Best Credit Card Offers on Travel for 2023

Credit card offers are a great way to save on travel bookings and trim your air ticket/hotel booking expenses. This leaves you with a bigger disposable sum to enjoy at your travel destination. Read on to discover the top credit card offers on travel for 2023 that you just can’t miss!

Best Credit Card Offers on Travel for 2023

Credit cards are plastic money that allows users to purchase items or spend money on credit. Credit cards are usually designed to offer users several benefits for shopping, travel, entertainment, dining, etc. All banks have cards for various features catering to the needs of different kinds of users.

Over and above this, credit cards roll out special offers from time to time on travel bookings, healthcare, electronics etc. These offers include cashback, discounts, service charges/convenience fee waivers etc.

As an intelligent spender, I always take advantage of these offers, especially on travel, as it gives me a larger sum to spend on my travel destination.

If you are on the verge of booking travel for leisure or professional work, here are the best credit card offers on travel that will help you save big!

Bank-Wise Credit Card Offers On Travel

1. SBI Credit Card Offers

With good reason, SBI is India’s largest and most trusted commercial bank. It is one of the oldest banking institutions in India. SBI cards aren’t just great travel options but are one of the best credit cards for travel, shopping, entertainment, and other expenditures.

For any SBI credit card holder, it is raining offers on travel bookings! MakeMyTrip is one of the most dependable travel bookings portals, and having an SBI credit card can get you great discounts on flights, hotels and travel bookings.

If you want to travel by bus to any nearby destination and save on travel costs, SBI also has a sweet deal for bus travel. Taking an overnight bus or a car rental from HotelsCombined has always been my preferred choice on weekend getaways to close-by hill stations.

I always thought Skyscanner had the cheapest flight tickets. But, I was surprised to see the offers on cheaptickets.in are almost as good! With an 8-12% discount for SBI card holders, this is indeed a travel deal you can’t miss. Indeed, this makes SBI credit cards one of the best credit cards for flight booking.

Interestingly, SBI credit cards have tie-ups with several portals and websites across different modes of travel. It is no surprise, as SBI credit cards are one of the most widely used and, indeed, one of the best credit cards for travel and shopping!

So, if you have an SBI credit card, hurry and avail of these offers before their validity expires!

2. ICICI Credit Card Offers

Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India, or ICICI Bank, is one of India’s leading private sector banks. After HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank has the highest revenue among the private sector banks in India. ICICI credit cards are a big hit across various sectors such as travel, health, lifestyle and food & dining. If you hold an ICICI credit card, here is everything you need to know about the travel discounts and offers that come with it.

ICICI Bank credit cards offer domestic and international travellers a sweet deal. If you want to travel abroad in style, get the best flight deals on your ICICI Bank credit card on Qatar Airways. The destinations on discount include Australia, America, and Africa & Europe. If you’re heading to Europe, don’t forget to pre-book Italiarail tickets and save big on high-speed trains, night trains, airport connections and more! It’s a steal deal for anyone heading to that part of the world and looking to travel cheaply and fast.

ICICI Bank credit cards also have meaty discounts on flight bookings through EaseMyTrip & Yatra. I have the perfect recommendation if you are looking for a lavish & indulgent holiday. Once you have your flight tickets out of the way, trust Luxury Escape to curate an exclusive holiday from hotels, experiences, romantic activities and more! I did my honeymoon through Luxury Escape, one of my life’s best holidays!

3. IndusInd Bank Credit Card Offers

IndusInd Bank is one of the fastest-growing banks in India in terms of services, customer base and market capitalization. This scheduled private bank has good asset quality and low NPAs, making it a safe and stable bank for various services such as loans, deposits, credit cards, etc.

If you hold an IndusInd Bank credit card, there are several travel discounts you can avail of. The IndusInd bank credit card offers you great domestic & international flight discounts in addition to discounts on hotel bookings on yatra.com.

I recently travelled to Mysore by bus (I got a sweet deal of 15% off on my bus tickets with the IndusInd Bank credit card). With the Mysore City Palace and the Mysore Zoo, this tourist town was buzzing with visitors on that long weekend. Unfortunately, in all that rush, I lost my wallet, misplacing my credit card and other essential IDs. Full credit to the IndusInd bank credit cards team for promptly blocking my card and saving me from fraudulent expenses.

4. Axis Bank Credit Card Offers

Axis Bank credit cards are undoubtedly one of the best credit cards for flight bookings on Emirates Airlines, as this card can fetch you up to 5% off on ticket prices. If you are looking for a luxury travel experience on one of the biggest airlines in the world, Axis Bank credit cards are here to sweeten the deal.

In addition, Axis Bank credit cards offer instant discounts on flight bookings on MakeMyTrip & goibibo.com flights. My last leisure holiday to Hong Kong fit perfectly in my budget thanks to the savings I made on my flight bookings through my Axis Bank credit card. Additionally, I bagged activities and day tours at great prices on Klook for Disneyland Hong Kong, Ocean’s Park, Macau Ferry and more! Although expensive, Hong Kong didn’t pinch my pocket thanks to Klook & Goibibo discounts for Axis Bank credit card holders. 

5. HDFC Credit Card Offers

HDFC is one of the most trusted names in the Indian banking sector. It was also my first ever credit card and has continued to be a constant feature in my wallet for the last decade thanks to the fantastic offers, cashback and rewards system it offers. Even today, I think HDFC credit cards are the best travel credit cards & offered online in India.

I even booked one of my first international holidays to Singapore using the HDFC credit card, bagging a neat discount on holiday bookings on yatra.com. Being a first-time traveller, I made quite some trial and error, but one smart cookie advised me to use Tiqets, and boy, was I thankful.

Thanks to Tiqets, I managed to pre-book tickets to the Singapore Zoo & Singapore Cable car, saving us the hassle of standing in long queues and losing our energy in the wait. My #1 advice to you if you’re headed to any ticketed tourist spot – pre-book your time slot and Tiqets and enjoy hassle-free walk-in. You’ll save yourself time, energy and effort!

6. Kotak Credit Card Offers

Kotak Mahindra Bank is one of India’s first private sector banks to make its mark among the public sector banks. Today, it is India’s third largest private bank in market capitalization after HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank. Needless to say, Kotak Bank credit cards are in the reckoning as some of the best travel credit cards in India.

If you hold a Kotak Bank credit card and plan your subsequent travel bookings on Ixigo, thanks to the offers, your Kotak credit card can get you on the platform. Additionally, carry your credit card on your trip as a safe and cashless way to make payments and earn plenty of rewards on your spending.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a credit card good for travelling?

Credit cards are extremely useful for travellers in more ways than one. Carrying credit cards simplifies expenditure as you do not need to worry about tendering exact change, converting currencies or having bundles of hard cash with you. Credit cards can also be easily blocked in case of loss or theft, whereas money, once lost, is gone forever. Additionally, credit cards offer plenty of discounts, cashback and offers on travel, which reduces your overall travel cost. All in all, a credit card is a useful financial instrument for travellers.

How can I travel for free with a credit card in India?

You can enjoy heavy discounts and even travel for free (except for taxes) by using your credit card to reward points. You can transfer your credit card points to airlines and use them as frequent flier miles. Several banks facilitate such transfers to airlines they have an arrangement with. For example, customers of HDFC credit cards, Axis Bank credit cards and AMEX can transfer their credit card points to over 15 airlines, including Air Vistara, Air Canada, Turkish Airlines, British Airways Executive Club and Airasia.

How to use a free airport lounge with credit cards in India?

Any credit card holder with a valid boarding pass can use the participating airport lounge, provided the credit card has the lounge access feature. The customer’s credit card will be validated at the point of entry to the airport lounge. This is done by swiping the credit card for a nominal amount ranging from Re. 1 to Rs. 25. If the card is validated, the customer can enter the lounge and use the complimentary facilities therein.

What are the four main credit card types?

Four main credit card networks exist: American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa. These credit card networks allow cards from different banks to operate within their network. Every credit card must be on these networks to successfully make transactions. Mastercard and Visa are highly prevalent card networks among India’s credit card issuing banks.

What are the top banks that issue credit cards in India?

All public sector and privatized commercial banks in India can issue credit cards to their customers. Among all the banks offering credit cards, 71 % of the market is dominated by four banks: HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and State Bank of India. These are the leading banks in the Indian banking sector and offer great deals, offers and cashback on spending across travel, entertainment, dining, shopping, fuel and more.