New Airport Lounge Access Rules for ICICI Bank Debit Cards
ICICI Bank has recently announced significant revisions to the airport lounge access rules for specific debit cards, effective as of October 1, 2024. Cardholders will now be eligible to receive two complimentary passes to airport lounges if they meet the spending criteria of Rs. 10,000 in the previous calendar quarter.
To be eligible for complimentary lounge access in the October to December 2024 quarter, cardholders are required to spend a minimum of Rs. 10,000 in the July to September 2024 quarter, and similarly for following quarters. It’s important to note that spends made in the preceding calendar quarter will unlock access for the subsequent calendar quarter.
This updated criteria to avail complimentary domestic airport lounge access will be applicable for the following ICICI Bank debit cards:
- ICICI Bank Coral Paywave Debit Card
- ICICI Bank Expressions Business MasterCard Debit card
- ICICI Bank Rupay Coral Debit Card
- ICICI Bank Expressions MasterCard Debit card
- ICICI Bank Coral Business MasterCard
- ICICI Bank Expressions Paywave Debit Card
- ICICI Bank Coral Business Debit Card
- ICICI Bank Expressions Business Debit card
- ICICI Bank Coral MasterCard
- ICICI Bank Paywave Expressions Debit card
- ICICI Bank Coral Paywave Business Debit card
- ICICI Bank Expressions Coral Business MasterCard Debit card
- ICICI Bank Coral Chip Debit Card
- ICICI Bank Expressions Coral MasterCard Debit card
- ICICI Bank Rubyx Debit Card
- ICICI Bank Expressions Business Coral Debit Card
- ICICI Bank Rupay Rubyx Debit Card
- ICICI Bank Expressions Coral Debit card
- ICICI Bank Rubyx MasterCard Debit Card
For the debit cards quarterly spends limit of Rs. 10,000, E-commerce and POS transactions will be considered, while ATM transactions and cash withdrawals will not be considered.
Notably, the previous spending criteria for lounge access were Rs. 3000 for Coral, Business Coral, Expressions, and Business Expressions Debit cards, and Rs. 4000 for Rubyx, Expressions Coral, and Business Expressions Coral debit cards.
Eligible cardholders must present their valid, unexpired cards, along with a valid air ticket or boarding pass for travel on the same or next day at the entrance of the participating lounges to gain entry. An authorization amount of Rs. 2 will be charged on each eligible card presented at the entrance to the participating lounge. While the free access is usually limited to the cardholder, any accompanying guest(s) may incur charges. It’s important to bear in mind that this program is provided by a third party and governed by their terms and conditions.
These changes are aimed at enhancing the travel benefits for ICICI Bank debit cardholders, offering greater value and convenience for those who frequently access airport lounges.
New HDFC Bank Credit Card Rules for Complimentary Lounge Access
In addition to the updates from ICICI Bank, new rules for complimentary lounge access have been introduced for certain HDFC Bank credit cards, effective from August 1, 2024. To be eligible for complimentary lounge access in the October to December 2024 quarter, cardholders must meet the spending criteria of a minimum of Rs. 10,000 in the July to September 2024 quarter, and similarly for following quarters.
The updated criteria for availing complimentary domestic airport lounge access will be applicable for specific HDFC Bank credit cards. This includes detailed guidelines on eligible transactions for the Rs. 10,000 spending limit, as well as the presentation requirements for accessing complimentary airport lounges in India.
These developments seek to provide clarity and transparency to cardholders regarding their eligibility for airport lounge access, ensuring a seamless and convenient experience for HDFC Bank credit card users during their travels.
