Travel credit cards are an absolute necessity and joy that bring a sigh of relief to travel expenses, and assures that everyone can enjoy their travel session without worrying so much about the expenses.
What are Travel Credit Cards?
The travel credit cards are specially designed for the people who frequently travel and offer various benefits to the cardholder. These cards are offered by various banks and financial institutions, and are made to serve travel-related benefits, reward points, vouchers, etc. on the card.
These cards are the perfect tool for the individuals who want to earn back while traveling and enjoy reward points plus travel related perks. These cards come in various types that cater to different types of travelers from occasional ones to the frequent ones.
Benefits of Travel Credit Cards
- Travel credit cards provide reward points or the reward value, which means that these cards offers customers points or miles for every penny you spend.
- These cards also come with travel perks, such as airport lounge access, insurance, meal services, etc.
- These cards also provide priority boarding and security check benefits.
- Some of the travelcards partners with hotels, and travel related things, in order to ensure seamless and exclusive good service.
- These cards come with other benefits like secure PIN protections, travel protection, global benefits of traveling, luxury perks, etc.
| CARD NAME | ANNUAL FEE CHARGE |
| MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Signature | NIL |
| Intermiles HDFC Signature | Rs.2,500 |
| Kotak IndiGo XL Credit Card | Rs.2,500 |
| AXIS Bank Vistara Signature | Rs.3,000 |
| Air India SBI Signature | Rs.4,999 |
| Club Vistara IDFC First Credit Card | Rs.4,999 |
| AXIS Atlas Credit Card | Rs.5,000 |
| IRCTC SBI Card Premier | Rs.1,499 |
(1) MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card
The co-branded card is offered by the ICICI bank in partnership with MakeMyTrip. The card comes with no annual fee, however charges Rs.2,500 as the joining fee.
The benefit card offers
- The card offers higher reward points when transactions are done at MakeMyTrip.
- As a welcome offer, the card provides a holiday voucher of Rs.2,500 and 1,500 as MyCash wallet.
- Plus an exclusive complimentary membership of MMTBLACK (MakeMyTrip Black).
- Earn 4x reward points as 1.25 My Cash on Rs.200 spent on domestic transactions outside MakeMyTrip, and 1.50 My Cash on every Rs.200 spent on international transactions outside MakeMyTrip.
- 1 MyCash value is equal to Re.1.
- Similarly, earn 4x reward points as 2 MyCash on every Rs.200 spent on flight bookings through MakeMyTrip, and 4 MyCash on every Rs.200 spent on hotel or holidays booking through MakeMyTrip platform.
- Along with the above benefits get one complimentary lounge access in a quarter to the lounges associated with the card in India.
- By spending Rs.5,000 in a quarter get access to 2 complimentary domestic airport lounges.
- Through the complimentary Dreamfolks memberships, get access to 1 international lounge and 1 spa session per year.
- Along with the card also offers airtel roaming pack and 1 % fuel surcharge waiver.
Fees & Charges of the Card
| PARAMETER | CHARGES |
| Annual fee | NIL |
| Joining fee | Rs.2,500 |
| Late payment charges | For statement balance it provides different charges If below Rs.100 – NIL If between Rs.500 & Rs.5,000 – Rs.500 If between Rs. 501 & Rs.10,000 – Rs.750Above Rs.50,000 – Rs.1,200 |
| Financial charges | 3.5% per month 42% per annum |
Note: We also have a article on – 11 best cashback credit cards in India, visit to know more about it.
(2) Kotak IndiGo XL Credit Card
A co-branded credit card provided by Kotak Mahindra Bank with partnership with IndiGo airlines. The card comes with high rewards on travel expenses and offers welcome benefits like discounts, coupons, on various categories like dining, tickets booking, hotels, etc.
The benefit card offers
- Get a welcome benefit of Rs.3,000 complimentary IndiGo air ticket.
- Earn 6 reward points every time Rs.100 spent on IndiGo airlines.
- 3 reward points on partners associated with dining, groceries and entertainment, every time Rs.100 spent on these services.
- 2 reward points on other categories spent.
- Get access to 8 complimentary domestic lounges in a year.
- Charges around Rs.899 for prime services add on like, choice of seat, complimentary service, etc.
Fee & Charges
| PARAMETER | CHARGES |
| Annual fee | Rs.2,500 |
| Joining fee | Rs.2,500 |
| Financial charges | 3.5% per month42% per annum |
| Foreign currency markup charges | 3.5% |
(3) Intermiles HDFC Signature Credit Card
A co-branded card offered by HDFC and Intermiles, the card specially offers rewards on hotel and flight bookings. The card provides exclusive discounts on Etihad travel bookings and complimentary airport lounge access. The card offers a complimentary priority pass membership and with that access to international lounges 5 times a year.
The benefit card offers
- Get access to complimentary domestic airport lounges for a maximum of 4 per quarter.
- Avail a complimentary Intermiles silver membership.
- Get a welcome bonus of upto 8,000 Intermiles points.
- Users will be able to earn Intermiles points as 6 Intermiles on every Rs.150 spend, 12 Intermiles points on every Rs.150 spend on booking flight bookings through Intermiles website.
- Get a flat discount voucher of Rs.750, for the first year, and Rs.2,000 hotel discount for the first year.
- By booking flight tickets through Intermiles website get 10% discount on Etihad business class.
- Under the Visa Access Lounge Program per year get access to 16 free domestic lounges.
- Provides the facility to avail 3 add on cards on the primary card.
Fees & Charges card offers
| PARAMETER | CHARGES |
| Joining fee | Rs.2,500 |
| Annual fee | Rs.2,500 (reversed or waived off on spending Rs. 3 lakhs per year) |
| Financial charges | 3.6% per month43.2% per annum |
(4) AXIS Bank Vistara Signature Credit Card
The card is offered by Axis bank in partnership with Vistara Airlines. The card is suitable and preferable for those who wish to travel by Vistara Airlines.
The benefit card offers
- Exclusive complimentary club Vistara silver membership.
- As a welcome benefit the card offers a premium economy class ticket in the first year of issuing the card, and offers the same benefit in following years when the cardholder renew their card.
- Charges annual fee of Rs.3,000.
- Get 4 reward points on club Vistara points on every Rs.200 spent in all domains.
- Provides insurance covers like air accident cover of around Rs.2.5 lakhs, and also a purchase protection cover of around Rs.1 lakh, lost card liability cover of upto Rs.3 lakhs.
- Provides 4 complimentary premium economy tickets on achieving some spending limits.
- With the Eazy dinner membership, avail upto 25% on dining.
- Best suited for frequent travelers.
(5) Air India SBI Signature Credit Card
The card is specially designed for the travelers of domestic and international flights. A collaborated card between the two recognizable names, State Bank Of India and Air India Airlines.
The benefits card offers
- Get a welcome bonus of 20,000 reward points.
- When spent Rs.100 on every Air India ticket, either from their website or the app, enjoy 30 reward points.
- Earn 10 reward points when booked tickets for others, and upto 30 points when booked for self.
- Avail Rs.1 lakh bonus of reward points on reaching some spending milestone.
- Under priority pass membership, get access to 600 lounges across the globe.
- Get 1% fuel surcharge waiver on all petrol pumps when spent between Rs.500 to Rs.4,000.
- Avail access to 8 complimentary Visa lounges annually.
- Insurance cover for lost card upto Rs.1 lakh.
- Get an add on card benefits for the family.
Fee & Charge
| PARAMETER | CHARGES |
| Annual fee | Rs.4,999 |
| Joining fee | Rs.4,999 |
| Financial charges | 3.5% per month 42% per annum |
| Welcome bonus | 20,000 reward points |
(6) Club Vistara IDFC First Credit Card
The card is best suited for the ones who love to spend high and travel mostly through Vistara airlines. When the cardholders reach the spending milestone within the first 3 months of card issuing, the card provides them with the club Vistara points on all spends and club Vistara bonus too.
The benefit card offers
- As a welcome benefit it offers a package that includes – 1 complimentary economy ticket premium voucher, complimentary club Vistara silver membership, and 1 upgrade class voucher.
- Get 5 complimentary premium economy class tickets in a year.
- Enjoy 6,000 club Vistara points on reaching spending marks.
- Earn 6 club Vistara points on each Rs.200 spent on spending around Rs.1 lakh in each statement cycle and 4 points on spending above Rs.1 lakh.
- Get 1 club Vistara point on spending Rs.200 each on fuel, utility, insurance, and rent.
- Exclusive complimentary visits per quarter to 2 domestic airport lounges and spas, and one complimentary visit to international airport lounge.
- Charges a low amount of 2.99% for forex markup fee.
- Get insurance of accident cover of around Rs.1 lakh, personal accident cover of upto Rs.10 lakhs, and lost card cover of Rs.50,000.
(7) AXIS Atlas Credit Card
The card offers Edge miles instead of reward points which can be compensated for 10+ airlines and upto 3 hotel booking programs. The card offers 5% back on travel bookings and 2% money back on other categories in the form of edge miles. That is later on transferred into domestic and international loyalty program partners with the bank that includes both the airline and the hotels.
The benefit card offers
- Get 5 edge miles point on every Rs.100 spent on travel edge portals, airlines, and the hotel bookings.
- Offers unique tired program benefits.
- For silver tier members – it offers 8 domestic and 4 international lounge visits, by 2,500 EDGE miles points on spending Rs.3 lakhs.
- For gold members – it offers 12 domestic and 6 international lounge visits by 5,000 EDGE miles point on spending Rs.7.5 lakhs.
- For platinum members – it offers 18 domestic & 12 international lounge visits by 10,000 EDGE miles point on spending Rs.15 lakhs. Along with 2 complimentary airport pick-ups.
- Charges a 1% markup fee for the facility of dynamic conversion.
(8) IRCTC SBI Card Premier
The card comes in collaboration between SBI and IRCTC, and has more benefits to offer than the other IRCTC SBI platinum card. This card offers benefits and facilities on railway bookings and access to railway lounges.
The benefit card offers
- It offers 5% cashback on IRCTC purchases of air tickets and e-catering services.
- As a welcome gift, the card offers 1,500 reward points on the payment of card issuing fee.
- When booked through IRCTC website it saves upto 1% of transaction charges, and 1.8% save on transaction fees on booking airline tickets.
- Get access to 8 airport lounge access in a year to the lounges associated with the card.
- Charges an annual fee of Rs.1,499.
- One of the best and standout features of this card is 10% cashback on ticket bookings through IRCTC.
Summing Up
In the end, choosing the right credit card for travel expenses depends on the financial requirements and the quotient. The above best travel credit cards in India, each offering a diverse and unique benefits to their cardholders, reflecting their perks and reward points criteria.
