Best travel & lounge credit cards in India
Travel cards bundle airport-lounge access, lower foreign-exchange markup and travel reward points or miles. The higher annual fee only pays off if you fly often. Pick this category if you fly often and want lounge access and low forex markup.
By NexMaxo Editorial Team · Terms verified June 2026 · confirm before applying
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Terms verified June 2026against each issuer's official page. Banks revise fees and rewards often — we've reflected 2026 revisions where issuers made them — so always confirm the current terms on the card's official page (linked under each card) before you apply.
Travel & lounge credit cards compared
9 cards we cover for this use case.
| Card | Network | Annual fee | Headline benefit | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDFC Bank Regalia Gold Credit CardHDFC Bank | Visa / Mastercard | ₹2,500 + GST (waived on ₹4L annual spend) | Domestic & international airport-lounge access plus 5X points at select brands. | Apply |
| Scapia Federal Bank Credit CardFederal Bank | Visa | Nil — lifetime-free | Zero forex markup plus 10–20% Scapia Coins on spends — and it's lifetime-free. | Apply |
| American Express Platinum Travel Credit CardAmerican Express | American Express | ₹5,000 + GST (no spend-based waiver) | Milestone travel vouchers (up to a ₹10,000 Taj voucher at ₹7L spend) plus lounge access. | Apply |
| SBI Card PRIMESBI Card | Visa / Mastercard / RuPay / American Express | ₹2,999 + GST joining and ₹2,999 + GST annual/renewal (renewal fee waived on ₹3 lakh annual spend) | 10 Reward Points per ₹100 on dining, groceries, movies and departmental stores (1 RP = ₹0.25, so ~2.5% value) plus ₹3,000 welcome voucher. | Apply |
| SBI Card ELITESBI Card | Visa / Mastercard / RuPay / American Express | ₹4,999 + GST joining and renewal; renewal fee waived on annual spends of ₹10 lakh or more | Welcome e-gift voucher worth ₹5,000 (offsets the first-year fee) plus up to 50,000 bonus Reward Points per year via spend milestones. | Apply |
| RBL Bank World Safari Credit CardRBL Bank | Mastercard | ₹3,000 + GST joining and annual/renewal fee (no spend-based waiver) | 0% forex markup on all foreign currency spends (saves ~3.5% + GST vs typical cards) | Apply |
| BOBCARD Etihad Guest Credit CardBOBCARD (Bank of Baroda) | Visa | ₹2,500 + GST joining and annual fee (annual fee waived on ₹3 lakh annual spend) | 3 Etihad Guest Miles per ₹100 on Etihad Airways spends (1 mile per ₹100 on everything else), with a low 1% foreign-currency markup. | Apply |
| IRCTC RBL Bank Credit CardRBL Bank | RuPay | ₹500 + GST joining fee; ₹500 + GST annual/renewal fee (no spend-based waiver advertised) | 5 Reward Points per ₹200 on IRCTC train ticket bookings (1 RP = ₹1 on IRCTC), i.e. ~2.5% value back on rail tickets. | Apply |
| Federal Bank Celesta Credit CardFederal Bank | Visa / Mastercard | Nil joining + Nil annual fee (lifetime free; limited-period offer, no spend waiver needed) | 3X reward points per ₹100 on travel and international spends, plus 2 free international airport lounge visits per year with no spend condition | Apply |
Each card in detail
HDFC Bank Regalia Gold Credit Card
HDFC Bank · Visa / Mastercard
Frequent flyers who want lounge access plus accelerated shopping rewards.
Domestic & international airport-lounge access plus 5X points at select brands.
- Complimentary domestic and international airport-lounge visits
- 5X reward points at Myntra, Nykaa, Reliance Digital & M&S (cap 5,000 RP/mo)
- ₹2,500 joining fee offset by a ₹2,500 welcome voucher
- Reward rate
- ~1.25% base (5 RP/₹200, from May 2026); 5X at select brands
- Annual fee
- ₹2,500 + GST (waived on ₹4L annual spend)
- Eligibility
- Salaried ₹1L+/mo (21–60); self-employed ITR ≥₹18L (21–65)
Scapia Federal Bank Credit Card
Federal Bank · Visa · Lifetime-free
Travellers who want zero forex markup and lounge access at no annual fee.
Zero forex markup plus 10–20% Scapia Coins on spends — and it's lifetime-free.
- Lifetime-free — ₹0 joining and ₹0 annual fee (Federal Bank Key Fact Sheet)
- Zero foreign-exchange markup on international spends
- 20% Scapia Coins on in-app travel, 10% on other spends (5 coins = ₹1); domestic lounge access
- Reward rate
- 20% coins on in-app travel, 10% other (5 coins = ₹1); 0% forex
- Annual fee
- Nil — lifetime-free
- Eligibility
- 21–65 yrs (salaried) / 25–65 (self-employed); resident Indian
American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card
American Express · American Express
Higher spenders who hit annual milestones for travel vouchers.
Milestone travel vouchers (up to a ₹10,000 Taj voucher at ₹7L spend) plus lounge access.
- Milestone bonuses: 7,500 pts at ₹1.9L, 10,000 at ₹4L, 22,500 pts + ₹10,000 Taj voucher at ₹7L
- Complimentary airport-lounge visits
- 1 Membership Rewards point per ₹50 base spend
- Reward rate
- 1 MR pt/₹50 base; milestone bonuses at ₹1.9L / ₹4L / ₹7L annual spend
- Annual fee
- ₹5,000 + GST (no spend-based waiver)
- Eligibility
- 18+ yrs; annual income ₹6L+; resident Indian
SBI Card PRIME
SBI Card · Visa / Mastercard / RuPay / American Express
Mid-to-high spenders who put ₹3L+/year through one card and want lounge access plus strong dining/grocery rewards and milestone vouchers.
10 Reward Points per ₹100 on dining, groceries, movies and departmental stores (1 RP = ₹0.25, so ~2.5% value) plus ₹3,000 welcome voucher.
- 10 RP/₹100 on dining, groceries, movies and departmental stores; 2 RP/₹100 elsewhere (1 RP = ₹0.25)
- 8 complimentary domestic + 4 international Priority Pass lounge visits/year (capped 2/quarter each)
- Milestone vouchers: ₹1,000 Pizza Hut e-voucher on ₹50,000 quarterly spend + ₹7,000 Yatra/Pantaloons voucher on ₹5L annual spend
- Reward rate
- 10 RP/₹100 on dining, groceries, movies and departmental stores; 2 RP/₹100 on all other spends; 1 RP = ₹0.25 (accelerated points reportedly capped ~7,500 RP/month)
- Annual fee
- ₹2,999 + GST joining and ₹2,999 + GST annual/renewal (renewal fee waived on ₹3 lakh annual spend)
- Eligibility
- Age approx 18-80 years; income criteria not officially published (aggregator-sourced, approx)
SBI Card ELITE
SBI Card · Visa / Mastercard / RuPay / American Express
Frequent travellers and entertainment spenders with ₹60k+ monthly income who want lounge access, milestone bonus points and a movie benefit, and can absorb the ₹4,999 fee against the ₹5,000 welcome voucher.
Welcome e-gift voucher worth ₹5,000 (offsets the first-year fee) plus up to 50,000 bonus Reward Points per year via spend milestones.
- Up to 50,000 bonus Reward Points/year on milestones (10k each at ₹3L & ₹4L spend, 15k each at ₹5L & ₹8L)
- Complimentary Priority Pass: 6 international lounge visits/year (max 2/quarter) + 8 domestic lounge visits/year
- 5X Reward Points (10 RP/₹100) on dining, groceries & departmental stores, capped 10,000 RP/month; 2 free BookMyShow tickets/month (up to ₹250 each)
- Reward rate
- 2 RP per ₹100 base (~0.5%); 5X = 10 RP per ₹100 on dining/grocery/departmental stores (~2.5%, cap 10,000 RP/month); 1 RP = ₹0.25 (4 RP = ₹1)
- Annual fee
- ₹4,999 + GST joining and renewal; renewal fee waived on annual spends of ₹10 lakh or more
- Eligibility
- Approx age 21-70 years; minimum income approx ₹60,000/month (aggregator-sourced)
RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card
RBL Bank · Mastercard
Frequent international travellers who want zero forex markup plus Priority Pass lounge access and travel-category accelerated rewards.
0% forex markup on all foreign currency spends (saves ~3.5% + GST vs typical cards)
- 0% forex markup on all international transactions
- 5 Travel Points/₹100 on travel spends; 2 RP/₹100 on other domestic retail (1 RP = ₹0.25)
- 2 international lounge visits/yr via Priority Pass + 2 domestic lounge visits/quarter on ₹35,000 prior-quarter spend
- Reward rate
- 5 RP/₹100 on travel; 2 RP/₹100 on other domestic retail; no points on international spends; 1 RP = ₹0.25. Milestone bonuses: 10,000 RP at ₹2.5L, 15,000 RP at ₹5L, ₹10,000 voucher at ₹7.5L annual spend.
- Annual fee
- ₹3,000 + GST joining and annual/renewal fee (no spend-based waiver)
- Eligibility
- approx 21+ years; salaried or self-employed with stable income (specific income figure not published by issuer)
BOBCARD Etihad Guest Credit Card
BOBCARD (Bank of Baroda) · Visa
Frequent Etihad Airways flyers who want a lower-fee co-branded card that earns Etihad Guest Miles on every spend plus international lounge access and a low 1% forex markup.
3 Etihad Guest Miles per ₹100 on Etihad Airways spends (1 mile per ₹100 on everything else), with a low 1% foreign-currency markup.
- 3 Etihad Guest Miles/₹100 on Etihad spends; 1 mile/₹100 on all other domestic and international spends
- 8 domestic (2/quarter) + 4 international (1/quarter) complimentary lounge visits per year
- Low 1% forex markup; complimentary Etihad Guest Silver tier on first transaction within 6 months
- Reward rate
- 3 Etihad Guest Miles per ₹100 on Etihad Airways spends; 1 mile per ₹100 on all other domestic and international spends. Welcome: base 2,500 miles, plus a limited-time offer (until 30 Jun 2026) of up to 7,500 bonus miles (5,000 on ₹25,000 + 2,500 on ₹50,000 spend within 60 days).
- Annual fee
- ₹2,500 + GST joining and annual fee (annual fee waived on ₹3 lakh annual spend)
- Eligibility
- Age approx 21-60 years; minimum income approx ₹18 lakh per annum (aggregator-sourced); salaried or self-employed Indian residents
IRCTC RBL Bank Credit Card
RBL Bank · RuPay
Frequent train travellers who book on the IRCTC website/app and want railway-lounge access plus a transaction-charge waiver on rail tickets.
5 Reward Points per ₹200 on IRCTC train ticket bookings (1 RP = ₹1 on IRCTC), i.e. ~2.5% value back on rail tickets.
- 5 RP per ₹200 on IRCTC train tickets; 3 RP/₹200 on FASTag/NCMC recharge; 2 RP/₹200 on IRCTC flights & hotels; 1 RP/₹200 on other spends (1 RP = ₹1 on IRCTC)
- 8 complimentary IRCTC Executive railway lounge visits per year (max 2 per quarter, primary cardholder only; guests chargeable)
- 1% IRCTC train-booking transaction-charge waiver on transactions up to ₹5,000, capped at ₹200/month (reversed in next statement)
- Reward rate
- 5 RP/₹200 on IRCTC train tickets; 3 RP/₹200 on FASTag/NCMC; 2 RP/₹200 on IRCTC flights/hotels/tourism; 1 RP/₹200 on other select spends. 1 RP = ₹1 when redeemed on IRCTC.
- Annual fee
- ₹500 + GST joining fee; ₹500 + GST annual/renewal fee (no spend-based waiver advertised)
- Eligibility
- approx: salaried/self-employed adults (age ~21-65); specific minimum income not published by RBL/aggregators
Federal Bank Celesta Credit Card
Federal Bank · Visa / Mastercard · Lifetime-free
Frequent travellers who want a lifetime-free premium card with international lounge access and accelerated rewards on travel and dining, especially existing Federal Bank account holders.
3X reward points per ₹100 on travel and international spends, plus 2 free international airport lounge visits per year with no spend condition
- 3X reward points per ₹100 on travel/international and 2X on dining (1 RP = ₹0.25); ₹99 + GST per redemption
- 2 international lounge visits/year (no spend) + 2 domestic visits/quarter on ₹60,000 spend in the prior quarter
- Lifetime free (no joining or annual fee), 1% fuel surcharge waiver and 2% forex markup; ₹600 Amazon Pay voucher on ₹10,000 spend in 30 days
- Reward rate
- 3 RP/₹100 on travel & international, 2 RP/₹100 on dining, 1 RP/₹100 on other spends; 1 RP = ₹0.25 (₹99 + GST redemption fee)
- Annual fee
- Nil joining + Nil annual fee (lifetime free; limited-period offer, no spend waiver needed)
- Eligibility
- Age 18-70; approx net monthly income ₹30,000+ (Visa) / ₹25,000+ (Mastercard); existing Federal Bank savings account typically required (aggregator-sourced)
How we'll rank these
We rank cards by genuine reader benefit for this use case — the real value after the annual fee, the cap on bonus rewards, and how easily you qualify — never by any commission. Every figure is taken from, and linked to, the issuer's official page and dated. We don't publish star ratings we can't defend. Our methodology · editorial policy.
How to choose a travel & lounge card
Travel cards bundle airport-lounge access, a lower foreign-exchange markup and travel reward points or miles. The higher annual fee only pays off if you actually fly and spend overseas. Lounge access via a card is separate from a Priority Pass, and forex markup (often 1.5–3.5%) quietly adds up on overseas spends — a card that cuts it can save more than the rewards do.
Other credit-card categories
Best travel & lounge credit cards — FAQs
Many travel cards include a set number of complimentary domestic (and sometimes international) lounge visits per quarter or year, often requiring a small spend in the prior period. The exact count and conditions vary by card — confirm them on the issuer's page, as terms change frequently.
Forex (foreign-exchange) markup is a fee — often 1.5–3.5% — added to every transaction made in a foreign currency or on overseas websites. A card with low or zero forex markup can save more on international spends than its reward points do, so it matters a lot for frequent travellers.
Usually not. Travel cards carry higher annual fees justified by lounge access, miles and forex savings — benefits you only realise by travelling. If you fly once or twice a year, a lifetime-free or cashback card is typically a better fit.
This is an informational comparison, not financial advice or a recommendation to apply for any specific card. Card terms change frequently — always confirm the current fees, reward rates and eligibility on the card's official page before applying. Using credit responsibly and paying in full avoids interest charges.