Navigating the 2026 RBC Avion Rewards™ flight chart and tier system

In the competitive world of Canadian loyalty programs, Avion Rewards™ (formerly RBC Rewards) has positioned itself as the premier choice for travelers who value “common sense” flexibility. Unlike programs tied to a single airline or alliance, Avion operates on a philosophy of total freedom: any airline, any flight, any time.

As of 2026, RBC has expanded the program into a three-tier system (Select, Premium and Elite) making it accessible even to those who don’t bank with RBC, while keeping the high-value perks for its core credit cardholders.

What is the Avion Rewards Program?

Avion Rewards is the flagship loyalty ecosystem of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). It’s no longer just a “bank points” program; it is a full-scale shopping and travel platform.

  • Avion Select: The free entry-level tier available to all Canadians (even non-RBC clients). It focuses on cash back through the ShopPlus browser extension and limited merchandise redemptions.
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  • Avion Premium: Reserved for RBC clients with certain debit or credit accounts (like the RBC Ion+ Visa). This tier introduces the ability to earn points on daily spending.
  • Avion Elite: The “gold standard” tier for holders of the RBC Avion Visa Infinite or Infinite Privilege. This is the only tier that unlocks the famous Air Travel Redemption Schedule and airline point transfers.

How to Earn Points (The Math)

Points are primarily earned through RBC-issued credit cards, but 2026 has introduced more “lifestyle” earning paths.

  • The “Workhorse” Cards:
    • RBC Avion Visa Infinite: Earns 1 point for every $1 spent on everything, and 1.25 points on travel.
    • RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege: Earns a flat 1.25 points per $1 on every purchase.
  • The “Booster” Cards:
    • RBC Ion+ Visa: Earns 3 points per $1 on groceries, dining, streaming, and transit. These “Premium” points can be moved to an “Elite” account to be used for flights.
  • Partner Perks: Linking your card in 2026 gives you instant savings of 3¢/L at Petro-Canada and 20% more Petro-Points, plus bonus points at Rexall and DoorDash.

How to Use Your Points (The Value)

The value of an Avion point varies wildly depending on how you use it. To get the most “bang for your buck,” you must use the Air Travel Redemption Schedule.

The Flight Chart

This chart allows you to book a flight based on a fixed number of points, regardless of the actual ticket price (up to a maximum base fare).

  • Short Haul (Adjacent Province/State): 15,000 points (Max $350 value). Value: 2.33 cents per point (cpp).
  • Long Haul (Canada/US): 35,000 points (Max $750 value). Value: 2.14 cpp.
  • Europe: 65,000 points (Max $1,300 value). Value: 2.0 cpp.

Other Redemptions:

  • Travel via Expedia: 100 points = $1.00 (1.0 cpp).
  • Gift Cards/Merchandise: Usually between 0.7 and 0.9 cpp.
  • Statement Credits: 100 points = $0.58 (0.58 cpp).
A Deep Dive into the RBC Avion Visa Infinite

How to accelerate

Avion Elite members still hold the ultimate “ace in the hole”: the ability to transfer points to partner airlines at a 1:1 ratio.

  • Partners: British Airways (Avios), Cathay Pacific (Asia Miles), and American Airlines (AAdvantage).
  • The Strategy: RBC frequently offers a 30% transfer bonus to British Airways. If you transfer 100,000 Avion points during this window, you get 130,000 Avios, enough for a Business Class flight that would normally cost thousands of dollars.

Pros and cons

Pros

There are no blackout dates. If there is a seat for sale on a plane, you can buy it with Avion points. This makes it infinitely more reliable than Aeroplan during peak holiday seasons.

Cons

The “base” earning rate of 1 point per $1 is lower than some competitors. To truly win, you need to combine an Ion+ card (for 3x points on food) with an Avion Infinite card (to unlock the flight chart).

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