Want to travel more often? Here’s why a travel credit card makes perfect sense

For frequent travellers, travel credit cards offer many benefits and features, which make them a necessity. If you’re considering applying for one, here are the top features and privileges to look for. 

Travel isn’t just about reaching your destination; it’s also about enjoying the journey. If you are a frequent traveller who places a high value on comfort, you could incur a lot of expenses along the way, but smart travellers don’t need to spend a lot to get them. Travel credit cards offer access to benefits that can enhance any journey.

Travel credit cards come with travel benefits that come in handy during your trips. You can use these benefits both domestically and internationally.

Here are some of the unique features and benefits of a travel credit card.

What makes travel credit cards different from regular cards?

Check out how regular credit card features get a ‘travel twist’ to make it ideal for your next vacation:

• Joining benefits – A one-time welcome gift is offered when you are issued a new credit card. Most credit cards offer welcome vouchers and cashback as joining benefits, but a travel credit card might offer a complimentary flight ticket or voucher for upgrading your flight ticket.
• Reward programs – Regular credit cards offer reward points that can be redeemed against vouchers and spends. However, points earned when using a travel credit card can be used for travel-specific purposes as well. A travel credit card co-branded with an airline company, for example, can be used to purchase tickets and other in-flight benefits.
• Spending milestone benefits – Apart from reward points earned on your regular credit card spends, many credit cards also provide milestone-based rewards. For example, you might earn 6X reward points on all credit card spends. However, spending Rs 1 lakh a month can grant you an additional 2000 reward points. With a travel credit card, these milestone achievements can be rewarded with a travel-related bonus such as a flight ticket or access to a golf course.
• Privileges – Privileges in the context of a credit card usually include discounts on food and beverages, movie tickets, and complimentary roadside assistance. In a travel credit card, these privileges tend to be more focused on travel benefits. For example, domestic and international airport lounges and spas, complimentary golf lessons and rounds, minimal currency conversion fees, etc.
• Insurance: Travel credit cards cover many travel insurance needs. It covers loss or delayed luggage, passport/document loss, flight delays, air accident insurance, etc. You can also get CFAR or Cancel For Any Reason insurance, which provides coverage for cancellations of flights and hotels.

The most important features of a travel credit card

There are many lucrative features that travel credit cards offer, making them a must-have both for business and leisure travellers. Here are some key characteristics of the best travel credit cards in India –

• Co-branding benefits – If your travel credit card is a co-branded card, you get co-branding benefits as well. For example, with the Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card, you get all the privileges of the Club Vistara Silver Membership.
• Non-travel reward accumulation – A travel credit card should not restrict reward accumulation to just travel All credit card expenses must qualify for reward points, such as utility payments, insurance premiums, wallet recharges, fuel, and rent.
• Non-travel privileges – In addition to the travel privileges, your travel credit card should also offer dining discounts, merchant discounts, and insurance coverage.

Wrapping up

Travel credit cards offer a lot of features that will make you eager to go on your next trip, but you should also consider whether or not the benefits justify the annual fee and charges involved in keeping the card.

The Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card is designed to match premium travel expectations. Complimentary flight tickets, free cancellations, and upgrade vouchers are just some of the many stellar features this card offers. As a bonus, customers can access international and domestic airport lounges and spas with this credit card, as well as 12 golf lessons per year.

For the latest information about the Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card, visit the bank’s website.