In-depth guides to Indian credit cards, airline miles and hotel points: how to earn them, where they’re worth the most, and what to avoid.
Earning ₹30,000–50,000 a month? The 3 basic cards worth having, how to stack gift card discounts (Amazon Pay, CRED, Gyftr) with card rewards, and the premium cards you can get via an FD or bank relationship.
📅 Updated as of 4 Oct 2026. Award prices are live app searches for January 2027 nights. Rupee values use AED ₹26.24, MYR ₹23.58, EUR ₹108.11, VND ₹0.00372 and USD ₹96.34 (DealUni FX sheet, 4 Oct 2026). What changed (4 Oct 2026, second update): hotel count updated (about 9,200; 8,400 bookable on points); the status match is…
📅 Updated as of 8 Oct 2026. Award prices are live examples for a November 2026 night; rupee values use USD at ₹96.34 and MYR at ₹23.58 (DealUni FX sheet, 3 Oct 2026). What changed (4 Oct 2026, second update): Diamond Reserve gets one confirmable upgrade (not two) plus Premium Club access; added the 30,000-point bonus at…
📅 Updated as of 4 Oct 2026. Rupee values use EUR at ₹108.11 (DealUni FX sheet, 3 Oct 2026). Transfer ratios are as of the Axis changes of 23 Sep 2026. What changed (4 Oct 2026, second update): Platinum breakfast is Asia-Pacific only (weekend breakfast worldwide is Diamond); points expiry resets only when you earn; redemption minimum…
📅 Updated as of 4 Oct 2026. Award prices are live examples checked on 4 Oct 2026 for a November night; Marriott prices change daily. What changed (4 Oct 2026, second update): Amex India has paused new card applications; added HSBC Platinum, Regalia Gold and Kotak transfer rates; hotel count updated to 10,000+ (about 230 in India);…
📅 Updated as of 4 Oct 2026. Ratios are from each programme’s partner terms; values use DealUni’s point values (checked 26 Sep 2026). Got 8,000 Emirates miles from one Dubai trip, or a pile of IndiGo BluChips that won’t buy a full ticket? Some airlines let you turn those miles into hotel points. It sounds like…
📅 Updated as of 4 Oct 2026. Ratios are from each programme’s conversion page; values use DealUni’s point values (checked 26 Sep 2026). Almost every hotel programme lets you turn points into airline miles. Most of the time, that’s like exchanging rupees at an airport forex counter: it works, and you lose a lot in the…
Axis cards no longer earn points on gift cards, but CRED has raised its gift card discounts: up to 21% on PVR, 13% on Starbucks and 10% on Uber. Which CRED gift cards are worth buying in 2026, and which aren’t.
The best business and first class award redemptions for Indian points collectors in 2026: Qatar, Singapore Airlines, Air India, Aeroplan and Iberia, with points needed and which Indian cards transfer.
We just received the PNB Luxura RuPay metal credit card. ₹9,000 joining fee, 40,000-point welcome bonus, zero forex, unlimited lounges and 1% on bills other cards ignore. How it compares with the IndusInd Avios card, and whether you should activate it.