You can redeem Avion points with RBC through the Avion Rewards site, an online shopping platform that lets you use Avion points to pay for flights, merchandise, gift cards and more. You can also use points to pay bills through online banking.
Let’s walk through how the Avion Rewards program works and how to redeem your Avion points across various rewards categories.
When purchasing a flight on the RBC Avion website, you have the option to redeem Avion points when inputting your payment information during the checkout process.
You’ll also be able to convert your Avion points to partner airline loyalty programs such as American Airlines, Asia Miles, British Airways or WestJet Rewards using this online portal.
Flight redemptions will usually give you the best value when you redeem Avion points. Other features that make flight redemptions unique to Avion include no blackout dates or restrictions and no booking fees.
Your points will also never expire and you’ll be able to use them to cover the taxes and fees on your flight. These are features that aren’t typically available with other frequent flyer programs like Aeroplan or Air Miles.
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Shop for items and gift cards on the Avion Rewards website like you would on any other online marketplace—but pay with points instead of money.
If you want to redeem Avion points for merchandise or gift cards, you can visit RBC’s online rewards catalogue. There are over 100 brands available for gift cards, as well as thousands of consumer goods to purchase including electronics, kitchen appliances, fashion and much more.
You can easily search for the product or gift card you want and redeem your points using your online account. You can also use the portal to make a donation to the charity of your choice.
When paying bills online with RBC, select the “Avion Rewards” option on mobile or the “Pay with Avion Rewards Points” tab on desktop to redeem your Avion points.
You’ll be able to redeem Avion points to pay for a number of RBC’s financial products. You can use your points to pay off your credit card, contribute to your investment products, pay off your loans or pay your monthly bills. All you’ll have to do to redeem your points is sign into your RBC online banking account or the RBC Mobile banking app.
Avion is a bank-specific frequent flyer program operated by the Royal Bank of Canada (one of Canada’s Big Five banks). With this program, you’ll earn points whenever you spend money on your credit card.
There are several Avion credit cards that let you earn between 1 and 3 Avion points for every dollar spent, depending on the card you choose. Points can be redeemed for a wide variety of rewards.
You no longer need to have an RBC credit card to participate in the Avion Rewards program, but you will gain access to higher tiers and more Avion rewards if you do.
Avion points will be worth different amounts based on how and what you redeem the points for and whether or not you take advantage of a promotion. That said, the average value for each Avion point is approximately 1-2 cents per point.
As a rule of thumb, Avion points are worth more when you cash in those points for flights and other travel-related purchases. The value of Avion points are typically worth less when redeemed for items such as merchandise, gift cards and RBC financial products.
The number of points you can earn depends almost exclusively on how much money you spend on your Avion credit card. The average number of points you’ll need to take a short-haul flight between provinces or to some US states is 15,000 points (for a max ticket price of $350). Depending on the RBC Avion credit card, you’ll need to spend $5,000-$15,000 to earn these points.
If you’d prefer to earn points faster, you can check out RBC’s promotions page to see if there are opportunities for you to get more points for making certain purchases or spending money at specific stores.
You may want to pay more for a premium card so that you earn more points for every dollar you spend and get a bigger welcome bonus. It also helps to give additional cards to family members so you can earn points when they shop as well.
Avion works a little bit differently from frequent flyer programs like Aeroplan and Air Miles because it doesn’t offer a membership, which means you won’t earn bonus points for shopping with certain partners. Instead, you’ll receive a flat rate for spending money on your card.
It’s easy to earn points with the RBC Avion Rewards program as long as you use your Avion credit card on eligible purchases including daily expenses (like gas, groceries and drugstore purchases) along with bill payments and one-off purchases. Some cards offer 1 RBC point for every $1 you spend, while others like the RBC ION+ Visa offer up to 3 points for every $1 spent.
Most Avion credit cards will also give you a welcome bonus when you sign up. With this points surplus, you’ll usually be able to afford at least a short-haul flight anywhere in North America. You can also add this to the points you collect in your first year to redeem for many other rewards.
Another way to earn Avion points faster is to keep track of RBC promotions that allow you to earn more points during limited time promotions. You can also pay more for a premium RBC credit card that let’s you earn more points for every dollar spent — plus most RBC premium credit cards will offer a bigger welcome bonus.
Another easy option is to link your RBC Avion card to your Petro Canada account to earn 20% more points when you fill up on gas or purchase other products at Petro Canada stations across Canada.
Aeroplan and Avion are two popular frequent flyer programs in Canada. Both Avion and Aeroplan offer a good mix of travel rewards and benefits, and come with a number of program-affiliated credit cards. The main difference between Avion vs Aeroplan relates to how your membership in the program works:
You’ll earn a different number of points with Avion vs Aeroplan depending on what kind of credit card you have and whether you can earn extra points with partners.
Keep in mind that it’s not possible to transfer Aeroplan Miles to Avion Rewards, or vice versa. This is because the points have different values and there’s no system for bridging your Aeroplan Miles to Avion.
| Aeroplan | Avion | |
|---|---|---|
| Operated by: | Air Canada | Royal Bank of Canada |
| Ways to earn points: | With membership and credit card | With RBC credit card only |
| Number of partners: | 250+ partners | No partners |
| Value of points: | Approx. 1.5-2.5 cents | Approx. 1-2 cents |
| Rewards: | Flights, merchandise, gift cards, activities and charitable donations. Points can also be transferred to other Aeroplan members for a fee. | Travel, merchandise, gift cards, charitable donations and RBC Financial rewards. Pay bills or pay down your Avion credit card balance. Convert points to other loyalty program points. Avion Rewards points can be redeemed to make cash contributions to your RESP, RRSP, TFSA or RDSP. Use points for online or mobile trading fees with RBC Direct Investing. |
| Card types: | Aeroplan Visas from CIBC and TD Bank, American Express Aeroplan cards | Avion ION Visa, ION+ Visa, Visa Platinum and Visa Infinite cards like the RBC Avion Visa Infinite card. |
Aventura is CIBC’s rewards program that offers a series of credit cards that let you earn points for every dollar you spend. These cards include fee-free, premium, business and student cards.
You’ll typically earn between 0.5 and 1.5 points for every dollar you spend on your card, and you’ll get a wide selection of benefits based on how much you pay for the annual fee. It’s also possible that you may be able to cash in on extra points by taking advantage of some of CIBC’s promotional offers.
Just like Avion points, many estimates place the value of Aventura Points at around 1 cent per point. You can redeem Aventura Points for hotel stays, car rentals, merchandise, gift cards and bill payments.
There are no major differences between Avion vs Aventura other than which bank each program belongs to as well as what types of cards you can qualify for. Both programs are well-known for offering flexible rewards, no blackout dates on flights and points that don’t expire.
If you value flexible points over the chance to earn more points on every purchase, an Avion Visa is probably a good fit for you. Compare these features to find the best fit for your needs.
Before you decide on an RBC Avion Visa, you should compare cards from several frequent flyer programs. This will help you narrow down which card best suits your specific lifestyle and spending habits. Compare the following features to get a better idea of which program to go for.
Avion can be worth the time and energy it takes to collect points, especially if you already bank with RBC. Depending on the reward type, you can redeem Avion points through the Avion Rewards website or RBC online banking.
That said, Avion doesn’t work with a network of partners and the points you earn are worth less on average than the miles you’ll accumulate with Aeroplan or Air Miles. The main benefit of Avion points is that you can exchange them for more flexible rewards than what you’ll be able to find with other frequent flyer programs. Avion offers a wider range of redemption options and special perks like no blackout dates and no booking fees when you redeem points for flights.
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