When it comes to cobranded credit cards in India, Air Vistara has been sitting pretty on top over the years, with the Air Vistara suite of Credit Cards that they launched with Axis Bank back in 2016. And now, as Vistara’s chapter transitions into Air India over the coming weeks, this is a great time to reconsider if you want to put a co-branded credit card in your pocket. Let’s talk about why and why now.

The Vistara Suite of co-branded credit cards

• Axis Vistara Infinite Credit Card: The Axis Vistara Infinite Credit Card is the unquestioned king of the Vistara co-brand credit card ecosystem. For just INR 10,000 + Taxes annual fee, the card provides a Business Class Ticket redeemable on Vistara (subsequently on Air India) and Gold status on the Club Vistara programme for one year (subsequently on Air India). From there, every INR 2.5 Lakh spent on the card earns you another ticket (up to three per annum) and then a final one, on spending INR 12 Lakh within the year. I recently added this card back into my wallet after keeping it off during the years of COVID-19. In the first year, Vistara Gold should transition to an Air India Gold Tier status, offering the ability to get Star Alliance Gold tier status, as per information disclosed by Club Vistara. Also, the business class tickets should be usable on Air India in the future. Apply Now.

• Axis Vistara Signature Credit Card: The Axis Vistara Signature Credit Card is the second in the chain of command of the Axis Bank Vistara co-brand credit card ecosystem. For just INR 3,000 + Taxes annual fee, the card provides a Premium Economy Class Ticket redeemable on Vistara (subsequently Air India) and Silver status on the Club Vistara programme. From there, every INR 1.5 Lakh spent on the card earns you another ticket (up to three per annum) and then a final one, on spending INR 9 Lakh within the year. Vistara Silver will transition to Air India Silver Tier status, offering the ability to get Star Alliance Silver tier status, per the initial information on the frequent flyer merger from Club Vistara. Also these premium economy tickets should be usable on Air India in the future. Apply Now.

• IDFC First Vistara Credit Card: The IDFC First Vistara Credit Card is the sole co-brand credit card offered by IDFC First Bank Credit Cards. For INR 4,999 + Taxes annual fee, the card provides a Premium Economy Class Ticket redeemable on Vistara and Silver status on the Club Vistara programme, apart from one upgrade voucher on Vistara. If you are already an IDFC First Bank Credit Card customer, you can quickly get this card as a floater limit. From there, every INR 1.5 Lakh spent on the card earns you another ticket (up to three per annum) and two more, on spending INR 9 Lakh and INR 12 Lakh within the year. Vistara Silver will transition to an Air India Silver Tier status, offering the ability to get Star Alliance Silver tier status, per the initial information on the frequent flyer merger from Club Vistara. Also, these premium economy tickets will be usable on Air India, including the Vistara operations, in the future, and the upgrade voucher will be usable on Air India and Vistara. Apply Now.

There are other credit cards as well, such as the Axis Bank Vistara Credit Card, which provides free Economy Class tickets but no status benefits. This strategy also works because SBI Card, the only co-brand partner for Air India at the moment, is very iffy at the moment in approving credit cards, and hence, Axis Bank and IDFC First Bank are good choices for credit cards which might extend into the Air India ecosystem later.

Also, from what I hear, IndusInd and SBI Card have stopped accepting appllications for their Vistara co-branded credit cards. Axis Bank and IDFC Bank are still issuing cards, but they will also stop sometime this month. So, it is best to not wait and apply now.

Bottomline

Air India’s integration with Vistara now has a date in November 2024. This also means that Club Vistara will be merged into Air India Flying Returns over the next two months. However, if you get your status via credit cards and some of these free ticket codes right now, you should be able to gain status and some free tickets on the merged Air India in the coming months.

What do you think about this strategy to gain strategy on Air India?

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