Finding the Best Low Fee Lounge Access Credit Card

[Jetstone]

Hi all,
I recently joined the forum and, currently, I'm looking to accquire a credit card that'll provide me access to airport lounges within and outside India.

My Requirements are:

1. The card should be midrange. I don't want super premium cards with 10K+ annual fees. My budget is max 3K+GST annual fee.
2. The card should provide access to lounges within India (both domestic and international terminals) and outside India.
3. Quaterly cap on lounge visits is OK but I need at least 4 visits per quarter.
4. The card should proivde shared access for add-on card members too. This is the reason I need 4 visits per quarter for wife and myself.

Credit cards that I currently hold:

1. ICICI HPCL Coral credit card - As far as I know this card does not provide airport lounge access.
2. HDFC Regalia First - Provides 8 complementary lounge access within India and 6 outside India per year. I'm not sure if there is quarterly capping but when shared with my wife, this should just be sufficient for our purposes but I'd like to have better numbers than this.

My Research:

1. IDFC First Wealth
   1. Provides 4 complimentary visits within and outside India for both primary and add-on card holders combined. That is, 16 visits in a year.
   2. Provides acccess to spas within India also but only in very limited airports.
   3. I was told that I'm not eligible for this card so this card is out of contention for now.
2. HDFC Diners Club Privilege
   1. Provides 12 complimentary access across lounges both within and outside India.
   2. Applicable for both primary and add-on members.
   3. My understanding is there is no quarterly cap.
   4. Rewards wise this card is not good.
3. HDFC Regalia
   1. Provides 12 complementary access within India and 6 outside India.
   2. Applicable for both primary and add-on members.
   3. My understanding is there is no quarterly cap.
   4. Rewards wise better than DC so this might be the better card overall for me.

Any thoughts, inputs and alternate card suggestions are much appreciated. Nice to be here.

 

[Jetstone]

Why did you apply for Eterna?

Magnus almost covers everything which Eterna provides

Technical reason: I applied for Eterna a couple of days before I convinced myself to apply for Magnus.

 

[Venky]

What is this 10k Coin? Can it be easily flipped/ monetized?

PS: Saw Gold/ Silver "coins and biscuits" - How much $ is lost on them in terms of market value of gold? Or none?

I usually buy lots of stuff via Amazon so I wonder if Cliq will have any benefit in similar capacity?

Search for the following keywords
-Tata Cliq 10k voucher
-Magnus Gold coin

 

[arcticsagar]

if you are from premier institute, you can get diners black as ltf.

Do you know who can I contact for this?

 

[ltf4ever]

Do you know who can I contact for this?

drop an email to grievance.redressalcc@hdfcbank.com. or visit the branch and ask them to speak to an RM. i would suggest first to send an email.

 

[csantosh15]

Do you know who can I contact for this?

Check the list here(might not be latest
though). Get confirmation with HDFC care as well thru email

HDFC LTF DCB Institutes.xlsx

onedrive.live.com

HDFC privided to me below link to apply for DCB under Alumni offer -

HDFC Bank | Diners Club

v.hdfcbank.com

 

[csantosh15]

Any leads for getting BOB Eterna as LTF card?

 

[insight]

Check the list here(might not be latest
though). Get confirmation with HDFC care as well thru email

HDFC LTF DCB Institutes.xlsx

onedrive.live.com

HDFC privided to me below link to apply for DCB under Alumni offer -

HDFC Bank | Diners Club

v.hdfcbank.com

Thanks for sharing the XLS list.

Kinda wierd to see Pune/ Nagpur/ Surat smaller town lower ranked engg colleges here as compared to some higher ranked and in demand top Bombay engg institutes missing.

 

[csantosh15]

Thanks for sharing the XLS list.

Kinda wierd to see Pune/ Nagpur/ Surat smaller town lower ranked engg colleges here as compared to some higher ranked and in demand top Bombay engg institutes missing.

I think for private institutions, they must have also considered the association of HDFCBank with such colleges. So the list might not be solely based on ranking/popularity in my opinion.
If you see even many of the NIT's are missing. List might also have got updated now, so it's better to send a mail to HDFC and confirm.

 

[insight]

I think for private institutions, they must have also considered the association of HDFCBank with such colleges. So the list might not be solely based on ranking/popularity in my opinion.
If you see even many of the NIT's are missing. List might also have got updated now, so it's better to send a mail to HDFC and confirm.

Is there a contact email address to do so?

 

[csantosh15]

Is there a contact email address to do so?

PriorityRedressal.CreditCards@hdfcbank.com ,
Grievance.Redressalcc@hdfcbank.com

 

[arcticsagar]

drop an email to grievance.redressalcc@hdfcbank.com. or visit the branch and ask them to speak to an RM. i would suggest first to send an email.

Do you have direct contact number for the concerned team by any chance? Correspondence on the above mentioned email is just moving in circles, leading to nothing despite having degrees from two institutes in the list and having a banking relationship with HDFC for over ten years.

 

[ltf4ever]

Do you have direct contact number for the concerned team by any chance? Correspondence on the above mentioned email is just moving in circles, leading to nothing despite having degrees from two institutes in the list and having a banking relationship with HDFC for over ten years.

unfortunately no, this email id has resolved almost all of my issues till now and has been the final authority.

 

[arcticsagar]

unfortunately no, this email id has resolved almost all of my issues till now and has been the final authority.

Got ltf approved finally. Thanks!

 

[kochiro]

Why not get debit card with lounge ?

 

[insight]

PriorityRedressal.CreditCards@hdfcbank.com ,
Grievance.Redressalcc@hdfcbank.com

Just wrote to them.

Please share updated list of Premier Institutes for which students you offer Life Time Free Credit Card offers.

And how should we apply for them once we find ourselves qualified in that list.

Please advise.

Thanks,

XXX

Would that get it or phrase it differently?

Do you have direct contact number for the concerned team by any chance? Correspondence on the above mentioned email is just moving in circles, leading to nothing despite having degrees from two institutes in the list and having a banking relationship with HDFC for over ten years.

Got ltf approved finally. Thanks!

What was done differently this time to make this happen?

Do share details & context. Thanks.