SBI Indigo co-branded credit cards: Would you get them?

I was traveling yesterday to Delhi and had an IndiGo flight. A news pop-up distracted me from my airport read, which got me thinking about how this would affect my experience if I sign up for these credit cards. 

With recent DreamFolks issues that led to lounge access problems nationwide, why not use this time while I wait for boarding to evaluate how you (and I) can benefit from the new Indigo co-branded credit cards offered by SBI? 

Quick Facts about These IndiGo SBI Co-branded Cards

Both are available on Mastercard and RuPay, with joining/renewal fees plus GST. They're designed for domestic-heavy travelers, but the ELITE adds international flair. Here's the lowdown:

• IndiGo SBI Card: ₹1,499 + GST: Good price point for casual flyers. 
• IndiGo SBI Card ELITE: ₹4,999 + GST. Premium pick for high-ticket spenders.

Welcome Perks

These cards greet you with goodies tied to IndiGo perks, which might be "actually useful" unlike generic vouchers.

• IndiGo SBI ELITE Card: 5,000 BluChips + one 6E Eats voucher yearly, plus 4 6E Prime Passes if you spend ₹1 lakh in 90 days. 
• IndiGo SBI Card: 2,500 BluChips on joining and renewal. 

These welcome boosters can be used for complimentary add-ons, such as priority check-in, which can be especially handy during the crowded festival rush.

Rewards on Credit Card Spends via this Card

This is where these cards can be useful. You can earn reward as follows: 

• IndiGo SBI Card ELITE:
• IndiGo SBI Card:

I still need to check the exact merchant category codes (MCC) for exclusions/limits on fuel, utility payments, and insurance premiums and see if these can trip you up when using this card as a primary card. 

Milestone Benefits: Extra Reward Points for High Spenders

These cards reward consistent spends and they can be good for professionals with work trips.

• IndiGo SBI Card ELITE: Up to 24,000 BluChips total at ₹12 lakh spends, as per the following tiers. 
• IndiGo SBI Card: Up to 7,500 BluChips total at ₹6 lakh spends. 

Surcharge Waivers on Fuel Spends

Both cards waive a 1% fuel surcharge on transactions of ₹500-₹4,000, capped at ₹400/month for ELITE and ₹200/month for basic. It’s too little for anyone doing regular fuel spends, but I felt like mentioning it here. 

Lounge Access on these SBI Credit Cards

As Dreamfolks switched off lights, lounge access benefits become a hot topic everyone on forums. These travel cards might have kept this in mind as they have decent lounge access limits: 

• IndiGo SBI Card ELITE: 8 domestic (2/quarter on ₹1 lakh spend) + 6 international (2/quarter). 
• IndiGo SBI Card: 4 domestic (1/quarter on ₹50,000 spend). 

Wrapping Up: Do These Cards Work?

Considering 8 blue chip points loosely translates to ₹100, these can be useful if you are a frequent flyer. Some reddit posts mention that it costs minimum 6500-7500 Bluechip for a domestic flight ticket (minimum). 

These could change affordable flying for IndiGo users, but if you travel less, compare with peers like ICICI Amazon Pay that pay in direct 5% cashback for online spends via Amazon. 

So, just calculate your regular spends and see if you can book a free flight when you use this card.