RBC Avion Points Guide: Best Ways to Redeem for Flights (Portal, Fixed Chart, and Transfer Partners)

What are RBC Avion points?

RBC “Avion points” are the points currency earned on RBC Avion-branded credit cards (and certain other RBC products within the Avion Rewards ecosystem). The key reason Avion points are so popular in Canada is flexibility: you can book almost any flight through Avion Rewards, or you can transfer your points to airline programs for potentially higher value.

This guide focuses on travel redemptions (especially flights), since that’s where Avion points usually shine.

How much are Avion points worth?

Avion points don’t have one single value. Their value depends on how you redeem, and it’s best measured in CPP (cents per point).

Here are realistic CPP ranges you can use as a “valuation cheat sheet”:

• Flexible Points Pricing redemptions via the Avion Rewards travel portal: 1.0 CPP. This is the bare minimum for many Avion cardholders when redeeming points toward travel through Avion Rewards, and as a whole we do not recommend using this option ever, especially since the below options are far better.

• Fixed Points Pricing via the Avion Rewards travel portal: about 0.90 to 2.33 CPP

  • Why the range is so wide: you always pay the same points for a category, even if the base fare is cheap.
  • The top end happens when you redeem close to the maximum base fare in the category.
  • In practice, many “good” schedule redemptions land around 1.60 to 2.00 CPP, with the absolute max being 2.33 CPP in the Quick Getaways category.

• Transfer partners (estimated value of what you receive after transferring)

  • British Airways Avios (1:1 transfer ratio): about 1.0 to 2.0 CPP. This range reflects what major points publishers commonly value Avios at (and it can be higher in premium-cabin sweet spots).
  • Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (1:1 transfer ratio): about 1.2 to 1.6 CPP. Asia Miles can exceed these values on premium cabin redemptions, but this range is a practical “planning” estimate.
  • American Airlines AAdvantage (10 Avion : 7 AAdvantage transfer ratio): about 0.9 to 1.35 CPP. AAdvantage itself is often valued around 1.30 to 1.90 CPP per mile by major publishers, but the weaker 10:7 transfer ratio reduces the effective value per Avion point. Again, premium cabin redemptions can make your CPP higher.

A quick rule:

• If you’re under ~1.0 CPP, you’re definitely leaving value on the table - don't do this.
• If you’re around 1.5+ CPP, you’re generally doing well.
• If you’re at 2.0+ CPP, that’s typically an excellent redemption for Avion points.

The 3 main ways to use Avion points for flights

1) Use the Air Travel Redemption Schedule (fixed points + ticket price cap)

This is the “fixed chart” option. You redeem a set number of points, and Avion covers a base airfare up to a maximum ticket price for that category. If your chosen flight costs more than the cap, you can pay the difference with more points (at a fixed rate) or pay cash.

This option can deliver excellent value when you find flights priced near the category’s maximum ticket price.

Air Travel Redemption Schedule (Economy, base airfare up to cap)

Round-trip categories:

One-way categories:

Important details:

• The “maximum ticket price” generally refers to base airfare and excludes taxes/fees/surcharges.
• If your flight is under the cap, you still pay the same fixed points for that category, which can lower your CPP.
• If your flight is over the cap, you can cover the extra using points at a fixed rate or pay cash.

The above example represents a savings of $309 for using 15,000 Avion points, so a 2.06 CPP return, which is considered great.

2) Book travel through Avion Rewards at a fixed rate (100 points = $1)

If you don’t want to deal with the schedule caps (or your flight doesn’t price nicely under the caps), you can redeem for travel at a straight conversion rate. Unfortunately, this is usually one of your worst CPP options if you're looking to maximize the value of your Avion points.

For many Avion credit card holders, the standard travel redemption rate is:

• 100 points = $1 CAD toward travel (1.0 CPP)

You can use this for:

• flights (including when you don’t use the fixed schedule)
• hotels, car rentals, vacation packages, cruises
• taxes/fees/surcharges on flights

Note: Some RBC products can have different redemption rates, so always check your account’s rate before you redeem.

3) Transfer Avion points to airline programs (for “sweet spot” awards)

If you want the highest potential value, transferring points to airline programs is where Avion can become extremely powerful—especially for short-haul flights and premium cabins.

Common transfer options (eligibility can depend on your Avion membership level/card):

• British Airways Avios (often 1:1)
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (often 1:1)
• American Airlines AAdvantage (commonly 10 Avion : 7 AAdvantage miles)
• WestJet (conversion exists for eligible members; value depends on how you redeem in WestJet Rewards)

Transfers are typically one-way (irreversible), so you only want to transfer once you have a plan and you’ve confirmed award space.

When each flight redemption method is best

Here’s the practical way to think about it:

• Use the Air Travel Redemption Schedule when you can find a flight whose base fare is close to the category maximum. That’s how you get close to the max CPP shown in the table.

• Use 100 points = $1 travel redemptions basically never. Just know by using it you're doing it because:

  • your flight is well below the category cap (so the fixed schedule would be “wasted”)
  • you’re booking something that doesn’t fit the schedule cleanly
  • you want simplicity and predictable value
  • but really, you should be booking your flight with cash if this is the best option for your itinerary

• Transfer to airline partners when:

  • you’re booking short-haul flights (distance-based charts can be very cheap)
  • you want business/first class without paying cash prices
  • there’s a transfer bonus that boosts your conversion rate

Example redemptions using the Avion portal and schedule

The exact prices and taxes change daily, but these examples show how the math works so you can spot a good redemption fast.

Example A: Short-haul Canada/US “Quick Getaways” round-trip

Scenario:

• You find a round-trip flight priced with a base fare of about $345 (taxes/fees extra)

Option 1: Air Travel Redemption Schedule

• Redeem 15,000 points (covers up to $350 base fare)
• Pay taxes/fees with cash, or redeem additional points at about 1.0 CPP

At $345 base fare, your CPP on the base fare is:

• 345 / 15,000 x 100 = 2.3 CPP

If that same route is selling for a much lower base fare, the fixed schedule is usually not the best move because you’re still spending 15,000 points.

Example B: Canada/US cross-country “Explore North America” round-trip

Scenario:

• A Canada-to-Canada or Canada-to-US round-trip base fare is about $740

Option 1: Air Travel Redemption Schedule

• Redeem 35,000 points (covers up to $750 base fare)

CPP on the base fare:

• 740 / 35,000 x 100 = 2.11 CPP

Option 2: 100 points = $1

• To cover about $740, you’d redeem about 74,000 points (1.0 CPP)

In this scenario, the fixed schedule tends to be dramatically better.

Example C: Flight above the schedule cap (using “top-up” points)

Scenario:

• Your category cap is $750, but your flight base fare is $890 (so you’re $140 over)

How it prices:

• Redeem the fixed amount for the category (example: 35,000 points)
• Cover the extra $140 in one of two ways:
  • pay $140 cash, or
  • redeem an extra 14,000 points at 1.0 CPP

This “hybrid” approach can still be worthwhile if the base fare is close to the cap and you don’t mind topping up.

Transfer partner example redemptions (Avios, Asia Miles, AAdvantage)

Transfer partners are where you can sometimes beat the portal by a lot, but the tradeoff is:

• award availability can be limited
• you still pay taxes/fees (and sometimes meaningful surcharges)
• transfers are typically not reversible

British Airways Avios: short-haul sweet spots, or premium cabins

Avios pricing is commonly distance-based, which can make short flights surprisingly cheap in points.

How this can beat the portal:

• If a short flight costs a lot in cash (especially last-minute), distance-based awards can undercut portal pricing by a wide margin, even after taxes.

Transfer bonus note:

• When RBC runs an Avios transfer bonus (example: get 30% more British Airways Avios points for your transfer), your effective value per Avion point can increase meaningfully because you receive more Avios for the same Avion points. They usually do this 1-2 times per year.

The top image shows British Airways' redemption portal, and the bottom one shows the Google Flights cost for the same flight. That works out to a savings of $6845 by using 198,000 Avios points, so an outsized value of 3.45 CPP! These outsized values are common if you can find premium cabin availability with partners such as British Airways.

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles: strong options for premium cabins and oneworld awards

Asia Miles is often interesting for premium cabin redemptions and certain partner awards, but you’ll want to compare:

• points required for your route
• expected taxes/fees/surcharges
• award availability on your specific dates

There are occassionally also Asia Miles transfer bonusses (typically a 15% bonus) that happen once per year, so keep an eye out for that.

American Airlines AAdvantage: useful, but the transfer ratio is weaker

Avion can convert to AAdvantage, but at a less generous rate than 1:1. That means you generally need a strong AAdvantage redemption to justify the transfer—often when you’re topping up an existing AAdvantage balance for a specific award.

Avion points for hotels

Hotels are typically the “easy mode” redemption inside the Avion Rewards travel portal. Because there are better ways to get higher than 1 CPP, we don't recommend doing this.

How it usually works:

• You search hotels inside Avion Rewards (similar to how you’d use other online travel agencies).
• You apply points at the fixed travel rate during checkout (commonly 1 CPP).
• You can cover the entire booking with points or do a points + cash mix.

When hotels make sense (outside of basically never if you want to maximize CPP):

• You want a straightforward, predictable redemption without worrying about flight caps or award availability.
• Hotel prices are unusually high (peak weekends, major events) and you’d rather use points than pay cash.

Things to keep an eye out for:

• Hotel bookings through portals can sometimes earn fewer (or no) hotel loyalty points and may not qualify for elite benefits, depending on the chain and how the booking is processed.
• Always compare the portal price to booking direct. Even if you’re using points, you still want the best base price.

Other ways to redeem Avion points (and when to avoid them)

Avion points can be redeemed for many non-travel options (gift cards, merchandise, statement credits, etc.). These can be convenient, but they’re often lower value than travel redemptions—especially compared to the fixed schedule or good transfer-partner awards.

If your goal is maximum travel value, you’ll usually treat non-travel redemptions as a last resort.

Pro tips to get more value from Avion points

• Aim to “maximize the cap” on the Air Travel Redemption Schedule for Fixed Points. The closer your base fare is to the maximum ticket price, the better your CPP.

• Check transfer bonuses before you move points. Transfer bonuses can instantly change what’s “best.”

• Always confirm award space before transferring points. Once points move to an airline program, you can’t move them back.

• Consider taxes, fees, and surcharges in your value calculations. A redemption can look great in points but still carry heavy cash surcharges on certain airlines/programs.

Quick decision checklist (save this)

• Is your flight’s base fare close to a schedule cap?

  • Yes → use Air Travel Redemption Schedule
  • No → compare fixed travel rate vs transfer partners vs booking with cash

• Are you booking business class?

  • Compare: (1) schedule + top-up points, (2) transfer partners, (3) any promo bonuses

Bottom line

RBC Avion points can be extremely useful for travel, but the “best” method depends on the trip:

• For many Canadians, the Air Travel Redemption Schedule is the highest value option when you can find base fares near the cap.
• The fixed travel rate is the reliable, flexible fallback for flights, hotels, and often other travel bookings, but it comes at a bad value per point.
• Transfers to airline partners can unlock outsized value—especially for short-haul flights and premium cabins—if you can find award availability and keep fees reasonable.