American ExpressAmerican Express
Platinum Travel
Net savings₹27,312/yr
Savings rate5.8%
Annual feeYou pay ₹5,900
Lounge✈8 dom
✓ Base rate 1% on other spends earns you about ₹3,852 a year on ₹3,85,200 of spend.
Best for · Travel · updated 2026-09-19
Best credit cards for booking flights
Every card scored in rupees for this use, not a hand-picked list. Numbers assume the profile stated below – set up yours to re-rank for your spend.
Best credit card for flight bookings (Sept 2026): American Express Platinum Travel – about 1.0% back on ₹15,000/month of flight bookings, ₹27,312 net a year after fee. Runners-up: EaseMyTrip Standard Chartered and HSBC Live+. Ranked for ₹15,000 a month on flights, part of it on MakeMyTrip and IndiGo.
Standard profile
Scored for Flight bookings profile · ₹45k/monthBills paid in full · first-year offers shown separately · set up your profile to score cards for your own spend
Top 3 for flight bookings
Standard Chartered× EaseMyTripVisa
EaseMyTrip Standard Chartered
Net savings₹21,726/yr
Savings rate4.6%
Annual feeWaived ₹413
Lounge✈4 dom
✓ 10% off EaseMyTrip flights (cap ₹5,000) earns you about ₹18,000 a year on ₹1,80,000 of…
HSBCVisa
HSBC Live+
Net savings₹18,378/yr
Savings rate3.9%
Annual feeWaived ₹1,179
Lounge✈2 dom🌏1 intl
✓ 10% on dining, food delivery, groceries, shopping & utilities earns you about ₹14,400 a…
All 119 cards ranked for flight bookings
| # | Card | Score | Net savings / yr | On flight bookings / yr | Annual fee | Lounge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Platinum TravelAmerican Express | 90/100 | ₹27,312 5.8% rate | ₹1,800 1.0% back | You pay ₹5,900 | 8 domestic/yr |
| 2 | EaseMyTrip Standard CharteredStandard Chartered | 76/100 | ₹21,726 4.6% rate | ₹18,000 10.0% back | Waived | 4 domestic/yr |
| 3 | HSBC Live+HSBC | 72/100 | ₹18,378 3.9% rate | ₹2,700 1.5% back | Waived | 2 domestic + 1 international/yr |
| 4 |  Emeralde Private MetalICICI Bank | 64/100 | ₹13,308 2.8% rate | ₹4,590 2.5% back | You pay ₹14,749 | unlimited domestic + unlimited international/yr |
| 5 |  CASHBACK SBI CardSBI Card | 61/100 | ₹15,156 3.2% rate | ₹9,000 5.0% back | Waived | No lounge access |
| 6 |  MillenniaHDFC Bank | 59/100 | ₹8,292 1.8% rate | ₹1,800 1.0% back | Waived | 8 domestic/yr |
| 7 |  BOBCARD ETERNABank of Baroda | 58/100 | ₹12,033 2.6% rate | ₹6,750 3.7% back | Waived | 4 domestic/yr |
| 8 |  Myntra KotakKotak Mahindra Bank | 57/100 | ₹8,775 1.9% rate | ₹2,250 1.3% back | Waived | 4 domestic/yr |
| 9 |  ACEAxis Bank × Google Pay | 57/100 | ₹8,664 1.8% rate | ₹3,600 2.0% back | Waived | 4 domestic/yr |
| 10 |  Membership Rewards (MRCC)American Express | 56/100 | ₹16,212 3.5% rate | ₹1,800 1.0% back | Waived | No lounge access |
| 11 |  IndiGo Ka-ching 6E Rewards XLKotak Mahindra Bank | 55/100 | ₹8,994 1.9% rate | ₹4,950 2.8% back | Waived | 8 domestic/yr |
| 12 |  Infinia MetalHDFC Bank | 55/100 | ₹8,495 1.8% rate | ₹5,094 2.8% back | You pay ₹14,750 | unlimited domestic + unlimited international/yr |
| 13 |  AtlasAxis Bank | 54/100 | ₹12,564 2.7% rate | ₹9,000 5.0% back | You pay ₹5,900 | 8 domestic + 4 international/yr |
| 14 |  BOBCARD TIARABank of Baroda | 54/100 | ₹9,873 2.1% rate | ₹6,750 3.7% back | Waived | 4 domestic/yr |
| 15 |  MarqueeYes Bank | 54/100 | ₹9,284 2.0% rate | ₹8,100 4.5% back | You pay ₹5,899 | unlimited domestic + 6 international/yr |
| 16 |  Tata Neu Infinity HDFC BankHDFC Bank | 54/100 | ₹7,974 1.5% rate | ₹2,700 1.5% back | Waived | 8 domestic + 4 international/yr |
| 17 |  UltimateStandard Chartered | 54/100 | ₹7,652 1.6% rate | ₹5,940 3.3% back | You pay ₹5,900 | unlimited domestic/yr |
| 18 |  Zen SignatureKotak Mahindra Bank | 53/100 | ₹7,044 1.5% rate | ₹3,006 1.7% back | Waived | 8 domestic/yr |
| 19 |  PrivilegeAxis Bank | 53/100 | ₹6,712 1.4% rate | ₹1,800 1.0% back | Waived | 8 domestic/yr |
| 20 |  Scapia Federal BankFederal Bank | 51/100 | ₹11,544 2.5% rate | ₹7,200 4.0% back | Free for life | unlimited domestic/yr |
| 21 |  RegaliaHDFC Bank | 51/100 | ₹6,122 1.3% rate | ₹2,394 1.3% back | Waived | 12 domestic + 6 international/yr |
| 22 |  Diners Club PrivilegeHDFC Bank | 51/100 | ₹6,122 1.3% rate | ₹2,394 1.3% back | Waived | 8 domestic/yr |
| 23 |  Regalia GoldHDFC Bank | 51/100 | ₹6,122 1.3% rate | ₹2,394 1.3% back | Waived | 12 domestic + 6 international/yr |
| 24 |  Paisabazaar PaisaSaveYes Bank | 50/100 | ₹11,358 2.1% rate | ₹5,400 3.0% back | Waived | No lounge access |
| 25 |  FIRST Power+IDFC FIRST Bank × HPCL | 50/100 | ₹9,078 1.7% rate | ₹1,350 0.8% back | Waived | 4 domestic/yr |
Showing the top 25 of 119. Browse every card →
Ranked by the open CardLens engine: rewards at realistic redemption value + milestones + waivers − fee incl. 18% GST − forex, for the spend profile stated above. Profile: for ₹15,000 a month on flights, part of it on MakeMyTrip and IndiGo. Figures are estimates from public issuer terms – verify on the issuer page before applying. How the score works →
Related
Frequently asked questions
Which credit card is best for flight bookings in India in Sept 2026?
American Express Platinum Travel ranks first for flight bookings on CardLens: about 1.0% back on ₹15,000/month of flight bookings, ₹27,312 net a year after fee. EaseMyTrip Standard Chartered is second. The ranking is for a stated spend profile and changes with yours.
How does CardLens rank cards for flight bookings?
We take the standard Indian cardholder profile, change it to reflect this use (for ₹15,000 a month on flights, part of it on MakeMyTrip and IndiGo), and score every card with the same open engine used everywhere on the site: rewards at realistic point value + milestones + waivers − renewal fee incl. 18% GST − forex markup, then a 0–100 score that also counts usable lounge access, redemption flexibility, lifestyle fit, simplicity and fee safety. Nothing is hand-picked and no issuer pays for placement.
Will my own answer be different?
Probably. Caps, fee-waiver thresholds and milestones all depend on how much you spend and where. Set up your profile in Find My Card and every page on CardLens re-scores for you.