Compare the Features and Benefits of Chase Aeroplan® Credit Card and
Bilt Obsidian Card

Air Canada debuted a one-of-a-kind airline credit card, available for applicants for its most loyal U.S. flyers. By opening an Aeroplan credit card account, you can get access to extensive benefits when you fly Air Canada, travel and purchase protections and more. Additionally, the Air Canada card is one of the only cards that reimburse your application fee for NEXUS (or you have the flexibility to choose Global Entry ot TSA PreCheck instead).

The rewards rate on the Aeroplan credit card is pretty stellar: earn 3x points per dollar spent on restaurants, groceries and Air Canada directly and 1x point on other eligible purchases. You can redeem points for Air Canada operated flights and its partner airlines, which demonstrates the flexibility of this valuable rewards currency. For instance, you can book domestic economy flights on United starting at 6,500 points one-way, or a business class ticket to Asia for 60,000 points one-way on award-winning carriers like ANA or Singapore Airlines.

The Aeroplan card continues to show off its versatility beyond Air Canada-exclusive perks, as you can redeem your points to cover any travel purchase through Chase’s Pay Yourself Back program for 1.25 cents apiece. That means 100,000 Aeroplan points redeemed is worth $1,250 in travel value.

And if you do fly with Air Canada, you can get your first checked bag free, which can be a huge money-saving benefit. Finally, reap the rewards of automatic 25K elite status for up to two years of card membership, getting you two Air Canada lounge passes, annual upgrade credits to enjoy an elevated inflight experience and more.

The Bilt Obsidian Card sits in the middle of the three Bilt credit cards with its $95 annual fee.

You’ll earn valuable Bilt Rewards points with each purchase. One unique feature of this card is the ability to choose a 3X bonus category. You can choose (at the start of each year) whether you prefer 3X on groceries (up to $25,000 a year) or 3X on dining. You’ll then also get 2X on travel and 1X + 4% Bilt Cash on Everyday Spend.

It has no foreign transaction fees and the $95 annual fee can be offset by the $100 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. It’s available once per half year as $50 statement credits for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.

Bilt Obsidian Card

Your Best Credit Cards values Bilt Rewards points at 1.8 cents each, although the personal value you get from each point may be higher or lower. With 1X points earned on all everyday spend, you are earning an approximate value of 1.8% worth of Bilt Rewards plus another 4% in Bilt Cash on top.

Many know Bilt for the ability to pay your rent and mortgage with the card. You’ll be able to earn points for paying any personal rent or mortgage with this card. Simply redeem the Bilt Cash you earn from all of your non-rent spend to earn 1X points on your rent or mortgage payment, which has no transaction fees. Applying $30 worth of Bilt Cash for every $1,000 in rent or mortgage payments paid will earn you points on that portion of the rent or mortgage payment, up to the full amount. You can redeem Bilt Cash for all or part of your payment.

We love Bilt Rewards for their strong list of transfer partners which include World of Hyatt, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and JAL Mileage Bank, among many others as mentioned above. You can also get 1.25 cents per point in value simply by redeeming Bilt points in their travel portal and they even offer “direct bookings” that offer loyalty benefits despite being a third party booking. Just look for “Member Rate” or “Home Away From Home” labels when searching hotels or “Direct Book” when searching flights.

If you are looking for a Bilt card that offers a huge 2X (+ 4% Bilt Cash) on Everyday Spend with premium benefits, you might consider the Bilt Palladium Card. If you want to explore a Bilt card with no annual fee, that’s the Bilt Blue Card.