Axis Bank Vistara Signature Credit Card Review
As you might know, Premium Economy is a new concept in India introduced by Vistara. It’s positioned between economy & business class and Axis Vistara Signature Credit Card helps you fly this Premium Economy product for free with the help of milestone vouchers and CV points. Here’s everything you need to know about the Vistara Signature Credit Card.
Overview
| Type | Airline Credit Card |
| Reward Rate | Upto ~8% |
| Annual Fee | |
| Best for | Flying Premium Economy for FREE |
| USP | Milestone benefits |
Axis Vistara Signature Credit Card is one of the best credit cards in the country that can get you complimentary Vistara premium economy tickets for free.
As long as you’re eligible for the card, fly at-least once a year where Vistara flies, there is no single reason to avoid this card, especially when there is a lucrative offer like this one.
Fees
| Joining Fee | |
| Welcome Benefit | 1 Complimentary Premium Economy Voucher |
| Renewal Fee | 3,000 INR+GST |
| Renewal Benefit | 1 Complimentary Premium Economy Voucher |
| Renewal Fee waiver | Nil |
- Welcome Benefit: 1 Complimentary Business Class Voucher
- Value: ~8,000 INR
The welcome benefit given is of great value, much more than 2X the joining fee paid. So it’s no wonder that it’s a pretty good card even as a paid variant.
On top of it, we now have First Year Free Offer running which means the joining fee gets reversed on spending 60K INR in 90 days (from card setup date).
What you get is not only a free card but also a FREE Premium Economy ticket voucher which is worth well over ~8,000 INR.
Note: You’ll ideally need to pay the joining fee when the 1st stmt gets generated but once you’ve spent 60K within 90 days, reversal will be initiated within another ~30 days. Ideally, the entire process takes ~120 days from the date of card issuance.
Design
The Axis Vistara Signature credit card design looks decent in reality but it could have been better.
The card was recently redesigned replacing the bluish card which was issued previously.
Rewards
| SPEND TYPE | CV POINTS | REWARD RATE |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Spends | 4 RP / 200 INR | 1.5% – 2% |
- 1 CV Point = 0.75 INR to 1 INR (depending on your redemption)
- CV Points Expiry: 3 Years
While earning Club Vistara Points (CV Points) on regular spends are not the USP of this card, it is worth knowing what you earn and it’s value.
Ideally, I value CV points at 75Ps but in 2022 the fares are extremely high (Covid impact) that now we can easily put a value of 1 INR per point even for economy redemptions and maybe lot more in few low demand sectors.
Milestone Rewards
| SPEND | MILESTONE BENEFIT | SAVINGS % (MS BENEFIT + REWARDS) | SAVINGS (CUMULATIVE) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75,000 | 3,000 CV Points | 4% + 2% | 6% |
| 1.5 Lakhs | 1 PE Voucher | 5.3% + 2% | 9.3% |
| 3 Lakhs | 1 PE Voucher | 5.3% + 2% | 8.3% |
| 4.5 Lakhs | 1 PE Voucher | 5.3% + 2% | 8% |
| 9 Lakhs | 1 PE Voucher | 1.8% + 2% | 5.9% |
- 1 PE (Premium Economy) Voucher Value: ~8,000 INR
- 1 CV Point Value: 1 INR (taken as average for calculation)
Spend linked milestone benefit is the most important feature of the Vistara Signature Credit Card as this benefit alone can get us a good ~5% value (excluding CV points) depending on the spends.
And then, if we add up the regular rewards (CV points) that we earn on ongoing spends, we get another ~2% or so, which is a nice cherry on cake.
That said, usually we get GREAT reward rate upto 4.5L spend (8%), after which the reward rate drops a bit when we go for the last milestone benefit which is 9L spend (5.9%).
Voucher Redemption
- Redemption type: Domestic only (India)
- Voucher Validity: 9 months (6 months + 3 months)
- Applicable taxes on redemption: 400-1000 INR per ticket
We’ve covered this in detail under Vistara Infinite card vocher redumption section, please refer to the same, as all type of vouchers works the same way.
Vistara Silver Membership
Vistara Silver tier is not that valuable as Gold tier, but something is better than nothing.
- One Class Upgrade Voucher (1 voucher)
- Additional baggage allowance (+5Kg)
The above benefits not only gives us convenience while flying but also carries a monetary value.
For ex, the upgrade vouchers are worth at-least 10K INR each. While most of my upgrade vouchers gets expired as travel less frequently, it’s useful if you’re flying often.
Airport Lounge Access
| ACCESS TYPE | VIA | LIMIT | GUEST ACCESS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic Lounge Access | Visa (Signature) | 2/Qtr | – |
If you need lounge access, then you can make use of the Visa Signature offer that comes inbuilt with the card. Just swipe & get in to the lounges.
Golf Benefit
- Complimentary Limit: 3 rounds (games/lessons) / Year
If you play Golf, these complimentary rounds gives a pretty good value. Also, Axis Golf booking system is superior compared to most other banks, like HDFC.
My Experience
I’ve been using Vistara Credit Cards since past 4 years and it’s always an amazing experience to fly Vistara. While I’ve flown premium economy to experience the product, I try to fly business class mostly even with PE voucher (by upgrading).
However, it’s tricky and you need to be flexible.
You can upgrade your PE ticket to business class using voucher (or) points at the airport but this doesn’t work if you’re flying in a busy sector, as those biz class tickets would have got fully booked.
But note that you cannot upgrade a “points” redemption ticket using points.
Eligibility
- Annual Income: 6 Lakhs+
- Existing Credit Card limit: ~1 Lakhs (for Card to Card application)
The eligibility criteria is simple and straight forward and it works well without any complications, as long as as you meet one of the above eligibility criteria.
How to Apply?
You may apply online through axis bank website in a matter of few clicks. Usually the card gets approved within a week from the date of application and one more week for delivery.
If you’re new to bank, not to worry, you don’t need to open any Axis Savings A/c to have an Axis Bank Credit Card. And before you ask, Axis allows upto 3 cards per person.
If you’re getting an option to do VKYC (not all gets it), do it within 2 days, else the application will get delayed.
As long as you’re eligible for the card, fly at-least once a year where Vistara flies, there is no single reason to avoid this card, especially when there is a lucrative offer like this one.
