Before diving into the details, here’s what you need to know: I’ve developed a system that gets me 6-7 free domestic flights and luxury hotel stays worth ₹40,000 annually, all by strategically using just two credit cards and some smart spending habits. This strategy requires spending about ₹9 lakhs annually (which many families do anyway) and paying just ₹6,500 in annual fees.
Hey there, money-savvy friends! Welcome back to my site. If you’re anything like me, you love traveling but hate what it does to your bank account. Right?
Let’s be honest – the two biggest expenses when planning any vacation are flights and accommodations. You find a great destination, get excited, and then boom – reality hits when you see those flight prices and hotel rates. Suddenly your dream vacation starts looking more like a financial nightmare.
But what if I told you that I haven’t paid full price for a domestic flight or luxury hotel stay in years? No, I’m not breaking any laws or doing anything shady. I’m just being smart about which credit cards I use and how I use them.
I’m going to share my exact system using just two credit cards that literally funds my family vacations every year. This isn’t one of those “sign up for 20 credit cards” schemes. It’s simple, sustainable, and incredibly effective.
The first card in my arsenal is the SBI Club Vistara Credit Card. Yes, it has an annual fee of ₹1,499, but hear me out before you click away
When you spend ₹5 lakhs in a year on this card (which many families easily do on regular expenses), you can earn up to 5 free Air India domestic flight tickets! You just pay the taxes, which are around ₹700 per ticket. Compare that to the full ticket price of approximately ₹8,000, and you’re saving ₹7,300 per ticket
But that’s not all! You also get:
Now, the good news is that Tata group and SBI have decided to keep the benefits same. So only my flight changed from Vistara to Air India. Rest everything is same.
The second card I swear by is the Amex Platinum Travel Card. It has a slightly higher annual fee of ₹5,000, but the benefits are absolutely worth it
When you spend ₹4 lakhs on this card annually, you get:
15,000 bonus Membership Rewards points when you spend ₹1.9 lakhs
An additional 25,000 bonus points when you reach ₹4 lakhs in spending
I convert these points to hotel vouchers worth approximately ₹20,000. At 50 paise per point value, those 40,000 points are extremely valuable for luxury stays
Quick side note: Look at me pretending I’m not excited about free airport lounge access with both these cards. Fancy coffee and snacks before flights? Yes, please!
Let’s break down the value proposition:
That’s a return of about 1,400% on your annual fee investment. Show me another investment with that kind of return!
One clever trick I use is concentrating my everyday spending within the Tata ecosystem. I use:
This way, I earn Tata Neu Coins on every purchase. Remember: 1 NeuCoin = 1 Rupee in value
These points add up quickly when you’re spending ₹9 lakhs annually, and I typically earn enough for another free night at a Taj hotel.
Here’s a hack not many people know about. Amex isn’t accepted everywhere, right? Frustrating! But there’s a workaround:
When shopping at stores that don’t accept Amex, I quickly purchase a digital voucher for that store through the Amex Rewards Multiplier portal. Then I simply show the voucher code to the cashier. This accomplishes three things:
It’s like getting paid to shop at places that don’t even accept your card!
I’ve linked my Amazon account and Uber to these cards for automatic payments. For services that don’t allow direct linking, I purchase vouchers through the rewards portal. This ensures every rupee I spend is working toward my free travel goals.
Let me paint a picture of what this means in real life. Last year, my family of four flew to Goa for a long weekend. The flights would have cost us around ₹32,000, but we paid just ₹2,800 in taxes. We stayed at a Taj property for three nights using our vouchers – a stay that would have normally cost ₹45,000.
Total savings for one weekend trip: ₹74,200!
“Isn’t it complicated to keep track of all this?”
Not really! I spend maybe 15 minutes a month ensuring I’m routing expenses to the right card.
“What if I don’t spend ₹9 lakhs annually?”
The strategy still works at lower spending levels – you’ll just accumulate rewards more slowly. Even spending half that amount will get you significant benefits.
“Are these cards worth the annual fee?”
If you use the benefits, absolutely! Just one redeemed flight ticket more than covers the SBI card fee, and one night at a Taj hotel easily covers the Amex fee.
Travel doesn’t have to destroy your budget. With strategic credit card usage and smart spending habits, you can enjoy significant savings on flights and luxury accommodations.
Remember, this isn’t about spending more money – it’s about getting more value from the money you’re already spending. By channeling your existing expenses through the right cards and using these hacks, you can turn everyday purchases into extraordinary travel experiences.
If you found this useful, hit that like button and subscribe for more money-saving strategies. Also, drop a comment below and let me know which hack you’re most excited to try!
Until next time, happy travels and even happier savings!
Sharing curated accommodation recommendations for following cities in God's own country Kerala. We will cover…
Sharing recommendations for following cities of West India - Ekta Nagar (Statue of Unity Gujarat),…
Sharing recommendations for following cities of Maharashtra - Lonavala, Mahabaleshwar / Panchgani, Mumbai & nearby…
Sharing recommendations for following cities of North India - 1) Leh (Ladakh) 2) Rishikesh (Uttarakhand)
Sharing recommendations for following cities of ThailandBangkokKoh-SamuiPattayaPhuket Bangkok Name - Bangkok City Suite Location -…