The Aeroplan loyalty program presently affords a minimum of 11 co-branded bank cards in Canada issued by TD, CIBC, and American Categorical.

Whereas the bank cards by all three issuers are largely comparable to one another, there are just a few notable variations within the merchandise throughout every buyer section that aren’t essentially obvious at first look.

On this article, we’ll go over just a few comparability charts for the TD, CIBC, and American Categorical Aeroplan bank cards that will help you resolve which issuer’s product is one of the best match for you in any given buyer section.

As that is meant to function a long-term information, there isn’t a give attention to the present welcome bonuses on every card, which recurrently change over time.

Entry-Stage Aeroplan Credit score Playing cards

We’ll start with the entry-level (or “silver”) Aeroplan bank cards, which include essentially the most inexpensive charges, however are additionally essentially the most stripped-down by way of perks and advantages. TD and CIBC will every problem one card on this section:

The comparability chart is as follows. As in earlier comparability charts, any clear winner in a class is highlighted in inexperienced.

	TD Aeroplan Visa Platinum Card
Supplementary card (with perks)
Supplementary card (with out perks)
Air Canada Air Canada Holidays
No expiry of Aeroplan factors
Auto rental collision/loss harm waiver	MSRP as much as $65,000 Rental interval as much as 48 days	MSRP as much as $65,000 Rental interval as much as 48 days

Whereas TD has stored its entry-level product beneath the Visa Platinum banner, thereby commanding a light-weight annual price of $89 with a supplementary card price, CIBC has as a substitute chosen to problem a no-annual-fee Aeroplan bank card as a substitute. This makes the CIBC Visa Aeroplan Card the one no-annual-fee Aeroplan co-branded card in the marketplace. 

The incomes charges and restricted set of Aeroplan advantages are uniform between the 2 merchandise. So what justifies the TD Aeroplan Visa Platinum’s increased annual price?

Effectively, it affords a good set of insurance coverage advantages, together with flight/journey delay, delayed and misplaced baggage, lodge/motel housebreaking insurance coverage, and cell system insurance coverage, all of which aren’t provided by the CIBC Visa Aeroplan Card. Nevertheless, as entry-level merchandise, neither card affords the protection that tends to matter essentially the most to travellers: emergency medical insurance coverage, journey cancellation, and journey interruption.

Total, each the TD and CIBC playing cards do a great job of serving completely different subsegments of the market: TD supplies some gentle journey insurance coverage in alternate for a small annual price, whereas CIBC caters in the direction of Canadians who’d desire to not pay any annual price whereas nonetheless incomes Aeroplan factors on their spending. 

Core Aeroplan Credit score Playing cards

The core (or “gray”) Aeroplan bank cards are geared in the direction of the typical Canadian traveller. TD, CIBC, and American Categorical will every problem one card on this section:

The comparability chart is as follows.

	TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card	CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card	American Categorical Aeroplan Card
Supplementary card (with perks)
Supplementary card (with out perks)
	$60,000 annual / $100,000 family	$60,000 annual / $100,000 family
Air Canada Air Canada Holidays
No expiry of Aeroplan factors
Shared advantages with supplementary cardholders
1,000 SQM + 1 SQS per $10,000 spent
	$2,000,000 Age 0–64: 21 days Age 65+: 4 days	$5,000,000 Age 0–64: 15 days Age 65+: 3 days
	$1,500 (per individual) $5,000 (mixed)	$1,500 (per individual) $5,000 (mixed)
	$5,000 (per individual) $25,000 (mixed)
			$500 on a 4-hour journey delay / 6-hour baggage delay (combination, mixed)
		$500 (per individual) $1,000 (mixed)
		$500 (per individual) $1,000 (mixed)
Auto rental collision/loss harm waiver	MSRP as much as $65,000 Rental interval as much as 48 days	MSRP as much as $65,000 Rental interval as much as 48 days	MSRP as much as $85,000 Rental interval as much as 48 days

As you possibly can see, this section of the market is the place the trade-offs between the three issuers begin to turn out to be extra obvious.

The American Categorical Aeroplan Card comes with the cheaper annual price at $120 as a substitute of $139. Together with CIBC’s product, its supplementary card price for shared perks can also be decrease, whereas it’s distinctive among the many three issuers for providing a no-fee supplementary card that merely helps you to earn factors sooner.

When it comes to incomes charges, American Categorical’s providing is stronger within the Air Canada and eating classes, whereas TD and CIBC’s merchandise supply a stronger return on spending on fuel and groceries. You’ll wish to take into consideration which set of bonus classes is extra helpful to you based mostly by yourself spending profile.

The three playing cards’ advantages are just about an identical, with the one exception being the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite’s $100 NEXUS credit score, which isn’t provided by both of the opposite two playing cards. 

Lastly, the insurance coverage packages usually comply with an order of descending energy as you learn the chart from left to proper, with just a few exceptions:

• The American Categorical card supplies automobile rental collision/loss harm waiver on extra helpful automobile leases
• CIBC’s emergency journey insurance coverage has the next most declare quantity than TD’s ($5MM vs. $2MM), though you possibly can place the next worth on TD’s longer protection interval as a substitute

Notably, American Categorical has chosen to not embrace any emergency journey insurance coverage on the core card, which undoubtedly counts towards it on this three-way comparability.

Total, TD’s product is the strongest right here, justifying its barely increased annual charges for the first and supplementary cardholders. American Categorical’s differentiated increased incomes charges could outweigh its weaknesses for some people, whereas there’s comparatively little to set CIBC’s core card aside. 

Premium Aeroplan Credit score Playing cards

The premium (or “black”) Aeroplan bank cards are geared in the direction of frequent Air Canada travellers that additionally are likely to fall within the increased revenue and wealth brackets. TD, CIBC, and American Categorical will every problem one card on this section:

The comparability chart is as follows.

	TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card	CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card	American Categorical Aeroplan Reserve Card
Supplementary card (with perks)
Supplementary card (with out perks)
	$150,000 private / $200,000 family	$150,000 private / $200,000 family
Air Canada Air Canada Holidays
No expiry of Aeroplan factors
Shared advantages with supplementary cardholders
1,000 SQM + 1 SQS per $5,000 spent
Maple Leaf Lounge entry inside North America	✓ (with one free visitor till December 2023)	✓ (with one free visitor till December 2023)
	✓ Annual membership with six free visits (DragonPass)	✓ Annual membership with six free visits (DragonPass)	✓ Annual membership solely (Precedence Go)
Air Canada precedence airport companies
Annual Worldwide Companion Go upon $25,000 spend
Rollover SQM and eUpgrades
Precedence advantages at choose airports
	$5,000,000 Age 0–64: 31 days Age 65+: 4 days	$5,000,000 Age 0–64: 31 days Age 65+: 10 days	$5,000,000 Age 0–64: 15 days
	$2,500 (per individual) $5,000 (mixed)	$2,500 (per individual) $10,000 (mixed)	$1,500 (per individual) $3,000 (mixed)
	$5,000 (per individual) $25,000 (mixed)	$5,000 (per individual) $25,000 (mixed)	$1,500 (per individual) $6,000 (mixed)
			$1,000 on a 4-hour delay (combination, mixed)
		$500 (per individual) $1,000 (mixed)
		$1,000 (per individual) $2,500 (mixed)
Auto rental collision/loss harm waiver	MSRP as much as $85,000 Rental interval as much as 48 days	MSRP as much as $85,000 Rental interval as much as 48 days	MSRP as much as $85,000 Rental interval as much as 48 days

Within the premium section, all three playing cards’ price buildings are an identical, and American Categorical has the foremost benefit of getting no revenue requirement for his or her Aeroplan Reserve Card, in comparison with TD and CIBC’s extra onerous $150,000 revenue threshold as Visa Infinite Privilege merchandise.

Just like the core section, American Categorical has differentiated itself from TD and CIBC by way of the incomes charges, providing a stronger return on Air Canada and eating, however a weaker return on different journey spending, fuel, and groceries.

The playing cards’ advantages are largely uniform, with one space during which TD and CIBC excel.

In comparison with American Categorical, these two issuers supply six complimentary DragonPass lounge visits per yr, whereas the American Categorical Aeroplan Reserve Card solely affords an annual Precedence Go membership with none free visits.

Additionally notice that the Visa Infinite Privilege playing cards include precedence airport advantages at Vancouver (YVR), Montreal (YUL), Ottawa (YOW), and Toronto Billy Bishop (YTZ), whereas the American Categorical Aeroplan Reserve Card delivers comparable precedence advantages at Toronto Pearson (YYZ). When you are likely to frequent one among these airports, you’d naturally place extra weight on completely different merchandise accordingly.

Lastly, insurance coverage. Right here, CIBC and TD are extra evenly matched, with the previous’s 10-day emergency medical insurance coverage for travellers aged 65+ and 180-day buy safety profit setting itself aside. Each are usually stronger than American Categorical’s insurance coverage proposition by fairly a transparent margin.

Among the many trio of premium playing cards, it’s fairly clear that TD and CIBC’s Visa Infinite Privilege playing cards are usually stronger than what American Categorical is placing out, in alternate for a really excessive $150,000 revenue threshold.

A pure level of comparability for the premium Aeroplan bank cards could be the American Categorical Platinum Card – you could find our detailed comparability right here.

Small Enterprise Aeroplan Credit score Playing cards

The core small enterprise Aeroplan bank cards are geared in the direction of small enterprise homeowners who aren’t essentially frequent flyers with Air Canada, however would nonetheless prefer to earn Aeroplan factors on their enterprise spending. TD and CIBC will every problem one card on this section:

The comparability chart is as follows.

		CIBC Aeroplan Visa Enterprise
Supplementary card (with perks)
Supplementary card (with out perks)
Air Canada Air Canada Holidays
Delivery, web, cable, cellphone
No expiry of Aeroplan factors
Shared advantages with supplementary cardholders
1,000 SQM + 1 SQS per $5,000 spent
1 Maple Leaf Lounge visitor cross per $10,000 spent (as much as 4 per yr)
	$2,000,000 Age 0–64: 15 days Age 65+ 4 days
	$1,500 (per individual) $5,000 (mixed)	$1,000 (per individual) $5,000 (mixed)
	$5,000 (per individual) $25,000 (mixed)
		$500 (per individual) $1,000 (mixed)
		$500 (per individual) $1,000 (mixed)
Auto rental collision/loss harm waiver	MSRP as much as $65,000 Rental interval as much as 48 days	MSRP as much as $65,000 Rental interval as much as 48 days

This comparability ends in a really clear victory for TD’s small enterprise product over CIBC’s.

The TD card has the decrease annual price for each major and supplementary cardholders, a decrease revenue requirement, a $100 NEXUS credit score, and a considerably extra complete insurance coverage bundle.

It actually seems like TD has gone the total distance to spice up the worth proposition of its small enterprise Aeroplan card, whereas CIBC seems to have handled theirs as an afterthought.

In need of CIBC making huge enhancements to its card, there shall be no cause for small enterprise homeowners to decide on CIBC’s product over TD’s. 

(Word that American Categorical’s small enterprise Aeroplan co-branded bank card, the American Categorical Aeroplan Enterprise Reserve Card, is within the “premium enterprise” class all by itself. A pure level of comparability for this card could be the Enterprise Platinum Card from American Categorical; you could find our detailed comparability right here.)

Conclusion

Whereas the 11 Aeroplan co-branded bank cards are largely consistent with one another between the three issuers, there are a number of small however essential variations value noting inside every buyer section. 

In sum, TD’s playing cards are the strongest total, and that maybe displays their bigger slice of the pie by way of the suite of Aeroplan co-branded bank cards in comparison with the opposite issuers.

In the meantime, as essentially the most independent-minded issuer of the three, American Categorical has already confirmed to be essentially the most dynamic in phrases refreshing their bank cards to maintain them aggressive. 

Mixed with the dearth of revenue necessities and distinctive cardholder perks like Amex Provides, and that may transfer the needle in favour of American Categorical to your subsequent Aeroplan co-branded bank card.