May 17, 2025 · 15 mins read
Santosh Kumar
Credit cards for Airline miles are designed to help frequent travellers save a significant amount on flights and hotel bookings, along with benefits on other travel spends. Users can save considerably through free flight tickets, air miles, discounts with popular travel brands, complimentary lounge access, travel insurance, and more. From cards co-branded with popular airlines/travel portals to cards that offer substantial savings in the form of air miles/rewards, the options are endless. To help you compare and make the right choice, here is the list of top travel credit cards in India.
Earn air miles: All airline-related transactions made using a credit card for Airline miles allow you to earn air miles. These miles can be redeemed for buying domestic and international tickets.
Bonus miles: You get bonus miles as a welcome gift or as a renewal benefit. Generally, a credit card issuer offers bonus miles within a few days of your card being issued. You can redeem these miles for airline tickets.
Accelerated miles: With the accelerated miles programme offered by a few airline credit cards, you earn accelerated miles on a few transactions. However, ensure that you are aware of the transactions that are eligible for the accelerated rewards.
Airport lounge access: Most airline credit cards come with complimentary lounge visits. You get access to select airports in India and abroad. To make use of this benefit, you have to display your credit card at the lounge reception.
Fuel surcharge waiver: Some airline credit cards offer a fuel surcharge waiver. This means that every time you use a credit card at a petrol station, you get a waiver on the fuel surcharge.
Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card
Annual Fee: Rs. 4,999 plus taxes
Renewal Fee: Rs. 4,999 plus taxes
Travel Benefits:
1: One complimentary Premium Economy Ticket Voucher, One Class Upgrade Voucher, and Complimentary Club Vistara Silver Membership are welcome benefits.
2: Earn six CV Points on every Rs. 200 spent on transactions up to Rs. 1 Lakh in each statement cycle.
3: Earn four CV Points on every Rs. 200 spent on transactions above Rs. 1 Lakh in each statement cycle.
4: Earn one CV Point on every Rs. 200 spent on fuel, insurance, utility bills, rent payments, and wallet load.
5: Get up to five complimentary Premium Economy Class tickets in a year.
6: Receive up to 6,000 bonus CV points upon reaching spending milestones.
7: Enjoy two complimentary visits to domestic airport lounges and spas per quarter*.
8: Avail of one complimentary visit to the international airport lounge per quarter*.
9: Benefit from a low forex markup fee of 2.99%.
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Annual Fee: Rs. 5,000
Renewal Fee: Rs. 5,000
Travel Benefits:
1: Earn 2500 EDGE Miles on your first transaction within 37 days of card setup.
2: Get five EDGE Miles per Rs. 100 spent on the Travel EDGE portal, airline tickets, and hotel bookings.
3: Silver Tier members receive eight domestic and four international lounge visits, plus 2,500 EDGE Miles upon spending Rs. 3 lakhs.
4: Gold Tier members enjoy 12 domestic and six international lounge visits, along with 5,000 EDGE Miles upon spending Rs. 7.5 lakh and airport concierge services.
5: Platinum Tier members are entitled to 18 domestic and 12 international lounge visits, 10,000 EDGE Miles upon spending Rs. 15 lakh, airport concierge services, and two complimentary airport pick-ups.
6: Avail of the dynamic currency conversion facility with a 1% markup fee.
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Annual Fee: Rs. 3,000
Renewal Fee: Rs. 3,000
Travel Benefits:
1: Receive one Complimentary Premium Economy ticket as a welcome benefit.
2: Enjoy a Complimentary Maharaja Club Vistara Silver Membership for the first year.
3: Earn four Maharaja Club Vistara Points for every Rs. 200 spent.
4: Redeem rewards for booking flights and other upgrades
5: Get Bonus CV points and up to four complimentary Premium Economy tickets upon achieving spending milestones.
6: Benefit from a lost card liability cover of up to 100% of the credit limit.
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Annual Fee: Rs. 2,500
Renewal Fee: Rs. 2,500 (Waived off on spending Rs. 3 lakhs in a year)
Travel Benefits:
1: Enjoy a complimentary InterMiles Silver Membership.
2: Receive up to 8,000 bonus InterMiles upon joining.
3: Get a Rs. 750 flight discount voucher for the first year.
4: Obtain a Rs. 2,000 hotel discount voucher for the first year.
5: Earn six InterMiles per Rs. 150 on all spends.
6: Earn 12 InterMiles per Rs. 150 spent on hotel and flight bookings via the InterMiles website.
7: Avail a 5% discount on Etihad Airways Economy Class tickets and a 10% discount on Etihad
8: Airways Business Class tickets booked through the InterMiles website.
9: Receive complimentary Priority Pass Membership with five free visits every year to international lounges.
10: Enjoy 16 free domestic lounge visits under the Visa Lounge Access Program per year (four per quarter).
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Annual Fee: 1,500
Renewal Fee: 1,500
Travel Benefits:
1: Receive a complimentary Indigo Air ticket worth Rs. 3,000 as a welcome gift.
2: Take advantage of 6E Prime add-ons valued at Rs. 1099. Receive help, a free dinner, a preferred seat, and priority check-in.
3: Get access to eight lounges a year, with two every three months.
4: Earn six points on every Rs. 100 spent on Indigo Airlines.
5: Earn three points on every Rs. 100 spent on partner merchants in the dining, grocery, and entertainment categories.
6: Earn two points on every Rs. 100 spent on other categories.
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Joining Fee: Rs. 2,500
Annual Fee: Nil
Travel Benefits:
1: Receive 1,500 My Cash and a MakeMyTrip holiday voucher worth Rs. 2,500 as welcome benefits.
2: Enjoy a complimentary MMTBLACK Exclusive membership.
3: Earn 1.25 My Cash per Rs. 200 spent on domestic transactions outside MakeMyTrip.
4: Earn 1.50 My Cash per Rs. 200 spent on international transactions outside MakeMyTrip.
5: Get two My Cash per Rs. 200 spent on flight bookings via MakeMyTrip.
6: Earn four My Cash per Rs. 200 spent on hotel or holiday bookings via MakeMyTrip.
7: Access one complimentary railway lounge per quarter at participating lounges in India.
8: Receive two complimentary domestic airport lounge accesses by spending Rs. 5,000 in the quarter.
9: Enjoy one international lounge access and one spa session per year at exclusive airports in India through a complimentary Dreamfolks membership.
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Joining Fee: Rs. 12,500
Renewal Fee: Rs. 12,500
Travel Benefits:
1: Enjoy complimentary nights and buffets at participating ITC hotels.
2: Receive a complimentary Club Marriott membership for the first year.
3: Get unlimited access to airport lounges across the globe for the Primary and Add-on members at more than 1000 airports.
4: Earn five Reward Points on spending Rs. 150 per transaction.
5: Access global Personal Concierge services 24/7
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Annual Fee: Rs. 350
Renewal Fee: Rs. 350 (Waived off on spending at least Rs. 50,000 annually)
Travel Benefits:
1: Get a 20% instant discount on domestic and international hotel bookings.
2: Enjoy a 10% instant discount on domestic and international flight bookings.
3: Avail Rs. 125 off on bus ticket bookings.
4: Earn ten reward points on every Rs. 100 spent at standalone airline websites or hotel websites, mobile applications, or outlets, except for any travel aggregators.
5: Each Reward Point is equivalent to Re. 0.25 if redeemed through the Standard Chartered 360 rewards portal.
6: Receive two complimentary domestic lounge visits per calendar year.
7: Enjoy two complimentary international lounge visits per year through Priority Pass.
With so many options available in the market, it can be confusing to find the right credit card. Here, we will talk about a few things that will help you choose the best travel credit card. The first step towards finding the best credit card is to understand your spending habits. It is easier to find a card that suits your lifestyle better when you know exactly what you are looking for.
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If you need to travel frequently for business, free lounge access will be very beneficial. Go for a card that offers access to international or domestic lounges as per your needs.
The number of visits will, however, be limited. So, after you exhaust all the free visits, you will have to pay for the same. But if your card issuer has enrolled you on a lounge access program such as Priority Pass, the same is likely to continue.
For those who wish to travel more, a card with accelerated reward points on travel will help. These cards also come with shopping, dining, and other benefits which enhances the overall card value. Even if you do not use the card for travel often, you can still capitalize on other benefits. And when you use it for travel, it will reward you better.
Card issuers also offer credit cards in association with airlines like Air India and British Airways or travel portals like Yatra, MakeMyTrip, etc.
You should choose these cards only if you are loyal to the said brand and book tickets or holidays quite often. Benefits may come in the form of free tickets on joining or reaching a spending milestone, flat discount with the brand, complimentary travel vouchers or extra reward points.
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Use for Daily Expenses – Credit cards like the SBM Zet Credit Card and Citi PremierMiles provide miles for dining expenses, fuel, or utilities; this way, you earn miles even when you are not traveling.
Take Advantage of Lounge Access – Travelers can save themselves meal and comfort costs in airports by accessing lounges for free through their credit cards.
Go Directly to Airlines – Many credit cards offer bonus miles when you book through the airlines partnered with the credit card instead of booking sites.
Plan Renewals with Incidental Travel – Certain cards offer joining/renewal bonus tickets, vouchers, etc., which is well worth paying the annual fee on those cards if you plan to use them.
Combine Apps & Platforms with Credit Cards – Some cards allow you to stack savings from apps (like Paytm or Zomato) on top of the airlines credit card deal.
Forex Charges – The SBM Zet Credit Card has a low forex charge; this can lead to savings if you need to pay for airline tickets or shop while traveling abroad.
Most credit cards in India affiliated with an airline have certain financial and demographic requirements to apply. While all requirements will differ per financial institution or card issuer, here are the guidelines:
Age: Usually 21 - 60 years for salaried applicants, and up to 65 for self-employed.
Income: Entry-level cards such as SBM's Zet Credit Card have low income restrictions (₹15,000 - ₹25,000 monthly). Premium cards such as Axis's Vistara Infinite may carry a higher requirement (₹9 - ₹12 lakh+ annually).
Credit Score: 700+ is ideal. It is possible to obtain some basic cards with a 650+ credit score.
Employment: Both employed and self-employed can apply; however, documentation supporting steady income will be necessary.
Geographic Restrictions: Some banks issue cards only to applicants located in certain cities.
Comparison Table: Miles, Fees & Perks At a Glance
Credit Card: SBM Zet Credit Card
Annual/Joining Fee: ₹0 joining, low annual
Miles/Rewards Earning Rate: Miles/rewards on flights, dining & utilities
Key Travel Perks: Low forex markup, utility + travel balance
Lounge Access: Yes (domestic)
Credit Card: Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card
Annual/Joining Fee: ₹4,999
Miles/Rewards Earning Rate: 6 CV points per ₹200 on Vistara spends
Key Travel Perks: Free premium economy tickets, tier upgrades
Lounge Access: Yes
Credit Card: Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card
Annual/Joining Fee: ₹5,000
Miles/Rewards Earning Rate: 5 Edge Miles per ₹100 on travel
Key Travel Perks: Miles transferable to 20+ partners
Lounge Access: Yes (domestic + international)
Credit Card: Axis Bank Vistara Signature Credit Card
Annual/Joining Fee: ₹3,000
Miles/Rewards Earning Rate: 4 CV points per ₹200 on Vistara spends
Key Travel Perks: Complimentary flight tickets
Lounge Access: Yes
Credit Card: InterMiles HDFC Signature Credit Card
Annual/Joining Fee: ₹2,500
Miles/Rewards Earning Rate: 8 InterMiles per ₹150 on flights
Key Travel Perks: Hotel & dining privileges, 5% off flight bookings
Lounge Access: Yes
Credit Card: Kotak IndiGo Ka-ching 6E Rewards XL
Annual/Joining Fee: ₹2,500
Miles/Rewards Earning Rate: 6E rewards on IndiGo tickets & spends
Key Travel Perks: Free add-on cards, IndiGo flight vouchers
Lounge Access: Yes
Credit Card: MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card
Annual/Joining Fee: ₹2,500
Miles/Rewards Earning Rate: 1 MyCash on domestic, 1.25 on international spends
Key Travel Perks: Discounts on MMT bookings, free movie tickets
Lounge Access: Yes
Credit Card: HDFC Bank Infinia Metal Edition
Annual/Joining Fee: ₹12,500
Miles/Rewards Earning Rate: 5 reward points per ₹150 (transferable to miles)
Key Travel Perks: Unlimited lounge access, concierge services
Lounge Access: Yes (unlimited)
Credit Card: Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card
Annual/Joining Fee: ₹350
Miles/Rewards Earning Rate: 10X rewards on EaseMyTrip bookings
Key Travel Perks: Instant discounts on flights/hotels
Lounge Access: Yes (limited)
Most rewards cards, including airline credit cards, require good or excellent credit for approval (credit score starting at 670 in the FICO Scoring model). If your credit isn't quite there yet, consider travel cards without annual fees. These cards offer fewer benefits but may be available to someone with fair or average credit.
Each issuer determines its standards of approval, usually based on your creditworthiness. If an issuer requires you to have excellent credit, high income, and pay a high annual fee, the bar for approval will be higher than for a card without such stringent requirements.
The number of miles you need for a free flight varies based on the airline flown, type of miles, starting and ending destination, date of travel, class of service, and other factors. It's possible to find free flights for as few as 5,000 miles, but it could cost 100,000 miles or more for first-class seats on long international trips.
It can be difficult to get an airline credit card if you have bad credit. While there’s no guarantee you won’t qualify, we find that travel rewards cards typically have more strict application requirements than other kinds of personal credit cards.
If you’re a frequent flyer, you might want to consider applying for an airline credit card. You can typically use the points or miles you earn with an airline credit card to book reward flights.
This varies by card. Citibank's Citi PremierMiles earns points that you can transfer to multiple airlines, whereas cards tied to a single airline (such as Air India SBI Card) do not allow transfer of your accrued points. Finally, the more general category cards such as the SBM Zet Credit Card earns points that can be redeemed for travel in general, making it more flexible.
Many cards like the SBM Zet Credit Card reward not only flight bookings but also other daily categories like fuel, groceries, and utility bills. These cards can be valuable even when you’re not travelling frequently.
The validity of the points depends on the loyalty programme; points in some programmes might expire within 2-3 years, while others might permit indefinite validity so long as your account remains active, as always look at the specific terms of your programme.
No, airline credit cards will affect your CIBIL score the same way as regular or cashback cards. If you pay back everything on time then your CIBIL score will likely increase, but defaults or increased credit consumption will negatively impact it. Cards like the SBM Zet Credit Card also benefit beginners by helping them build their credit while getting other travel perks.
Build and Maintain a 750+ Credit Score
