Tourists and frequent travellers increasingly realise that access to airport lounge credit cards is essential when travel costs can increase quickly. With all the perks—free spa treatments and lounge access, for example—these credit cards might enable customers to reduce their travel-related costs significantly. Benefits from top 5 credit card issuers like Kotak Mahindra Bank, SBI Cards, HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank let travellers enjoy an opulent and hassle-free vacation without going over budget. This article reviews the best credit cards with free club and lounge access and their unique features and capacity to improve travellers’ travel experiences.
Dive into the World of Free Lounge Access Credit Cards
SBI Elite Credit Card
Joining Fee: Rs. 4,999
Annual Fee: Rs. 4,999
Ranked among the leading credit cards in India that offer access to airport lounges, the SBI Elite Credit Card provides a wide range of benefits in various areas. This card offers convenient access to local and international lounges, a competitive 1.99% foreign currency mark-up fee, and a generous reward rate. The card’s benefits outweigh its annual cost of Rs. 4,999 if fully utilised. This credit card offers exclusive lounge access and comes with a range of impressive features and benefits, including:
Features & Benefits
The SBI Elite Credit Card offers a variety of features and benefits, including lounge access.
- Presenting a $99 Priority Pass Membership as a gift.
- Enjoy six complimentary trips to international lounges, with a maximum of two visits per quarter.
- Enjoy complimentary access to two domestic lounges every quarter.
Additional Benefits:
- Receive a generous welcome gift voucher worth 5,000 rupees.
- Enjoy a complimentary membership with Club Vistara and earn 5X points on your purchases at department stores, grocery stores, and restaurants.
- Receive complimentary cinema tickets worth 6,000 rupees annually.
- Receive up to 50,000 extra reward points each year.
HDFC Diners Club Privilege Credit Card
Joining Fee: Rs. 2,500
Annual Fee: Rs. 2,500 (Waived off on spending Rs. 3 lakh in the previous year)
Like a top-performing investment banker, the HDFC Diners Club Privilege Credit Card provides a range of incentives in several areas, including rewards, travel and shopping. The card links Diners Club to its lounge access benefits. If you want a credit card with many features and big rewards at a reasonable annual cost, this one with lounge access is among the best.
Features & Benefits:
The benefits and advantages of lounge access offered by the HDFC Diners Club Privilege Credit Card
- Enjoy access to over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide, including in India.
- Receive 12 complimentary visits to domestic and international airport lounges annually.
- Additional cardholders can also benefit from free lounge visits.
Additional Benefits:
- Enjoy complimentary annual subscriptions to Ola Cabs, TataCLiQ, BookMyShow, cult.fit, and Amazon Prime. Also, take advantage of MMT BLACK, Times Prime, and Dineout Passport Vouchers. Continue striving to meet your monthly expenditure goals.
- For every Rs. 150 spent across all categories, you’ll earn4 reward points.
- Enjoy up to 10X rewards on SmartBuy purchases and treat yourself to 2 complimentary golf games at prestigious golf facilities worldwide every quarter.
Axis Bank Select Credit Card
Joining Fee: Rs. 3,000 (Nil for Burgundy Clients)
Annual Fee: Rs. 3,000
Every purchase you make earns you reward points; when you reach specific spending targets, you’ll earn even more points. At Rs. 3,000 (complimentary for Burgundy clients), this credit card is a competitively priced option among those that offer access to international lounges.
Features & Benefits:
The Axis Bank Select Credit Card offers a range of features and benefits, including lounge access:
- Get a complimentary membership to Priority Pass.
- Enjoy6 complimentary trips to international lounges each year (you can receive an additional 6 visits with an annual expenditure of more than Rs. 3 lakh).
- Enjoy complimentary access to two domestic airport lounges every quarter.
Additional Benefits:
- Get 2,000 rupees in EDGE reward points when you purchase your first card within 30 days.
- Enjoy a 20% discount, up to Rs. 500 monthly. With a minimum purchase of Rs. 3,000 on BigBasket, you can enjoy a 40% discount.
- Similarly, when you spend a minimum of Rs. 1,000 on Swiggy, you can avail of a discount of 40%.
- Earn ten Axis EDGE reward points for every 200 rupees spent, with the bonus of double points for in-store purchases.
- Receive 6 complimentary golf rounds annually, with an additional six rounds available if you achieved a spending of Rs. 3 lakh in the previous year.
SBI Prime Credit Card
Joining Fee: Rs. 2,999
Annual Fee: Rs. 2,999 (Waived off on spending Rs. 3 lakh in a year)
One of India’s top credit cards for airport lounge access is the SBI Prime Credit Card, which offers both domestic and international lounge access. In addition, every Rs. 100 spent with this card earns you up to 10 reward points. At an annual cost of Rs. 2,999, this card provides an array of travel perks, including complimentary Club Vistara Silver Membership, Trident Privilege Red Tier Membership, and more. The card’s milestone perks are truly impressive.
Features & Benefits:
- Advantages and Features of SBI Prime Credit Card Lounge Access:
- Enjoy four complimentary trips (up to two per quarter) to International Priority Pass Lounges outside India.
- Enjoy eight complimentary domestic lounge visits annually, with two quarterly trips available.
Additional Benefits:
Enjoy a generous 3,000 rupee welcome e-gift card from our esteemed partner brands.
For every Rs. 100 spent, you will earn two reward points.
With every Rs. 100 spent on food, groceries, department stores, and movies, you earn 10 reward points.
Receive 1,000 Pizza Hut coupons as a reward for spending Rs. 50,000 a quarter.
With an annual expenditure of Rs. 5 lakh, you can receive 7,000 rupees worth of Yatra or Pantaloons coupons.
HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card
Joining Fee: Rs. 2,500
Annual Fee: Rs. 2,500 (waived off on spending Rs. 4 lakh in a year)
Along with dining, shopping, and travel privileges, the HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card provides lounge access for primary and supplemental cardholders. You may use your earned reward points as you see fit. This includes booking travel, perusing the Gold Catalogue only available to members, or turning them into Air Miles. With a foreign currency markup fee of only 2%, this card is more affordable than most others, which charge a standard 3.5%. Given all of its benefits, we heartily endorse this credit card for use in international lounges:
Features & Benefits:
Get exclusive lounge access with the HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card:
- Customers with primary and add-on cards can enjoy 6 free annual Priority Pass airport lounge visits outside India.
- To qualify, you must use your card for at least four purchases.
- Yearly, enjoy 12 complimentary airport lounge visits in India.
Additional Benefits:
- Spending Rs. 1 lakh during the first 90 days will get you free Club Vistara Silver Tier and MMT Black Elite memberships. Moreover, you will get a gift card worth Rs. 2,500 after you pay the membership fee.
- For every Rs. 150 spent on retail purchases—including utilities, insurance, and education—earn 4 reward points.
- Earn 20 reward points for every Rs. 150 purchased at Myntra, Marks & Spencer, Reliance Digital, or Nykaa.
- Dine out with Swiggy and save up to 20%.
- Upon completing quarterly purchases totalling Rs. 1.5 lakh, get exclusive coupons from well-known companies like Marriott, Myntra, Marks & Spencer, or Reliance Digital.
- Consumers who make annual purchases of Rs. 5 lakh and Rs. 7.5 lakh may also get aeroplane tickets worth Rs. 5,000 apiece.
How to Apply for Airport Lounge Access Credit Cards
Card networks with airport lounge access schemes include Visa, Mastercard, Rupay, American Express, and Discover. These schemes allow participants to enter airport lounges for free. Credit card holders may enter international lounges through agreements with companies like Priority Pass, Lounge Key, and Dream Folks.
If your credit card offers that benefit, you can enjoy free entrance to various participating lounges. To finish the transaction, show the agent your credit card and boarding pass; they will swipe it for you. Occasionally, a small charge may occur, but you will receive a refund later.
FAQs:
Q. How do I check airport lounge access on a credit cards?
A. Find out if your card permits lounge access by looking at its features and benefits on the issuer’s website or in the feature paper that came with it. Please confirm the list of approved lounges before visiting any airport lounge, as they cannot offer free admission. This information will also be available on the issuer’s website.
Q. Which credit card gives unlimited lounge access?
A. Premium credit cards often provide unlimited lounge access. However, only some are eligible for these cards. Before applying, consider the many benefits and qualifying standards of a premium credit card and the significantly higher annual fee associated with credit cards.
Q. Can someone else use my credit card to access the airport lounge?
A. No, most cards only provide free entry to the lounge to primary cardholders. Even if your card permits add-on cardholders to access it, you still need to carry the add-on card to gain free access.
Conclusion
The ease of obtaining free airport lounge access credit cards has fundamentally altered how people travel. These cards enable travellers to enjoy unparalleled luxury and convenience, whether playing golf, getting a spa treatment, or relaxing in airport lounges. ICICI, HDFC, SBI, and Kotak Mahindra are a few of the respectable banks whose cards customers may utilise to fit their budget and desire for travel. Every trip becomes more pleasurable and memorable for those fully utilising these credit card benefits.
