Best credit cards for travel India 2026
Rankings based on verified earn rates, transfer ratios, and annual fee burden — not sponsored placement. Data sourced from issuer websites and official program T&C documents, verified July 7, 2026. Earn rate figures use per-Rs100 effective calculations across all card types.
How these rankings work
Every card is ranked by effective miles per Rs100 of spend, calculated as: earn rate (converted to per-Rs100 basis) multiplied by the transfer ratio to the target program. A card that earns 6 points per Rs100 but transfers to KrisFlyer at 5:2 effectively earns 2.4 KrisFlyer miles per Rs100 — not 6. This is the calculation most card comparison sites omit.
Annual fee is treated as a separate dimension from earn rate. A card with a high earn rate but low fee will outperform on fee efficiency. A card with a high earn rate but a high fee requires a break-even spend level before it justifies the cost. Both are shown.
No card on this page pays for placement. Rankings are generated from the Rewardtactix card database, which is maintained from issuer websites and official program T&C documents.
Best travel credit cards India 2026: picks by category
Best overall: HDFC Infinia
HDFC Infinia earns 3.3 reward points per Rs100 on all spend (5 points per Rs150) with no reward cap. KrisFlyer, Avios, and Marriott Bonvoy all transfer at 1:1. The SmartBuy portal multiplier of 5x on travel and dining pushes effective earn higher on those categories. Annual fee is Rs12,500 but typically waivable at Rs8L to Rs10L annual spend. Limitation: Infinia is invite-only or requires an existing HDFC Preferred or Private Banking relationship. It is not available on standard application.
If you hold HDFC Infinia: it remains the strongest all-round travel card in the Indian market for 2026. KrisFlyer and Avios at 1:1 with a 3.3x base earn rate is a combination no other card at this fee level matches.
Best open-market premium: Axis Magnus
Axis Magnus earns 6 EDGE Points per Rs100 on all spend categories — the highest flat earn rate among cards available on standard application at this fee tier. Annual fee is Rs12,500. Air India Maharaja Club transfers at 1:1, yielding 6 Maharaja Club miles per Rs100. KrisFlyer transfers at 5:2 (2.4 effective KrisFlyer miles per Rs100) — Air India is the recommended transfer destination from this card. Avios transfers at 1:1.
At Rs1L/month spend, Axis Magnus generates approximately 72,000 Air India miles per year, enough for one-way business class to London or two-way economy to Southeast Asia. The card is available by standard application and does not require an existing relationship.
Best for transfer partner flexibility: HSBC TravelOne
HSBC TravelOne earns 4 points per Rs100 on travel and 2 per Rs100 on all other spend. Annual fee is Rs4,999. The distinguishing characteristic is the transfer partner set: 20 programs including KrisFlyer, Avios, Air India, Qatar Airways, Flying Blue, Qantas, JAL, and 13 others. HSBC TravelOne is the only Indian card that transfers to Qatar Airways Privilege Club and the only one at 1:1 to Accor Live Limitless following Axis Bank's April 2026 removal of Accor. Partner Quality Score: 74/100.
For travelers who want routing options across multiple alliances and hotel chains, TravelOne has no peer in the Indian market. The Rs4,999 fee gives access to a partner set that costs Rs12,500+ on any other card.
Best for KrisFlyer at low fee: Axis Horizon
Axis Horizon earns 5 EDGE Miles per Rs100 through the Travel Edge portal and 2 per Rs100 on all other spend. KrisFlyer and Air India transfer at 1:1. Annual fee is Rs3,000 — the lowest among cards that transfer to KrisFlyer at a standard ratio. Avios transfers at 2:1 (non-standard; Air India is better from this card for hotel routing). IHG One Rewards is also a transfer option.
For cardholders whose primary goal is KrisFlyer miles at minimum annual fee, Axis Horizon is the clearest recommendation. At Rs50,000/month routed through Travel Edge, you earn approximately 3,000 KrisFlyer miles per month for a Rs3,000 fee — better fee efficiency than any other 1:1 KrisFlyer card.
Best for partner breadth: SBI Miles Elite
SBI Miles Elite at Rs4,999 annual fee connects to 26 transfer partners — the most of any Indian card per the official SBI Miles Rewards Program T&C. Earn rate is 3 Travel Credits per Rs100 on travel and 1 per Rs100 on other spend. Note: KrisFlyer is not a transfer partner on SBI Miles Elite. British Airways Avios transfers at 1:1. The 26-partner list covers 18 airline and 8 hotel programs including Aeroplan, Cathay Pacific, Ethiopian, ITC Hotels, Jumeirah One, and Radisson Rewards — programs accessible through no other Indian card.
SBI Miles Elite is not the best card for raw earn rate. It is the best card for travelers who specifically need access to niche programs or want the widest routing optionality at a mid-range fee.
Best for hotel points: Amex Platinum
Amex Platinum is the only Indian card that transfers to Hilton Honors, at a 0.9:1 ratio. Marriott Bonvoy transfers at 1:1. KrisFlyer and Avios both transfer at 2:1 — Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors are the primary value transfer destinations from this card. Annual fee is at the ultra-premium tier. Best for travelers who specifically need Hilton Honors accumulation from a credit card or who want the Amex Centurion Lounge access alongside the rewards.
Travel companion cards (no transfer partners)
These cards have no airline or hotel transfer partners. Rewards are closed-loop — redeemable only inside the card's own ecosystem. They are not substitutes for a miles card. They are best used as a second card that plugs gaps your primary miles card leaves uncovered.
| Card | Annual Fee | Best use case | Key benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scapia (Federal Bank) | ₹0 (lifetime free) | International transactions | Zero forex markup; saves 3–3.5% on every foreign currency spend. 20% Scapia Coins on in-app travel bookings. Use for all international swipes while your miles card earns on domestic. |
| IDFC Mayura | ₹5,999 | Travel and dining spend (cashback path) | 5x earn on travel and dining. Transfer partners unverified from primary source; treat as cashback card. Best for spenders who want high earn on dining without committing to a specific airline program. |
| HDFC Swiggy | ₹500 | Food delivery and online shopping | 10% cashback on Swiggy orders, 5% on online shopping. No transfer partners. Purely a cashback card for food delivery; not a travel card. |
Transfer partners column is intentionally absent for these cards — none have a confirmed open-market airline or hotel transfer partner in the canonical card database.
Effective earn rate table: miles per Rs100 across all travel cards
Effective earn rate = base earn rate (per Rs100) multiplied by transfer ratio to the target program. Cards with per-Rs150 earn rates are converted. KrisFlyer column shows effective KrisFlyer miles per Rs100; Air India column shows effective Maharaja Club miles per Rs100.
| Card | Annual Fee | Base pts/Rs100 | KrisFlyer effective | Air India effective | KrisFlyer ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axis Reserve | ₹50,000 | 15.0 | 6.0 | 15.0 | 5:2 |
| Axis Magnus | ₹12,500 | 6.0 | 2.4 | 6.0 | 5:2 |
| Axis Magnus Burgundy | ₹30,000 | 6.0 | 4.8 | 6.0 | 5:4 |
| Axis Horizon | ₹3,000 | 5.0 (portal) / 2.0 (other) | 5.0 (portal) / 2.0 (other) | 5.0 (portal) / 2.0 (other) | 1:1 |
| HDFC Infinia | ₹12,500 | 3.3 | 3.3 | — | 1:1 |
| HDFC Diners Club Metal | ₹10,000 | 3.3 (5x travel/dining) | 3.3 | — | 1:1 |
| HSBC TravelOne | ₹4,999 | 4.0 (travel) / 2.0 (other) | 4.0 (travel) / 2.0 (other) | 4.0 (travel) / 2.0 (other) | 1:1 |
| SBI Aurum | ₹9,999 | 5.0 (travel) | —† | 5.0 | Unfavorable† |
| Amex Platinum Travel | ₹5,000 | 8.0 (travel) / 4.0 (other) | 4.0 (travel) / 2.0 (other) | — | 2:1 |
| SBI Miles Elite | ₹4,999 | 3.0 (travel) / 1.0 (other) | — | 3.0 (travel) | N/A (not a partner) |
| HDFC Regalia Gold | ₹2,500 | 2.7 (travel/dining/online) | 1.3 | 2.7 | 2:1 |
| HSBC Premier | ₹0‡ | 3.0 | 3.0 | — | 1:1 |
| Amex MRCC | ₹4,500 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 2:1 |
| HDFC Regalia | ₹2,500 | 2.7 | 1.3 | — | 2:1 |
| Axis Select | ₹3,000 | 5.0 (dining) | 0.5 (dining) | — | 10:1 ⚠ |
† SBI Aurum KrisFlyer ratio unconfirmed; rated unfavorable by independent sources. Air India at 1:1 is the recommended transfer from SBI Aurum. ‡ HSBC Premier fee depends on relationship — may be zero for Premier banking customers. ⚠ Axis Select KrisFlyer at 10:1: avoid for KrisFlyer accumulation. Base earn rate for Amex per-Rs50 cards converted to per-Rs100.
Cards to avoid for KrisFlyer accumulation
Three cards in the database have KrisFlyer ratios that make accumulation ineffective for most travelers:
- Axis Select — 10:1: Ten EDGE Points equal one KrisFlyer mile. This is the worst KrisFlyer ratio in the Indian market. Axis Select earns 5x on dining — strong for cashback or dining rewards, but the KrisFlyer path is impractical. Transfer to a different program or do not transfer from this card.
- HDFC Regalia Gold — 2:1: KrisFlyer transfer halves the value of every point. Air India transfers at 1:1 from the same card, giving double the miles. For KrisFlyer accumulation, HDFC Regalia Gold is not recommended. It is a strong Air India card.
- Axis Magnus — 5:2: Axis Magnus earns 6x on all spend — impressive — but KrisFlyer gets 2.4 effective miles per Rs100 after the 5:2 penalty. Air India gives 6 effective miles per Rs100 from the same spend. If your goal is KrisFlyer, Axis Magnus is not the right card. If your goal is Air India miles, it is one of the best cards in the market.
Which card for which traveler
| Traveler profile | Recommended card | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Rs1L+/month, wants max KrisFlyer miles | HDFC Infinia (if accessible) | 3.3x all spend, KrisFlyer and Avios 1:1, SmartBuy 5x multiplier |
| Rs75K-1.5L/month, wants max airmiles (any program) | Axis Magnus | 6x all spend, Air India 1:1 (2.5x more than KrisFlyer from same card) |
| Rs50K-1L/month, wants routing flexibility | HSBC TravelOne | 20 partners, Qatar Airways exclusive, Accor exclusive, Rs4,999 fee |
| Rs30K-75K/month, wants KrisFlyer at low fee | Axis Horizon | 5x via Travel Edge portal, KrisFlyer 1:1, Rs3,000 fee — best fee efficiency |
| Any spend, needs partner breadth | SBI Miles Elite | 26 partners — Aeroplan, Cathay, Ethiopian, ITC Hotels, Jumeirah not available elsewhere |
| Rs1L+/month, existing HDFC relationship | HDFC Infinia | No rival at this earn rate and 1:1 ratio combination |
| SBI Aurum cardholder | Transfer to Air India only | KrisFlyer unfavorable, Avios at 5:1. Air India at 1:1 is the only full-value option |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the best credit card for travel in India in 2026?
For most Indian travelers at Rs75,000 to Rs1.5L/month spend: Axis Magnus (Rs12,500 fee, 6 EDGE Points per Rs100, Air India at 1:1) and HSBC TravelOne (Rs4,999 fee, 20 transfer partners including Qatar Airways exclusive) are the two strongest travel cards available on standard application. HDFC Infinia is superior if you have access — invite-only or requires an existing HDFC relationship.
Which Indian credit card earns the most airmiles per rupee?
Axis Reserve earns 15 EDGE Points per Rs100 on all categories (Rs50,000 fee). Among accessible cards, Axis Magnus earns 6 EDGE Points per Rs100 (Rs12,500 fee). For KrisFlyer specifically: Axis Horizon earns 5 per Rs100 via Travel Edge portal at Rs3,000 fee — the best KrisFlyer fee efficiency in the market.
Which credit card has the most transfer partners in India?
SBI Miles Elite has 26 verified transfer partners (18 airline, 8 hotel) per official T&C. HSBC TravelOne has 20 but scores higher on quality, with Qatar Airways and Accor exclusive. KrisFlyer is not a transfer partner on SBI Miles Elite.
Is HDFC Infinia still the best travel card in India?
Yes, if accessible. HDFC Infinia: 3.3 points per Rs100 all spend, KrisFlyer and Avios at 1:1, SmartBuy 5x on travel and dining, no reward cap, Rs12,500 fee. Limitation: invite-only or requires HDFC super-premium relationship. For standard applicants, Axis Magnus is the closest alternative.
What is a good credit card for earning KrisFlyer miles in India?
Cards that transfer to KrisFlyer at 1:1: HDFC Infinia, HDFC Diners Club Metal, HDFC Diners Biz Black, Axis Horizon, HSBC TravelOne, HSBC Premier. Avoid Axis Select (10:1), Axis Magnus (5:2), HDFC Regalia Gold (2:1) for KrisFlyer accumulation — Air India is a better destination from those cards.
What is the best low-fee travel credit card in India?
Axis Horizon at Rs3,000 annual fee: 5 EDGE Miles per Rs100 via Travel Edge portal, KrisFlyer 1:1, Air India 1:1, IHG partner. Best fee-to-earn ratio among KrisFlyer cards. HDFC Regalia Gold at Rs2,500 is best for Air India at 1:1. HSBC TravelOne at Rs4,999 gives 20 partners.