If you have any questions with regards to topics covered on this blog or anything you may think I will be able to help you with, drop me a line on this page and I will try my best to help you with the answers at the earliest.
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Hello Ajay
Thank you very much for your articles.
Could you please do a review on HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card?
Thank you
Shamik
My wife and I have I Phone 13. While I could download the DigiYatra App, I could not download the same in my wife’s phone, though both are similar. The app is not displayed in her phone. Could I know why? How do I download it?
AJAY,
i wanted to fly to europe(open to any location) for a trip, i want to purchase miles. can you please help me with the best way to do so?
Hi ajay,
You are doing a fabulous job.
Needed your advice that which miles program are to be targeted given that the choice of travel shall be from India mainly to europe ?
Kindly repond.
Hey Ajay,
Great blog!! Could you advise on how to book Star Alliance flights (eg. United Airlines flights within US) using Air Indian’s Frequent Flyer points. Is this even possible now? The redemption menu suggests so but many folks I’ve spoken to are not sure how to execute. This will be really helpful. Thanks!
Hi Ajay,
First up, you’re doing a great job and thank you for all the information you’ve taken the time to put up here. It’s really helpful and gives us an in-depth first hand view of a lot of the travel details we never knew of.
Ajay, i was wondering if you could help me with some advice – i’m on the lookout for a good premium credit card that offers me the best travel benefits – in terms of maximum air travel benefits (air miles), and secondly benefits in terms of hotels stays, vouchers, loyalty program memberships, etc.
What would your recommendation be for which are the best cards to look at for the above – based on your own personal experience. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks a ton.
Hi!
Indigo cancelled my onward flight to delhi and i had a connecting non-indigo flight afterwards.
Their alternate provided flight that is before my connecting flight causes a 6-7 hour wait at the airport. Non-indigo alternatives are much expensive.
what can indigo compensate? Do i have a chance for getting accommodation or lounge access for those 6+ hours of delay?
I had purchased 1 ticket from Delhi to Nava Scotia through easymytrip, but till today I didn’t receive refund money, Total amount of my ticket is Rs 69067/- dtd 25 April 2019
DEL-YYZ , YYZ-YHZ SECTOR
MUKUL BISHT
Reply
Hi Ajay
I am planning a trip to Toronto with my wife in August 2022. I want to travel business class. How can I get the best discounted fares. I have heard that there is something called a companion fare which is a discounted fare. How to search the best fare and how can a book a ticket with a long layover in the connecting city. All booking sites do not give any option to book with a layover.
Regards
Rajesh gupta
@Rajesh, look at the middle-east carriers or Turkish. Although I sense Business class fares will be high because of the return of demand after two years and no one wants or needs to discount as they can fly full. If you can’t find anything, reach out to your friendly neighborhood Travel Agent (if you email me I will send you details of one)
Hi Ajay,
I will be in Mumbai in April and wanted to ITC hotels. Which one you will recommend ITC maratha or Grand central? or do suggest any other hotel (Marriott)?
Regards,
Deb
@Deb, in Mumbai, hotel choices are largely dictated by closeness to where you want to be for work or your other engagements. Grand Central and Maratha are both good hotels, so choose the one closest to your venue of engagement.
Hi,
Will I be able to use this Accor plus membership at raffles Udaipur? if not for stay will any of the vouchers be valid etc?
@Sahil, The AccorPlus membership benefits are not available at Angsana Bangalore only. The stay vouchers are determined per your location, but you can for sure use your dining discounts etc at Raffles Udaipur as well.
Hi,
So I just called raffles Udaipur and they declined to honour any benefits with Accor plus, could you please confirm this for me?
Very resourceful site. Keep up the good work.
Hi Ajay,
I have long (28th Feb) layover in Delhi airport (13hrs) connecting on ANA flight from HND to Kolkata. I will be landing Del around 6PM and my connect flight to Kolkata is next day 6AM. I have 2 options either take Air India or in Vistara (travelling on business class all segments). I have following questions:
1. Which will be better Air India or Vistara in terms of lounge access/lounge timing
2. Will I be able to access the lounge for the entire layover of 13hrs?
Will be really helpful if you can provide some insight.
Thanks in advance,
Deb
@Deb, you will mostly be allowed in 3-4 hours prior to the flight for any of them at their lounges. It would be better if you either book a room at a hotel at Aerocity for the night, or there is a transit hotel in the airport as well. In terms of lounges, Air India has its own lounge at T3 and Vistara uses a contract lounge.
Hi Ajay
Thanks for your articles as it is helping everyone in one way or other. I would like to know about virtual card which are now being introduced in bulk like SLICE, JUPITER, UNI pay and many more. Can you please help us to understand if oen should go for these cards and if yes then for which card/service provider we should go for considering there are many such card & offers.
@Mohit, it is on my mind. Will work on it soon!
Hi Ajay,
I was hoping to get your advice on what I could do with my Citi Prestige points – I currently have ~250k+ miles worth of points on the card. I’m Dubai based currently, and unfortunately Emirates isn’t a partner for the Prestige in India. Given the state of the world, I have limited visibility on travel over the coming year, and hence I haven’t acted on transferring points anywhere yet
As always, thank you for your blog
Hello Ajay,
I see your articles on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and the domain YourMomentIsHere.com expired last month.
I bought 2 packages for Gala and interaction with Mumbai Indians on Dec 6th.
So I can not reach the email address they gave with confirmation.
Do you have a contact?
Marriott Bonvoy still could not get me a contact yet.
Thanks
Hi Ajay,
Enjoy your blog and have pointed a number of relatives in India to it for great travel info. Our niece is getting married end of this month(November) and we are so happy foreign nationals can now obtain tourists visas and we can attend the wedding! We are fully vaccinated US citizens living in the US and have booked flights on Qatar via Doha. to BOM. We are trying to understand the entry procedures. Seems we need:
1. Obtain Indian E-Tourist Visa
2. Get PCR test within 72hrs of departure and then upload on the Air Suvidha website.
Are you aware of any other requirements? So excited to be able to attend our niece’s wedding!!
@Johann, yes your understanding is correct. You should also upload your vaccination certificate I believe and you might be allowed to skip the RT-PCR on arrival in India (at the airport). Here is a detailed post: https://livefromalounge.com/covid-rules-international-travel-india/ . Write back if any questions still exist.
I need a credit card for UTILITES specifically for LIC. I have AMEX and CITI and they are both not giving me rewards for LIC premiums (which is around 5L a year of premiums)
I do not want any SBI card, Standard Chartered Card because of very bad history with them. My CIBIL score is very high 700+. I would prefer AXIS or ICICI as I already have account with them.
Can you suggest something. I am considering LIC Platinum Credit card or Axis Signature Credit card.
Hi Ajay,
You are indeed doing a great job by doing research on various CC/Airlines updates. I’ve liked your posts always.
One small suggestion – you can make your English simpler for more people to get benefited. Trust me this will really increase your readers count. Because I also skip some of your posts and try to look other sources for the same information for better and clear understanding of the news/articles and this because of the English.
Thanks.
Hi Ajay,
Thank you so much for posting this valuable content, I have started this CC game after reading your reviews and your card strategy. I need your valuable input on –
I have big spends (12L+) in the next 30 – 45 days on the hotel and retail category, can you all suggest a CC where I can maximize my rewards from these spends? I already have Dinners Black and Amex Platinium Travel (Exhausted 4 L for maximum rewards). Should I opt for SC Ultimate or Amex Platinum charge to earn better rewards or should I spend the entire amount on Dinners Black to earn 3.3% rewards? Please suggest.
Thanks, in advance
I’d say go for the Amex Platinum, since you will get rewards that you will be able to use in a lot of places, and they don’t expire. Use our link while you are at it, and you will get another 10000 reward points bonus.
Get a Axis Vistara infinite and complete milestone spends. Get Amex plat, maybe you can get some discounts on hotel.
I will be spending 12,000 rupees to commute to my office due to lack of public transport and using Uber/Ola
What credit card do you recommend?
@Kartik, you can look at the Amex SmartEarn which gets you 10X points on Uber. Check it out here
Use HDFC Infinia/Diners black to buy Uber voucher or use ola credit card.
Hey Ajay!
I’m planning on flying back (Indian Citizen) from BOS to HYD this May and come back again in July via Virgin Atlantic (stops at LHR and BOM). Do you think I’ll face any trouble in the onward leg?
Also, do you think the return leg is far enough into the future that I don’t have to worry about regulations?
Why is air india first class review removed ?
Hi AJ
I need advice on travel credit card. I have amex platinum travel card and am considering SBI air india signature, citi bank premier miles, axis miles and more select.
The idea is to get best rewards for accumulating air miles to earn free tickets.
I would be spending on 3 air tickets from delhi to Canada twice a year. Apart from that I spend on insurance, utility bills, flipkart, Amazon, myntra
What is your suggestion.
for spends upto 4L amex plat travel is good.
get an Infinia so you can get 10X for those tickets through smart buy
Ajay,
My Alliance Air Flight AI 9888 PNQ-ISK was cancelled 4 hours before departure. Where do I claim for compensation? I had booked my ticket on Cleartrip via Smartbuy. Thanks
Hi you guys! Hope everyone is doing well.
I’m Aanya and just in need of some answers.
I’m an Indian living in India and my boyfriend lives in SFO, California.
Been doing long distance for 4 years and i’ve visited the US 4-5 times for a month or two all these years. I would always tell at immigration i’m there for a holiday or to meet friends.
But given the pandemic, we could not meet for 1.5 years since 2019 August.
He couldn’t come to India because he was in the middle of changing jobs.
So, now i’ve finally booked my flight to go see him from Delhi-SFO via chicago.
I’m hella nervous because the last time i was in SF, the immigration officer asked me why i would visit so often and as i was advised to never reveal i’m there to meet my boyfriend, i never did. And because i clearly got a bit nervous, he sent me into a secondary immigration room while typing something on the computer but the secondary screening went absolutely fine. They just asked me basic things and told me to enjoy my trip. But i do know there is something written against my name at the port of entry.
I’ve recently quit work but i have enough savings and before i start working again, i wanted to visit my boyfriend for a month or two. And because the plan is not solid, i want to book my return flight in the US. His H1 got picked, so we do plan to marry next year after his stamping. But, I’m nervous about immigration because of whatever was typed during my last visit. And because i’m not working right now and have only a one way ticket.
Do guide me on how i should go about everything, am i overthinking this? Because i’m visiting the US after almost 1.5 years.
Hi Ajay,
Which Indian credit card would you recommend for accruing Qmiles and booking Qatar Airways award flights/upgrades?
Regards,
Hi Ajay,
Firstly let me thank you for the great content you keep posting, its very beneficial.
I needed some inputs from you. I do lot of international travel and consequently spend a lot overseas. While the traveling and hotel are booked by the company and the costs are taken care of by them, I still use my personal credit card for shopping and dining overseas.
Which card would you recommend for the same? I end up paying lot of currency conversion markup and forex transaction charges. I’d like to limit these or avoid them altogether.
Thanks
@Vin ample cards in the market offering 2% on forex charges. Check with your bank for one.
@Ajay Thanks for the reply.
Which card would you recommend that has no extra charges and also has reward points in return for international transactions?
Because over time these charges increase to a substantial amount.
I know it’s a lot to ask but just trying to optimize amongst the options.
Hello Ajay,
My in-laws are in a visitor visa came to the US in October via Air India no they are scheduled to return back to india. What requirements do we need to fulfill prior to them flying outside the US back to India
Hi there.
Can i only fly AIr India or United to the US on a B1/B2 visitor visa? Can’t I fly Qatar, Virgin Atlantic or JAL?
Please try to respond asap. Thanks in adv
Visa has no link the carrier you want to fly with.
I have flown with KLM, Delta, Emirates, BA, Air France on similar visa class.
However, you may have point on how current air bubble arrangements span out.
Hi,
I wanted to know which credit card with annual fee equal or less than 5000/- P.A. offers the best Priority Pass privileges or any other International lounge programs. Thank you in advance.
Hi Ajay,
Have been following your blog for sometime and its very informative and helpful.
Needed some help from you. I have a HDFC Regalia and recently (14/8) used it to pay my electricity bill ( a big amount). My points haven’t been credited to my account. I tried contacting HDFC Bank but can’t find a way to speak to a real human being regarding this. Could you guide me on how i can get in touch with someone who could help me.
Thanks.
Hi,
Could you please please help me in choosing between Diner Club black and Infinia. Although I thought Infinia would be better due to more acceptance than Diners card and 25,000 point cap with a smart buy instead of 15,000 cap with DCB. but looking to more details, I see DCP has a better welcome gifts in the form of membership and subscriptions compared to Infinia card and additional partner 10x program for capped at 25,000(although I am unable to find the latest list of partners). I don’t play golf at the moment, so limited golf from Infinia has limited value to me. If I need to learn, 6 in a quarter should be sufficient for me.
I am confused regarding which card would offer me better value. My priority is rewards points. Does smart buy offer even daily products like groceries bought from amazon? I also have Yes bank First exclusive credit card.
since you have both cards in your family, could you please suggest which one should I go for
How do I apply to hold a Webinar though Intermiles?
hi ajay
I am going to be travelling to koh samui on economy class with my family. total 5 adults and a kid. I have an option of travelling thai airways or singapore airlines. Which do you suggest should i go with?
Also is there a way to collect the miles in a single account??
Can you share your reviews on the new Axis MyZone credit cards
I am holding Indian Passport with valid US visitor VISA till 2023.
Do I need to take Dubai VISA before travelling or will it be issued at Dubai air port on arrival ? Is Dubai VISA is free or any fees is to be paid ?
We have booked Dubai stay for 5N-6D package & touring from 23rd to 28th Feb 2020.
Please guide me on above matter.
Thanking you in advance.
You will get visa on arrival. Last year I paid equivalent AED of around Rs 1800 per person for the same Process on arrival.
I tried calling Amex Travel Services today (I hold Amex Plat Reserve) – got a message, for international travel use the website, for domestic go to MMT and get great discounts.
I was like – are you kidding me!
Anyone had the same experience? What happened to Amex service and someone at the other end of the phone?
Write to Amex Customer Care post expiration, and they extend it by 90 days. I have done this once, personally.
To be doubly sure, you call ahead and tell them of the situation and ask if they will extend the validity?
I hope this is the right place to ask the question. I am flying business class in Qatar Airways from Bangalore (India) to Gatwick and was wondering which was the best program to bank my miles. It seems Qatar has high surcharges. I was thinking about JMB since they are starting a daily service from Bangalore to Tokyo in a few months and it could help me plan a trip. But JMB is not partners with Amex rewards or citi premier miles cards which i use.
What do you suggest?
Dear AJ,
I completed my GEP application but could not initiate the back ground check with Indian passport office since my address needed to be changed. A fresh passport will be issued now. However a valid US visa is on my earlier passport and that is what I have given details of in the GEP. What should I enter for the background verification in the Indian passport application?
@HV Subramaniam, I’m sorry I won’t have an answer to that but I hope others can help you here.
Hey,
I am eligiblr for AMEX travel plat and i am planning to get one.
My query is,
1) If i get that card, Could i add AMEX PLAT card (that comes with 60,000 s annual fee) as a supplymentry card?
2) Could I get that card for primary as well as add-on card too?
3) If YES! Could i get those hotel elite/Gold status of AMEX platinum as a supplymentry card?
Hey people,
I currently hold HDFC Dinners Black. I am from Coimbatore (Tier-2 city)
Got it in July 1st week.Till now have got 1 lakh+ reward points (Mostly on 10x)
Have seen may people praise AMEX cards like (Trvel plat/Gold/MRCC ) But i don’t get their reward system. I am not Comparing DCB with AMEX.
1 MR on 50 INR spent. Considering 5000 Marriott points for a night for redemption in 1:1 ratio. Even 5x rewards and bonus points are not that open
1 MR = 50 INR
1000 MR = 50,000 INR
5000 MR = 2,50,000 INR
So i should spend 2,50,000 INR to get 5000MR?
or with those 5x 7 promotions i need to spend around 1,75,000-2,00,000 to get 5000 MR?
Anyone pls explain this!
I agree with you. I fail to understand why people get so much excited about AMEX. I am also holding one but hardly find it useful unless there is some occasional 10X or some promotion. So Diners Black should take care of most of your expenses.
I’m supposed to be in the UK and Europe for 2-3 months next summer. Pease suggest the best credit card / forex card that should be used that has the least foreign currency conversion charges? I have some big purchases planned, and the recent charge of 3.5 by Amex on my purchase has shocked me, it’s a significant number esp on big purchases
Use HDFC Diners Black/Infinia credit cards 2% markup.
For Forex cards use single currency forex card, load with Diners Black to get 5000/month on minimum load of $1000. Load $1000 every month to get more points.
What are the best VISA/MC credit cards that you recommend? Preferably to earn transferable points to airlines/hotels. I am looking to ditch the ICICI JP Sapphiro card, and I don’t want to go the Diners way (Already have AMEX Plat).
HDFC Infinia
Hi,
Which credit card you recommend for insurance premium payment. I need to pay around 10L per annum on insurance. Earlier I was thinking to get the citi prestige card for same, but looks like now they wont give rewards for same. Next I tried my DCB but looks like my insurance gateway only accepts visa, master and amex. So according to you which credit card you recommend for maximum returns. Currently I hole DCB, amex platinum travel card.
I am trying to transfer my Amex Platinum Travel Card points to Marriot but keep getting “Rejected by Participant”. I have called Amex Customer Service and they have tried processing it for me too but I get the same result.
Any idea how to solve this?
Hello,
Sorry mine is not a reply to your question. But I have a question did’t know where to put it.
Is there a lounge at T-1(domestic) at Mumbai? If so is it specific to any group for example with credit cards only or anyone who is happy to pay?
You can pay 1500++ and walk in. Domestic lounges are not worth paying. Better to have a credit card for that.
Hi Ajay,
I have a Taj Experiences Gift card of 10K which is due for expiry by 10th Of Nov. I cannot make any booking in next 45 days due to work schedule. Is there any way i Can give this voucher to someone who is interested / any platform to give it at a discounted rate?
TIA
Hi Ajay
Me and my wife will be reaching Delhi on way to Kolkata on 9th Oct at 9.30am. and AI flight to CCU at 2.15pm. Please assist me how we can avail AMEX lounge, I am holder of AMEX Platinum Travel card.The location may also please be specified.
Hi Ajay,
I read your blogs often and really relish the content. Thank you for the amazing job.
I have a question about Cred – the member-only app that rewards credit card bill paying customers with Cred coins (1 INR = 1 Cred coin). I’ve read they only admit credit card customers with a credit score of 750+. Would it be lucrative to apply for Cred if one fulfills all criteria?
Hi,
I am using CRED app for over a year, and using it I was able to redeem some rewards such as flowers, chocolates, online vouchers, and cash backs (got value of around 300). Overall I have get back in value of around 5-10K by paying around 3L in my credit card bill payments.
With hdfc visa credit card and priority pass, can we get a lounge access at mumbai international airport ? I was not able to find a visa lounge via hdfc infinia card page. And i believe using priority pass in india is charged
It’s not chargeable in HDFC infina card, chargeable on other HDFC cards. They do have lounge to access via visa card, I have used that
Hi,
I am planning to redeem my Air India FFP points for a return trip to Bengaluru from Delhi. The points required for the same are 13500 *2 =27000 points plus 1100 some rupees as taxes while the airfare for the same flights is nearly 8000/-. Is that a good deal in terms of points redemption?
Hi Ajay,
Any cc in India that offer elite status in Hilton/Marriott without needing to break a bank to pay yearly fees? I know Amex plat at 60K a yr.
@maverickme No.
🙁 thought so. Thanks & keep up the good work you guys are doing at LFAL.
Hi,
now you can try with dinners club black, they do give Marriott membership
Dear Ajay,
Can you confirm if the HDFC Diners Premium Card is still being used. As per confirmation with their phone banking services team, the same has been discontinued, however in your site I still find the mention of the same card? Please confirm.
@Jolly, the HDFC Diners Premium card is still in use for those who have it. New ones are not being issued, instead Club Miles card is being issued.
Hi, This is with reference to your article “New, devalued HDFC Smartbuy 10X Points promotion for June 2019”
I have a DCB card. Now the revised limit on points is 15000 via Smartbuy and 25000 via partner brands. (like Uber/Tata Cliq etc)
My query is that if I go to Smartbuy and want to buy an Iphone XR for about Rs.60,000 through ‘Compare and Shop’ section on Smartbuy – and if I select Tata Cliq through there (which also happens to be a 10x partner for upto 25000 points) would I get combined benefit of Smartbuy points (15000) plus the partner brand benefit for Tata Cliq (25000 points).
This makes it a total of 40000 points. HDFC site says that partner reward points are over and above Smartbuy points. Is this correct or is it too good to be true?
Correction: Purchase worth INR 75,000 on Tata Cliq
Its nice reading daily some or the other updates with regards to points and rewards.
I have a Jet airways co-brand Diners HDFC credit card. Recently i have not been earning any JP miles on my spends. With the situation of Jet airways being what it is, what is the solution or alternate for this? Should I stop using HDFC altogether as I’m not getting a proper response from anyone. Everytime I try and connect with HDFC bank customer care they provide a link for their Bot.. which is s**t to say the least and not at all helpful. I have converted my ICICI Jet card to Emeralde card and they were much more helpful.
Any suggestions, I’m sure many of us hold A JetAirways cobrand card and are facing the same issue of not earning any JP miles on them recently.
@ajay , Would be really great if you could shed some light on the issue raised by me. would be of great help.
Hi Ajay. I think a lot of us are in the same position as Saurav, with the JP co-branded cards being (more or less) useless at the moment. In fact I cancelled my Sapphiro Cards recently. Emeralde doesn’t seem to make sense due to the Payback link. My goto cards now are Infinia and Amex Gold. What are your thoughts about alternates for JP co-branded cards?
Hi Ajay / Karan,
I regularly follow your blog. You and your team are doing a great job!
I am looking to know if you are aware of any issues with the Etihad Reservation system for Mumbai to Abu Dhabi flights. Etihad is flying into Mumbai with 4 flights per day. However, for Mumbai to Abu Dhabi flights they barely have any availability with most days in May marked as “NA”.
For example, there are 4 flights coming into Mumbai from Abu Dhabi on 6th May 2019 (Monday). But the Etihad website shows N/A for flights from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai on 6th and 7th May!
I am hoping to make a booking to from Mumbai to Abu Dhabi (one-way) for 2 passengers preferably using JP points.
Thanks for your help in advance!
Akash
Hi Ajay – is it standard procedure on Air India (india in general?) to not to announce domestic business class boarding before general boarding?
I had a few recent trips visiting family in Kolkata connecting though Mumbai. I never heard business boarding announced (and I was listening for it) and it seemed like the expectation was that business fliers just barged to head of the boarding line and interrupted and waved their boarding passes around imperiously. When I asked if it was procedure, the staff either declined to answer or maybe just didn’t understand my question. Are the major etiquette differences in boarding than in the US?
Also, it’s a shame there are so few good reviews of the Oberoi hotels in India. I stayed at the Grand at Kolkata for a week and it was the best stay of my life. Easily topped (shorter, business-related) stays at the Hotel Bristol, Baur au Lac and Corinthia the following weeks. Room was lovely and service was off the wall bonkers in a good way. I’d be happy to send pictures.
@rsb29, It is not standard process in India, but on Air India. They don’t do preboarding for J class and elites on domestic. Only a very few times do they put out the board for Star Alliance preboarding, and they will still not do a preboarding, just have everyone go in in one go. I’m happy to have you write reviews on the hotels you mention, unfortunately, just pictures won’t do good since only you experienced them!
Hi Ajay,
Could you guide on whats the best oneworld ffp to accrue miles on for best redemptions? I don’t fly it too often but usually end up with qatar for connecting to Europe etc. Wondering whether the qatar ffp is best to accrue these miles on or should i sign up on ba or aa and accrue the qatar miles there in hope of favorable redemptions later
Can the Visa free Transit Facility in Singapore, be obtained by Indian nationals travelling via Singapore from countries other than India.
This is on the assumption of meeting the requirements (valid B2 visa)
I have booked my tickets on Jet Airways in June’19 on Mum – Paris – Mum sector. Do you think it’s about time that I should cancel my tickets, incur some losses and move to Air France / Joon?
I am trying to make a booking in smartbuy today (March 31, 2019) where HDFC 10X offer also expires today. One of my friend said that even though if i make transaction today it will take 2 working days for transaction to appear in CC statement, thus i wont be able to get 10X reward points. Is this true ? Its very important because i want to use Diners Black card and international tickets. So much at stake :). Can u help me out ?
Your friend is right.You will get 33% reward only if offer is extended for next month
@Surya the transaction will still appear with the transaction date of March 31, 2019. So, you will get the 10X reward points. Go for it.
Wow ! Two contrasting replies, i want to believe that i will get 10X points
Actually I commented based on my actual experience.. Will be glad if proven wrong..
When did that happen to you ? No transaction gets settled in one day right ? Then why would they display 10X today ?
@surya @krishnakumar, any transaction whenever settled, will still have the transaction date of today. when that happens, in the next monthly cycle it will be counted towards the extra points
@Ajay
A few months back I carried out a HDFC 10X transaction by loading my forex card on 30th Nov.
Even after 90 days I never got 33% points even though the transaction was reflecting on my statement with 30th Nov date.
I raised a complaint with HDFC and I got a call from HDFC Diners team stating that even though I carried out transaction on 30th and also the same is reflecting in my statement on 30th..the internal system has posted the transaction after 24 hours. Hence I was not eligible for 10X for Nov and that it will be considered as December transaction. In the meantime I had also loaded my card in December ( Not knowing that my November transaction was actually captured in Dec)So for 2 reloading of Rs 15000/- each I got points only for one transaction. I was advised by the phone banking officer that ideally I should consider that 28th is the cut off date for earning 10x points where calender month is taken into account for 10X.
Ajay,
Would you have a handy list of cards that offer the most value for the Indian audience, and strategy to acquire them. Plus any rules to keep in mind (Like the US has Chase 5/24 and FICO score).
HELLO, JUST WANT TO KNOW, IF I CAN STAY FOR A MONTH , WITH MY RELATIVES. WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE FOR LONGER DURATION AND MULTIPLE ENTRY IN DUBAI.
Hello Ajay & Shipra,
i’ve been reading and learning a lot about miles from this Site.
Wanted to ask a quick query.
my Mom is travelling from Paris (CDG) to Mumbai (BOM) with Transit in Istanbul (Turkish Airlines).
she is alone and i was wondering if there is any reliable Transit assistance which i can use similar to the one like Pranaam in Mumbai ?
Hi,
Had a query regarding air miles from Singapore Airlines, I will be traveling to SG by Singapore Airlines.
Wanted to know which would be the best account to accumulate airmiles. Krisflyer, Vistara CV or Air India?
Am a bit confused because:
– Krisflyer doesn’t allow you to pool miles within the family, so they cannot be clubbed in future.
– Vistara CV – Not sure if Economy Lite fares on Singapore Airlines points are allowed in Vistara or not.Though they allow pooling of points.
– Air India – Since Singapore Airlines is part of Star Alliance, would accumulating points here would be a good idea?
My preference would be Vistara CV if they allow points on Singapore Economy Lite fares, as pooling is allowed in Vistara.
Is there any other airlines in India where I can accumulate points by flying on Singapore Airlines
Hi Ajay,
I have 75K miles on Air India FFP. I was wondering what is the best way to burn them ex-Pune. I would like to take my family of three on a holiday but can’t seem to figure out any good options ex-Pune.
Can you guide please.
Thanks,
AR
AI doesn’t release more than two seats for redemption. Only reasonable options are PNQ-GOI 5000 miles and PNQ- DEL about 10000 miles. I would buy revenue ticket and use these miles for upgrade to Business.
Hey folks, Trying to find out if I need a transit visa for Delhi.
I have tried 9W, AI and the Indian Embassy in Colombo doesn’t answer the phone. And the website is as clear as mud.
My details are: I am an Australian Citizen traveling on my Australian passport. I will arrive from Colombo into Delhi on April 26 AI-282. My arrival time is 1150am. I will then transit to my connecting flight to Paris CDG on AI-143 which departs at 1315. Therefore my transit time in Delhi is 85 minutes, or 1 hour and 25 minutes.
Do I need a transit visa?
Hope you can help, thanks in advance, ROB
I believe you don’t , especially if you are booked under one single PNR , get your connecting boarding pass at CMB itself , and have your bags checked-in right till CDG. ( Australia does enforce a Transit visa for Indians though , even for airside transit ). Do check the following page on Air India. http://www.airindia.in/Transit-Information.htm
No.. you will not need Indian Visa. If it’s a Single PNR on AI then you can thro check in from CMB all the way up to CDG.
Hi, had couple of queries.
I am thinking to make a case for HDFC diners black jet with bank. This will help me reach platinum status with Jet and at same time, I guess I might have a better chance to shift to DCB from this one rather than diners premium. (3.75 lakh limit, 15 something ITR)
Your views? Especially as the lounge benefits I would not be utilising much but I feel platinum status and chance to keep my amex jet platinum and others for free with that status makes up for it?
Would also appreciate if you can give a rough idea on number of days it took for tier points to be credited. 🙂
I have been trying to search for the “best” credit card which offers
– lounge access at major international airports
– max reward points accumulation
– lowest foreign exchange charge markup
– reward points that can be exchanged for air tickets.
Which credit cards would you suggest?
For International Lounge Access(via Prioroty Pass), reward redemption for Airmiles and tickets & lowest foreign currency markup(1.75% +GST) i would suggest you “Yes First Preferred/Yes First Exclusive”.
Hi There,
This is Anil Patrick Gudipudi from Andhra Pradesh.. I’m about to travel to Sharjah ,UAE in January 2019..I’m really confused about the UAE Visa..I’ve a USA B1/B2 visa valid till 2028.Can I get Visa on arrival in Sharjah? Can I travel to Dubai and other Emirates countries with this visa ?Please guide me in detail..Thank You.
Hi,
Can you please let me know if Jet Plat members get more options for redemption of JP Miles in comparison to a Blue Plus Member.
I have about 50k JP Miles but whenever i try to search for a reward flight they are never available no matter how many days before I try.
Thanks
are you a member of the mile high club?
what was your experience like, share details & tips on the best way to go about it
thanks!
I dont think Ajay has gone to Denver, has he? LMAO.
Why is Denver Colorado Called the Mile High City – YouTube
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rzr9RYuiSjg
@Kushal, No offense, but seriously man, get your head out of the gutter, at least when you are in the air! Don’t we already have enough obnoxious travellers?
Hello ,
Can you please let me know if GVK Lounge at Mumbai Airport is accessible with Amex Platinum Reserve CC. If yes, Any conditions? Any charges if I bring a guest along with me.
Hello,
I read your column in livemint and then followed up here. A request, i would like to subscribe to your blog,…when i click on the subscribe link it goes to the website boardingarea.com and then i am unable to complete the action, so a request to update your subscribe link…
Wishing in advance a very very Happy New Year…
best,
ila
Hi Ajay, Shipra
I am looking for supplementary cards that will let my wife & daughter (10 yrs) use lounges when I am not travelling with them. Citi prestige is a good option but how about the daughter? Any particular options to accommodate her free?
Thanks
Hi Ajay. Which lounge does Jet offer for domestic business class pax flying out of BOM. Online it says access to MALS Lounge. Is that the same as the GVK domestic lounge?
@747Always GVK Lounge it is
Thanks. My first time in the GVK lounges at BOM! Looking forward to it!
Just got a message for my 9w flight tomorrow stating that I’ve got access to the GVK domestic lounge. Let’s see what happens tomorrow!
Hi Guys,
I have been enjoying your articles and the latest fresh blood infusion in the team is very welcome as I get loads of updates on my favourite subject more often. Kudos to that. I have faced an issue with JP-HDFC Dinders Club Card. I have applied for it numerous times through the cards.jetprivilege.co portal using my existing JP account however no one from HDFC has ever reverted back. JP customer care washed its hands saying I should contact HDFC. HDFC customer care doesn’t have any info. I have even contacted the local sales rep of HDFC Cards who did not even know the existence of such a card. When I contacted his senior, he informed me that the card is only for Individuals those who have a banking account with HDFC( I do not) and have an IT Return not less than 30LPA. Do you have any idea about this? Do you think JP is misleading customers?
Email the HDFC credit card department for assistance. This is a high card, which most representatives don’t know.
Is CitiPrestige credit card a good choice even now? I have started to travel frequently and currently have no status with any frequent flier program. i plan to get a card which can get me to the status quickly and good redemption value. I travel mostly on Jet Airways and ME3 carriers.
@Felix, Yes it’s a reasonably good card to have in the wallet if you are doing International travel. Earns 2x points on international spends, i.e. 8 miles for every INR 100 spent
Hi Ajay,
wanted your thoughts on what’s the BEST star alliance frquent flyer program on which one should accrue air india miles (instead of say the air india ffp). This is with a view to accruing all STAR alliance travel miles (whether in India via AI or elsewhere via a STAR alliance airline) on a single FFP that works best for International redemptions out of Mumbai
@carpe, check out lifemiles for best redemptions and asiana/aegean for best path to gold status
I have valid US visa. I wish to travel to UAE. I know I shall get visa on arrival. But within the stipulated 14 days duration I wish to travel to Oman and come back to UAE again. Is it allowed under the VoA scheme?
Hi AJ,
If I buy a regular 9W economy ticket in Saver class, and later use miles to upgrade them. Am I entitled to the higher baggage allowances of Premiere class.
I could not find this specific information for miles upgrade on the 9W website.
@Raj baggage allowance is per your original fare class and FFP allowance.
Hi Ajay,
Thanks for creating this excellent blog. Extremely helpful.
I have one query regarding Jet airways frequent flier program update. Currently I am on Gold level and as per the DTR, if I accumulate few more tier points in next 2 months, my tier will get upgraded to Platinum. So wanted to know from you can my tier change to Platinum if collect those tier points? Do I need to connect with Jet airways for getting the tier changed after accumulating required tier points or they will do this? Or tier cant be changed in between. Requesting to share your expert advise.
Hi Ajay, thanks for the blog. I enjoy your travel reviews and tips on maximizing earning and spending points. I have a question about the Jet/Delta partnership. Do Delta Platinums get lounge access on Jet Airways domestic flights in India? I know about lounge access for international flights but not sure this includes purely domestic flights. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Ajay,
Any thoughts/plans on publishing tips/tricks to redeem the 90K Iberia Avios for those staying in India? There’s tons of articles for those with access to Iberia metal, but none/expensive options for those who don’t.
Thanks!
WhoKnowsWhereNext
@whoknowswherenext… but first I need those miles to hit my account to play with them. It’s on the agenda, yes!
Hi Ajay-
This is Ajay Ramchandani here, had a question about best way to book jet airways by using partner points/miles. I have options such as Etihad Guest Miles, Delta Miles and other points/miles, but i cant figure out where I would get the best value.
Please assist,
Thank You
Ajay Ramchandani
Hi Ajay & Shipra,
I had heard a podcast about Live from a lounge some time back. Now, I’m planning a trip to Europe with my wife and thought of checking out the site. First of all, thank you for creating this wonderful site. 🙂
I just have a query about forex cards, wasn’t able to find much info about it. Is it better to buy a forex card during my trip(which is for 12 days) or continue to use my Regalia HDFC credit card.
Thanks,
Mathew
There are hundreds if not thousands of blog posts on flights and lounges cards.
But I havent come across any post which breaks down best credit card for hotel
chains in India? Would be great if you can point out few credit cards in India that
has points transferable to hotel chains?
Cheers
Mo
Hi Ajay,
Can you share some FFPs where one does not require a revenue flight before a redemption flight can be booked? i.e., those FFPs where one can just enroll, transfer miles from say credit card points and redeem for a reward flight, without undertaking a revenue flight.
Hi Ajay, Shipra,
Couple of queries re the Citi Premier Miles card
1. What are the chances of getting this card if I am applying for my first Citi card. I also have no Citi account
2. If I am rejected for this card, which other card would you suggest for earning points. Not looking at any Diners variants due to limited acceptance. I was looking into HDFC Superia (non doctor) HDFC all miles, StanChart Platinum Rewards.
@747Always, Premiermiles should be easy to get. no problem at all I guess!
Thanks. Still awaiting the confirmation from the bank. Seems like their documentation guy messed up. Will update when it comes
@ajay good news. The Premier Miles approval came through!
Hi there,
I’m wondering if there are any sweet spots in JP Miles redemption. I have a stash of miles I’d like to burn, but every award seems like a terrible use of miles. Ofcourse this is coming from pure comparison with other airlines. (Ex – MAA-SIN with AVIOS is 14.5K, Krisflyer is 18.5K, JP is 22.5K in Economy).
Have you guys researched or published any articles about sweet spots in the JP redemption chart that readers could take advantage? Or do we just have to wait for offers where Jet refunds some portion of the miles back, or something similar.
Thanks!
WhoKnowsWhereNext
@WhoKnowsWhereNext, Thanks for this. While I won’t use Avios/KrisFlyer/JP at par value, my usual guidance is at least INR 1 value per JPMile. I’ll work on something soon!
Hi Ajay, Shipra,
Have been using the Jet Air Amex Plat for the last year. Was wondering if it makes sense to ditch this and move on to the Amex Plat Credit Card. Keeping both seems like overkill to me.
@747always, It depends on what are you looking for. For the both of us, our Amex is just used for accessing the Delhi T3 Amex lounge at the moment. We don’t see the value in paying 50K for the Platinum just yet and hence held back. So unless you know how to maximise the Amex Plat, you should stick with this one too 🙂
My reasoning to go for the Amex Plat is that it gives me status with the Taj, as well as allowing me to MR points which I can also redeem on AI, and other airlines when I fly international. I took the intervening time to rebuild my credit rating, and hence now want at least one premium credit card which gives me some benefits beyond mere lounge access, as I dont travel for work, only for pleasure twice a year
@747always there are other cards which give you status with Taj. Anyways Taj gives silver status now to all cardholders. Citi Prestige or HDFC Diners Black could be in your consideration set.
Thanks for the heads up on the Taj status
So, Ive taken the plunge with the Amex Plat Reserve, and have also applied for the Citi Premier Miles. While I did qualify for the Citi Prestige, the INR 20000/- annual membership doesnt make it worthwhile for me. Heres to booking a free stay soon.
@747always, I’m pretty sure you have your reasons, but I see more value coming out of the Citi Prestige at 20K than the Amex Plat Charge which you wanted to get for 50K earlier.
Hey Im going for the Amex Plat Reserve credit card. Sorry for not clarifying earlier.
Aj,
Many insurance companies in western market provide ” Cancellation for Any reason” CFAR insurance cover at a premium on Non refundable tickets for domestic as well as international sectors. In India MMT offers the same selectively on Domestic booking. Is there any option from OTA or from Insurance company for getting this cover for International sectors for Indian nationals?
HI I am flying on Ethiad from Edinburgh to Delhi . I am Jet Priv silver member and therefore should be entitled to one additional piece of luggage. Ethiad says that this is not the case due the ticket class in which I booked; but the jet airways page doesn’t differentiate on ticket class for this benefit. Any advice/insight?
Hi AA,
Have a high spend on lic insurance premium. is there a credit card which give added benefits if paid through it?
thanks
sy
SBI PRIME gives you 20 RP/Rs.100 for utility payments which includes insurance. This translates to about 5% return.
Hi AA,
Am an avid follower of your blog and wish to thank you for introducing me to the world of points and miles. This is the just the first year and I’ve already got some meaningful success with this hobby (400k in points/miles without even being a frequent flyer!) Needless to say I’m hooked on this hobby and a big thank you/Kudos for all the fantastic work that you put in for your readers.
Just found out GoAir is now at Terminal 2 in DEL thanks to your blog. Any idea on how to transfer from T3 arrivals to T2 departures? Airport website is unclear.
@Nick There are shuttles that run from Terminal 3 arrivals to Terminal 2. It should be free if you have a copy of o/ward ticket, else costs about INR 25.
Hi Ajay,
I’ve received a promo from Amex to sign up for their Amex platinum card (INR50k/pa++ fees). Wanted your advice on whether this is worth the benefits given the high recurring fees, presumably without any scope of fee waiver. (They are throwing in a onetime Taj 50k voucher so I’ll probably recover the first year fee, but thereafter? I’m ok to sign up if complelling
@carpediem_shu the card is good to have if you are only looking to recoup your fees and get some hotel benefits. Concierge still ain’t great.
@Ajay
When you had that card, did you ever try to use their Preferred Airlines program? They have recently revamped it and it now books discount fares as well on 10-15% discount on PE, Business and First.
@Amex Guy, no. why book revenue when you can redeem 😉
AJ,
The biggest offer of the year is here! Enjoy a truly rewarding flight travel with up to 50% JPMiles back on redeeming your JPMiles for an Award Flight on 500+ Jet Airways Flights across domestic and international sectors.
Offer valid on online and offline booking channels.
Hi Ajay,
I wanted to understand the Qatar QMiles Family programme. Is this worth it?
Your Family Programme offers main members the benefit of pooling Qmiles earned by nominated family members into their accounts for quicker awards. The higher your membership level, the more Qmiles your family members will earn.
http://www.qatarairways.com/PrivilegeClub_US/family_programme.page
I am confused if the main member get Qmiles or not?
Hi
What is your advise for a credit card for lounge access… I have a citi premieer miles card and is no longer accepted at many a lounges….bangalore and mumbai ( domestic) recently… preferably a free card
PremierMiles is accepted at both locations. In Bangalore, the VISA version allows you to access the Plaza Premium lounge whereas the Mastercard version allows you to access both the Above Ground Level lounge and Plaza Premium. In Mumbai, VISA version is accepted at Mumbai Airport Lounge and Mastercard at Good Times lounge.
Almost all cards which give more lounge access than Premier Miles have joining fees of 5k+.
IndusInd Signature card is available for a one time fee of some 10K. Upto 8 lounge access a year. Talk to them, if you don’t travel a lot, this is a great deal.
Check out the ICICI Jet Airways Visa. No fee in the first year. 5 k in second year IIRC. I got access at BOM TFS lounge and Delhi Domestic lounge (forget the name) in T3
My Lufthansa Miles -(6688 nos.) are expiring on 30th June. I was wondering if I should apply for Axis bank Lufthansa World card . Will this allow me to extend the validity of expiring miles??
Any chance we can get to see the credit card strategy of yours for this year?
Understand American Express is going to revamp for it Platinum travel card reward points convertibility to spicejet effective 6th June instead of Indigo. In my view this is some sort of devaluation due to limitations of routes and number of flight by spicejet?? What is your opinion? Any other changes in pipeline? how do you consider rating of this card in your 2017 card strategy. Waiting for your 2017 Card recommendation. Please advise.
I would say go for the Amex Jet Air Plat or the Platinum Reserve CC. Locking oneself into Spicejet or Indigo seems futile IMO. Would rather travel on a full service carrier.
Hey Ajay,
Still waiting for your credit card strategy 2017! Its May now and I am eagerly waiting for your inputs before I apply for a new card!
+1 to that! 🙂
Hi Ajay,
Also, do you see any chance of points (Diners Black) being devalued? I am accumulating points currently to be able to book an international vacation with family. In normal circumstances, I would have followed your “Earn and burn” advice, but I want to be able to accumulate enough for flight bookings to Europe late spring in 2018. I have set a target date of 30-Sep-17 to use the points.
I know this would be hard to predict, but want to know if you’ve picked any signals/heard from someone that devaluation is imminent in near future?
Regards
@Sandeep, at the moment, I think the last devaluation already happened when they killed all partnerships and decided to be left with 3 of them. 9w, AI, Sq. If I hear something I’ll make it a point to post about it.
Hi Ajay,
Just read this on the HDFC Diner’s Club site:
Value of each point will change w.e.f 15th August 2017.
HDFC Bank Diners Club Premium – 0.50
HDFC Bank Diners Club Rewardz – 0.30
Atleast for now, Black is out of this. Thankfully, they have given a reasonable notice.
Hi Ajay,
Could you please advise whether I am eligible for 10X rewards even if I book tickets/hotels today on Goibibo for dates in October 2017?? I’ve been using diners black for only 2 months so still not sure about how this works.
Makemytrip does not accept the coupon code HDFC5X for those dates (I get a message “Coupon Code expired”) and hence Goibibo is my only option.
@Sandeep, yes, the points are given on the basis of the billing cycle and not the date of travel
Hi Ajay,
I have been a follower of your blog from last couple of years- we did interact a couple of times previously too.
I have a query and would welcome some ideas regarding the same.
I have accumulated 1.2 lakh Premiremiles on my card- not huge by average users on this blog but a high number for me.
due to change of location and job, my travelling has reduced significantly.
So wanted to know:
Is it worth it to continue using Premieremiles?
and more importantly- what would be a good value for those miles- where should I transfer them?
No fixed trip planned as of now but do want to know about some options beforehand (In India/to South East Asia).
Hi Ajay,
When are you posting your credit card strategy for 2017? Hugely awaited!!
I am specifically looking your inputs for a Master/Visa card which gives me the maximum reward for my spillover spends (upto INR 2 lacs) only for those instances where I am unable to use my existing Amex Platinum Travel or Diners Club Premium cards (due to lack of ECM / respective portals).
Hi Ajay…thanks for your informative posts….my query….I am waitlisted for a Jet Airways AMS-MUM upgrade to Business class using upgrade vouchers. The travel is for end of August 2017. What steps do I need to take to ensure that I actually get the upgrade? Do the Jet customer service reps actually respond to a telephonic request to release extra upgrade seat?
Hi Ajay,
I am glad I found your blog. I am currently in the USA and planning to move back to India. I would appreciate your advice on how to start applying for cards in India or which cards I should ask my existing banks in the US to transfer to India e.g., Citi/Amex etc to transfer to India.
I have cards from most major issuers here including Citi Prestige, Amex PRG gold bunch of other Major US Arline and Hotel cards (each of them with ~100K or more points/miles). I have few other related questions:
1. If I transfer say a Citi Prestige Card from US to India, will I loose my points earned in the US? Will I be able to earn the sign up bonus in India again on the same product?
2. Are the points earned in India have similar value as in US (e.g. 1 Amex MR = 1 Amex MR regardless of where you earn it)?
3. Also which of the big three US airlines provides best options for partner redemption for domestic flights within India among Delta, United and American Airlines? I hear Jet was added as a partner of Delta recently, are the redemption good on Jet using Delta Skypessos?
Thanks much in advance.
Hi Ajay,
Glad I found your blog. I am currently in the USA and planning to move back to India. I would appreciate your advice on how to start applying for cards in India or which cards I should ask Citi/Amex etc to transfer to India.
I have cards from most major issuers here including Citi Prestige, Amex PRG gold bunch of other Major US Arline and Hotel cards. Are the points earned in India have similar value as in US (e.g. 1 Amex MR = 1 Amex MR regardless of where you earn)?
Also which of the big US airline provides best options for partner redemptions for domestic flights within India among Delta, United and American Airlines? Thanks much in advance.
hi Ajay,
not sure if this is the right way to reach you but i had a query regarding the assistance you provide for booking award tickets. I was trying to fill up that form but obviously that service is for people who already have the miles/points to meet their travel requirement. Do you provide consultation for people who are planning for an trip a year or so down the line and want to get expert opinion on how they can rack up miles/points to optimize their air fare expenses.
for e.g. i dont have much in terms of miles/points but would like to take a trip to Seattle from bangalore in business class for my entire family sometime next year (2018) and would love some expert help to find out how i can optimize my mile/point collection strategy to reduce the cash outflow. i dont travel enough to be able to make this trip through points but would like to avail of all possible strategies to soften the cash blow. This is a once in a lifetime trip for my family for whom this will be the first and last trip on a premium class.
Hi Saikat please connect with me on ajay at livefromalounge dot com and lets take this offline there.
hanks ajay. have dropped a note to you on the email id.
I’m sure this question is on the mind of lots of your readers…HDFC 10X to continue after the 31st?!
Hi Ajay, ICICI is offering double JP miles on signing up the Jet Airways co-branded. May be you should write an article to highlight this.
BTW, I have a query for everyone using ICICI Jet cards. How soon will ICICI release the JP miles once a purchase over Rs. 100 (minimum for accrual) is made through any POS? Ideally banks should release reward points after the merchant claims the money, but my AXIS Privilege card releases edge points 30 days post transaction which is ridiculous!!
@Anil,
ICICI transfers the JP miles only once the statement is generated and not when the merchant settles a transaction. In case of the AXIS Bank Vista Infinite Card, they transfer it once the merchant settles the transaction. But usually in case of airline co-branded cards, the miles are only transferred once the statement is generated!
@Shubham: I think the JP miles transfer deadline for ICICI is within 30 days of the statement being generated.
Hi Ajay,
Jet airways allows only Two award tickets during redemption or Can we book for 3 members in the same flight using miles?. Coz whenever i try to check for award tickets, it shows only 2 seats left. Is there any option to book more than 2 tickets using redemption offer in same flight. TIA
@Stalin you could call jet and ask for more seats to be released, but usually they’d offer 2 seats in business class if that is what you are after. alternatively you could book the two seats and then maybe more seats would be released.
Hi Ajay
Are you aware of any credit card in India that includes collision damage waiver / insurance while booking a car abroad?
It seems like it’s a pretty standard feature in the US but couldn’t find one in India
Ajay,
I need help, I have since the 17th of January been trying to authenticate my mobile number after logging in to the Jet Airways website. I had no problem authenticating my email address, but since 17th Jan I have been repeatedly been trying to authenticate my mobile number, unfortunately I have not been sucessful.
It does not generate the 6 digit verification code for the mobile handphones, inspite of trying many times. Multiple emails have been sent to them pleading for help. The champions at the call center, will probably, be copy pasting the same standard reply. I am overseas and the alternative is to call into their IVR. Calling in isn’t cheap from overseas. I have asked them for any other alternative work around, unfortunately the reply is the same parrot like (copy & paste reply) ie I have to generate a OTP (one time password) and enter the six digit password on line. Worst is they have limited emails addresses to contact them (1. memberservices@jetprivilege.com 2.jpinfo@jetprivilege.com) Can you provide me with a valid email address where I can escalate my issues further. Thanks.
Hi Ajay. I remember reading once under the T&Cs of JetPrivilege , that a member before redeeming miles for the first time , has to complete atleast 1 ( revenue ) flight.
Now , I am planning to transfer my Citi Prestige points to my newly opened Kris Flyer account. I have never flown Singapore Airlines till date. Will I be able to redeem miles , without ever flying before on that airline ??
@delhi_traveller no requirement of revenue flights to redeem from SQ
Thanks a lot Ajay !!
Hi Ajay
What’s your view on Codeshare policies between Jet & Air France-KLM-Etihad etc? Recently, I had booked tickets Mumbai-Germany on Jet+Air France and when it came to claiming the miles, I was refused by JetAirways stating that the “V” Class under which I had booked these miles do not qualify for miles. And then I happened to check their Policy page , which clearly stated “V” class is.
Any suggestions on how to go about this? Jetprivelege policies clearly don’t look customer friendly and their CC representatives don’t seem to understand the core of the problems.
@Arnaav write an email to JetPrivilege along with a screenshot of their page and your ticket.
Hi Ajay,
Unlike in US and maybe EU, India doesnt offer much in way of credit cards with bountiful sign up bonuses to rack up miles for aspirational travel. We dont even have a strong India based airline which caters to all our international travel allowing us to be loyal and earn miles. For example many indian’s travel is divided between the ME3 for westbound travel and SEA airlines for eastbound. Being based in India how have you managed to play the miles&points game?
@Saikat, I make do with what we have. I look at neutral cards such as Citi Prestige for most of my spend, and apart from that I use all Jet/AI/Vistara co-branded cards. HDFC Bank Diners Club used to give a good perspective on some alien programs, but now gone!
Hi Ajay,
Living in India which frequent flyer program should I prefer the most and what should be my preference for hotel program. I want to especially earn in India and spend the points abroad.
Hi Ajay!!!
Is there a way to transfer credit loyalty points to Hyatt. I was transferring points from my Dinners Black and now it has been stopped. 🙁
Regards,
Pushan
Good evening Mr. Awtaney
I’m a 19 year old first year college student in India, but I travel quite a bit for someone at my level. I fly somewhere around 100K miles a year (My parents are NRIs and I visit them quite a bit and/or holiday with them to another destination) and I typically fly Business. Here’s the deal, so far, my father has been paying for almost all of my flights, with only a few exceptions on domestic flights given that JPmiles aren’t exceptionally good value and now it’s even harder to accumulate them due to fare choices. My problem mainly is, I’d like to start using miles and points for upgrading my flights, but since I’m dependent on my father and would not be eligible for any credit card due to a lack of income (obviously), is there any other loyalty program that I can use to start earning from my spends (Both, travel and non-travel). I obviously know of the HDFC JetPrivilege debit card, but it’s hardly close to the JetPrivilege AMEX credit cards in terms of points earned to money spent. Is there any other debit card/loyalty program that you know of in India which I can use to mainly upgrade my flights if not purchase redemption tickets?
Thanks a ton!
So, I have a ton of points of my Citi Prestige card. Was wondering where I can transfer them to. Am a Jet Platinum as well but am considering other airlines as well coz the entire ticket would be purchased through miles and you dont get any points on miles redemptions anyway.
Do you know which airlines have the lowest taxes and charges for award flights?
Thanks
Hi Ajay. I have always wondered about this , so I thought I’ll ask it here. If one books 2 tickets on an airline i.e. Origin to Hub & Hub to Destination , separately , with a short connection time , and I do a through check-in right at the origin ( including my luggage ) , does the airline have any responsibility to get me on the separately ticketed connecting flight / rebook me on another flight , in case of a massive delay in the first flight ???
Any thoughts on which are the best co-branded hotel credit cards out there?
Hi Ajay .
I am looking to travel to between Bangalore and Cairo during Dec 24th and Jan 2nd 2017. I am an Etihad Guest and I see that couple tickets for redemption with miles are going at 104000 miles plus 48k cash under economy classic , open seat . ( 2 adults , to and fro , all inclusive ) . Would you say this is a good deal ? Alternately oman air tickets are around 62000 all inclusive on the Premiermiles website .
Hey Ajay,
I am regularly using up the recently imposed cap of 50,000 points per cycle on Diners Black and wonder if there is a way I can get an additional Diners Black card for my wife who doesn’t work.
I have read somewhere that some banks consider spouse guarantee for the same.
I spoke to my HDFC Bank RM and he had no clue.
Any idea?
@Amar I don’t think so it would work in this case. This is their top-tier card and maybe they won’t want to give it without seeing own ITRs
Hi Ajay,
At the moment JetPrivilege is once again giving upto 30% bonus miles when you convert from eligible program partners. Now If I convert 75,000 Hyatt GP points, I’ll normally get 30,000 JPMiles, plus 5,000 Hyatt bonus. Under this promo, I’ll get 9,000 Bonus from Jet as well, plus 500 fist transaction bonus, making it 44,500 JPmiles. Would you recommend doing it? Do you value 75,000 Hyatt points higher than 44,500 JPmiles (assuming my conversion calculation is correct)
@Sourav, I value 75K Hyatt points much higher than 44500 JPMiles. You can use them for so many stays across India given most Indian Hyatt’s are at best tier 4, while 44500 JPMiles will hardly get you anywhere.
I have an Axis Bank Visa Signature Credit Card and a HDFC Bank Visa Signature Credit Card. Which one shall offer better reward benefits, assuming spend pattern remains same. Would be grateful for your advise.
Thanks.
How can I book Jet airways domestic flights in india using Etihad miles? Please point me to the post if you already have one. Thanks for your help.
Call up Etihad customer care to make the booking. It will help if you have already have the flight no. etc. You need to book atleast two weeks before travel. Etihad willl book your ticket and you will get a call back from there AbuDhabi office for the payment of taxes etc.
Is lounge access available for award tickets?
Pls reply
@Aravind, if you are flying a premium cabin, yes. If you are flying Economy, then it depends on your status with the airline you are flying.
Thanks.
Hey Ajay, I wanted clarification on lounge access program, if you’re aware of the details. I hold a platinum reserve card and hence food and beverages (except alcoholic) are free for me. Is the the case in other lounge access program too? I was hoping to get a ICICI Bank card and I read Visa clearly mentioning a “set” menu with one of – starter, drink and main course. However, ICICI Bank’s Coral card – Amex and Mastercard don’t divulge details? Any idea if in lounge food is complimentary or paid for?
Thanks a lot 🙂
@Parth Lounge Access usually includes food & soft beverages. Some lounges may also offer adult beverages as well.
Thanks a lot for this Ajay. 🙂
The food and non alcoholic drinks and news paer and wash room are complimentary on certain credit cards twice in three months.
Hi Ajay. I have always redeemed my Etihad miles on Jet or those partner airlines which state the exact no. of miles required for a particular sector. But some airlines ( eg: Malaysia Airlines , Asiana etc. ) have a distance-based redemption chart. Are the miles for these calculated on a direct basis ( i.e. miles required for a hypothetical direct flight from Origin to Destination ) OR are the miles calculated by adding the segments separately ( i.e. miles for flight from Origin to HUB + miles for flight from HUB to Destination ) ???
@Delhi_traveller each program has their own rules. So, for instance, BA Exec Club will price it on a flight basis. So, BOM-HKG-MEL would be priced for individual flights.
Thanks Ajay !!
Hi ajay, its a bit of urgent. Will appreciate if you could reply.
I am flying to south Africa in November end and have to book my tckts. There are no direct flights from Delhi and i am planning to book a jetairway partner airline i.e. ethihad via AH.
Now, the question is whose booking class shall be counted for air mile earning
1) will it be the airline i book my tickets with (the marketing airline)
2) or will it be the class i fly with the operating airline?
the confusion because, “H” class in ethihad earns me 100 percent miles but in jetairways its a saver fare earning only 75% miles (international).
need your help. thanx
Pradeep
got it thanx. was pretty stupid= just need to read the T&C sometimes.
OK, here’s more on Jet’s new Unfair “Fare Choices”! Be really careful because they’re sticking it – especially to their Platinum flyers!
Their W & O class bookings have literally stripped all Plats from their benefits – lot lesser miles, no lounge access! (yes its “official” – Jet Airways becomes the first airline in the world to deny lounge access to their most loyal Platinum customers!!!), cancellation fee will no longer be waived – and much, much more (of unfair denials) built into their new Un”Fare Choices” program!
Either they restore all previous benefits to JP Plats or else – after 20 years flying with Jet and over 500 flights with them – I think I’ll move on…
So, Jet JP Plats, read the fine print before you book, and better still check out Vistara for comparison!
Jet Airways has perhaps become the first airline in the world to deny privileges from it’s Platinum members! Effective last week Lounge access to Mumbai and Bangalore airports have been withdrawn for Platinums booked on B and W class fares!!! What are their marketing guys thinking!? Throughout the world, Platinums are woo’d by airlines irrespective of what class fares they fly in! Actual mileage awards may be lower for lower class flights but rest of the privileges are the same! With this new rule platnums dont #GetMore instead they Get Less!
Dear Ajay,
I would like to highlight an unfortunate incidence that happened with Air India.
Under a reward ticket I had booked with Air India, 2 passengers (me and my wife) were booked to travel from Chenai to Port Blair and return on 7 Dec and 12 Dec under a single PNR and with ticket numbers 0982116618197 and 0982116618199 respectively.
This ticket was later rescheduled on 4 June 2016 by me through Air India customer care centre (18001801407) such that the passengers were to travel on 13 Aug from from Chenai to Port Blair and return on 18 Aug. I had also received a confirmation from the executive that both the passengers have been rescheduled.
Yesterday, When I am trying to take a print out of the ticket through Air India website, I was told due to some technical issue at Air India, even though the tickets were rescheduled for both the passengers, one of the tickets was automatically cancelled. I am not able to digest the fact that how such technical errors happen at Air India.
This has left me stranded as the ticket prices are very high now.
I would like you to share this incidence with all members so that they can keep a check whenever they book a reward ticket with Air India.
I suggest you share the information to eCommerce@airindia.in. In my case same ticket was booked twice (same flight, same day, same passenger). Flight was just 3 hours from the time of booking. Call center personnel could not help me but they asked me to send an email on the above mentioned ID. I was pleasantly surprised that without a single hiccup I got full refund!
Hopefully this suggestion helps you too.
Is the recent Air India Flying Returns offer to revive lapses miles at 60 p a point worth it? Any different from buying top up points?
Ajay,
Does Citi Prestige card also gets promotional 5x points from time to time like any other citi card?
I am planning to leave my Amex Plat Charge Card for Prestige….
@Heynow I haven’t seen any promotions like that. But they do other stuff from time to time like a cashback promo which was running April through june
Hey Ajay.
Thanks for your reply…amex runs these 10x bonus points offers, which kind of makes it easier to collect points… this can make a difference in end of year… of course along with other cash back and hotel offers.. this is my first year with plant charge… not sure i am going to renew next year.. i saw your post on amex plat… so far they have been treating me ok…. 🙂
I want to book HYD-DEL-BLR flights for family of 4 for next summer. What is the best indian site to book these flights. I also have lot of American Air miles which I use on Jet Airways or transfer miles to Etihad and book on Jet. What would be your advice: use miles or buy flights?
@smbayguy Etihad may be able to get you tickets on jet, but if you book far ahead anyways your ticket should be maybe even 100$ or less per person.
Any thoughts on which are the best hotel credit cards out there?
i hv ICICI as well Indusind bank visa signature & HDFC world master card. i m eligible for which lounge at Mumbai Terminal 2 for domestic travel ?
@Bhadresh airportlounges.in is your friend!
Ajay,
need 2 guidance from you here:
1. I am *A gold for the past few years through Turkish(before IA joined *) and collect the miles targeted at using them for redemption on mostly domestic flights on IA in economy. the problem is horrible taxes on redemption – almost rs. 6000 for a domestic flight – takes the sense out of redemption. i foresee travelling on *A for some time in the future – mostly south east asia where SQ and TG have good coverage. without having to redo this all over again, any short cuts to making it to gold on IA, purely to be able to redeem without a ransom? any other strategies suggested? fyi the other status i hold is Silver on jet – just short of gold.
2. i have the HDFC Jet privelege world card am eyeing the HDFC JP diners for some time – however i am not sure how well will that be accepted in India. While i extensively travel internationally, all my spend abroad is using corporate card. I dont plan to carry more than 2 cards in my wallet at a time. please advice by your experience.
thanks,
V
The jetprevilage revamp is absolutely gutting and even a tier run looks worthless now onwards (untill unless one is at absolutely margin for a plat and i had a few easy ones lined up with DEL-JAI in B class ;). I might be diverting from the topic now – but which program would you suggest for getting back some of the lost benefits – quick n easy? In particular, your take on star-alliance gold via Aegean? (even after the 2014 devaluation).
We have a Axis bank Visa Platinum card, Can we get Clipper Lounge Access at Mumbai Airport
We have a Axis Bank Visa Platinum Card can be get Access to Clipper lounge at Mumbai International (T2) terminal
I had gifted my father a Priority Pass membership for unlimited visits, since he travels often in coach and does not have any elite airline status. He was trying to use a Priority Pass lounge in New Delhi airport (India). The lounge was a Plaza Premium Lounge in the arrivals level. He was denied access; the staff at the entrance said that the lounge was full. But he saw that they allowed entry to a couple of persons who came after him and paid for access. They were allowed in without any ‘lounge full’ excuses. I am sure they do not have any scheme where you can make a reservation and pay on arrival. All reservations need to prepaid. As a result, my father could not get entry and had to sit outside for about 3 hours.
Can anyone tell me what are a person’s options when he is faced with such a situation? Does complaining to Priority Pass help? What can someone do if faced with a similar situation in the future?
Thank You!
Dear Ajay,
How are you? Its great to be here always…
I am having queries on 9W JP program…
I am currently Platinum & This year i got 81 Tier Points (TP) which crossing 60 Tier point requirement… Now this additional 21 TP will consider for next year criteria?
Thanks,
PK2
@Pravin all your tierpoints are considered in 3 buckets 12M, 18M, 24M to see how many you need for the next re qualification. Whichever is the lowest of the 3 limits, once hit, can make you qualify for the next one. Check this out for details: https://https.jetairways.com/EN/IN/JetPrivilege/dynamic-tier-review.aspx
Thank You 🙂
Hi Ajay,
Great blog!
Is it a complimentary lounge access for Citi premier miles supplementary card holders @ Visa lounges in India or they need to pay the fee ?
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
@Rohit AFAIK only primary cardholders get lounge access on PremierMiles for free.
Hello Ajay,
Your blog has been great to read apart from being extremely useful!
Following reminders from your blog and from AI, I booked an economy ticket on June 30 to save my Flying Returns miles from expiring. However, I had to change the day of travel, and on the day I want to actually travel there were no seats on economy, and I had to use some more miles (with 40% discount!) to book another ticket in executive class. This booking was after June 30. So I am left with one unused economy class ticket. Now, suppose I cancel my economy class ticket (which is valid for 1 year), will I lose only 500 miles, or will I also lose the 2000-odd miles which were to expire on June 30?
@Saurabh, usually, all expired miles are lost when a ticket is cancelled.
With the return of the leased 777s from Etihad, and upgrading traditional A330 routes to 777,any possibility that Jet Airways deploys the A330 on the BKK sector?
@Shah yes, we could expect that but not sure when. Some of their A330s are out on lease now. 3 at least, to air Serbia and Alitalia
Hi Ajay,
Can you throw some light on Free lounge access privileges in AMEX Platinum travel card.
Thanks in advance.
@Stalin, Amex Platinum Travel Card offers a limited amount of lounge access free per year to the Amex lounges in Mumbai and Delhi, and apart from that, they offer the tieup lounges they have in a few other cities.
Hi Ajay,
Can you please post about the recently launched Yes Bank credit cards.
My RM called me informing about the launch and was offering the Exclusive/Preferred Card. I wanted to know that is it worth getting one!
Hi Ajay! Me and my family are planning to travel to Paris from Delhi and we were looking at tickets through jet/ etihad. Now my question is whether I should get Diners Premier or Jet Privilege Diners to maximize perks from our trip. Do you have any idea if the 10x promotion on diners will continue after June? It’s confusing because dinersblack website says it ends on June 30 while cleartrip/ go ibibo says it’s till Nov 2016. My other option is jp diners and I expect to get a total of 80000 miles through this transaction.
Hi Ajay,
I’m new to miles program and recent start researching (from Mar 2016), I come to know that my spends were higher and i was not utilising them anyway, not even lounges though I had access on one of my card.When I read your blog and one card review I decided to change my card to travel credit cards once. I’m not so frequent traveller but I take almost 12-15 flights in an year. Your blog was very helpful in understanding how I should accumulate miles and more insight for any traveller.
Now I’ve three cards: HDFC Regalia, Citibank’s premier miles and ICICI Jet airways Saphhiro card. I’m confused which one to use more to accumulate more miles (currently started accumulating JP miles). Can you help me in ranking these card? I’m an economy traveller.
Should I get regalia card replaced by Diner’s Black. Also want to know if any of these cards has complimentary lounge access on add-on one.
I’m looking forward to your insights as always.
Thanks,
Devendra
@Devendra, your choice of cards depends on what your goals are from your miles. do you need more JPMiles for a trip inside or outside India? Collect those. Do you need airline-neutral miles? Use PremierMiles or Regalia.
Diners has a very difficult criteria to get per HDFC Bank. Do try it out and maybe you get it.
Hi, I have economy ticket on Etihad PNR from Delhi To Riyadh (return)
Delhi – Mumbai(9w codeshare) – Abudhabi(A380) – Riyadh(RUH)
RUH- AUH-DEL
I am Jetprivilage Gold member. My question is can I upgrade one sector to business class. My interest is in upgrading A380 Leg.
Or do you have any other suggestion.
Please help me..
Hi Ajay, as an avid traveller (leisure only) I’ve come a bit late to the miles and points party but have been avidly catching up with your (and other) blogs. I am still a noob and pretty confused as to why it makes sense at all chasing miles. Specifically wanted your advice on the following:
1) As an eg. I see bom-sin two way jet flight roughly costs 60000 miles+say INR3k cash whereas the same ticket for cash costs just INR 26k (all in). Thats virtually 2.6 JPM /INR conversion. I have a CITI premier miles which anyway devalues the points down to 0.5x while converting from points to JP miles. Thus going from 1 premier miles points to a jet flight ticket =INR 0.19. Why should I rather not convert my PM points @0.45 INR cash value? (again 100 points=50JPM=just 19.23 INR worth of Jet tickets.
2) I am also comparing the HDFC regalia card v/s the Citi PM (already have). Why is the regalia not way better than Citi PM? Regalia converts regular points at 0.75INR on its site which can be used for hotel/flight bookings etc (no major mark ups booking there v/s anywhere else). IF the regalia points are exclusively redeemed on the regalia site, that works out to about 2% payback rate v/s Citi PM 1.8% rate on spends (spend amt/100*4*0.45=1.8% of spend amt v/s spend amt/150*4*.75=2% of spend amt). Not only is the burn rate better, regalia also provides value by way of never expiring miles, better conversion to JPM (130rp=100jpm v/s 200pm=100jpm), taj innercircle and epicure plus membership etc besides lower fees.
wanted to check your views on the same since you advocate 1) never converting points to cash but converting them to miles/hotel points and 2) you seem to prefer citi PM over regalia.
@Himanshu, to answer your Q1. Chasing miles allows people like you and me to travel premium cabins without paying the premium prices involved. For instance, imagine a 35K BOM-DEL-SXR ticket for 10,500 Etihad Miles in Business. Imagine Etihad First Class from JFK to BOM via Abu Dhabi which retails for 9K$ per head approx, only for 90,000 AA miles and so on. The value of redeeming miles is not in replacing revenue tickets with it, but for aspirational redemptions. For instance, an INR 3.5 lakh first class suite from Mumbai to Los Angeles came to me for 105K miles and INR 35000 (surcharges). Not bad I’d say.
I almost never redeemed PremierMiles, Diners Black points or any other currency for INR 0.5 or INR 1 or whatever value they offer. Because the value is adjusted to suit the bank to get out cheap/moderately. When I transfer the points to miles, I have the possibility to do so much more with them, but they also cost more to the banks to transfer.
In a nutshell, it is a value game. I see outsized value in encashing for premium cabins, so that is where I spend my miles mostly.
As for regalia over PM, you’d notice I’ve never reviewed Regalia since I never had the card. I’ll be looking at it sooner than later though since so many people tell me it is a good card. 🙂
I hope I managed to answer your questions. Otherwise feel free to discuss further.
Thanks Ajay for your insights. While I understand there could be value for other FFPs, my question is a bit more specific to JPMs. Since Jets has a straightforward redemption pattern where business= 2x economy points and first= 3x. This is pretty much the INR fare pattern as well so there does not appear to be much scope for asymmetrical gains using JPMs within Jets FFP itself v/s cash/revenue tickets, whether for business or first. Hence rephrasing the query: could you provide thumb rules for 1) what is the best use of Citi PMs convert to JPM specifically or rather convert to any other partners like hotels? 2) If JPMs are the best bet or if one already has some JPMs what’s the best use of those? Within the Jet FFP or via partner award tickets?
Your insights as always are most appreciated.
@Himanshu, my thumb rule is to get at least 1 inr value when redeeming in india. So, when I get cheap tix I use that. When tickets go out of my comfort zone, I use points. I won’t limit this to jet but include air india as well. For instance, I was once stranded with a 1 way ticket in Goa. To get back to mumbai was pretty expensive. Air india got a biz class seat open which I could redeem and get home quick. Another time, last minute cash fares went up, but award tickets made it very affordable to travel. Moral of the story, seek value. When cheap revenue tix available, use them. When expensive, try replacing with miles
Dear Ajay, I appreciate your write-ups they have been enlightening. I wanted to decide between American Express Platinum Reserve and American Express Platinum Travel. You had reviewed Amex Platinum travel, however that was in 2012. I am not considering Amex Jet airways card because I usually book Air India. What are your current views about both the cards? Which one is beneficial to have for someone who may have 3 or 5 yearly international trips but regular 2 to 3 monthly domestic trips? Which is your recommended glob trotting card?
Thanking you in anticipation.
Would appreciate if anyone could share their knowledge regarding a question I posted here a few days ago ( nobody replied ). I’m not a Platinum Tier member with Jet , so my miles expire. Here’s the query once again.
“Hi Ajay. I am planning to discontinue my Jet Airways Amex Card. What happens to those miles which got an extended validity courtesy the co branded card ?? Do they immediately expire or does one get a grace period ??”
Hi Ajay. I am planning to discontinue my Jet Airways Amex Card. What happens to those miles which got an extended validity courtesy the co branded card ?? Do they immediately expire or does one get a grace period ??
You do get a grace period!
Good to know that.Thanks Shubham.
Hi,
As a Jet Privilege Platinum Member, can I access the new Etihad Airways First Class Lounge when flying on Etihad Airways?
@Vaibhav as per EY, the new facility is open round-the-clock for the exclusive use of guests of The Residence, Etihad First Class, Etihad Guest Exclusive, Etihad Guest Platinum members (plus one guest), Etihad Airways Partner (EAP) airline First Class guests, EAP ‘Invitation only’ members (plus two guests) and EAP equivalent Platinum members (plus one guest).
So yes, Jet Platinums are allowed with one guest!
Hi Ajay..Thanks a lot for your updates. I am a new and learning reading you blog. Had a question- I am travelling ANA with my family. Is there a way I can pool my mile and use it later for booking one of my ticket to Singapore using Star Alliance partner air.
@Pushan I am not conversant with all the star alliance programs, but air india allows you to pool miles with your spouse for redeeming a ticket later
Hi Ajay,
What is the best airline to transfer Citi Prestige points to if they have to be redeemed for travel within the US and US – India trips.
@Kapil, for US India trips, you could look at Air India, Jet Airways. But for Intra US trips I am not so sure.
Hi Ajay,
I hold a citi prestige card and currently have 60000 points. Card is due for renewal this month and they have added 22K for annual charges.
1. Is there any option in citi like Amex to waive off the renewal charges based on usage?
2. If No, can i cancel the card and get back the amount reversed.
3. Also would like to transfer the 60K points to JP miles before cancelling the card. Is it better to transfer all the points to only jet or partial transfer to Jet and Air india is better? Pl suggest
@stalin you can transfer and then close the card and your fee should be refunded.
Hi Ajay,
I was recently in Malaysia and sought access to the Plaza Premium Lounge for our group of 4. I have a Diners Black and Priority Pass (from Citi Prestige). So I could manage entry for 2 guests (+1 child). However, as for Visa Infinite and Master World cards that I have, I was denied benefit citing that these benefits are only for cards issued locally.
Any idea, which cards allow global lounge benefits or is it better to get add-ons to my Diners Black and Citi Prestige?
@Amar they were correct about local cards only getting access. You should think of add on to your prestige card. It has the best no questions asked access.
Hi Ajay,
Do you know how much taxes I can expect to pay on a round trip economy ticket to the US? Since I don’t have enough flying returns miles yet, I am unable to guess. For MAA-Colombo, I see that it’s about Rs 3K+ in economy.
Thanks,
Kevin
Hi Ajay,
I would be flying from Hyderabad to Manila (Philippines) soon. Most probably I will be using Cathay Pacific. Other option is Thai airways. Which of these is best for miles? Can I transfer the miles earned to Jet airways JP miles?
@sairam you can check on wheretocredit.com about which of these carriers will give you miles on jet
https://www.hiltonhhonors.com/ProcessLanding/ProcessLanding/?lp=ACCENTUREBTS
Check this out, although it says its for Accenture Employees, it doesn’t ask for any information and upgraded my Hilton Honors Status to Gold instantly.
Hello,
I have about 70k points on Citi Premiermiles and 60k points on Amex Platinum Reserve . I have about 75000 etihad guest miles as well ( largely due to a previous citi premiermiles transfer at 1:1 ) . what is the best way to utilize my miles and points for an upcoming European holiday with my to be wife ? Do you recommend transferring everything on my cards to etihad miles or moving it to a newly opened Emirates account ? any inputs are appreciated 🙂
Cheers
Hi Ajay,
you have not responded to my query dated 7th April maybe by oversight.
I am waiting for your wisdom.
thanks and regards,
HDFC jet world card
What’s the best JP miles earning credit card that not an Amex or Diners?
HDFC world
Since Air India has moved all its operations to T2, there is no question of the Domestic lounge!!
I’m booked on AI 144 from BOM to AMD in Business Class. I think this is one of the tag flights coming in from EWR. So my question is, which lounge will AI send me to? The domestic lounge or the international GVK lounge?
@neil shah the loyalty lounge at terminal 2
Are you positive? Its a 777-200 departing from the international concourse. I was under the impression that the loyalty lounge is on the domestic departures concourse near the Vistara gates. Near gate 85 if I’m not mistaken.
@neil shah, the GVK lounge is being used for all the true international pax of air india, but for domestic tags, last I used the lounge, it was loyalty lounge
That’s valuable information. Thanks for sharing !!
I have one more query.
i traveled once from Bombay to Newyork and back on Emirates on business class. but then have hardly used Emirates and the chances of regularly using Emirates for my travel is bleak. I have some points on my Emirates card. As getting a reward ticket seems out of question ( due to my travel pattern ) is there anything I can do to use the miles I have on the card ? Likewise with an Air India frequent Card I got ( for traveling to and fro on business class between Bombay and Newark ). Is there any way i can use the points ( without traveling on these airlines ) ?
You could use the emirates points on a partner like jet. Its excellent value. I am doing a blr-del return for 15k Emirates miles.
@george you can use your Emirates miles for jet airways redemption tickets and similarly with air india for domestic redemptions
Has anyone noticed that Air India is charging a different number of miles for onward and return sectors? I have never seen any airline have such a huge difference in mileage requirement, if at all. For eg. BOM-BKK on AI330 in economy needs 30,000 miles while AI331 from BKK-BOM needs 18,000 miles in economy. I initially though it was due to the 40% discount AI was offering on mileage redemption but that’s not the case here.
@Yashraj that 40% discount seems the only explanation. Can you share more details.
@Yashraj so I checked this and i could see both the flights for 18000 miles, provided you flew mon-thurs.
Yes you are right. I goofed up.
Thanks for taking time to answer it though.
Thanks for this site of yours which is so informative and helpful for many of us for whom the world of award points, miles, tier points, redemption are so confusing.
I am a JP Gold Card holder. I used to hold a jetairways citibank card but since CITI and Jetairways parted ways I did not apply for a jetairways co-branded card. I have some HDFC credit cards ( Regalia and Rewards ) which I rarely use and I usually use the Citibank Premier Miles cards nealy all my purchases including airline tickets.
My logic is that redemption of points for travelling on business class is quite difficult because for advance planning is difficult. at the max I can plan only a week in advance for domestic trips and one month for foreign trips. My logic of using Citi premier miles card is that I can use the reward points on the card to book normal tickets on Jet which for Jet would be a full fare paying ticket – so no ifs and buts on booking and would also be getting the JP Miles. What I want to know from you is if this idea of mine really makes sense i.e Using a non co-branded card such as Citi Premier Miles Card for booking a jetairways ticket and also using the reward points on the same said card for the same.
@George, if you are using your premiermiles to book jet airways business class flights, then it is a bad idea in my book. Here is the reasoning. For instance, with 17000 JPMiles you can get a BOM-DEL business class flight, 8500 JPMiles in economy. When you are using Citi PremierMiles to buy those tickets, which usually would cost in the INR 25000 region one way, you are spending about 55.5K miles for the same ticket. Why not just get a co-branded card and start picking up reward tickets.
I know that for 17000 JP Miles I can get a business class Bom-Del flight, but they are normally not available unless booked well in advance or are available for very late night/early morning flights which I don’t prefer – you yourself have mentioned the difficulty of getting confirmations from Jet Airways for award business class seats. Yes I know that the conversion rate is poor ( every Citi Premier mile is equivalent to only Rs. 0.45 ).
So what I do is mix and match a combination of sometimes paying full normal fare thru my Citi Premier Miles card ( and so accumulate both JP miles as well as reward points on the card ), sometimes use the reward points of the same card to book tickets ( which for Jet Airways would be fully paid tickets and hence accumulate JP miles ) and sometimes ( when I the luxury of time for sufficient advance planning ) use the JP miles for award tickets. so in such a context so you still consider it be not advisable ? Also considering my strategy, would it be better for me to get a Citi Bank Prestige Card so that atleast I get more reward points on my card spends and hence a better reward points to rupees conversion rate ?
You have mentioned in one of your threads that we can convert diner club reward points to jet privilege/air india miles online please tell me how i tried finding no luck.
Hi AJ
I wanted to know if I can transfer my miles from one Frequent Flyer to another. I wanted to transfer my JPmiles to Miles and more account or vice versa.
@Mayank no you cannot transfer miles from one frequent flyer program to another.
What’s best credit card to accumulate BAEC Avios?
I have intermittently used Avios to book ticket in Australia, America and South America on AA, LAN, TAM and Qantas. It’s very convenient. The best part is you can see partner airlines availability on the BA Website, extremely convenient.
To earn Avios, there is only one bank in India that is co branded with BA which is ICICI. There are several other cards from Amex and Citi which help you earn points which can then transferred to your BAEC account and other several airlines. The Citi Prestige Card also gives you a tier upgrade on completion of your 1st Flight with BA.
AJ,
Hyatt is running Holi Offer. Some properties in India like Hyatt Regency Mumbai available at 50% Off..!!! I tried sample date 24th March and was able to see the offer.
Hi Ajay,
Thanks a lot for your valuable inputs. I would like to know which credit cards in India has Hyatt as its transfer partner?
@pushan the diners club black issued by HDFC bank
Dear Ajay,
Can I redeem my wife’s or dad’s dinersclub reward points from their hdfc diners card to any of my partner programmes like my JP account or Hilton or hyatt? Or Is it possible to only their membership accounts?
Awaiting your reply.
cheers,
Afsal Ali
@Afsal my understanding is the account has to be the name of the member who is transferring the points. You can transfer to Hyatt accounts of your family members and then execute a transfer at no cost however.
Dear Ajay,
Thanks for the reply.well in that case I’ll transfer dad’s points to his member ship account in Jp or Hyatt and can I eventually use his points in Jp or Hyatt to redeem flights or nights for me or my family? Possible right?
Hi,
I have two JetAirways PNRs.
RUH->BOM->HYD
HYD->RJA
Is it possible to combine both PNRs for through checkin. So that I should be able to avoid collecting and checkin again at Hyderabad.
Thanks
I am thinking of joiningEtihad guest. Does domestic 9w flights count for tier segments to get status.
Thanks
Hi. Has anyone ever used the Visa Signature Lounge Access programme ??? I am flying out of Terminal 1D in Delhi , would it be possible to use my HDFC Regalia credit card ( or any other Visa Signature card ) for the same , at the Plaza Premium Lounge ??? I have never used my complimentary visits , and planning to do so now.
The reply comes a little late but it might help others looking for the same answer. Its very convenient, just walk-in, they will swipe your credit card to check you in and give you a receipt. Your card will not be charged.
Thanks for the reply. I did use it and will be using it again this week !!
Again, this comment is late. But I want to share that even SBI Visa Platinum Debit Card (which is not a Signature Card) enables entry to the Lounge.
Thanks for the info !!
HI Ajay,
Been following your blog for sometime now. I would like your help on how to start. I have a JP account. Its in Blue status. I have accumalated some miles and redeemed them now and then for domestic purpose. Can you please give me some pointers on hotels and other loyalty membership? I dont travel much on business. I travel twice on my own . How do i improve my membership level with this?
Thank you!
Sairam
@Sairam if you poke around the blog you will find lots of tips on airline and mileage programs. If there is a specific query, happy to help.
Hi Ajay,
Wanted to check about the aqua sail session offered by Citi Prestige. Since not much is written/ reviewed on the same in particular, can you throw some light on it? I’d like to avail the same soon so wanted a view if its really worth the time spent..
Regards, Amit
Hi guys. Is it just me or has anyone else also had a weird / strange experience with the Etihad helpline in India ??
Have called them thrice over the last week , regarding the chauffeur service ( I can’t do it online due to some PNR issue ) , and trust me , EACH & EVERY TIME , I had to explain the person what a “chauffeur” means. One of them was so dumb , that she told me to book the chauffeur through “ClearTrip.com”. That’s like me , a doctor , telling my patient to be diagnosed by JustDial.com.
Dear Live from a lounge,
I seem to be having a problem with Indigo these days. They have once again overbooked a flight (BOM-SXR-BOM in my case 23-26 Jan) and “re-accomodated” us, a group of 4, in 2 different flights via DEL. This is happening way too many times with the so called market leader. Totally ruined our plans as we have a 3 hour journey from SXR for which we had booked a cab together. Is there a way I can fight this out? Can we let the DGCA know about this arrogant attitude? Thanks for your feedback.
Abhishek Nayak
Hi Ajay !
All I must say its a fantastic job you do on the blog. I dont think i am so eager to read any post how much i keep looking for yours.
Well to the point,
I have Jet World Card from HDFC and Citibank Indian Oil Card. I have an opportunity to apply for either Indus Ind Bank cards or ICICI Bank Credit Cards as these are the only other card companies issuing cards in Mangalore.I would like your take on the same and would request you to guide me on which cards do i apply for. Also do you suggest me to swap the Citibank Card for something better.
Awaiting your reply.
Swap the citi indian oil card with the Citi Premier miles card. It is a paid card and despite its devaluation last year still has reasonable value due to 10x partners and ability to transfer miles to multiple airlines.
Hi AJ,
I have blocked 4 seats on EY Abu Dhabi – Mumbai in Business class using my JP Miles ( Not ticketed yet), The miles required are 160000 for 4 persons. The date of travel is post Diwali ie Nov 2016. However since partner airline booking using JP miles is non refundable and non changeable, I am in two minds whether to go head and take a plunge or not, considering the fact that the travel date is 11 months away.
I also thought of booking a revenue booking on Etihad L Class Econony ticket which is up gradable and costs me Rs 64000/- for 2 Adults and 2 Kids and get an upgrade which costs me 19019 Etihad miles per seat. ( 76076 in Total). However even on this Etihad would charge me Rs 6000 /- per seat in case I cancell.
What would you suggest? I wish.. there was some Insurance protection available against miles booking. By the way I am Etihad Gold but JP Blue plus.
@krishnakumar I guess you should book once you have firm plans then. If you are okay to dole out cash, then plan B looks nice too!
Hi,
I have found your website very useful. I have a query
I have booked my flight from Mumbai to Kuwait on Jet Airways on Business Class.
I can see on Jet Airways website that they provide MALS lounge for Business Class travellers.
But when i am checking information on the Mumbai airport website i cannot find any informtion on MALS lounge.
Moreover, can you advise if we can use the GVK lounge instead of the restricted Jet airways lounge since we will be business class travellers.
@Lounge MALS lounge is the GVK lounge
I am travelling from London Heatrow to Rome on Alitalia. I have over 15000 miles on Jetairways who is their partner. Can I user my jpmiles to get eith a calss upgrade or access to the longue in Alitalia?
@AJ
Can you do one favour for me and the other for all of us.
1st(For Me): Citi Prestige holders got an email saying that Aspire Lifestyles will be replacing Ten Lifestyle. Can you let me know how different is Aspire from Circles or Ten.
2nd(For all of us):Please invert this section of reader questions where we have the option to ask questions without scrolling a lot.
@ delhitraveller
You do not get any refund of miles. I cancelled my booking on American Airlines which was made by spending JP miles, and no miles were returned. In fact they did not even refund tax amount.
Thanks a lot @krishnakumar
Hi
Great Insight.
I am not much of the CC guy , but after your blog have started to ponder a lot , what I have missed.
1. I have aa HDFC regalia with accumulated about 90,000 points.
2. What do you advice
a) Switch to HDFC Diners Black
b) convert the points to Krisflyer or JP Miles
Thanks in advance…
@Vishnu: Just a piece of advice, before upgrading to Diners Black, check with HDFC regarding reward points reduction on upgrade. There usually is a loss of reward points and their worth on up-gradation. Make the conversion factor clear before upgrading, else it’s better to redeem all points before applying for upgrade.
Hi Ajay. What is the penalty in case of cancellation / change , for a redemption on a partner airline of JetPrivilege ? Secondly , in your experience , would it be possible to get 4 business class Award Tickets on a medium haul international flight on South African Airways ??
Dear Aj,
I am a silent follower of your blog. First of all thanks for the great info in it.
Well I am Jpsilver now. Have Hdfc jet world CC,and planning to take Hdfc DC premium because of the 10X promo. Well I wanted to know whether I can convert the DC reward points to JPmiles of my spouse or dad’s account? Or is it mandatory to convert to my JP or anyother of my account?
Hi AJ,
I must first of all tell you that you have a fantastic blog.
I am having about 50000 JP miles in my account and was wondering how to get the maximum bang for the miles.
Is there a way i could redeem the same for Hotel bookings.
Awaiting your reply.
@Vinith you can use your miles for biz class redemptions perhaps. No, hotel bookings are not possible.
hey ajay!
my question comes in two parts
1. i have 40k odd jp miles in my account and wanted to use it for international travel. would the fuel surcharges kill the value of the proposition? would you suggest redeeming them to united for that matter and in that case, what would be the conversion ratio?
2. does add on card holders get lounge access? (i am on jet branded hdfc world cc)
appreciate your response. cheers
@Ashok you can try Air France-KLM Lounge at Chicago, ask at check-in for a lounge pass.
Hi,
I am flying Economy class out of Chicago to Abu Dhabi with Etihad. I am a Jet Privilege Platinum member. Am I eligible for any lounge access in Chicago O’Hare airport? (Have a long 7 hour stopover in Chicago)
Regards
Ashok
I’m flying out of BOM on Etihad Business to AUH (4:30am). I’m wondering what my lounge options are at that hour and if I can get into the GVK lounge. That one seems to be the nicest in Terminal 2. What do you recommend? Thanks!
@nadball you will be put up in the GVK Lounge biz section
Thanks!
Hey Ajay,
I have few Taj Weekend Stay vouchers from my Epicure Membership, they say 50% on the Rack rate. while this is much more than the published rates on their site.
Can you please through some light on this.
thanks,
Pranay
@Pranay I don’t think anyone who gets them uses them. I am not a taj loyalist much but I have the same experience as you about the Certs. Will report back if I can find something else
Hi Pranay,
The rack rate is the published tarriff of the hotel. All other rates you see online are a derivative of this. EG, the Best Available Rate (BAR) is a discount on the rack rate. Then there are early bird offers, BOGO, stay longer, which all offer discounts on the BAR, as well as some extra inclusions, eg, internet, discounts on F&B, etc.
The vouchers you are speaking off might be better used at the Palace hotels, eg, Rambagh, Umaiod Bhawan, etc in peak season time, as it is normally only the rack rate available at these times and the discounted rates are also very high
Tried reaching you unsuccessfully on the email addresses on this blog but need to clarify a contradictory policy with you and your JP member reader base.
I’ve been having a tussle with JP about incorrect miles being credited to my account. Did you know they have two different policies – one on jetairways.com (the PDF mileage calculator) and a different one on a newly launched site http://www.jetprivilege.com? And customers didn’t have access to this “new policy” until a few days back when they launched a dedicated JP website.
I am surprised that since months I’ve been asking them to show me the mileage calculator where it states that B class tickets get 75% of miles. When I booked and flew in July 2015 only the PDF was available and even they agreed that it was a mistake. They kept referring to some policy that was not shown anywhere and only now they have this up on a the dedicated JP website. I have taken so many flights on 9W, I am not even sure if the credits are per the jetairways.com or jetprivilege.com. The latter is so horrible to navigate I don’t even want to try comparing the differences.
Both policies are live and online right now for anyone to see. I wonder if you and JP member-readers of your blog knew about this discrepancy. Funny thing is JP keeps saying “sorry but we are following policy” even when I ask how can anyone know which policy they are even talking about. Given that they have tier miles, bonus miles, tier points and not to mention 5 million classes, booking a flight on 9W is turning out to be a “guess the benefit” game.
@Subhash, I think there is an issue with the mailbox which we are trying to resolve. Can you point me to the link which states that B class will earn 100%, because for the longest time I remember the B/G class has earned 75% miles. all other classes get 100% TPM miles.
Login to JP first and then access the link – http://www.jetairways.com/EN/IN/jetprivilege/mileage-calculator.aspx
In this page click download the PDF on http://www.jetairways.com/documents/mileage-chart-march-2015.pdf
and see page 2. Only G class is 75%.
I have always referred to this until I was pointed out to jetprivilege.com today.
Is travelling on Air India to Dubai on a revenue ticket purchased in the lowest class. He says he has some miles expiring soon and would like to use it for an upgrade, but he says that they are asking him to pay a fare difference of 6k for each person to be eligible for an upgrade(where he further has to use his miles). But I believe there is also an option to pay 125$ at the airport to get an upgrade. If yes, what would you recommend, cause in a way if he has to spend the same amount of money along with the miles wouldn’t the 125$ deal be better?
@revathy have you tried talking to Indigo about this ?
I am sure they will accommodate your request.
Not yet Ashutosh.. Let me try offline options… if i am unable to do will take ur option.. Thanks for ur reply 🙂
Hello !!
I have a friend of mine travelling in IndiGo domestic Airlines on 17th -Sep-2015.
Fortunately it is his birthday,is it possible to pre-order a birthday cake for him ??
Appreciate your response 🙂
@revathy you can book a cake online and pay for it. but you need your friends PNR to be able to book it up 🙂
Thanks Ajay !! Is there any specific site for ordering… I checked in Indigo official site there are no such options
@Revathy, check here: http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2014/11/11/now-you-can-order-a-cake-on-board-your-next-indigo-flight/
Thanks Ajay !! Cake had to be booked 48 hrs prior.. I missed it just by 2 hrs if I had booked it before 11 AM today I would have got it.. Bad Luck:(
Hey Ajay, Thanks for your response. Will take a look.
I applied for AI Signature card and finally a person from SBI collected address proof and other docs today (after a lot of follow up and missed appointments). I was wondering at what stage they would ask me for my existing Flying Returns no ? I don’t want them to create a new account for me.
Hi Ajay,
Recently i hv upgraded my Citi premier miles to Citi prestige.
1.Which is the best airline partner to transfer miles – jet or AI?
Mostly i ll b using the miles for domestic travel as well as international travel to Asia-pacific region.I have quite experience with jet in redeeming miles but no clue about award ticket availability or taxes/surcharge fee on award tickets in Air India.
2.Etihad miles – As regards to etihad, is it worth transferring 20K miles to get 6000 bonus miles? How easy is the redemption using etihad miles in jet flights.
3.Am not a member of Hilton honours. Is it worth to enrol for the same as citi offers gold status?
Thanks in advance
@Stalin, if AI and 9W are your only options, you should look at 9W actively. AI charges lots of fuel surcharges on award tickets internationally while Jet does not. w.r.t. Etihad, you could get two biz class tickets on Jet with your Etihad miles. Redemption is easy but the award chart for Economy was recently devalued. HHonors you could sign up for since it comes free anyways.
Thank you Ajay and Shubam,
One thing I did find is little value in booking a return flight, onwards is an award ticket and return is cash ticket.
The base fare doesn’t get changed for this, only the Fuel Surcharge gets added. I will try and check if AirIndia Honours this, so that I will get some more value out of it.
Will Keep you Posted!
@Pranay
If you are not willing to use those miles for business class, you can use them for flights to Europe or farther to the west. That way, paying for the fuel surcharge won’t pinch your pocket since the price of the original ticket is comparatively very high as compared to the surcharge. Also, since the fuel surcharge remains the same for all airlines, I would recommend you to redeem your miles on any of the partner airlines than Air India so that the experience can be way better.
Hey Ajay,
Love your Posts! Very informative!!
I have a question, thats bugging me since a week. Couldn’t find a solution yet!!
I have about 1.3L Flying return Miles from Int. Travel and I took the SBI AirIndia card 6 months back, when I try and look for redemption options The Fuel Sutcharge is killing all the value in it.
How do we get around it ? or does Air India add fuel surcharge on all its partner airlines too?
I am planning for a trip to US in the coming months, and can use it for an Award ticket.
thank you In advance
@Pranay there is no getting around it for international travel. The best way to look for it is to book an international business class ticket, since the fuel surcharge remains the same approx in economy and business, and well, the cash price is 4-5x for biz as compared to economy.
@Lekha You can go for Diners Premium from HDFC (as life time free) but as it is not accepted at all merchants you should also get AI SBI Signature or ICICI/Amex/Indusind/HDFC Jet Airways card depending on your airline preference.
Try to use your Diners card as much as possible as it has multiple point transfer options.
Hello Ajay,
I have never had a credit card and am planning to opt for one now. I want to buy a travel card and I understand that I am eligible for Citibank Premiermiles or HDFC diners bank premium card. But I am extremely overwhelmed by the thought of what type of point systems each has and what doesn’t. Our grocery spending is pretty high generally and most of them is in a super market. In terms of continents / countries we travel to – we will be flying to Africa in November and America and China next year. So which one do you think might be beneficial for me?
@Lekha sorry for the delay in answering your question. I’d advise you to look at acquiring PremierMiles. PremierMiles is INR 3000 per annum as fees. Premiermiles earns you 1 premiermile/INR 25 spent and has special promotions 2 times a year or so. Can be transferred to 10 partner airlines. I hope this helps
Hi Ajay,
I am looking to redeem my Air India miles for a SIN-DEL-SIN ticket for my niece. SIN-DEL on 30th Nov and DEL-SIN on 1st Jan. I checked airindia website and they are charging exorbitant taxes for redemptions. Is there any way i can redeem airindia miles on other star alliance partners for lesser taxes???
Thanks in advance and congratulations on your wedding…
@Maheep, AI charges the full fuel surcharge on tickets (their own or partners). Hence it makes more sense to book on their own metal. I’ve anyways always said that Intl. flights in Y redemption on AI are useless due to these very same fuel surcharges, and you’d be better off with redeeming for business class then.
Hi AJ,
I booked a Business class ticket from HYD-BOM-LHR, and used my platinum vouchers to upgrade from Business to First on the BOM-LHR sector. When I login to my JetPrivilege account, in the future bookings section, it shows the BOM-LHR sector in R class. Does this mean my ticket has been upgraded to first? Also when I enter my details in the Manage my booking section it says “Sorry, we are unable to match your travel itinerary with your eTicket.” Should I be worried?
@Rithwik, you should call the Jet guys to check if the upgrade is confirmed or not. I usually used to check in the PNR status on the old Jet Website to see if my upgrade was confirmed or waitliseted, but no idea on how it works with the new one.
Hi Ajay,
If possible can you please help me with all features available on the Cities Ultima Infinite. All that I know is that the fee is 2.1 lakhs plus taxes and its got better features than the Prestige(for obvious reasons). Hence……
@Shubham I guess the best people to help you with that is the Citi team itself. you get assured BA Gold, Hilton Diamond and concierge services from what I remember
Hi,
I am looking to upgrade my current HDFC card. I have two options – either upgrade to no-fee HDFC Jet Platinum card, or ₹2500/year Diners Premium. My main purpose here will be lounge access, and Mumbai is my home airport. I mainly fly to Bangalore, Chennai & Delhi. Which of these two cards is better for lounge access at these 4 airports?
Thanks!
@Sai, both are equally good at Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. Not sure about Chennai!
Hi Ajay,
Just today I was booked to fly from Mumbai to Hyderabad on a Jet Airways flight. My booking class was W ( economy ). At the airport I asked the Jet Airways staff if I could upgrade to Premier via cash and they said I could do so for Rs.4800. However after paying the amount, I received a premiere ticket with a booking class of D and not P ( or any other premiere class ). Later when I enquired with them they said it was a “special upgrade” and I would get tier points/miles based on my original booking. Is that how cash upgrades at the airport work with Jet ?? How can I make sure I get the right number of tier points and miles for a premiere seat I fully paid for ?
Regards
Rishabh
@Rishabh, yes. Upgrades via cash or miles are into D class. Look at this link: http://www.jetairways.com/EN/IN/TermsAndConditions/online-upgrade.aspx
You haven’t written anything in awhile.
Why so silent ?
Hope you are alright. I am a big fan of your blog and was just just concerned if you are closing down or something. That would be too bad.
Ajaybhai! No news/ no updates. Hope all ok..
@prakash your spouse will have to join MyFamily+ in JetPrivilege to be able to add JP miles to your account, that will cost you 1000 miles.
You will receive the membership card once you reach an elite tier.
hi
i have recently become a jet privilege member and booked ticket of myself and spouse
i would like to know how to add jp miles of my spouse to my account and weather i will be receiving any jp privilege card
thanks
prakash
@Anuj Visa and Mastercard offer lounge access program in India.
If you are looking for priority pass then you should go for HDFC Jet Airways World or Regalia (5 free access domestic/international).
Diners Club cards also offer good lounge access options.
Hi ,
I would like to know which credit card gives the priority pass/ lounge access/entry free (may be few times a year)? I had the priority pass from Citibank but they charged me access fee $27 when I got my monthly stmt.
Thanks!
Hi AJ
Need some help with lounge in T3.. I hav PNQ-DEL-SXR on Jet which arrives at 1am and my nxt flight is 1.30pm … around 12 hrs of layover.. Since I am travelling on same PNR, wht are possible options to get into a loungue.. ?? website says I can get inside security check only 6hrs prior to flight time..
@Umesh Terminal 1B has only 1 lounge which is exclusively for Jet Airways Premiere or JP Gold and above.
Ajay,
I do not know if clipper lounge has paid access. if not I would like to access any other lounge in 1 c. I am not sure if T1C and 1 B are easily accessible, since this is first time for me in Mumbai.
Rgds
Umesh
Hi Ajay,
My onward flight is from Terminal 1B. You have mentioned Clipper on the lounge list. If not clipper, I am not sure which one I could access as a paid service. I have a VISA Signature card and other master cards. I do not think I have a lounge benefits on either of these cards.
Thanks
Umesh
Hi Ajay,
Appreciate your reply. I do not have any of the India credit cards. So can I access the lounge by paying a fee . Also is Terminal IA easily accessible from Terminal 1B.
Thanks
Umesh
@Umesh which lounge do you want to access?
Hi Ajay,
I am traveling with family from Germany by Lufthansa to Mumbai. My onward flight is at domestic Terminal B with a 6 hour transit. Can you suggest a lounge in Terminal B where I can pay and relax until the onward flight.
Thanks for your info.
Rgds
Umesh
@Umesh I’d assume your flight would be from Terminal 1B or 1C (access via terminal 1B). At 1B they only have 1 lounge for Jet frequent flyers/biz pax. at 1C they have a lounge for amex/visa/master/diners and paid. Here are all the lounges at Mumbai airport: http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2015/04/15/lounge-access-at-mumbai-airport/
I am a JP silver and moving to US for sometime.
Which US Airlines would provide status match based on jet airways status ?
Hey Ajay,
Great job on the blog. I would appreciate your suggestions on my query.
I am planning to travel from Mumbai to JFK, one way in August. I have checked out AI, Emirates and Etihad. I am not a member of any loyalty programs but wish to accrue miles from now on. Taking that into consideration and wishing for a decent flight, which one would you suggest I should go for?
Thanks for the help.
@Aalekh Gupta, what would be your frequent travel patterns. If you are travelling on AI or Jet, you would be able to get enough miles for a domestic flight redemption
I have Citibank Premier Miles Credit card for the past few months -they won’t upgrade to Prestige when I requested it last month. Citi also refused to increase the credit limit and want to get a Jet Airways card as a second card – I am thinking of getting either Jet Privilege HDFC world credit card or Jet Airways Amex Platinum card, in addition to Citibank credit card as I can earn more miles on regular purchases and more with Jet Airways travels as well as Priority Pass.
Do you have any views on either of them – which one is better for miles and service. I note that Amex charges higher fees. Is it worth the higher fees? Thanks.
@Siva I like the Amex better for service and access to the Mumbai and Delhi Amex Lounge, apart from access to lounges in 8 other cities complementary.
Hi Ajay,
Hilton is currently running a 100 percent bonus scheme on purchasing points. 80000+80000 pts for 800 USD . Is it worth buying ?
Hi Ajay,
Thanks for all the great info on your blog.
Whats the best route/airline/FFP for reaching Seattle from MAA/DEL ?
@romania top of my head Emirates and British airways should be the two airlines to look out for
Thx Ajay. Adding onto that, would I be eligible for upgrade in tier with cc transfer miles?
@sagar no. Cc miles are not eligible for upgrade in tier. Else we would all be platinum s 😉
Hi Ajay,
I am a newbie & have started clocking miles recently. I had a query with regards to Jetpriviledge tier upgrade. Appreciate if you can revert. So does the syetem check for both miles & points criteria for upgrading to higher tier or it can be either of those two? Also when it upgrades does it deduct those points ie will the system deduct 22k points for upgrading me to silver when i qualify?
Regards,
Sagar
@sagar it scans for either of the two criteria to hit. Short haul fliers get qualified on tier points while long hauls get qualified on flight miles. The system does not deduct points to upgrade you.
I finally received the welcome kit the very next day. Seems like you have some magical powers!!!
I wanted to know which are the good mileage earning lifestyle cards.
I hold the Citi Prestige, Standard Chartered Emirates Platinum, HDFC Diners Black,SBI Air India, ICICI Jet Airways Sapphiro AMEX, and the American Express Platinum Travel.
I was thinking to swap my Citi Prestige for the Ultima Infinite, HDFC Diners Black to the Infinia, ICICI Jet Airways Sapphiro AMEX to the Diamant and the AMEX Platinum Travel to the AMEX Platinum Charge card.
Would that be a good decision?
I was invited for the Centurion but i didnt find it worth the price, but yes i am very interested for the Ultima Infinite but i dont have the access to its features.Is there any way to know them?
@Shubham, seems like you want to upgrade all your cards from the current ones you hold. Citi Ultima Infinite is priced at INR 2.1 Lakhs + taxes and does not offer enough in exchange of the price they ask for. HDFC Diners Black is better than Infinia since they are the same bouquet of cards I feel, but more opportunities to earn points and miles on Diners Black with their 10x partners. Diamant, I don’t have a view, since I feel it must be a me too product in the fight between Amex and Citi for top-end cards walletshare. Amex Platinum Charge, I took and cancelled last year itself due to their sucky service. Those are my views.
@Shubham,
Better cancel SBI Air India Card and get some JET co-branded card.
Dear Ajay,
I hold the SBI Air India Card through which I became a Gold member of Air India in September 2014.
It’s been 9 months now and haven’t yet received the kit I.e the baggage tags and the card plastic.
Now thanks to the Government of India owned airline and its great communication, I have been denied (thrice) the perks of Gold Member though I was officially one but yes due to absence of the card wasnt able to get those perks.
I have contacted them through all telephone numbers and emails possible but just got a reply that i will get it as soon as possible.
Please tell me a possible way out.
They did tell me to carry the print out of it but it looks cheap and isnt that practical to carry that piece of paper.
@Ricky , You can try Amex Platinum or citi prestige.
Hi,
Could you review the credit cards available ranked by the priority pass benefit? Most cards either have a $27 user fee or have really high annual fee (like Citi prestige Rs 20K). Very few cards hit the sweet spot (like HDFC card which allows 5 visits).
I have access to US and India Credit Card market and i feel there are few cards in Indian market that offer a sweet spot that US marrket doesnt (very binary, either no access or $395ish fee for mid tier access)
Thanks!
Hi Ajay,
Thanks for all the great info on your blog.
I will be booking two economy RT DEL-SEA tickets for travel in June.
Which airline and cc should I use to book it ?
I can get a new cc because of excellent credit score.
Aaron, There is no issue. You have a new FF number and user name password now. Use this FF number to claim miles from AI by mailing as Rajat indicated. Call up SBI and update them on your Air India FF number. They will send you a new card. I was also issued a card with a new FF number even though I had an existing one. I simply called and told them to update my FF in their records. Got the new card in a couple of days. No damage is done unless you have asked for redemption on the points on the existing card
Hi Aaron,
With due respect to Ajay, if I may add further.
After you have your FF details, it makes sense for you to use the chat icon in AI website and provide your flight details to them. That way the missing miles will be added way faster.
AI being AI, will take ages to update miles if you mail them the details. Chances are it may never happen even after sending 4-5 reminders (I have been thru that ordeal). Calling the call centre is equally depressing!
You could try the chat option. If it has worked for me, I see no reason why it shouldn’t work for you!
Cheers!
Hi Aaron,
Please write to ceo@sbicard.com and also to feedback@sbicard.com your issue will be solved. Once you have the FF details you can send the email to retros.ai@iclployalty.com for claimming missing miles and flying-returns.ai@iclployalty.com for general queries. Calling is vain to customer care. Hope this helps
Hi AJ, I have got a flying returns membership number through SBI when I got the credit card in November 2014. However I have been after them to issue me a username & password to access the account on the AI website. I have recently flown AI and quoted my membership number at check in. But now when I contacted the flying returns helpdesk, they informed me that the membership number does not exist. SBI agents keep informing me that they will have the username & password mailed to me, but that has not happened till now. Then 1 of them even misguided me into creating a new account on the AI website which resulted in a new FF number being generated. It is just hopeless trying to get anyone to respond. Do you have any idea how I can get my username & password?
Hi Aj nice 1st of all thanks a lot for sharing such a deep details related to airlines program. I read your blogs a lot and have been gained a lot. I have FF with AI and Air France with Jet also i didn’t new that AF and Jet A have tied up. I recently flew to France and got my Flying Blue miles i also have around 4750 miles in Jet want to know if there is any way of transferring my AF mile to Jet.
Another question i also hold SBI AIR India card and got my status match as i am a burgundy card holder of Qatar but when i checked the Air india website shows my status till 20-9-2015 so in order to retain do i again have to get my status match with SBI or how does it work.
@Rajat, You cannot transfer AF miles to Jet Airways. As for SBI/AI card, usually the status match should be for a year, so please reapply for status match once you have this timeframe completed
Hi Ajay,
I hold the gold status in the Air India Flying Returns program. I recently started flying Jet Airways, and really liked their Business Class service. My question is, does Jet Airways do a status match?
Thanks,
Rithwik.
Dear Ajay Ji,
Thanks for sharing information & experiences.
i am having Amex Jet Card… but i can Amex or Clipper Lounge only use when flight boarding from Gate A#.
Is there way i can access lounge 3-20?
Thanks,
Pravin
Ivan, You can buy Insurance policies using credit cards.
hi Ajay ! can u let me know the tax saving instruments like mutual funds/NSC/ other instruments that give saving under 80 c for tax purpose that can be purchased online using credit cards
Hi Ajay!
According to you, which are the top 3 ultra premium credit cards currently available in the market considering the value for every penny paid!
Would Citi Prestige figure in that list?
@amit that would be Citi prestige, HDFC diners black and I don’t have a third viewpoint there.
Hi AJAY,
First off, great job on this blog. I follow it regularly, and must say its amazing. I am just getting into collecting of Air Miles, being from a tier 2 city only ICICI, HDFC or IndusBank, SBI cards are available to apply. I wanted to understand according to you which is the best card to apply. I understand that they have a tie up with Jet Airways.
I request you to kindly guide me in this regard.
Hi Ajay,
If i spend 100 rupees(non-airline) on a Citi prestige card, I get 1 point. This point can be used to get 4 miles on a partner airline or redeemed for 1 rupee on goibibo etc.
If the same spend is done on a premier miles card, then i get 4 miles. I can transfer these miles to get 2 air miles on a partner airline or can be used to get Rs 1.8 on goibibo.
So if one used the airmiles, one gets more value on the prestige card(4 vs 2 miles). But if used on goibibo one gets better value on premier miles card (1.8 vs 1 rupee).
Is my understanding correct?
@kamakhya yes your understanding is correct
Hey AJ,
A big fan of your blog and I follow it regularly, as collecting miles is a hobby of mine. I own a small business ( an Automobile Dealership ) and we spend a lot of money every month to pay the road tax of the vehicles sold, which can be paid by using a credit card. So, could you please suggest a good corporate card in India which would accrue air miles. Thanks.
@Rithwik there is an Amex with jet corporate card that recently launched towards smes. Have a look with that one!
From one Ajay to another!
Hey!!
Whats the most aspirational (and bookable!) Star Alliance business award from India to North America…they have seats going for 70K so that should be a good redemption!
when would you expect a hyatt sale for india?
they normally do it in February.
Hi AJ,
First off, great job on this blog. I read it quite frequently. Wanted to check if you had any idea about transferring miles / membership from Etihad to JetPrivilege. I have Silver status on Etihad and will be flying again in a few weeks, which will take me to Gold. However, it’s pretty painful in terms of claiming miles from Jet on it. Also JP has a lot more partners that are relevant to me. I know programs that do status / mile match every so often, and if I can, would like to switch to JP. Any thoughts on how I could take my miles / status along?
Thanks
@karan, you cant carry your etihad status to Jet. You can stop accruing on ey and start on 9w and build up there instead.
Hi AJ,
1. I have about 50k points on the Amex Travel Platinum card. What is the best way to redeem them . The transfer ratio to all airlines is 2 points= 1 Mile. With SPG its 3 points= 1spg point. Is Etihad giving 5k bonus on 20k tranfsfer ?
2. Could you do an article on manufactured spending in India. Many digital wallets are also giving the facility of transferring money to savings account. Is there a smart way of doing it, CC to load wallet and then transfer to savings account ?
Hi AJ,
With the recent devaluation of the Citi PM card, you do still recommend it going forward? I just transferred out 250k miles earned over the past year to BA before the 31st Jan change, and I’m not eligible for the Citi Prestige. Should the Citi PM remain my primary spender or is there any other you recommend? Thanks.
What is the best month to get the AI gold tier. Apparently AI reviews the Tier Statuses every December so how do I stretch the expiry of my gold status into 2016. I am a few thousand short of crossing the 10L mark on AI SBI card and have another 5 months.
If I upgrade using miles on a long haul flight, would the surcharges still apply ?
@Kapil I’m not sure about that. A call to the AI helpline is in order 😉
How do I do that ? I don’t have either united or avianca miles. I have about 125 k points on my AI SBI card which I was thinking of spending on intl routes. But the heavy surcharges are an issue. AI partner redemption isn’t that great either. What should be the best approach in this case. Domestically I can always use the Etihad miles route as you had posted some time back.
@Kapil these fuel surcharges would make sense on a long haul premium cabin flight. So maybe use them then? On an air india 787 flight sometime?
Hi Ajay,
This is in reference to your article about Air India offering good availability from India to USA on united miles. Any reviews of their business class recently? The only ones on the web I find for the 700-300er is from 2012 which is pretty horrible in the first place!
Please let me know.
@Rachit please see these trip reports on the 777 in domestic, for the same planes which travel to USA after.
This is a F class report all the way to USA: http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2014/08/10/flight-review-ai191-mumbainewark-air-india-first-class/
This is a J class report domestic but similar to AI 101 which I have done earlier: http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2014/12/24/flight-review-ai-687-mumbai-delhi-air-india-business-class-b777/
AJ,
Just tried to redeem AI miles on BLR-DXB sector. in addition to 14000 miles, there is a surcharge of almost INR 8500 mostly for fuel charge . Is there any cheaper way of redemption, perhaps on a partner ?
N Service Tax INR 310.00
ZR ZR INR 87.00
Total per traveller INR 397.00
N India: User Development Fee INR 1,538.00
WO India: Passenger Service Fee INR 147.00
YQ Airline Fuel Charge INR 5,961.00
YR Surcharge INR 300.00
Total per traveller INR 7,946.00
Hi Kapil, by using partner miles you can get the same ticket cheaper. Try using United miles or Avianca Taca LifeMiles.
hi – have just taken the citi premier miles card (they issued a mastercard) – i am given to understand that through this card i only have access to domestic lounges and not international? on domestic front i only get 6 visits per quarter to the lounge on MC and 8 on visa ?
I am also looking at converting my existing HDFC signature card into the allmiles card? how is this card different than premier miles? How about the indusind worldmiles card? these are the three cards i cam to know about which offer good rewards on air miles..(not interested in amex)
pls do respond
Thanks
AJ,
I have a Jet HDFC World credit card (Mastercard). A Priority Pass card is bundled along with it. I have used the Priority Pass card for lounge access (wherever Mastercard lounge access is not available). Wanted to know if there is any cap / ceiling on no. of times it can be used in a year? I created a login on Priority Pass website but it didn’t show me any account details – instead wrote that since my PP card has been issued by a Bank – I should contact them for my account details!
Can you please share some info. on this?
@Yogesh, as per the website of HDFC bank, 5 visits free per membership year
Ajay,
Can you publish a post with all India based cards that will help acquire miles for airlines in India, along with their fees, offers, etc?
Thanks for the quick reply. V helpful!
Hi Ajay, I am a regular follower. Needed some quick advice, if you can help pls. I got the Jet Amex card a yr back. At joining time, the rep told me that if my spends were substantial, they would waive future renewal fees. My spend was around Rs. 8 lac. I am a silver tier jet member.
Now they have added a renewal fee of Rs. 10k. When I called up to seek a waiver, they refused, but said that the renewal would come with a benefit of 5k miles, which they are willing to increase to 10k, and offer a free jet ticket.
Is this a good deal? I understand recently they were offering 15k miles to new joinees.
Thanks in advance.
@Tanmay, unless your fee waiver was in writing at the time of joininng, i am afraid nothing would be possible. First year fee is 5k and then 10k going forth. I value the free ticket at 4-5k inr since it can be used accordingly. Also, 10k miles i would value at a minimum of 7k inr. Hope this helps
Hi Ajay,
Could you do a write up on overseas travel insurance. My flight from US was delayed by more 2 days ( 27 hours delayed departure plus rebooked on connecting flight for next day) . There is coverage of flight delays beyond 12 hours in my overseas travel policy arranged by my employer. The airline made arrangements for our boarding lodging etc during the period. Can I claim for the same with the insurance company ?
Hi AJ
Am a regular follower and enjoy your insights. Sadly could not make it to the august meeting in |Delhi due travel .
Can you advise me for a mileage run in order to keep my Jet Gold status. I would be taking DEL departure and can route through in Feb taking advantage of the sale fares.
thanks
can I book visitor with Singapore airline miles.
if so what would be the Mumbai-delhi award chart
Hey!!
Could you list a few good credit cards to consider to get in India.
Probably in both – no annual fee and annual fees.
Thanks!
do you have any information about the “new” tfs lounge in ccu? mainly what amenities are offered, day pass logistics, hours of operation, etc? thanks! really enjoy your website. i’m a volunteer teacher in jharkhand and about to fly to USA for xmas!
it is regarding UK transit visa for indian citizens
I am not able to understand the change here..
Indian passport holders required transit visa if they are from US with expired visa… Is that the rule changed now?
Hi Mate,
I will be travelling from Singapore to Chennai and then from Chennai to Delhi (domestic flight). I hold priority pass membership and am curious to know if there is any lounge available on Chennai domestic terminal. Priority pass website talks about something called ‘Travel Club’, but i am not sure if the information is correct. Can you please guide?
@Punar I haven’t been to Chennai in a while since the new airport terminal opened. however, if PriorityPass website says so, then it must exist. I’ve usually found their information to be true
let us know the charges for guests to access plaza premium banglore . I am having dinners club rewardz hdfc crdit card
Hi AJ,
I’m a small business owner, and i was thinking of getting a corporate credit card for my firm. Could you please suggest which is the most rewarding corporate credit card in order to earn miles.
Thanks.
I’m traveling to New Delhi next week, staying at Le Meridien. Do you have some good restaurant suggestions?
Ajay:
My wife and 2 children recently flew on a jet airways ticket from US to BOM. Their outbound flight was operated by Jet and the return on Etihad. My original plan was to have miles credited to my American Airlines account for all 3 passengers but unfortunately no miles are available because the discounted economy class does not result in any miles on partner airlines. As a result, I am forced to accept miles on JetPrivilege (or maybe Etihad Guest) however JetPrivilege supposedly does not award miles to children below the age of 12. Any ideas on how to maximize the mileage received here for 3 passengers of approximately 15,800 per person. I use neither Jet or Etihad frequently but could use Jet for my domestic travel while in India (or if I could redeem Etihad miles on Jet flights or for US -based flights on partners.
Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks in advance
Ajay,
You have done extensive Credit card reviews. With all the options out there for Forex and the amount of travelling that you do, you should also probably do an article on which is better – Forex Prepaid cards Vs Debit cards VS Credit Cards.
I know that some premium cards like Regalia, Diners Black and Amex have 2% or no forex surcharge which make it a better deal, but everyone doesnt go for those cards. Would be an eye openner. Thanks in advance and keep up the good work!!
Hi AJ,
My HDFC World lifetime free credit card has been upgraded to Jet Privilege World card, free for lifetime. I also got a complimentary Priority Pass. It says on their website that up to 5 entries in a year are free on the Priority Pass, and then I pay $27 for entry. However, the call centre could not confirm this. Do you know if they really allow 5 free entries? (Or I lose this privilege because I am not paying for the card?)
Thanks.
Sorry…I meant Jet Airways’s airport lounge in Delhi. Would like to find out if there is a shower room in the lounge. Thanks.
I am trying to find out if Air Jetways’s airport lounge in Delhi has a showering facility. Any idea?
Hi AJ,
I just got an email from avancia life miles about their 2X1 miles promo.
Where in you buy 1000 miles you get 1000 free.
I keep traveling international two to three times a year.
Do you think it is worth it to buy these miles and keep them for the future travel or upgrades.
Considering the cost per mile comes pretty low.
Hi Ajay
Did you get the chance to visit Plaza Premium Delhi t-3 Domestic? Any reviews?
Also i have World Master Card, which is accepted as per mastercard site & confirmed from mastercard helpline (using my card number)
My query do they charge for Food n Non Alcoholic drinks there? or the only access to lounge is free
@Rajeshwari yes, I’ve been to the plaza premium delhi t-3, you can read the review in the trip reports section. no charge for food/non-alcoholic drinks once you get in.
Hi Ajay
I just checked my Flying return account it is showing there
Tier miles required for next higher tier (Silver Edge Club): 25,000
So i transfer my 25000 points from SBI CC, show whether i will get any tier elevation?
@Kiran miles earned by flying are only counted as tier miles. so the cc transfer miles can’t be counted.
Thanks for your response.. will share my story accordingly 🙂
Hi AJ
I have a query, soon i will travel with my parents and i have 3 Cards which supports Mastercard Lounge Campaign. So by swiping all 3, did the lounge guys would allow my mom dad? I know it sounds funny.. But as you know Mom Dad dnt have any CC.
Any possibilities? 😀
@Sachin, yes. it is possible if the lounge agents cooperate. Usually they do.
Though so myself. Thanks for the confirm.
Hi,
Is it worth burning 10000 Citi PM for a one-night stay at Holiday Inn Express in Singapore or should I pay an extra 5k and get the 1000 IHG points?
I don’t think 10000 Citi PM should be given that treatment 😉 if you can afford to spend cash, do it!
Hi Ajay,
The Jet Airways Miles redemption requirement has substantially changed. However, I do not see any changes to the “JP Miles Upgrade Option.”
The miles required here remain same as before for all sectors I think.
Any thoughts?
Many Thanks – Sahil.
P.S – This is what I always used to bump myself into Premiere.
Sorry, asta here again. I will be arriving and departing from intl terminal. It looks like Clipper lounger might be in domestic terminal… Anyway, I am wondering where can i most comfortably sleep and shower in the airport during those 12 hours without a tourist or transit visa for India. Thanks!
@asta Clipper is in the terminal where you are transiting from, that too, airside. They have pay and use packages as well, though not sure if they have a shower or not.
Hi Ajay, I am a US citizen who will have about 12 hours as a transit passenger in CSIA, from 22:30 to 11am. Can i access an airport hotel room without any visa to enter India or must i stay in the airport? if the latter, will i be able to access the Clipper lounge if i pay a fee? (i have no special status with any airline or priority pass). Finally, are there shower facilities in the airport?
Many thanks, I think you blog is amazingly helpful. Asta
Hi Ajay,
Appreciate the efforts being taken by you for updating the blog with relevant developments and trip reports. Wanted to know if there is any website which mentions the departure gate of flights departing from Terminal 1B of the Mumbai domestic airport. That way, one can know that if the flight is departing from gates A1-A8 (1st floor), then the lounge can be used and so one can plan on reaching the airport well in advance to spend time at the lounge. Am assuming that if the departure gates are on the ground floor, then one can’t access the lounge – am I right in this?
Thanks,
JK
@JK gates are assigned a short while before flight departure, so there is no such website for this to my knowledge.
Hi Ajay,
Have been a follower of your blog for the past year and a half now – but am writing to you only now.
I travel fairly decently and have learnt a lot from your blogs. Perhaps this comes a bit late, but I wanted to thank you for all the information that you so patiently compile for the benefit of travellers in India.
Best Regards,
Dan
Hi ajay,
Its really nice to have your blog as reference book for miles game.
I am new into this game, reading the benefit of travel cards i have canceled some of my cards and applied for premier miles card.
It would be helpful if you can write post on how to get into this game, from which card to start, which are must have cards.
Which hotel program should be signup, it will help for new ones.
Keep informing
@HK it is a part of the plan to deliver most of these insights to you. Just give me some time to get started with it all. I hope you’ve seen this to get you started on how to earn miles: http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2014/01/09/mileage-earning-credit-cards-in-india-2014-comparison/
Hi AJ! Applying for a credit card with HDFC and I am eligible for either their JetPrivilege World Card (which is a Mastercard) or Regalia (which is a Visa Signature card. I am not a frequent flyer on 9W, with maybe 2 trips per annum on them.
What do you suggest? The Jet card still worth it? Or Visa Signature has more advantages/offers?
Appreciate any input from you.
Thanks Ajay. She doesn’t have one yet. Just considering with the Krisflyer offer, a way to get her lounge access too. Further, it must be ok transferring from 2 of my own cards (one visa & one mastercard)?
@Rajiv yes that should be fine.
Hi Ajay
When converting premier miles to any of the airline programs, do they care about names on the card & FFP matching? Can I transfer premier miles from mine and the wife’s card to my FFP account?
@Rajiv it is a voilation of the T&C of the card issuer and they ask you for confirmation that the name is the same on the card in the FFP. I am not sure if they match it at the other end, but you could try a small transaction from your wife’s account and report back.
Hi
I have both a citibank premiermiles card and a citi ultima. now ultima has become a prestige card.
what card should i use for booking airtickets? i am a jet silver member and travel mostly domestcally . uptil now i was using ultima only for priortiy pass . is priority pass still valied?
thanks
@swati you should use the premiermiles for booking tickets. the Priority Pass is still valid for Ultima. You will get a new one once the current one expires
@AJ
They have compensated the difference in points (2000), Thank you !
@AJ
head-customerserviceindia at aexp dot com
mail bounced….
I guess I will bounce as well 🙂
@bluecrabs, sorry it should be head-customerservicesindia at aexp dot com
My friend referred me for a Amex Gold Card and I got a call from Amex sales team to pursue the lead. They asked me if I would be interested in their Platinum Travel Card instead and explained me the benefits of that card. I was already aware of that card and was not so much keen on it but what caught my attention is the sales rep telling me I would get 1 MR for every 40 spent. I quickly looked it up and saw that the website states 1 MR for every 50 spent, I told her that and she said it was a offline promotion that they have and she can send me the scanned copy of the brochure via email as a proof. I received the email and proceeded with the application process. Upon receiving the welcome kit I noticed that the documentation mentions the earning ratio as 1 MR for every 50 spent. I sent an email and called the sales rep and after some back and forth and three weeks, she sent me an email apologizing for the “miscommunication” and that the offer expired two months ago. I wasn’t too happy with this, not so much for earning ratio, but telling something before the sale and not sticking to the word after the sale is bait and switch and mis-selling.
I called up the customer care and told them about this issue, they forwarded me to the “right” department couple of times after which one lady hears me out and tells me that they cannot do anything about it. After some back and forth going in circles and although I had my composure all this time, she snaps and tells me that “Sir, Change is a part of life and you cannot take everything for granted.” I was like wow and I knew this is not going anywhere and I told her “Okay, let me change myself, thanks and bye!” and I hung up.
I apologize for for such a long post, but now my question is, is there anything that I can do from here. I do have the email proof of the sales rep sending me the brochure and another email from her apologizing for the mix up. Since Amex holds their customer service in high regard and I hate people getting away with mis-selling, just wanted to check with you regarding what can be done? I don’t mind just sucking it up and letting it go and I might not renew this card going forward.
Please let me know your thoughts 🙂
@bluecrabs you can write to head-customerserviceindia at aexp dot com to escalate it to the Executive Office. Maybe they can provide you a way forward to compensate for the difference in points, or another medium. else you can just cancel the card and walk off.
Hi,
Loved your blog. Very informative.
Currently I am contemplating which credit card to buy.
Amex Jet vs Amex platinum vs Citibank miles vs hdfc regalia vs icici sapphiro jet..
Main aim of the credit card is to accumulate miles which I can use for international travel & stay..golf & lounge benefits would be a great add on but not essential..
I’ll also list the confusions I have with the above cards:
Amex platinum – fairly flexible in where I can redeem but its points are of very low value so would have to spend above 2000000 on it to get any significant return.
Amex Jet – decent deal but no golf or flexibility.
ICICI saphiro jet – caps JP miles accumulation at 40000 per year.
CItibank miles – point to mile conversion great but per rs 100 – less no of points than others.
I dont mind buying 2 cards either. Please help me chose the best.
@rohan look at the Citi prestige
@AJ Thanks! I’ve looked long and hard but can’t find your email address. I’m sure it’s staring at me from somewhere on the screen as I type this!
@ajay it is ajay at livefromalounge dot com
Got my premier miles card today. Had applied for the prestige card too but didn’t qualify as the income eligibility acc to CC was 40 lpa which keeps me out for the time being. Anyhows about to breach the 5l spend on AI SBI signature. Should I spend on premier miles or try to breach 10 lk on AI SBI to get gold elite ?
@Kapil, there is only one way to spend… swipe it all over the place. Personally, I will give at least 10 L of business to SBI Credit Card and the rest is on premiermiles and prestige now.
Hi AJ,
I’ve been using an AmEx Platinum Travel Card as my primary card (chose it after running it by you here a couple of years ago) and today received an invitation for the Centurion card. Now I need your help in deciding whether to get it or not! The material that came with the card was thin on the details and so I am fixing up a meeting with one of their representatives to better understand the perks (they refused to send an email about it). At first glance the card, with an annual fee of Rs 2,00,000 looks very expensive. I enjoy nice things but do not lead an extravagant life (I fly coach and drive a Polo). However, if the perks are nice then it might be tempting. I’m a regular reader of your blog and would greatly appreciate it if you could please help in coming to a decision! Thanks, again, for this wonderful resource.
@ajay why don’t you drop me an email on this and lets take it offline. Cheers!
Hi,
I have been booking my tickets using MakeMyTrip for last one year. I have about 1800 Points now, and i will be a gold member of MMT soon. (Ref : http://www.makemytrip.com/reward.php)
I trvel twice a month domestic (Mumbai – Chennai )and once a year International (Mumbai – NY). I am thinking about 2 cards,
1. Citibank PremierMiles 2. AMEX Platinum Travel CreditCard.
I also found that, the premiermiles website doesnt always have cheapeast fares available.
Any suggestions ??
Do you know IF and approximately WHEN Jet Airways intends to start a DIRECT flight between Mangalore (IXE) and Abu Dhabi? This would facilitate one stop service between Mangalore and New York (and open up the Western World to one-stop service from Mangalore (via Abu Dhabi). Thank you in advance for your input.
@Dravid, no, I haven’t heard of this happening anytime soon. But in the Jet/Etihad scheme of things one of them must be planning it very soon.
Thanks Ajay. Just called them up to apply for it. I had applied for premier miles just 2days back and signed the document today morning only.
Are there any CC here which automatically bump you to the elite status of airlines or hotels by the virtue of being a card holder only.
@Kapil citibank prestige
What would be the best credit card in terms of foreign transactions.
The lowest foreign currency markup card..
Please let me know.
Thanks
Hi
Planning to do a return trip to Australia (2 adults + 1 child ). I have few krisflyer which can give me 2 bom-sin economy award tickets.
i see that even after getting award ticket i need to pay few charges. 🙁
Any suggestions here.
Also, i was thinking of taking a travel credit card to purchase tickets so i can maximize returns.
after studying i am thinking about CitiBank PremierMiles.
Please suggest if i missed any other.
citi Premier miles at an average gives you a discount of 2% (in the form of miles obviously)
If you fly jet a lot then ICICI Jet Airways Sapphiro would be a good option
Latest and best option might also be Air India SBI credit card, as you will get max benefits from them, especially when they will join star alliance.
Can you suggest a card for business spending?We spend almost 120,000RS a month on electricity so couldn’t find a card with good rewards on normal spending.I currently hold an HDFC Regalia Card
@tom my focus is on miles and points. I would suggest you look at the air India signature SBI cc or citi premiermiles
Thanks a ton AJ! Do you know if the criteria are different if the applicant applying for the Premiermiles card has no credit card till that point (as in the case of a relative of mine)? Essentially, can you apply for it as your first credit card?
Hi AJ ! Thinking of applying for the Citi Premiermiles credit card for the first time. I have no previous Citi cards, just Axis ones.
Could you please help on how easy or hard it is to get approved for the same? Any minimum income stipulations for the card? They don’t put out the annual fees on their website but I’ve heard its around INR 5000, is that correct?
@Deo you should be able to get one basis the fact that you have another credit card within 2 weeks. The fees is 3k per annum and in the first year, you do get yourself 10k miles on first transaction as well.
Thanks a lot….. i took a look at it… it seems like a super deal… any idea about their service??? From some blogs it seems like theyr really sluggish in issuing the card as well as the points.
@Hv there was some initial sluggishness but things have worked out smoothly after for me in receiving my points and various benefits.
Hi Ajay….. Wanted to know your opinion on which credit card is best for spend of around 1 lac plus per month (mostly hotel stay and general shopping expense not flights). I want a card whose points can mostly be redeemed for flights.
Thanks!
@HV you should look at the Air India SBI Signature Card. you’d get 90K extra miles over your spend if you spend 10L during the year, and upgrade to Air India gold, and 4 upgrade vouchers along the way. I hope this helps
hey, i had another question! sorry about the bother, but am a newbie on the way to this wonderful world.
how exactly does having an elite status help? i couldnt find some really great benefits. Priority pass n lounge access aint that much of a big deal for me, yet. but i may be mistaken 🙂
@neil, elite status helps you get preferred treatment from travel companies and some privileges which wouldn’t come to you as a one-off traveller.
hey AJ! ive been looking for an indian blog on travel hacking, and im so glad i found this!
the major question i have is, these rewards and bonuses are really poor in comparison to the Chase or AA american credit cards! Is there some equivalent in India? how are we going to compete with that? i mean, all the travelhacks i read were based in US, which required faster miles, and i dont see that happening here.
@Neil, It is unfair to compare the indian market with the american market. the american market is more evolved and went through the motions to get where it is. In india, with not even 10% of the people using credit cards, the banks see no reason to offer mileage. You can look at the PremierMiles which is my favourite card product to earn neutral miles, and Air India SBI Credit Card which gives me miles for spends at the rate of 8 rs spend per mile. I am of course, talking about the spend for a whole 10L to get there.
I am based out of LHR right now and earn in GBP. no income in India. not sure if they are going to value this and give me any new credit card or upgrade on citi premier either.
any other suggestions? isnt there a work around post the jet-etihad deal?
Hi Ajay
I have a Silver Status with Jet airways only, this year I am going to be travelling a lot out of LHR. I wanted to check are there any offers floating around to status match with other airlines? for instance status match on etihad/emirates/lufthanse to silver may be?
Also does using a Amex Plat Reserve or Citi Premier or ICICI Jet sapphiro in anyway help in getting an upgrade status with any of the other airlines across the globe even if it is a round about way?
Regards
KJ
@KJ, if you sign up for Citi prestige, they will upgrade you one level up on your existing BA tier, and give you etihad gold. that is the only offer going around right now.
Hi AJ,
Thanks for your response. Have checked the option of using BA and it is cheaper than going through Singapore. Regards
Thank you so much for your help Ajay. This helps a lot 🙂
Hi
If I was given a choice to redeem my rewards, I would redeem everything on luxury hotels. I love hotels and so I would love to have a credit card where every point/reward I earn, I can transfer to SPG, Hyatt or Hilton.
Now, I have Citibank Rewards Card which is totally useless for travel.
I lately have been reading about Citibank Premier Miles Card & AMEX Platinum Reserve Card.
Yes you get lounge access at the airport and 1:1 ratio with many big airlines. Also you can transfer to Hilton Honors, Taj inner cirle & IGH which is Intercontinental in India.
With AMEX I can transfer the points to many hotels via Membership rewards.
I want to know is there anything I’m missing out? I read very positive review about Premier Miles Card on your website.
What is really good about Citibank Premier Miles Card and how does it benefit you?
Thank you for reading.
Anand
@Anand. Till a few months back, Citi PM did not have hotel convertability. However, I like the card for the following reasons:
a) All airline spends get 10 PM for 100 Rs. very good earning ratio for travellers
b) miles never expire
c) you can transfer it to many a programs such as Cathay, Etihad, Delta, Thai, Malaysian, Eva Air and others. Now also IHG, Hilton and Taj. If you know how to redeem on these airlines, you can get premium cabin redemptions for a fair price.
d) Frequent promos allow me to earn 50-100K PM extra over a year
e) first year startup bonus of 10k miles, and 3k miles every year. very good deal IMHO.
f) miles don’t expire
Over Amex, I prefer this card because I earn 1 PM for 25 Rs. of normal spend, but on Amex I earn one MR for 40 rs of normal spend, and most conversions happen at 2or 3 MR for one SPG point etc. so, the cost of conversion is very very high for Amex, and acceptability is low.
I hope this helps.
Is this a visa or master card ??
hi AJ, thanks for your blog. I am flying to chennai from frankfurt economy(lufthansa) and I have a domestic flight early in the morning to Madurai. I have about 6 hours transit time. Can I use the lounge at international airport? Is it possible to buy lounge access? I am only allowed to carry 15 kg in the heck in. Is there some way to upgrade so that I can carry 10 kgs more. I am willing to may more, but not rs 300 per kg.
thanks
@saba if your tickets are on the same PNR then you may be able to take along your Lufthansa allowance to Madurai with you as well. There is a lounge at Chennai Airport but I am not sure how much is the lounge access charge. You should be able to access via a Priority Pass as well.
hi !
have you used/heard of the grand lounge at GRAND HYATT MUMBAI?
if yes please let me know if it is good.
do u know of any blog that gives info about 5 star hotel lounges?
Hi,
Am looking to book a trip to Australia in November. I have enough miles for a RT between Singapore or Hong Kong and Australia through Premiermiles.
The trip between India and SIN or HKG will be booked for cash/AMEX MR points on Jet.
My question is, which airline imposes lower fuel surcharges – Cathay/Qantas or Singapore Airlines for this route.
Thanks
AS
@AS, maybe you should explore booking with transfer to BA Avios and then booking on Cathay. Low fuel surcharges that ways and distance based rewards will reduce your miles required as well.
Hi Ajay!
I am regular follower of your blog and thanks a lot for creating awareness for the best travel deals. I wanted to take your suggestion on what is the best way to make a spending of 6 Lakhs in foreign currency with a tour operator (Star Tours). I have a jet-amex card but CC surcharge of 4% + FCY surcharge of 3.5% makes it unreasonable. Also, in sbi-air india card a CC surcharge of 2% (visa) + FCY surcharge of 3.5% makes it unreasonable though I get some 60k Air India miles. I was thinking is it better to pay by cash where i save FCY surcharge of 3.5% and get a better conversion rate or pre-paid forex card where I pay surcharge but still get some point.
MY GUESTS IS COMING FROM AHEMEDABAD BY 9W 7104 ON 8/04/14 AT T1B.HE FURTHER TRAVELLS TO CANADA BY JET 228 MUM TO BRUSSELS AND TO TORANTO.AT CSIA THERE IS A LAYOVER OF 3 HRS.I WANT TO MEET HIM FOR IMP WORK.WHETHER
1)I CAN MEET HIM AT CSIA AT TERMINAL T2?
2)CAN HE ACCOMPANY ME AT DOMESTIC AIRPORT SO THAT WE CAN REACH TO T2 ALONG WITH HIM?
3)WHETHER THE INTRA TERMINAL BUS SERVICE OF JET LEAVES HIM AT GATE OUTSIDE T2 AND CAN WE MEET BEFORE ENTRANCE TO T2?
PL GUIDE.
@Nimkar if your guest does not through checkin and checks in only for AMD-BOM for the first leg, they will arrive at Terminal 1, from there you can all go to Terminal 2 together. However, I would advise you against it because in Mumbai traffic I am never sure if 3 hours is enough for this small journey
Hi
You would have witnessed the current discounts which were on offer on airlines tickets on every airline except jet airways. Do you have any details on when jet will join the fare wagon?
Hi Ajay
Amazing blog… tons of useful information. Just a small question (am a beginner actually)..so i have to book these 4 tickets Mum-Dubai-Mumbai on Jet. Total cost is 90K. Would it be better to book through Jet Site as i hold a jet World Credit Card and it states u can earn 18 points for every 150 spends on its own webiste… which translates into 10K points miles… and enough to but a Mum- Delhi ticket through miles… am i reading this correct… and is this the best way to maximize points… ur expert advice would be appreciated…
Thanks Ajay!
Hi,
I hold a Citibank Premier Miles card and Jet Airways American Express card.
Citibank offers 4 miles on all spends and 10 miles bookings made on airlines and with certain partners.
American express offers 6 miles on all spends and 12 miles on spends on Jet.
I am to book hotels on Jet Airways Website as they have a 5% off deal going on.
Would anyone happen to know if a transaction done here would be eligible for 10 miles on Citi or 12 miles on AMEX?
The idea is to use the card that qualifies for double miles.
Hi Ajay,
I am looking at going for a miles card. Pls let me know of a latest comparison which I can refer to.
Thanks!
@Ajit, you can look here: http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2014/01/09/mileage-earning-credit-cards-in-india-2014-comparison/
Hi Ajay,
I had put in a transfer request for miles from my premier miles card to Krisflyer on Thursday afternoon. The miles are yet to be posted in my Krisflyer account. I called up Citi and they said that the transaction has been done from their side on Friday. They also said that it may take up to three weeks for the miles to be posted.
Is there any way of ensuring that the miles get posted quickly as I have a redemption in mind?
@Kamakhya give it a day or two and it should be done. Citi/Singapore airlines are usually good at this so don’t worry much 🙂
Thanks for your reply Ajay.
Hi AJ,
I have accumulated 360k JP miles and I am at the Gold tier. I struggle to redeem my miles at jet as I never get 4 tickets (we are a family of 4) in one lot. Strangely enough, with miles I still have to pay an amount almost close to a full fare.
Can I transfer my JP Miles and change over to some other FPP ? Please let me know.
Thanks.
@SP no, miles are the property of the airline, you can’t transfer them to another FFP program. and yes, 4 tickets in one lot is a very hard thing to get on most frequent flyer programs worldwide. your best strategy is to take two redemption tickets and two revenue tickets. or buy revenue tickets and use miles to upgrade (in this case you still get miles for your revenue ticket)
Hi AJ,
I have 30k Emirates, 15k Jet miles and 30k Amex Jet card miles. I’m trying to figure out whether it makes sense for me to use any of these miles to book a ticket to Spain in mid may. Could you advice me? Jet doesnt look like it flies to Spain so I’ll have to transfer it to an intl airline partner. Tickets directly are about 50k from Bangalore. Any help would be super appreciated.
AJ – I live in the US but this question is really for my dad who lives in India and has about 210,000 Amex Membership Rewards points through his spend on his co-branded Amex Air India card. He is now being told by Amex that they have ended the partnership with Air India and he should consider transferring his points. In case he does not open another Amex card do you have suggestions on where he should transfer? I am very familiar with things here in the US but not very familiar with Amex MR in India. I was considering suggesting transferring to Singapore or British Airways rather than Jet or to Starwood b/c Jet miles tend to expire if not used in a certain time period and he already has a meaningful balance in that.
He has no immediate redemption plans but if he were to make a speculative transfer, which one would you recommend and why.
Thanks for any input
@Ash Amex in India has many a transfer partners including Singapore, Etihad, British Airways, Finnair who all transfer at 2 MR=1 mile. Then, there is also the Jet transfer which costs 1.6 MR for 1 mile and Air India which costs 1.25 MR for 1 Mile. Have a look here: https://www.americanexpress.com/india/mr/ecatalogue/partner_partnr_name_airlinepartners.html
I am also thinking they could be stored as SPG points for later transfer to another program if needed.
Hi AJ – I have a few trips lined up this year (Bangalore to Turkey / Greece, and then a US trip in August). Can you please give me some tips on how I can my MR points of ~ 60 k to good use for these trips? Can I use them to buy a flight ticket?
@Priyanka you can transfer these points to a loyalty program that partners with MR and use them to get a reward ticket : https://www.americanexpress.com/india/mr/ecatalogue/partner_partnr_name_airlinepartners.html
HI AJ,
I got a good fare on JETLITE S2 code flight Though Matrix ITA. It is a Business class fare as per matrix ita. the bookin class is I. The sector is PUNE DELHI via BANGLORE and return is DELHI PUNE. All flights are Jet Airways and JetKonnect flights but code shared with S2.
This fare is not available on any online agent or on Jetlite / Jet connect website. So I contacted a travel agent with matrix booking codes. He says that Booking Class I is not Business class but an Economy class.Is it true?
I was under the impression that the Booking Class I is Business class.
Can you please confirm as I would book only if It’s a business class.
Thanks
@KrishnaKumar to the best of what I know, I class is discounted business class on Jet Airways. Maybe you should go on the Jet Website and try string this together using the multi-city booking option
Hey Ajay,
I have around 20,750 miles on Miles & More (Flew Swiss Business to Nice) and around 22,500 miles on Emirates Skywards. When I got these miles, I hadn’t signed up for Jet Privilege. Now most of my miles go on JP. What is the best use of Miles I can make for my M&M and Skywards miles? Do you think I can get upgraded from Business to First on Emirates (BOM-DXB-LAX) with my mileage on Skywards for one of the legs when I fly Emirates in May? If yes, how do I go about it? Alternatively, is there anyway of transferring my M&M and Skywards miles to JP?
Thanks in advance!
fight for it and get it done, as in call up Citi bank PM to ask for those miles? Do they then award it as their T&C says no miles on discounted fares…
Sounds like both the discount coupon + miles wont happen.
As far as redeeming, I think I’m better to transfer it to other airlines, like you said. Thanks so much for the quick repsonse AJ! Appreciate it.
@KrishnaK, now let me bombard you with a Referral link 😉
Dear Aj,
thank you for patiently answering all the questions. I’m looking at various options of take a miles co branded credit card. I’ve gone through the spreadsheet as well comparing various cc’s. My top choice is Citibank PM card. However I have a few questions around it.
When I book through the PMiles site, the cost of the ticket is usually higher than what I can get at other sites.
For example: Delhi to San fran mid dec 2014
PM site – Rs. 72k with ANA while a MMT, Ibibo shows the price at 64 ( 61k with discount 3k int discount ANA again)
For two adult tickets, the difference of money is Rs. ~20K ( 2* [(72-62)]( without miles and with)
The number of miles that I’ll be earning = 7200, which roughly translates to Rs. 3500 ( 2 miles are earning me 1 Rs. if I try to get a flight award )
Am I missing something? Does it still make sense to go ahead get the Miles card? Please help! I want to get one because I do fly often.
This year my need of flying is mostly to USA in dec and once to Maldives in October, plus may be a few domestic flights.
@Krishna K, you don’t necessarily have to book via the PM site. you can book with the airline directly as well, or book via MMT or Ibibo and the same 10 PM/100 INR come to you. My experience with Ibibo is patchy however, from the perspective that they sometimes don’t award 10 PM/100 if you apply a discount code, then you have to fight for it and get it done. Also, to redeem the miles, you have option of transferring to at least 7 airlines, including air india which would enable you to take free flights on those carriers. the 2 miles for 1 re. thing is horrible and I never use it. I hope I clarified. Cheers!
Reference: http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2013/09/10/american-express-gold-charge-card-changing-membership-reward-points-earning/
At Rs 1000 for the first year, spending Rs 4000 each month (rs 48000 pa) and earning 12000 miles works to rs 0.08 per mile. Isn’t it good one even now? Citi PM will earn only about 2000 miles (rs 48000/4). What do you think?
@Raj, considering most mileage transfers on Amex India work at 2 MR = 1 Mile, you’re earning 6000 miles a year here. And the limitation is only transactions over INR 1000 count for the promotion. And no bonuses for any category. As for Citibank, they do run frequent promotions (at least 2 a year) which allow you to earn more miles, and they give you 10000 miles on payment of fees for year one, and 3000 every year after. So really, you’re earning 6000 miles for 49K spend with Amex gold (1K fees+48K spend), while you’re earning 12000 miles with the Citibank PM for 51000 spend (INR 48k spend and 3k fees). I hope that puts things in perspective.
A.J
what do you think about this axis bank offer om miles and more card
http://www.miles-and-more.com/online/portal/mam/in/earn/special_offers/offer?nodeid=926216809&l=en&cid=1000267
i have a citi pm card (main card) and axis bank signature card as a backup does it make sense to apply for this.I am considering this card due to this offer
.i just joined miles& more-no status.
Anwar
Hi AJ,
I have around 75000 points in my Citibank Premier miles card account. I need around 20000 points in my SPG account for making a reward booking. Is there any way that I can use my PM points and get SPG points? I was thinking of transferring PM to Delta Skymiles first and then in turn transfer Delta into SPG. I am not sure if that would work as SPG website does not specify if I can transfer delta mile to SPG account.
Pl guide. Thanks
I’ll be arriving into BOM from LHR on a BA flight on Jan 7 at around 1am. I will be transferring to a 5.25am GoAir flight to GOI.
From your blog, I understand this will be a about a week before the opening of the new terminal.
Any suggestions on paid airline lounge options or local hotels where I could get a quick shower before taking GoAir to GOI?
my own google searching suggests that the only paid lounge option is airside for international passengers. Is that correct?
Hi AJ,
I’ll be arriving into BOM from LHR on a BA flight on Jan 7 at around 1am. I will be transferring to a 5.25am GoAir flight to GOI.
From your blog, I understand this will be a about a week before the opening of the new terminal.
Any suggestions on paid airline lounge options or local hotels where I could get a quick shower before taking GoAir to GOI?
my own google searching suggests that the only paid lounge option is airside for international passengers. Is that correct?
Hey!
I have accumulated about 90,000 United Mileage Plus Miles, and am wanting to redeem them for domestic Jet Airways tickets. United is requiring me to request redemption via phone and get back to me with available travel dates. is this the only way I can process this redemption?
What is the best redemption for Amex MR points? I have seen indigo cash voucher redemption which is a 5000₹ voucher for a little over 10000 points.. Would this be best in your opinion?
Thanks! I guess the 1:1 conversion is a sweet deal + it’s secular miles otherwise that can be used on any airline.
Hi AJ,
I’m looking for a CC that would help me accumulate some miles. Currently have a Visa Signature that gives me points with the bank’s program, but that’s not very exciting. I have no domestic flight preferences, usually book the cheapest, so I’m looking at accumulating BA (ICICI BA Amex/MC) or the Citi PremierMiles. Any preference between the two or suggestions for better ones?
@Sam, my personal preference is to go with the Citi PremierMiles because:
a) Cheap annual fee: INR 3000 and you get 10K PM first year and 3K PM on renewal
b) You can earn 4 Pm for regular spends and 10 PM for Goibibo/airlines/Makemytrip/expedia/bookmyshow and some other spends on Rs. 100
c) All PM are convertible to 1PM: 1 Frequent flyer mile in 9 different programs
d) promotions on an ongoing basis, for instance, double miles promo going on right now.
Hello. I follow your blog via RSS, but since I am USA based many of your tips don’t apply to me. I am looking to book two awards on Air India’s JFK-DEL direct using Singapore airlines miles. Is there any way to research availability for those flights using SQ miles?
Hi there,
I have been tracking your blog for sometime now, and have to say, its good. Keep up the good work.
Now comes the question. I travel Hyderabad-Delhi-Hyderabad(which is 10.5k JPM each way) once every 2 months. Usually, i book my flights around 10-15 days in advance, and not before that.
Considering all this, i am in a dilemma. Jet is giving 20% more miles, and currently charging 20% less miles. Considering that i might be going by the end of this year, should i go and buy JPmiles, or not ? ps: i’ve already got around 6k miles.
Also, i’ve got around 1.5k JPM in my father’s account. Would it be better to transfer them, or buy new JPM.
@Prateek, I see you totally need 16800 miles to make the round trip. You already have 6K miles and to buy the residual 8600 miles (which would get you a 20% bonus), an amount of about Rs. 12000 is being quoted. You would rather buy revenue tickets and go I say. I checked some random dates 15 days out and I saw Hyd-Del-Hyd tickets at 13000 Rs. for JetKonnect
AJ – Thanks for the quick response.
That’s sad.. Hope some of the marketing folks are listening and come out with a new product for international travelers 🙂
AJ,
Been following your post actively for the past year. Love your posts on review of travel cards.
Had a 18 day trip to South east Asia (personal) coming up and was unable to find any card (debit or credit) that doesnt charge foreign transaction fees. Do you know of any such cards in india.
Cheers,
Kuri
@Kurian, the ICICI Bank Amex used to not charge a fee earlier, but that loophole is now closed. So, unfortunately you’d have to pay for Forex fee on all cards.
Dear AJ,
Thanks for sharing precise information 🙂
Is it worth paying 10K renewal fee AMEX JP Card? and i think only 5K JPM will be credited.
Competitor
ICICI renewal is 5K offering 5K JPM + 1 FT
HDFC renewal 2.5K offering 4K JPM + 1FT
Please suggest!!!!
Thanks,
PK
@PK, I am waiting to hear what ICICI Bank will offer after October 31, 2013. The real earning will start after that on an ongoing basis. If the earning is low, I will consider keeping the amex because 6 JP/100 is confirmed. now, the 10K includes 5K miles and one base fare ticket as well. I think all the amex cards went out only at the end of the year, so maybe you should wait for a while to see what Amex comes up with.
Hi AJ, do we get any renewal benefits with the Amex Platinum reserve card? Do we still have any offers on Amex joining fee (like of Linkedin) or expected? Thanks
@Gaurav, I think if you try to cancel they will offer you a retention bonus. Try it out 😉
Don’t cancel your card. Call customer care about and ask for remission of fees. You will be pleasantly surprised. I got full remission
Hi Aj,
I have about 90K JP miles, 36K PM miles and 11K Amex MR rewards.I would be closing the amex gold card soon as the free for first year part is gone and I have to pay 4.5K as 2nd year fee. What do you think I should do with the miles scattered in three different places?
@Kamakhya you could consider transferring your PM/Amex MR to British Airways or Jetprivilege. Those are the two programs I know PM & Amex transfer to. If you have more information about where you want to travel with these miles, maybe you could email me and we can chat about this there.
Hi AJ, Request your help in getting contact details of Jet Privilege senior management. I’ve not received the gold member welcome pack, which gives upgrade vouchers. For the last four months, I’ve been complaining about the non-delivery of the pack with Jet call centre and through mail to JP services but not able to get any response. Requesting you to help me with the contact details of senior management, if you can, to whom i can escalate the issue.Thanks
Hi AJ, can you please confirm whether the amex gold card terms for bonus points has been changed to min Rs 1000 per transaction for the 4 required transaction per month? The website shows conflicting info.
@RH, I see the conflict too. On the Amex website it shows 4 transactions of Rs. 250 but on the Amex Lead Generation website it shows Rs. 1000 transactions. I will try and check with Amex. Would also advise you to call Amex. Usually they should also send you a letter/email to this effect if things change.
What is the status for the International passenger who purchased the ticket before Sept 15, 2013 and connecting with in 24 hours the new baggage regulation.
Are they exempted from the charge?
@Benny can you elaborate?
Hi AJ,
Thanks for the wealth of info on this blog. I wanted your help on shortlisting a credit card which gives best value for conversion into airmiles (JP/Thai). I went through the posts pertaining to CCs which you are holding, however, many have reduced their redemption values since then. Please give me some advice on the best value cards now.
Thanks
@RH, I think the PremierMiles credit card still has good value … you can transfer 1:1 to thai and you get 4 PM/100 on all spends, and 10/100 on airline spends. If you want to accumulate 9W miles, you should look at the 9W amex or 9wICICI cards depending on how much fee do you want to spend.
in hilton double dip one can earn points and airline miles.
can u earn airline miles if you pay by points and cash or do
u have to pay 100% cash ?
@helena in my experience you can.
@AJ Thats kind of a sad news since I expected the premier airline to incorporate this in their systems which I’m sure doesnt require in the existing code for webcheckin.
I had dropped them a mail regarding this and got this reply.
“With regards to your email, please allow us to mention that presently web check-in is restricted on code share flights however, we are in the process of enhancing our Web Check-in application to start accepting codeshare check-in as well. We will inform you once the same goes live. “
First of all I recently got to know about your blog and since then have been hooked to it.
Now I had an issue with JetAirways at the start of this year, where in I had my ticket booked on a codeshare flight(Operated by JetKonnect). The issue was of Webcheckin wherein they don’t allow webcheckin or any other sort of checkin except manual checkin for codeshare flights even though its operated by Jet.
I don’t get the logical reasoning behind blocking webcheckin when it is run by Jet itself. All the other domestic carriers offer webcheckin but this is something that I raised with them and was assured that it will be sorted out soon but I guess it still hasnt been.
Wanted to know will this be ever sorted out or just go on like this?
@JetFan it is not about blocking, they just don’t have the technology to do this. And somehow it is a low priority for them.
hi, i would be travelling from delhi to chciago on august 30th, and would like to know does emirates offer companion tickets in business on flights to usa from india, not particulary chicago but maybe sfo. If not then which all airlines does companion tickets from delhi to usa. Also i hold mostly all cc’s in india like premier miles and amex and all, so do they offer companion on business or economy.
thanks in advance:)
Thank you, AJ.
Hi AJ,
I’m going to be transiting through BOM (FRA-BOM-HYD) and I had a question about the Carnations lounge in T1C. I have free access to it through my credit card, but it seems to be in T1C airside after security, however, I will be boarding Jet Airways which supposedly is in T1B. Is there a way to go from 1C to 1B after security? Is there a way for me to use the lounge and then go board my Jet flight?
I thought there may not be, but when I look at Jet’s website for lounge access in Mumbai, they refer (their premier members) to the Carnations lounge in 1C, so I was confused.
@Mukesh, Jet Airways frequently uses the Terminal 1C aero bridges. So if your flight is scheduled to go from an A gate then you can have the lounge else not.
I’m a US based flier and have miles in many popular programs including Jet. Do you know good options to use miles within India? Jet gave me DEL-PNQ flights for 16k miles plus $50 taxes. considering I can buy a paid flight for $170, that doesn’t seem like a good use of miles. Avios, United, American, Avianca?
Hi AJ – This is not really a question, merely wanted to pass this along, based on your article some months back about how IndiGo are trying to become too cool at the expense of others.
http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/7029/20130526132728.jpg
Hello,
I’m very interested in using my AMEX membership rewards to go from SFO to India. I have about 77K points, which I know is not a lot. Is is possible to get an economy award ticket for this many miles to India? I would prefer to fly on a carrier that does not have heavy fuel surcharges like United, US Air or AA, but I’m not sure if this is possible.
Thanks for any help that you can offer!
Paige
@Paige you should be able to get a ticket on Singapore Airlines for that much but fuel surcharges will be there on those tickets.
Hi AJ, Need some guidance on the hotel annual paid membership programmes. I have been approached by The Park Hotels @7300 p.a. with loads of benefits. Looks good to me. However, I would like to know what other options do I have for the best worth. Anything specific I need to look into.
Hey AJ. Thanks for a great blog. Quick question about Plaza Premium Lounges at DEL. I am flying in at approx 11pm from LHR and meeting up with some family that is flying in at 4am. Is one of the Plaza Premium Lounges after one picks up their luggage? I would ideally like to pick up my bags and relax somewhere for the few hours. I have access to the lounges listed here: https://www.loungeclub.com/en/our-lounges/lounge-detail/DEL4
@aj thanks aj. yeah i had been looking at ita matrix since long. jst thought if you have another trick up your sleeve. thanks anyway
hey aj. how is it going buddy. planning to travel bom-yeg one way last week of april whats the best way to go bout it. trying to find good fares. could you help me please.
p.s you blog is awesome mate.
@vik you should look up http://matrix.itasoftware.com where you can find the best routings, which you can book via a travel agent or online travel agent or with the airline directly.
AJ – Thanks for the response. I have decided to go with AMEX platinum credit card for the moment.
@Travelsavvy, there is no Amex Platinum Credit Card, there is a charge card by that name. which means, you pay everything end of the billing cycle and no rollovers.
Hi AJ,
Do you know if Etihad charges a bomb for redeeming JP Miles on their flights?
Thanks and Regards
AS
@AS, the pricing is done by Jet Airways JP, so if anyone making money on this, it will be Jet and not EY. Get them to price your flights
Can you please advise what is a better credit card between Citi Ultima and AMEX platinum. My husband and I are frequent travelers (for pleasure and on business) and we love trying out new restaurants. I have noticed that both provide more or less the same offers / privileges, however, AMEX has a 50k one time charge whilst Citi is 30k. Do you think Citi is better value?
@Travelsavvy, I use the Citi Ultima at the moment and I find with the disengagement with Jet Airways, it is no longer a value proposition anymore. you could try for the 15k version of the Ultima. which used to provide lounge access via priority pass + ITC culinary plus membership but no jet airways platinum tier.
Can you please advice me, the type/name of the Debit card offered by SBI; which allows Lounge access at the airport.
Thanks in advance
Best Regards,
Chirayu Joshi.
@AJ: I will be traveling BOM-BKK-BOM in March via 9W in Economy. Do you know what lounges I will have access to (esp in BKK)? I hold Jet Amex, Jet HDFC World MC and Citi PM (Visa Signature) cards. Thx.
@Manish, no complimentary access but you could use the priority pass if you like for 27 dollars per visit
AJ, I am considering ORD-DEL-MAA on AI126 and AI042 for my wife traveling alone. What is the transit situation in DEL? Does she have to clear immi and customs on DEL or MAA? Is 3 hours enough to make it through?
I understand the difference between between AI042 and AI540 later that night,so trying to avoid legacy IC flights.
Hi
I am travelling to CCU-DXB-LAX emirates on 11th Feb,2013 economy with my wife. How best to spend the time in Dubai Airport (7hrs 55 min)? Being Economy I cant use any lounge. But Can we use any paid lounge? I hold citibank platinum mastercard issued in India. Will it be of any use? Can anyone throw any light on this, I will be very grateful.
TIA
Hi AJ,
Any updates for the bonus miles on JP amex for apply before 25th Dec?
@AG I was going to post later about this. These jpmiles have posted today for everyone I know.
@AJ – Thank you so much once again ! Really appreciate the effort.
AJ, do you have anecdotes/opinions to share about Amex platinum concierge in India? I can’t seem to locate any.
The Interweb is littered with American stories praising and trashing Amex for restaurent booking, movie tickets and events. IMHO, they aren’t so useful in Indian context as the tasks are easily done with regular channels.
@CP, in India, the Amex Platinum Concierge is handled by InternationalSOS, the same guys who run it for Citibank Ultima and others. So, I find some of them dumb sometimes. For instance, recently, at a hotel reservation, they got me a rate of approx 9K plus taxes while the website of the hotel offered it for 6.6K plus taxes (both INR). They said that is obviously going to happen.
amex says they plan to inhouse it soon, but no timeline is defined yet.
yes there should not beem.. i think youwill even have time for duty free shopping also….
everything is fast there…
i have done it a few times… and it was a breeze…
justrememebr they do not make annoucmenets at SG airport. so you have to look up the screens and follow the directions…
@Deo, yes, you should be through checked-in at BOM, your bags tagged all the way. This should be a cakewalk, but do arrive at the gate in SIN with enough time on hand to make sure your security check which happens at the gate does not make you wait long.
AJ : I am travelling BOM-SIN-NRT and the transit time in SIN is 1hr 20mins. Will I be able to make it? Both segments are on SQ. Can I get both boarding passes at BOM?
I have a HDFC World Master Card, I have recently received my priority pass. I wanted to know which version of priority pass membership is it. Will I be charged every visit $27?
@akshay yes, every trip incurs 27 dollars charge
Hi AJ, Planning for Kerala trip in April. Will I get JPMiles if I make Hotels booking through Jetairways website. I believe Jetairways are in tie-up with http://www.hotels.com
Any other website or card for best hotel deals/reward points?
Thanks & regards,
@Gaurav you won’t get any miles for making hotel bookins through Jet Airways website. best hotel deals are usually on the hotel website itself through the best rate guarantee they provide. if you can prove they don’t have the best rate, they usually match the rate you get them, and also throw in an extra freebie. Here are the hotel chains where you can earn JP Miles for your stays booked directly with them: http://www.jetairways.com/EN/IN/JetPrivilege/Partners/HotelPartners.aspx
I have a Amex Platinum Reserve Card, My spending on the card is more than 2.00 lakhs a year in the previous years. If my spending is not 2.00 a year then do I have to pay for any annual fee, if yes how much ?, how can this be waived ? , are there any benefits for me to pay on the renewal.?
@Vinod Bhartiya you are requested to contact American Express with these queries
I just got the Jet Amex Platinum Card
I want to know, are there any additional benefits in paying my utility bills on this card.
Pl also inform that, does this card give the status of Platinum on Jet airways, such that I can get upgrade/addnl (platinum member) travel jet miles.
@vinod, this card does not get you any status on the airline. you get 6 miles for regular spend and 12 miles for spend on jetairways.com/jetkonnect.com
ICICI Jet product is better only in case of Sapphiro which I orginally asked for (and replace my existing ICICI card) but for some reason they said applications are closed. And i’m wary of their service now a days. Anyways I guess it’s worth trying to read the riot act to them. Btw if I applied for a AI membership so that I can transfer the CITI PMs to AI. Any idea what’s the conversion ratio?
@AG agree, I am still to sit down and tally up all the options, but Sapphiro Amex just landed on my desk finally! Do read the riot act to them or send me an email and I will see what I can do to get you the card. PM->AI is 1:1 transfer.
Hi AJ,
Must complement you on your blog and I look forward to your posts. Just wanted to know your view on the Citi PremierMiles card. Their redemption policies seem to be going under so many changes that it’s becoming difficult to see even if they are of any use now (for that matter if any AirMiles card is now!). Esp after 1 MR= Rs .5, suddenly the redemption seems an unattractive option. I’m a 9W Plat and got the new Amex Card also. But i’m mostly a domestic traveller and have been using miles for booking tickets for my wife (usually well in advance). With Plat status on 9w since the cancellation fees waiver is there, I feel it’s better to switch completely to Amex Jet card now and restrict spends on Citi. Your views?
@AG, I’ve always maintained that PremierMiles is the best card to earn miles and transfer them to their partners. Now, domestically, the only partner they have is Air India. However, if you are a Jet traveller, agree, there is not so much in it for you. You should go for the Jet Amex which you already did and perhaps also pick up the other jet co-branded cards which are coming to you free of cost (as a Plat) for some welcome bonuses. Also remember, while an ugly looking card, till October 2013 the ICICI Jet product has the best mileage earning. So, maybe you may want to earn JP Miles there.
Yes, it helped so much, you are an absolute dream to consult. Can’t thank you enough !
AJ – Thank you very much for the quick reply and for clearing up. Just have a couple of follow-up questions then. First, can I transfer the miles from one Aegean FF account to other so as for one of them to achieve Star Gold?
And second, how do I credit the miles? (I’m doing this for the first time). I can’t see ANA letting me enter an A3 FF number anywhere while booking. So can I do it at Check-in? The Staff at BOM competent enough to handle that?
@Deo, while I am not sure Aegean has a customer service desk which should be proficient to do transfers, elite miles don’t get transferred, only their redeemable value does, and that costs money. If there is no field for ANA bookings to add A3, they can do it at check-in or if even that is not done then there is always a retro-credit option.
Hope this helps
Greetings of the new year AJ !
I’m a long time reader, though I do not fly as much or long-haul, so an inactive reader to say the least.
Here’s the thing – I’m booking my parents for BOM-NRT-BOM on ANA in business class. According to my calculations, if I credit those miles to Aegean, it should be sufficient for a Star Gold card.
The question I had is that can I register the card in my name and then credit their miles to my account number or does it have to be in the name of one of the travelling passengers? My parents won’t make much use of the Star Gold card afterwards, hence the difficulty.
@Deo, Frequent Flier miles and status are always issued in the name of the flier, not someone else. So, in this case, each one of them will need to have an individual FFP account opened in their name and the details for their individual accounts to be mentioned in their tickets for miles to be credited. The status hence achieved won’t be of use to you.
Hello AJ: Happy Birthday!
I have about a lakh of KF miles – I thought I’ll redeem them on their Partner airlines…..while their website says some partners have discontinued with them, I’m wondering if I could perhaps get a trip on Emirates. I’m unable to reach them by phone. Any suggestions or tips on how to proceed? (I notice I can’t redeem it online). Thanks
@PB at this moment KFA will not be able to help you use their miles at all to the best of what I know. You need to wait for them to restart operations before they pick up the phone again! Write to kingclub@flykingfisher.com however to see if they would help
i have SBI platinum Visa, Citibank Platinum Mastercard, which all lounges i can utilise while i travel in india , thailand, heathrow, Paris and switzerland
Thanks. Must have missed that.
Hi AJ,
Apparently you can now redeem Premiermiles on Jet Airways. This can be done via a refund on the ticket including taxes.
@AS yes you can since mid-2012. However, advise you to read this post before you try doing so: http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2012/07/11/hang-on-do-not-use-your-citi-premiermiles-for-jet-airways-redemptions/
Hi AJ,
What is Class of Travel in 9W? For Economy I see “W, Y, U, K, S, H, E, X, N, Q, M, O, G, R, I and Z” and V
I redeemed my Jet one-way voucher this morning in JPR-Hyd route. For “Special Fares” I was getting a discount of 1100/- and Class of travel as “W”, while for “Check Fares” I was getting discount of 5400/- and class of travel as “V”…both in Economy and net payble fare around 3300/-.
I booked “W”. But what difference it would have made if I choose V?
Thanks,
@Gaurav, these are all fare classes. So, W is the cheapest economy fare class in Jet, and Y/M the most expensive economy fare class. Same service, but impact only comes if you want to use upgrade vouchers etc. hope this helps
Hi AJ,
I seem to remember that on one of your earlier posts on Turkish Airlines, you had mentioned that you used Award Wallet to track your points across all programmes.
I was wondering, can you also track Citi Premiermiles using the same? Also, was a little worried about the safety aspect of putting Credit card details on a third party site? Wanted to get your opinion on the same.
Thanks for the help.
@A S, I use awardwallet but I manually punch in numbers for Citi PM since the portal does not support the program yet.
Hi AJ,
A while back I had asked you about the AmEx Platinum Travel Card and you wrote a detailed blog post in response. Thanks for that! I finally decided on the AmEx Travel Card and am very happy with their excellent customer service. However, AmEx is unfortunately not as widely accepted as MasterCard or Visa and so I am looking for a second credit card. Should I go for the Citibank Premier Miles card (seems to be the best credit card on the market) and use it whenever I cannot use the AmEx and at 10x points partners (I buy a lot of stuff from Flipkart which is a partner) or would you suggest a card that doesn’t have any annual fees? Which option would offer better value? Could you please recommend a card for me? Thanks!
@AD: in Bangkok you can get lounge access using your signature visa card as well.
You can call Visa India hotline and ask for details of the lounge for which you have access for free there.
Sorry but cant recollect the link
hi, I will be travel Bombay to bangkok , I have booked ticket air india – economics class, and I have hdfc signature visa card, can I access clipper lounge ? And one of my friend have platinum master card , can he access clipper lounge ? Pls reply
@AD, clipper has a tie up with MasterCard and not visa. So, your friend can access. you can head to the Celebration lounge in the same terminal, where you will be let in.
Hey AJ
While you have been reviewing all cards, have you given a thought to the StanC Emirates Platinum card? Seems like a good one to gather miles in Emirates over a 3 year period based on a fee and utilize for a US return ticket?
Parag
@Parag, it is on my radar… Though the perks are not so many as compared to the domestic cards, so it keeps getting pushed down the list 😉
Excellent Sharing AJ 🙂 Wonderfull…
I messed up with my 60K miles on KFA
Wishing You Great Diwali & Exicted Flights
Cheers,
Pravin
Hi AJ,
I have about 50,000 miles in King Club. I am not able to figure out how to be able to utilize them before they become defunct (or may be they already are).
Can you please advise?
Thanks
-Pradeep
@Pradeep, unfortunately, the only way to utilise those miles is on Kingfisher Airlines now, if and when they come back online. I had advised everyone in March 2012 to get out of the program if they could and I personally spent as many miles as possible then. I think you should wait for the airline to come back online, and see if your travel plan fit what they offer!
Hi AJ,
I have a Standard chartered titanium master card. will i be able to access any lounge at Chennai domestic airport using it as per the promotion? I am traveling domestically in Dec 2012.
I also wish to know which is the best lounge at t international terminal in chennai? I have an upcoming trip on Malaysian airlines in Dec 2012 in business class.
Thanks
HRS
@HRS, I think the only lounge accessible via MC in Chennai is on the international side. As for the best lounge, I am guessing Malaysia will provide you with access to Clipper Lounge on your ticket.
@AJ, I will be travelling to HK mid November by Jet. But as this was an official booking, have not actually put these miles into my Jet Privelege A/c yet.
Was looking for an opportunity to use these miles as first entry point into a new programme which is part of one of the alliances.
Would be looking to use these miles (+cash) for a holiday in Europe mid-late 2013. Basically am looking for a program that provides me global access on an equal footing.
Thanks and rgds,
AS
Hi,
I have about 33k miles on Jet Privelege. Am looking to run down my miles and get into a new program which get better redemptions. Any suggestions on a good miles program outside of Jet Privelege? Particularly looking for decent conversions from Jet domestic flights. Also have the Amex gold charge and citi Premiermiles that are collecting points.
Would be travelling internationally mid November and would like to get the miles on the other programme.
Any help is appreciated.
Rgds
AS
@A S, could you help me with more information. where do you want to use the miles, what destination you travelling and what airline etc?
News: Effective 30th September 2012 AI 995/996 will operate Delhi/Dubai/Delhi with Boeing 788 Dreamliner Aircraft
@Vijay, the amex plat lounge is open to those flying out of T1C at BOM, which essentially means all FullService Flights and those boarding from jetbridges. However, you may be limited access by the fact that access to the airport is allowed only a few hours before flight (3-4).
Hi AJ,
Can you tell me if the AMEX platinum lounge in IC at Mumbai airport is open 24 hours and whether or not it is limited to those flying near out of 1C? Thanks
Hi,
do you have a post on how to use jpmiles?
I heard they’re quite lucrative for use on EK
Thanks AJ. I called AmEx to get some more information on the Gold Charge Card but they made a convincing case for the Platinum Travel Card. I know that you don’t love the product and gave it a lukewarm review but it looks like a good fit for me. After considering the bonus points, IndiGo + Taj vouchers, extensive partner network and AmEx service it looks rather promising. The fact that the points expire after three years is a downside though. Here’s a small comparison. Would love to get your views.
Annual spend of Rs 5 lac. Rs 50,000 of which on travel.
On AmEx Platinum Travel
19,000 points + Bonus of 22,500 points or Rs 20,000 IndiGo vouchers + Rs 10,000 Taj voucher.
Converted to Rupees (bonus points converted to airline miles, further converted to rupees at the rate of 2:1) – Value of Rs 36,000
On PremierMiles
23,000 points + 13,000 bonus points.
2 airline tickets.
Converted to Rupees (bonus points converted to airline miles, further converted to rupees at the rate of 2:1) – Value of Rs 24,000
My monthly spend is between 40-50k so I’d like a card that gives me the best rewards for it. During my research I compared cards by converting the rewards points to rupees. For example, on an average Premier Miles gives value of Rs 1.75 spent on Rs 100 while HSBC Premier gives Rs 1/Rs 100. Don’t know if that’s the best way to go about it though! As for the airline, I mostly fly IndiGo or SpiceJet domestically and Emirates/Jet/SQ internationally based on the fare.
@Ajay, if you would like to accumulate miles for your travel which you can use on any airline / hotel for redemption, I would recommend the Citibank PremierMiles card to you. you get 10 miles per 100 rs to book tickets directly with the airline. these are transferable 1:1 to 5 intl programs and 2 Indian programs. If you would like to accumulate in only 1 program however (9w) then I would recommend the ICICI Bank Jet card to you. If you would like to accumulate on Emirates, there is the stanchart emirates card as well.
however, I see the most value on the Citibank PM personally, because i gain the flexibility to transfer 1:1 wherever I want amongst their program partners.
amex Gold Charge Card is a good way to earn lots of MR, which is again usable as a convertible currency with many a programs. I use it at least 4 times a year to earn my 1000 MR, and on all transactions which attract 5x MR
Hi Aj,
I want to get a new credit card and it looks like the AmEx Gold Charge Card and CitiBank Premier Miles card are the best available options. What would you suggest I get? Here is some information to help you help me make an informed decision!
1 – I travel 1-2 times a month domestically and 1-2 times a year internationally.
2 – I have FF accounts with SQ, Jet, and Emirates but don’t have a lot of miles on any as I don’t travel exclusively on any one of them.
3 – I find it a bit of a hassle to keep an eye on rewards points and would like to ideally be in a program that makes it easy to manage the process while giving good returns. Kotak offers cash back but at a miserable rate (Rs 75/1000 rewards points!!!).
I also have a substantial amount of HSBC Premier Rewards points. What would be the most efficient way to use them up before I switch? Should I convert them to a FF program or buy something with them? Thanks for your blog and for being ever willing to help 🙂
@Ajay, Hello. Could you shed some light as to what is the output you’d expect out of your credit card choice and if you have any target airlines in mind to redeem your miles on?
AJ..Can you tell me if Master Card is still valid for uses in Lounges….which bank card are still allowing this facility… I have a HDFC World Master Card and a ICICI Platinum Visa
@Sunil, Yes. MasterCard is valid till 31.12.2012 and you should be able to use your HDFC MasterCard to use it in applicable lounges.
Thanks AJ
at these marginal differences..it does not make much sense to change … citibank conversion works out to 1.3 points to 1 air mile..
and then the hassle of documentation..etc
@Sunil, do look at the AX card, I earn 12000 MR and in all the 5x categories for doing nothing. As a result I got about 15000 extra JP Miles when I transfered them to Jet last. And you could use them to transfer to other airline currency as well
Which would be the best free credit card to take…which give maximun points conversion to airmiles of either airindia or jet airways.I have a citibank platinum card whihc used to give 2.5 miles convversiona dn now has been chnaged to 0.75..quite a low one.
Can you suggest a good card…
@Sunil, I would recommend you sign up for the American Express Gold Charge Card (comes free for the first year) and the Standard Chartered Platinum Card which is free for life.
Amex gives you 1000 MR on four transactions of Rs. 250 as bonus per month, every month. Plus a few 5x categories like movies, groceries etc. Transfers to Air India at 1.25 MR = 1 AI mile, transfers to 9W at 1.6MR = 1 9w mile. Stanchart gives 5points per 100 on hotels and dining out. these convert to 83 JP Miles per 100 points (1.2 point = 1 JP mile). Hope this helps
Thanks, AJ! I’m looking forward to it.
My Question is wrt to Jet Privilege. Do partner airlines recognize having achieved any standing on JP? Or are they just code-share / accrual / redemption partners? I was denied lounge access by MH even if it was a 9W numbered flight. Is this typical?
Thanks.
@Prashanta, since Jet airways is not the part of any airline alliance, their status is only recognised on their own network. partner carriers do not recognise loyalty status of another airline.
I am interested in going to India from SFO using only airline miles. Do you have any suggestions for the best mileage redemption program to India in economy class? I’m willing to go any time of the year.
Thanks for your help!
@Paige, a post will be coming up on this shortly
Only one question though. Have you made writing this blog as your career or do you do this within your extra time? Merely wondering..
@Abdullah,
Apologies for the delayed response. you’re post totally missed my eye earlier. I tried answering the question for you, and posted it here:
http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2012/04/02/readers-question-using-jet-airways-upgrade-vouchers/
All the best with the upgrades. If you need more info, look me up!
Hi AJ –
What is your view on these folks who offer substantial discount off business class fares thru buying mileage miles from others and repackaging it ?
http://www.flyL4L.com
Hi
I keep visiting your page as i am too a FF of Jet Airways, though its mostly domestic flights.
I need some advice, i have these upgrade vouchers to business class around 6 of them and my status is Gold card holder of jet airways.
Whenever i fly i look for best fares but then these best fares dont allow a upgrade to business class. How can i use these vouchers?
1 of this voucher expires april 30 next month.
I am also flying with my family to jeddah next month, shud i keep these vouchers and see if i get upgrade for all 3 tickets, though its unlikely but i can still try.
Regards
Abby
The Aegean Airlines info is super helpful.. I won’t have to plan a mileage run anymore 🙂
Thanks
Sorry for leaving some details out. I am traveling from SFO to BOM. I looked up the details on mileage earning on CX & SQ after reading your reply and I wouldn’t get any miles for the tickets I was thinking about. Same thing about Etihad. So I instead booked Continental CO48 through EWR. Takes longer but I can spend the layover in NYC.
Seems like CX and SQ would be great redemption options for miles earned in Oneworld/Star but not for paid tickets.
Since now I’m targeting Star Alliance elite status, which airline can I fly within India to get miles into Continental account? Couldn’t see any partners on the Star alliance website.
Thanks for your help!
you can easily make star alliance elite status by signing on for the Aegean Airlines FFP while allows you to become Star Alliance Gold with 20000 miles in the account. You get 1000 miles on sign up which count towards elite status. with your flying you’ll get approx 15000 miles already. status earned is good for 2 years.
India does not have a star alliance partner yet. you can earn miles into united/continental by flying Jet Airways. but these will not count towards elite tiers!
@Saurabh,
Could you elaborate on where you would be travelling from? Cathay and Singapore do have restrictive policies on earning miles from low fare classes. if you earn miles with a US carrier they count towards elite status.
Hi AJ,
I am planning a trip to India and my preferred carriers are Cathay and Singapore.
This is the first time I am looking into collecting miles. It looks like on the lowest fares they don’t allow you to earn any miles. Is this normal? I could also book Emirates for roughly the same price.
Also if you earn miles for these trips with a US carriers (AA or US Air), do they count towards elite status?
Thanks,
Saurabh
I am Platinum on USAir and would like to switch to Delta for my primary carrier in 2012. Any tips on how I can get them to match my status?
Thanks,
Corey
@corey, Delta offers 90 day status challenges now rather than status matches. These come with reduced requirements. But you get the benefits during the challenge period of your status also, except for the plastic card and any sort of upgrade vouchers! You may want to try this out.
I and my wife hv booked business class round trip DEL-SFO and back. I have availed companion discount offer. Is it possible to get upgrade to first class on one leg of the journey.
Mr. Gupta, The Companion Fare offer on Emirates is booked on ‘Saver’ fares. The offer to upgrade to Business Class is on Full fare Business Class tickets. So, you won’t be eligible. However, it never hurts to ask. You should call EK and request them and may be they will make an exception. All the best, and please report back how it went!