Your Complete Guide to TD Travel Credit Cards

TD Bank has some of the best travel credit cards in the market. When leveraged properly, TD travel credit cards can go a long way to enhancing your travel game, allowing you to see the world for free.

TD offers a wide range of services to Canadians including personal and commercial banking, wealth management, investment banking, asset management, and insurance. CIBC provides a wide range of banking and financial services to Canadians. Services which include travel credit cards.

The travel credit cards offered through TD come with a number of perks including:

• Travel rewards can be redeemed for various travel-related expenses such as flights, hotel stays, car rentals, and more.
• Great sign-up bonuses
• Travel Insurance
• Airport lounge access
• Travel-related discounts and benefits

Travel credit cards through TD allow cardholders to earn either earn Aeroplan points or TD Rewards.

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TD AEROPLAN CARDS

What are Aeroplan Points?

Aeroplan is the top travel program in Canada.

Understanding the do’s and don’ts of the Aeroplan rewards program will allow Canadians to travel the world on the cheap, and free up more money that can be used towards other things you enjoy.

The program is a high-profile rewards offering that has been around for over 30 years. Aeroplan members can earn points by flying with Air Canada or its partner airlines, as well as through everyday activities such as shopping, dining, and staying at partner hotels. These points can then be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, car rentals, vacation packages, merchandise, and other rewards.

It’s the only North American airline loyalty rewards program that offers members access to Air Canada and all Star Alliance partners. As a result, this should be your #1 focus when accumulating travel points here in Canada.

TD credit cards are a great way to accumulate Aeroplan points

Your complete guide to Aeroplan points

WHAT ARE THE TOP TD AEROPLAN CREDIT CARDS

TD offers a basic, core & premium version of their Aeroplan cards

	Basic	Core	Enhanced
Card Name	TD Aeroplan	TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite	TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege
Sign up Bonus	up to 20,000 Aeroplan points	up to 50,000 Aeroplan points	up to 100,000 Aeroplan points
Annual Fee	$89	$139	$599
Earn Rate	1 point per dollar on Air Canada & Air Canada Vacations  1 point per dollar on gas 1 point per dollar on groceries 1 point per $1.50 spent on everything else	1 point per dollar on Air Canada & Air Canada Vacations  1.5 points per dollar on gas 1.5 points per dollar on groceries 1 point per dollar spent on everything else	2 points per dollar on Air Canada & Air Canada Vacations  1.5 points per dollar on gas. 1.5 points per dollar on groceries 1.25 points per dollar spent on everything else
Card Benefits	Free first-checked bag on Air Canada flights for yourself and up to eight passengers on the same reservation.	Free first-checked bag on Air Canada flights for yourself and up to eight passengers on the same reservation	Free first-checked bag on Air Canada flights for yourself and up to eight passengers on the same reservation MapleLeaf lounge access  6 DragonPass Lounge Visits
Status Acceleration	None	1,000 SQM & 1 SQS per $10,000 spent on the card	1,000 SQM & 1 SQS per $10,000 spent on the card
Out-of-Province Emergency Travel Medical Insurance	No	Yes	Yes
Flight Delay and Baggage Insurance	No	Yes	Yes
Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance	No	Yes	Yes

TD Aeroplan Cards – Fall 2023

Note: There are also business versions of each card

REDEEMING AEROPLAN POINTS

In 2020 Aeroplan released a pricing chart based on geographic zones. In total, there are 4 zones (North America, South America, Atlantic & Pacific) that are built into the award chart.

Overall there are 10 different award chats, reflecting travel between each zone, and also within the zone itself. Here are the updated distance-based award charts.

Here’s the new award chart for travel within North America:

Here’s the new award chart for travel between North America and the Atlantic region:

Here’s the new award chart for travel between North America and the Pacific region:

Here’s the new award chart for travel between North America and South America:

Here’s the new award chart for travel within the Atlantic region:

Here’s the new award chart for travel within the Pacific region:

Here’s the new award chart for travel within South America:

Here’s the new award chart for travel between the Atlantic and Pacific regions:

TD Rewards CARDS

What are TD Rewards?

TD Rewards are a type of loyalty rewards program offered by TD. The TD rewards program allows TD customers to earn points on their eligible credit card purchases, and these points can then be redeemed for a variety of rewards, such as flights, hotel stays, vacation packages, merchandise, and more.

Cardholders earn points by receiving a new application “welcome bonus” and using their eligible TD Rewards credit card for everyday spending. The points earned can then be used to offset travel-related expenses, which is a popular choice for many customers.

WHAT ARE THE TOP TD Rewards CREDIT CARDS

TD offers a basic, core & premium version of their TD Rewards cards

	Basic	Core	Enhanced
Card Name	TD Rewards Visa	TD Platinum Travel Visa	TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite
Sign up Bonus	6 points per dollar spent in the Expedia for TD portal 4.5 points per dollar on grocery & dining 3 points per dollar on recurring bill payments 1.5 points per dollar spent on everything else	up to 50,000 TD Rewards	up to 135,000 TD Rewards
Annual Fee	$0	$89	$139
Earn Rate	6 points per dollar spent in the Expedia for TD portal 4.5 points per dollar on grocery & dining 3 points per dollar on recurring bill payments 1.5 points per dollar spent on everything else	6 points per dollar spent in the Expedia for TD portal 4.5 points per dollar on grocery & dining 3 point per dollar on recurring bill payments 1.5 points per dollar spent on everything else	8 points per dollar spent in the Expedia for TD portal 6 points per dollar on grocery & dining 4 points per dollar on recurring bill payments 2 points per dollar spent on everything else
Card Benefits	Save up to 10% with Budget & Avis car rental in Canada or the US, and 5% internationally	Save up to 10% with Budget & Avis car rental in Canada or the US, and 5% internationally	Cardholders receive a $100 credit on accommodations and vacation packages booked through Expedia for TD. Save up to 10% with Budget & Avis car rental in Canada or the US, and 5% internationally
Out-of-Province Emergency Travel Medical Insurance	No	No	Yes
Flight Delay and Baggage Insurance	No	Yes	Yes
Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance	No	No	Yes
Auto Rental Collision Coverage	No	Yes	Yes

TD Rewards Cards – Winter 2023

Note: There is also a business version of the TD Platinum Travel Visa

REDEEMING TD Rewards

You can redeem TD Rewards in one of 6 ways:

• Redeeming for travel in the Expedia for TD travel portal
• Redeem for travel
• Statement credits
• At Amazon.ca
• Merchandise
• Educational credits

Expedia for Rewards

You can book flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages within the Expedia for TD portal, which is basically Expedia with a TD logo slapped on the homepage.

Within the Expedia for TD portal, TD rewards can be redeemed at a rate of 200 points/dollar. This gives this redemption option a value of 0.5 cents/points

The minimum amount of points that can be redeemed is 200 TD Rewards.

While 0.5 cents per point is far below the value associated with Aeroplan or Avios, there are still some great reasons to leverage this service. For one, Expedia offers cruises, tours, and tickets on their platform. This could be a great use of TD Rewards. Additionally, you can also use Expedia for TD to reserve airlines/hotels that aren’t associated with a major loyalty program (Porter Airlines for example).

If you do decide to book a flight with a major airline, you’ll still accrue elite-qualifying miles/segments as long as your frequent flyer number is attached to the booking.

Redeeming Against Travel Purchases

TD Rewards points can be redeemed for any travel purchases made against the card. These can include:

• Air Travel
• Airport Services
• Hotel Stays
• Vacation Rentals
• Theme Park Tickets
• Excursions

Redemption for this is 250 TD Rewards per dollar (0.4 cents/point)

This can be a great option for recreational travel activities like excursions, rentals, and tickets.

Statement Credits

You can apply TD Rewards towards your credit card statement balance through the “Payment with Points” feature at a rate of (0.25 cents per point). Therefore, a $25 purchase would cost you 10,000 TD Rewards.

This redemption value for option is far below the Expedia for TD portal, or redeeming your points against travel purchases

Redeem at Amazon.ca

TD Rewards can be redeemed at Amazon.ca. You can redeem your points at a rate of 0.33 cents per point. Once again, this redemption option is not as lucrative as redeeming for travel.

To apply your TD rewards to your Amazon purchase, you’ll first need to link your TD rewards account to your Amazon account.

Gift Cards & Merchandise

You can redeem your TD rewards with a variety of retailers at a rate of 0.25 cents per point. Occasionally, TD will run promotions that can increase that value, but this option historically will not provide you with optimal value.

Redeem for Education

TD Rewards can also be redeemed at HigherEdPoints. This redemption can be applied toward tuition or student loans.

The only redemption option for educational credits is 62,500 TD Rewards = $250 education credit (a value of 0.4 cents per point). This redemption option provides higher value when compared to Amazon, statement credits, or merchandise.

Cardholders will need to TD website, to see if HigherEducation is partnered with their institution. If so, you can then buy HigherEdPoints Credits with your TD Rewards.

WHEN SHOULD I START COLLECTING AEROPLAN & TD Rewards

The Aeroplan program is one of the best travel programs in the country. All Canadians who travel (even infrequently) should be part of the program. The Aeroplan credit cards are some of the top cards available to Canadians. At least one member of your household should be earning Aeroplan points through a visa, including the ones offered through TD.

I would encourage Canadians to look at loyalty programs such as Aeroplan, Marriott Bonvoy, or American Express Membership Rewards to get started on their points journey. Those programs can get you a value of upwards of 10 cents/point if redeemed properly. Aeroplan & Marriott Bonvoy are the two biggest loyalty programs in Canada, so this is where you should start.

Once you’ve properly racked enough Aeroplan & Marriott Bonvoy points, you can then start focusing on other points programs in Canada, like TD rewards.

Canadians are often in situations where they need to spend cash for their travel purchases. Maybe you’re paying cash for a hotel stay, or maybe you’re flying on an airline that doesn’t have a loyalty program (Flair Airlines for example). For this reason, the TD Rewards program can have some value. TD Rewards also has some value when redeeming for cruises, or theme park-related expenses.

WHAT’S THE OPTIMAL TD CREDIT CARD STRATEGY

One of the great things about opening up a credit card line with TD is that you can “product switch” between different credit cards. A product switch keeps the same line of credit but changes the credit card associated with it. In some cases, you can receive a modified sign-up bonus every time your product switches.

There are a number of advantages to doing a product change, rather than a “churn” (canceling and reapplying for a new card):

• You will maintain a longer credit line which helps the average age of accounts on your credit profile, and thus, your credit score
• You won’t receive a hard inquiry, which can temporarily lower your credit score 

With that information in mind, we can now start to build out our credit card strategy

As mentioned, Aeroplan is the top travel program in Canada, and Canadians should prioritize this program through branded credit cards offered by American Express, TD & CIBC.

Starting with the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card makes the most sense given the high signup bonus and first-year annual fee waiver. The 50,000 Aeroplan points will get you a free flight, and you’ll get some Aeroplan perks as well (a free checked bag for example).

It’s probably in your best interest to open 2 (or even 3) Aeroplan cards with TD before focusing on TD Rewards.

Once you’ve maxed out the Aeroplan program, you can then open up a credit line by signing up for the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite. This will give you 100,000 TD Rewards, and a few travel perks like the $100 credit on accommodations and vacation packages booked through Expedia for TD.

After the first year, this card can either be downgraded, or canceled (I wouldn’t cancel both lines of credit though).

After 3-4 years of earning, you can flip through the Aeroplan & TD Rewards depending on your travel needs.

Conclusion

TD offers a range of credit cards with various features and benefits, catering to different customer needs and preferences. There are a few things that make TD a desirable credit card issuer:

• Some TD credit cards offer luxurious airport lounge access
• TD cards provide you access to Aeroplan, Canada’s top travel program
• You can “product switch” between different TD cards, continuously earning a modified sign-up bonus each time
• You can also apply for TD business credit cards, unlocking even more travel potential

FAQ

Can You Hold Multiple TD Aeroplan Cards at the Same Time?

In short, you can hold one basic, core & premium version of the Aeroplan cards. Aeroplan as of late has been cracking down on welcome bonuses, so there’s a small chance you won’t receive the full welcome bonus.

What Signup Bonus Should I Expect When I Product Switch?

You’ll need to call the 1-800 number in order to switch TD credit cards

Unfortunately, product switching with TD does not guarantee that you will receive a welcome bonus. Truthfully, your results may vary. In some cases, people’s product switch with TD and receive the full welcome bonus. Other times, you may receive a modified sign-up bonus.

One strategy you can apply is to ask the customer service rep whether or not you’ll receive the welcome bonus. However, in the past, I’ve been provided incorrect information from customer service reps, so once again, your results may vary.