Travel credit cards are difficult to rank honestly because two people can redeem the same number of points for very different value. One traveller wants an Air Canada checked bag. Another wants to book any airline. Someone else spends enough in foreign currencies that avoiding the usual foreign transaction fee matters more than airport perks.
We grouped these cards by the job they do best. Ongoing fees and earn rates were checked against official issuer pages on July 26, 2026. Welcome offers can change quickly, so they are not the foundation of this comparison.
Five travel cards worth comparing
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Quick comparison
| Card | Annual cost | Best reason to consider it | Question to ask yourself |
|---|---|---|---|
| TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite | $139 | Aeroplan earning and Air Canada benefits | How often do I fly Air Canada? |
| RBC Avion Visa Infinite | $120 | Flexible travel booking and transfer options | Will I use Avion's stronger travel redemptions? |
| Scotia Passport Visa Infinite | $150 | No foreign transaction fee | How much do I spend in foreign currencies? |
| CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite | $139 | Lounge visits, NEXUS rebate and flexible travel | Will I use those benefits this year? |
| American Express Cobalt | $15.99/month | Building travel points through eligible food spending | Can I use the points well and shop where Amex is accepted? |
Start with the trip you are likely to take
A useful comparison begins with a realistic trip, not a dream redemption. If most of your travel is a domestic Air Canada flight, Aeroplan benefits may be easy to value. If you choose airlines based on price, a flexible rewards program may fit better. If you travel internationally but pay cash for flights, foreign transaction fees may be the biggest cost to solve.
Put a dollar value on benefits carefully
A lounge pass is not worth the retail price to you if you would never buy one. The same is true for a NEXUS rebate, travel insurance or a checked bag. Give each benefit the amount you would personally have paid, then subtract the annual fee. This makes premium cards look less exciting on paper, but much more honest.
Understand how you will redeem the points
Aeroplan, Avion, Aventura, Scene+ and Membership Rewards do not have one permanent value for every redemption. Flight availability, transfer ratios, route, taxes and the way you book can all affect the result. Before applying, find one or two redemptions you would genuinely use and calculate the value from those.
Our Canadian credit card rewards guide explains how to compare cash back and points without assuming an optimistic cents-per-point value.
Check insurance before relying on it
Insurance coverage varies by card and can change. Age limits, trip-length limits, exclusions and the portion of the booking that must be charged to the card all matter. Read the current certificate of insurance before treating a card as a replacement for separate coverage.
When a two-card setup is easier
A travel card does not need to handle every purchase. You might keep it for airline benefits and pair it with a no-fee cash back card for a category where it earns slowly. See our guide to two-card combinations for a simple way to divide the jobs.
Our bottom line
TD Aeroplan is the airline-focused choice. RBC Avion offers flexible travel rewards. Scotia Passport focuses on foreign-currency savings. CIBC Aventura combines flexible travel with specific airport benefits. Cobalt can build travel points quickly from eligible food spending, but it is not automatically the best card for travel purchases themselves. Choose the card whose benefits match a trip you will actually take.
Official sources
Product details were checked on the official pages from TD, RBC, Scotiabank, CIBC, and American Express.