[PROMOTION] 45,000 Avios Points (expired)

Sign up for the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite credit card before November 30, 2013 and earn 45,000 Avios points, which goes into your British Airways Executive Club membership rewards program. For some reason this promotion does not show up on the regular RBC listing of the credit card, so apply directly from the link and be sure to follow-up with RBC about this promotion to ensure you get your points.

You will receive the first 15,000 Avios upon approval of the credit card and an additional 30,000 Avios when you spend $9,000 in the first three months of having this credit card. The other highlights of this card are as follows:

• $165 annual fee
• Earn 2 Avios for every $1 spent on British Airways purchases
• Earn 1 Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases
• Receive a complimentary “Companion Award Ticket/eVoucher” when you spend $30,000 or more during a calendar year
• Minimum requirement of $60,000 personal income or $100,000 household income
• 10% off British Airways flights when you book on British Airways website and pay with your RBC BA Visa Infinite card.

Remember that British Airways is a member of the Oneworld alliance, so you can use your points to redeem on reward flights on those airlines too.

During the first three months of having this card, let us say you spend the full $9,000 on non-British Airways purchases, that means you will have earned 15,000 + 30,000 + 9,000 = 54,000 Avios. The 54,000 points is definitely worth the $165 annual fee. A short-haul round-trip between Toronto and New York only requires 9,000 points, which you would be flying on One World partner, American Airlines. That means that 54,000 Avios will give you 6 round-trips between Toronto and New York for only $165. There is no question that there is great value there.

In terms of keeping this card beyond the first year. The only added value for keeping this credit card beyond the first year is the “Companion Award Ticket”. Keep in mind that this voucher can only be used for flights operated by British Airways and the voucher is only valid for 24-months. You will need to spend $30,000 on the credit card, but that actually means you are earning 30,000 Avios, so not everyone can do this. Furthermore, you can only use this voucher when you are redeeming for a reward ticket, and the companion can tag along for free.

So this would be a great example on how you can use the voucher an maximize its value. If you get this card before the November 30th deadline, earn the 45,000 Avios, then spend $30,000 in 2014, that means you would have 75,000 Avios sitting in your account. The 75,000 will be more than enough for a reward ticket between anywhere in Canada to London, United Kingdom, and with your companion travelling for free. Keep in mind that British Airways, like Air Canada, has high surcharges.

Conclusion: The $30,000 spending in a calendar year for the voucher can be valuable depending on your needs, but at the very minimum, there is obvious value in signing up for this credit card if you can earn the full 54,000 in the first three months. However, I see very little incentive to keep the card beyond the first year.