The first co-branded card for JetPrivilege was launched by HDFC Bank in 2012, and at that time the key benefits offered were excess baggage allowance on Jet Airways and a 5% discount on flights booked with Jet Airways, apart from the obvious, an ability to earn miles. Their novelty was the ability to earn tier points for INR 2 Lakh spend, but I found the threshold too high to every want to earn TPs like that. I would rather make a quick trip.
The HDFC Bank JetPrivilege World Card, which is the highest variant of this card, has offered a Priority Pass membership since the first day. However, the Priority Pass membership is the base version ($99 membership), and does not come with any free visits from Priority Pass itself.
A new feature that HDFC Bank has quietly introduced over the past year has been the addition of 5 free visits per annum (using your Priority Pass), for these card holders. The visits are free only for the primary card holder (as in no guests should be marked on the same swipe), and basically HDFC Bank will not put the charges for the first 5 visits on your credit card.
Have a look in the product features here:
The Priority pass membership provides you with complementary enrolment worth $99 into the Priority Pass Programme allowing you preferential access to more than 600 airport lounges around the world, no matter which airline or class you fly. It offers you well deserved rest, refreshment and the use of business facilities like phones, fax, Internet access and conference rooms.
The Primary card holder can enjoy upto 5 free visits to the Priority Pass lounges every year.
Your guests can also use this facility at a fee of $27* per person, per visit with your JetPrivilege World card.
In case you are a frequent/semi-frequent traveller outside India, this should be of use to you since you can now access some lounges outside the country as well. For domestic lounge access, there is the MasterCard Lounge Access programme.
Anybody can shed any light on the year being mentioned above is calendar year or membership year?
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While coming from India (IGI airport ) on 31st May 2017, there was a good launge for HDFC Regalia Card Holders , but while reaching at Netia Air Port Tokiyo Japan there was NO Launge & no one assisted or guided us whereabouts about launge to take some rest .
Now can u pl help us by telling the correct location of launge at Tokiyo airport thru my given below mail address with proper guidelines so that we may enjoy our trip by availing this given facility to ur customers. Tks in advance.
Does anyone know how the free PP lounge access works? Do we have to pay the $27 entry fee during visit and this gets credited back in the CC statement?
@Ajay you do not need to do anything. Just use the PP and the first 5 times you won’t see a charge on your HDFC Bank Credit Card.
Mr. Awtaney,
Great article!
Are you aware of any credit cards issued in India that offer free guest privileges OR do all the cards only offer paid access for guests?
Also, are there any dedicated lounge membership programs in India. I am a member of United Club and my membership was honored at Air India lounges (both domestic and International) at IGI. But I am curious if there is an Air-India (Star Alliance) lounge membership that can be purchased on a annual basis.
Your inputs would be greatly appreciated!
Sid
Great blog. Would appreciate if I can pick your brains. We have a world tour coming up over next 12 months (me, wife & 12 year old child). We currently have a citibank premier miles master card (one each for me & wife) – regularly use it for lounge access. We also have SBI platinum master card debit card . Since we need lots of lounge access (primarily domestic) as well as want to put all the spend coming up in next few months on the right card(s), please advise what credit card(s) to add to our repertoire. Lounge access policies also varies across airports. Last week I managed to swipe BOTH premier miles master and sbi master at bangalore domestic for me + daughter. The same night delhi plaza terminal 3 said only 1 master will be honored, so I sent my daughter alone. They said sbi master platinum wont be honored and asked me for a qualifying visa which i dont have. So what I am thinking is from getting lounge access to 3 people simultaneouly, we need additional amex and visa. What do u think ? Which visa and which amex is best bang for lounge access and airmiles currently ? I noticed in plaza terminal 3 that even amex platinum jet guys had to pay – thats what the signage said – it was only free for true amex platinum? In a nutshell, please advice which card(s) to get to expand our lounge access and airmiles . Or should I simply take visa citi premier miles visa ? I dont see any amex giving access at all airports except the 50k amex platinum.
Thanks
Manish
@Manish you will need to get yourself a higher end card to get the Priority Pass, which will give you access to lounges across the world. The cards you have provide you lounge access only in India. Look at the Citi Prestige, HDFC Diners Club or Regalia or Amex Plat for getting the unlimited Priority pass.
Thx Ajit. We will consider citi prestige for international lounge access. If I wanted only lounge access in India, what is the best value VISA card that allows pan-India (not international) lounge access (both primary and supplementary) in your view? We already are enjoying citipremier miles master. We wanted one more to cover both master and visa.
The five free visits are during a calendar year. I found this information on the site:
http://www.jetairways.com/EN/IN/JetPrivilege/Partners/co-brand-card/jetprivilege-hdfc-bank-credit-cards.aspx
You can get 5 free visits to Priority pass lounges with HDFC regalia as well.
True that. My wife and I have jet privilege world credit card and regalia respectively and have found the priority pass membership with 5 free visits the best part of the benefits.
Is this only for the World credit card? or also for other variants?
@Nilesh only for world
when it is base category priority pass and 5 lounges are free then there is a possibility this feature is available on all base category pp.
@agarwal that is not the case. The bank is making good the money for these visits to priority pass
My understanding is that it is calendar year. I discovered this accidentally last year when I used my priority pass card to use the shower in the Korean Air Lounge @ LAX and was not charged for it.