Best Aeroplan Credit Card for Airport Lounge Access in Canada (2026)

For most eligible Canadians, the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege is the strongest lounge card of the three. It pairs unlimited eligible Maple Leaf Lounge access with six Visa Airport Companion visits a year, and has the cheapest premium supplementary card at $149. TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege has nearly the same package and wins when its welcome offer or a TD banking rebate is better. Amex Aeroplan Reserve is the pick for heavy Air Canada spending (3 points per $1), for applicants below the Visa Infinite Privilege income floor, and for Toronto Pearson regulars — but its Priority Pass visits are paid, not included. All three cost $599 a year. One caution: TD and CIBC confirm the one-guest benefit only through December 31, 2026.

Editorial disclosure: AirportLounges.ca may receive compensation if you apply through links on this page. This does not affect the card issuer's terms or the price you pay. Card details and offers can change; verify the current terms on the application page before applying. Facts on this page were checked against issuer and Air Canada pages on September 11, 2026.

2027 guest-access alert: TD and CIBC currently confirm one complimentary Maple Leaf Lounge guest only through December 31, 2026. Amex publishes one guest with no end date, but Air Canada's own lounge page calls complimentary guest admission a limited-time benefit. Check the current terms before applying if guest access is central to your decision.

TD vs CIBC vs Amex: Aeroplan lounge-access comparison

All three cards are $599 a year and open Air Canada's own Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafés in Canada and the United States on a same-day Air Canada or Star Alliance departure. The differences are in supplementary card pricing, the other lounge network each card includes, earn rates, and travel insurance.

Verified September 11, 2026 on issuer card pages, Air Canada's issuer benefit pages and the issuers' insurance summaries. Six Visa Airport Companion visits are a pool — a guest's entry uses one. Extra visits cost US$32. Amex's "1,200+ lounges" wording refers to Priority Pass membership; every visit is billed at the prevailing rate.

How Aeroplan credit-card lounge access works

Which Maple Leaf Lounges are included?

All three cards cover eligible Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafés in Canada and the United States. That includes the international Maple Leaf Lounges at Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal when you fly abroad. It does not include Air Canada Signature Suites. It does not include Maple Leaf Lounges outside Canada and the U.S., such as London, Paris and Frankfurt. It does not include lounges run by other Star Alliance airlines. "Star Alliance lounge access" is the wrong way to describe this benefit — the card opens Air Canada's own lounges only.

Which flights qualify?

You need a same-day departing ticket. The flight must be marketed or operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, Air Canada Express or a Star Alliance airline. Link the card to your Aeroplan account and add that Aeroplan number to the booking. Entry is subject to space. Arriving on Air Canada does not qualify — the benefit is for departures. A connection counts only when the next leg is on a qualifying airline.

Can you bring a guest?

Yes, one, and the guest must enter with you. At TD and CIBC, the primary cardholder and each premium additional cardholder can bring one guest through December 31, 2026. Amex's terms say the basic cardmember and each $199 supplementary cardmember may bring one guest, and no end date is stated. A no-fee Amex supplementary card does not carry the lounge benefit. Extra guests pay Air Canada's fee of $59 in the lounge's local currency, subject to change.

What changes after December 31, 2026?

TD's and CIBC's Air Canada terms put a date on the guest benefit, not on your own access. After that date, guest access on those two cards is unconfirmed until the issuers publish an extension or a new rule. Amex publishes one guest with no date, but Air Canada's own lounge page calls complimentary guest admission a limited-time benefit. The honest reading: Amex looks better for couples after 2026 today, and any of the three could change. Do not build a decision on guest access you cannot see in writing.

TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege review

Lounge access and guest rules

TD gives the primary and each $199 additional cardholder unlimited eligible Maple Leaf Lounge and Air Canada Café access in Canada and the U.S. One guest is included through December 31, 2026. On top of that, you get six Visa Airport Companion visits per membership year. That program, run by DragonPass, covers more than 1,200 lounges worldwide, including over 20 in Canada. It works on any airline. A guest's entry uses one of the six, and extra visits cost US$32 each.

Fees, income and rewards

The fee is $599, and TD publishes an income floor of $150,000 personal or $200,000 household. You earn 2 points per $1 direct with Air Canada. You earn 1.5 per $1 on gas, EV charging, groceries, travel, transit and dining, and 1.25 per $1 elsewhere. Caps in TD's terms apply. Travel insurance includes emergency medical up to $5 million: 31 days if you are 64 or under, four days at 65 or older. Trip cancellation is up to $2,500 per person and $5,000 per trip. Trip interruption is up to $5,000 per person and $25,000 per trip. At least 75% of the trip must be charged to the card or paid with Aeroplan points.

Who should choose TD?

A high-income Air Canada flyer who wants the full lounge package and banks with TD, where card fee rebates are common. Or one who finds the TD welcome offer stronger on the day. Its one clear drawback against CIBC is the $199 supplementary card versus $149.

View TD Aeroplan VIP offer →

CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege review

Lounge access and six global visits

CIBC's lounge package matches TD's. The primary cardholder and each authorized user with a premium card get unlimited eligible Maple Leaf Lounge and Air Canada Café access. One guest is included through December 31, 2026. Each enrolled cardholder gets six Visa Airport Companion visits per membership year. The six visits can be used by you or an accompanying guest. Extra visits are US$32.

Supplementary cards and insurance

Two things separate CIBC from TD. First, price: $149 for each of up to nine additional cards, against TD's and Amex's $199. A couple who both want independent access pay $748 a year at CIBC versus $798 at the other two. Second, insurance. CIBC's premium guide lists emergency medical up to $5 million: 31 days at 64 or under, ten days at 65 or over. Trip cancellation is up to $2,500 per person and $10,000 per trip. Trip interruption or delay is up to $5,000 per person and $25,000 per trip. The per-trip cancellation cap is double TD's and more than three times Amex's.

Per-person limits and other conditions apply; read the certificate.

Who should choose CIBC?

Anyone who meets the income requirement and wants the most lounge coverage per dollar for a household. You get Maple Leaf Lounges, six visits on other airlines, the cheapest partner card and the strongest cancellation cover. Earn rates are the same as TD: 2x Air Canada, 1.5x on gas, EV charging, groceries, travel and dining, 1.25x elsewhere. So the choice between the two comes down to supplementary cards, insurance, the welcome offer and where you bank.

View CIBC Aeroplan VIP offer →

American Express Aeroplan Reserve review

Maple Leaf Lounge and Priority Pass access

The Reserve gives the basic cardmember and each $199 premium supplementary cardmember the same Maple Leaf Lounge and Air Canada Café access. One guest is included, on a qualifying same-day flight. The other network is where it differs. Amex includes a Priority Pass membership and waives the US$99 annual fee — but every lounge visit is charged at the prevailing rate. That is access at a member price, not included visits. If you fly WestJet, Porter or Flair often and want a lounge on those trips, TD or CIBC cover six of them; Amex covers none.

Air Canada earning and Pearson benefits

Amex earns 3 points per $1 direct with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations. It earns 2 per $1 on eligible dining and food delivery in Canada, and 1.25 per $1 elsewhere. For a household that puts $10,000 a year on Air Canada fares, that is 30,000 points versus 20,000 on the Visa cards. Toronto Pearson adds a local edge. Eligible Amex cardmembers get single-use QR codes for the priority security lane at Terminals 1 and 3, complimentary valet at Terminal 1, and 15% off eligible parking. Those perks are Pearson-only.

Aeroplan points per $1 by spending category on the three cards, from issuer terms verified September 11, 2026. Amex leads on Air Canada and dining in Canada; TD and CIBC lead on gas, groceries, travel and transit.

Insurance is the weak spot. Amex lists emergency medical up to $5 million for travellers under 65, for the first 15 days of a trip. Trip cancellation is up to $1,500 per person and $3,000 per trip. Travellers 65 and older receive no included emergency medical cover on the Reserve — confirm this against the current certificate of insurance before travelling if this matters to you.

Who should choose Amex?

Three people. The heavy Air Canada spender who values 3x more than six lounge visits. The applicant who cannot show $150,000 personal or $200,000 household income — Amex publishes no fixed floor, though approval still depends on Amex underwriting. And the Toronto Pearson regular who will use the security lane and valet. A couple who care most about guest access after 2026 may also lean Amex, but Amex can change its terms too.

View Amex Aeroplan Reserve offer →

Best Aeroplan lounge card by traveller type

Is a $599 Aeroplan card worth it for lounge access?

Put a price on one visit first. Air Canada sells lounge access on some fares: $49 on Premium Economy or Latitude, $59 on Comfort and $79 on Flex. It charges $59 per extra guest. Use $59 as the benchmark. The test is simple:

Break-even visits per year at $59 per person per entry. Calculated from issuer fees; the decimal is the exact result before rounding up.

Two cautions. Five or six visits do not "pay for the card" unless you would really have paid at the door each time. Lounges can also turn you away when full. Air Canada's own Amex comparison page values five cardholder-plus-guest visits at $590 — that is the issuer's marketing number, not an independent estimate. Free first checked bags, insurance and points sit on top of the lounge math and often decide the question.

Illustrative lounge-value scenario

Take a household with 6 solo Air Canada or Star Alliance departures a year, 2 more with a partner, and 2 departures a year on other airlines where a lounge would be used — 10 lounge-eligible departures. Valuing each entry at $59:

*Lounge value = entries × $59. Other-airline visits are covered up to six a year on TD and CIBC through Visa Airport Companion; Amex charges each Priority Pass visit at the prevailing rate. Points, free bags and insurance are not included in this figure. Fees verified September 11, 2026.

How to use the lounge benefit

1. Link the card to the right Aeroplan account. The cardholder's Aeroplan number must be on the card and on the booking.
2. Check the flight qualifies. Same-day departure on Air Canada, Rouge, Express or a Star Alliance airline. Arrivals do not count.
3. Enrol in Visa Airport Companion (TD and CIBC). Use the app or visaairportcompanion.ca with your Visa Infinite Privilege card. Do it before the first trip — the six visits reset each membership year.
4. Amex: enrol in Priority Pass if you want it. Membership is fee-free, but expect a per-visit charge at the door.
5. Bring your guest in with you. Guests cannot enter alone. Extra guests pay $59 in the lounge's local currency.
6. Recheck the terms in December 2026. The TD and CIBC guest benefit is dated. The issuer's Air Canada benefit page is the source of truth.

Final recommendation

CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege ranks first for lounge-focused, eligible Canadians. It matches TD's six global visits and Maple Leaf Lounge access. It charges $50 less for each premium supplementary card. It publishes the strongest trip-cancellation limits. TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege is a close second, and a better welcome offer or a TD banking rebate can flip the result for you. Amex Aeroplan Reserve is the conditional winner for heavy Air Canada spending, applicants below the Visa Infinite Privilege income floor, and Toronto Pearson users — just know its Priority Pass visits are paid.

Any verdict that calls TD or CIBC "best for couples" without the December 31, 2026 guest deadline is incomplete. Check the terms again before year-end.

Methodology

Fees, lounge rules, guest terms and insurance limits were taken from issuer card pages, the issuer-specific Aeroplan benefit pages on aircanada.com, the issuers' benefits guides and insurance summaries, and the Visa Airport Companion and Priority Pass terms, in that order of authority. Third-party reviews were used only to confirm current welcome offers. Break-even figures are calculations shown in full above. No card rating is displayed because AirportLounges.ca does not collect user ratings.

Change log

• September 11, 2026: Full rewrite. TD and CIBC one-guest benefit dated to December 31, 2026 per issuer terms. Amex Priority Pass clarified as fee-waived membership with paid visits (not "free"). Ranking updated: CIBC first, TD second, Amex conditional.

Sources

• TD, TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card (fee, income, offer) and Maple Leaf Lounge access terms (one guest through December 31, 2026); welcome guide (earn rates); travel insurance summary.
• Air Canada — TD Aeroplan personal cards, CIBC Aeroplan personal cards, American Express Aeroplan cards (lounge and guest terms), and Maple Leaf Lounges (guest fee, purchase prices).
• CIBC — CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card (fee, $149 additional cards, income, earn rates); benefits guide (lounge access, US$32 extra visits); insurance summary.
• American Express Canada — Aeroplan Reserve Card (fee, offer, earn rates); membership benefits (lounge terms, Priority Pass fee waived with visits at the prevailing rate, Pearson benefits); insurance coverage and insurance summary booklet.
• Visa Canada — Visa Airport Companion by DragonPass; Milesopedia — Complete guide to the Visa Airport Companion Program.
• Toronto Pearson — American Express priority security lane access; Prince of Travel — Amex priority benefits at Toronto Pearson.
• Welcome offers checked September 11, 2026: Milesopedia — TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege offer, CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege, Amex Aeroplan Reserve.
• FinlyWealth — TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege review, CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege review, Amex Aeroplan Reserve review, comparison tool, card finder quiz.

All fees, offers, benefits and insurance limits in this guide reflect information current as of September 11, 2026. Rules and offers change without notice — always confirm the current terms with the issuer before applying. Next scheduled review: December 2026, when the TD and CIBC guest terms expire.