Best Travel Credit Cards
8 cards
Earn air miles, hotel points, and get lounge access. Ideal for frequent flyers and business travellers.
Lifetime Free
Zero Forex Markup
Pros
- 0% Forex Markup — saves ₹3,500+ on every lakh spent abroad
- FD-backed with guaranteed approval
Cons
- Credit limit is 100% tied to the FD amount blocked
- Requires locking funds in a fixed deposit
Lifetime Free
Zero Forex + ~2% effective value (10 Scapia Coins per ₹100)
Pros
- 0% Forex Markup on all international transactions
- Dual setup: Visa for global travel, RuPay for 5% rewards on UPI/offline spends of ₹500+
Cons
- Lounge access requires ₹20,000 combined spend in the previous month (doubled from ₹10,000 in February 2026)
- Scapia Coins cannot be converted to statement cash
₹10,000 (Waived on ₹8L spend)
10X on SmartBuy (capped at 75K points/month)
Pros
- Unlimited global lounge access via Diners Club network
- Outstanding milestone benefits on annual spends
Cons
- Diners Club network acceptance is lower than Visa/Mastercard offline in India
- High ₹8L annual spend requirement for fee waiver (Standard variant no longer open for new applications)
₹10,000 + GST (First-year & subsequent)
1 MR per ₹50 (~0.8-1% via airline/hotel transfers) + Hotel privileges
Pros
- Privileged rates and benefits at Taj, SeleQtions, and Vivanta Hotels
- Complimentary domestic airport lounge access across India
Cons
- ₹10,000 + GST annual fee with no spend-based waiver
- Amex acceptance still limited at smaller offline merchants in India
₹3,000 + taxes (No waiver under any condition)
Bonvoy Points
Pros
- Annual free night award (up to 15,000 points) easily offsets the ₹3,000 fee
- 12 domestic + 12 international lounge visits per year
Cons
- Bonvoy points strictly locked to the Marriott ecosystem
- Annual fee not waivable under any condition — no spend-based waiver exists
Lifetime Free (official fee ₹999 + GST waived via ixigo app channel)
5 RP per ₹200 (~0.6-1.25% depending on redemption route)
Pros
- 0% forex markup on all international transactions — saves ~4.13% vs standard cards for overseas spend
- 8 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits/year (2/quarter) on ₹50,000+ quarterly spend
Cons
- April 2026 devaluation: all domestic spends now earn a flat 5 RP per ₹200 — eliminated higher rates for ixigo bookings specifically
- Zero rewards on international transactions (post-April 2026) — 0% forex saves money but earns nothing
₹4,999 + GST (Waived on ₹8L spend)
4X on Travel & Forex
Pros
- 1:1 transfers to 15 airline partners (Air India, Singapore Airlines, BA Avios, Qatar, Etihad, Japan Airlines, and more) via the HSBC app
- 4 RP per ₹100 on flights, travel portals, and forex (2X on all other spends)
Cons
- High forex markup of 3.5% + GST (~4.13%) despite being a travel card
- Accelerated travel rewards capped at 50,000 points per month
₹3,500 + GST; Joining ₹6,500 + GST (Waived on ₹6L annual spend)
2 RP per ₹100 domestic (0.5% value)
Pros
- 4 domestic lounge visits per quarter + 2 international visits per year via DreamFolks
- 4X reward points on international spends (4 RP per ₹100, worth 1% back)
Cons
- Domestic lounge access requires ₹75,000 spend in the previous calendar quarter to unlock
- Low domestic reward rate — 2 RP per ₹100 at ₹0.25/point is just 0.5% back
How to choose a travel credit card
Travel credit cards reward flights, hotels, and lounge access. The best Indian travel cards either offer zero or low forex markup for international spending, transfer reward points 1:1 to airline frequent-flyer programs, or grant complimentary lounge visits worth far more than the annual fee.
What to look for
Forex markup. Standard cards charge 3.5% + GST (~4.13%). Zero-forex cards like IDFC FIRST WOW or Scapia Federal save ₹4,100+ per ₹1L spent abroad. Magnus has 2%, Diners Black has 3.5% — read carefully.
Lounge access caps. Many "complimentary" lounges have hidden spend triggers — Scapia needs ₹20K previous-month spend, ICICI Coral needs ₹75K quarterly. Marriott Bonvoy and Diners Black give unconditional unlimited access; most others have strings.
Airmile transfer ratios. HSBC TravelOne transfers 1:1 to 15 airline partners (as of mid-2026; partner lists change — verify the current roster). Axis Magnus halved its EDGE Miles transfer ratios in 2024 (5:4 → 5:2). Verify the current ratio and partner list before applying — devaluations are frequent.
Hotel co-brand vs generic. Marriott Bonvoy HDFC gives a free night yearly that easily covers the fee, but only inside Marriott. Generic cards like Diners Black let you redeem flexibly. Pick co-brand only if you stay loyal.
Who should get one
Get a travel card if you take at least one international trip a year or rack up significant domestic flight spend. For occasional international use, IDFC Wow (lifetime free, zero forex) is the no-brainer; for frequent travel, Marriott Bonvoy or HSBC TravelOne pay for themselves.
Skip if you travel rarely. The annual fees on real travel cards (₹3,000+) only make sense if you use the lounge / hotel night / transfer benefits at least 3-4 times a year. A lifetime-free general card serves better otherwise.