Credit Cards

TD ruins appeal of First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card

  • Last Updated:
  • Oct 14th, 2017 11:28 am
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Member
Oct 30, 2013
302 posts
37 upvotes
GTA
By going through their new point evaluation, it seems instead of the 1.5% cash back that we used to get from the card, it is 1.4% now. (Please let me know if I read it incorrectly)

So it means there is a 10% reduction in point value unless someone has 300,000 points which is a lot ofcourse.
Therefore if someone uses expedia for TD, they would get a boost of 10% in value, so to sweeten the deal they have included a 21 day medical insurance for those less than 65.

My trips would be usually around the 15 day mark, ain't nobody got 21 vacation days to take full advantage, those who do, well get news for you then.
This card isn't horrible still, and compared to what's out there (looking at you Aeroplan) I am still content to keep this card.


However if only AMEX was as readily available as VISA, I'd switch in a heartbeat..
Newbie
Jan 30, 2013
57 posts
14 upvotes
I read it as 1.2% for 1st $1200 redeemed outside Expedia for TD and 1.5% thereafter.

Gonna change cards what's the best alternative?
Member
Mar 9, 2008
370 posts
32 upvotes
Vancouver
df329 wrote: It sounds like it works just like before except they added a feature to also be able to redeem outside Expedia for TD. Doesn't that still make it better?
Sounds like the same to me except now there is more flexibility in redemption. As long as redemption is in Expedia, it is still the same isn't it?
Deal Fanatic
Jan 21, 2014
8520 posts
6265 upvotes
We got the card for free with AI account so I guess no point cancelling it. Question - if I purchase through TD-Expedia and received points for the trip. Can I later call in to redeem the those points against the same trip they came from?
Deal Addict
Jan 28, 2014
3926 posts
1039 upvotes
Toronto
We have the card due to the AI. However, we absolutely will not book Expedia. I have priced out where we travel and frankly I have done better booking directly with the airlines and hotels (and have had better cancellation policies and rates with the hotels).

I expected something to happen after we received the "offer" a couple of months ago to apply points $ towards any outstanding balance. Since we pay the balance monthly this would not really help us.

I only use the Visa where Amex is not taken.

To the poster who asked about using TD points in the city in which they live. I asked this question myself a few months ago - and was given 2 different answers. No and yes. I would have expected a "yes" even if it meant staying in an airport hotel due to a 6:30 a.m. flight. I asked the people in the TD credit card department when I was giving travel advisories (note that travel advisories are not accepted for travel within Canada - of course this is where our card was compromised).
Member
User avatar
Oct 27, 2003
318 posts
69 upvotes
I have had this card since it was first introduced and it has slowly, but steadily become useless. It's free with my All-Inclusive account, so no sense it cancelling it, however it feels like TD is trying to shunt people off this card onto their far pricer Aeroplan Visa.

Yet another devaluation in the All-Inclusive package. Really wish another bank would step in with a competitive offering.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Aug 4, 2003
3009 posts
1629 upvotes
Looks like TD is on benefit cutting spree. This card cut might just be to move people to their Aeroplan offerings.
Deal Guru
Sep 9, 2003
10598 posts
4850 upvotes
Burnaby
The Aeroplan doesn't have the all inclusive fee waiver, and probably costs them less due to bulk buying Aeroplan miles.

While first class infinite redemptions cost them 1.5 percent (less whatever margin they get from expedia for TD), each TD mile must not cost more than 0.8 cents per mile
Deal Addict
User avatar
Oct 13, 2007
4920 posts
3840 upvotes
Edmonton
Ramy wrote: First the change to the borderless account not being included in the all-inclusive and now this.
What? When did this happen? When is it effective?
Deal Guru
Sep 9, 2003
10598 posts
4850 upvotes
Burnaby
A few months ago. You get a partial fee waiver with all-inclusive, or full waiver if you maintain 3k USD min balance

Account Fees and Waivers

$4.95 U.S. per month; $1.95 U.S. per month with an All-Inclusive Banking Plan
Monthly Fee waived if you maintain a $3,000 U.S. minimum monthly balance3
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jul 10, 2004
2256 posts
6076 upvotes
Vancouver
It's still a fantastic card imo. Book your travel through the Expedia for TD portal, earn 4.5% rewards, book more travel and redeem those rewards, repeat. Don't use it for anything else.

e.g.
Let's say you book a flight for you and your spouse to Europe; the total comes out to $2250. You book through Expedia for TD - I've used it many times and the prices are almost always the same as directly from the airline - and get 4.5% back = $101. Now, when you book your hotel for your trip, you again book through Expedia for TD and can redeem $100, all the while earning more rewards for your next booking.

4.5% is unheard of for credit cards. And to be able to get that on large purchases (travel purchases are my biggest purchases by far) is pretty nice.
Deal Addict
Oct 8, 2006
2051 posts
125 upvotes
coolwasabi wrote: It's still a fantastic card imo. Book your travel through the Expedia for TD portal, earn 4.5% rewards, book more travel and redeem those rewards, repeat. Don't use it for anything else.

e.g.
Let's say you book a flight for you and your spouse to Europe; the total comes out to $2250. You book through Expedia for TD - I've used it many times and the prices are almost always the same as directly from the airline - and get 4.5% back = $101. Now, when you book your hotel for your trip, you again book through Expedia for TD and can redeem $100, all the while earning more rewards for your next booking.

4.5% is unheard of for credit cards. And to be able to get that on large purchases (travel purchases are my biggest purchases by far) is pretty nice.
Here is 5% for you. http://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/0,,89,00.html
Deal Addict
User avatar
Oct 13, 2007
4920 posts
3840 upvotes
Edmonton
crimsona wrote: A few months ago. You get a partial fee waiver with all-inclusive, or full waiver if you maintain 3k USD min balance

Account Fees and Waivers

$4.95 U.S. per month; $1.95 U.S. per month with an All-Inclusive Banking Plan
Monthly Fee waived if you maintain a $3,000 U.S. minimum monthly balance3
Glad I read this. Called up these jokers and they reversed me the 3 months charged and promised to reverse June's at the end of the month if I call.

Every time I turn around, they are changing fess and accounts and there is really no proper notification these days (as in a letter announcing the changes-even a specific e-mail would suffice for those RFD tree huggers). What happened to consistency and grandfathering?

Guy on phone tells me I can switch to a U.S. Dollar chequing account requiring only a $1,500 minimum balance but no rebate for the TD Visa US Dollar account. You can't win.

As for the Visa Infinite card, I briefly read through the changes and quite frankly don't understand them on first glance. It wasn't that long ago when TD changed the points structure after surveying clients about what they wanted in a travel card and allowed redemptions for any kind of travel.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Oct 13, 2007
4920 posts
3840 upvotes
Edmonton
coolwasabi wrote: It's still a fantastic card imo. Book your travel through the Expedia for TD portal, earn 4.5% rewards, book more travel and redeem those rewards, repeat. Don't use it for anything else.

e.g.
Let's say you book a flight for you and your spouse to Europe; the total comes out to $2250. You book through Expedia for TD - I've used it many times and the prices are almost always the same as directly from the airline - and get 4.5% back = $101. Now, when you book your hotel for your trip, you again book through Expedia for TD and can redeem $100, all the while earning more rewards for your next booking.

4.5% is unheard of for credit cards. And to be able to get that on large purchases (travel purchases are my biggest purchases by far) is pretty nice.
This will soon be a thing of the past as well. You don't always have the luxury of booking through Expedia for TD. Lufthansa just announced that they will be charging a surcharge for bookings through third party travel sites. Air Canada has a seat sale right now with a 10% discount with a promo code. You can't get this through Expedia for TD.
Deal Guru
Sep 9, 2003
10598 posts
4850 upvotes
Burnaby
Flights is about the only thing that's worth it on expedia (and affiliates)

GCR gives around 4 percent cashback on hotel bookings via expedia and hotels.com which you can't get when using expedia for TD. Not to mention whatever earnings you get from your normal cc

Hotels.com owned by expedia gives you the same pricing as expedia plus a 10 percent credit towards a free night...again not available via expedia

Otherwise most sites have a price beat policy, like Marriott with 25 percent and SPG with 20
Deal Addict
User avatar
Nov 12, 2011
3039 posts
1529 upvotes
Markham
coolwasabi wrote: It's still a fantastic card imo. Book your travel through the Expedia for TD portal, earn 4.5% rewards, book more travel and redeem those rewards, repeat. Don't use it for anything else.

e.g.
Let's say you book a flight for you and your spouse to Europe; the total comes out to $2250. You book through Expedia for TD - I've used it many times and the prices are almost always the same as directly from the airline - and get 4.5% back = $101. Now, when you book your hotel for your trip, you again book through Expedia for TD and can redeem $100, all the while earning more rewards for your next booking.

4.5% is unheard of for credit cards. And to be able to get that on large purchases (travel purchases are my biggest purchases by far) is pretty nice.
I'm a long time TD customer, and through thicks and thins (mostly thins these years) I've learned to keep my mouth shut about promoting their products to friends and family, because there is ALWAYS sth better out there. They constantly shrink their customer rewards program&policy that there's NOTHING that's "unheard" anymore. Based on this trend, next step would be to stop 7 day bank hours in non-main area branches.

As for CCs, some other big banks like BMO seem to be really trying these days, I'd go with them rather than holding on to sth that's constantly "evolving" in a bad way (Like the game Evolve lol)
Deal Addict
Oct 12, 2006
2333 posts
713 upvotes
Alberta
I only redeem the TD points through Expedia.
For the most part, I've been able to match rates from google flights/matrix ATA on expedia if I played with their multi-city routing system.

Never really used points for redemption of travel outside of expedia, but it sucks that they've neutered that program with the lower rate.
This card has been my primary one, and at 1.5% it still seems decent, but might give it some thought.
Just finished cancelling my borderless/us dollar visa, but I still like the TD AI package as a whole. WOuld have to weigh any better packages vs the hassle of moving everything somewhere else.
Member
User avatar
Apr 21, 2009
456 posts
160 upvotes
Tri Cities
Codebossman wrote: "Starting August 16, 2015, you can now redeem in minimum $1 increments for travel purchased through any travel providers outside of Expedia For TD® (“Book Any Way”).
Here is how it works:
1. For the first $1,200 of that travel purchase (equal to 300,000 TD Points):
• Every 250 TD Points redeemed equals $1 in travel savings for that travel purchase amount.
2. For each $1 over the first $1,200 of that travel purchase:
• Every 200 TD Points redeemed are worth $1 in travel savings for that travel purchase amount that is over the first $1,200.
Basically if you use "Book Any Way", your rewards value drops to $40/ 10,000 TD points (from the current $50)
Thanks for the heads up. I normally drive across the border and use "Book any way" to use points to pay for gas and food I purchased in the US.
I think its time to go drive to the US soon to redeem my points so that I can still get $50 / 10000 TD Points before it drops to $40

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