If you’ve already applied for leave from work and you’re just counting down the days before you can flip your colleagues the bird and zoom into the sunset for a much needed holiday, then make sure you carry a Credit Card along with you to spice up your vacation.
If you’re one of those few people on planet earth who have so far resisted the black hole-like pull of the cashless economy dream, then maybe it’s time to give in a little bit and go with the flow. A Credit Card could not only help you save money, but it could also save your behind in case you find yourself in a sticky financial situation while on your travels.
Sure, we get it! You’re a bit averse to getting a Credit Card because you’ve heard horror stories about how people end up losing the shirts off their backs trying to pay off the mountains of debt they find themselves under. But, what you probably don’t know is that many of them ended up in that situation because they weren’t responsible enough with their spending.
Additional Reading: 5 Things To Know For First-Time Credit Card Users
While we do agree it can be quite tempting to swipe your Credit Card faster than you swipe fruits on Fruit Ninja, all it takes to keep yourself from falling into financial obscurity is a little will power and self-control.
Intrigued? We can see by the glint in your eyes that you’re curious to know more. So, without further ado, here are 5 ways a Credit Card can add that extra zing to your holidays.
1) Cool Discounts And Offers
If you’ve been paying full price on your flight tickets and hotel accommodation all these years, all we can say is that you’ve been missing out on some killer deals.
By getting yourself an Airline Credit Card, you could take advantage of incredible discounts and offers on everything from flights to hotels and much more. Many of these cards offer you airport lounge access at airports across India, so you won’t have to doze off on those crummy wooden or plastic seats anymore.
You can even accumulate reward points every time you swipe your card or use it to book flights. These rewards points can then be redeemed for amazing offers on movies, luxury products, dining and much more.
In fact, a Credit Card like the JetPrivilege HDFC Bank Diners Club card for example, gives you a stunning range of benefits such as unlimited airport lounge access to over 600 lounges globally, unlimited golf training and access to premium golf clubs worldwide and a 24 hour concierge service to take care of all your bookings.
Feeling a bit silly you didn’t get one yet? You’ll probably bury your face in your palms once you’re done reading the rest of this article.
Additional Reading: Pack These International Credit Cards With You While Travelling Abroad
2) Emergencies
If you haven’t experienced a flight cancellation yet, you’re extremely lucky. Either that or you were born with a rabbit’s foot tucked under your arm. In any case, you wouldn’t want to be caught stranded in the middle of an airport somewhere with no money in case you happened to miss your flight, or it just didn’t turn up for some reason.
So, keeping that in mind, why tempt fate when you could so easily circumvent disaster with a simple swipe of a Credit Card. If you’re running short of cash, you could use your card to book yourself onto another flight in the blink of an eye and avoid looking all forlorn in a godforsaken terminal in a godforsaken part of the planet.
If you’re wondering what card would bail you out in such a situation AND give you more bang for your buck, then look no further than the Citi PremierMiles Card, which not only offers you tons of rewards, but also comes with value added services like an instant loan on your card, air accident insurance, balance transfer options and even coverage for loss of card.
You can be sure with a card like this by your side, you can rest easy knowing that you can face emergencies like the ones mentioned above completely prepared.
Additional Reading: 7 Ways To Protect Yourself From Credit Card Theft While Travelling
3) Afford An Exotic Holiday
Sure, you’re probably a veteran at travelling, but how many times have you broken out of your comfort zone and travelled to locations that you could only dream of?
Travelling to the same old destinations year after year could become a drag sooner or later, and if the only thing keeping you from taking a trip to a far off, exotic island somewhere in the Caribbean is the lack of funds, then a Credit Card can get you there before you can rattle off the entire West Indies cricket team.
Now, we aren’t telling you to go berserk and max out your Credit Card so you can hop onto a 5 star luxury cruise and stay in a resort so expensive that would make even Bill Gates baulk. All we’re saying is use your Credit Card responsibly, and only spend as much as you can afford.
Use your Credit Card to book an exotic holiday and you could pay back the amount through easy EMIs, thus putting less strain on you financially. This way you get to go on the vacation you’ve always wanted without having to worry about rustling up the funds to do so.
Additional Reading: Top 7 Island Destinations To Head To In 2017
4) Shopping
If you probably dread taking the family on holiday simply because your knees start quaking every time they ask you to buy something for them, then a Cashback Credit Card will soon put your fears to rest.
Cashback Credit Cards actually reward you for spending. You get amazing rewards every time you use it to shop for anything from clothes, to groceries and everything in between. Some of them even offer gift vouchers after you’ve crossed a certain spend limit on your Credit Card, while others offer cashback on all your dining and movie spends.
With one of these nestled comfortably in your wallet, you can be sure to keep yourself and your family happy at the same time.
Additional Reading: How To Choose The Best Credit Card For You
There you have it. If that doesn’t convince you that a Credit Card could be the perfect travelling companion, then nothing will. So, if you’re interested, then by all means start applying for one. Just make sure you keep your spending in check and be financially responsible at all times.
Bon voyage!