Kotak Air+ Credit Card Review: ₹1 Air Miles With a Catch Abroad
The Kotak Air+ Credit Card earns 2 Air Miles per ₹100 on most spends and 5 on flights and hotels booked through Kotak Unbox, and each mile is worth ₹1 when you redeem it on Unbox. The joining and annual fees are ₹3,000 each plus GST, and Kotak's MITC waives the annual fee on ₹4 lakh of retail spends in a card year. It suits domestic travellers who book on Kotak's own portal, not people who spend abroad, because international transactions earn no miles.
Key facts
- Joining fee
- ₹3,000 + GST
- Annual fee
- ₹3,000 + GST. Annual fee waived on minimum retail spends of ₹4 lakh in an anniversary year (rent, wallet, utility, education and transportation spends excluded)
- Base reward
- 2 Air Miles per ₹100 on other eligible spends
- Best category
- Flight and flight add-on, hotel and hotel add-on bookings through Kotak Unbox: 5 Air Miles per ₹100 (2 base + 3 incremental)
- Lounge
- Domestic: 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits per calendar year, capped at 2 per calendar quarter (primary cardholder); ₹2 validation charge International: 2 complimentary international lounge visits per calendar year via Priority Pass (primary cardholder); $1 validation charge, reversed
- Forex markup
- 2% of the amount
- Network
- Not stated by the bank
Opens the bank's own page for this card. Approval and the credit limit are the bank's decision.
In short
A sound miles card for people who spend around ₹4 lakh a year and book trips on Kotak Unbox, where a mile is worth ₹1; light spenders and frequent overseas travellers get far less from it.
Best for
- People whose retail spends reach ₹4 lakh a year, so the annual fee is waived
- Travellers who book flights and hotels on Kotak Unbox and redeem there at ₹1 a mile
- Flyers who want to move miles to partners such as British Airways, Etihad Airways or United Airlines
Skip it if
- You spend a lot abroad, since international transactions earn no Air Miles
- You want cashback, because statement credit is not offered on this card
- Your yearly spend stays well below ₹4 lakh and you rarely travel
Highlights
- 2 Air Miles per ₹100, and 5 per ₹100 on Kotak Unbox flights and hotels
- 1 Air Mile = ₹1 on Unbox, covering up to 80% of a booking
- ₹3,000 + GST joining and annual fee; annual fee waived on ₹4 lakh retail spends (MITC)
- 4 domestic and 2 international lounge visits a calendar year
- 2% forex markup; Air Miles valid for 3 years
Kotak Air+ at a glance
Kotak Air+ is the travel card in Kotak Mahindra Bank's range that pay you in Air Miles instead of points or cashback. You earn 2 Air Miles per ₹100 on eligible spends and 5 on flights and hotels booked through Kotak Unbox, the bank's own travel platform. Spend the miles back on Unbox and each one is worth ₹1, and that clean rupee value is the main reason to look at it.
Three things decide whether it fits. Where you book, because the 5 miles and the ₹1 value both live on Unbox. How much you spend, since the ₹3,000 annual fee plus GST goes away only at ₹4 lakh of retail spends in a card year. And whether you travel abroad. International transactions earn nothing at all, the 2% forex markup is the only help you get there.
On the waiver, Kotak's own documents disagree. The MITC gives a annual fee waiver on ₹4 lakh of retail spends in an anniversary year, while the fee table on the card page says "Not Available". We follow the MITC. The ₹0 joining fee on the listing page is a limited-time offer, not the standard fee.
Status and recent changes
The card is active and open to new applicants. Kotak as a bank had a pause: on 24 April 2024 the RBI stopped it issuing fresh credit cards over IT deficiencies, and lifted the restriction on 12 February 2025 after remedial steps and an external audit. For Air+ itself we did not found any change notice from 2024 to 2026, though the portfolio changes of 1 June 2025 show in its fee list. Kotak also doesn't publish the card network, eligibility rules or insurance cover, and the add-on fee is printed as "NA". See the bank's full range on our Kotak Mahindra Bank credit cards page, or how travel credit cards work.
What Kotak Air+ costs you
The joining fee is ₹3,000 and the annual fee is ₹3,000, both plus GST, so each payment become ₹3,540 with 18% GST (₹3,000 plus ₹540, which is 18% of ₹3,000). The 2,500 welcome Air Miles are tied to paying the joining fee, so if you get the ₹0 joining offer, ask whether the miles still comes with it.
Reaching the ₹4 lakh waiver
Per the MITC the annual fee is waived when retail spends reach ₹4 lakh in an anniversary year. That is ₹33,333 a month (₹4,00,000 divided by 12), and rent, wallet, utility, education and transportation spends don't count. Someone using the card only for shopping and the odd dinner will mostly fall short. A household that also runs groceries, fuel and travel on it can reach there. Keep a copy of the MITC handy, since the card page still say "Not Available".
Interest, late fee and cash
Air+ sits on Kotak's lower interest tier, 3.5% a month or 42% a year, against 3.75% on most of the bank's cards. The interest-free period runs up to 51 days when the last bill was paid in full. Late fees go by slabs on the amount due: nothing up to ₹100, ₹600 between ₹1,000 and ₹5,000, and the top ₹1,300 above ₹50,000. Cash advances cost 2.5% with a ₹500 minimum, plus interest from day one, so ₹10,000 of cash costs ₹500 and not ₹250 (2.5% of ₹10,000).
Forex and the special fees
- Foreign currency markup 2%, and dynamic currency conversion also 2%. On ₹50,000 spent abroad that's ₹1,000 (2% of ₹50,000) plus ₹180 GST, with zero miles on top.
- Rent 1% plus GST on every payment. Utilities 1% above ₹75,000 a statement cycle. Fuel 1% above ₹50,000 a cycle.
- Wallet loads and online skill-based gaming: 1% each above ₹10,000 a cycle. Education through third-party apps: 1% on all of it.
- Fuel surcharge waiver of 1% on fills of ₹400 to ₹7,500, up to ₹4,500 in an anniversary year. Over-limit ₹500, card replacement ₹100. No redemption fee published.
Kotak Air+: fees and charges
| Joining fee | ₹3,000 + GST |
|---|---|
| Annual or renewal fee | ₹3,000 + GST |
| Annual fee waiver | Annual fee waived on minimum retail spends of ₹4 lakh in an anniversary year (rent, wallet, utility, education and transportation spends excluded) |
| Add-on card fee | Not published by the bank |
| GST | Charged on top of the fees and charges listed |
| In the bank’s words | MITC and KFS: joining fee ₹3,000, annual fee ₹3,000, annual fee waived on ₹4 lakh retail spends in an anniversary year. Card page: "₹ 3,000 + GST" for both, annual fee waiver "Not Available". Listing page shows "Joining Fee*: ₹0" (limited-time offer footnote). |
| Interest on unpaid balances | Up to 3.5% a month (42% a year) |
| Late payment fee | Up to ₹100: ₹0; >₹100-₹500: ₹100; >₹500-₹1,000: ₹500; >₹1,000-₹5,000: ₹600; >₹5,000-₹10,000: ₹750; >₹10,000-₹25,000: ₹900; >₹25,000-₹50,000: ₹1,100; >₹50,000: ₹1,300 (charged when no payment or less than the Minimum Amount Due is paid by the due date) |
| Cash withdrawal | 2.5% on advance amount, subject to minimum of ₹500; interest charged from the date of the transaction until payment |
| Over-limit fee | ₹500 (if over limit amount is equal to or greater than ₹500) |
| Forex markup | 2% of the amount |
| Other fees |
|
How the Air Miles add up
You get 2 Air Miles per ₹100 on eligible spends and 5 per ₹100 on flights, hotels and their add-ons booked on Kotak Unbox, which is the base 2 plus 3 incremental. Only the incremental 3 is capped, at 15,000 Air Miles per statement cycle, and the base 2 keep coming after. Hitting the cap needs ₹5 lakh of Unbox bookings in one cycle (15,000 divided by 3, times ₹100), so it's mostly theory. Miles count on whole ₹100 blocks only, a ₹1,250 bill earn on ₹1,200.
No miles come on international transactions, utility and telecom, insurance, education and government, rent, fuel, wallet loading, EMI, online gaming or cash advances. For a travel card the international exclusion is the painful one.
What a mile is worth
- Unbox flights and hotels: 1 Air Mile = ₹1, minimum 200 miles, up to 80% of a booking. On a ₹10,000 flight, 8,000 miles at most (80% of ₹10,000), the other ₹2,000 from pocket you pay.
- Partner transfers: 2:1 to Air Canada, Air France, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airlines (Kotak's spelling), United Airlines and Accor, and 3:1 to Marriott, minimum 1,000 miles. Kotak gives no rupee value for these.
- Cashback or statement credit: not available.
Miles last 3 years. Welcome: 2,500 Air Miles within 120 days of issue, once the joining fee is paid. Renewal: 2,500 more each anniversary year the annual fee is paid, so keeping the card cost a net ₹1,040 (₹3,540 minus ₹2,500) in a year you pay.
Three spenders, worked out
- Light, ₹15,000 a month: ₹2,500 Unbox travel earns 125 miles (5 per ₹100), ₹9,000 shopping and dining earns 180 (2 per ₹100), and ₹2,000 fuel plus ₹1,500 bills earn nothing. That's 305 a month (125 plus 180), 3,660 a year (305 times 12). Waiver spend is ₹1,62,000 (₹2,500 plus ₹9,000 plus ₹2,000 is ₹13,500, times 12), short of ₹4 lakh, so the fee stay. With the renewal miles: 6,160 miles (3,660 plus 2,500), ₹6,160, minus ₹3,540, net ₹2,620.
- Typical, ₹45,000 a month: ₹5,000 Unbox travel is 250 miles (5 per ₹100), ₹30,000 other spends is 600 (2 per ₹100), and ₹4,000 fuel plus ₹6,000 bills earn none. Monthly 850 (250 plus 600), yearly 10,200 (850 times 12). Shopping and fuel alone make ₹4,08,000 a year (₹30,000 plus ₹4,000 is ₹34,000, times 12), so the waiver comes even if travel isn't counted. Renewal miles need a paid fee, so we leaves them out: ₹10,200 of value for ₹0. Year one is 12,700 miles (10,200 plus 2,500 welcome) less the ₹3,540 joining fee, net ₹9,160.
- Heavy, ₹1,00,000 a month: ₹20,000 Unbox travel gives 1,000 miles, ₹60,000 other spends 1,200. ₹10,000 bills, ₹5,000 fuel and ₹5,000 spent abroad earn nothing, and the foreign part costs ₹118 (2% is ₹100, plus ₹18 GST). Month: 2,200 miles (1,000 plus 1,200); year: 26,400 (2,200 times 12), fee waived. After ₹1,416 of forex (₹118 times 12), net ₹24,984 (₹26,400 minus ₹1,416).
| Spender | Monthly spend | Air Miles a year | Annual fee | Net yearly value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | ₹15,000 | 3,660 plus 2,500 renewal | ₹3,540 paid | ₹2,620 |
| Typical | ₹45,000 | 10,200 | Waived | ₹10,200 |
| Heavy | ₹1,00,000 | 26,400 | Waived | ₹24,984 after forex |
Kotak Air+: higher-reward categories
| Category | Rate | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Flight and flight add-on, hotel and hotel add-on bookings through Kotak Unbox | 5 Air Miles per ₹100 (2 base + 3 incremental) | Incremental Air Miles capped at 15,000 per statement cycle; base 2 Air Miles per ₹100 continue after the cap, ₹15,000, statement cycle |
Kotak Air+: how rewards work
| Earned as | Air Miles |
|---|---|
| Base rate | 2 Air Miles per ₹100 on other eligible spends |
| Minimum spend rules | Miles earned on transaction amounts in integer multiples of ₹100 |
| No rewards on |
|
| Lower rewards on | None published |
| Value of a point |
|
| Redemption fee | Not published |
| Expiry | Air Miles expire 3 years from the date of accrual |
| Welcome benefits |
|
| Milestone benefits |
|
| Lounge access | Domestic: 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits per calendar year, capped at 2 per calendar quarter (primary cardholder); ₹2 validation charge International: 2 complimentary international lounge visits per calendar year via Priority Pass (primary cardholder); $1 validation charge, reversed Condition: No spend condition published; primary cardholder only |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1% waiver on fuel transactions between ₹400 and ₹7,500; maximum ₹4,500 in an anniversary year; no Air Miles on fuel |
| Insurance cover | Not published by the bank |
Applying for Kotak Air+
Kotak hasn't put any age or income rule for Air+ on the card page, so there are no published floor to check against. The RBI doesn't fix one either; each bank sets its own criteria and looks at every application separately.
Documents you will need
- Identity, age and address proof.
- Income proof or employment details, and your PAN card.
- Online: name, phone number, PAN and Aadhaar, then Video KYC.
How the application works
Online, you choose the card on Kotak's website, share the details, finish Video KYC and get a virtual card to use before the plastic comes. Offline, apply at a Kotak branch or through the bank's representatives. Video KYC is not just formality. Under the RBI's KYC rules an account opened only on Aadhaar OTP e-KYC can be a small term loan, not a revolving card.
What Kotak will look at
- Your repayment capacity: RBI's 2025 card Directions make the bank to judge your own financial means and the limits you already hold elsewhere.
- Your credit score. Experian calls above 750 on its 300 to 900 scale generally good; CRIF says above 700.
- Your consent. A card is issued only with your explicit consent and can't be reported to bureaus before activation.
A rejection must come with the specific reasons in writing. Ask for the one-page Key Fact Statement before signing, it show the 3.5% monthly rate and main fees together. Approval is the bank's call alone. For service later, our Kotak customer care page has the 24x7 number 1800 4100.
Kotak Air+: eligibility and documents
| Age (salaried) | Not published by the bank |
|---|---|
| Age (self-employed) | Not published by the bank |
| Income (salaried) | Not published by the bank |
| Income (self-employed) | Not published by the bank |
| Other conditions | Not published on the card page. |
| Documents |
|
| How to apply | Online on the Kotak website (onboarding.kotak.bank.in): choose a card, share name, phone number, PAN and Aadhaar, complete Video KYC and receive a virtual card; or apply offline at a Kotak branch or through bank representatives. Dream Different (FD-secured) applications go through the Kotak811 app or website. White and White Reserve have no online Apply button (programme/RM-linked). |
| Card customer care | 1800 4100 |
These are the bank's published conditions. Meeting them does not guarantee a card: approval and the credit limit are the bank's decision.
Who should carry Kotak Air+
The person who gains most is a domestic traveller who books flights and hotels through Kotak Unbox, runs most household spends on one card and crosses ₹4 lakh a year. That person get the fee waived, earns 5 miles per ₹100 on trips and redeems at ₹1 a mile, so everyday spends return about 2% and travel more.
Skip it if you spend mostly abroad: with no miles on international transactions, a foreign holiday on this card only adds cost, very less benefit is there even at the 2% markup. Skip it also if your big bills are rent, utilities, insurance or school fees, which earn nothing and several carry a 1% fee. And there is no cashback option at all.
The trade-offs
Air+ is a closed loop. Value is best inside Unbox, where miles cover up to 80% of a booking, and hard to judge outside because Kotak puts no rupee value on transfers. The lounges, 4 domestic and 2 international visits a year, are modest but have no published spend condition, while HDFC Regalia Gold and RBL World Safari now ask for a quarterly spend first. The 2,500 renewal miles soften the fee for those who miss the waiver. One more thing to keeping in mind: eligibility isn't published, so you know where you stand only after applying.
Pros
- Each Air Mile is worth ₹1 on Kotak Unbox flights and hotels, so the base 2 per ₹100 is a 2% return
- 5 Air Miles per ₹100 on Unbox travel, with the extra miles capped only at 15,000 a statement cycle
- 2,500 welcome Air Miles and 2,500 renewal Air Miles each year the fee is paid
- 2% forex markup, lower than the 3.5% on most Kotak cards
- Lounge visits (4 domestic, 2 international a year) with no published spend condition
- Air Miles stay valid for 3 years and can move to 7 airline partners, Accor or Marriott
Cons
- No Air Miles on international transactions, so spending abroad earns nothing
- No miles on fuel, utilities, insurance, rent, education, government payments or wallet loads
- No cashback or statement credit, and Unbox redemption covers at most 80% of a booking
- The card page lists the annual fee waiver as 'Not Available' while the MITC gives it at ₹4 lakh
- Card network, eligibility rules, insurance and the add-on fee are not published
Kotak Air+ against other travel cards
Three travel cards in a nearby fee band chase the same flyer. The table on this tab lines up the fees, lounges and forex; here is how they differs in real use.
Air+ or Axis Bank Horizon
Axis Horizon also costs ₹3,000 plus GST, with no spend-based waiver. It earns 2 EDGE Miles per ₹100 and 5 on Axis Travel EDGE and direct airline spends, and Axis values an EDGE Mile at ₹1, so the earn is alike on paper. Lounges is where Horizon pulls ahead: 8 domestic visits a quarter on Visa Signature or 6 on Mastercard World, plus 2 international a quarter. Its forex markup is 3.5%. People who book on airline sites should look at Horizon; those who reach ₹4 lakh and want the waiver, Air+.
Air+ or HDFC Regalia Gold
HDFC Regalia Gold charges ₹2,500 plus GST, waived on ₹4 lakh like Air+. It earns 5 Reward Points per ₹200 worth ₹0.50 each on flights and hotels, which is 1.25% (5 times ₹0.50 is ₹2.50 on ₹200), under Air+'s 2%. Forex is 2% on both, and Regalia Gold give up to 6 Priority Pass visits a year outside India, though its domestic lounges need ₹60,000 of spends in the previous quarter from July 2026. HDFC also wants a salaried income above ₹1.5 lakh a month.
Air+ or RBL World Safari
RBL World Safari costs ₹3,000 plus GST from the first year with no waiver, but its forex markup is 0% and it earns 5 points per ₹100 on travel even when booked abroad. RBL doesn't publish a point value. For two or more trips overseas a year, Safari's zero markup probably saves more than Air+ earns; for domestic trips on Unbox, Air+ wins.
Kotak's own White Credit Card costs the same ₹3,000 but pays through spend milestones. More options: best travel credit cards and the credit cards hub.
Kotak Air+ against similar cards
| Term | Kotak Air+ Credit Card This card | Axis Bank Horizon Credit Card | Regalia Gold Credit Card | World Safari Credit Card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | Kotak Mahindra Bank (Kotak) | Axis Bank | HDFC Bank | RBL Bank |
| Joining fee | ₹3,000 + GST | ₹3,000 + GST | ₹2,500 + GST | ₹3,000 + GST |
| Annual fee and waiver | ₹3,000 + GST. Annual fee waived on minimum retail spends of ₹4 lakh in an anniversary year (rent, wallet, utility, education and transportation spends excluded) | ₹3,000 + GST. No spend-based annual fee waiver. Nil fees for customers with a Burgundy Savings Account opened on or after 1 July 2026 (one lifetime-free Axis card per Burgundy customer, at the bank's discretion). | ₹2,500 + GST. Retail spends of ₹4 lakh within 12 billing cycles of your anniversary year waive the next year's renewal fee | ₹3,000 + GST. No spend-based waiver is listed for World Safari |
| Base reward | 2 Air Miles per ₹100 on other eligible spends | 2 EDGE Miles per INR 100 on other spends (about 2% value) | 5 Reward Points for every ₹200 spent on eligible retail spends | 2 reward points for every INR 100 on eligible domestic retail purchases |
| Best category | Flight and flight add-on, hotel and hotel add-on bookings through Kotak Unbox: 5 Air Miles per ₹100 (2 base + 3 incremental) | Axis Bank Travel EDGE portal and airline spends: about 5% value | Myntra, Nykaa, Reliance Digital, Marks & Spencer: 5X Reward Points | Travel, domestic or international: 5 reward points per INR 100 |
| Lounges | Domestic: 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits per calendar year, capped at 2 per calendar quarter (primary cardholder); ₹2 validation charge International: 2 complimentary international lounge visits per calendar year via Priority Pass (primary cardholder); $1 validation charge, reversed | Domestic: 8 complimentary visits per calendar quarter (Visa Signature) or 6 per calendar quarter (Mastercard World) International: 2 complimentary visits per calendar quarter (USD 1 authorisation, reversed) | Domestic: 3 complimentary domestic lounge visits per calendar quarter, by swiping the card International: Up to 6 visits per calendar year outside India via Priority Pass, for primary and add-on members | Domestic: 2 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per calendar quarter (primary cardmember) International: Priority Pass: 2 complimentary visits to lounges outside India per calendar year, plus 1 extra visit (LoungeKey voucher) for each calendar quarter with INR 50,000 or more spends |
| Forex markup | 2% of the amount | 3.5% of the amount | 2% of the amount | 0% (no markup) |
| Network | Not stated by the bank | Visa, Mastercard | Not stated by the bank | Mastercard, Visa |
| Published minimum income | Not published by the bank | Not stated on the card page | ₹1,50,000 a month | Not published by the bank |
| Status | Taking applications | Taking applications | Taking applications | Taking applications |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Kotak Air+ fee and can it be waived?
How much is one Kotak Air+ Air Mile worth?
Who can apply for the Kotak Air+ Credit Card?
Does Kotak Air+ give lounge access and low forex charges?
Has Kotak changed the Air+ card recently?
Is there a cap on the 5 Air Miles per ₹100 on Kotak Unbox?
Related
- Kotak Mahindra Bank Credit Cards 2026: The Lineup After the RBI Ban
- Axis Bank Horizon Credit Card Review: 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on Airlines
- HDFC Bank Regalia Gold Credit Card Review: 5 Points per ₹200 From May 2026
- RBL World Safari Credit Card Review: Zero Forex Markup, ₹3,000 Fee
- Best Travel Credit Cards in India 2026: Eight Cards Worked Out in Rupees
- Kotak mahindra bank
Sources
- Kotak Mahindra Bank: Most Important Terms & Conditions and Cardholder Agreement, Retail Cards (English); Key Fact Statement - Kotak Air+ Credit Card (version KFSA+12032026); Terms & Conditions for Kotak Air+ Credit Card; Kotak Air+ Credit Card product page; Credit Card - Apply for Credit Card Online (Kotak credit card listing page); Contact Us (Kotak Mahindra Bank customer service)
Last verified: 5 November 2026
Written by Rashmi Mandana, 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.