Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card Review

The Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card is a travel-focused credit card designed for premium users seeking to maximize rewards on hotel and airline spending [1]. Positioned as a strong contender for those disappointed by the Axis Magnus devaluation in 2024, the Atlas card offers a compelling rewards program centered around "Edge Miles" and tiered benefits based on annual spending [1, 20]. This report provides an in-depth analysis of the card's features, benefits, fees, and limitations to help potential users make an informed decision.

Target Audience

The Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card is ideally suited for frequent travelers with annual spending exceeding INR 7.5 lakhs, and with an existing credit card with a limit of ~3 Lakhs or above [1, 16]. It appeals to individuals who prioritize travel-related rewards and are comfortable navigating the complexities of airline and hotel loyalty programs [1, 20]. It serves as a starter for those exploring airmiles and a suitable option for those who previously benefited from the Axis Magnus card [27, 32].

Features and Benefits

The Axis Atlas card boasts a range of features and benefits, including a tiered membership structure, generous lounge access, and a dedicated card management dashboard [1, 6, 37].

Membership Tiers

The card offers three membership tiers based on annual spending [6]:

• Silver: Less than INR 7.5 lakhs
• Gold: INR 7.5 lakhs to INR 15 lakhs
• Platinum: INR 15 lakhs and above These tiers determine the level of lounge access and renewal benefits [6].

Lounge Access

Complimentary lounge access is a key perk, varying by membership tier and covering both the primary cardholder and guests [7, 15, 34]:

• Silver: 8 domestic and 4 international lounge visits per year
• Gold: 12 domestic and 6 international lounge visits per year
• Platinum: 18 domestic and 12 international lounge visits per year It's important to note that there have been instances of guests being charged incorrectly for lounge access. In such cases, contacting Axis customer support for a reversal is recommended [36].

Other Features

The card offers a dedicated card management dashboard for easy tracking of Edge Miles and transactions via mobile and net-banking [37].

Rewards Program

The Axis Atlas Credit Card earns "Edge Miles" on all spends, with accelerated earnings on specific categories [1]. Regular spends earn 2 Edge Miles per INR 100 (2% reward rate), while direct spends on airlines and hotels earn 5 Edge Miles per INR 100 (5% reward rate) [1, 11, 22, 30]. The accelerated Edge Miles on Travel, airline and hotel spends is capped at INR 2,00,000 per month [35].

Milestone Benefits

Cardholders can earn bonus Edge Miles by reaching specific spending milestones annually [1, 5, 14, 30, 35]:

• INR 3 lakhs: 2,500 Edge Miles
• INR 7.5 lakhs: 2,500 Edge Miles
• INR 15 lakhs: 5,000 Edge Miles Reaching the highest milestone of INR 15 lakhs in "regular" spends yields a total of 40,000 Edge Miles (30,000 from regular spends + 10,000 from milestone bonuses) [5, 14, 30].

Rewards Redemption

Edge Miles can be redeemed through the Travel Edge portal at a 1:1 ratio for flights and hotels, or transferred to airline and hotel partners [1, 23, 31]. The general transfer ratio is 1:2, except for Marriott Bonvoy, which has a 2:1 ratio [4, 13, 23, 31]. Many cardholders prefer transferring miles to ITC for potentially better value and easier transfers to Marriott Bonvoy (2 ITC points = 3 Marriott Bonvoy points), although this is limited to 10,000 points per quarter [4, 13, 23, 31].

Fees and Charges

The Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card has a joining fee and an annual fee of INR 5,000 + GST [1, 2, 8, 21, 29].

• Joining Fee: INR 5,000 + GST
• Renewal Fee: INR 5,000 + GST The card offers a welcome benefit of 2,500 Edge Miles, which can be redeemed for approximately INR 5,000 at ITC hotels or INR 9,000 at Accor hotels [2, 10, 21, 29]. Renewal benefits vary based on the membership tier [2, 21, 29]:
• Silver: 0 Edge Miles
• Gold: 2,500 Edge Miles
• Platinum: 5,000 Edge Miles There is no renewal fee waiver option [2, 21, 29].

Limitations

Despite its strengths, the Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card has certain limitations [35]:

• Exclusion of Spend Categories: Several categories do not earn Edge Miles or contribute to milestone benefits, including wallets (MCC 6540), rent (MCC 6513), gold/jewellery (MCC 5094, 5944), insurance (MCC 6300, 6381, 5960, 6012, 6051), government institutions (MCC 9222, 9311, 9399, 9402), utilities (MCC 4814, 4816, 4899, 4900), and fuel (MCC 5541, 5542, 5983) [3, 22, 30, 35].
• Capping of Accelerated Edge Miles: Accelerated Edge Miles earned on Travel, airline and hotel spends is capped at INR 2,00,000 per month [11, 22, 30, 35].
• Redemption Capping: There are limits on transferring Edge Miles to partner programs [35]. A maximum of 30,000 Edge Miles can be transferred to Group A partners (e.g., Accor Hotels, Air Canada, Air India, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad, ITC, Japan Airlines, Marriott International, Qantas Airways, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, United Airlines and Wyndham Hotels) and 1,20,000 to Group B partners (e.g., Air France -KLM, Air Asia, IHG® Hotels & Resorts, SpiceJet, Vistara, Turkish Airlines) in a calendar year [35].
• Partner Program Linking: Customers can only link 1 partner program loyalty ID for each partner and must wait 60 days to change it [35].

Alternatives

Potential cardholders should also consider alternatives such as the Axis Magnus Burgundy [12, 28, 33]. If pre-paying for flights/hotels via the Travel Edge portal is the primary goal, the Axis Magnus Burgundy might offer a better point transfer ratio [12, 28, 33].

How to Apply

To be eligible for the Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card, applicants must have an annual income of INR 9 lakhs or above and an existing credit card with a limit of approximately INR 3 lakhs or higher [1, 16, 25, 34]. Applying for the card is generally a fast process, with some users reporting approval within a week and card delivery within two weeks [17, 25, 34]. Importantly, opening an Axis Bank savings account is not a prerequisite for obtaining the card [17, 25, 34]. Also, you may hold upto 3 Axis Bank Credit Cards simultaneously at any point in time [34].

Conclusion

The Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card is a compelling travel credit card, particularly for those seeking an alternative to the devalued Axis Magnus card [1, 20, 27, 29]. With a potential return on spend of up to 7% (similar to Accor), the card rivals even the Amex Platinum Travel card [18, 26]. However, the limitations on transferring miles to Group A partners and exclusions on gold/insurance/utilities may make this card unsuitable for high spenders or those with specific spending patterns [3, 22, 30, 35, 36]. Overall, the Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card is a strong contender in the travel credit card market, offering substantial value to the right user [18, 26].