The CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite earns Aeroplan points on everyday spending with a unique transit bonus. How does it compare to the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite? Updated March 2025.
| Category | Earn Rate |
|---|---|
| Air Canada purchases (flights, upgrades) | 1.5 Aeroplan pts/$ |
| Grocery stores | 1.5 Aeroplan pts/$ |
| Gas stations | 1.5 Aeroplan pts/$ |
| Drug stores | 1.5 Aeroplan pts/$ |
| Transit & rideshares (TTC, Presto, Uber) | 1.5 Aeroplan pts/$ |
| Starbucks purchases | Bonus Stars earned |
| All other purchases | 1 Aeroplan pt/$ |
Both the CIBC and TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite cards charge $139/year and earn the same base rates. The key difference: CIBC includes transit and rideshares in its 1.5x category, while TD does not.
For a Toronto commuter spending $150/month on TTC and Presto, that's an extra 900 Aeroplan points per year compared to TD — a small but real advantage. For Vancouver's Compass Card users or OC Transpo in Ottawa, the same logic applies.
CIBC also partners with Starbucks to earn bonus Stars when you pay with the linked card — a unique perk with no TD equivalent.
The CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite typically offers 10,000–25,000 Aeroplan points as a welcome bonus, depending on the current promotion. A 25,000-point bonus is worth approximately $375–$500 in Aeroplan redemptions — significant value for a $139 card.
New CIBC clients may qualify for the first year annual fee waived, effectively making the card free for 12 months to evaluate.
For transit commuters and city dwellers, the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite edges out the TD version by including transit in the 1.5x earn tier. For those who rarely use transit, both cards are essentially equal and the choice may come down to which bank you already use for day-to-day banking.
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Get KOHO — Code 45ET55JSYATransit spending at 1.5x Aeroplan points covers all PRESTO-linked transit (TTC, GO Transit, UP Express, Mississauga MiWay, Brampton Züm, and others in Ontario), Vancouver's Compass Card, Ottawa's OC Transpo, Calgary Transit, Edmonton Transit, and more. It also includes Uber and Lyft rides, which are coded as transit. For a commuter spending $200/month on transit, the CIBC card earns 300 more Aeroplan points per year than the TD version — not life-changing, but a legitimate differentiator for urban commuters.
Starbucks integration is another unique CIBC benefit. When you link your CIBC Aeroplan card to your Starbucks account, you earn bonus Stars on Starbucks purchases. Stars unlock free drinks and food rewards within the Starbucks Rewards program — a separate earn layer on top of your Aeroplan points. For daily coffee drinkers, this stacks meaningfully over a full year.
The best time to apply for a CIBC Aeroplan card is when CIBC runs an elevated welcome offer — typically in January, during Air Canada's annual seat sale season, and occasionally in fall. Historical elevated offers have reached 50,000–75,000 Aeroplan points for new applicants who meet spending thresholds. At 1.5–2 cents per point, a 50,000 point bonus is worth $750–$1,000 in flights — an exceptional return on a $139 annual fee card. Monitor the CIBC website and Bremo for current offer details before applying.
If you commute by transit regularly, use Starbucks daily, or prefer CIBC as your primary bank, the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite is the clear winner. If you're a TD customer with no transit commute, the TD version is functionally identical and may offer easier account management. Neither card has a decisive advantage in earn rate for Air Canada purchases, groceries, gas, or drug stores — the choice ultimately comes down to which bank's ecosystem fits your life better.
To get full value from the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite, treat it as your primary card for Air Canada travel, grocery shopping, transit, gas, and drug store purchases — and use a no-fee flat-rate card for everything else. The NEXUS credit ($100 every 48 months) effectively reduces the annual fee from $139 to $114 on a four-year average. The free first checked bag on Air Canada flights saves $35/way — two flights per year (4 segments) saves $140, covering the annual fee before you earn a single point.
New CIBC Aeroplan cardholders should watch for elevated welcome bonus promotions — historically reaching 50,000–75,000 points in promotional periods. These bonus offers appear several times per year, most commonly in January and August-September. If you're planning to apply, waiting for an elevated offer can add $750–$1,500 in travel value to your first year. Follow Bremo and Aeroplan-focused communities to catch these windows as they open.
On an ongoing basis, the CIBC mobile app allows you to set up automatic Aeroplan point transfers to Air Canada flights as part of the booking process — eliminating the step of separately managing your Aeroplan account. For CIBC customers already using their main banking relationship with the bank, the integrated experience is one of the smoothest in Canadian banking for loyalty program management.