SBI Card and Etihad Guest launch premium Visa credit card for international travel

The card, which will be available in two variants, Etihad Guest SBI Card and Etihad Guest SBI Premier Card, will offer more rewarding experiences and bring an unmatched value proposition to Etihad Guest members and international travellers from India.

    First international co-brand partnership of SBI Card offering exclusive benefits up to six Etihad Guest Miles per INR 100 and Etihad Guest Tier Status upon first card swipe

    Extensive global reach through Etihad Airways’ network to over 100 destinations worldwide; provides benefits on 100+ Etihad Guest partners including leading hotels and partner airlines

    Launched against backdrop of rising international travel by Indians; spends in Middle East by SBI Card customers have risen by CAGR of 66% from FY14 to FY 18, indicating the popularity of the destination among Indian travellers

The card has been launched against the backdrop of increasing international travel in the country; the Indian traveller is looking for unique experiences with an increasing demand for premium brands and products in India, and the world over. Aviation passenger traffic in India has grown 12.7% annually for the past five years and IATA forecasts project India to become the third largest aviation market by FY25. Travel is a key spend category for Indian consumers, with 33% of overall card spends in the SBI Card portfolio made within the travel industry.

The new co-brand cards offer an accelerated rewards programme which allows guests to earn up to six Etihad Guest Miles per INR 100 spent on Etihad.com. Cardholders also earn up to four Etihad Guest Miles on every INR 100 of international spends and up to two Etihad Guest Miles on every INR 100 of domestic spends. In addition, guests earn two Tier Miles per INR 100 spent on all transactions. Etihad Guest Miles can be redeemed to travel to destinations worldwide with Etihad Airways and over 20 partner airlines. Members can also choose to use their Etihad Guest Miles to stay at over 300,000 hotels worldwide rent the best of car hire brands with Travel Rewards or purchase thousands of products at the Etihad Guest Reward Shop.

Additional benefits include additional excess baggage allowance of 10kgs and 15kgs respectively and priority boarding, 3-10% discount on direct Etihad Airways bookings as well as the new Guest +1 voucher, allowing cardholders to take a companion along with them on a reward flight in any cabin or destination.

Etihad Airways vice president commercial partnerships, Yasser Al Yousuf, said: “India is a key strategic market for Etihad Airways and we are delighted to launch our first India-specific credit card for our members with one of the country’s most revered institutions, SBI Card. This card enables members to earn Etihad Guest Miles every time they spend, empowering them to make choices about how they collect and spend their miles. With increased travel from our guests to USA, we believe this card also strengthens our existing travel benefits including US pre-clearance.”