SBI Card Miles Elite
Joining Fee: ₹4,999 + GST
Annual Fee: ₹4,999 + GST
Reward Type: Reward Points
Welcome Benefit
5,000 Travel Credits: Earn this welcome bonus upon spending ₹1 Lakh within 60 days of card issuance.
Rewards Structure
The SBI Card Miles Elite earns Travel Credits on eligible spends, which can be redeemed for flight bookings, hotel stays, and more. The reward structure is as follows:
Travel Spends: 6 Travel Credits per ₹200 spent (~3% return)
Other Spends: 2 Travel Credits per ₹200 spent (~1% return)
Excluded Categories: No rewards on fuel, rent, wallets, government, education, utilities, or insurance transactions.
Milestone Benefits
Earn 20,000 bonus Travel Credits upon reaching annual spends of ₹12 Lakhs, adding a bonus reward rate of 1.6%.
Reward Redemption Options
The reward points earned on the SBI Card Miles Elite can be redeemed in multiple ways:
1 Travel Credit = ₹0.50 for travel bookings (flights, hotels, etc.).
1 Travel Credit = ₹0.25 for redemption through the SBI Card Shop and Smile product catalog.
Airline Transfer Partners
One of the key advantages of the SBI Card Miles Elite is its ability to transfer Travel Credits to various airline loyalty programs. This allows cardholders to convert their Travel Credits into airmiles for international and domestic flights. Below are the major airline partners and their conversion rates:
- Air Arabia (AA Rewards): 2:1
- Air India (Flying Returns): 1:1
- Air Asia (airasia rewards): 1:1
- Air Canada (Aeroplan): 1:1
- Air France – KLM (Flying Blue): 1:1
- Air Vistara (Club Vistara): 1:1
- Ethiopian Airlines (ShebaMiles): 2:1
- Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest): 1:1
- Japan Airlines (JAL Mileage Bank): 2:1
- Qantas Airways (Qantas Frequent Flyer): 1:1
- Saudia (AlFursan): 2:1
- SpiceJet (SpiceClub): 1:1
- Thai Airways (Royal Orchid Plus): 1:1
- Turkish Airlines (Miles&Smiles): 2:1
- United Airlines (MileagePlus): 2:1
Hotel Transfer Partners
Cardholders can also transfer their Travel Credits to select hotel loyalty programs, allowing them to book stays at premium hotels globally. Here are the available hotel partners and their conversion rates:
- Accor (ALL – Accor Live Limitless): 2:1
- IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG One Rewards): 1:1
- ITC (Club ITC): 2:1
- Orchid Hotels (Orchid Rewards): 1:1
- Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (Wyndham Rewards): 1:1
- Shangri-La Group: 6:1
Airport Lounge Access
The SBI Card Miles Elite provides access to both domestic and international airport lounges, making it an attractive option for frequent travelers.
Domestic Airport Lounge Access: 8 complimentary visits per quarter.
International Airport Lounge Access: 6 complimentary visits per year.
Additionally, cardholders can earn extra domestic lounge visits based on spends, with 1 additional visit granted for every ₹1 Lakh spent, up to a maximum of 15 extra visits per year. These extra visits are available to both the primary cardholder and one guest.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver
1% waiver on fuel surcharge for transactions between ₹500 and ₹4,000.
Maximum waiver of ₹250 per statement cycle.
Forex Markup
1.99% + GST (~2.35%) on foreign currency transactions, making it a competitive card for international travelers.
Summary
The SBI Card Miles Elite is a premium travel card offering travel credits for flights, hotels, and more, with a ₹4,999 annual fee. Cardholders earn 6 travel credits per ₹200 on travel spends and 2 credits per ₹200 on other categories, with lounge access (8 domestic visits per quarter, 6 international per year) and airline/hotel transfer options.
However, the low reward rate and lack of accelerated earnings make it harder to accumulate significant airmiles. For the fee, alternatives like Axis Atlas offer better rewards and benefits, making the SBI Miles Elite ideal only for heavy spenders who can fully utilize its travel perks.