TD Aeroplan Visa Platinum vs. Infinite vs. Infinite Privilege

Full feature comparison

Where each upgrade pays off

The Platinum’s 1 pt/$1.50 base earn rate is the clearest liability in the lineup. At $2,500/mo in typical spending, the Visa Infinite earns roughly 50% more points per year. The $50 fee difference is recovered in earn value alone at around $850/mo of total spend. Below that threshold the Platinum is cheaper; above it the Infinite wins on earn before the free checked bag or insurance enter the picture.

The Infinite–to–Privilege gap is a different calculation. The $460 fee premium is not recovered from earn rates at most spend levels: the earn differential at $2,500/mo is worth ~$75/yr. The Privilege justifies its fee through the lounge (a day-pass equivalent of $50–$75 per visit), the companion pass (worth whatever the base fare is on the booking where you use it), and faster status acceleration. For someone flying Air Canada domestically 6+ times a year without Aeroplan 35K status, the lounge alone can close the gap.

When to choose the Visa Platinum

The Platinum makes sense if you do not meet the $60,000 income requirement for the Visa Infinite. At any spend level where both cards are available, the Infinite earns more net value in nearly all scenarios. If your goal is Aeroplan accumulation and you qualify for the Infinite, the Platinum is not the right card.

When to choose the Visa Infinite

The Visa Infinite is the right card for most TD Aeroplan holders. The 1.5x categories cover the two highest-volume everyday spend buckets for most households. The free checked bag saves $120 to $180 per return Air Canada trip for two people. The Nexus credit, amortized to $25 per year, makes the effective net fee $114. At a typical spend level these benefits more than offset the fee.

The Infinite is also the right answer if you hold or are working toward Aeroplan Elite status: the free checked bag and Nexus credit are useful at any status tier, and the travel insurance package covers 21 days of emergency medical at up to $2 million.

When to choose the Visa Infinite Privilege

The Privilege justifies its $460 premium over the Infinite primarily through lounge access and the companion pass. At 6 lounge visits per year (worth ~$360 in day-pass equivalents), you are already most of the way to closing the fee gap before any earn rate differential. Add a companion pass used on a domestic booking where the base fare is $300 or more, and the Privilege pays for itself in a single year of those two benefits.

The status acceleration is a secondary but meaningful reason: 1,000 SQC per $5,000 spent is 4 times faster than the Infinite’s rate. A cardholder who spends $50,000 per year on the card earns 10,000 SQC, which is a material contribution toward Aeroplan 25K or 35K status.

If you fly Air Canada domestically fewer than 4 times per year and travel solo, the Privilege is hard to justify. The lounge and companion pass do not generate value they are not used.