Is Air India SBI Signature Card the Best for Frequent Flyers?

In today's blog will provide you the information about the Air India SBI Signature Credit Card: including its welcome benefit, Cashback rate, lounge benefits, and more.

The Air India SBI Signature Credit Card is a premium, travel-focused credit card designed mainly for frequent flyers with Air India. It offers excellent value on flight bookings, especially when tickets are purchased directly through the Air India website, app, or call center, earning 10 reward points per INR 100 spent. For all other eligible retail purchases, including movie ticket bookings, the card offers 4 reward points per INR 100. However, it does not provide any specific movie-related benefits like Buy 1 Get 1 Free offers, cashback on entertainment, or special discounts on platforms like BookMyShow or PVR.

Additionally, the card’s reward structure was devalued in March 2025 previously offering 30 points per INR 100 on Air India bookings, it now gives only 10 points, which has reduced its overall value for users.

What Are The Reward Benefits of Having an Air India SBI Signature Credit Card?

• Users will get 20,000 reward points as a welcome gift on the payment of your joining fee. Also, a free membership to the Air India Frequent Flyer Program - Flying Returns.

What Is the Cashback Rate of Air India SBI Signature Credit Card?

• Users will earn upto 30 reward points for every INR 100 spent on Air India tickets booked through airindia.com, airindia mobile app. 

• (30 reward points when booked for self and 10 reward points when booked for others). 

• Value of 1 reward point = INR 0.25. Points can also be converted into air miles. 1 point = 1 air mile. Air miles can be redeemed for air tickets. Air India travel cashback rate: 7.5%. 

• 4 reward points for every INR 100 spent on all other spends. General cashback rate:1%.

What Are The Milestone Benefits Of Having an Air India SBI Signature Credit Card?

Milestone benefits: Users will get 20,000 bonus reward points annually on spending INR 5 Lakhs and 30,000 bonus reward points annually on spending INR 10 Lakhs, and 50,000 bonus reward points annually on spending INR 20 Lakhs.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Having an Air India SBI Signature Credit Card?

Pros:

• High Reward Rate on Air India Bookings

  • Earn 10 reward points per INR 100 on direct Air India bookings (website, app, or call center).

  • Points can be converted into Air India Miles (1 Reward Point = 1 Air India Air Mile).

• Welcome Bonus

  • Get 20,000 reward points as a welcome gift on payment of the joining fee — great for frequent travelers.

• Milestone Benefits

  • Earn up to 1 lakh bonus points annually by reaching spend milestones (INR 5L, INR 10L, INR 20L).

• Lounge Access

  • Get 8 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per year via Visa Lounge Access Program.

• Air Miles Validity

  • Reward points (converted to Air India miles) are valid for up to 3 years, giving enough time to redeem.

    
    

Cons:

• No Movie or Lifestyle Benefits

  • This card offers no entertainment perks, such as free movie tickets or BOGO offers.

• Limited Reward Flexibility

  • Reward points can be redeemed only for Air India Miles, not for cashback or shopping vouchers.

• High Annual Fee

  • INR 4,999 + GST annual fee, which is not waived, even on high spends

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Visa Signature:

The Air India SBI Signature Credit Card is built with frequent flyers in mind, and its partnership with Visa Signature makes a lot of sense when you look at the target audience and the benefits they value. Visa Signature sits comfortably in the premium category; it’s not ultra-luxury, but it offers a refined range of features that travelers can use.

Unlike Visa Infinite, which is aimed at ultra-high spenders, Visa Signature is accessible to a broader range of users while still offering meaningful perks. These include lounge access, concierge services, travel protection, and international acceptance. For a co-branded airline card like this one, which is meant for regular Air India passengers who want to earn miles and enjoy travel privileges, Signature is a smart fit.

It also allows SBI Card to offer a mix of premium travel experiences without pushing the annual fee or eligibility too high. Signature’s global presence ensures that users won’t face acceptance issues while spending abroad or booking international flights and hotels. It provides a sense of comfort and reliability, both important when you're frequently on the move.

By choosing the Signature tier, SBI is striking a balance. They’re delivering solid travel perks and rewarding spending, but without the exclusivity or costs tied to more elite card variants. In simple terms, Visa Signature is premium enough to feel rewarding, but not so exclusive that it becomes out of reach.

Fees And Charges:

• Joining Fee: INR 4,999 + Taxes.

• Annual Fee: INR 4,999 + Taxes.

• Cash Withdrawal Fee (ATM): Cash Advance fees: 2.5% or Rs. 500

• Late Payment Charges: 0 to 1300

• Interest Rate (on unpaid amount):Up to 3.50% per month (42% per annum).

Eligibility:

Age: You must be minimum 21 and 70 years old.

Income: You must have a stable source of income.

Credit score: A good credit score is generally required.

Conclusion:

The Air India SBI Signature Credit Card is designed for frequent Air India flyers. If you often book flights through Air India and want to maximize your air miles, this card can offer significant value through its high reward rate on flight spends, welcome bonus, and annual milestone rewards. It's especially useful for users who want to convert spending directly into Air India air miles, making it a solid tool for travel planning and upgrades.

However, this card is travel-specific. It doesn’t offer movie benefits, shopping discounts, cashback rewards, or lifestyle privileges, which are available with many other premium credit cards. The annual fee of INR 4,999 is also relatively high, and there is no annual fee waiver, even with heavy spending. Plus, the recent reduction in reward rates (from 30 points to 10 per INR 100 on Air India spends) has lowered the overall return on investment.

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