I was walking down Notting Hill on a cloudy day trying to find a cafe that was on my top list of places to see while I was traveling in London with Kamiran. My phone had no data, it was about to die from low battery, my feet were swollen from all the walking, I was hungry and cranky, it looked like it was about to start raining, I had no umbrella with me, and I was wearing a white dress.
There was nothing ideal about this sequence of events. Then, there it was. The infamous cafe I was looking for. I felt so happy. My heart was whole in an instant. That was the moment I realized; I want to travel more. I want to have swollen feet from exploring cities, I want to get caught in the rain shopping at local markets, I want to get lost in picturesque landscapes. I want to be happier.
Travel has always been a huge aspect of my life. I always take a big trip each year, so I can’t complain, I do travel quite often, but it all came down to the fact that I want to have more trips throughout the year. When Kamiran and I got back home in Toronto, I wasted no time. I started brainstorming how to make traveling more often possible. But travel requires a solid budget and my budgeting skills still lack in many ways. So what’s a girl going to do?
I have been an RBC Visa credit cardholder since 2004, so I am very familiar with their RBC Rewards program. After speaking with my RBC advisor and seeing my latest revelation that travel is going to be my focus, we decided that it is time for me to switch to the RBC Visa Infinite Avion card. I think it is extremely important to re-evaluate the type of reward credit card you are signed up for depending on what you are looking to gain from your rewards card. Since my focus at this time is travel, my advisor felt that RBC Visa Infinite Avion card was better for me in terms of what I want to do with my earned points, and he had a point. With the RBC Avion my travel horizons would be expanded in no time.
Apart from travel being my focus there were other reasons that I decided to change my credit card. As I mentioned I have been with RBC for many years now so I wanted to share a little bit more in detail what my experience as an RBC Visa Infinite Avion client has been so far, and some insights I have developed over the years as a Visa credit card reward user with RBC in general.
No Limitations
As a consumer, there is nothing more annoying than being offered a service only to realize there are restrictions. I refer to RBC Avion as the friend that tells it to you as it is. Kamiran and I actually travel mostly during peak seasons because of our work schedule, so it is comforting to be able to earn and redeem points for travel whenever and however we want, with no restrictions. This means that I can use my points to book travel during peak seasons and holidays like Thanksgiving and March Break with my RBC Visa Infinite Avion card. I also decided that the RBC Visa Infinite Avion card is right for me because unlike other travel rewards programs, I can actually use my points to cover hotels and car rentals as well. I can also use my points to cover airline fees, taxes, and excursions to name a few. So as you can see the options how you use your travel rewards are unlimited.
1, 2, 3. Earning Points Quickly
Let’s face it. Travel is expensive, and I do not have a million dollar budget to make my travel focused life reality. Thankfully with the RBC Visa Infinite Avion card earning points is easy for me. For every $1 I spend, I earn 1 RBC Rewards point. Every time I make a purchase I am literally a step closer to my next travel destination. My favourite is when I use my RBC Visa Infinite Avion to book travel related purchases like car rental and hotels and I earn 1.25 points per $1 spent which is pretty amazing on its own.
What I Wish I Knew
I wish I knew earlier that I earn 2x times the points when I use my RBC Avion card with Uber. No doubt, I would have signed up for the card much earlier. If you are a regular Uber user like myself then imagine all the double points you can earn in no time! Everytime I use Uber now, I think of how much closer I am getting of making that trip to Asia a reality.
The Sky Is The Limit
So where can you travel to with your RBC Visa Infinite Avion points? Honestly wherever your travel lust takes you. RBC Visa Infinite Avion has no limits when it comes to your travels, and why should you feel limited? You got the points? RBC Visa Infinite Avion will take you there. Depending on where you’re leaving from, quick trips like New York or Vancouver you just need 15,000 points, which is amazing considering when you sign up for the card you receive a Welcome bonus of 15,000 points. My favourite RBC Rewards tool though has to be the Air Travel Redemption Schedule which I use to see how many RBC Rewards points I need for each travel destination. Want to go a bit further away? Kamiran and I are actually planning a trip to Asia next year and I am currently earning points to use them towards our trip, which automatically helps with travel budgets.
What Makes Avion Different?
I may be a bit bias because I have been an RBC Visa credit card holder since 2004, but honestly I think this goes to show my satisfaction with the bank and the services I receive. I am personally not surprised that the RBC Visa Infinite Avion is one of the most popular travel rewards credit cards in Canada. What makes me happier is a travel rewards system that brings me closer to my dreams by giving me the freedom and value I deserve with no restrictions. The RBC Visa Infinite Avion card does that for me.
I am happy with RBC Avion and if you love to travel you could be #HappierWithAvion too.
This post is sponsored by RBC. All opinions and experiences shared are my own.
Photos by: Laura Clark Photography
It sounds like an amazing card! I love traveling all year around and the fact that there are no restrictions is a great advantage. I definitely need to switch!
I've been an RBC credit cardholder for many years now and since I travel at least once a year the Avion Visa sounds like the perfect match for me!