Credit cards come in all shapes and sizes, from basic plastic cards to premium metal ones, from simple cashback options to air miles credit cards. Among these, air miles cards are often the least understood. Many people think they are complicated or time-consuming, but in the long run, they can offer excellent value.
Air miles credit cards, like the two we are comparing today, allow you to earn miles on your spending. These miles can later be transferred to various airline partners like Air India and even hotel loyalty programs such as Accor and Marriott Bonvoy.
The Kotak Air and Kotak Air+ Credit Card are air miles-focused offerings from Kotak Mahindra Bank. They are designed for people who like playing the long-term rewards game, earning points and redeeming them for flight tickets, upgrades, hotel stays, and more.
While the Kotak Air is the basic variant, the Kotak Air+ Credit Card is the premium version. At first glance, both cards may look quite similar. That’s why it makes sense to compare their features carefully and choose the one that suits your spending style and travel goals best.
Fees and Joining Benefits
The joining and annual fee is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a credit card. When comparing the Kotak Air and Kotak Air+ Credit Card, the Kotak Air actually offers better value in this area, which may sound surprising at first, but makes sense when you look at the numbers.
The Kotak Air comes with an annual fee of ₹999 + GST and offers 1,000 bonus Air Miles as a joining and renewal benefit. On the other hand, the premium Kotak Air+ Credit Card charges ₹3,000 + GST annually but offers just 2,500 bonus Air Miles as a joining and renewal benefit.
In terms of value for the fee paid, the Kotak Air provides a more balanced return compared to the Kotak Air+ Credit Card.
Air Miles Earnings
When it comes to earning Air Miles on travel spends, both cards reward bookings made through Kotak Unbox, but the structure is quite different.
The Kotak Air Credit Card offers 3 Air Miles per ₹100 spent on flight and hotel bookings through Kotak Unbox. However, the accelerated earning is capped at 5,000 Air Miles per statement cycle, which is equivalent to ₹2.5 lakh in spends. Once this cap is reached, cardholders continue to earn 1 Air Mile per ₹100 on additional flight and hotel bookings within the same cycle.
In comparison, the Kotak Air+ Credit Card offers a higher earning rate of 5 Air Miles per ₹100 spent on flight and hotel bookings through Kotak Unbox. The accelerated earning here is capped at 15,000 Air Miles per statement cycle, which is significantly higher than the base variant. Even after reaching the cap, cardholders continue to earn 2 Air Miles per ₹100 spent, which is the base earning rate on other purchases as well.
Overall, the Kotak Air+ clearly offers stronger earning potential for frequent travellers who spend heavily on flights and hotels through Kotak Unbox. However, for moderate spenders, the Kotak Air may still provide decent value without the higher annual fee.
Air Miles Redemption
Both cards offer the same redemption value for Air Miles, which is quite surprising given the significant difference in their annual fees. Whether you redeem your miles through Kotak Unbox or transfer them to airline and hotel partners, the value per mile remains the same for both the Kotak Air and Kotak Air+ Credit Card.
This means the real difference between the two cards lies in how many miles you can earn, not how much each mile is worth at the time of redemption.
Airport Lounge Access
The Kotak Air+ Credit Card offers both domestic and international airport lounge access, which is expected given its higher annual fee. This makes it more suitable for frequent travellers, especially those who fly abroad.
In comparison, the Kotak Air Credit Card provides only domestic airport lounge access. While this may be sufficient for those who mostly travel within India, it does limit the overall travel benefits when compared to the Air+ variant.
| Cards | International Lounge Access | Domestic Lounge Access |
| Kotak Air+ | Complimentary 2 International Lounge Visits Per Year | Complimentary 4 Domestic Lounge Visits Per Year |
| Kotak Air | None | 4 Complimentary Lounge Visits Per Year (On Quarterly Spends Of ₹60,000 Or More) |
These benefits are only available to the primary cardholder.
Savings on International Spending
For frequent international travellers, forex markup charges can make a noticeable difference to overall travel costs. In this area, the Kotak Air+ Credit Card clearly has an edge.
Kotak Air+ cardholders benefit from a reduced forex markup fee of 2%, compared to the usual 3.5% charged on most credit cards. This lower markup can lead to meaningful savings for those who regularly spend in foreign currencies.
On the other hand, the Kotak Air Credit Card does not offer any reduced forex markup benefit and continues to charge the standard 3.5%.
Kotak Air or Kotak Air+?
From the start, it is clear that neither of these cards is exceptional. The redemption options are limited, and the accelerated earning benefits are restricted to bookings made through Kotak Unbox. This may not suit people who prefer using other travel platforms for their flight and hotel bookings. At a similar fee range, there are several other credit cards in the market that offer better rewards and more flexible benefits.
That said, the Kotak Air Credit Card can still be a reasonable option for someone who is just starting their air miles journey and wants to understand how airline and hotel transfer programs work over the long term.
Overall, however, both cards may not be the best choice if you are looking for strong rewards and wider flexibility.