Club Vistara IDFC First Credit Card – Benefits, Fees & Eligibility

Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card

Introduction

The Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card, a co-branded offering by Air Vistara and IDFC FIRST Bank, was designed to elevate the travel and lifestyle experiences of customers, particularly those who regularly fly with Vistara. This card offered a host of welcome benefits, including complimentary premium economy flight tickets, class upgrade vouchers, and Club Vistara Silver tier membership. Cardholders could earn Maharaja Points on their spends and unlock bonus points and additional complimentary flight tickets upon reaching spend-based milestones. Beyond travel, the card provided premium lifestyle benefits, including golf, dining, and comprehensive insurance coverage.

Important Note: New applications for the Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card are no longer being accepted as the bank has discontinued its issuance. Following the merger of Vistara with Air India, Club Vistara was integrated into Maharaja Club on November 12, 2024. The Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Cards will not be renewed beyond March 31, 2026.

Welcome Benefits

Upon paying the joining fee, cardholders receive the following benefits:

• 1 complimentary Premium Economy Ticket Voucher
• 1 One Class Upgrade e-Voucher
• Complimentary Maharaja Club Silver Membership
• 3 months complimentary EazyDiner Prime membership
• 3 months complimentary BQ Prime membership

Fees

• Joining Fee (1st Year): ₹4,999 + GST
• Annual Fee (2nd Year onwards): ₹4,999 + GST
  • The annual fee is levied exactly after 12 months (365 days) from the card issuance date.
  • No annual fee will be charged when the card is renewed on or after April 1, 2025.
• Rewards Redemption Fee: ₹99 per redemption request
• Foreign Currency Markup: 2.99% of the transaction amount
• Interest Rates: From 0.75% to 3.5% per month, or 9% to 42% per annum
• Fuel Surcharge:
  • Monthly payments over ₹20,000 towards utilities (Electricity, Gas, Telecom, etc.) will attract a 1% surcharge.
  • No explicit fuel surcharge mentioned for fuel transactions, though utility surcharge applies.
• Cash Advance Charges:
  • Interest-free withdrawals on Domestic and International ATMs for up to 45-48 days.
  • A fee of ₹199 per transaction applies after the interest-free period.
• Add-on Card Fee: Nil
• Card Replacement Fee: ₹100

Rewards

Reward Earning Rate

• Earn 6 Maharaja Points on spends up to ₹1 Lakh per billing cycle.
• Earn 4 Maharaja Points on spends above ₹1 Lakh per billing cycle.
• Earn 10 Maharaja Points on dining spends on your birthday.
• Earn 1 Maharaja Point on every ₹200 spent on Fuel, Insurance, Utility bills, Rent, and Wallet Loads.
• Maharaja Points are earned per ₹200 spent.
• Maharaja Points are not applicable on EMI Transactions, Balance Transfers, and Cash Withdrawals.
• Any taxes and surcharges appearing separately on a statement are excluded from Maharaja Point calculation.

Bonus Maharaja Points (First Year Only)

• Get up to 6000 bonus Maharaja Points by achieving monthly spend milestones in the first three billing cycles.
• Spend ₹30,000 in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th billing cycles (statement generation period) to receive 2000 bonus Maharaja Points each month, totaling 6000 bonus points. This bonus is applicable only for the first year of card membership.

Spend Milestone Benefits

• Unlock up to 5 complimentary Premium Economy Ticket Vouchers every anniversary year based on your annual spending:
  • ₹1,50,000 spend in a year: 1st Ticket Voucher
  • ₹3,00,000 spend in a year: 2nd Ticket Voucher
  • ₹4,50,000 spend in a year: 3rd Ticket Voucher
  • ₹9,00,000 spend in a year: 4th Ticket Voucher
  • ₹12,00,000 spend in a year: 5th Ticket Voucher
• Vouchers are credited to your Maharaja Club account within 5 working days after statement generation.
• Any taxes & surcharges will have to be borne by the card member.
• In total, you can receive up to 6 premium economy class ticket vouchers in a year (1 as a joining benefit and 5 as annual spend milestone benefits).

Lounge Access

• Enjoy 2 complimentary visits to Indian airport lounges and spas per quarter.
• Enjoy 1 complimentary visit to Global airport lounges per quarter.
• Condition for access: A minimum monthly spend of ₹20,000 is required in the current calendar month to activate complimentary lounge access for the next month (effective from May 1, 2024).
• How to access:
  • Indian airport lounges: Present your Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card.
  • Global airport lounges: Present your Dreamfolks card (advance online bookings recommended).
• Add-on cardholders can also enjoy airport lounge access, as it is fungible between primary and add-on cardholders.

Golf Benefits

• India Golf Program:
  • 4 complimentary rounds of green fees per calendar year (maximum 1 round per calendar month).
  • 12 complimentary golf lessons per calendar year (maximum 1 lesson per calendar month).
  • 50% off on green fees beyond complimentary sessions.
• APAC Golf Program:
  • 50% off on Golf rounds or lessons across Australia, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, New Zealand, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan.

Travel and Other Insurance Benefits

• Trip Cancellation Reimbursement (CFAR):
  • Get reimbursement up to ₹10,000 on 2 claims annually for flight and hotel booking cancellations made with the card.
• Other Travel Insurance:
  • Air Accident Cover of ₹1 crore.
  • Personal Accident Cover of ₹10,00,000.
  • Lost Card Liability Cover of ₹50,000.
  • Additional coverage of up to USD 1200 for:
    • Loss of Checked-in Baggage (USD 500)
    • Delay of Checked-In Baggage (USD 100)
    • Loss of Passport and other documents (USD 300)
    • Delay in Flight (USD 300)
  • Note: Insurance benefits are generally valid on doing at least one transaction on the card in the last 30 days.

Lifestyle Benefits

• Complimentary 3 months EazyDiner Prime membership.
• Complimentary 3 months BQ Prime membership.
• Exclusive offers and discounts at premium brands:
  • More than 300 merchant offers throughout the year.
  • Up to 20% off at over 1500 restaurants.
  • Up to 15% off at over 3000 health and wellness outlets.

Rewards Redemption Guide

• Maharaja Points:
  • Maharaja Points can be used to book flights subject to the terms and conditions of Maharaja Club.
  • To know the number of Maharaja Points required for flight bookings, visit the Maharaja Club points calculator on the Air India website.
• Complimentary Ticket Vouchers:
  • Premium Economy Ticket Vouchers can be used for bookings via the Air India website, Air India app, or by contacting the Customer Service team.
  • Complimentary Ticket Vouchers have a fixed validity of 9 months from the date of issuance, irrespective of tier.
• Cabin Upgrade Vouchers:
  • Request an upgrade at the airport check-in counter (subject to seat availability for the booked cabin class).
  • Show the active voucher in your Maharaja Club Account (from the Air India app or website).
  • Validate the voucher using an OTP sent to your registered mobile number and email ID.
  • Cabin Upgrade Vouchers are valid for 6 months for Silver Tier members, 9 months for Gold Tier members, and 12 months for Platinum Tier members from the date of issuance.
• Vouchers can be used for friends and family.

Card Review

The Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card was a strong offering for loyal Vistara customers seeking a luxurious travel experience. Its value proposition included significant welcome benefits, accelerated reward earning rates on Vistara spends, and generous milestone benefits that offered up to 5 complimentary Premium Economy flight tickets annually. The card also provided premium lifestyle perks such as complimentary domestic and international lounge access, extensive golf privileges, and comprehensive travel insurance.

Pros:

• Complimentary Maharaja Club Silver Tier membership.
• Complimentary international and domestic airport lounge and spa access.
• Generous welcome benefits including flight tickets and class upgrades.
• Opportunity to earn up to 6 complimentary Premium Economy flight tickets annually through joining and spend milestones.
• Competitive forex markup fee of 2.99%.
• Comprehensive travel insurance benefits including trip cancellation cover.

Cons:

• The annual fee of ₹4,999 + GST may be considered high for some individuals.
• A reward redemption charge of ₹99 applies per request.
• The card is no longer accepting new applications.
• Future benefits are subject to significant changes, including the discontinuation of renewal benefits and milestone vouchers after April 1, 2025, and the complete discontinuation of the card by March 31, 2026.

Overall Verdict: While the card offered substantial benefits for frequent Vistara flyers and luxury travelers, its discontinuation for new applications and the upcoming changes to benefits and eventual cessation make it an unsuitable option for new cardholders. Existing cardholders should be aware of the upcoming changes to benefits post-April 2025 and the card's final discontinuation by March 2026.

Important Product Details

• Discontinuation: The Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card is no longer accepting new applications and will not be renewed beyond March 31, 2026.
• Maharaja Club Integration: Club Vistara has merged with Air India’s Flying Returns to become Maharaja Club (effective November 12, 2024). All previous Club Vistara Points (CV Points), Tier Points, and Vouchers have been transferred to linked Maharaja Club accounts in a 1:1 ratio.
• Welcome Benefits: Includes 1 complimentary Premium Economy Ticket Voucher, 1 One Class Upgrade e-Voucher, complimentary Maharaja Club Silver Membership, and 3 months of EazyDiner Prime and BQ Prime memberships.
• Reward Points: Earn up to 6 Maharaja Points per ₹200 spent (6 points for spends up to ₹1 Lakh, 4 points for spends above ₹1 Lakh, 10 points on birthday dining, 1 point on fuel, insurance, utility, rent & wallet loads).
• Bonus Points: Up to 6000 bonus Maharaja Points on achieving monthly spend milestones (₹30,000/month for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th billing cycles) in the first year.
• Milestone Vouchers: Earn up to 5 additional complimentary Premium Economy Ticket Vouchers annually based on spend milestones (up to ₹12 Lakhs).
• Lounge Access: 2 complimentary domestic airport lounge & spa visits and 1 complimentary international airport lounge visit per quarter, conditional on spending ₹20,000 in the preceding calendar month (effective May 1, 2024).
• Golf Privileges: 4 complimentary green fees golf rounds and 12 golf lessons per year.
• Travel Insurance: Includes Cancellation For Any Reason (CFAR) trip cancellation cover up to ₹10,000 (2 claims/year), Air Accident Cover of ₹1 crore, Personal Accident Cover of ₹10 Lakhs, Lost Card Liability Cover of ₹50,000, and other travel-related coverage up to USD 1200.
• Fees: Joining and Annual Fee of ₹4,999 + GST. No annual fee will be charged from April 1, 2025, onwards.
• Forex Markup: 2.99%.
• Changes for Renewing Cards (on or after April 1, 2025): No annual fee will be charged, but renewal benefits (Premium Economy Ticket Voucher, Cabin Upgrade Voucher, Silver membership) and spend-based flight ticket vouchers will no longer be provided. Earning of Maharaja Points will remain unchanged.

Other Details

• Maharaja Club: Launched in 1994 as Air India’s Flying Returns, it is one of India’s oldest frequent flyer programs. Members earn Maharaja Points when flying with Air India or Star Alliance Partner Airlines, or by spending with program partners. Points can be redeemed for Award Flights and Cabin Upgrades.
• Add-on Card Benefits: Add-on cards come without any joining or annual fees. While add-on members do not receive a separate Maharaja Club ID, Maharaja Club points, or complimentary flight tickets, their spends contribute to the primary cardholder's milestones, and they can enjoy airport lounge access.
• Existing Vouchers: Air India will honor all valid/active tickets and vouchers issued by Club Vistara, which have been transferred to Maharaja Club Accounts.
• Maharaja Club Silver Tier Benefits: Include Cabin Upgrade vouchers, Excess Baggage Allowance, and Priority Check-in.
• International Contact: For questions regarding your credit card while abroad, contact +91 22 6248 5152.
• Card Renewal: The Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card can be renewed until March 2025. Upon renewal, all card benefits and features will be honored for 1 year from the renewal date, subject to modifications mentioned above for renewals after April 1, 2025.