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Normally you become eligible for a specific number of trips with lounge access in two ways. Either you earn elite status by accumulating enough tour credits or choose to pay an annual fee to enjoy similar facilities.
Recently, many airline companies are looking to devise ways of reducing the crowd in airport lounges. The main idea is to ensure a premium experience for the clientele who have previously reported instances of congestion. Under these circumstances, you should know the methods of guaranteeing credit card lounge access to ensure a comfortable travel experience.
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Why Airport Lounge Access is About to Get Limited for Fliers?
Airline companies have tried and tested several methods in the past to make the lounges more accessible. These efforts have received praise from the air passengers now and then as they felt receiving optimal value for money.
Also tightening the policies has helped the airline brands check some issues arising from the a la carte pricing of services. Let us understand this with a practical example.
Often you will witness passengers who are paying for economy class tickets easily manage their way into a specific airport’s lounge. They do so either by signing up for a membership or simply bagging day passes.
On the other hand, airline companies include facilities like complimentary refreshments, fast WiFi, modern shower arrangements, etc. while fixing the premium class costs. Moreover, there happen to be some last-minute premium class upgrade options at remarkably low costs, especially for those who possess an airline-specific credit card.
Such events lead to overcrowding, which adversely impacts the experience of fliers who have paid a high price to get these facilities. Hence the regulations set for various lounge access credit cards are now going through change to improve the traveller’s experience.
What are the Benefits of Owning an Airline Specific Credit Card?
When you pay for a credit card providing airport lounge privileges, you get many perks for limited instances in selected international and domestic airports. Besides banks, many NBFCs also offer custom credit cards that offer various benefits.
Let us assume you use the ICICI credit card. Then depending on the card type, you are entitled to the following benefits:
- ICICI Bank Rubyx Credit Card users get 2 complimentary domestic airport lounge access in each quarter
- ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card users are eligible for 2 complimentary annual airport lounge access and 4 quarterly lounge privileges for domestic trips.
- In addition, irrespective of the ICICI credit card type, you get many vouchers for shopping, dining, and future tours if you keep using their credit cards.
How to Apply for an ICICI Bank Credit Card?
To ensure credit card lounge access you may choose any of ICICI Bank’s cards based on your needs. Here we have described the application process in brief:
Step 1: Visit the official website of ICICI Bank and navigate to the ‘Cards’ tab.
Step 2: Check your eligibility by comparing the requirements mentioned below each category of credit card.
Step 3: Compare the perks offered by various credit cards.
Step 4: Select the one that you expect will suit best with your lifestyle needs.
Step 5: Proceed to the formalities by clicking on ‘Apply Now’.
What are the Eligibility Criteria to Possess an ICICI Bank Credit Card?
Though the eligibility criteria are bound to change based on the credit card variant, there are some general guidelines. These include:
- If you are a salaried applicant then you cannot apply for a credit card if you are already 58 years old. However, this upper age limit has been set as 65 years for self-employed people. Also, in both cases, you need to be above 21 years of age while applying.
- ICICI Bank approves credit card requests of only those who live within Indian territories. Those living outside India may continue to enjoy the benefits if they had already activated a credit card previously while staying in the country.
- To get an ICICI Bank credit card your income needs to be more than Rs. 2.5 Lakhs per annum. If you are a non-salaried individual you need to provide accurate bank statements and IT returns proof to get your request sanctioned.
- Finally, to avail of the lounge facilities seamlessly via credit card, you must maintain a healthy credit report. For instance, if you apply for a credit card, your application may get rejected if officials discover poor repayment records while reviewing your credit history.
What Charges do You Have to Bear Annually for an ICICI Credit Card?
Depending on the card you select, the annual fee is bound to vary. Here, we have listed some of the charges applicable to all ICICI Bank credit cards.
- Joining Fee: This varies from card to card
- Cash Payment Fee: Rs. 100 regardless of the card type
- Finance Charges: Again, this depends on your preferred credit card
Besides these charges, you need to pay late payment fees that can go up to Rs. 1,200 depending on the borrowed amount.
Passengers look forward to using the airport lounge to relax before, after, or in the middle of a tiresome journey. Therefore, credit card lounge access proves to be useful in fulfilling their needs. Moreover, these credit cards also come with a host of added benefits. Before deciding to get one, check the terms and conditions and select the product which will best serve your tour goals.
