 3 months
For those who want to renew their card, you’ll earn 10,000 Avios when renewing your card after the first year
Earning Rewards
The RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card is the top Canadian credit card for earning Avios points. The earn rates are as follows:
2 Avios per dollar spent on British Airways
1 Avios for every dollar spent everywhere else
While other cards have higher earning rates for particular categories (the American Express Cobalt card offers 5 Membership Rewards on Food & Drink, which can be transferred to Avios at a 1:1 ratio), the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card provides great everyday earnings if you are interested in collecting Avios
Given that some establishments don’t accept American Express, it’s a good idea to have a Visa or Mastercard card in your wallet that has solid everyday earnings. The RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card certainly fits that parameter.
Redeeming Your Rewards
British Airways is part of the Oneworld Alliance. This means you not only have the ability to redeem your Avios on British Airways flights but also on their partner airlines. Their partners include American Airlines, Finnair, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, LATAM, and Japan Airlines, amongst others.
You can view more information about OneWorld here
In addition to the airlines above, you can also use Avios from British Airways Executive Club to redeem for flights on Air Lingus
For those who are familiar with Aeroplan, you’re used to using a set number of points within different geographical regions.
British Airways uses a completely different redemption system. The amount of Avios needed for your trip will be dependent on the distance flown.
The chart below illustrates the number of Avios needed for redemptions with British Airways, Air Lingus, Iberia & Veuling:
| Zone No.(distance in miles) | Economy | Economy | Premium Economy | Premium Economy | Business | Business | First | First |
| Off Peak | Peak | Off Peak | Peak | Off Peak | Peak | Off Peak | Peak | |
| Zone 1 (1-650) | 4,750 | 5,250 | – | – | 8,500 | 9,750 | – | – |
| Zone 2 (651-1,151) | 7,250 | 8,250 | – | – | 13,000 | 15,750 | – | – |
| Zone 3 (1,152-2,000) | 10,000 | 12,500 | – | – | 17,750 | 20,750 | – | – |
| Zone 4 (2,001-3,000) | 10,000 | 12,500 | 20,000 | 25,000 | 31,250 | 37,500 | 42,500 | 50,000 |
| Zone 5 (3,001-4,000) | 13,000 | 20,000 | 26,000 | 40,000 | 50,000 | 60,000 | 68,000 | 80,000 |
| Zone 6 (4,001-5,500) | 16,250 | 25,000 | 32,500 | 50,000 | 62,500 | 75,000 | 85,000 | 100,000 |
| Zone 7 (5,501-6,500) | 19,500 | 30,000 | 39,000 | 60,000 | 75,000 | 90,000 | 102,000 | 120,000 |
| Zone 8 (6,501-7,000) | 22,750 | 35,000 | 45,500 | 70,000 | 87,500 | 105,000 | 119,000 | 140,000 |
| Zone 9 (7,001 and up) | 32,500 | 50,000 | 65,000 | 100,000 | 125,000 | 150,000 | 170,000 | 200,000 |
Partner Airlines
For partner airlines, there is a different reward chart, which can be found below
| Zone (distance in miles) | Economy | Premium economy | Business | First |
| Zone 1 (1-650) | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,500 | 24,000 |
| Zone 2(651-1,151) | 9,000 | 12,500 | 16,500 | 33,000 |
| Zone 3(1,152-2,000) | 11,000 | 16,500 | 22,000 | 44,000 |
| Zone 4(2,001-3,000) | 13,000 | 25,250 | 38,750 | 51,500 |
| Zone 5(3,001-4,000) | 20,750 | 41,250 | 62,000 | 82,500 |
| Zone 6(4,001-5,500) | 25,750 | 51,500 | 77,250 | 103,000 |
| Zone 7(5,501-6,500) | 31,000 | 62,000 | 92,750 | 123,750 |
| Zone 8(6,501-7,000) | 36,250 | 72,250 | 108,250 | 144,250 |
| Zone 9(7,001 and up) | 51,500 | 103,000 | 154,500 | 206,000 |
Multi-Carrier Redemptions
If you’re redeeming your Avios for a trip that includes multiple airlines, you will be subject to the redemption chart below:
| Miles | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
| 0 – 1,500 | 30,000 | 45,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 |
| 1,501 – 4,000 | 35,000 | 52,500 | 70,000 | 105,000 |
| 4,001 – 9,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 | 120,000 | 180,000 |
| 9,000 – 10,000 | 70,000 | 105,000 | 140,000 | 210,000 |
| 10,001 – 14,000 | 90,000 | 135,000 | 180,000 | 270,000 |
| 14,001 – 20,000 | 100,000 | 150,000 | 200,000 | 300,000 |
| 20,001 – 25,000 | 120,000 | 180,000 | 240,000 | 360,000 |
| 25,001 – 35,000 | 140,000 | 210,000 | 280,000 | 420,000 |
| 35,001 – 50,000 | 160,000 | 240,000 | 320,000 | 480,000 |
Read >>> Your Complete Guide to British Airways Executive Club
RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card Benefits
Complimentary Companion Voucher
Owners of the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite can further dive into savings by leveraging an annual companion voucher.
The companion voucher is quite a simple concept. Passenger 1 pays full price for the fare, and their companion is able to travel with them for free
NOTE: You will have to spend $30,000 on this card annually to receive the voucher. This amount can be difficult for most Canadians to attain. Even if you’re a high annual spender, the $30,000 may be better served earning signup bonuses for other credit cards
British Airways Discounts
Cardholders receive 10% off when booking paid flights with British Airways using this card
Savings at Petro Canada
Petro Canada has a relationship with RBC that will allow you to save 3 cents/litre if you link your RBC debit or credit card with your Petro Points account. Needless to say, you should be taking this initial step if you own an RBC credit card.
RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Insurance Coverage
The RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card comes with a suite of insurance products that you would associate with a premium credit card. As a cardholder, you receive the following insurance coverage:
- Emergency Medical Insurance – up to 31 days
- Travel Accident Insurance – up to $500,000
- Car Rental Damage Insurance
- Hotel Burglary Insurance – up to $2,500
- Flight Delay Insurance
Summary
While Aeroplan gets a lot of buzz amongst Canadian travelers, the British Airways Executive Club should not be overlooked, especially for international flights.
By signing up for the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card, you can easily save up to $1,000 on your dream vacation.
Canadians will have to make a personal decision as to whether or not the $165 annual fee is worth taking into the second year (you’ll receive 10,000 Avios for renewing the card).
If you currently own another RBC credit card and would like to transfer to the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card, you can perform a credit card switch on the RBC banking page, or by calling their credit card hotline. Switching from one RBC credit card to another DOES NOT impact your credit score
Other RBC Credit Cards
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