BOBCARD x Etihad Credit Cards Review: Benefits and Value

BOBCARD has introduced two co-branded credit cards in partnership with Etihad Airways, the Etihad Guest and the Etihad Guest Premium, targeting frequent flyers and business travelers. These products replace previous co-branded Etihad credit cards that were offered through SBI Card and have since been discontinued.

The cards are designed to integrate users into the Etihad Guest ecosystem, allowing cardholders to accumulate miles on both airline-specific and general domestic and cross-border expenditures.

BOBCARD Etihad Guest Premium Specifications

The BOBCARD Etihad Guest Premium Credit Card carries a joining fee and an annual fee of ₹5,000 plus GST. The card provides a rewards rate of 6 Miles per ₹100 spent on Etihad Airways and 2 Miles per ₹100 on all other domestic and cross-border transactions.

For international spending, the Premium card features a 0% forex mark-up. The card also includes a welcome bonus of 5,000 Etihad Guest Miles. A limited-time offer provides an additional 5,000 bonus miles if the cardholder spends ₹25,000 within 60 days of availing the card.

The Premium card offers specific tier status benefits. Cardholders receive Silver Tier status upon their first transaction and can upgrade to Gold Tier status after completing an Etihad transaction within six months.

Travel privileges for the Premium card include 12 complimentary domestic lounge visits per year, capped at three per quarter, and eight international lounge visits.

BOBCARD Etihad Guest Standard Specifications

The standard BOBCARD Etihad Guest Credit Card offers a lower rewards rate of 3 Miles per ₹100 on Etihad Airways and 1 Mile per ₹100 on other domestic and cross-border spends. This card carries a 1% forex mark-up on international transactions.

The welcome bonus structure for the standard card totals 7,500 extra Etihad Guest Bonus Miles. What we have is split into 5,000 joining miles, contingent on the payment of the joining fee and spending ₹25,000 within the first 60 days, and 2,500 spend-based miles granted upon reaching cumulative spends of ₹50,000.

The standard card includes a tiered bonus mile system based on spending milestones:

• Monthly bonus: 250 Miles for any four transactions totaling ₹25,000, valid once per month.
• Quarterly bonus: 2,000 Miles on quarterly spends of ₹2,00,000, valid once per quarter.
• Annual bonus: 12,000 annual miles.

Lounge access for the standard card is limited to eight domestic visits per year, at a rate of two per quarter, and four international lounge visits per year, at a rate of one per quarter.

Comparison of Travel and Reward Benefits

The primary distinctions between the two cards lie in the cost of international transactions and the acceleration of mile accumulation. The Premium card eliminates the forex mark-up entirely, whereas the standard card charges 1%.

Mile accumulation is significantly higher on the Premium variant, offering double the miles on Etihad Airways spends (6 Miles vs 3 Miles) and double the miles on general spends (2 Miles vs 1 Mile) compared to the standard version.

Lounge access is also scaled by card tier, with the Premium card offering 50% more domestic visits and 100% more international visits than the standard card.

Both cards are marketed toward global citizens who see travel as a lifestyle, not an occasion, specifically catering to those who frequently travel to the Middle East and the UAE, where Etihad Airways maintains a significant presence.

The integration with Google Pay is available for the Etihad Guest cards on Android devices, allowing users to earn travel rewards through everyday QR scans.