Axis Bank has launched a new premium travel credit card that revolves around airmiles. Just like how Citi Bank has Premier Miles and HDFC Bank has Club miles, now Axis Bank too has an airmiles centric credit card and it’s called: Atlas.
Before we get into the benefits of the card, you’ll need to know two major things about the card: tier system, edge miles. Here’s a quick look at them.
Tiered benefits system
The card has an innovative system with multiple tiers (silver, gold, plat) based on spends. It’s like a loyalty program on a card – higher the tier, better the benefits.
Just like how “milestones” generally gives additional “rewards”, here the “tier” system gives additional “benefits”.
So there are three tiers and a new card member will be onboarded into silver tier.
- Silver tier – new card
- Gold tier – 7.5L spend
- Platinum tier – 15L spend
You’ll get to know the advantage of each tier under the benefits section below.
Edge Miles
Apart from the tiered system, another term you need to know is the “edge miles” which is the name of the rewards earned on atlas credit card.
- 1 Edge Mile = 1 Rupee (redeemable for hotels/flights)
- 1 Edge Mile = 2 air miles (more in detail below)
You can view Edge miles on edge rewards portal as well, as you might have noticed the new “miles balance” there last few days. That said, let’s now look into the benefits.
Benefits
- Joining fee: 5000 INR+GST
- Welcome benefit: 5000 edge miles
- Renewal fee: 5000 INR+GST
- Renewal benefit: 2500 edge miles (silver), 5000 edge miles (gold), 10000 edge miles (plat)
- Rewards: 1/100 INR on any spend, 5/100 INR on airlines & travel edge portal
- Redemption: 1:1 on travel edge portal for hotels/flights/experiences (or) 1:2 from edge miles to transfer partners
- Airline transfer Partners: Air Asia, Vistara, Ethiopian airlines, Turkish airlines (looks like more to be added)
- Milestone benefit: 2500 (3L spend), 5000 (7.5L spend), 10,000 (15L spend)
- Lounge access (domestic): 8 ,12, 18 as per the tier – shared across guests as well.
- Lounge access (international): 4, 6, 12 as per the tier – shared across guests as well.
- Airport concierge: 2 for gold, 4 for platinum
- Airport transfer: 2 for platinum
- Forex txns: 2X rewards on forex txns for plat tier only.
The lounge access limits getting fully shared across guests is great to have.
Overall it’s a complicated product for sure. But if you’re looking for value it’s certainly there for gold & platinum tiers, not much for silver.
Also, while the regular earn rate looks bit low, you still get 1.7% with gold tier (or) about 2% with platinum tier if we consider milestone benefits. This is when you redeem points for hotels/flights at Rs.1 on travel edge portal.
But the real game is about redeeming them for even more value with the transfer partners. With Turkish airlines, it also opens access to airlines under star alliance.
For ex, you would be able to book domestic business class on Air India for 12,500 Turkish miles + 1000 INR (approx. taxes), which is very attractive.
The 12.5K requirement is actually same across all star alliance flights within the “same” region but the problem is from my 50+ search for AI award flights I was only 30% successful in finding the award ticket.
Note that while most partners transfer at 1:2, t&c shows that Vistara transfers only at 1:1. Sad!
Final thoughts
Overall a great product at this price point if you know the miles game. Even if not, it’s a decent card for regular hotel/flight redemptions. And also it comes with so many features that you would otherwise see on a 10K or 50K fee card.
The real power will be known after having more transfer “partners” as that’s the major USP that this card can leverage.
Also reg. rewards, if the tier benefit comes with more earn rate, like 50% more for gold and 100% more for plat, it would be AMAZING.
With Axis Magnus being incredibly rewarding with the new benefits already, you’re now spoilt for choice with the Atlas launch!
While Atlas is good, I wish Axis comes up with a new super premium air-miles product, something like: 4x fee, 4x benefits and 1:4 transfer partners just like the Citi Prestige, perhaps a powerful one with airport services. That’s what India needs now, as Citi Prestige may disappear any time.
And co-incidentally the Axis-Citi merger is also in the news, so it would be surprising to see what happens to Axis Cards in 2022.
That said, what’s your thoughts on the new Axis Atlas credit card? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
What is the limit required on existing axis cards to convert to this card? And limit required while applying c2c?
This could be to prepare grounds for merger. Unsure if they transfer limit / card if Axis considers it high for limit and cards if one already hold 3.
Hi Sid, we need to how ticket price in their portal. Hdfc smart buy always has always more price compared to yatra. If it is more price then it’s no use card
It uses easemytrip booking engine. I see its more or less same with MMT rates but haven’t explored much in detail.
This is wrong info. Smartbuy has 3 partners now, cleartrip yatra & easemytrip, and prices are absolutely the same as you would see in those portals as well.
Maybe you were doing a last-minute booking and prices were changing dynamically. Been using Diners Black for the last 4 years and Regalia since 7 years and never saw this issue.
“surprising to see what happens to Axis Cards in 2022. ” it shall be Citi cards rather than Axis cards if I am guessing it correctly.
Hi Sid,
They are also launching an Airtel cobranded card, could not find much details about.
Is that Airport transfer usable for international locations like Japan? If it is then this is a drop in replacment for my now closed Citi Prestige for which the same benefit was dropped 2-3years back.
Its only for domestic as of now.
Interesting Axis really trying to up the game in terms of their products. Of late, they, rather than HDFC or ICICI, that have been leading with the sector-driving moves. If only they show the same spirit in terms of their support system, the app is one of the worst in the entire sector, and the website is no better.
App & website is actually very good IMO. May I know what issue you’re facing there?
Support & tech are the only major concerns with Axis.
Tier upgrade spend limit is for each year or life time ? Eg if I spent 5L per year, will I be Platinum after 3 year ?
Also, if I get Play or gold once,will it reset next year back to silver or I continue to hold that irrespective of next year’s spent ?
It’s calculated every anniversary year. They’ve explained it clearly in T&C.
When on cardexpert, who cares to read T&C 😀
Axis is the worst bank I ever experienced. Latest is, receiving OTPs to one mail id** and transaction completed alerts to the registered email ID for the same upgraded credit card.
Never had this peculiar issue even with the same bank earlier.
It is more than a week now, the issue is not resolved by Axis bank.
** Axis bank claims the email id is registered with my permanent address (many years back) so is sending OTP to this email id. But they have no clue why OTP is sent to one email id and transaction alert to registered email id for the same credit card.
This exact issue continues for one of my family member as well even after a month. The old add-on card created the problem.
A small question Sid. How new axis credit card obtained on the basis of existing card is reported in CIBIL. As a new card accounts or seeded in the existing card account like with ICICI.
Not able to apply for Atlas card, tried several times, all the other Axis card shows up but Atlas doesn’t. Have anyone tried to apply?
Same here. Didn’t try doing it online but went to a branch near me. The staffer managing new credit card applications checked with her superiors and said the Atlas card is not really open for new applications, and whoever managed to submit one online was getting a rejection. Same with the Axis Airtel card.
Makes you wonder why they’d publicly advertise a card that isn’t accepting applications.
@Siddharth: Any thoughts on the points conversion offer from Vistara Airlines?
@Siddharth: any thoughts on this? Today is the last day for this conversion. What are other strong options for utilising Diner’s points which are better than this?
Pretty good one. I’ve transferred some as well.
So Axis is taking over Citi Cards division. will be interesting to see how our Citi Cards get rebranded/replaced.
Hi Siddharth,
Hope you are doing well. Axis has launched a new Airtel Axis bank credit card which seems to be a good entry level card and I didn’t see any post from you on this, any reason for not posting ?
Hi Sid,
Does it really give shared lounge access across guests. I did not find any information about shared lounge access across guests in Axis Website.
Does it give 5x travel edge points on purchasing gyftr vouchers?
Hi Sid,
I hold axis Vistara signature credit card and have got a choice to upgrade to Atlas card, pls confirm in comparison between both the cards which one still remains a better choice ?
Do guest requires add on card for lounge access or it will be via primary card member and QR
i have Axis Magnus, Vistara Infinite And Privillege card i want to upgrade my privillege card to Atlas or Select which is more benifitable i want to domestic flight ticket no capping for 8 nomini on club vistara type restriction please help for choose best card for me
Hello Siddharth, do you know if the airport concierge service is applicable for international airports also (pickup is just for India but maybe concierge is global)? Also, the pickup and concierge service is just for primary cardholder or for supplementary/ addon as well? Thank you in advance
Sure it’s only a domestic service for concierge as well, all benefits only for primary cardholder.
“Exclusive access to domestic and international lounges for primary cardholders as well as accompanying guests.”
This sounds too good to be true. There has to be a catch. Is there a cap on the number of guests? Are additional (add-on) cards needed? Don’t the other guests need to be authenticated? Is this a milestone benefit? The T&C also makes no mention of any of this. It just says “cardholder”.
Has anyone availed of this benefit? And looking at the product fit, there is a good chance that it would be offered to existing Citi Premier Miles cardholders.