Major card issuers—SBI Card, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank—have unveiled sweeping changes to lounge-access rules and reward structures that take effect this month, responding to record domestic and international passenger volumes.
From 10 January, SBI Card’s revamped lounge network categorises airports into ‘Set A’ and ‘Set B’, with eligibility tied to annual-fee tiers. Access will be granted only after POS machine validation, closing loopholes that allowed card swipes without concomitant spends.
For travellers who now have to reassess which card grants them a comfy seat in the lounge, sorting out the right travel documents can feel like yet another hurdle. VisaHQ can streamline at least that part of the journey: the platform’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) lets you check visa requirements for more than 200 countries, apply online, track status updates and arrange courier pickups in a few clicks—handy when your focus is on meeting the new spend thresholds rather than embassy queues.
![Indian card giants tweak airport-lounge perks amid travel boom]()
HDFC Bank, meanwhile, doubled the quarterly spending threshold on its debit cards to qualify for complimentary lounge vouchers and moved to a QR-based e-voucher system. The bank says the switch curbs misuse and shortens queues at check-in counters.
ICICI Bank’s credit-card overhaul, effective 15 January, raises foreign-currency transaction fees on some premium products but adds bonus lounge visits for customers crossing new spending slabs—a trade-off designed to encourage higher card usage overseas.
For frequent flyers and corporate travel managers, the new rules necessitate auditing which cards still deliver the best value. Firms may need to re-issue cards to high-frequency travellers or budget for out-of-pocket lounge passes in cases where employees fall short of revised spend hurdles.(m.economictimes.com)
From 10 January, SBI Card’s revamped lounge network categorises airports into ‘Set A’ and ‘Set B’, with eligibility tied to annual-fee tiers. Access will be granted only after POS machine validation, closing loopholes that allowed card swipes without concomitant spends.
For travellers who now have to reassess which card grants them a comfy seat in the lounge, sorting out the right travel documents can feel like yet another hurdle. VisaHQ can streamline at least that part of the journey: the platform’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) lets you check visa requirements for more than 200 countries, apply online, track status updates and arrange courier pickups in a few clicks—handy when your focus is on meeting the new spend thresholds rather than embassy queues.
HDFC Bank, meanwhile, doubled the quarterly spending threshold on its debit cards to qualify for complimentary lounge vouchers and moved to a QR-based e-voucher system. The bank says the switch curbs misuse and shortens queues at check-in counters.
ICICI Bank’s credit-card overhaul, effective 15 January, raises foreign-currency transaction fees on some premium products but adds bonus lounge visits for customers crossing new spending slabs—a trade-off designed to encourage higher card usage overseas.
For frequent flyers and corporate travel managers, the new rules necessitate auditing which cards still deliver the best value. Firms may need to re-issue cards to high-frequency travellers or budget for out-of-pocket lounge passes in cases where employees fall short of revised spend hurdles.(m.economictimes.com)
