BOBCARD has lastly entered the airline co-brand area with the launch of two Etihad Visitor Credit score Playing cards. Whereas the bottom variant targets informal travellers, the BOBCARD Etihad Visitor Premium Credit score Card is the one which packs critical worth.
With 0% foreign exchange markup, complimentary Gold tier standing and beneficiant lounge entry, the cardboard has so much going for it. Let’s break all of it down that will help you resolve if this card is value choosing up. Right here’s the detailed evaluation,
Overview
| Sort | Airline Credit score Card |
| Reward Price | ~5.8% |
| Becoming a member of Price | 5,000+GST |
| Finest for | Worldwide travellers |
| USP | Etihad Visitor Gold Standing |
The BOBCARD Etihad Visitor Premium Credit score Card is a steel card, geared toward travellers who fly Etihad & its companions ceaselessly and need to stack miles from on a regular basis spends on prime of their flying miles.
Charges & Advantages
| Becoming a member of Price | 5,000 INR+GST |
| Welcome Profit | – 10,000 Miles (25K Spend) – 5,000 Bonus Miles (50K Spend) |
| Renewal Price | 5,000 INR+GST |
| Renewal Profit | 5,000 Avios (for each QR & BA) |
| Renewal Price waiver | 5,00,000 INR spend in a Yr |
Notice: The welcome & further bonus miles are provided on reaching the required spends throughout the first 60 days.
The becoming a member of payment is kind of affordable for a premium journey card. And the truth that renewal is waived at simply 5L annual spend is an enormous plus, as most airline playing cards don’t supply a payment waiver.
*** Restricted Interval Provide ends by thirtieth April***
Restricted Interval Provide: Stand up to fifteen,000 Etihad Visitor Miles: 10,000 becoming a member of miles on spending 25,000 INR in 60 days + 5,000 further miles on cumulative spends of fifty,000 INR. Provide legitimate until thirtieth April 2026.
Etihad Visitor: Gold Tier
That is simply the spotlight of this card.
| Tier | Activation Standards |
|---|---|
| Silver Tier | On first card transaction |
| Gold Tier | On first transaction on Etihad.com (inside 6 months) |
With the Premium variant, you get Etihad Visitor Silver in your very first card swipe. And when you make your first buy on Etihad’s web site (even a small one like seat choice), you get upgraded to Etihad Visitor Gold.
Getting Gold standing in any other case requires incomes 50,000 Tier Miles (with at the least 20,000 from flying), which isn’t simple. So getting it with only a bank card transaction is a incredible deal.
Listed here are the important thing advantages that include Etihad Visitor Gold standing:
- Etihad Chauffeur service on First/Enterprise GuestSeat bookings
- Enterprise class lounge entry (self + 1 visitor) on Etihad flights
- Complimentary commonplace seat choice in Economic system
- Free GuestSeat cancellation (as soon as per 12 months)
Notice: Etihad Visitor follows a Core + Customized + Past advantages construction. Gold members can select 4 customized advantages yearly. Lounge entry is obtainable as a customized/default profit, not automated. So ensure you choose it inside 30 days of tier improve.
Necessary: Etihad shouldn’t be a part of any airline alliance. So Gold standing advantages are restricted to Etihad flights solely, not like Oneworld or Star Alliance applications the place standing works throughout a number of airways.
Rewards
| Spend Sort | Miles per 100 INR |
|---|---|
| Etihad Airways (etihad.com) | 6 |
| Retail spends | 2 |
The bottom reward charge of two miles per 100 INR (i.e., 2% return as miles) is kind of low for normal spends provided that Etihad miles are of low worth typically. We’ll get to that shortly.
Notice: Miles earned are credited to your Etihad Visitor account inside 3 days of assertion technology.
Exclusion for rewards: This deserves its personal part as a result of the exclusion record is unusually lengthy for a premium bank card.
These embody common spends like: training charges, hospital bills, telecom payments, grocery store purchases, fast-food eating places, and rather more, other than ordinary exclusions like insurance coverage, authorities spends, and so on.
Right here’s the whole record of exclusions with MCC’s as per financial institution’s MITC.
It is a main draw back, as this card blocks an enormous chunk of on a regular basis spend classes.
That is an unfair enterprise apply picked up by banks these days and I really feel BOBCard is crossing the road, a lot in order that I really feel like RBI has to step-in quickly to save lots of us all.
Milestone Advantages
That is the place the cardboard tries to make up for the comparatively reasonable base earn charge.
| Milestone Sort | Spend Requirement | Bonus Miles |
|---|---|---|
| Month-to-month | 4 transactions totaling 50,000 INR | 500 Miles |
| Quarterly | 3,00,000 INR / Qtr | 4,000 Miles / Qtr |
| Annual | 12,00,000 INR / Yr | 24,000 Miles / Yr |
Notice: Every milestone profit is relevant solely as soon as throughout its respective interval.
There’s additionally a bonus for Etihad flyers, you earn further miles once you fly with Etihad twice in a 12 months (relevant as soon as per 12 months).
Redemptions
Etihad Visitor Program has gone by means of a number of rounds of devaluation and it carries one of many least level worth within the trade, that’s as little as 50Ps/level in most common redemption use circumstances.
Nonetheless, after doing about 100+ award seat searches throughout the globe, I can confidently say that there are nonetheless some candy spots that you could be take into account, and it’s broadly helpful for:
- Improve with Miles on Etihad income ticket
- Accomplice redemptions
One of many best redemptions for Indians is the accomplice redemption on SriLankan Airways.
You may get an award seat to Colombo from India for as little as 6K/20K miles on Eco/Biz a technique, with award seats obtainable in a lot, that’s appropriate for household journeys. Right here’s a fast look:
I used to be additionally capable of finding some unbelievable awards, like 10K miles on financial system to Europe, due to Akasa Airways partnership. Right here’s one to your eyes:
That is much like Virgin Atlantic‘s fashionable India-LHR redemption, although it comes with vital tax part.
Aside from that, you would additionally get a reasonably good worth on many regional accomplice redemptions like intra-US on American Airways, which is analogous to Air India redemptions on United.
Zero Foreign exchange Markup
- International Forex Markup: 0%
This is among the noteworthy function of the cardboard. Zero foreign exchange markup on all worldwide transactions together with rewards is sweet to have for a lot of.
Should you journey internationally or store on overseas web sites, this function alone can prevent a superb sum of money.
Airport Lounge Entry
| Entry Sort | Restrict |
|---|---|
| Home | 12/Yr (3 per quarter) |
| Worldwide | 8/Yr (2 per quarter) |
The lounge entry limits are respectable, with no spend-based situations hooked up. That is refreshing as a result of many playing cards nowadays have began asking for spends to be eligible for lounge entry.
Maximising the Card
Let’s do some math. Should you spend 12 Lakhs in a 12 months on eligible classes, right here’s what you would earn:
- Common spend rewards: 24,000 Miles (2 per 100 on 12L)
- Month-to-month milestone (assuming all 12 months hit): 6,000 Miles
- Quarterly milestone (assuming all 4 quarters hit): 16,000 Miles
- Annual milestone: 24,000 Miles
- Complete: ~70,000 Miles on 12L spend (5.8%)
That works out to about 5.8% return in the event you worth Etihad miles at 1 INR or at-least 2.9% return in the event you worth Etihad miles at 50ps.
Then you definitely’ve Gold standing, lounge entry and rather more. So, as you see, that is fairly aggressive if you understand how to get worth out of it.
Ought to You Get It?
The BOBCARD Etihad Premium Credit score Card makes a number of sense if:
- You fly Etihad or it’s companions
- You fly at-least yearly (to maintain miles from expiring)
- You’ve vital worldwide spends
- You worth Etihad Visitor Gold standing
- You possibly can obtain milestones spend targets
If above sounds doable, BOBCard Etihad Credit score Card is a should have in your pockets for apparent causes.
Should you already maintain one other Credit score Card from BOBCard, your software might initially get rejected, however the card can be issued the next week, identical to the way it occurred to me and lots of others.
*** Restricted Interval Provide ends by thirtieth April***
Restricted Interval Provide: Stand up to fifteen,000 Etihad Visitor Miles: 10,000 becoming a member of miles on spending 25,000 INR in 60 days + 5,000 further miles on cumulative spends of fifty,000 INR. Provide legitimate until thirtieth April 2026.
Bottomline
- CardExpert Score: 4.5/5
The BOBCARD Etihad Visitor Premium Credit score Card is a strong airline co-brand card that delivers good worth for overseas travellers.
The zero foreign exchange markup, Gold tier standing, lounge entry, and milestone bonuses make it value contemplating, particularly at this payment level with a waiver choice.
What’s your tackle the BOBCARD Etihad Visitor Premium Credit score Card? Be happy to share your ideas within the feedback under.
