Summer travel hack: How to use your credit card to save big

Published 24 June 2026 · india

Aligning travelling preferences and plans with the right credit card ensures that the benefits align with your actual spending. (AI image) Evaluate Core Benefits on

Aligning travelling preferences and plans with the right credit card ensures that the benefits align with your actual spending. (AI image) Evaluate Core Benefits on a Travel Credit Card Reward Earning Rate Credit card for travel: 4 things to check Redemption Value Transfer Partners Terms and Conditions Understand Your Travel Preferences Before Choosing a Card One fee can increase travel cost Look Beyond Rewards, Consider Travel Perks that Matter Save on International Travel with Zero Forex Mark-up Cards Use Wisely, Maximize Value from Your Travel Credit Card Understand various layers (The author, Santosh Agarwal is the CEO of Paisabazaar) Summer is peak travel season with high demand leading to higher costs, and travellers actively looking for smart ways to save on flight and hotel bookings. While travel deals, seasonal discounts and booking offers can help reduce costs to an extent, the right credit cards can go a long way in maximizing savings on travel spends. From free flight tickets and hotel stays to lounge access and accelerated rewards on travel bookings, smart planning and the right credit card can significantly reduce overall travel expenses when used smartly.When selecting a travel credit card, you should focus on the overall value proposition instead of the headline benefits. Ideally, core benefits on travel-centric cards should be evaluated across four major parameters - reward earning rate, redemption value, transfer partners and associated terms and conditions.The key thing to know is how many points or miles you will earn through your spending across different categories. While most credit cards offer a decent base reward rate, the real value often comes from accelerated earning on travel and other bonus categories.Airline or portal co-branded cards typically offer higher earnings on their associated platforms.

Many premium and super-premium cards provide significantly higher returns on travel bookings made through their own reward marketplaces.Moreover, several cards offer bonus rewards or travel vouchers on reaching spending milestones which can again help high-spending travellers maximize returns from their cards.Hence, travellers should carefully evaluate where and how they intend to use the card to maximize earnings.Some cards may offer higher reward earning rate leading to quicker point accumulation but if the redemption value is low, effective returns will not be good. Hence, checking the redemption value is equally important. Travellers must assess the value that each point delivers when redeeming them against flights, hotels or other travel benefits.The utility of a travel card for you depends on its list of transfer partners. A card may offer excellent value-back on travel but if the partner airlines or hotels do not align with your travel preferences, the benefits may remain underutilized. Hence, always check the transfer partners and the point-to-mile conversion ratio for your preferred partner before selecting a card.While the above three core parameters are the most important, each may come with associated terms and conditions, directly affecting the actual savings. Most cards cap total reward earnings in the accelerated categories, which could be a key factor for high-spenders looking to maximize value. Some cards also put restrictions on the points that you can redeem. Similarly, some cards may have slightly complex redemption structures.A credit card that works well for a frequent international traveller may not necessarily be the best fit for someone who takes domestic vacations. So, instead of applying for the most popular travel card in the market, you should first evaluate your travel preferences and choose a card that can provide the highest value.For instance, travellers who prefer flying with a particular carrier may benefit more from airline co-branded credit cards.