Fly High in Style: India’s Top 10 Credit Cards For Airport Lounge Access

Summary

Nowadays most credit cards offer airport lounge access, leaving you with a bit of a challenge to choose the right card that will cater to your requirements.  Here, we have listed some of the best credit cards that offer free international lounge access.

Who wouldn't desire a comfortable travel experience with access to the finest airport services available today? There's no better way to elevate your journey than by indulging in the comfort and sophistication of an airport lounge. The great news is that many credit cards now offer complimentary airport lounge access. Yet, with so many cards extending this benefit, selecting the ideal card can be a bit of a puzzle. Take a glance at the following list to determine which one suits you best. 

Best credit cards that offer domestic and international airport lounge access

Below is the list of the best credit cards in India, listed in order of lowest to highest annual fee.

1 Credit card: YES FIRST Preferred credit card

Annual fee (exclusive of taxes): INR 999

Domestic lounge access: 8 complimentary visits annually, 2 visits per quarter

International lounge access: 4 complimentary access annually

Other benefits: 

  • 1.75% mark up on foreign exchange 
  • 8 reward points for every INR 100 spent on select categories
  • 25% discount on movie tickets on BookMyShow
  • 4 complimentary rounds of golf in select golf courses across India
  • 2x rewards on dining and travel expenses
2 Credit card: HDFC bank REGALIA GOLD credit card

Annual fee (exclusive of taxes): INR 2500

Domestic lounge access: 12 complimentary access annually, 3 visits per quarter

International lounge access: 12 complimentary access annually, 3 visits per quarter

Other benefits:

  • 2500 welcome reward points 
  • INR 1 crore insurance benefits
  • 1500 reward points on meeting milestone spend targets every year
  • Low mark-up on foreign currency
3 Credit card: SBI PRIME credit card

Annual fee (exclusive of taxes): INR 2999

Domestic lounge access: 8 complimentary visits annually, 2 visits per quarter

International lounge access: 4 Priority Pass lounge visits per calendar year, 2 visits per quarter

Other benefits:

  • 2 reward points for every INR 100 spent
  • INR 3000 welcome voucher form partner brands
  • 10 reward points for every Rs. 100 spent on select categories
  • Complimentary Club Vistara Silver Membership, Trident Privilege Red Tier Membership, etc
4 Credit card: Axis bank SELECT credit card

Annual fee (exclusive of taxes): INR 3000

Domestic lounge access: 8 complimentary visits annually, 2 visits per quarter

International lounge access: 6 complimentary visits annually, 2 visits per quarter

Other benefits:

  • 2,000 Amazon Voucher on first card transaction within 90 days
  • 10 Axis EDGE reward points per Rs. 200; 2X points on retail shopping
  • 6 complimentary golf games per year
5 Credit card: SBI ELITE credit card

Annual fee (exclusive of taxes): INR 4999

Domestic lounge access: 8 complimentary visits annually, 2 visits per quarter

International lounge access: 6 complimentary visits annually, 2 visits per quarter

Other benefits:

  • INR 5000 welcome gift voucher
  • 1.99% foreign exchange mark-up fee
  • 5X rewards spent on grocery, departmental store and dining
  • Club Vistara membership
  • INR 6000 worth movie tickets free in a year
  • 50,000 bonus reward points per year 
6 Credit card: Standard Chartered Ultimate credit card

Annual fee (exclusive of taxes): INR 5000

Domestic lounge access: 16 complimentary visits annually, 4 visits per quarter

International lounge access: 12 complimentary access annually, 3 visits per quarter

Other benefits:

  • 5 reward points for every INR 150 spent
  • 1 complimentary golf game on selected golf courses worldwide
  • 24x7 concierge service
7 Credit card: Axis Bank MAGNUS credit card

Annual fee (exclusive of taxes): INR 10000

Domestic lounge access: Unlimited

International lounge access: Unlimited

Other benefits:

  • 24 reward points for every Rs. 200 overall spent
  • INR 10,000 worth of gift vouchers as welcome gifts
  • Up to 25% off on dining spends across partner restaurants
  • Up to Rs. 500 on movies on BookMyShow
  • Spend-based annual fee waiver
8 Credit card: HDFC Diners Club Privilege credit card

Annual fee (exclusive of taxes): INR 10000

Domestic lounge access: Unlimited

International lounge access: Unlimited

Other benefits:

  • 4 reward points for every Rs. 150 spent across all categories
  • 2 complimentary golf at leading golf courses across the world per quarter
  • 2X reward points on dining spends on weekend 
9 Credit card: HDFC INFINIA credit card

Annual fee (exclusive of taxes): INR 10000

Domestic lounge access: Unlimited

International lounge access: Unlimited

Other benefits:

  • Complimentary Club Marriott membership for the first year
  • 10,000 reward points for new membership for the Metal edition
  • 5 reward points on every INR 150 on retail spends except on fuel and e-wallet reload 
  • INR 3 lakh in case of accidental air death 
10 Credit card: ICICI bank Emeralde Credit Card

Annual fee (exclusive of taxes): INR 12000

Domestic lounge access: Unlimited

International lounge access: Unlimited

The ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card is targeted towards high income individuals with big benefits.

Other benefits:

  • 4 PAYBACK points for every INR 100 spent
  • Up to INR 750 discount on movie tickets, four times per month
  • 15% or more discount on dining spends.
  • Low foreign currency markup fee
  • INR 3 Crore insurance benefits

Summing it up

Keep in mind that the number of free visits or access varies from card to card. Also, once the free visits are exhausted, you will be charged regular rates. Most cards allow access only to the primary holder, so if you have a joint account, you should contact your bank or card issuing authority for more clarity on this.

Never miss a trading opportunity with Margin Trading Facility

Enjoy 2X leverage on over 900+ stocks

images
Download IconDownload the Upstox App Today