How Does the Welcome Bonus Work?
The RBC® British Airways Visa Infinite† offers a welcome bonus of 50,000 Avios^. The structure is simple. You earn the full 50,000 Avios after spending $6,000 in the first three months of account opening.
That works out to $2,000 a month, which is a fair ask for a premium card, but worth planning for before you apply.
This is the card’s standard offer, and it has sat at 50,000 Avios for most of the card’s history. There’s no end date on it, so you can apply when you’re ready to meet the spend rather than racing a deadline.
By our math, the first-year value lands around $955, even after the $165 annual fee†. That’s a solid return for a card at this price.
How Much Value Do You Get in the First Year?
It helps to see where that $955 figure comes from. We value Avios at 2 cents per point, grounded in realistic short-haul and partner award redemptions rather than best-case business class bookings.
| Component | Avios | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | 50,000^ | $1,000 |
| Earned on $6,000 of qualifying spend | 6,000^ | $120 |
| Annual fee | −$165 | |
| First-year total | 56,000 | $955 |
We’ll take a conservative approach here and assume you meet the $6,000 spending requirement at the base rate of 1 Avios per dollar spent^.
To put a 56,000-Avios balance in perspective, off-peak short hops between London and European cities start at 10,000 Avios with about $5 in taxes and fees*, and an off-peak economy seat from Toronto (YYZ) to London (LHR) prices at 27,500 Avios plus about $150 one-way. That’s several trips’ worth of flying from a single welcome bonus.
The cash side of the same flight makes the math concrete. On the same November departure, Economy Basic prices at $606 and Economy Standard at $706.
A Reward Flight booking lines up closest with Economy Standard, since a checked bag is included, though seat selection still costs extra as it does on Basic. Measured against the $706 Standard fare, paying 27,500 Avios plus $150 works out to just over 2 cents per Avios, right in line with our valuation.
That nets out to around $955 of value in your first year. The figure climbs if you redeem your Avios on the right flights.
How Do You Earn Avios?
The earning structure is simple and focused. You get 3 Avios per dollar on British Airways purchases, 2 Avios per dollar on dining and food delivery, and 1 Avios per dollar on all other qualifying purchases^.
If you fly British Airways often, that 3x adds up nicely. For everyday spending, the base rate is more modest, so this card works best alongside a strong all-rounder rather than as your only one.
An honest comparison is worth making on the dining rate. If grocery, dining, or transit is where you spend most, the RBC® ION+ Visa earns 3 Avion points per dollar in those categories, and Avion points transfer to Avios at 1:1. Keep in mind that you’ll need to hold one of the Avion cards to unlock transfers to the British Airways Club.
If most of your purchases fall under all other qualifying purchases at 1 Avios per dollar, spending on this card makes more sense. Every dollar also counts toward the $30,000 that unlocks the companion voucher^.
So this isn’t really an everyday earner. It’s a card you hold for the welcome bonus, the Avios, and the companion perk.
How Does the British Airways Companion Voucher Work?
The card’s signature perk is the British Airways Companion Voucher, and it’s the main reason to keep this card past year one. You earn one each calendar year that you spend $30,000 on the card^.
It works simply enough. You apply the voucher to an Avios booking*, and it covers a second traveller on the same flight, so two of you fly for close to the Avios cost of one. The voucher is valid for 24 months from the date it’s issued^.
If you’re travelling solo, you can instead apply the voucher to your own booking for a 50% discount on the Avios price^.
The value swings widely depending on how you use it. On the low end, it covers your companion’s 27,500 Avios on an off-peak economy one-way from Toronto (YYZ) to London (LHR). On the high end, it can save 200,000 Avios or more on round-trip business class for two from Vancouver (YVR) to London (LHR) in peak season.
That high-end figure checks out against live pricing. A one-way off-peak business class seat from Vancouver prices at 99,000 Avios plus $599*, so a round-trip for two on peak dates puts the companion’s covered share past the 200,000-Avios mark.
Put a dollar figure on it, and a realistic value for the voucher lands around $1,000 a year. That accounts for the taxes, fees, and the $30,000 in spending it takes to earn.
A couple of things are worth planning around. The first is the $30,000 in spending it takes to earn the voucher, which is a meaningful amount on a card that earns 1 Avios per dollar on everyday purchases.
The second is that the voucher only works on flights operated by British Airways, not partners or codeshares. That keeps you on British Airways’ own flights, which carry higher carrier surcharges, and you pay the taxes and surcharges for both seats^.
One more rule to know. The voucher works on a one-way or return booking, but the trip has to start in Canada, and the primary cardholder needs to be one of the travellers. In practice, that means departures from Vancouver (YVR), Toronto (YYZ), or Montreal (YUL), where British Airways flies its own aircraft^.
A few more rules shape how you plan for it. You can only earn one voucher per calendar year no matter how much you spend, and the spending counter resets on January 1. Allow up to eight weeks for the voucher to appear in your British Airways Club account^.
Since vouchers are valid for 24 months, it’s possible to hold two at once. Up to two vouchers can be applied to a single booking, which covers a family of four, and the discount works in any cabin British Airways sells^.
The voucher can also stretch beyond London. British Airways prices award flights by segment, so adding a connecting flight to a city like Paris often takes only a few thousand more Avios, and the voucher’s discount applies to the full itinerary.
A real search shows the value clearly. An off-peak business class seat from Toronto (YYZ) to London (LHR) prices at 88,000 Avios plus $499 in taxes and fees one-way*.
Book two seats with the voucher applied, and the total stays at 88,000 Avios, with $998 in taxes covering both travellers. The second seat’s 88,000 Avios are covered entirely, and the same search booked solo prices at 44,000 Avios plus $499, which is the 50% discount at work^.
What Are Avios Actually Worth for Canadians?
This is the part that really matters, because Avios are only as good as how you redeem them.
Avios belongs to a family of programs that share the same currency, including British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Finnair, and Qatar Airways. You can move Avios between them and pool them in a single household account, which gives you more options than most airline currencies.
The best value sits in short-haul and partner flights. A few examples of off-peak pricing*:
- Short hops between London and Europe, like Paris (CDG) or Dublin (DUB), from 10,000 Avios with about $5 in taxes and fees, or fewer Avios with a larger cash component
- Partner flights across the Avios family, which often price low for short-haul routes and carry little to no surcharges
It’s worth knowing that British Airways raised award pricing on many redemptions in December 2025, and its own long-haul flights now use dynamic pricing with higher carrier surcharges. The simplest approach is to earn Avios on this card, then redeem them where the value and the surcharges are friendlier, which often means partner airlines in the Avios family. The best partner redemptions deserve their own article, and we’ll cover them in depth separately.
What Insurance and Protections Are Included?
For a card at $165† a year, the insurance package is reasonable. You get emergency medical coverage for trips up to 31 days, which drops to seven days once you turn 65^.
There’s also trip delay, baggage delay, rental car collision coverage, and the usual purchase protection and extended warranty.
One condition deserves a close read before you lean on the travel coverage. The flight delay, baggage delay, and travel accident benefits only apply when the ticket is paid with the card, and the certificate of insurance makes no mention of flights booked with Avios.
In practice, that means a flight you redeem Avios for likely sits outside those coverages, even though the card earned you those Avios in the first place. It’s a harsh carve-out for an airline co-brand, and it’s worth factoring into how much weight you give the insurance. Emergency medical is the exception, since it applies no matter how you paid for the trip.
Two other gaps are worth knowing. There’s no trip cancellation or interruption coverage, and no mobile device protection. If those matter to you, you’ll want a card that fills them.
Who Should Get the Card?
This card rewards a specific kind of traveller, so it’s worth checking whether you fit the profile before applying.
It’s a strong pick if you:
- Fly to the UK or Europe, or want to use Avios on short-haul and partner award flights
- Can comfortably put $5,000 on the card in the first few months for the welcome bonus^
- Like the companion voucher and can work toward the $30,000 in annual spend^
- Already hold a strong everyday card and want to add a focused travel card alongside it
It’s probably not the right fit if you want one card to earn well on all your spending, or if you don’t see yourself using Avios in the next couple of years.
You’ll also need to meet the minimum income requirement of $60,000 personally, or $100,000 for your household†.
So, Is the RBC® British Airways Visa Infinite† Worth It?
It’s a yes for the right traveller. The RBC® British Airways Visa Infinite† is worth it if you’ll use Avios on short-haul or partner award flights and you can hit the $5,000 spend for the welcome bonus^. It works best as a focused Avios card rather than an everyday earner, and the companion voucher is a nice bonus for higher spenders.
If you fly to the UK or Europe, dabble in oneworld partners, or just want a low-effort way to bank 50,000 Avios^, the math works in your first year.
If you’d rather have one card that earns well across all your spending, a flexible-points card that transfers to Avios might be a better fit. Our roundup of Canada’s best travel credit cards is a good place to compare.
Conclusion
The RBC® British Airways Visa Infinite† is a specialist’s card wearing an everyday badge. Treat it like a tool for collecting Avios and unlocking a few specific redemptions, and it delivers.
My honest take is that the 50,000-Avios offer^ makes the first year an easy case if Avios fit your travel plans. If you’re not sure Avios suit how you travel, it’s worth getting comfortable with the program first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Disclosures
† Terms and conditions apply. RBC is not responsible for maintaining the content on this page. Please click on the Apply Now link in the card box for the most up to date information.
^ This offer only applies to new applications for a RBC British Airways Visa Infinite credit card received and approved by Royal Bank of Canada (“Royal Bank”), subject to the conditions below. Additional cardholders(s) (co-applicant and authorized user(s)) on the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite credit card account are not eligible for this offer. Existing cardholders on any RBC Royal Bank personal credit card account transferring to a RBC British Airways Visa Infinite credit card, are not eligible for the offer.
To receive the offer of 50,000 Avios points (“Bonus”), (i) a total of $6,000 or more (“Qualifying Transaction Amount”) in qualifying net purchases and/or pre-authorized bill payment transactions (“Qualifying Transactions”) must be posted to your Credit Card Account within the first 90 days of your Credit Card Account opening date (“Period”), and (ii) your Credit Card must remain open and in good standing, “good standing” meaning that your Credit Card Account must not be past due for more than two (2) consecutive Credit Card Account statement periods, closed, charged off or in credit revoked status at that time. If you are not currently a member of The British Airways Club, you will be enrolled automatically once you are approved for the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite credit card. Please note that the address your British Airways Club account is registered under must match the one for your RBC British Airways Visa Infinite account at all times for the Avios to be posted to your British Airways Club account. The Bonus will be awarded to your British Airways Club account, approximately 15 weeks after the date you reach $6,000 in Qualifying Transactions within the Period.
Qualifying Transactions exclude cash advances (including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized charges that you set up with a merchant), interest charges and fees. Credits for returns and adjustments posted to your Credit Card Account during the Period will reduce the amount of your Qualifying Transactions. The Qualifying Transaction Amount is based on the transaction posting date of each Qualifying Transaction, not the transaction date. This means that transactions that take place prior to the last day of the Period will not be considered for the Qualifying Transaction Amount if they have not yet been posted or processed by the merchant, the payment network (Visa) or Royal Bank by the last day of the Period.
If you close or change your RBC British Airways Visa Infinite credit card for another type of RBC Royal Bank credit card before the Bonus has been credited to your British Airways Club account, you may lose the benefit of this offer. This offer may not be combined or used in conjunction with any other offer, except as otherwise set out. Royal Bank of Canada and British Airways reserve the right to modify, cancel or withdraw this offer at any time. British Airways, not Royal Bank of Canada, is responsible for this offer and The British Airways Club program. For all British Airways Club Terms and Conditions, please visit ba.com/theclub.
*Reward Flights are available to any British Airways Club Members with an Avios balance. In addition to your Avios, the only cash amount required for Reward Flights is a fixed cash amount. Your chosen date of travel will determine whether you pay a peak or off-peak Avios amount. When booking Reward Flights, you can choose all peak dates, all off-peak dates or a mixture of the two. For travel in First, a cash amount to cover taxes, fees and carrier charges will be payable. The taxes, fees and carrier charges will vary dependent on airline and destination and will be calculated when you book your flights. The final fee (i.e. Avios plus payable taxes, fees and carrier charges) will be displayed at the final stage of your booking. To find out more about Reward Flights click here. British Airways Club Terms and Conditions and Conditions of Use apply.
^ You will earn 3 Avios points for every $1.00 spent on British Airways purchases, including British Airways Holidays purchases (“British Airways Purchases”) you make on your RBC British Airways Visa Infinite credit card, provided that these purchases have been made directly through British Airways, classified by Visa’s Merchant Category Code MCC 3005 (“BA MCC”). Even though some merchants as a travel agency or a third-party booking site may sell British Airways flights and products, as well as British Airways Holidays purchases, purchases made at these merchants may not necessarily allow you to earn 3 Avios points for every $1 spent if the merchant is not classified as the BA MCC. Royal Bank of Canada cannot guarantee whether a merchant is classified as the BA MCC and in no event will Royal Bank of Canada be liable or responsible for any claims with respect to a British Airways Purchases made at a merchant that is not classified as the BA MCC.
You will earn 2 Avios points for every $1.00 spent on dining and food delivery purchases (“Food and Delivery purchases”) you make on your RBC British Airways Visa Infinite credit card at merchants that are classified by the following eligible Visa’s Merchant Category Code (“Eligible MCCs”): “Eating Place and Restaurants” (MCC 5812), “Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) – Bars, Taverns, Nightclubs, Cocktail Lounges, and Discotheques” (MCC 5813), “Fast Food Restaurants” (MCC 5814), are “Dining and Food Delivery”. Government liquor agencies and package stores that sell beer, wine, and liquor do not qualify as part of the “Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)– Bars, Taverns, Nightclubs, Cocktail Lounges, and Discotheques”.
Even though some merchants may sell meals and food delivery, purchases made at these merchants may not necessarily allow you to earn 2 Avios points for every $1 spent if the merchant is not classified an Eligible MCC. Also, a merchant that is not classified by an Eligible MCC may be located on the premises of a merchant that is classified by an Eligible MCC, in which case a purchase made at this merchant would not qualify as Food and Delivery purchases. Royal Bank of Canada cannot guarantee whether a merchant is classified by an Eligible MCC and in no event will Royal Bank of Canada be liable or responsible for any claims with respect to Food and Delivery purchases made at a merchant that is not classified as an Eligible MCC.
You will earn 1 Avios per $1 CAD spent on all other qualifying net purchases when you use your RBC British Airways Visa Infinite card. Avios are earned on qualifying net purchases only; they are not earned on cash advances (including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized charges that you set up with a merchant), interest charges or fees, and credits for returns and adjustments will reduce or cancel the Avios earned by the amounts originally charged.
Where applicable, Avios are awarded based on the Canadian dollar equivalent of foreign currency purchase transactions. Avios are not refundable, transferable, and have no cash value. Please allow up to eight weeks after transactions are processed to your credit card account for the Avios to be posted to your British Airways Club account.
^ Eligible Members who spend a minimum of $30,000 CAD on qualifying purchases on their Card in a calendar year (“calendar year” refers to the time period starting from 1 January through to 31 December) will receive a maximum of one Companion Voucher for that calendar year. As an Eligible Member, you will be able to apply the Companion Voucher towards the purchase of a flight for a companion travelling with you, on the same Reward Flight (“Companion Ticket”).
Alternatively, for all valid Companion Vouchers earned, you can choose to use your Companion Voucher to make a solo Reward Flight booking, which will entitle you to a 50% discount on the Avios fare for your journey. Taxes fees and charges for you will still be payable (if travelling solo) or on your companion’s ticket (if travelling with a companion).
Please note that qualifying purchases exclude cash advances (including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized charges that you set up with a merchant), interest charges or fees, and credits for returns and adjustments will reduce or cancel the spend amount by the amounts originally charged.
When booking a Companion Ticket with a Companion Voucher, you can choose to make a full Avios redemption or from other Avios and cash price options (subject to payment of the Taxes, Fees and Charges for each seat).
Only one Companion Voucher can be earned in any calendar year. If an Eligible Member reaches their spend target before the end of the calendar year then further spends, it will not accumulate towards another Companion Voucher. Eligible Members can begin earning towards their next Companion Voucher from 1 January each year. Please allow six (6) to eight (8) weeks for the Companion Voucher to be added to The British Airways Club account after meeting the spending requirement.
The Companion Voucher entitles the Eligible Member to purchase a Companion Ticket at the time of booking a Reward Flight, without having to pay for the price of the companion’s flight. The Companion Voucher will be issued in the name of the primary cardholder, who must travel on any Companion Voucher booking. Reservations and bookings for both the Reward Flight of the Eligible Member and the Companion Ticket of the companion must be made at the same time, for the same flight, on the same date, in the same class and cabin and on the same passenger name record (PNR) for travel on the same itinerary.
Eligible Members will be responsible for paying, without limitation, the taxes, fees and carrier charges, related to the Companion Ticket. Prices shown are Reward Flight redemptions. Reward Flight offers customers great value flights with a low, flat fee to cover taxes, fees and carrier charges and a fixed Avios amount. To be eligible for Reward Flight, you need to have collected at least one Avios in the past 12 months. To find out more about Reward Flights, click here. At the time of publication, a standard Reward Flight booking or a standard Companion ticket booking (non-Reward Flight) would be subject to taxes of approximately $870 return travel from Vancouver to London in economy class and approximately $1,900 per person based on business class travel. To make a booking, (including the Companion Ticket) Eligible Members must visit ba.com and log in using their membership number and PIN/Password. It is not possible to book a Reward Flight or a Companion Ticket by contacting a travel agent, or at the airport.
The Companion Award Voucher may be used for flights operated by British Airways only. Travel on franchise, codeshare or alliance airlines is not permitted. Return flights must be booked at the same time the outward journey is booked. All travel must originate in and return to Canada. Companion Vouchers can be used on a one way or return flight. Return flights must be booked at the same time the outward journey is booked. All travel must originate in and return to Canada.
A Companion Voucher can only be used if and when an Eligible Member is booking a Reward Flight using Avios and cannot be combined with any other offer, promotion, mileage or frequent flyer programme. Full details of fare rules can be found on ba.com. All Reward Flights and Companion Tickets are subject to availability and there is no guarantee Eligible Members will be able to book a flight for a companion on the Eligible Member’s choice of flight and destination. The Companion Voucher is only valid if it has been acquired in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.
A Companion Voucher is valid for twenty-four (24) months from the date it is issued and must be exchanged for a Companion Ticket with travel commencing from Canada before the expiry date on the Companion Voucher. Eligible Members must still have a Card in good standing at the time of travel. British Airways and/or Royal Bank of Canada reserve(s) the right to refuse to issue or to honour any Companion Voucher in the event that the Eligible Member is in breach of either these RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Companion Voucher Terms and Conditions, their RBC Royal Bank Credit Card Agreement or The British Airways Club Terms and Conditions.
A maximum of two Companion Vouchers can be redeemed at any one time on the same booking e.g. [2] Avios reward fares plus [2] Companion Voucher tickets.
The Companion Voucher is not extendable, refundable, transferable, and has no cash or mileage value. At no time may the Companion Voucher be purchased, sold, or bartered but if it is, any such Companion Voucher will become void. Companion Vouchers are applicable to new and future bookings only; they cannot be used to amend or pay for existing bookings.
The Companion Ticket is subject to The British Airways Club Terms and Conditions relating to Companion Vouchers. If the Eligible Member cancels the Companion Ticket booking more than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the scheduled departure of the outbound flight from Canada, British Airways will redeposit the Companion Voucher which will only be valid for the remainder of its original twenty-four (24) month expiry period based on the original date of issue. Reward Flight bookings and Companion Tickets cancelled within twenty-four (24) hours of departure will result in the Companion Voucher and Avios being cancelled without any possibility of being reissued or credited to the Eligible Member. Please visit the full British Airways Club Terms and Conditions found online here.
^ Under 65 years of age, 31 consecutive days of coverage. For age 65 and over, 7 consecutive days of coverage. Coverage underwritten by RBC Insurance Company of Canada. All insurance is subject to terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions. Refer to the insurance certificate for complete details.
^ 10% off British Airways flights round-trip flights originating in and returning to Canada when you book on ba.com/RBC10 and pay with your RBC BA Visa Infinite card. In order to take part in the 10% promotion, RBC British Airways Visa Infinite cardholders must log in at ba.com/RBC10 using their British Airways Club username and PIN and make a roundtrip booking now through December 31, 2026 and enter the promotion code CARDOFFERC in the marked box on the Price Quote page of the booking process. A 10% discount is valid on the total roundtrip price, including taxes, fees and carrier charges, on mainline flights operated by British Airways purchased now through December 31, 2026 only. Travel must be fully completed by December 15, 2027 (departure and return). A 10% discount will appear during the final payment page. Fares not purchased through ba.com/RBC10 do not qualify for the discount. Discount is not valid for flights on code share or franchise carriers. All rules of roundtrip fare purchased apply, including advance purchase, minimum stay, weekend add-ons, and cancellation/refund rules. Offer is non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other offer. Valid for new bookings only made by Canadian residents paying in CAD using a valid British Airways Visa‡ card issued by Royal Bank of Canada for roundtrip travel commencing from Canada to London and beyond. Discount is taken off the total roundtrip price of every ticket including taxes and fees on the same booking. 10% discount applies for up to eight passengers booked on the same British Airways booking for the same flights. Cardholder must travel to qualify for the 10% discount. Refunds from previously purchased fare types not permitted. The 10% discount not combinable with any other offer and is taken off valid, published fares only and is subject to availability. Offer is subject to British Airways fare rules and conditions of contract available on ba.com and may be limited or withdrawn at any time without advance notice. Other significant restrictions may apply. Newly enrolled British Airways Club members, please allow 24 hours to use the promotion code. British Airways, not Royal Bank of Canada, is responsible for the terms and conditions of this offer and The British Airways Club programme.
This story originally appeared on princeoftravel
