Axis Bank seems to be on a roll and has been turning things around in the credit card segment. After the recent changes on the Magnus card and the current LTF offer on entry-level cards, we now have a new launch. Axis Bank has come up with Atlas – a new travel credit card. This card is for travelers who prefer miles as rewards. Axis Bank Atlas might just be the right replacement for Citibank Premier Miles with the rumors of Axis buying out the Citi India business. Here is a review of the Axis Bank Atlas credit card and its rewards/benefits.
Axis Atlas Fees and Charges
| Joining/Annual Fee | Rs 5000 plus taxes |
| Welcome Benefit | 5000 miles on 3 transactions within 60 days from card issuance |
| Renewal Benefit | Based on Tier (Details below) |
Axis Atlas Tier Benefits
Like the airlines’ loyalty programs, Axis Bank has created a tier system for Atlas credit cards as well. The tier is decided based on the spending in an anniversary year. The card gets extra rewards and benefits based on the tier. The tier changes happen only on renewal.
- Silver: Initial Tier
- Gold: Rs 7.5 Lakhs spend
- Platinum: Rs 15 Lakhs spend
Axis Atlas EDGE Miles Earn Rate
- Travel (Airlines and Travel EDGE Portal): 5 EDGE Miles per Rs 100
- Other Spends: 2 EDGE Miles per Rs 100
The 5 miles per Rs 100 on travel spending is great but the 1 mile/Rs 100 on other spending is on the lower side. The rewards rate is complemented by the annual and milestone benefits. Plus, we get more value when we use the transfer partners. Hope, Axis introduces EDGE Miles multipliers as offers similar to how Grab Deals has.
Axis Atlas Milestone Benefits
The Axis Atlas offers better value when we spend more. Spending more also gets you a better tier that comes with more EDGE Miles and benefits.
- Rs 3 Lakhs Spend: 2500 EDGE Miles
- Rs 7.5 Lakhs Spend: 5000 EDGE Miles
- Rs 15 Lakhs Spend: 10000 EDGE Miles
Axis Atlas Renewal Benefit
We do not have an annual fee waiver criteria but we get EDGE Miles benefits based on the tier during renewal.
- Silver: 2500 EDGE Miles
- Gold: 5000 EDGE Miles
- Platinum: 10000 EDGE Miles
Axis Atlas EDGE Miles Redemption
- 1 EDGE Mile = Rs 1 for booking flights/hotels on Travel EDGE Portal
- 1 EDGE Mile = Up to 2 Partner Airmiles
Axis Atlas Transfer Partners
| TRANSFER PARTNER AND PROGRAM |
CONVERSION RATE EDGE MILES: PARTNER MILES |
WORKING DAYS FOR TRANSFER |
|---|---|---|
| Air Asia airasia rewards |
1:2 | Up to 10 |
| Ethiopian Airlines ShebaMiles |
1:2 | Up to 10 |
| Turkish Airlines Miles and Smiles |
1:2 | Up to 10 |
| ITC Club ITC |
1:2 | Up to 10 |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue |
1:2 | Up to 1 |
| Etihad Airways Etihad Guest |
1:2 | Up to 1 |
| IHG Hotels & Resorts IHG One Rewards |
1:2 | Up to 1 |
| Marriott International Marriott Bonvoy |
2:1 | Up to 1 |
| United Airlines United MileagePlus |
1:2 | Up to 1 |
One of the better options is to transfer out EDGE Miles to Turkish Airlines. They fly good routes and we can get a better value for the miles using their loyalty program. If we use EDGE Miles to book on the Travel EDGE portal, the effective reward rate would be between 1% to 2% based on the tier. Hope more partners get added in the future which will make for a better value proposition.
Axis Atlas Key Benefits
Being a travel-focused credit card, we have many travel benefits on Axis Atlas.
| BENEFIT | SILVER TIER | GOLD TIER | PLATINUM TIER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complimentary Airport Lounge Access – Domestic | 8 | 12 | 18 |
| Complimentary Airport Lounge Access – International | 4 | 6 | 12 |
| Airport Concierge Services | None | 2 | 4 |
| Airport Pickup Services | None | None | 2 |
- International Lounge Access on Axis Atlas credit card is via Dreamfolks.
- Airport Concierge is the ‘Meet and Greet’ or ‘VIP Assistance’ service. The services include assistance across airport processes, such as check-in, security check, immigration processes, and porter services.
Final Thoughts
The Atlas credit card is not a regular rewards card. So, it would not be right to compare it with the likes of Infinia or Magnus. Axis Atlas provides the maximum rewards and benefits for the Platinum tier. This needs Rs 15 Lakh spend in a membership year. Pretty difficult for most of us as we already have a better rewards primary card.
If you are looking for an assured and direct reward rate, then Magnus is still a better card. No worry about miles or sweet spot redemptions and a 6.2% reward rate of Rs 1 Lakh monthly spend.
Axis Bank might also launch a better travel credit card soon. It should pretty much be in line with what the Citibank Prestige card offers now. A higher annual fee, earn rate, and more transfer partners. All will depend on how Atlas fares in the market.
