TD Aeroplan VIP vs CIBC Aeroplan VIP: which lounge card fits?

Same card, two logos. The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege and the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege unlock exactly the same lounges: DragonPass for the airline-agnostic layer, and Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge access when you are flying Air Canada that day. The annual fee is CAD 599 on both.

So how do you choose?#

By bank. If your accounts already sit with TD, keep the card under the same login; a CIBC customer should do the same. There is no lounge argument for either side.

The Maple Leaf benefit is why most people carry one of these cards, and it only pays on Air Canada itineraries. Fly other carriers and DragonPass is the whole lounge kit, so check its coverage at your usual foreign airports rather than the Maple Leaf list.

Before you apply#

Look at your next three likely airports, then compare the fine print that can differ: DragonPass enrollment, the same-day Air Canada boarding-pass rule, visit caps, guest charges. I'd confirm current terms with TD or CIBC. Our methodology covers how card grants are tracked.

Putting this into practice#

I would start this comparison with the next few trips already likely to happen. For each card, I'd list the lounges that fit those airports and departure areas, then remove locations that would require an impractical detour. That is a more useful comparison than adding up every lounge in a worldwide network, most of which may never help with those trips.

Guest rules deserve their own line in the calculation. A card that works well for one person can be a different proposition for a couple or family. I'd compare the cost for the party that actually travels, including any separate membership or additional-card charge. I would not assume a benefit on one version of a card applies to another version.

The annual fee is only part of the decision. I would value other benefits at the amount I would realistically use, rather than automatically count a credit at face value. A benefit that requires a booking I would not otherwise make does not reduce my costs in the same way as money saved on an existing plan.

The trade-offs I would check#

I would check enrollment and the credential needed at reception before relying on either card. Some benefits are used through a separate membership rather than by showing the payment card. The issuer's current terms should settle the visit allowance, guest treatment and any airline or fare restriction. The comparison above helps identify the differences worth checking.

For a frequent departure airport, I would put extra weight on the useful options that one card adds over the other. Two cards can share much of a network while differing at the one terminal that matters most. Conversely, an impressive exclusive lounge has little value to me when it sits at an airport outside my normal routes.

I would also separate eligibility for the card from the value of its benefits. A business product and a personal product can have different application requirements and account features. The lounge comparison does not answer those questions. Before applying, I would read the relevant issuer information and make sure the product itself suits the intended use.

Related reading#

• Aeroplan Reserve vs CIBC Aeroplan VIP: which lounge card fits?
• Amex Platinum Canada vs CIBC Aeroplan VIP: which lounge card fits?
• CIBC Aeroplan VIP vs Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite: which lounge card fits?