Canadian card points lounge access compared

How is lounge access delivered on Canadian points cards?

Canadian issuers attach lounge benefits to travel cards in a few distinct shapes, and the shape matters more than the headline on the card page. One shape is access to a lounge network operated under an airline brand: American Express advertises unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge access in North America on the Aeroplan Reserve Card [1]. Another is a third-party membership built into the card: the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card describes the Visa Airport Companion Program, which is hosted and managed by Dragonpass International Ltd. ("DragonPass") [3].

RBC separates its two Avion tiers by benefit level rather than by a named lounge programme on its card index: the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege is described as offering "exclusive rewards, elite perks, and lounge access", while the RBC Avion Visa Infinite is described with "premium rewards and coverage" and carries a $120 annual fee [2].

The two membership schemes that appear in these card benefits also sell direct. Priority Pass says its network covers 1,900+ airport lounges and experiences in over 600 cities and 143 countries [5]. Dragonpass describes its pass as covering over 2,500 experiences, including airport lounges, dining, fitness and Fast Track services [6].

Which Canadian card advertises unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge access?

American Express advertises the Aeroplan Reserve Card with unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge access in North America, and the card page adds that lounge access is subject to availability [1]. In its own value estimate, American Express prices that access at $590, assuming five visits a year by the Basic Cardmember and a guest at the average published rate for Maple Leaf Lounge entry [1].

A Priority Pass membership also appears in the same estimate at US$99 a year, roughly $136 CAD at the exchange rate cited as of 3 September 2025, with the rate and the figures subject to change [1]. One further benefit tied to the card is a NEXUS statement credit of up to $100 CAD, available every four years when the fee is charged to an eligible card [1].

What lounge benefit comes with the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card?

TD's value estimate for the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card includes the Visa Airport Companion Program, hosted and managed by Dragonpass International Ltd. ("DragonPass") [3]. The yearly value of that membership is put at up to $277 CAD, calculated from buying the membership directly from Dragonpass at a foreign exchange rate of 1.3592 USD, with the exchange rate and fees as of 19 November 2025 and liable to change [3].

The mechanics are explicit: a yearly DragonPass membership costs US$99 and includes one free airport lounge visit, and each additional visit is valued at US$35 USD per person per visit [3]. The card carries a $139 annual fee, with purchase interest at 21.99% and cash advance interest at 22.99%, in figures stated as current as of 1 September 2026 [3]. Dragonpass itself describes airport lounges as one of several benefits in its pass, alongside dining, fitness and Fast Track [6].

What does a Priority Pass membership cost?

Bought directly from Priority Pass, membership is sold in three tiers, each with an annual fee in US dollars [5].

Access to Priority Pass lounges is subject to space availability, and pre-booking is available at select locations for a small fee [5]. The network is described as 1,900+ airport lounges and experiences across more than 600 cities in 143 countries [5].

Exceptions and limits

• Space at the lounge. Maple Leaf Lounge access on the Aeroplan Reserve Card is subject to availability [1], and Priority Pass states that its lounge access is subject to space availability, with pre-booking offered at select locations for a small fee [5].
• Guests appear as a cost line in the published figures. American Express's $590 estimate for Maple Leaf Lounge access assumes five visits a year by the Basic Cardmember and a guest [1], and TD's estimate values each additional DragonPass visit at US$35 USD per person per visit [3].
• Currency and dates move. The Amex figure of about $136 CAD for a US$99 membership uses an exchange rate cited as of 3 September 2025 and is subject to change [1]; TD's up-to-$277 CAD figure uses a rate of 1.3592 USD as of 19 November 2025 and may change [3].
• The benefits are not interchangeable. Maple Leaf Lounge access on the Aeroplan Reserve Card is a named-network benefit [1], whereas the TD card benefit is a membership in the DragonPass-run Visa Airport Companion Program [3].
• Card fees and programme fees are separate costs. TD lists a $139 annual fee for the First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card, with rates stated as current as of 1 September 2026 [3], and CIBC lists a $139 annual fee for the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card and the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card [4]. A DragonPass membership bought on its own is priced at US$99 a year with one included visit [3], while direct Priority Pass memberships run from US$99 to US$469 a year [5].

Frequently asked questions

Does the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card include unlimited lounge visits?

TD's value estimate for the card is built on a yearly DragonPass membership that costs US$99 and includes one free airport lounge visit, with each additional visit valued at US$35 USD per person per visit [3].

How much does a Priority Pass membership cost?

Priority Pass lists three annual memberships in US dollars: Standard at US$99, Standard Plus at US$329 and Prestige at US$469 [5].

Can I bring a guest into the lounge on these benefits?

The published figures include a guest inside the cost: American Express's Maple Leaf Lounge estimate assumes five visits a year by the Basic Cardmember and a guest [1], and TD's estimate values each additional DragonPass visit at US$35 USD per person per visit [3].

Where can I use a Priority Pass or Dragonpass membership?

Priority Pass describes 1,900+ lounges and experiences in more than 600 cities and 143 countries [5], while Dragonpass describes over 2,500 experiences including airport lounges, dining, fitness and Fast Track services [6].

Related pages

Compare the cards themselves in Canadian card points programmes compared and the wider field in lounge access credit cards. Programme pages: Priority Pass and DragonPass. Definitions of the terms used here sit in the frequent flyer glossary.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Cards issued outside Canada are not covered, and neither are lounge networks other than Maple Leaf Lounge, Priority Pass and the Visa Airport Companion Program run by Dragonpass, nor cards from issuers whose pages are not listed below.

1. American Express Canada credit cards index, checked 18 October 2026
2. RBC Royal Bank credit cards index, checked 18 October 2026
3. TD Canada Trust credit cards index, checked 18 October 2026
4. CIBC credit cards index, checked 18 October 2026
5. Priority Pass membership tiers and lounge network, checked 18 October 2026
6. Dragonpass travel and lifestyle benefits, checked 18 October 2026