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500 airlines: RBC launches its revamped Avion Rewards Travel portal

500 airlines: RBC launches its revamped Avion Rewards Travel portal
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RBC has officially launched its revamped Avion Rewards Travel portal. The new booking engine runs on HTS, Hopper's Canadian technology, and opens up more than 500 airlines. RBC announced the partnership in March 2026; the switch is now done.

The portal covers flights, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages and activities. Here is what the new Avion portal actually changes when you redeem your points.

Who can use the new portal

The portal is open to all three tiers of the Avion Rewards program: Select, Distinction and Elite. No tier is shut out of the tool itself.

Payment methods, however, vary by tier. Every member can pay cash, pay in points, or combine cash and points. Avion Elite members also keep access to the Avion Air Redemption Schedule, which sets a points cost by geographic zone.

That schedule is usually the route that produces the best return for Avion cardholders. How it sits alongside the new engine is therefore the most important point for readers who collect Avion points.

Does the value per point improve?

This is the question that decides whether the overhaul is good news or just a new coat of paint.

RBC publishes its rates, and the overhaul does not change them. Avion Distinction members redeem at 100 points for $1, or one cent per point, from 1,000 points up. Avion Select members and ION and ION+ cardholders redeem at 172 points for $1, or 0.58 cent per point, from 2,500 points up. Those rates cover every product in the portal and carry no maximum ticket price.

Avion Elite members fall under a separate regime, not an option they pick case by case. On flights they go through the air redemption schedule: a fixed number of points per destination band, paired with a maximum ticket price. For hotels, cars and activities they come back to 100 points for $1.

Avion air redemption schedule, round trip departing Quebec. Taxes, fees and surcharges excluded. Value per point calculated by Milesopedia at the maximum ticket price.
PointsBandMaximum ticket priceValue per point at the cap
15,000Short getaways$3502.33¢
35,000North America$7502.14¢
45,000Vacation destinations$9002.00¢
55,000Pacific and far north$1,1002.00¢
65,000Europe$1,3002.00¢
100,000Rest of the world$2,0002.00¢

At the cap, the schedule is therefore worth 2 cents per point, and up to 2.33 cents on the first band: double the Distinction rate, nearly four times the Select rate. That value assumes a ticket close to the maximum price, though. A $500 flight redeemed at the 45,000-point band returns only 1.11 cents per point, and at $300 you fall below the Distinction rate. The schedule rewards expensive tickets and penalises cheap ones. To compare your card options, see our page on the best credit cards.

What is new on the flight side

The Hopper engine brings tools the old Expedia portal did not offer.

First, a flight calendar shows a price range, from lowest to highest. You can spot cheaper dates without running a search day by day.

Next, the system issues a recommendation: book now, or wait. That suggestion draws on real-time fare tracking and price history.

Finally, you can set an alert if you choose not to book right away. The portal emails you when the price drops on the flights you follow.

What those recommendations are worth

An automated recommendation is a statistical bet, not a guarantee. The portal may push you to book the day before a seat sale.

Treat the system's advice as one data point among others. Always compare with the price shown by the airline, and with the points cost on the Avion schedule if you are an Elite member.

Hotels, cars and packages

The hotel section follows the same payment logic: cash, points, or both.

To mark the launch, RBC is offering 3x Avion points on eligible hotel bookings. The bonus applies to the cash portion, whether you pay all cash or use cash and points, with an eligible RBC credit card. RBC caps the bonus at $2,500 per booking, and the offer runs until October 31, 2026.

The list of eligible cards is broad. It covers the Avion Visa Infinite Privilege, Avion Visa Infinite, Avion Visa Platinum and Avion Visa Business cards, as well as the RBC ION and ION+ cards. Two of them carry an elevated welcome offer until November 25, 2026: the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card gives up to 70,000 points for a $120 annual fee, and the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege Card up to 100,000 points plus six airport lounge passes for $399. Both require $5,000 in purchases over six months.

Featured
Annual fee
$120
Our valuation
$1,050
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$1,050Total$1,050Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 70,000 points
Ends Nov 25, 2026
Apply Now

on RBC's website

For a limited time, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card offers a welcome bonus of up to 70,000 Avion points, worth up to $1,500 in travel.

  • 35,000 points upon approval of your application
  • 20,000 points when you charge $5,000 in purchases to your account within the first six months
  • 15,000 points on the first anniversary of your account

You can redeem your Avion points for flights with more than 500 airlines, with no blackout periods or seat restrictions, or transfer them to partner programs such as American Airlines AAdvantage, The British Airways Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and WestJet Rewards.

The card earns you 1.25 points per dollar on eligible travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on all your other eligible purchases. It also includes extensive insurance coverage: emergency medical, trip cancellation and interruption, collision coverage for rental vehicles, and mobile devices.

The annual fee is $120.

Annual fee

Primary card$120
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000
Household$100,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 1.25xTravel
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,369
2nd Year Value$271

Transfer partners

  • American Airlines AAdvantageAirline
  • British Airways ClubAirline
  • Cathay Asia MilesAirline
  • WestJet RewardsAirline

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Included
Travel medical (55-64)Included
Travel medical (65+)Included
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $2,500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,500 / 1 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

You can also book a car rental, a vacation package or an activity through the portal. All three accept the same payment methods as flights.

One notable gap: cruises

The portal offers no cruise bookings. Members hoping to put their Avion points toward a sailing will have to look elsewhere.

That limit is worth knowing before you plan. It sets the Avion portal apart from some competing programs that cover the segment.

What to remember

The overhaul delivers real tooling gains: a price calendar, alerts, and inventory widened to more than 500 airlines. Those features make searching easier, especially for a traveller with flexible dates.

The decisive point does not move: one cent per point for Avion Distinction, 0.58 cent for Avion Select, up to two cents on the Elite schedule. The overhaul improves the search tool, not the value of your points.

For Avion Elite members, the rule fits on one line: the schedule pays most on expensive tickets. Once the cash price drops below half your band's cap, your points work harder elsewhere — on a hotel or a car, where each one is worth a cent.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What engine powers the new Avion Rewards Travel portal?

The portal runs on HTS, the technology platform from Canadian company Hopper. RBC announced the partnership in March 2026. The switch to the new engine is now live.

How many airlines are available?

The portal opens up more than 500 airlines. That inventory exceeds the old portal's. You can pay cash, points, or a combination of the two.

Can all Avion members use the portal?

Yes. All three tiers — Select, Distinction and Elite — can reach the portal. Avion Elite members also keep the Avion Air Redemption Schedule, reserved for Avion cardholders.

Does the 3x points hotel bonus last long?

The offer applies to bookings made by October 31, 2026. RBC calculates the bonus on the cash portion, with a cap of $2,500 per booking, and requires an eligible RBC credit card.

Can you book a cruise with Avion points?

No. The portal does not cover cruises. It offers flights, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages and activities.

Is the Avion Air Redemption Schedule going away?

No. Avion Elite members keep access to it alongside the portal. That chart is generally the most rewarding route for flights with a high cash price.

Our featured card

Featured
Annual fee
$120
Our valuation
$1,050
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$1,050Total$1,050Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 70,000 points
Ends Nov 25, 2026
Apply Now

on RBC's website

For a limited time, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card offers a welcome bonus of up to 70,000 Avion points, worth up to $1,500 in travel.

  • 35,000 points upon approval of your application
  • 20,000 points when you charge $5,000 in purchases to your account within the first six months
  • 15,000 points on the first anniversary of your account

You can redeem your Avion points for flights with more than 500 airlines, with no blackout periods or seat restrictions, or transfer them to partner programs such as American Airlines AAdvantage, The British Airways Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and WestJet Rewards.

The card earns you 1.25 points per dollar on eligible travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on all your other eligible purchases. It also includes extensive insurance coverage: emergency medical, trip cancellation and interruption, collision coverage for rental vehicles, and mobile devices.

The annual fee is $120.

Annual fee

Primary card$120
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000
Household$100,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 1.25xTravel
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,369
2nd Year Value$271

Transfer partners

  • American Airlines AAdvantageAirline
  • British Airways ClubAirline
  • Cathay Asia MilesAirline
  • WestJet RewardsAirline

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Included
Travel medical (55-64)Included
Travel medical (65+)Included
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $2,500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,500 / 1 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

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