Which RBC Avion card is better: the Visa Infinite or the Visa Infinite Privilege?

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege is worth it primarily if you use airport lounges regularly — its six complimentary Dragon Pass visits per year are the main way the $279 incremental fee pays off. If you don't use lounges, the earn-rate difference alone (1.25x everywhere vs. 1x on non-travel) requires very high monthly spend to break even, and the standard Avion Visa Infinite at $120 returns more value for most cardholders.

Is the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege annual fee worth it?

The $279 incremental fee (Privilege $399 vs. Infinite $120) is hard to justify on earn rates alone. The Privilege earns 0.25 extra points per dollar on non-travel spending, which at 1 cent per point returns less than $70 per year on typical $2,500/month spend — well short of $279. The fee makes sense if you use airport lounges: six Dragon Pass visits per year at roughly $40 each cover the incremental cost.

Credit Cards · Avion Rewards

RBC Avion Visa Infinite vs. Visa Infinite Privilege

Two cards, one Avion Rewards program. The Avion Visa Infinite costs $120 and earns 1.25x on travel, 1x everywhere else. The Avion Visa Infinite Privilege costs $399 and earns 1.25x on everything, with airport lounge access included. Here is what separates them.

RBC Avion Visa Infinite vs. Visa Infinite Privilege: full comparison

	Avion Visa Infinite	Avion Visa Infinite Privilege
Costs
Annual fee	$120	$399
Income requirement	$60K personal / $100K household	$200K personal or household
Earn rates
Travel purchases	1.25 pts / $1	1.25 pts / $1
All other purchases	1 pt / $1	1.25 pts / $1
Benefits
Airport lounge access	No	Dragon Pass membership + 6 complimentary visits/year
Welcome bonus	~35,000 pts	~60,000 pts
Emergency medical insurance	15 days	31 days
Trip cancellation / interruption	Yes	Yes
Travel accident insurance	Yes ($500K)	Yes ($500K)
Auto rental collision/loss damage	Yes	Yes
Transfer partners	BA Avios, WestJet, AA, Cathay	BA Avios, WestJet, AA, Cathay

Both cards earn Avion Rewards points with the same transfer partners and the same 1¢/pt portal rate. Welcome bonus figures are illustrative of typical offers; verify current promotions with RBC before applying.

Does the Avion Visa Infinite Privilege annual fee pay off?

RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege vs. RBC Avion Visa Infinite

How much does the extra 0.25 pts/$1 on non-travel spending return versus the $279 incremental fee ($399 − $120) — excluding the lounge benefit.

Monthly spend $2,500/mo

Extra earn/year (Privilege)

—

from +0.25 pts/$1 on non-travel spend

Break-even (months)
—
earn only, to recover $279

Net advantage (earn only)

—

extra earn minus $279 incremental fee

Non-travel spend (assumed 85% of total) —

Extra earn per month (Privilege vs. Infinite, non-travel only) —

Extra earn per year —

Incremental fee (Privilege $399 − Infinite $120) −$279

Net advantage (earn only) —

Both cards earn 1.25 pts/$1 on travel. The Privilege earns an extra 0.25 pts/$1 only on non-travel purchases. Extra earn per year = non-travel spend × 12 × 0.25 pts × $0.01/pt.

Six complimentary Dragon Pass lounge visits change the picture. At ~$40 per visit, the included lounge access is worth ~$240/year, which covers most of the earn-rate shortfall. Regular lounge users can make the Privilege fee work.

Which Avion card is right for you?

Choose the Privilege if…	Choose the Visa Infinite if…
You use airport lounges regularly (6+ visits/year makes the Dragon Pass inclusion worthwhile)	You rarely or never use airport lounges
Your income meets the $200K personal or household threshold and you want a premium card with a larger opening bonus	Your income is below $200K, or the $60K / $100K threshold of the Infinite is the right fit
Your monthly spend is very high and the flat 1.25x on all categories meaningfully outpaces the earn-only breakeven	You want Avion transfer access at a reasonable cost without paying for benefits you don’t use

Avion Visa Infinite → Avion Visa Infinite Privilege → Avion Rewards program →

Which card fits your travel pattern?

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