Axis Vistara Signature vs SBI Vistara prime

[insider_pants]

Hi, I'm looking to apply for Vistara card as I have realized im losing too much on these cashback cards and I take decent amount of vistara flights yearly. Upon reading the technofino articles, I settled upon Axis vistara signature card as I'm targeting to achieve for that 1.5L milestone so I can get 2 Premium economy tickets free yearly. My question here is, they recommended to go for SBI Vistara Prime card as they give rewards on fuel also and bunch of other stuff like free Priority pass etc. Currently I do not have any fuel spending at all but in future maybe that will be a possibility. I currently hold Axis Ace Card since last 4 months. So what do you recommend? Is it easier to get Axis one as I already have their card? How much difficult is to apply for SBI Cards as I do not have their credit card but have SBI account (if that helps). Thanks

 

[jay]

Club Vistara program isn’t a particularly interesting one for international travel, specifically if you want to fly business class. For economy it’s still decent but others not so much. I don’t recommend depending on it for international travel.

That being said it is easily the best domestic FFP and the co-branded cards are the best domestic travel cards. I have 2 of them, the Vistara Infinite and the SBI Prime and I max out both of them every year to ensure I get all the milestone vouchers. An absolutely no brainier card.

As I have mentioned in the past, stop fretting on the annual fees, even if you use the one welcome voucher the card more than pays for itself with a single use. Why bother about annual fees and LTF and all that circus? 🤷🏼‍♂️

 

[jay]

After it is merged, it is 1 Vistara account and you get on the membership, not the card I guess
Not sure though

You would not get the upgrade vouchers on the second card, if your tier is lower than the first one. For example, if you have the Vistara Infinite which gives you CV Gold, and the 3 one class upgrade vouchers. Next if you get the Vistara Prime, which gives you CV Silver, your tier remains gold and you don’t get the upgrade vouchers.

If you reverse this, that is first get the SBI and then the Axis, you would get the upgrade vouchers for both because you will first get CV Silver and then CV Gold. Upgrade vouchers are not a card benefit they are the CV status benefit. That is you only get the upgrade vouchers when moving up for a lower status to a higher one.

 

[alphadark7]

You would not get the upgrade vouchers on the second card, if your tier is lower than the first one. For example, if you have the Vistara Infinite which gives you CV Gold, and the 3 one class upgrade vouchers. Next if you get the Vistara Prime, which gives you CV Silver, your tier remains gold and you don’t get the upgrade vouchers.

If you reverse this, that is first get the SBI and then the Axis, you would get the upgrade vouchers for both because you will first get CV Silver and then CV Gold. Upgrade vouchers are not a card benefit they are the CV status benefit. That is you only get the upgrade vouchers when moving up for a lower status to a higher one.

So what if I use SBI Prime and Axis Signature and both have Silver membership
In that case do I get 2 upgrade vouchers or do I get only 1? I think 2

What if I merge both the memberships, in that case do I get only 1 moving forward or 2?

 

[jay]

So what if I use SBI Prime and Axis Signature and both have Silver membership
In that case do I get 2 upgrade vouchers or do I get only 1? I think 2

What if I merge both the memberships, in that case do I get only 1 moving forward or 2?

You will get the upgrade vouchers only once, that is when your CV account becomes CV Silver. Having multiple CV accounts is against the terms and conditions of the Club Vistara membership agreement and can lead to your account being permanently banned.

 

[alphadark7]

You will get the upgrade vouchers only once, that is when your CV account becomes CV Silver. Having multiple CV accounts is against the terms and conditions of the Club Vistara membership agreement and can lead to your account being permanently banned.

So there is no point in having Axis Vistara and SBI Vistara, you can just get 2 complimentary tickets but the rest of the benefits will be only 1

 

[gabu]

Let me clarify few things as I have base version of both cards.
You are charged fuel surcharge in both cards and get points too in both.
One gets upgrade voucher for silver membership which comes free with both mid tier version of cards so you won't get 2 vouchers unless you have 2 cv accs
Upgrade via voucher or points is pita in vistara as you need to call helpline or talk at desk most of who are outsourced now.
Not all vistara flights have premium eco section and you need 2 vouchers to upgrade from eco to business & this also brings in the problems of booking eco or business via prem voucher. Vistara won't allow business via prem voucher so one needs to downgrade to eco & again need to call the helpline who are getting downgraded day by day.

I would recommend OP to better get a sbi base and axis signature as sbi base has better reward structure than axis base card and he can get international lounge already via dcb. You'll get all milestone benefits with both cards whatever version of card you opt.

 

[jay]

So there is no point in having Axis Vistara and SBI Vistara, you can just get 2 complimentary tickets but the rest of the benefits will be only 1

There is, if you max out all the milestone benefits in one card it’s better to switch to a second one. For example, I first use the Vistara Infinite for till I reach the spend of 12L on that so that I receive all the 5 Business class vouchers, after that it doesn’t make sense to spend on that card anymore, so I switch to the SBI.

 

[jay]

Let me clarify few things as I have base version of both cards.
You are charged fuel surcharge in both cards and get points too in both.
One gets upgrade voucher for silver membership which comes free with both mid tier version of cards so you won't get 2 vouchers unless you have 2 cv accs
Upgrade via voucher or points is pita in vistara as you need to call helpline or talk at desk most of who are outsourced now.
Not all vistara flights have premium eco section and you need 2 vouchers to upgrade from eco to business & this also brings in the problems of booking eco or business via prem voucher. Vistara won't allow business via prem voucher so one needs to downgrade to eco & again need to call the helpline who are getting downgraded day by day.

I would recommend OP to better get a sbi base and axis signature as sbi base has better reward structure than axis base card and he can get international lounge already via dcb. You'll get all milestone benefits with both cards whatever version of card you opt.

Vistara Customer Care isn’t outsourced and their CV Gold line is actually very very nice. Ive been using my vouchers and upgrade vouchers for over 4 years now and they have always been great, never had issues.

The majority of UK’s fleet are in a 3 cabin class configuration. Only a handful of them don’t have PY.

The best value is derived from the Axis Vistara Infinite card if you’re ok with the annual fees, the card pays for itself and multiple folds over.

 

[Subhash]

There is, if you max out all the milestone benefits in one card it’s better to switch to a second one. For example, I first use the Vistara Infinite for till I reach the spend of 12L on that so that I receive all the 5 Business class vouchers, after that it doesn’t make sense to spend on that card anymore, so I switch to the SBI.

Can we use upgrade voucher to upgrade, premium economy ticket booked via voucher ?

 

[Subhash]

Club Vistara program isn’t a particularly interesting one for international travel, specifically if you want to fly business class. For economy it’s still decent but others not so much. I don’t recommend depending on it for international travel.

That being said it is easily the best domestic FFP and the co-branded cards are the best domestic travel cards. I have 2 of them, the Vistara Infinite and the SBI Prime and I max out both of them every year to ensure I get all the milestone vouchers. An absolutely no brainier card.

As I have mentioned in the past, stop fretting on the annual fees, even if you use the one welcome voucher the card more than pays for itself with a single use. Why bother about annual fees and LTF and all that circus? 🤷🏼‍♂️

Which the best CC for international travel in your opinion.? And brief if you don’t mind.

 

[TheMentalist]

You will get the upgrade vouchers only once, that is when your CV account becomes CV Silver. Having multiple CV accounts is against the terms and conditions of the Club Vistara membership agreement and can lead to your account being permanently banned.

So the upgrade vouchers are a one-time welcome benefit only applicable on first year? And we don't get any from 2nd year onwards as tier won't be changing on card renewal?
Edit - Will they ban the account even if its opened by the bank itself?

 

[TheMentalist]

On 20th June I applied for SBI SIMPLY CLICK through an agent. I got a limit of 91000. But now I want Vistara prime (joining and annual fees not an issue).
I went to the agent he said you recently applied for Simply click then if u apply for vistara prime it will be rejected. He told to apply in Sept or Oct.
I called customer care and told that simply click can be upgraded to vistara prime then he said various cards I'm eligible but vistara prime was not available in that list.
Is there any hack to upgrade from simplyclick to vistara prime?

Not possible to upgrade since it's a co-branded card and you will have to wait for 3-4 months atleast to apply for this card again, I went through the same thing and there wasn't any other way out

 

[jay]

Can we use upgrade voucher to upgrade, premium economy ticket booked via voucher ?

Yes.

 

[jay]

Which the best CC for international travel in your opinion.? And brief if you don’t mind.

Axis Atlas
Citi Prestige
Amex

 

[jay]

So the upgrade vouchers are a one-time welcome benefit only applicable on first year? And we don't get any from 2nd year onwards as tier won't be changing on card renewal?
Edit - Will they ban the account even if its opened by the bank itself?

You get it each year your tier gets renewed.

 

[moonsmart]

Sbi vistara can be applied through sbi sprint. But sbi vistara prime can be only applied through agent.
No idea about axis vistara cards.

Can existing SBI cardholders apply for another card using sprint?

 

[raj007]

Can existing SBI cardholders apply for another card using sprint?

Yes..

 

[jay]

Can existing SBI cardholders apply for another card using sprint?

I do not think so, it gives an error I beleive.

 

[raj007]

I do not think so, it gives an error I beleive.

My brother recently applied sbi Vistara from sprint.
Docs uploading page was not showing.
Next day got a call from Sbi agent. He took photo that's it.
Brother already received the cards few days back.

 

[jay]

My brother recently applied sbi Vistara from sprint.
Docs uploading page was not showing.
Next day got a call from Sbi agent. He took photo that's it.
Brother already received the cards few days back.

Yea so that’s not sprint then. Sprint cards instantly issued digitally and approved right then and there.