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Australia and Japan: using British Airways Executive Club Avios miles

Australia and Japan: using British Airways Executive Club Avios miles
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Foreword

In my article about the logistics of our 5 months world tour as a family, I had listed all the loyalty programs that would be useful to us.

Here, I’ll show you our use of Avios miles from the British Airways Executive Club program, with very concrete cases saving us hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Below, you will find the many ways to earn Avios miles with credit cards available in Canada.

Using Avios miles in Australia

In Australia, you cany use British Airways Executive Club Avios miles for travel with the Australian airline Qantas, a member of Oneworld.

Australia and Japan: using British Airways Executive Club Avios miles - Qantas 140728 0771 M 1200x800 1

However, it is often a good idea to compare prices with local low-cost airlines such as Jetstar or Tigerair, or even other competing airlines such as Virgin Australia.

So, in some situations, we chose to pay for our airfare to travel with Jetstar (and redeem travel points on those purchases), while in others we used our British Airways Executive Club Avios miles.

Australia and Japan: using British Airways Executive Club Avios miles - Airport 2038926 1280

Sydney – Melbourne

Qantas offers flights every 15-30 minutes between Sydney and Melbourne virtually all day, and many seats are available on British Airways Executive Club, which can be booked with Avios miles.

Australia and Japan: using British Airways Executive Club Avios miles - Syd Mel Avios Examples

There is stiff competition with other airlines on this route, but we ended up choosing to use our Avios miles for several reasons:

  • Availability of a flight in the middle of the day (rather than at 6am or 10pm to get a good price with Jetstar)
  • A connection to Melbourne Airport (MEL) and not Avalon Airport (AVV), which is much further from the city centre, but frequently « sold as Melbourne » by Jetstar
  • The inclusion of a free hold bag when using Avios miles, and higher cabin baggage allowances, while you must pay for it on Jetstar
Australia and Japan: using British Airways Executive Club Avios miles - Qantas 4595571 1280

For 2 adults and 2 children, our 3:45pm flight from Sydney to Melbourne would have cost $908.

Australia and Japan: using British Airways Executive Club Avios miles - Syd Mel Google Flights

This same flight was available for 24,000 Avios and $136.16 in taxes.

Australia and Japan: using British Airways Executive Club Avios miles - Syd Mel Avios
Australia and Japan: using British Airways Executive Club Avios miles - Syd Mel Avios Details

So, in this case, the Avios miles will have saved us money:

908 $ – 136,16 $ = 771,84$.

This means a value of:

771.84 / 24,000 Avios = 3.2 cents per thousand Avios (almost double the value at which we estimate the Avios mile).

24,000 Avios miles are easily earned with a card:

Earn Avios miles with this card

A card like the American ExpressMD Gold Rewards Card offers a great welcome bonus.

Membership Rewards points can be converted to Avios miles at a 1:1 rate. And personally, I took advantage of a recent promotion to transfer points between the two programs, which gave me an extra 30%!

25,000 Membership Rewards points earned 32,500 Avios miles in this promotion!

Annual fee
$250
Our valuation
$1,020
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$1,020Total$1,020Rewards 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 60,000 points
Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

Earn up to 60,000 Membership Rewards points with this welcome offer for the American Express Gold Rewards Card. That’s a value of $600 toward travel or any purchase charged to the Card:

  • 5,000 Membership Rewards points per month when you charge $1,000 in net purchases to your Card, for 12 months (a total of 60,000 points in the first year).

You can also transfer your points to airline partners such as Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways, Qatar Airways, Finnair), Flying Blue, and hotel partners (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors).

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to :

  • 60,000 Aeroplan points
  • 60,000 Avios
  • 60,000 Flying Blue Miles
  • 72,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

With this Card, you get many benefits like:

  • $100 annual travel credit
  • Priority Pass membership and 4 complimentary Plaza Premium visits per year
  • $50 NEXUS credit

You earn 2 points per dollar for travel purchases, and at:

  • gas stations
  • grocery stores
  • drugstores

And 1 point per dollar everywhere else.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

Annual fee

Primary card$250
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 2xPharmacy
  • 2xGas & EV
  • 2xTravel
  • 2xGroceries
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,555
2nd Year Value$589

Transfer partners

  • AeroplanAirline
  • British Airways ClubAirline
  • Cathay Asia MilesAirline
  • Etihad GuestAirline
  • Flying BlueAirline
  • Hilton HonorsHotel
  • Marriott BonvoyHotel

Card benefits

Airport lounge access$160

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $1,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days
Australia and Japan: using British Airways Executive Club Avios miles - Qantas 151116 8035 1200x800 1

Uluru – Darwin

Another case. We decided to go to Uluru (Ayers Rock AYQ Airport) in central Australia from Melbourne.

To get there, it was not wise to use Avios miles since we got a ticket for less than $100 per person.

However, to leave Uluru and reach Singapore, the most advantageous option for us was to fly through Darwin (DRW)! We had indeed found a flight from Darwin to Singapore for $80 per person on Jetstar.

And it turns out that there is a flight twice a week between Uluru (AYQ) and Darwin (DRW) and this one was available on our dates for 4 people!

Australia and Japan: using British Airways Executive Club Avios miles - Ayq Drw Flightconnections

For 2 adults and 2 children, our flight from Uluru to Darwin would have cost $1322.

Australia and Japan: using British Airways Executive Club Avios miles - Ayq Drw Google Flights 1

This same flight was available for 36,000 Avios and $277.40 in taxes.

Australia and Japan: using British Airways Executive Club Avios miles - Ayq Drw Avios 2

So, in this case, the Avios miles will have saved us money:

1 322 $ – 277,40 $ = 1 044,60$.

This means a value of:

1,044.60 / 36,000 Avios = 2.9 cents per Avios mile.

Using Avios miles in Japan

We planned to travel to Japan from Taipei (Taiwan). Then from Japan to South Korea, and finally from South Korea to Taipei.

There is no shortage of companies linking these different countries.

However, once we sorted out the departure times, airports and luggage, we quickly realized that the Avios miles would come in handy again!

Here is an example between Taiwan and Japan.

Taipei – Tokyo

After a few days in Taipei, we decided to go to Japan for a month (if you’re looking for information about Japan, you should definitely read Aline’s recent article: How to save on transportation in Japan?).

There are 2 airports in Taipei:

  • International (TPE): out of town
  • Local (TSA): a few minutes from downtown

And the principle is the same for Tokyo:

  • International (NRT): outside the city
  • Local (HND): near the city centre
Australia and Japan: using British Airways Executive Club Avios miles - Plane 352720 1280

Wanting to minimize our costs and transfer times – especially when traveling with small children – I wanted to find « downtown to downtown » plane tickets!

And that’s what I got with British Airways Executive Club Avios miles!

For 2 adults and 2 children, our flight from Taipei (TSA) to Tokyo (HND) with Japan Airlines would have cost $2,059 (a sum we would never have paid of course, but that is related to the peak tourist season in Japan for spring).

Australia and Japan: using British Airways Executive Club Avios miles - Tsa Hnd Google Flights

This same flight was available for 44,000 Avios and $200.80 in taxes.

Australia and Japan: using British Airways Executive Club Avios miles - Tsa Hnd Jal Avios

So, in this case, the Avios miles will have saved us money:

2 059 $ – 200,80 $ = 1 858,20$.

This means a value of:

1,858.30 / 44,000 Avios = 4.2 cents per Avios mile.

How do I earn Avios miles?

In Canada, we are fortunate to be able to earn Avios miles with:

American Express and British Airways Executive Club

American Express offers 4 cards with Membership Rewards points that can be transferred 1:1 to the British Airways Executive Club program:

Our credit card selection
Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$799Welcome offer
Up to 100,000 points
Apply Now
Annual fee$799Welcome offer
Up to 120,000 points
Apply Now
Annual fee$199Welcome offer
Up to 70,000 points
Apply Now
Annual fee$250Welcome offer
Up to 60,000 points
Apply Now

Our choice is the American ExpressMD Gold Rewards Card because it offers 2 Membership Rewards points/$ (that’s 2 Avios miles/$) for:

  • Grocery stores
  • Gas stations
  • Drugstores
  • travel purchases
Annual fee
$250
Our valuation
$1,020
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$1,020Total$1,020Rewards 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 60,000 points
Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

Earn up to 60,000 Membership Rewards points with this welcome offer for the American Express Gold Rewards Card. That’s a value of $600 toward travel or any purchase charged to the Card:

  • 5,000 Membership Rewards points per month when you charge $1,000 in net purchases to your Card, for 12 months (a total of 60,000 points in the first year).

You can also transfer your points to airline partners such as Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways, Qatar Airways, Finnair), Flying Blue, and hotel partners (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors).

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to :

  • 60,000 Aeroplan points
  • 60,000 Avios
  • 60,000 Flying Blue Miles
  • 72,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

With this Card, you get many benefits like:

  • $100 annual travel credit
  • Priority Pass membership and 4 complimentary Plaza Premium visits per year
  • $50 NEXUS credit

You earn 2 points per dollar for travel purchases, and at:

  • gas stations
  • grocery stores
  • drugstores

And 1 point per dollar everywhere else.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

Annual fee

Primary card$250
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 2xPharmacy
  • 2xGas & EV
  • 2xTravel
  • 2xGroceries
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,555
2nd Year Value$589

Transfer partners

  • AeroplanAirline
  • British Airways ClubAirline
  • Cathay Asia MilesAirline
  • Etihad GuestAirline
  • Flying BlueAirline
  • Hilton HonorsHotel
  • Marriott BonvoyHotel

Card benefits

Airport lounge access$160

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $1,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

RBC Rewards and British Airways Executive Club

RBC, through its RBC Rewards program, has several credit cards that offer travel points that can be transferred to Avios miles at a 1:1 rate:

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite card regularly offers promotions to earn 20,000 to 30,000 RBC Rewards points.

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

HSBC Rewards and British Airways Executive Club

HSBC offers, as part of its HSBC Rewards program, a credit card that allows you to transfer points into Avios miles: the HSBC World Elite Mastercard.

The transfer is done per HSBC points increments:

HSBC Rewards PointsAirline Miles
25,00010,000
35,00014,000
45,00018,000

Thus, 2.5 HSBC points = 1 Avios mile (or 5 HSBC points = 2 Avios miles).

Annual fee
$150
Our valuation
$350
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$350Total$350Rewards 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 35,000 points
Ends Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now

on Scotiabank's website

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card +* CardMC, you’ll earn 25,000 welcome bonus Scene+ points after charging $2,000 in purchases to your account within the first three months.

Plus, every year, earn an annual bonus of at least 10,000 Scene+ points when you charge at least $40,000 in purchases to your account. In total, the offer represents up to 35,000 Scene+ points and a value of up to $1,250 in the first year, including rewards, savings on foreign transaction fees and airport lounge access.

With the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card, you earn 3 points per $1 spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland and participating Co-ops, and 2 points per $1 spent at other grocery stores, restaurants, eligible entertainment and eligible daily transit. You earn 1 point per $1 on all your other everyday purchases.

These points can be redeemed against any travel purchase at a rate of 1,000 points = $10 (flights, hotels, all-inclusives and even Airbnb), or as cash back with Scene+ at the same rate.

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card also offers:

  • No fees for foreign currency transactions
  • 6 complimentary airport VIP lounge passes
  • Excellent insurance for your travels and purchases
  • Visa Infinite* Concierge Services

We have named this credit card the Best Credit Card with No Foreign Transaction Fees in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Annual fee

Primary card$150
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000
Household$100,000

Conversion fees

0%

Earning rate

  • 2xGroceries
  • 2xRestaurants
  • 2xTransit
  • 2xEntertainment
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$650
2nd Year Value$397

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7
Airport lounge access$240

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $1,000,000 / 3 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $2,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

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

Marriott Bonvoy and British Airways Executive Club

With credit cards

Most hotel loyalty programs allow you to convert your points into Avios miles.

This is a sneaky way to get Avios miles! Especially during conversion promotions offered by Aeroplan.

For example, it is possible to convert Marriott Bonvoy points into Avios miles.

By maximizing both programs, and converting during a promotional period (such as the one offering 30% more miles), it is possible to do this:

60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
=
25,000 Avios miles
+
30%
=
32,500 Avios miles

If you got:

But if you would like to earn Avios miles instead of using your points for free nights, this is a possible solution for you!

Our credit card selection
Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$120Welcome offer
Up to 110,000 pointsEnds Sep 22, 2026
Apply Now
Annual fee$150Welcome offer
Up to 110,000 pointsEnds Sep 22, 2026
Apply Now

With two other Membership Rewards credit cards

Using Marriott Bonvoy to earn Avios miles is also a way to turn American Express Cobalt Card or American Express Business Edge Card Membership Rewards points into Avios miles!

Our credit card selection
Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$191.88Welcome offer
Up to 15,000 points
Apply Now

While the other 4 Membership Rewards cards offer a 1:1 ratio of transfer to the British Airways Executive Club program, the American Express Cobalt Card and the American Express Business Edge Card do not.They only allow us to transfer their points to hotel partners!

So, if you have the American Express Cobalt Card or the American Express Business Edge Card and would like Avios miles, here is the way to proceed during a promotional period:

50,000 Select Membership Rewards
=
60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
=
25,000 Avios miles
+
30%
=
32,500 Avios miles

The American Express Cobalt card will be especially attractive when used at grocery stores, restaurants or convenience stores because of the 5 points per dollar it earns!

If your ultimate goal is to earn Avios miles, with the transfer via Marriott Bonvoy, it’s like earning 2 Avios miles/dollar in grocery stores, restaurants or convenience stores!

Annual fee
$191.88
Our valuation
$255
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards 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 15,000 points
Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The American Express Cobalt® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer we value at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

  • 15,000 Aeroplan points
  • 15,000 Avios points
  • 15,000 Flying Blue Miles
  • 18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

If hotel points are what you are after, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what those points can actually buy.

American Express Cobalt® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

  • 5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, home food delivery and convenience stores. A spend cap applies.
  • 3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
  • 2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
  • 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
  • 1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
  • Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
  • No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
  • Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
  • The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
  • Front Of The Line® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
  • A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

To see how it compares with the rest of the line-up, read our round-up of the best credit cards from American Express in Canada.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four kinds of merchants:

  • Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
  • Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
  • Home food delivery.
  • Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

Category Points per dollar
Grocery (Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.) 5
Home food delivery 5
Restaurants and bars 5
Convenience stores 5
Streaming services 3
Service station 2
Transport 2
Travel 1
Other 1

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

  • Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
  • Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
  • Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
  • Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
  • Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
  • Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt® Card fees

  • Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
  • Additional cards: $0.
  • Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
  • Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
  • Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
  • Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

Annual fee

Primary card$191.88
Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 5xRestaurants
  • 5xGroceries
  • 5xConvenience
  • 3xStreaming
  • 2xTransit
  • 2xGas & EV
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,828
2nd Year Value$799

Transfer partners

  • AeroplanAirline
  • British Airways ClubAirline
  • Cathay Asia MilesAirline
  • Etihad GuestAirline
  • Flying BlueAirline
  • Hilton HonorsHotel
  • Marriott BonvoyHotel

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $250,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionUp to $1,000 / 90 days
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

British Airways Executive Club credit cards

RBC offers 1 credit card directly affiliated with the program: the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card.

From time to time, this card offers a welcome bonus, of which this is a typical example:

  • 15,000 Avios miles on application
  • 25,000 Avios miles after $5,000 in purchases in 3 months
  • 10,000 Avios miles on renewal after the first year


Annual fee
$165
Our valuation
$850
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$850Total$850Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
50,000 Avios
Apply Now

on RBC's website

With this exceptional welcome offer for the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card, you can earn 50,000 Avios!

With this card, you benefit from a companion voucher (by spending $30,000 or more during a calendar year). Additionally, you can enjoy a 10% discount on British Airways flights when booking with your RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card.

With the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card, you get:

  • 3 Avios per dollar spent with British Airways and BA Holidays
  • 2 Avios per dollar on groceries, dining, and food delivery
  • 1 Avios per dollar for all your other purchases

In addition, you benefit from extensive insurance coverage:

  • Out-of-province/country emergency medical insurance
  • Travel Accident Insurance
  • Flight delay and essential items purchase insurance
  • Hotel or motel burglary insurance
  • Rental vehicle collision and damage insurance

Annual fee

Primary card$165
Additional card$75

Annual income required

Individual$60,000
Household$100,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 2xGroceries
  • 2xRestaurants
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,348
2nd Year Value$243

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Included
Travel medical (55-64)Included
Travel medical (65+)Included
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 ProtectionUp to $50,000 / 90 days
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

Cover photo – Source: Qantas

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

Our editorial integrity

Our reviews and rankings are based on an objective assessment. Advertisers do not influence our content. We may receive compensation through some links; our analysis and opinions remain independent.