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Current welcome offers:
American Express Canada offers two cards designed for frequent travellers:
Let’s analyze the major differences between these credit and charge cards.
The welcome bonus offered by each of these cards varies according to the promotions.
Here is how the current offer is structured:
With this welcome offer for the American Express Platinum Card®, you can earn up to 170,000 Membership Rewards points.
Here’s how:
Based on our valuation of Membership Rewards points (1.7 cents per point), this welcome bonus corresponds to a value of $2,890.
With this welcome offer for the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card, you can earn up to 150,000 Aeroplan points. This is the best offer in a long time!
Based on our valuation of Aeroplan points (2 cents per point), this welcome bonus corresponds to an approximate value of $3,000.
With an estimated value of $2,890 for the Platinum Card and approximately $3,000 for the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card, both offers are among the best currently available in Canada.
The choice mainly depends on the rewards program you wish to prioritize.
The American Express Platinum Card® requires no minimum income.
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card requires no minimum income.
Like the vast majority of American Express cards, these two cards require no minimum income, unlike other high-end cards such as the Visa Infinite Privilege, which require a family income of $200,000.
If you’re looking for travel benefits, but don’t have a very high income, either of these cards may be right for you.
The American Express Platinum Card® has an annual fee of $799.
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card has an annual fee of $599.
On paper, the annual fee for the American Express Platinum Card® is $200 higher than the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card.
However, as you will see later, the American Express Platinum Card® comes with an annual travel credit of $200 as well as an annual dining credit of $200, which virtually reduces the annual fee to a net cost of $399.
The American Express Platinum Card® and the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card each offer 3 levels of point accumulation.
With the American Express Platinum Card®, you can earn 3 points per dollar on purchases for:
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card, you can earn 3 points per dollar on purchases for:
Here, we could have declared a tie. However, the fact that the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card restricts this category to Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations means you will likely earn more points with the American Express Platinum Card® throughout the year for other travel booked through the American Express platform.
Unless, of course, you spend a lot of money with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations (but by choosing the American Express Platinum Card® you will still earn 2 points per dollar, the same level offered by Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege credit cards)!
With the American Express Platinum Card®, you can earn 2 points per dollar on purchases for:
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card, you can earn 2 points per dollar on purchases in:
Travel expenses (flights, hotels, Airbnb, cruises, car rentals, etc.) are generally higher than dining expenses. Thus, you will earn more points with the American Express Platinum Card® than with the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card.
Here too, you should analyze your annual expenses to determine which card to choose based on your personal situation.
With the American Express Platinum Card®, you can earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card, you can earn 1.25 points per dollar on all other purchases.
The 0.25 point difference is significant for those who make many purchases outside of the bonus categories. The American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card will therefore be more advantageous here.
We would like American Express to offer 1.25 points for the American Express Platinum Card® as it does for the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card (and the Business Platinum Card® from American Express).
Both cards are made for travellers.
However, their loyalty programs are completely different:
This means that the ways you can redeem your points are different.
With the American Express Platinum Card®, you can apply its Membership Rewards points to travel purchases charged to the card (flights, hotels, Airbnb, car rentals, etc.).
The usage rate is 1,000 points = $10.
You can also use the American Express fixed rate chart for specific flights.
The usage rate is 1,000 points = $20.
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card, you can use your points to get flights with Air Canada, Star Alliance airlines, or partner airlines.
Here, you will need to refer to the Aeroplan flight reward charts.
1,000 points could be worth as little as $5 for economy travel or as much as $40 for business or first class travel (or for certain specific flights).
You can also use your Aeroplan points for hotel bookings, car rentals, or vacation packages. Generally, you can get a value of 1,000 points = $10.
The American Express Platinum Card® has an undeniable advantage: flexibility. With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card, you must use your points through the Aeroplan program.
Whereas with the American Express Platinum Card®, you can book your travel wherever you wish.
With the American Express Platinum Card®, you can apply Membership Rewards points to everyday purchases charged to the card.
A minimum of 1,000 points (minimum $10) must be applied.
No option is available for everyday purchases with the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card (except for purchasing gift cards with your Aeroplan points).
With the American Express Platinum Card®, whether you want to use your points for travel or for everyday purchases, you will get the same value: 1,000 points = $10.
Whereas with the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card, you do not have this option.
With the American Express Platinum Card® you can transfer your points to other rewards programs:
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card, you cannot transfer your points to other programs.
Once Aeroplan points are in your Aeroplan account, you have no exit route: you must use them within the Aeroplan program.
The only other possibility is to have Aeroplan Elite Status, in order to transfer Aeroplan points to the Marriott Bonvoy program.
Not only can you transfer points from the American Express Platinum Card® to Aeroplan, but you also have the option to transfer them to other programs (or use them for travel or cash back as seen above).
This is a flexibility that the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card does not have.
With the American Express Platinum Card®, you and a guest can access numerous airport lounges worldwide for free:
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card, you can access Air Canada Maple Leaf lounges in North America for free.
You receive a complimentary Priority Pass membership. However, you will have to pay for each access.
If you travel internationally regularly, it’s simple: the American Express Platinum Card® will open the doors to numerous lounges worldwide for you and a guest (or even up to two children depending on the lounge), as well as in Canada to Plaza Premium lounges, the National Bank lounge, or the WestJet Elevation Lounge.
However, if you travel exclusively within Canada or to the United States on Air Canada, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card may be the preferred Card: indeed, you will have free access to all Maple Leaf lounges in North America (as well as the Air Canada Café in Montreal, for example).
With the American Express Platinum Card®, you enjoy the following benefits:
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card, you benefit from the following advantages:
The American Express Platinum Card® is for all frequent travellers, whether they travel with Air Canada or many other airlines. But also for those who stay in Marriott or Hilton hotels, luxury hotels belonging to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program.
For its part, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card is primarily aimed at frequent Air Canada travellers. You will then benefit from numerous advantages with the airline. But that’s where it stops.
As with every aspect of these cards, the answer will depend on your personal situation. But if you are not a frequent Air Canada traveler, we advise you to get the American Express Platinum Card® instead.
The American Express Platinum Card® is American Express’s Premium Card: it is generally on this Card that the offers will be the most generous.
However, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card has not disappointed since its inception (November 2020) with many interesting offers. However, so far, these have proven to be slightly less lucrative, or “closed” with Air Canada.
The insurance offered by the two cards is almost identical.
However, the American Express Platinum Card® has better coverage for Trip Cancellation Insurance as well as for Purchase Protection.
So? Which Card is the winner?
The American Express Platinum Card® has an edge, especially due to the flexibility of points and the benefits it provides for someone who travels frequently. However, if you travel often with Air Canada, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card would probably be better for you.
The American Express Platinum Card® stands out thanks to:
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card stands out for:
Here are frequently asked questions in the milesopedia community about this card.
Savings this way:
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