Travel credit cards are made for people who travel a lot. They can help you save money on flights and hotels, and give you perks like free access to airport lounges, air miles, and even free flight tickets. Some cards also come with special deals with airlines or other travel partners. To make it easier for you to pick the best one, here's a list of the top 10 travel credit cards in India.
| Credit Card | Best For | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card | Co-branded benefits (Vistara) | Rs. 4,999 |
| Axis Atlas Credit Card | Travel booking with points | Rs. 5,000 |
| Axis Bank Vistara Signature | Co-branded benefits (Vistara) | Rs. 3,000 |
| Air India SBI Signature | Co-branded benefits (Air India) | Rs. 4,999 |
| Intermiles HDFC Signature | Bonus Miles Earning | Rs. 2,500 |
| Kotak IndiGo XL Credit Card | Co-branded benefits (IndiGo) | Rs. 2,500 |
| Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip | Co-branded benefits (EaseMyTrip) | Rs. 350 |
| Yatra SBI Card | Co-branded benefits (Yatra) | Rs. 499 |
| MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Signature | Co-branded benefits (MakeMyTrip) | Nil |
| IRCTC SBI Card Premier | Railway Bookings | Rs. 1,499 |
Many of The credit cards on this list are made in partnership with well-known airlines or travel websites. But, you can still save a lot on your travels by using versatile rewards credit cards like SBI Card ELITE, HDFC Regalia Gold, and Axis Bank Select.
Discover The best travel credit cards in India and learn about the perks they offer to make your travels more affordable.
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Travel Benefits:
1. Welcome Benefits:
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The Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card is a great choice if you spend a lot and love flying with Vistara Airlines. You earn CV Points on all your purchases, and there are bonus points if you spend a certain amount in the first 3 months. If you spend Rs. 12 Lakh in a year, you can get up to 5 free Premium Economy Vistara tickets. Besides, you get a free Club Vistara Silver membership, a 3-month EazyDiner membership, and a BQ Prime subscription.
If you spend Rs. 1 Lakh in a month, you can enjoy the high earning rate of 6 CV Points for every Rs. 200 spent. And, if you reach a spending milestone of Rs. 12 Lakh or more in a year, you can get 5 free flight tickets. All these perks not only cover the card fee but also help you save a significant amount on your travel expenses.
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Travel Benefits:
1. Welcome Benefits:
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The Axis Atlas credit card is a great choice for people who spend a lot, especially on travel and other expenses. You can earn 5% back on travel expenses and 2% back on other categories in the form of EDGE Miles. These EDGE Miles can be transferred to Axis Bank's domestic and international loyalty program partners, including airlines and hotels. The unique part is that you get a 1:2 conversion rate, meaning you get 2 partner miles for each EDGE Mile.
The card has a tiered-benefit program, starting with Silver tier and upgrading to Gold Tier and Platinum Tier when you reach annual spends of Rs. 7.5 Lakh and Rs. 15 Lakh, respectively. As you move up the tiers, you receive bonus EDGE Miles and additional complimentary lounge visits. This makes the Axis Atlas card ideal for frequent travelers and high spenders. Despite the 3.5% forex mark-up fee, the card offers a dynamic currency conversion facility, allowing international transactions in Indian currency at just a 1% mark-up fee, making it a good option for those who travel abroad.
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Travel Benefits:
1. Welcome Benefits:
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The Axis Bank Vistara Signature Credit Card is a great fit for frequent travelers who prefer flying with Vistara Airlines. This card offers up to 2% Club Vistara (CV) Points on your spending, which can be used for flight upgrades and even free flights. The more you use the card, the more travel benefits you can unlock, thanks to the excellent milestone benefits. Reaching spending milestones can earn you up to 4 premium economy tickets in a year.
It's worth noting that you'll earn more rewards on long-distance flights compared to short-distance ones, as the total amount paid for long-distance flights is higher. Additionally, the card provides extra perks like Club Vistara Silver membership, travel insurance protection, and discounted access to golf facilities. In the realm of rewards, the Vistara Signature Card surpasses its counterpart, the Axis Vistara Platinum Credit Card. If you frequently choose Vistara for your travels, this card is a solid choice.
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Travel Benefits:
1. Welcome Benefits:
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The SBI Air India Signature Credit Card stands out as one of the top Travel credit cards in India, particularly for individuals loyal to Air India. It offers a solid basic reward earning rate of 4%, and the reward points are equivalent to Air India Miles at a 1:1 ratio. If you can achieve an annual spend of Rs. 20 lakh, you can earn up to 1 lakh reward points, translating to 1 lakh Air India Miles. This substantial number of miles can cover more than 5 business class tickets with Air India.
However, it's important to note that as a co-branded card, all the perks are specific to Air India. If you're uncertain about sticking to Air India for most of your travels, you might want to explore other travel credit cards that offer general travel benefits or those co-branded with popular travel portals. The card's advantages, such as Priority Pass Membership and complimentary domestic and international lounge access, contribute to its overall appeal for travelers.
For those who prefer a lower annual fee, the Air India SBI Platinum Credit Card, a variant of this card, provides similar benefits at a comparatively reduced fee of Rs. 4,999.
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Travel Benefits:
1. Membership Benefits:
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The InterMiles HDFC Signature Credit Card is an excellent choice for frequent air travelers. This card allows you to redeem InterMiles for booking flights and hotels through the InterMiles website. For those who travel within India, the card offers access to domestic airport lounges, with a maximum of 4 visits per quarter. Additionally, the complimentary Priority Pass membership provides access to international lounges up to 5 times a year.
With a high reward rate applicable not only to travel expenses but also across all spending categories, this card is particularly advantageous for individuals who regularly use their credit cards for various purchases. This extensive rewards program allows users to maximize their benefits.
Moreover, cardholders can enjoy discounts of up to 10% on business class flight tickets and up to 5% on economy class tickets when booking with Etihad Airways. A significant advantage of earning InterMiles is the flexibility to use these points for booking flight tickets across various airlines and hotels worldwide.
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Travel Benefits:
1. Welcome Gift:
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True to its name, The Kotak IndiGo Ka-ching 6E Rewards XL Credit Card is designed for those who frequently choose IndiGo for their travels. This card offers elevated rewards specifically for IndiGo expenses, providing benefits like higher rewards on IndiGo spends, priority meals, baggage assistance, and priority check-in. These perks, including complimentary services and free lounge access, can lead to significant savings for travelers.
Beyond travel benefits, the card extends its advantages to various spending categories, offering 3% rewards on merchant spends across dining, entertainment, and groceries, and 2% rewards on all other expenses. However, it's important to note that the points earned are redeemable exclusively with IndiGo airlines. This makes the card an ideal choice for individuals who regularly use credit cards for their expenses, accumulate points, and redeem them to book tickets with IndiGo.
While the card justifies its annual fee by providing valuable travel benefits with IndiGo, it might be limiting for those who prefer flexibility across multiple airlines. Another variant, The Kotak IndiGo Ka-ching 6E Rewards Credit Card, with a lower annual fee and similar benefits, offers an alternative for those seeking a more budget-friendly option.
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Travel Benefits:
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This co-branded credit card is specifically designed for maximum benefits when booking through EaseMyTrip. Enjoy direct discounts on both domestic and international flights and hotels. The card comes with a modest annual fee of Rs. 350, which can be waived by spending Rs. 50,000 in a year. What's convenient is that there's no minimum transaction limit required to avail discounts on your bookings. Plus, you can save significantly by utilizing the discount in each category once per month.
Beyond the booking perks, you'll earn reward points on every transaction and bonus points on your travel bookings. Additionally, the card provides domestic and international lounge access each year. If you're looking for a credit card that offers fundamental travel benefits without a high annual fee, this could be an ideal choice for you.
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Travel Benefits:
1. Welcome Vouchers:
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The Yatra SBI Credit Card stands out from typical travel credit cards by forming a collaboration with the travel portal Yatra.com. Priced at an annual fee of Rs. 499, this card provides welcome benefits totaling up to Rs. 8,250 in the form of Yatra Vouchers. Cardholders can enjoy direct discounts on their flight and hotel bookings made through the Yatra website.
Additionally, the card offers a substantial 6 reward points for every Rs. 100 spent on categories such as grocery, dining, movies, entertainment, and departmental stores. A unique feature of this card, especially considering its low annual fee, is the complimentary air accident cover provided to the primary cardholder, offering coverage up to Rs. 50 Lakh. This makes The Yatra SBI Credit Card a compelling option in its fee range, offering a blend of travel benefits and everyday rewards.
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Travel Benefits:
1. Welcome Benefits:
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The MMT ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card is the ideal choice for frequent travelers who prioritize luxury in their journeys. Tailored exclusively for MakeMyTrip users, this card offers a welcome voucher and an impressive reward structure. All earned rewards are seamlessly transferred to the MMT account as My Cash, where every 1 My Cash earned on the card is equivalent to Rs. 1. These rewards can be efficiently utilized for various travel expenditures such as hotel bookings, flight tickets, or cab services through MakeMyTrip.
In summary, the ICICI MMT Signature Credit Card proves to be a valuable option for travel enthusiasts seeking to maximize savings on their travel expenses. It's worth noting that the card's benefits are primarily oriented towards MakeMyTrip, making it an excellent choice for individuals who exclusively rely on MMT for planning their vacations.
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Travel Benefits:
1. Joining Fee Benefits:
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The IRCTC SBI Card Premier stands out as a unique credit card that caters specifically to the needs of frequent train travelers. With a focus on railway ticket bookings and exclusive benefits, this card offers significant savings and rewards for those who frequently travel by train.
Key features include a generous 10% value back as reward points on air-conditioned ticket bookings (AC1, AC2, AC3, and AC CC). Additionally, cardholders can enjoy a 5% value back on all air ticket and e-catering purchases made through the IRCTC website or app. The card also provides a 1% transaction charge waiver on railway ticket bookings and a 1.8% waiver on air ticket bookings through the IRCTC website.
Notably, the IRCTC SBI Card Premier goes beyond just transaction benefits, offering access to railway lounges up to 8 times a year, with a limit of two times in a quarter. For individuals who frequently book train tickets, this card provides an opportunity to save money and earn rewards simultaneously, which can be utilized for discounted future bookings.
The above list includes credit cards that offer substantial travel benefits at a lower to moderate annual fee. However, there are also premium and super-premium credit cards available in the market that provide extensive travel perks along with significant savings across various categories. These high-tier cards typically come with more stringent eligibility criteria, including a higher income requirement.
Given below are some of the super-premium credit cards with travel benefits for high-spenders:
| Credit Cards | Annual Fee | Travel Benefits |
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| HDFC Bank Infinia Metal Edition | Rs. 10,000 |
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| Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card | Rs. 50,000 |
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| SBI Aurum Credit Card | Rs. 9,999 |
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| IndusInd Bank Avios Visa Infinite Credit Card | Rs. 10,000 |
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| Axis Bank Vistara Infinite Credit Card | Rs. 10,000 |
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| Table of Contents | ||
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| Do’s and Don’ts of Travel Credit Cards | ||
| Benefits of a Travel Credit Card | ||
| How to Find the Right Travel Credit Card? | ||
| How to Compare Travel Credit Cards? | ||
When utilizing Travel credit cards, it's essential to follow certain do's and don'ts to maximize the benefits. Here are some recommendations to keep in mind:
Issuers provide various travel-centric benefits on their credit cards. Some common advantages include:
Travel credit cards often include both domestic and international lounge access as a notable benefit. Some cards offer complimentary membership to programs like Priority Pass, which typically costs $99. This membership may come with a limited number of free visits to partner lounges.
These cards offer accelerated rewards on specific categories. For Travel credit cards, you can earn additional rewards when you use the card to book air tickets or make holiday reservations. These accumulated points can later be redeemed for gifts, merchandise, or additional travel benefits.
Instead of traditional reward points, travel-centric credit cards may offer Air Miles. These miles can be utilized to book air tickets through the bank's dedicated travel website. Some cards allow you to transfer Air Miles to select frequent flyer programs, while others may provide the option to convert reward points into Air Miles with specific airline partners.
Many providers offer Travel credit cards in partnership with airlines or travel websites. For instance, SBI collaborates with Air India, and ICICI Bank provides cards co-branded with MakeMyTrip. These cards are advantageous for individuals loyal to a specific brand.
A prevalent benefit on travel-centric credit cards is the provision of travel vouchers. Most credit cards offer these vouchers from an airline or travel website as a welcome benefit or upon reaching a spending milestone.
Choosing the right credit card can be confusing with so many options available. Let's discuss a few things that will help you pick the perfect travel credit card.
The first thing to do is understand how you spend money. Knowing your spending habits makes it easier to find a card that matches your lifestyle.
Once you answer these questions, you can narrow down your options and choose the card that best fits your preferences.
For regular business travelers, having free lounge access is a great advantage. Look for a card that provides access to either international or domestic lounges based on your travel needs. Keep in mind that the number of free visits may be limited, and once exhausted, you may need to pay for additional visits. However, if your card comes with a lounge access program like Priority Pass, you might continue to enjoy this benefit.
If you're someone who enjoys traveling, opt for a card with accelerated rewards on travel. These cards often include additional perks such as shopping and dining benefits, enhancing your overall card experience. Even if you don't use the card for travel frequently, you can still take advantage of other benefits. When you do use it for travel, the rewards will be more lucrative.
Credit card issuers collaborate with airlines like Air India and British Airways or travel websites such as Yatra and MakeMyTrip. Consider these co-branded cards if you're loyal to a particular brand and frequently book tickets or holidays with them. Benefits may include free tickets upon joining or reaching a spending milestone, exclusive discounts with the brand, complimentary travel vouchers, or additional rewards.
To find the ideal credit card, compare two or more shortlisted options based on the following criteria. This will help you narrow down your search and select the perfect card:
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Top Credit Cards in India