Convert Shopping into Free Flights: HSBC TravelOne Credit Card Decoded

Convert Shopping into Free Flights HSBC TravelOne Credit Card Decoded
Convert Shopping into Free Flights HSBC TravelOne Credit Card Decoded


In the last few years, many Indians have taken international vacations. Europe and Southeast Asia are among the popular travel destinations. While an international family vacation can be expensive, there are credit cards that can reward your everyday spends. The reward points can be converted into airmiles and hotel loyalty points that can sponsor your international family vacation. The HSBC TravelOne Credit Card is one such credit card. In this article, we will do a HSBC TravelOne Credit Card review to understand its features and benefits, rewards earning and redemption, fees, and whether you should take it.

Overview Table

Feature Details
Card type Rewards card
Reward range 2 to 4 reward points on every Rs. 100 spent
Joining fee Rs. 4,999 + Taxes
Welcome bonus Rs. 1,000 cashback, Rs. 3,000 Postcard Hotel voucher, and 3 months EazyDiner Prime membership
Renewal fee Rs. 4,999 + Taxes
Renewal benefit NA
Best for Converting reward points into airmiles and hotel loyalty points
USP Good welcome benefits, accelerated rewards on travel spends, complimentary airport lounge access, and multiple options for converting reward points into airmiles and hotel loyalty points. 

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Fees & Benefits

The joining fee for the HSBC Travel One Credit Card is Rs. 4,999 + Taxes.

The card provides the following joining benefits.

  1. Rs. 1,000 cashback
  2. Rs. 3,000 Postcard Hotel voucher
  3. 3 months EazyDiner Prime membership

The welcome benefits offer is for individuals applying for the card till 31st December 2025. To qualify for the joining benefits, the cardholder must download the HSBC India Mobile App and use the credit card to spend at least Rs. 10,000 in the first 30 days of card issuance.

The cardholder can get 3,000 bonus reward points on spending Rs. 1 lakh in the first 90 days of card issuance.

The annual renewal fee for the card is Rs. 4,999 + Taxes.

There are no renewal benefits on the card. The renewal fee is waived on spending Rs. 8 lakhs in the previous year.

Rewards structure

The HSBC TravelOne Credit Card rewards structure is as follows.

Reward points Description
4 reward points For every Rs. 100 spent on flights, travel aggregators, and in foreign currency
2 reward points For every Rs. 100 spent on all other eligible spends

With an accelerated reward rate on spends in foreign currency, it is one of the best international travel cards in India. A maximum of 50,000 accelerated reward points (4 RP/Rs. 100 spent) can be earned in a month. Beyond the monthly capping, the cardholder will earn 2RP/Rs. 100 spent.

The cardholder will not earn any reward points on the following categories.

  1. Education-related payments
  2. Government-related payments
  3. E-wallets loading
  4. Financial institutions
  5. Fuel transactions
  6. Insurance premium payments
  7. Jewellery purchases
  8. Money transfers
  9. Non-financial institutions
  10. Real estate agent and managers
  11. Tax payments
  12. Utility bill payments
  13. Bail and bond payments

Annual milestone: The cardholder will earn 10,000 bonus reward points on spending Rs. 12 lakhs in a card anniversary year.

Discounts on travel and entertainment

The HSBC TravelOne Credit Card provides discount offers on travel and entertainment as follows.

Merchant Discount offer details
Yatra 15% discount on domestic flights and hotels, up to Rs. 3,00015% discount on international flights and hotels, up to Rs. 5,000Can be availed of twice a year
EaseMyTrip 15% discount on domestic flights and hotels, up to Rs. 3,00015% discount on international flights and hotels, up to Rs. 5,000Can be availed of twice till 31st December 2025
Paytm flights 15% discount on domestic and international flights, up to Rs. 5,000Minimum booking value must be Rs. 5,000Can be availed of twice a year
Cleartrip 15% discount on domestic flights, up to Rs. 3,00015% discount on international flights, up to Rs. 5,000Can be availed of once every 6 months till 31st December 2026
StayVista 11% discount on hotel bookings, up to Rs. 3,000Can be availed of twice per calendar year
District 10% discount on events, up to Rs. 1,000Can be availed of once per calendar month10% discount on dining, up to Rs. 1,000Can be availed of once per calendar monthBuy 1, Get 1 on movie tickets, up to Rs. 200 on the 2nd ticketCan be availed of twice per calendar month
AdaniOne 20% discount on duty-free shopping, up to Rs. 3,000 on a minimum order value of Rs. 8,000Can be availed of once per year

Additional features

The card provides the following additional features.

  1. Complimentary airport lounge access

The card provides 6 domestic and 4 international complimentary airport lounge access annually.

  1. Complimentary golf rounds

The card provides 4 complimentary rounds of gold and 12 complimentary lessons per calendar year (1 per calendar month). The cardholder can enjoy a 50% discount on green fees for additional rounds.

Image Suggestion: Airport lounge photo or an individual playing golf

Rewards redemption

The HSBC TravelOne Credit Card is travel-centric. It offers the option to transfer reward points to several airmiles and hotel partners in a specified ratio. These partners include the following.

Partner Program name Transfer ratio Transfer timeline
Air India Air India Maharaja Club 1:1 5 days
Air Asia Airasia Rewards 1:3 1 day
Air France – KLM Flying Blue 1:1 1 day
British Airways The British Airways Club 1:1 1 day
Etihad Airways Etihad Guest 1:1 1 day
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands 1:1 1 day
Hainan Airlines Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club 2:1 5 days
Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank 1:1 10 days
Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines Krisflyer 1:1 1 day
Qantas Airways Qantas Frequent Flyer 1:1 1 day
Qatar Airways Qatar Airways Privilege Club 1:1 1 day
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus 1:1 1 day
Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles 2:1 1 day
United Airlines United MileagePlus 2:1 1 day
Vietnam Airlines Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles 1:1 1 day
Accor Accor Live Limitless 1:1 1 day
IHG Hotels & Resorts IHG One Rewards 1:1 1 day
Marriott International Marriott Bonvoy 1:1 1 day
Shangri-La Shangri-La Circle 5:1 1 day
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wyndham Rewards 1:1 1 day

The above table shows how a cardholder can transfer reward points to 15 airlines and 5 hotel loyalty programs. With so many airline partners, the HSBC TravelOne Credit Card is one of the best air mile transfer cards in India. The request for transfer of reward points can be placed through the HSBC India Mobile App.

Image Suggestion: Show an image of an aeroplane and a hotel building

How to apply

To apply for the HSBC TravelOne Credit Card, an individual must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

  1. Age between 18 and 65 years
  2. Minimum annual income of Rs. 4 lakhs for a salaried individual
  3. Be an Indian resident
  4. Reside in Chennai, Gurgaon, Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), Pune, Noida, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kochi, Coimbatore, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad or Kolkata

The HSBC website does not mention any eligibility criteria for salaried individuals.

Image Suggestion: Application form screenshot or infographic

Optimal use

With an accelerated reward rate on spends in foreign currency, flights, and travel aggregators, the HSBC TravelOne Credit Card is one of the best international travel credit cards in India. Also, it provides instant discounts on booking international flight tickets through specific travel aggregators. You can best optimise the use of this card for international flight bookings with travel aggregators like Yatra, EaseMyTrip, Paytm, Cleartrip, etc. You can club the benefits of instant discount and accelerated reward points. Also, during your international trip, you can use the card for foreign currency transactions to earn accelerated reward points.

The card also provides instant discounts on domestic flights and hotel bookings through specific travel aggregators. You can make the most of these discounts to plan your domestic family vacations.

Once you have accumulated sufficient reward points, you can transfer them to the airline or hotel loyalty programs of choice. The loyalty points can be further used to book free flights and hotel accommodation to plan your free family vacation.

Expert Verdict/Conclusion

We have seen how the HSBC TravelOne Credit Card provides travel benefits like instant discount on flights and hotel bookings through specified travel aggregators, accelerated reward points on airlines, travel aggregators, and spends in foreign currency, facility to transfer reward points to airline and hotel loyalty programs, complimentary airport lounge access, etc. In short, the card is a complete travel solution provider. Hence, if you are a frequent traveller, whether domestic or international, you must consider the HSBC TravelOne Credit Card.

 

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