Best Travel Credit Cards in India

Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card

Key highlights: Standard Chartered and EaseMyTrip have collaborated to launch this travel credit card. The user can avail himself of an instant discount on EaseMyTrip travel bookings made using this credit card, along with free lounge access.

Joining fee: Rs.350 + GST

Renewal fee: Rs.350 + GST

Note: The renewal fee on spending Rs.50,000 or above using this credit card in the preceding year.

Features and benefits:

1. Rewards are 10x higher on every Rs.100 spent on booking tickets on standalone hotel or airline websites/app/outlets.
2. Discount on hotel and flight booking through EaseMyTrip website or application using promo code "EMTSCB".
   1. 20% discount on domestic and international hotel booking offering discount up to Rs.5,000 and Rs.10,000, respectively. 
   2. Get a 10% discount on flight bookings domestically and internationally, (up to Rs.1,000 and Rs.5,000 respectively). 
3. Get Rs.125 off on bus ticket booking. The minimum amount for booking a ticket should be Rs.500.
4. Get 2 domestic lounge access every calendar year.
5. Earn 2 times reward points on every Rs.100 spent on other retail spend categories
6. Converts spends above Rs.2,000 into EMI.
7. Offers loan up to Rs.5 lakh for a tenure of 12 to 60 months.
8. The card also offers other benefits, such as balance transfer, easy redemption of reward points, secure online transaction, contactless card transaction, and extends card benefits to family members. 

Suitable for: Those who travel by air frequently.

IRCTC SBI Platinum Credit Card

Key Highlights: The IRCTC SBI credit card provides several travel benefits to its users at a low annual fee. The card offers value back on IRCTC ticket booking, access to domestic lounge, and a discount on railway ticket booking. If you regularly travel within India by train, this card may be suitable for you.

Joining fee: Rs.500

Renewal fee: Rs.300

Joining bonus: On single transaction of Rs.500 or more within 60 days of card issuance, the card offers 350 activation bonus reward points.

Features and benefits:

1. Earn 350 reward points as a welcome bonus on card activation. However, the user will have to make the first transaction within the first 45 days of card issuance.
2. On payment of renewal fee, the card offers 500 reward points.
3. Earn 10% value back as rewards points on AC1/AC2/AC3/Executive chair card and Chair Car tickets booked on IRCTC website.
4. One spending every Rs.125 on non-fuel retail purchases, including ticket purchase through website or mobile application, one reward point will be offered.
5. Earn a waiver of 1% on railway booking transaction charges.
6. Earn four complimentary lounge access annually.
7. Earn 1% fuel surcharge waiver up to Rs.100 every month on making a transaction between Rs.500 to Rs.3,000.
8. Other benefits of this card are conversion of transaction into installment via Flexipay; balance transfer on EMI; global acceptance of the card; contactless transaction; and various offers on Visa network.

Suitable for: This card is perfect for travelers who book train tickets frequently.

Axis Bank Vistara Signature Card

Key Highlights: This Axis Bank Vistara Signature card is best suited for people who frequently travel by air.

Joining Fee: Rs.3,000

Renewal Fee: Rs.3,000

Joining Bonus: Avail one complimentary premium economy ticket as welcome benefit

Features and benefits:

1. Complimentary Premium Economy Class ticket is provided on fee payment as welcome gift which is also offered on card renewal on every membership year.
2. Offers complimentary Maharaja Club Silver Membership to the cardholders on fee payment which will be issued within 10 working days of joining or payment of annual fee.
3. For every Rs.100 spent on eligible categories, the card offers four Maharaja points.
4. On achieving milestone eligible spends, the card offers bonus Maharaja points and up to four complimentary premium economy ticket vouchers.
5. The card offers Rs.1 lakh of purchase protection coverage.
6. The card offers various lifestyle privileges, such as, two complimentary lounge access at selected airports within India, once a month, the card offers dining discount at partner restaurant with EazyDiner, three complimentary rounds of golf, allows cardholder to convert transactions above Rs.2,500 into EMI, offers 15% discount on flight and hotel bookings via Goibibo and MakeMyTrip, and on orders via Swiggy and Amazon Fresh, the card offers 10% discount and 10% discount on orders via Tira. 

Suitable for: People who frequently travel by air

Club Vistara IDFC First Credit Card

Key Highlights: With a wider range of rewards, a relatively low Foreign Exchange Surcharge (2.99%) and golf perks, Club Visa First Credit Card may have a slight advantage over other co-branded Vistara cards such as Axis Visa Signature and Club Visa PRIME.

Joining Fee: Rs.4,999 plus GST

Features and Benefits:

1. Earn 5 complimentary premium economy ticket vouchers on achieving spend milestone.
2. Offers trip cancellation cover of Rs.10,000.

1. Joining benefits offered are one Premium Economy Ticket Voucher, one - Class Upgrade e–Voucher, EazyDiner Prime membership for 3 months, and Club Vistara Silver Membership. 

1. Reward benefits are: 

1. On spending up to Rs.1 lakh the card offers six CV points 

1. On spending above Rs.1 lakh the card offers four CV points 

1. On spending on birthday, the card offers ten CV points 

1. On spending on Insurance, Fuel, Utility, Rent and Wallet Load, the card offers one CV points. 
2. Earn complimentary club Vistara membership
3. Earn three months complimentary EazyDiner Prime membership and BQ Prime subscription.
4. Earn 2000 CV points on spending Rs. 30,000 in first month
5. Earn 2000 CV points on spending Rs. 30,000 in second month
6. Earn 2000 CV points on spending Rs. 30,000 in third month

Note:

1. On every Rs.200 spent; CV points will be calculated accordingly.
2. CV points are not applicable on EMI Transactions, balance transfer and cash withdrawal.
3. A surcharge of 1.00% will be applied on utility spends on monthly spends over Rs.20,000.

Axis Bank Miles and More Credit Card

Key Highlights: The Axis Bank collaborated with Lufthansa to launch the Axis Bank Miles and More Credit Cards. The card comes in two variants, namely the Miles and More Axis Bank World Card and Miles and More Axis Bank Select Card. 

This card gives you Airmiles for your purchases, which never run out. You can also get a priority pass membership with free lounge visits. Find out more about these two cards below. 

Axis bank Miles and More World Credit Card:

1. Joining Fee: Rs.3,500 plus GST
2. Renewal Fee: Rs.3,500 plus GST

Axis bank Miles and More Select Credit Card:

1. Joining Fee: Rs.10,000 plus GST
2. Renewal Fee: Rs.10,000 plus GST

Features and Benefits:

1. Earn 15,000 and 5000 air miles as a welcome gift for Axis Bank Miles and More Select and Axis Bank Miles and More World credit card, respectively.
2. Offers six and four award miles per Rs.200 spent for Axis Bank Miles and More Select and Axis Bank Miles and More World credit card, respectively.
3. Offers annual bonus of 4000 and 3000 award miles for Axis Bank Miles and More Select Credit Card and Axis Bank Miles and More World credit card, respectively.
4. Offers eight and four complimentary lounge access per quarter for Axis Bank Miles and More Select Credit Card and Axis Bank Miles and More World credit card, respectively.
5. Offers four and two Priority Pass lounge visits per annum for Axis Bank Miles and More Select Credit Card and Axis Bank Miles and More World credit card, respectively.
6. Mile rewards can be redeemed for car rents, hotel bookings, booking air tickets, shopping or for childcare and reforestation.
7. Ensures secure transaction through chip and PIN credit card; offers auto-debit facility; and easy utility bill payment.
8. Get a minimum of 30% and 25% discount on dining at selected partner restaurants or Axis Bank Miles and More Select Credit Card and Axis Bank Miles and More World credit card, respectively.
9. Offers easy conversion of amount above Rs.2,500 into EMI.
10. Offers discount of 15% on flights and hotel bookings via Makemytrip and Goibibo.
11. Offers discount of 10% on orders via Swiggy and Amazon Fresh.
12. Offers discount of 10% on orders via Tira.

Suitable for: This card is suitable for people for frequently travel by air.

IRCTC SBI Card Premier

Key Highlights: The SBI IRCTC Premier card offers various travel benefits and reward points on travel spends

Joining Fee: Rs.1,499 plus taxes

Renewal Fee: Rs.1,499 (2nd year onwards).

Joining Bonus: 1,500 reward points as welcome gift

Features and benefits:

1. Earn 10% value back as rewards points on AC1/AC2/AC3/Executive chair card and Chair Car tickets booked on IRCTC website.
   1. Per Rs.125 spent on Dining and standing instructions on Utility spends, the card offers three reward points.
   2. Per Rs.125 spent on other non-fuel retail purchases, the card offers one reward point.
2. A spending of Rs.2 lakh, offers a reversal of annual fee.
3. Complimentary air accident insurance cover worth Rs.50 lakh
4. Complimentary rail accident insurance cover worth Rs.10 lakh
5. Offers fraud liability coverage of Rs.1 lakh.
6. Avail up to eight railway lounge access annually
7. Earn 5,000 reward points on reaching milestone of Rs.1 lakh on travel spends in a year
8. Earn 2,500 reward points on reaching milestone of Rs.50,000 on travel spends in a year
9. Enables cardholders to save 1.00% and 1.80% on transaction charges on railway ticket booking visa irctc.com and air ticket bookings via air.irctc.co.in, respectively.
10. Offers fuel surcharge waiver of 1.00% on fuel transactions between Rs.500 to Rs.4000.
11. Offers eight complimentary railway lounge access in a year across all participating lounges in India.
12. On hotel stay, the card offers 10,000 miles per night plus 25% extra miles on Kaligo.com.
    

Suitable for: People who frequently travel by rail within India.

Emirates Emeralde ICICI Bank Credit Card

Key Highlights: The Emirates Emeralde ICICI Bank Credit Card comes with high-end flying perks and you can earn 10,000 Skywards miles on renewal. 

Joining Fee: Rs.10,000 plus GST 

Renewal Fee: Rs.10,000 plus GST 

Features and Benefits

1. 1% is provided up to Rs.4,000 as fuel surcharge. 

1. If spend Rs.15 lakh, an Emirates Gold Tier Membership will be provided. 

1. If you purchase one ticket via BookMyShow and get another ticket worth up to Rs.750 as a discount. 

1. Domestic and international lounge access is provided to the primary cardholder. 

1. Once the card has been renewed, you will get 10,000 Skywards Miles. 

1. Emirates Skywards Silver Tier Membership is provided. 

1. Get 2X reward points on every Rs.100 international spends. 

1. Get 2X reward points on every Rs.100 domestic spends. 

Suitable for: Individual who want high-end flying perks. 

MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card

Key Highlights: The MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card comes with milestone benefits and a MakeMyTrip Holiday Voucher. 

Joining Fee: Rs.2,500 plus GST 

Renewal Fee: Nil 

Features and Benefits

1. 1% is provided up to Rs.4,000 as fuel surcharge. 

1. Under the Culinary Treats Programme, various dining discounts are offered. 

1. Spend Rs.2.5 lakh and get 1,100 myCash. 

1. Spend Rs.5 lakh and get 4,000 myCash. 

1. Every quarter, you will be provided railway lounge access for free. 

1. 8 domestic airport lounge access is provided for free. 

1. 1 international airport lounge access is provided for free. 

1. MMTBLACK Platinum Tier Membership is provided. 

Suitable for: Frequent holiday goers. 

Benefits of Travel Credit Cards

Travel credit cards provide a range of benefits for frequent travelers, including welcome gifts, complimentary airport lounge access, and fee waivers. They offer rewards and features tailored to enhance travel experiences.

Let's look at the common benefits offered by most credit cards in detail.

1. Airport Lounge Access: Travel credit cards offer free access to domestic and international airport lounges, often through programs like Priority Pass, which otherwise costs 99 USD annually. Some cards provide complimentary membership with a limited number of free visits.
   1. Bonus Reward Points on Travel: Offer accelerated reward points while booking flights and these points can be redeemed for gifts, merchandise, or additional travel benefits.
   2. Air Mile Earnings: Instead of regular reward points, some travel credit cards provide Air Miles, which can be used to book flights via the bank’s travel portal or transferred to frequent flyer programs. Some cards also allow reward points to be converted into Air Miles.
   3. Co-Branded Benefits: Many travel credit cards are launched in partnership with airlines or travel portals, such as Kotak-Indigo and ICICI-MakeMyTrip, offering exclusive benefits for brand-loyal customers.
   4. Earn Points on Transactions: Bonus points can be earned upon signing up and earn additional points for every transaction, including flight bookings, hotel reservations, and dining at partner restaurants.
   5. Zero Foreign Transaction Fees: Most standard credit and debit cards charge around 3% for foreign transactions, which is eliminated for some cards making them ideal for international travelers.
   6. Fraud Protection: Travel credit cards offer fraud liability protection, ensuring you are not responsible for unauthorized transactions.
   7. Luggage Loss Insurance: Travel credit cards provide compensation for lost luggage, helping cover financial losses and reducing stress when baggage goes missing on international trips.
   8. Accident and Mishap Insurance: Many travel credit cards include travel accident coverage, providing financial support in case of emergencies or unforeseen events during your trip.

Some of the regular benefits offered by travel credit cards include -

1. Bonus air miles
2. Complimentary membership to airport programs and airline programs
3. Free lounge access to both domestic and international airports
4. Accelerated reward points on airline related spends
5. Reward point redemption for air miles
6. Discount offers on air ticket bookings
7. Priority check-in at partner airlines
8. Extra baggage allowance, etc.

If you're a frequent traveller, a travel credit card is a must to have. Listed below are some of the popular travel credit cards offered by various card issuers in India. Choose the one based on your travel patterns and the benefits covered.

How to Apply for Travel Credit Cards Online?

BankBazaar is an official partner of major credit card issuers and provides an online platform to apply for travel credit cards. You can check your eligibility for a specific card, apply for it, upload the document and enjoy a hassle-free application process.

To apply through BankBazaar, follow the process mentioned below: 

1. On the travel credit card page, choose your preferred card from the list of cards
2. Click on 'Check Eligibility' option
3. Submit the details as required and find your eligibility
4. Once you are eligible, you will be directed to the online application page.
5. Fill the form and submit the form
6. Once your application is submitted, you will receive an 'Application ID' which should be retained for future reference

The website also features a 'Track Application' option, using which you can track your application.

Eligibility to Apply for Travel Credit Cards

The eligibility to apply for travel credit cards varies from one bank to another and from one card to another. Listed below are the minimum eligibility criteria set by many banks.

1. Applicant should be an Indian citizen
2. Should be either salaried or self-employed
3. Should have a good credit record.
4. Minimum age should be 21 years while the maximum should be 60/65 years

Documents Required to Apply for Travel Credit Cards

Again, different credit card issuers require different sets of documents to process a travel credit card application. Sometimes, the required documents also vary based on the applicant type. Some of the common documents required for a travel credit card application are listed below.

1. Copy of PAN (Permanent Account Number) card
2. Copy of Aadhaar card
3. One passport size photograph.
4. Past two months' salary slips or IT Returns as income proof
5. Bank statement
6. Dully filled application form
7. Address proof document such as Aadhaar, Voter's ID, driving licence, passport, etc., whichever holds your current address.

Credit cards make payments easy for all expenses online and offline while offering various benefits

Find a Card >>