Along with privileges like complimentary lounge access, air mile earning, and co-branded advantages with airlines and travel partners, Travel Credit Cards give accelerated rewards on travel. People who frequently travel for work or pleasure should use these cards. Here is our ranking of the top credit cards in India for travel-related purchases.
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Top 10 Best Travel Credit Cards in India
| Credit Card | Best For | Annual Fee | Our Rating |
| Citi PremierMiles | Air Mile Earning | Rs. 3,000 | 4/5 |
| SBI Card ELITE | Low Forex Markup | Rs. 4,999 | 4/5 |
| HDFC Regalia | Travel booking with points | Rs. 2,500 | 4/5 |
| HDFC Bank Diners Club Privilege | Travel booking with points | Rs. 2,500 | 4/5 |
| Air India SBI Signature | Co-branded benefits (Air India) | Rs. 4,999 | 3.5/5 |
| Axis Bank Vistara Signature | Co-branded benefits (Vistara) | Rs. 3,000 | 3.5/5 |
| Intermiles HDFC Signature | Bonus Miles Earning | Rs. 2,500 | 3.5/5 |
| MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Signature | Co-branded benefits (MakeMyTrip) | Nil | 3.5/5 |
| IRCTC SBI Card Premier | Railway Bookings | Rs. 1,499 | 3.5/5 |
| Yatra SBI Card | Co-branded benefits (Yatra) | Rs. 499 | 3/5 |
Citi Premier Miles Credit Card
Annual Fee: Rs. 3,000
Renewal Fee: Rs. 3,000
For frequent travellers who want to take advantage of air mile perks, there is the Citi Premier Miles Credit Card. The best feature of this card is that, unlike popular co-branded cards that offer perks with just one airline, the miles earned can be redeemed across a number of airlines. Additionally, air miles earned never expire, allowing you to keep accruing thousands of miles and using them anytime you like. It provides 10,000 Miles up front as a nice bonus. Given that the value of these miles is Rs. 4,500, compared to the Rs. 3,000 membership cost, this advantage usually seems reasonable. Following the payment of the renewal price, you will receive 3,000 free miles every year.
However, this card might not be the best option if you want to save money on international expenses because it doesn’t allow access to international airport lounges and has a fairly high foreign exchange markup (3.5 percent). Overall, Citi PremierMiles is a real travel card because it doesn’t offer any perks for eating out, shopping, or enjoying entertainment. This card may be the best option for you if you frequently travel inside the nation and would like to receive cheap (or occasionally even free) flights.
Best Cashback Credit Cards in India
SBI Card ELITE
Annual Fee: Rs. 4,999
Renewal Fee: Rs. 4,999
A premium all-around card with benefits for travel, shopping, and movies is SBI Card Elite. This card’s ability to help you cut down on travel expenses is why we think it belongs on our list of the best travel credit cards. Despite having an annual charge of Rs. 4,999, the card offers Rs. 5,000 in welcome coupons that can also be redeemed for Yatra travel vouchers.
Additionally, the card comes with a free Silver membership to Club Vistara, giving you access to flight upgrades and a number of additional perks with Vistara Airlines. The card entitles you to free domestic (through Visa/Mastercard) and international (under Priority Pass) lounge visits. The card also provides hotel advantages, although these are exclusively valid at Trident Hotels.
On expenditures made at restaurants, grocers, and department stores, the cardholder earns 5X as many reward points. The card offers two reward points for every Rs. 100 spent on any other purchases other than petrol. However, the reward value is quite minimal, 1 point equaling 0.25 rupees.
If you want to use your card abroad, you can significantly reduce your currency markup costs by using SBI Elite, which has a fee of just 1.99 percent instead of the standard markup of 3.5 percent or more on other cards. The card’s overall advantages lean toward travel, so if you’re searching for a travel card that also offers advantages in other areas, this one might be the best option.
HDFC Regalia Credit Card
Annual Fee: Rs. 2,500
Renewal Fee: Rs. 2,500
One of the top credit cards in India is HDFC Regalia. It is most suitable for frequent travellers and big spenders. With Regalia, regular travellers receive six international lounge visits and twelve domestic lounge visits each year. This card has a modest 2 percent foreign currency markup fee for regular visitors abroad. Only a few cards on the market currently offer a rate below the industry average of 3.5 percent for the FX mark-up cost. One of them is the HDFC Regalia. Additionally, as you accomplish spending milestones, you receive a significant extra prize.
This card has a fantastic default reward earning rate of 2.67 percent that is hard to find from other banks. However, there is just a 0.5 percent redemption rate. As a result, if you spend Rs. 15,000, you will receive 400 reward points, each of which is worth Rs. 200 when redeemed. This card would be most useful if you are a frequent shopper who also makes multiple excursions each year.
HDFC Bank Diners Club Privilege Credit Card
Annual Fee: Rs. 2,500
Renewal Fee: Rs. 2,500
The HDFC Diners Club Privilege credit card is a mid-tier card with a number of perks geared toward travel and a luxurious lifestyle. With this credit card, you can visit more than 1,000 airport lounges worldwide 12 times each year, as opposed to most credit cards that need you to sign up for Priority Pass membership in order to access domestic and international lounges.
Through the Smartbuy platform, cardholders can convert reward points into air miles and use those miles to purchase airline tickets. On the same portal, hotel reservations may also be made with reward points. This card may be a fantastic option for you if you plan to travel and stay in luxury. The points earning rate for this price range is extremely outstanding, thus the card has the potential to provide exceptional value, especially to individuals who make large purchases.
Air India SBI Signature Credit Card
Annual Fee: Rs. 4,999
Renewal Fee: Rs. 4,999
One of the best travel credit cards in India, especially for fans of Air India, is the SBI Air India Signature card. All points earn the same amount of Air India Miles at a baseline reward earning rate of 4%. Spending Rs. 20 lakh in a year will earn you up to 1 lakh reward points, which are equal to 1 lakh Air India Miles and may be used to book several free flights. The ability to redeem rewards points for services from the rewards catalogue in addition to converting them into air miles is another advantageous feature.
However, since it is a co-branded card, all of the benefits are exclusive to Air India. Consider alternative travel credit cards for general travel advantages, such as the MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card, if you are unsure about sticking with Air India for the majority of your flights.
Axis Bank Vistara Signature Credit Card
Annual Fee: Rs. 3,000
Renewal Fee: Rs. 3,000
For people who travel frequently and favour Vistara Airlines, the Axis Bank Vistara Signature Credit Card is a good option. It offers up to 2% Club Vistara Points, which may be used to book free or upgraded flights. As the milestone benefits on the card are outstanding, the more you charge on the card, the more travel rewards you will receive. If you reach certain spending thresholds, you can get up to four premium economy tickets every year.
Compared to short-distance flights, long-distance flights will earn greater rewards because the total amount due on the former is higher. Additionally, you can benefit from a Club Vistara Silver membership, travel insurance coverage, and reduced golf rates. The Vistara Signature Card performs better than the Axis Vistara Platinum Credit Card in terms of rewards. If Vistara airlines are your primary mode of transportation, you should get this card.
InterMiles HDFC Signature Credit Card
Annual Fee: Rs. 2,500
Renewal Fee: Rs. 2,500
For regular flyers, the InterMiles HDFC Signature credit card is the ideal option. You can use this card to redeem InterMiles and make hotel and flight reservations on the InterMiles website. Additionally, up to a maximum of four every quarter, this card entitles you to access a domestic airport lounge. Access to international lounges is included with the free Priority Pass membership five times a year.
MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card
Joining Fee: Rs. 2,500
Annual Fee: Nil
For regular travellers who don’t want to sacrifice luxury, the MMT ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card is a top choice. A welcome voucher, exclusive advantages on MakeMyTrip, and an amazing reward structure are all included with the card. All rewards are credited as My Cash to the MMT account, where 1 My Cash earned on this card is equal to 1 Rupee. You can put these rewards toward your trip expenses to make reservations for hotels, flights, or taxis on MMT.
Overall, the ICICI MMT Signature credit card is a wonderful choice for travellers who want to cut their travel expenses even further. However, keep in mind that this card’s advantages are more heavily based on MakeMyTrip, so if you’re someone who exclusively uses MMT to book your travel, this card might be the finest travel credit card for you.
IRCTC SBI Card Premier
Annual Fee: Rs. 1,499
Renewal Fee: Rs. 1,499
Numerous credit cards are available that are designed with air travellers in mind. However, very few credit cards offer advantages for purchasing train tickets and using train lounges. By using this credit card, frequent rail travellers can save a tonne of money. For the purchase of air-conditioned tickets, IRCTC SBI Card Premier offers 10% value back as reward points on all expenditures (AC1, AC2, AC3 and AC CC). Additionally, any plane ticket and e-catering purchases made through the IRCTC website or app will earn you 5% back. Additionally, if you book plane or train tickets through the IRCTC website, transaction fees of 1.8 percent and 1%, respectively, will not apply to your purchases.
Yatra SBI Card
Annual Fee: Rs. 499
Renewal Fee: Rs. 499
There are certain cards created in partnership with travel portals like Yatra.com, even though the majority of travel credit cards are focused on providing general travel rewards or co-branded airline advantages. The Yatra SBI Credit Card offers welcome perks in the form of Yatra Vouchers worth up to Rs. 8,250 for an annual fee of just Rs. 499. Customers who book their flights and hotels through the Yatra website will also receive a direct discount.