The Essential RBC Avion Guide
Canada’s most flexible travel rewards program — turn everyday spending into flights, hotels, and upgrades.
Best for: flexible travel, domestic Canada, Europe
What is RBC Avion Rewards
RBC Avion is one of Canada’s most flexible travel rewards programs. Unlike airline-specific programs, Avion points can be redeemed in several different ways depending on your travel goals.
- Use the Air Travel Redemption Schedule
- Transfer points to airline partners
- Book travel through the RBC Travel Portal
- Redeem points toward travel purchases
This flexibility allows you to choose the options that make the most sense for your trip.
Who should get RBC Avion
If this sounds like you, this might be the right choice for your cornerstone card.
Why I like RBC Avion Rewards
There are three reasons RBC Avion remains one of my favourite travel rewards programs for Canadian families.
FLEXIBILITY
You don’t need to decide immediately how you’ll use your points. You can collect Avion points today and decide later whether you want flights, hotels, Europe travel, domestic travel, or business class.
STRONG WELCOME BONUSES
RBC regularly offers attractive welcome bonuses that can help families earn a meaningful amount of points quickly.
GREAT VALUE WITHOUT COMPLEXITY
Many travel rewards programs require advanced knowledge before you see value. RBC Avion offers simple redemption options for beginners while still providing advanced opportunities for experienced travellers.
One of the things I like most about RBC Avion is that it grows with you. You can start with simple redemptions through the Travel Portal and eventually move into airline transfers, premium cabin travel, and more advanced redemption strategies as your confidence grows.
The best ways to use RBC Avion Rewards
Many people run for the hills if it’s more than point & click. It can be that easy, but this program is globally connected, meaning if you’re willing to move some things around a little bit, it can really pay off. I promise it’s not rocket science. You can do all of this.
OPTION 1: THE AIR TRAVEL REDEMPTION SCHEDULE
This is my favourite redemption option for most Canadian families. The Air Travel Redemption Schedule allows you to redeem a fixed number of points for flights up to a certain dollar value. Some examples:
- 35,000 points = up to $750 in North America travel
- 65,000 points = up to $1,300 in Europe travel
- 100,000 points = up to $2,000 in worldwide travel
For most redemptions, you’ll receive approximately 2 cents per point in value.
A helpful resource: RBC Air Travel Redemption Schedule & Travel Information
Domestic Canadian Travel
RBC Avion points works for domestic Canadian travel because there are no blackout dates, no award seat restrictions, and expensive domestic routes often provide excellent value. Some examples:
- Vancouver to Kelowna
- Vancouver to Whitehorse
- Calgary to Halifax
- Toronto to St. John’s
- Vancouver to Prince George
A Personal Example
One of my favourite ways to use RBC Avion is for expensive domestic flights. When flights to Montreal are too expensive through Aeroplan or WestJet, I love checking RBC Avion because I may be able to book a return flight for 35,000 points through the Air Travel Redemption Schedule.
It may not always be the flashiest redemption, but when cash prices are high and you need practical flights that work for your family, Avion points can be incredibly useful.
OPTION 2: TRANSFER TO BRITISH AIRWAYS AVIOS
RBC Avion points transfer to British Airways Avios at a 1:1 ratio. Avios can be useful for:
- Europe flights
- Ireland flights on Aer Lingus
- Hawaii routes
- Qatar Airways Qsuites
- Royal Air Maroc
- Oneworld partner airlines
One of the major advantages of Avios is that you can move your points between several airline programs including British Airways, Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, Finnair and Iberia.
Several times throughout the year, RBC offers transfer bonuses to Avios, often adding 30% more points during promotional periods. Hint: wait for the 30% transfer bonus. This is where the real value of RBC Avion starts to shine.
A helpful resource: Combine Avios Tool (British Airways)
OPTION 3: RBC TRAVEL PORTAL
The RBC Travel Portal allows you to redeem Avion points directly for:
- Flights
- Hotels
- Vacation packages
- Car rentals
Most redemptions provide approximately 1 cent per point in value.
While this isn’t usually the highest value redemption, it’s the easiest. To access the RBC Travel Portal, log into your RBC online banking account and navigate to the Avion Rewards Travel section.
OPTION 4: TRANSFER TO ASIA MILES OR AADVANTAGE
These strategies take a little more work, but the deals can be incredible. If you’re interested in learning how it’s done, book a consultation with me for the complete plan.
My Favourite Example
One of my favourite RBC Avion redemptions was a flight to Vietnam in Business Class for my mom and I.
We opened two RBC Avion cards, transferred the points to Asia Miles, and booked seats that would have cost about $5,000.
The redemption cost just 88,000 points.
That’s 5.68 cents per point in value.
For comparison:
- Travel portal ≈ 1 cent per point
- Air Travel Redemption Schedule ≈ 2 cents per point
- Vietnam Business Class redemption ≈ 5.68 cents per point!
Same points. Very different strategies.
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Asia Miles can provide excellent value for flights to Asia and premium cabin travel on Oneworld partner airlines. Currently, it’s the only option that transfers 1:1 to Asia Miles.
American Airlines AAdvantage
Although the transfer ratio is lower than Avios, AAdvantage can occasionally unlock excellent value on premium cabin flights and Oneworld partner airlines.
WHICH OPTION SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?
| Goal | Best RBC Avion option |
|---|---|
| Domestic Canada | Air Travel Redemption Schedule |
| Europe | Avios transfer or Air Travel Redemption Schedule |
| Hotels | RBC travel portal |
| Business class | Avios, Asia Miles, or AAdvantage |
| Simplicity | RBC travel portal or Air Travel Redemption Schedule |
| Flexibility | Keep points with Avion until you know your trip |
Should you use Avion points for WestJet flights?
It’s possible to transfer your Avion points to WestJet Rewards to book a WestJet flight, but I don’t usually recommend it. The reason why might blow your mind a little bit.
In many cases, the RBC Air Travel Redemption Schedule can often provide better value for the exact same flight.
If the WestJet flight fits within one of RBC’s fixed-point redemption bands, instead of redeeming WestJet points at 1 cent per point, you may be able to book the same flight for fewer Avion points. It’s always worth a look.
Yep, I just gave you that for free. There’s one more level deeper than that, too. Book a call!
Which Avion card should you use?
Why are all the names so similar? I don’t know. But it’s confusing and a mistake can cost a lot of points potential. So let’s go slowly.
RBC Avion Visa Infinite
[tap to apply] Best for most families. Strong welcome bonuses and excellent flexibility.
Best for:
- Most Canadian families
- Frequent travellers
- Higher household income earners
RBC Avion Visa Platinum
[tap to apply] A great option if you don’t qualify for the Visa Infinite income requirements.
Best for:
- Students and seniors
- Lower income households
- Anyone building their first points strategy
RBC Avion Visa Infinite privilege
[tap to apply] The premium Avion card.
Best for:
- Frequent travellers
- Higher spenders
- Premium travel benefits
The RBC Ion+ Strategy
[tap to apply] Here’s another bombshell I’ll give you for free. This is a powerful secret weapon that most RBC Avion Infinite cardholders aren’t aware of. By itself, the card earns points you can redeem for gift cards, which is fine. The points are generous:
- 3x on groceries
- 3x on restaurants
- 3x on gas
- 3x on transit
- 3x on ride sharing
The magic happens when you pair the Ion+ (not the Ion, which is a different card with different earning rates) with your RBC Avion Visa Infinite or RBC Avion Visa Platinum and transfer Ion points to your Avion account 1:1. Want to know how to do it? Book a call with me.
How to earn Avion points faster
welcome bonuses
The fastest way to earn Avion points is through welcome bonuses, credited to you after you make the minimum spend.
Use The Right Card
Use the card that earns the most points in each spending category. It can take practice to remember which card to use when, but it’s not as hard as it sounds.
Watch For Promotions
RBC occasionally offers transfer bonuses and promotions throughout the year.
Use Two-Player Mode
Couples earn points faster when they both apply for cards for double the welcome bonus.
Start With A Goal
It’s much easier to earn points when you know where you’re trying to go. You’ll know which airlines you need points for, and the hotels, cars, and everything else.
How i would earn my first 100,000 points
If I were starting from scratch today, I would:
- Open an RBC Avion Visa Infinite card when there is an elevated welcome bonus
- 90 days later open an RBC ION+
- Put groceries and restaurants on the ION+
- Transfer the ION+ points into Avion
- Save Avion points for Europe or domestic Canadian travel
Depending on the welcome offers available at the time, this strategy can easily generate over 100,000 Avion points within one year.
Common RBC Avion mistakes
Avoid these common mistakes:
- Redeeming for merchandise
- Redeeming for gift cards
- Ignoring the Air Travel Redemption Schedule
- Transferring points without a plan and they expire
- Collecting points without a goal
The RBC Avion Cheatsheet
IMPORTANT NOTE: Credit card welcome bonuses, annual fees, eligibility requirements, and transfer partnerships can change over time. Always verify the current offer before applying.
My rating
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Simplicity | ✈️✈️✈️✈️ |
| Beginner friendly | ✈️✈️✈️✈️ |
| Family travel | ✈️✈️✈️✈️ |
| Flexibility | ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ |
| Earning potential | ✈️✈️✈️✈️ |
| Companion voucher | — |
| Overall | ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ |
Final thoughts
If Aeroplan is Canada’s most powerful airline loyalty program, RBC Avion is Canada’s most flexible travel rewards program.
It works for beginners who want simple travel redemptions and it works just as well for advanced travellers chasing premium cabin experiences.
Most importantly, it gives Canadian families options.
Whether you’re booking a quick flight to Montreal, planning a family trip to Europe, or flying Business Class to Vietnam, RBC Avion can help get you there.
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