The RBC® Avion Visa Platinum† is the mid-tier offering for RBC®‘s Avion line-up, offering a way to earn RBC Avion points for those who may not qualify for the Visa Infinite cards.
That being said, the sign-up offer is currently equivalent to RBC®‘s flagship RBC® Avion Visa Infinite† product, making this an excellent value proposition.
Bonuses & Fees
This card is currently offering a promotional welcome bonus of 55,000 RBC Avion points† for new cardholders, which are awarded as follows:
- 35,000 Avion points upon approval†
- 20,000 bonus Avion points when you spend $5,000 in your first six months†
The card has an annual fee of $120† and $50 fee for supplementary cardholders.
If you have an RBC® VIP Banking Account, you’ll be able to get a fee waiver on one of RBC®‘s premium credit cards, including this one.
Earning Rewards
With this card you’ll earn 1 RBC Avion point per dollar spent on all qualifying purchases†.
In terms of everyday spending, this card has a standard earning rate, and is on par with many other entry-level cards whilst earning a flexible rewards currency.
Redeeming Rewards
There are a variety of ways to redeem RBC Avion points for a high value.
As a transferable currency, eligible cardholders can convert their RBC Avion points into British Airways Executive Club† and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles† at a 1:1 ratio, WestJet Rewards† at a 100:1 ratio, as well as American Airlines AAdvantage† at a 1:0.7 ratio.
Avios, Asia Miles, and AAdvantage will all provide a means to book business class and First Class flights on oneworld airlines, which will be by far the best value for your Avion points if you’re interested in travelling internationally in style.
Look out for 10–50% transfer bonuses to these partners too, which can boost the value of your points even further.
These can be some of highest value uses of RBC Avion points. If you signed up via the current offer for up to 55,000 Avion points, for example, and transferred the points over to Avios during a 30% promotion, you’d get 71,500 Avios — good for a number of short-haul flights, or enough to make solid progress towards a one-way flight in Qatar Airways Qsuites from North America to Doha or a multi-carrier ticket.
You can also redeem via the Air Travel Redemption Schedule†, which lets you use Avion points to book round-trip economy class tickets departing from Canada, up to a certain maximum ticket price. As a baseline, you can also apply Avion points to any travel purchase at a rate of 1 cent per point†.
Your RBC Avion points never expire for as long as you’re a cardholder†. If you cancel or switch to a different RBC® product, you have 90 days to redeem your Avion points before they go away†.
Perks & Benefits
The RBC® Avion Visa Platinum Card† includes a host of interesting benefits, including 12 months of free DashPass from DoorDash†.
It also comes with a 3¢/L saving on fuel at Petro-Canada†, along with earning 20% more Petro-Points and Avion points upon using your card to pay†.
Furthermore, RBC Avion cardholders can save 20% at Hertz†, as well as earn 2x the points if using your card†.
Finally, you can earn 50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible products at Rexall†, as well as a have an improved redeeming ratio of 25,000 Be Well points = $10†.
Insurance Coverage
The RBC Avion Visa Platinum Card comes with decent insurance coverage, as would be expected for a card with a $120 annual fee:
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Travel accident insurance†, covering death or dismemberment, of up to $500,000
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Car rental collision/loss damage insurance†, which allows you to save on the daily insurance charged by car rental companies for vehicles up to a MSRP of $65,000
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Trip cancellation insurance† of up to $5,000 and trip interruption insurance† of up to $5,000
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Flight delay insurance† of up to $500 for reasonable expenses incurred
There’s also a very compelling purchase protection scheme† in place that will reimburse you for accidentally lost or damaged personal property within 90 days of purchase, up to a maximum of $50,000 per year, as well as an extended warranty† feature that automatically doubles the original manufacturer’s warranty.
Overall, the insurance on this card is better than other entry-level travel cards in the market, making it a solid option if you can’t meet the income requirements or if just getting started in the game.
Looks like the RBC changed Rewards eligibility rules:
“To receive the 35,000 welcome Avion points (“Welcome Points”), your application must be approved by us. The Welcome Points will appear on your first two credit card statement after your application has been approved. Additional cardholder(s), as well as existing cardholders of any RBC Royal Bank personal credit cards, applying for or transferring to an RBC Avion Visa Infinite, RBC Avion Visa Platinum, or RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card as of the offer eligibility period, are not eligible for this offer. This offer may not be combined or used in conjunction with any other offer. Royal Bank of Canada reserves the right to cancel, modify or withdraw this offer at any time. ”
Applicant is NOT ELIGIBLE for Welcome Points if has any RBC CC (in my scenario that was WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard.
Heads up from phone call I just had with RBC – they will not accept your application if your debt to income ratio is above 40%. AKA, no large student debts.
Yea I wondered about this myself. Can you hold both Avion Visa Infinite and platinum?
Ricky any data points? Thx
Ricky,
Will I still be eligible for welcome bonus if I currently hold a RBC Avion Visa Infinite