Review: Axis Vistara Infinite Credit Card

Last year we had a guest post reviewing the Amex Platinum Reserve Credit Card. Honestly, I would have taken it up if I was not moving to a different country. However, I downgraded my AMEX Platinum India Credit Card (And got myself the same card of the US variant - details here!), and now I only use the AMEX Travel Credit Card and the AMEX Membership rewards credit card apart from the Axis Vistara Infinite Card which I use quite a bit these days.

I have been using my Axis Vistara Infinite Card for about 18 months. Before this, I was using the Axis Vistara Signature Card. So cumulatively, I have about 3o months of experience dealing with the Axis team and redeeming rewards.

The Axis Vistara Infinite card is the highest variant among all the cards. The others are the basic Axis Vistara Credit Card followed by the Axis Vistara Signature Card. This card is priced at INR 10,000 per annum plus taxes; this card is priced similar to HDFC Infinia / HDFC Diners black or AMEX Platinum Reserve Credit Card.

Currently, in India, there are not a lot of Co-branded Airline cards. My favourite, of course, was the AMEX Jet Privilege, but since its downfall, I haven't used any apart from this one.

Vistara has a co-branded credit card with SBI, and HDFC has it with Indigo. SBI also has a co-branded credit card with Air India, but I have not explored this card option - given that the benefits did not live up to the expectations. Last year HDFC had stopped issuing new cards, and I am assuming this amped up the Vistara cards in the market.

Moreover, with Vistara expanding its international operations (to the USA, as well), the brand value is definitely going to go up in the coming few years. This bit itself should push you to get this card.

Look & Feel of the card

The card looks premium. Its black and gold colour palette and a slightly stiffer plastic card make it heavy. Embossed in various places, this card will catch an eye when you remove it from your wallet. There are very few cards that give a premium feel. I believe a lot of it has to do with adding the colour black.

The Credit Card & Eligibility

I upgraded from my earlier Axis Vistara Signature Card. But a quick check on the website reveals no eligibility criteria. No minimum income criteria or anything else, including your current credit score. The only thing probably you need to have is a Club Vistara membership number so you can apply for the card. Even if you don't have a CV membership, you will get one while applying for a credit card.

The signup bonus is decent. You get a Business Class Vistara ticket, complimentary Gold Membership, and 10000 CV points after spending INR 1 Lakh within 90 days of card issuance. Moreover, this is only valid during the first year of your card and not beyond that. The signup bonus overall has more than 3X of the card fee. So if you are someone who is looking to cover the card fee, this should cut it for you.

As a Club Vistara Gold Membership, you also get 1 complimentary category upgrade voucher and 1 complimentary Vistara Lounge Voucher.

Benefits

The Axis Vistara Infinite card comes with a host of benefits. I have highlighted the most important ones here. For the long list of benefits, please refer to their website.

Complimentary Business Class Ticket: You get a one-way complimentary business class ticket on signing up.

Club Vistara Gold Membership: Gold membership you get to keep until you use the AXIS Vistara Infinite Credit Card.

6 CV Points on every INR 200 spent: Highest point earn ratio on all the AXIS Vistara card variants.

Milestone Benefits: Upto 4 Business class tickets in a membership year on every milestone. You will get a business class ticket for this variant on every 2.5L milestone in a statement year.

Lifestyle privileges: Tee off with 6 rounds of golf sessions at premium golf clubs

Insurance Benefits: Loss of Travel Documents: $300; Delay of Check-in baggage: $300; Loss of Check-in baggage: $500; Lost Card Liability Protection: INR 3,00,000

Customer Service Support

I have rarely used their service support, but I have easily connected with them whenever I have done. The staff was courteous and addressed my query quickly. It is, however, not comparable to the customer service that AMEX provides. The AXIS support is a tad slower, and connecting them takes a little longer - since there is no direct line, and I can only talk to someone through an IVR.

My usage points accumulation and redemption of benefits

In a period of about 18 months, I have accumulated about 18000+ CV points, 1 Way Business Class Ticket and 3 Class Upgrades. I believe it is pretty decent. However, I have not redeemed anything since the pandemic restricted most of my travel in the city. I think I could have done better - however, with my usage on the Indian card going significantly lower, I am not sure if I want to continue using this card and paying the annual fees.

Renewal Benefits

The card does not have solid renewal benefits like most of the cards available right now. However, the cycle resets for the milestone benefits, and I think that is great if you are looking for a few business class tickets through the year. Apart from this, all the other benefits are pretty standard and get carried forward. The only missing element is the welcome benefit of 1 Business Class ticket and 10K points.

Overall TLP Rating ★★★☆☆

This card is really great if you are a frequent domestic flyer. With over 200 flights daily and serving 40 locations, this is a perfect card. They also have multiple international locations as well and a brand new route opening up to NYC will be a cherry on the cake.

With this happening, we are finally looking at a more robust loyalty program that can give Jet Privilege some competition. I give the AXIS Vistara Infinite card a 3.5 on 5. There is definitely room for improvement, and they need to be on their toes with new and better offers, especially during the pandemic when flying has been at an all-time low.

Do let me know what you think about the AXIS Vistara Credit Card and your thoughts around it. Please share your experiences in the comments section below ad let us know what you think about the review.