Devaluation SBI Vistara Prime benefits and charges withdrawn if renewal date post April 1st 2025

[Ayushpaul7]

As expected, SBI has withdrawn the benefits for Vistara Cards for all card with renewal date post April 1st,2025.

 

[bonheur]

I have lots of questions:
1. Not clear if this renewal fee waiver applies forever, effectively making this card LTF. But I don’t think they will continue offering the lounge access for too long afterwards if they do this.
2. A previous communication from Club Vistara said the cards will be discontinued after March 2026, not sure if that still holds.
3. Assuming 2 happens, banks usually offer a replacement product while discontinuing a card. If 1 doesn’t happen, I hope they offer some exchange offer to another product after March 2026.

 

[bonheur]

I have lots of questions:
1. Not clear if this renewal fee waiver applies forever, effectively making this card LTF. But I don’t think they will continue offering the lounge access for too long afterwards if they do this.
2. A previous communication from Club Vistara said the cards will be discontinued after March 2026, not sure if that still holds.
3. Assuming 2 happens, banks usually offer a replacement product while discontinuing a card. If 1 doesn’t happen, I hope they offer some exchange offer to another product after March 2026.

Per this Reddit post, IDFC also announced an update today but unlike SBI they have clarified that they will be taking the option 2 route and simply closing the card after March 2026.

 

[Ayushpaul7]

I have lots of questions:
1. Not clear if this renewal fee waiver applies forever, effectively making this card LTF. But I don’t think they will continue offering the lounge access for too long afterwards if they do this.
2. A previous communication from Club Vistara said the cards will be discontinued after March 2026, not sure if that still holds.
3. Assuming 2 happens, banks usually offer a replacement product while discontinuing a card. If 1 doesn’t happen, I hope they offer some exchange offer to another product after March 2026.

Yes it's almost inevitable they will close all the Vistara card after March 2026. Hence the LTF will stand for 1 year only.

One thing to support this argument is my Vistara Silver Membership was extended directly till 2026.

I guess new Air India Cards are in the pipeline since these cards were popular across the mid range genre. But they can always take time as they already have an Air India Card , which i think will be either closed or re evaluation will be needed there too.

 

[bonheur]

Vistara Silver Membership was extended directly till 2026

Not in my case, my Maharaja Silver ends with my current card’s expiration. Which actually gives me even more hope, given they didn’t mention anything about the Silver status in today’s mail!

either closed or re evaluation will be needed there too

In fact they slightly devalued Air India today - https://www.technofino.in/community/threads/sbi-air-india-cards-accelerated-rewards-devalued.38463/