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American Express Canada offers two cards 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’s how the current offer is structured:
With this welcome offer, you can earn up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points.
Here’s how:
Based on our Membership Rewards points valuation (1.7 cents per point), this welcome bonus corresponds to a value of $1,700.
With this welcome offer for the American Express® Aeroplan Reserve Card, you can earn up to 85,000 Aeroplan points. It’s 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 $1,700.
Offer values are the same for both cards!
But if you have high expenses in the next few months, you’d be better off with the American Express Platinum CardMD offer, which is more lucrative in the short term.
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 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 could be 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 more than the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card.
However, as you will see below, the American Express Platinum Card® comes with an Annual Travel Credit of $200 as well as a $200 Annual Dining Credit for certain restaurants, virtually reducing the net cost of the membership to $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 spent on:
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card you can earn 3 points per dollar spent on:
Here, we could have declared a draw. However, the fact that the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card restricts this category to Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations means that you’ll probably earn more points with the American Express Platinum Card® during the year for other trips booked via the American Express platform.
Unless, of course, you spend a lot of money with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations (but if you choose the American Express Platinum Card® you’ll 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 spent on:
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card you can earn 2 points for every dollar you spend on:
Travel expenses (plane tickets, hotels, Airbnb, cruises, car rentals, etc.) are generally higher than restaurant expenses. As a result, you’ll 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 know which card to choose according to your personal situation.
With the American Express Platinum Card® you can earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card you can earn 1.25 points per dollar spent on all other purchases.
0.25 points that make a difference for those who make a lot of 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® like 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®À la carte Travel card, you can apply Membership Rewards points to travel purchases charged to the card (plane tickets, 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 purchase flights with Air Canada, Star Alliance and partner airlines.
In this case, please refer to the Aeroplan Flight Rewards Chart.
1,000 points could be worth as little as $5 for economy travel, or as much as $40 for business or first class (or specific flights).
You can also use your Aeroplan points to book hotels, car rentals or vacation packages. Generally, you will be able to earn a value of 1,000 points = $10.
The American Express Platinum Card® has one undeniable advantage: flexibility. With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card you can use your points via the Aeroplan program.
Whereas with the American Express Platinum Card® you can book your trip wherever you like.
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 options are available for everyday purchases with the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card (except for buying gift cards with Aeroplan points).
With the American Express Platinum Card®, whether you want to use your points for travel or for everyday purchases, you’ll get the same value: 1,000 points = $10.
Whereas with the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card you don’t 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 you have Aeroplan points in your Aeroplan account, you have no way out: you must use them in the Aeroplan program.
The only other option is to have Elite Aeroplan status, in order to transfer Aeroplan points to the Marriott Bonvoy program.
Not only can you transfer Aeroplan points, but you can also transfer them to other programs (or use them for travel or cash back, as mentioned above). American Express Platinum Card® points, but you can also transfer them to other programs (or use them for travel or cash back, as described above).
This is a flexibility that the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card doesn’t have.
With the American Express Platinum Card® you and a guest have free access to many airport lounges around the world:
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card you have free access to Air Canada’s Maple Leaf lounges in North America.
You have a complimentary Priority Pass membership. However, you will have to pay for each access.
If you regularly travel internationally, it’s easy: the American Express Platinum Card® will open the doors to many lounges around the world for you and one guest (or even up to two children , depending on the lounge), as well as in Canada in the Plaza Premium lounges, the lounge National Bank or the WestJet Elevation Lounge.
On the other hand, if you’re traveling exclusively within Canada or even the United States on Air Canada, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card may be the Card of choice: you’ll enjoy free access to all Maple Leaf lounges in North America (as well as the Air Canada Café at 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 aimed at all frequent flyers, whether they travel with Air Canada or other airlines. But also for those staying at Marriott or Hilton hotels, luxury hotels belonging to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program.
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card is aimed primarily at frequent Air Canada travellers. You’ll benefit from numerous advantages with the company. But that’s where it ends.
As with every aspect of these cards, the answer will be up to you depending on your personal situation. But if you’re not a frequent Air Canada traveller, we recommend that you purchase the American Express Platinum Card®.
The American Express Platinum Card® is the American Express Premium Card: it’s usually on this card that the most generous offers are made.
However, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card hasn’t fallen short since its inception (November 2020), with many interesting offers. To date, these have proven to be somewhat less lucrative, or “closed” with Air Canada.
The insurance cover offered by the two cards is almost identical.
However, the American Express Platinum Card® has better coverage for Trip Cancellation and Purchase Protection.
So? Which Card is the winner?
The American Express Platinum Card® has a head start, mainly because of the flexibility of points and the advantages it offers for frequent travellers. However, if you travel frequently 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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