Best credit cards for domestic travel

Amid a considerable rise in the number of domestic travel in India, several banks in the country have launched co-branded credit cards designed specially to cater to the needs of frequent flyers in India. In this guide, we list seven credit cards ideal for domestic travel in India.

See also: Best fuel credit cards in India in 2023

Air India SBI Platinum

Fee

Annual fee: Rs 1,499

Renewal fee: Rs 1,499

Features

• Get 5,000 reward points as a welcome gift on the payment of your joining fee
• Get complimentary membership to the Air India Frequent Flyer Program
• Get 2 reward points for every Rs 100 spent
• Get upto 15,000 bonus points annually
• Earn upto 15 points for every Rs 100 spent on Air India tickets booked through airindia.com, airindia mobile app.
• 15 points when booked for self and 5 points when booked for others.
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver across all petrol pumps
• 8 complimentary visits per year to domestic VISA lounges in India

Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card

Fee

Annual fee: Rs 350

Renewal fee: Rs 350

Features

• 10x rewards on every Rs 100 spent at standalone hotel and airline websites/apps/outlets.
• 20% & 10% instant discount on hotel and flight bookings, respectively, at EaseMyTrip website/app
• Free lounge access for 1 domestic per calendar quarter and 2 international per year
• Rs 125 off on bus ticket bookings (on minimum ticket booking of Rs 500)
• Annual fee of Rs 350 waived on spends of Rs 50,000 or more on Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card in the previous year

Axis Bank Vistara Credit Card

Fee

Joining fee: Rs 3,000

Annual fee: Rs 3,000

Features

• Complimentary premium economy ticket and complimentary Club Vistara Silver membership
• 4 Club Vistara points for every Rs 200 spent on Axis Bank Vistara Signature Credit Card
• 3,000 bonus points and up to 4 premium economy tickets in a year
• Complimentary lounge access at select airports across India
• Discount of minimum 15% at over 5,000 restaurants across the country with Axis Bank Dining Delights

HDFC Bank Regalia Credit Card     

Fee

Annual fee: Rs 2,500

Renewal fee: Rs 2,500

Annual fee waived if total annual spends for last year over Rs 3 lakh

Features

• 12 complimentary airport lounge access within India and 6 outside India
• Bonus 10,000 reward points on Rs 5 lakh spends and additional 5,000  reward points on Rs 8 lakh spends in an anniversary year
• Earn 4 reward points on every Rs 150 spent
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations across India
• Get up to 20% savings on all your restaurant bill payments via Swiggy Dineout at over 20,000 restaurants
• Accidental air death cover worth Rs 1 crore
• Emergency overseas hospitalization: up to Rs 15 lakhs
• Lost Card Liability Cover of up to Rs 9 lakh

MMT ICICI Signature Credit Card

Fee

Joining fee: Rs 2,500

Annual fee: None

Features

• Rs 1,500 My Cash (100% usable MakeMyTrip cash in My Wallet)
• MakeMyTrip Holiday Voucher worth Rs 2,500
• Complimentary MMTBLACK Exclusive membership
• 5% additional discount on select participating hotels, applicable over and above other discounts
• Cash worth Re 0.5 for every Rs 100 spent on flight bookings and My Cash worth Re 1 for every Rs 100 spent on all other bookings

IRCTC SBI Platinum Card 

Fee

Annual fee: Rs 500

Renewal fee: Rs 300

Features

• Up to 10% value back as reward points on ticket booking for AC1, AC2, AC3 and AC CC on IRCTC website and mobile app
• 350 activation bonus reward points on single transaction of Rs 500 or more within 45 days of card issuance
• 1 reward point for every Rs 125 spent on non-fuel retail purchases, including railway ticket purchase
• 1% transaction charge waiver on railway ticket bookings
• 4 complimentary railway lounge access in a year to participating lounges in India (max 1 per quarter)
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver across all petrol pumps in India, on transactions of Rs 500-Rs 3,000

Club Vistara IndusInd Bank Explorer Credit Card

Fee

Joining fee: Rs 40,000

Annual fee: Rs 10,000

Features

• 6 points for every Rs 200 spent on hotels/airline/travel spends
• 8 points for every Rs 200 spent on Vistara spends
• 1 point for every Rs 200 spent on utility, insurance, government payment, fuel
• 4 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits (1 per quarter)
• 2 complimentary tickets every month on www.bookmyshow.com. Each ticket is capped at Rs 700
• Zero Foreign Currency Mark-Up charges
• Complimentary business class ticket voucher
• Rs 3,000 off on total bill amount twice a year
• Complimentary Club Vistara Gold Tier membership
• 1 Oberoi Hotel & Resorts Gift Voucher or Luxe Gift Card worth Rs 25,000 or Vouchagram Gift Vouchers worth Rs 25,000