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The most effective bank cards for airport lounge entry in Canada for 2024
Airport lounge entry can remodel an in any other case gruelling layover into a soothing respite. Lounges might supply free snacks and drinks (together with complimentary alcoholic drinks), free Wi-Fi, plentiful comfy seating, devoted work areas, showers, sleep pods and even spa companies. It’s little surprise, then, that for a lot of frequent fliers, lounge entry is an particularly coveted bank card characteristic. Let’s take a look at the lounge entry playing cards that at present prime the class in Canada.
MoneySense tip
Bank cards with airport lounge entry include an annual price, however these charges differ considerably between playing cards. When looking for the proper card, don’t get caught up on the price alone. Figuring out how a lot you fly in a median 12 months, and what different journey perks you intend to utilize, will make it easier to decide which card affords probably the most worth.
—MoneySense editors
Finest general airport lounge entry bank card
At a look: With six complimentary airport lounge visits a 12 months, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card affords probably the most free visits amongst bank cards in a comparable price vary. For that cause alone, the cardboard pays for itself. Including to its travel-friendly attract is the truth that it’s one of many few playing cards in Canada that doesn’t cost a international transaction (FX) price. Different playing cards usually cost 2.5% on purchases made in a international forex.
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Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite
- Annual price: $150 (waived for the primary 12 months)
- Earn price: 3 Scene+ factors per $1 spent at Sobeys shops; 2 factors per $1 on groceries, eating, leisure and transit; 1 level per $1 on all the pieces else. Plus, pay no FX charges
- Welcome supply: earn as much as $1,300 in worth within the first 12 months, together with as much as 40,000 bonus Scene+ factors and first 12 months annual price waived. Provide ends July 1, 2024.
- Annual revenue requirement: Private revenue of $60,000 or family revenue of $100,000
The professionals
- Obtain complimentary Visa Airport Companion Program membership, which incorporates six free lounge visits per 12 months, probably the most free visits of any journey bank card in an identical price vary.
- No international transaction charges on purchases made in non-Canadian forex.
- It’s one of many few playing cards that don’t make you e-book journey via a proprietary reserving website with a view to redeem factors. When you can e-book with Scene+ Journey, it’s also possible to e-book journey on-line or with any journey company and nonetheless redeem Scene+ factors to cowl the price of your journey.
The cons
- The best earn price of three Scene+ factors is barely accessible at a number of grocery retailers.
- No cell gadget insurance coverage protection.
- Scene+ factors have a decrease worth when redeemed for present playing cards or merchandise than when used for grocery purchases and journey.
Finest luxurious airport lounge entry card
At a look: For Aeroplan factors collectors who need an elevated airport expertise, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege bank card is usually a nice journey companion. It’s filled with journey advantages like limitless free entry for you and a visitor to Maple Leaf Lounges all through North America.
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TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege
- Annual price: $599
- Rewards: 2 Aeroplan factors per $1 on direct purchases with Air Canada and Air Canada Holidays, 1.5 Aeroplan factors per $1 on eligible fuel, grocery, journey and eating purchases, 1.25 factors per $1 spent in all places else
- Welcome bonus: You may earn a welcome bonus of 20,000 Aeroplan factors whenever you make your first buy along with your new card; Earn a further 40,000 Aeroplan factors whenever you spend $10,000 inside 180 days of Account opening. Situations apply. Account have to be accepted by June 3, 2024.
- Annual revenue requirement: Private revenue of $150,000 or family revenue of $200,000
The cardboard additionally comes with a complimentary membership within the Visa Airport Companion Program and contains six lounge visits, usable at over 1,200 airport lounges worldwide. You’ll actually really feel like a VIP on the airport with different perks like precedence check-in, boarding and baggage dealing with, and also you’ll get peace of thoughts with an in depth suite of journey insurance coverage.
The professionals
- Consists of limitless entry to Maple Leaf Lounges for you and a visitor and 6 free visits per 12 months to DragonPass associate lounges.
- Benefit from a Nexus price rebate of as much as $100 each two years.
- Comes filled with beneficiant travel-friendly perks like precedence boarding and upgrades, in addition to a companion cross.
- The included journey insurance coverage is strong—with protection for the primary 31 days of your journey in case you are underneath 65, versus the extra frequent 15-21 days. You additionally get flight delay/ journey cancellation protection, frequent provider and rental automobile accident insurance coverage.
The cons
- To qualify, you’ll want a excessive private or family revenue.
- Even for a premium card with tons of perks, the annual price is excessive, at $599.
- Most of the journey advantages (like precedence check-in and precedence boarding) solely apply to flights operated by Air Canada.
Finest airport lounge entry card for frequent travellers
At a look: It’s one of the costly premium bank cards in Canada, however the $799 annual price will get you entry to probably the most complete and amenity-laden collection of airport lounges worldwide, together with top-tier American Specific Centurion Lounges. Relying on the lounge, cardholders might have an infinite variety of free visits and may deliver one companion with them at no further price. Cardholders may benefit from a yearly $200 journey credit score, which basically brings the price of the cardboard all the way down to $599 so long as you make some extent of utilizing the credit score.
American Specific Platinum
- Annual price: $799
- Rewards: 2 factors per $1 on eating and meals supply; 2 factors per $1 on journey, plus 1 further level on purchases booked via Amex Journey On-line; 1 level per $1 on all the pieces else.
- Welcome bonus: You may earn as much as 100,000 rewards factors ($1,000 worth). Situations apply.
- Annual revenue requirement: None
The professionals
- The cardboard offers you entry to The American Specific World Lounge Assortment, which is the biggest airport lounge assortment accessible, that includes greater than 1,300 lounges in over 140 international locations. Lounges embrace American Specific Centurion Lounges, Plaza Premium and Delta Sky lounges.
- Get a $200 credit score that may be redeemed in direction of a journey buy made through American Specific Journey On-line.
- When staying at eligible High quality Lodges + Resorts, get pleasure from extras like assured late check-out and complimentary day by day breakfast for 2.
The cons
- Comes with one of many highest annual charges in Canada.
- The journey medical insurance coverage is considerably lacklustre for such a excessive annual price—it solely covers you for as much as 15 consecutive days (different playing cards supply 20 days or extra) and doesn’t supply any insurance coverage to those that are 65 or older.
- American Specific isn’t as broadly accepted by retailers in Canada as Visa and Mastercard.
Finest airport lounge entry card for infrequent journey
At a look: If you end up in an airport even just some instances a 12 months, you’ll admire that the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard affords free membership within the Mastercard Journey Cross program offered by DragonPass, plus 4 free passes a 12 months. BMO additionally has one of the versatile redemption applications within the nation, so you may redeem your factors to cowl eligible journey purchases like flights, motels and automobile leases it doesn’t matter what journey supplier you booked with.
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BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard
- Annual price: $150 (waived for the primary 12 months)
- Earn charges: 5 factors per $1 spent on eligible journey purchases; 3 factors per $1 on eating, leisure, and recurring invoice funds; 1 level per $1 on all the pieces else
- Welcome bonus: You may earn as much as 100,000 factors and the annual price waived within the first 12 months for each the first cardholder and licensed customers.
- Annual revenue requirement: Private revenue of $80,000 or family revenue of $150,000
The professionals
- Comes with free membership within the Mastercard Journey Cross program offered by DragonPass, in addition to 4 free passes a 12 months.
- Stable collection of journey insurance coverage that features journey medical, journey cancellation/journey interruption insurance coverage, and delayed and misplaced baggage insurance coverage.
- BMO Rewards has one of the versatile redemption applications within the nation, and you may redeem factors for journey purchases with out shopping for from a selected supplier.
The cons
- To qualify, you’ll want an annual private revenue of $80,000 or a family revenue of $150,000.
- The cardboard’s base earn price of 1 BMO level per greenback comes out to a return of 0.67%, which is significantly decrease than 1 % return supplied by most comparable playing cards on generic purchases that don’t fall underneath a bonus class
Finest airport lounge entry card for travelling to the U.S.
At a look: Should you incessantly cross the border to the U.S. for holidays, work journeys or household visits, take into account the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite. The cardboard contains membership within the Visa Airport Companion Program and likewise offers you 4 free lounge visits a 12 months. Each 4 years, you get a press release credit score of as much as $100 in direction of a Nexus utility price.
CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite
- Annual price: $139 (rebated for first 12 months)
- Rewards: 2 factors per $1 spent on journey via the CIBC Rewards Centre; 1.5 factors per $1 on fuel, groceries and drugstores; 1 level per $1 on all the pieces else
- Welcome bonus: You may earn as much as $1,500 in worth together with a primary 12 months annual price rebate.
- Annual revenue requirement: Private revenue of $60,000 or family revenue of $100,000
The professionals
- Features a free membership to the Visa Airport Companion Program managed by DragonPass, in addition to 4 free lounge visits per 12 months.
- Versatile rewards program that means that you can redeem factors for journey, merchandise, present playing cards, mortgage funds and extra.
- Save as much as 10 cents/litre on fuel at eligible fuel stations if you happen to hyperlink your card with Journie Rewards, a loyalty program that helps you earn factors at Pioneer, Fasgas, Ultramar and Chevron fuel stations.
The cons
- To get the best earn price of two factors for each $1 spent, you will need to make a journey buy through the CIBC Rewards Centre.
- The worth of factors decreases once they’re not used for journey.
- There may be an $80,000 cap on the 1.5-point earn price, after which you’ll solely get 1 level per $1 spent on groceries, fuel and drugstore purchases.
Our methodology: How we decide one of the best playing cards
The MoneySense editorial crew selects one of the best bank cards by assessing the worth they supply to Canadians throughout numerous classes. Our greatest bank cards for airport lounge entry rating relies on an in depth record of card particulars and options—with a give attention to those who matter to air travellers—together with the variety of airport lounge visits, annual charges, rates of interest, welcome affords, rewards earn charges and redemption choices, annual revenue necessities and perks. We’ve got additionally thought-about the professionals and cons of every card that will help you decide which of them finest fit your monetary wants. Our rankings are an unbiased supply of knowledge for Canadians. The addition of hyperlinks from affiliate companions has no bearing on the outcomes. Learn extra about how MoneySense makes cash.
Airport lounge entry applications in Canada
| Program | Key particulars | Variety of lounges |
|---|---|---|
| DragonPass | In 2022, DragonPass took over the airport lounge applications for Visa and Mastercard; in Canada, the applications are actually respectively known as the Visa Airport Companion Program and Mastercard Journey Cross offered by DragonPass. This system contains entry to Plaza Premium lounges in Canada, in addition to a whole lot of various lounge applications worldwide. Lounges characteristic snacks and drinks, free Wi-Fi, showers and enterprise centres. Cardholders can normally use their free passes for themselves and for a visitor, however particular guidelines differ by lounge. | Greater than 1,200 worldwide |
| Maple Leaf Lounges | Facilities embrace cell-free quiet zones, snacks and drinks, free Wi-Fi and showers. Maple Leaf Lounges can solely be utilized by prospects departing on flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, Air Canada Specific or a Star Alliance associate airline. | 16 throughout North America and Europe |
| Centurion Lounges | Centurion Lounges usually characteristic high-quality meals (designed by award-winning cooks) and drinks (and will even characteristic a signature cocktail), free high-speed Wi-Fi, plush seating and devoted working areas. Some characteristic elevated facilities like spa companies, nap pods and showers. Centurion Lounges are sometimes a part of The American Specific World Lounge Assortment that options greater than 1,300 airport lounges in over 140 international locations. | Greater than 40 worldwide |
How one can get free entry to airport lounges in Canada
A number of journey bank cards supply entry to airport lounges for cardholders. Relying on the bank card, you will get a sure variety of lounge visits yearly in particular international locations world wide. If you wish to get free limitless entry to airport lounges, take into account a bank card just like the American Specific Platinum Card which incorporates the American Specific World Lounge Assortment. The cardboard comes with a pretty big annual price, like most bank cards with airport lounge entry, however the card’s rewards and advantages might outweigh the price in case you are a frequent flier and worth the power to go to airport lounges whenever you’re touring.
DragonPass vs. Precedence Cross: Which do you have to select?
DragonPass and Precedence Cross are third-party lounge entry membership suppliers. Up till 2022, Precedence Cross was the first associate for many Mastercard and Visa airport lounge applications. Nevertheless, DragonPass has grow to be the associate of alternative for many bank card lounge entry applications for playing cards just like the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege and the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite. You may nonetheless entry the Precedence Cross program with the American Specific Platinum Card, nonetheless.
Often requested questions
Extra of Canada’s finest bank cards:
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