With summer just around the corner, this might be a good time to plan a vacation. Maybe you are bored by the 9-to-5 routine and wish to get away to a place where the sea is bright aqua and there are miles and miles of sun and sand… or you may be someone who travels frequently for work.
Regardless of the reason, if you are bitten by the travel bug, you need a trusty companion - a reliable Travel Credit Card for when you travel.
Advantages of a Travel Credit Card
There are several advantages of getting a good Travel Credit Card:-
- Rewards you for your loyalty with miles that can be redeemed when you want
- A good card is accepted internationally
- The charges for using the card are reasonable
- Some cards bring with them a very attractive sign-on bonus
- You get travel insurance to protect you when you travel
- You get lounge access in many airports
However, there is an abundance of cards in the market and it is easy to get confused when faced with a plethora of choices.
So let us break it down for you –
Two Types of Travel Credit Cards
When you look at all the many Travel Credit Cards that you see in today’s market, you will find that they are of two kinds:
- A Co-branded Travel Card – where the bank signs up with an airline or hotel chain and together they give you a joint offering.
- General Travel Credit Card – which a bank offers. These cards are airline-agnostic and you earn miles/rewards on each transaction you make.
So Which One Should I Get?
If you are the kind of person that patronises one particular airline or a hotel chain, then getting a co-branded card (where your favourite airline or hotel chain is involved), will be useful.
Otherwise, a general card is preferable. See how they earn rewards and how you can redeem those rewards. Those are among the first things you should look for in a good Travel Credit Card.
Three Main Features to Look For In a Travel Credit Card
- International Acceptance - In general, be aware that while there are many cards to choose from, not all of them are accepted internationally. So you need to find one that is.
- Charges when you use the Card - Get one that doesn’t levy steep charges each time you use your card when you travel abroad.
- Expiry of Air Miles/Reward Points - The third feature you should look for is with regard to the miles/points – most Travel Credit Cards help you earn miles or points. You need to check the expiration date on those miles/points. The best kind of Card doesn’t put an expiry date on the miles or rewards you earn!
The Citi PremierMiles Card
Take the Citi PremierMiles Card for instance. When you get this card, you immediately get 10,000 miles as a sign-on bonus!
You also earn 10 miles for every Rs 100 you spend at www.premiermiles.co.in (airline spends), and 4 Miles per Rs. 100 on other spends. You can redeem miles instantly via SMS across 100+ airlines and hotel partners. You can even transfer your miles to 14 airline and hotel partners. The best part is that you get the flexibility to use your miles when you want to. Your miles never expire!
What is more – you get complimentary access to select airport lounges across India. And if that is not enough, you get 15% off on dining across participating restaurants.
When you travel, you can travel with the confidence that you have an Air Accident Insurance Cover of up to Rs. 1 Crore and a Lost Card Liability Cover of Rs. 10 Lakh.
Like any other Citi Card, this card comes loaded with travel, lifestyle and dining offers.
How to Apply
If you are a salaried employee, make sure you have –
- Proof of Identity
- Proof of Address
- Latest ITR with audited financials and computation of income
Then simply apply for the Citi PremierMiles Card!
