Best Airport Lounge Credit Cards in India 2026: Who Still Gets In Free
If you want free lounge entry without a quarterly spend test, Axis Bank Horizon (₹3,000 plus GST) gives the most visits for its fee, up to 8 domestic a quarter on the Visa variant. The IndusInd Bank Tiger card lists 2 domestic visits a quarter with nil fees in its MITC and no published spend rule. Since 2025 most banks tie free entry to last quarter's spend, so read that rule before the visit count.
In short
Axis Bank Horizon gives the most lounge visits per rupee of fee with no spend rule, IndusInd Tiger and Scapia Federal cover occasional flyers for no fee, and unlimited access starts at ₹10,000 a year with HDFC Diners Club Black Metal.
Best for
- Regular domestic flyers who don't want to track a quarterly spend target
- Occasional flyers who want a few free visits without a fee
- Families who need add-on members to get in too
Skip it if
- You fly once a year or less
- You would pick a card for lounges alone and ignore its fee, forex markup and rewards
Highlights
- Axis Bank Horizon: up to 40 free visits a year on Visa, spend rule waived
- IndusInd Bank Tiger: 2 domestic visits a quarter, nil fees in the MITC
- AU Zenith+: 16 domestic and 16 Priority Pass visits with no spend condition
- ICICI cards need ₹75,000 a quarter, Kotak White ₹1 lakh
- Rules checked on 5 November 2026
The cards on this page
| Card | Fees | Headline reward | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| IndusInd Bank Tiger Credit Card IndusInd Bank | Nil joining and annual | 2.4% value on annual spends above Rs.5,00,000 | Lifetime free, Reward points, Travel |
| Scapia Federal Credit Card Federal Bank | Nil joining and annual | 4% value on travel booked on the Scapia app | Travel, Lifetime free, Reward points |
| HSBC Live+ Credit Card HSBC India | ₹999 + GST joining and annual | 10% value on dining, food delivery, grocery, shopping and utility spends | Cashback, Dining and food delivery, Groceries |
| SBI Card PRIME SBI Card | ₹2,999 + GST joining and annual | 5% value on birthday spends | Premium, Reward points, Dining and food delivery |
| Kotak Air+ Credit Card Kotak Mahindra Bank (Kotak) | ₹3,000 + GST joining and annual | Flight and flight add-on, hotel and hotel add-on bookings through Kotak Unbox... | Travel |
| Axis Bank Horizon Credit Card Axis Bank | ₹3,000 + GST joining and annual | 5% value on axis Bank Travel EDGE portal and airline spends | Travel, Airline miles |
| SBI Card ELITE SBI Card | ₹4,999 + GST joining and annual | 2.5% value on dining, departmental stores and grocery | Premium, Reward points, Travel |
| AU Zenith+ Credit Card AU Small Finance Bank (AU Bank) | ₹4,999 + GST joining and annual | 2% value on travel, dining and international spends | Premium, Travel, Dining and food delivery |
| Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card HDFC Bank | ₹10,000 + GST joining and annual | Weekend dining at standalone restaurants, Saturday and Sunday, non-EMI, minimum... | Super premium, Premium, Travel |
Lounge access in 2026, answered first
The card that gives the most free lounge visits for its fee in our data is the Axis Bank Horizon: ₹3,000 plus GST buys up to 8 domestic visits a quarter on the Visa variant and 2 abroad, and Axis has waived its spend rule for this card. If you want to pay no fee at all, the IndusInd Bank Tiger card list 2 domestic visits a quarter in its MITC with nil fees and no published spend condition.
Why the spend rule matters more than the count
Between 2024 and 2026 most of the big issuers has tied free lounge entry to what you spent in the previous month or quarter, ICICI at ₹75,000 a quarter, Axis at ₹50,000 over three months, Kotak's White card at ₹1,00,000 a quarter. A card that promise 8 visits a year is worth nothing in a quarter you miss the target. So we checked four things for every card:
- Spend test: whether there is one, how much, and from which date.
- Visits: domestic and international for the main cardholder, and if add-on holders or guests gets any.
- Which lounges: some banks now allow only a listed set of lounges.
- Fee after waiver: what you really pay at a normal spend.
The data is from each bank's card page, MITC and lounge programme document as read on 5 November 2026. Nobody paid to be in this list; it is our own reading of the rules, and the ranking follow the maths tab.
Nine cards that still let you in free
No fee in the MITC
- IndusInd Bank Tiger: 2 domestic visits every calendar quarter and 2 international visits a year with Priority Pass. Tiger do not appear in IndusInd's April 2026 spend-criteria list, so no spend is needed as far as the published terms go. The MITC shows nil joining and annual fee, but IndusInd also says the actual fee is told to you at application. Deciding figure: 8 domestic visits a year for nil.
- Scapia Federal: unlimited domestic lounge visits once you spend ₹20,000 in a billing cycle, active 3 to 5 working days after the billing date, for the cardholder only. Instead of the lounge you can take Airport Privileges, where dining, shopping or a spa at the airport is paid back in coins up to ₹1,000 a visit at metro airports and ₹500 at smaller ones. There is no international lounge benefit.
Under ₹1,000
- HSBC Live+: ₹999, and the fee including GST is reversed when yearly spend is above ₹2 lakh. Only 2 domestic visits a year, one in every 6 months, plus 1 international visit added from 1 September 2026, with no spend condition stated. It is a cashback card first; the lounges is a small extra.
About ₹3,000
- SBI Card PRIME: ₹2,999 plus taxes, reversed on ₹3 lakh of yearly spend. 8 domestic visits a year (2 a quarter at most) and 4 Priority Pass visits outside India. Since 10 January 2026 the domestic visits work only at the 30 lounges on SBI Card's Set B list, so check your airport is there.
- Kotak Air+: ₹3,000, waived on ₹4 lakh of spend as per the MITC (the card page say waiver is not available). 4 domestic visits a year, no more than 2 in a quarter, and 2 Priority Pass visits abroad, only for primary cardholder with no spend condition published. A ₹2 validation charge applies in India.
- Axis Bank Horizon: ₹3,000 plus GST. Axis waives the spend rule for Horizon, and the card gives 8 domestic visits a quarter on Visa Signature or 6 on Mastercard World, plus 2 international visits a quarter. Very much benefit is there for a regular flyer. Deciding figure: up to 40 free visits a year on the Visa variant.
About ₹5,000
- SBI Card ELITE: ₹4,999 plus taxes, reversed only at ₹10 lakh. 8 domestic visits a year and 6 Priority Pass visits outside India (2 a quarter at most), Priority Pass membership included for 2 years, and no spend condition are stated on its card page.
- AU Zenith+: ₹4,999, waived at ₹8 lakh. 16 domestic and 16 Priority Pass visits a year, 4 of each a quarter. AU's MITC makes domestic lounges spend-based on all its cards except Zenith+, which is what make it stand out. Using Priority Pass at lounges inside India costs US$35 plus taxes, so use the card itself there.
Unlimited
- HDFC Diners Club Black Metal: ₹10,000 plus taxes, reversed on ₹8 lakh of yearly spend. Unlimited visits at 1,300+ lounges in India and abroad for the primary and add-on members, with no condition stated. The one card here where a family travelling together all get in. It needs ₹2.5 lakh of net monthly income if salaried.
Visits and fee per visit at ₹25,000 a month
Take a cardholder who spend ₹25,000 every month. That is ₹75,000 a quarter and ₹3 lakh a year, a level what sits right on several bank's lines. Here is what each pick gives that person in a year, and what the fee works out to per free visit.
- IndusInd Tiger: 2 domestic visits in each of 4 quarters is 8, plus 2 abroad, so 10 visits for nil.
- Scapia Federal: ₹25,000 clears the ₹20,000 test each cycle, so domestic visits are unlimited every month; nil fee.
- HSBC Live+: 2 domestic plus 1 abroad is 3 visits. ₹3 lakh is above ₹2 lakh, so the ₹999 fee comes back.
- SBI Card PRIME: 8 domestic plus 4 abroad is 12. ₹3 lakh just meet the ₹3 lakh reversal line; fall short and the ₹2,999 fee is ₹249.92 a visit (₹2,999 divided by 12).
- Kotak Air+: 4 plus 2 is 6 visits. ₹3 lakh is short of ₹4 lakh, so you pay ₹3,000, which is ₹500 a visit.
- Axis Bank Horizon: on Visa, 8 domestic times 4 quarters is 32 and 2 abroad times 4 is 8, so 40. ₹3,000 divided by 40 is ₹75 a visit. On Mastercard, 24 plus 8 is 32, ₹93.75 a visit.
- SBI Card ELITE: 8 plus 6 is 14. No reversal below ₹10 lakh, so ₹4,999 divided by 14 is ₹357.07 a visit.
- AU Zenith+: 16 plus 16 is 32. ₹4,999 divided by 32 is ₹156.22 a visit.
- HDFC Diners Club Black Metal: unlimited, so the cost per visit depend on use. At 2 visits a month, 24 a year, the ₹10,000 fee is ₹416.67 a visit.
| Card | Spend test | Free visits a year at ₹25,000 a month | Fee you pay | Fee per visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IndusInd Bank Tiger | None published | 10 (8 domestic, 2 abroad) | Nil in the MITC | Nil |
| Scapia Federal | ₹20,000 a billing cycle | Unlimited domestic | Nil | Nil |
| HSBC Live+ | None stated | 3 (2 domestic, 1 abroad) | Reversed | Nil |
| SBI Card PRIME | None stated | 12 (8 domestic, 4 abroad) | Reversed at ₹3 lakh | Nil, or ₹249.92 if not reversed |
| Kotak Air+ | None published | 6 (4 domestic, 2 abroad) | ₹3,000 | ₹500 |
| Axis Bank Horizon (Visa) | Waived | 40 (32 domestic, 8 abroad) | ₹3,000 | ₹75 |
| SBI Card ELITE | None stated | 14 (8 domestic, 6 abroad) | ₹4,999 | ₹357.07 |
| AU Zenith+ | None | 32 (16 domestic, 16 abroad) | ₹4,999 | ₹156.22 |
| HDFC Diners Club Black Metal | None stated | Unlimited | ₹10,000 | ₹416.67 at 24 visits |
Fees are before GST. For a yardstick, AU sells a single lounge visit on its LIT card for ₹399, so a fee per visit under that figure is a fair deal only when the visits are getting used actually. Kotak Air+ at ₹500 a visit fails that test unless you also value its Air Miles.
Now run the same ₹75,000 a quarter through cards with a test. The ICICI Sapphiro needs ₹75,000 in the previous quarter, so it just pass; the HDFC Regalia Gold needs ₹60,000 and passes with room. The Kotak White needs ₹1,00,000 a quarter and the IndusInd Pinnacle ₹1,50,000, so both give nothing. Drop to ₹20,000 a month, which is ₹60,000 a quarter, and ICICI also say no.
How lounge rules changed, and the small print
The table lists the changes in our data from 2024 to 2026, oldest first. Most of them goes one way: less free visits or a higher spend bar.
| From | Card or bank | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 May 2024 | Most Axis Bank cards | Domestic visits need ₹50,000 in the previous 3 calendar months (Horizon, Reserve and Atlas among those waived) |
| 15 Oct 2024 | Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip | International lounges ended; domestic cut to 2 a calendar year |
| 1 Jan 2025 | ICICI Sapphiro and other ICICI cards | Domestic visits need ₹75,000 in the previous quarter |
| 1 Jan 2025 | HPCL ENERGIE BOBCARD | ₹20,000 in the previous quarter |
| 7 Mar 2025 | IndusInd Legend | Lounge access discontinued |
| 1 Jun 2025 | Kotak Zen Signature | 2 domestic visits the next quarter on ₹75,000 in a quarter |
| 10 Jun 2025 | HDFC Tata Neu Infinity and Plus | Domestic vouchers need ₹50,000 in that quarter |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Flipkart Axis Bank | 4 domestic visits discontinued |
| 1 Jul 2025 | RBL World Safari | Domestic visits need ₹35,000 in the previous quarter |
| 10 Jan 2026 | SBI Card ₹1,499 and ₹2,999 cards such as PRIME and BPCL OCTANE | Domestic visits only at listed lounges: Set A has 16, Set B has 30 |
| 1 Apr 2026 | Kotak White | ₹1,00,000 in a quarter for 2 visits the next quarter |
| 10 Apr 2026 | AU SPONT, NOMO and Vetta | Domestic visits need ₹50,000 of spend in a quarter |
| 12 Apr 2026 | Airtel Axis Bank | 4 domestic visits discontinued |
| 1 Jul 2026 | HDFC Regalia Gold | 3 domestic visits a quarter on ₹60,000 the quarter before |
| 1 Jul 2026 | MakeMyTrip ICICI | Exemption ended; ₹75,000 a quarter now needed |
| Jul 2026 quarter | IndusInd Pinnacle | Domestic visits need ₹1,50,000 in the previous quarter |
| 28 Aug 2026 | Axis Bank Magnus, Select, Reserve | Priority Pass no longer valid at Indian domestic lounges; use the card |
| 1 Sep 2026 | HSBC Live+ | 1 international visit a year added |
| 1 Oct 2026 | BOBCARD ETERNA | Spend bar raised from ₹40,000 to ₹75,000 a quarter |
- Primary cardholder only, often. Kotak Air+ visits are for the primary cardholder, Scapia's are for the cardholder while guests pay, and the ICICI counts are for the primary card. If you travel as a family, a count of 8 can finish off in just two trip.
- Priority Pass inside India. On AU Zenith+, using Priority Pass at an Indian lounge costs US$35 plus taxes, and Axis stopped Priority Pass at Indian domestic lounges on 28 August 2026. Show the card itself at home and keep Priority Pass for abroad.
- Extra visits are charged in dollars. After the free visits, SBI Card charges up to US$27 a Priority Pass visit plus taxes; Kotak and IndusInd quote US$35 for guests. A family of four going in on one card can costs more than the card's yearly fee.
- Small validation charges. Kotak takes ₹2 at domestic lounges, Horizon blocks US$1 abroad and reverses it, and SBI's Visa and RuPay cards take a ₹2 authorisation that is not refunded.
- Quarterly means quarterly. Visits are usually counted per calendar quarter, and on IDFC FIRST cards, for one, unused visits does not carry forward, so 2 a quarter is not the same as 8 whenever you like.
- Insurance went with some of it. SBI Card ended the air accident cover on PRIME and ELITE from 15 July 2025, and IndusInd stopped air accident insurance on its cards from 21 December 2025.
Picking a lounge card for how you travel
- Two or three flights a year and no wish to pay a fee: IndusInd Tiger, or Scapia Federal if you spend ₹20,000 a month on the card anyway. Both cost nothing in their published terms; Tiger also give two visits abroad.
- Monthly domestic flyer on a normal salary: Axis Bank Horizon. No spend target to track. Even 12 visits a year bring the fee to ₹250 each (₹3,000 divided by 12).
- You already spend ₹3 lakh a year: SBI Card PRIME, which then costs nothing and gives 12 visits, as long as your home airport have a Set B lounge.
- Frequent trips abroad: AU Zenith+ for 16 Priority Pass visits if you earn ₹2.5 lakh a month, or SBI Card ELITE for 6, where SBI Card publishes no income floor.
- Family trips: HDFC Diners Club Black Metal, because add-on members also get unlimited entry. Most other picks cover only the primary holder.
- Spends above ₹1 lakh a quarter: the spend-tested cards start working for you too, including HDFC Regalia Gold and Kotak White, and their other rewards may suit you better.
- You fly once a year or less: don't pay for lounges. A no-fee or cashback card will give more back.
If lounges are one part of a wider travel plan, our best travel cards page runs the same kind of numbers for forex markup and travel rewards.
Who can get these cards
Lounge cards ranges from entry level to the top, and so do the income floors. These are the published ones; where a bank publish nothing we say so.
- IndusInd Bank Tiger: IndusInd's general Indus Easy criteria, 18 to 70 years and ₹20,000 net a month; no card-specific rule.
- HSBC Live+: ₹6 lakh a year if salaried, ₹12 lakh if self-employed, living in one of HSBC's listed cities.
- Axis Bank Horizon: 18 to 70, no card income figure published.
- SBI Card PRIME and ELITE: SBI Card publishes no minimum income for any card; minimum age 21, with the maximum stated as 60 in one place and 70 in another.
- Kotak Air+ and Scapia Federal: no age or income rule on the pages we could read.
- AU Zenith+: ₹2.5 lakh net a month.
- HDFC Diners Club Black Metal: salaried 21 to 60 with net income above ₹2.5 lakh a month, or self-employed 21 to 65 with an ITR above ₹30 lakh.
RBI leaves these floors to banks but makes them judge your independent means, and a rejected applicant must be told the reasons in writing. Approval is the bank's call. Our eligibility guide explains what banks look at.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Several cards still give lounge visits with no spend test, from nil fee (IndusInd Tiger) to ₹4,999 (SBI Card ELITE, AU Zenith+)
- At ₹25,000 a month, Axis Bank Horizon's ₹3,000 fee works out to ₹75 per free visit on the Visa variant
- Fee reversals on HSBC Live+ (above ₹2 lakh) and SBI Card PRIME (₹3 lakh) make their visits free for regular spenders
- HDFC Diners Club Black Metal covers add-on members with unlimited visits
Cons
- Many issuers now require ₹50,000 to ₹1,50,000 of spend in the previous quarter or three months
- Most picks cover only the primary cardholder, and guests pay extra
- Guest and extra visits cost US$27 to US$35 each on Priority Pass
- SBI Card's domestic visits work only at listed lounges since 10 January 2026
Frequently asked questions
Which credit card gives the most free airport lounge visits in India?
Among cards with a fee under ₹5,000, Axis Bank Horizon gives the most: 8 domestic visits a quarter on the Visa variant and 2 international, with its spend rule waived, so up to 40 a year. AU Zenith+ gives 32. For unlimited visits, HDFC Diners Club Black Metal at ₹10,000 a year covers primary and add-on members.
Is there a free credit card with airport lounge access?
Yes. IndusInd Bank Tiger shows nil joining and annual fees in its MITC and 2 domestic visits a quarter, though IndusInd says the actual fee is confirmed at application. Scapia Federal has no fee and gives unlimited domestic visits in any billing cycle after you spend ₹20,000 on the card.
What is the ICICI ₹75,000 lounge rule?
Since 1 January 2025 most ICICI Bank cards give complimentary domestic lounge visits only if you spent ₹75,000 in the previous quarter. MakeMyTrip ICICI joined the rule on 1 July 2026. Emeralde Private Metal and Times Black are exempt. At ₹25,000 a month you just meet it; at ₹20,000 a month you don't.
Can I use Priority Pass at Indian airport lounges?
Often not for free. Axis Bank stopped Priority Pass at Indian domestic lounges on 28 August 2026 for cards such as Magnus and Select, and AU charges US$35 plus taxes for Priority Pass use in India on Zenith+. Use the credit card itself at domestic lounges and keep Priority Pass for airports abroad.
Do lounge visits on credit cards cover guests and add-on cardholders?
Usually not. Kotak Air+ and the ICICI cards cover only the primary cardholder, and Scapia's guests pay. Kotak charges US$35 a guest visit and IndusInd up to US$35. HDFC Diners Club Black Metal gives unlimited visits to primary and add-on members, and Axis Reserve adds 12 guest visits a year.
What changed in SBI Card lounge access in 2026?
From 10 January 2026, domestic visits on SBI Card's ₹1,499 and ₹2,999 cards work only at listed lounges: 16 for Set A cards such as BPCL OCTANE and 30 for Set B cards such as SBI Card PRIME. Visa and RuPay cards also pay a non-refundable ₹2 authorisation at entry.
Related
- Best Travel Credit Cards in India 2026: Eight Cards Worked Out in Rupees
- Travel Credit Cards Explained: Miles, Hotel Points and Forex Costs
- Axis Bank Horizon Credit Card Review: 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on Airlines
- Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards in India 2026: Zero Fee or an Easy Waiver
- Axis Bank Credit Cards 2026: Which Card Still Pays After the Cuts
- Credit Cards in India 2026: Choose by Spend, Know the Costs and Rules
Sources
- IndusInd Bank: IndusInd Bank Credit Card Most Important Terms & Conditions (MITC_Premium.pdf, PDF created 13 Oct 2026)
- Federal Bank (document hosted by Scapia): Federal Scapia Credit Card Most Important Terms & Conditions (Nov 2024 version)
- Scapia Technology Pvt. Ltd. (co-brand partner): Scapia homepage
- Scapia Technology Pvt. Ltd.: Scapia Launches 'Scapia Pay' to Turn Everyday UPI Payments into Travel Rewards (press release)
- The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, India (HSBC India): HSBC Credit Card Key Fact Statement
- SBI Cards and Payment Services Ltd: Most Important Terms & Conditions (PDF 'MITC- Common-30OCT26', Ver FY 27, 16)
- Kotak Mahindra Bank: Most Important Terms & Conditions and Cardholder Agreement, Retail Cards (English)
- Axis Bank: Axis Bank HORIZON Credit Card Terms and Conditions
- Business Today: New rules for Axis Bank credit cards valid from December 20
- AU Small Finance Bank: Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) with Schedule of Charges, Version 2.23
Last verified: 5 November 2026
Written by Abhishek Kumar, reviewed by BankCreds Financial Experts
BankCreds does not sell cards or take applications. Fees and rewards change; the bank's own terms on the day you apply are what count, and approval is the bank's decision.