New SBI Card Rules for Access to Airport Lounge; What Flyers Need to Know

Having easy access to an airport lounge is always a good thing as it makes tension free for a passenger. Many banks offer free lounge access through their select credit cards. With a significant share of India's credit card base, SBI card plays a major role in this category. Now, the SBI Card has announced an important change in its airport lounge programme that will take effect from January 10, 2026. The new system is dividing lounges into two categories, introducing quarterly limits on free visits, and placing a small verification fee at entry.

The move aims to reduce overcrowding at the lounge and gives premium cardholders more privileges. The new lounge programme is available only for SBI credit cards that charge annual fees of Rs.1,499 or Rs.2,999, and where lounge access is provided through partner networks.

Lounges Split into Two Sets

Under the new rules, lounges will be divided into Set A and Set B. Set A lounges are reserved for premium SBI cards such as:

• Apollo SBI Card SELECT
• BPCL SBI Card OCTANE
• Club Vistara SBI Card
• Landmark Rewards SBI Card SELECT
• Paytm SBI Card SELECT
• PhonePe SBI Card SELECT

These cards are positioned at the higher end of SBI's portfolio and will now enjoy access to a wider and more exclusive lounge network.

Set B lounges will serve Prime and Platinum tier cards, including:

• SBI Card PRIME
• PRIME Pro
• Titan SBI Card
• KrisFlyer SBI Card

These customers will continue to get lounge access, but lesser facilities compared to premium cardholders.

List of Participating Lounges for Set A

• Ahmedabad: The Lounge, Domestic T1
• Bengaluru: 080 Domestic Lounge - West PH 2 (T1); 080 International Lounge (T2)
• Chennai: Travel Club Lounge - T1 Lounge B (T1); Travel Club Lounge - T2 (International)
• Hyderabad: Encalm Lounge (Domestic T1); Encalm Lounge (International T1)
• Kolkata: Travel Club Lounge Domestic (T1); Travel Club Lounge International (T1)
• Mumbai: Adani Lounge (T1B); Travel Club (T2 Domestic); Adani East Lounge (T2 International)
• New Delhi: Encalm Lounge (T1 Domestic, T3 Domestic, T3 International)
• Pune: Elysian Lounge (Domestic)

Lounges for Set B

• Ahmedabad: The Lounge (Domestic T1, International T2)
• Bangalore: 080 Domestic Lounge (T1 and T2); 080 International Lounge (T2)
• Bhubaneswar: Bird Lounge (T1)
• Chandigarh: Primus Lounge (Domestic and International)
• Chennai: Travel Club Lounge (T1 and T2)
• Cochin: Earth Lounge (T1 Domestic, T3 International)
• Coimbatore: BlackBerry Restaurant & Bar
• Goa: Encalm Lounge (T1 Domestic)

Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune, Srinagar, Vadodara, Visakhapatnam: Multiple participating lounges across terminals as listed on SBI Card's website

Entry Process

To enter a lounge, cardholders must now validate their SBI credit card at the lounge's Point of Sale (POS) machine. During validation, a small authorisation fee will be charged. For VISA and RuPay cards, the fee is 2 rupees. For Mastercard holders, the fee is 25 rupees, which will be refunded later. This fee is not a service charge. It is simply a way to confirm eligibility to use this facility.

Free Visits

Many SBI credit cards already have quarterly caps. Therefore, cardholders will get a certain number of free entries every three months instead of just once a year. However, premium cardholders will get a bigger allotment, while Prime and Platinum customers may get a smaller number of free entries. Customers may be charged more if they have used up their free entry facility. These passengers may also be charged for drinks, food, or VIP seats.

Customers Gain

Premium cardholders will benefit the most from the new rules. They can enjoy access to more lounges, may also get more free visits, and less-crowded environment. The clearer structure also makes it easier to know which lounges are available for each card type.

SBI Card says the restructuring is intended to balance demand and prevent overcrowding.