I mentioned earlier in my full review of the ICICI Bank Jet Sapphiro credit card that it is the most worthwhile card to hold from ICICI Bank. I recently upgraded my ICICI Platinum card to the Jet Sapphiro (Amex) to take advantage of a limited-time promotion: the Double JPMiles offer, which was valid until May 31, 2017.
Double JPMiles Offer
With the Double JPMiles promotion, you receive twice the usual welcome JPmiles. The standard welcome bonus is 10,000 miles; under this offer you get an additional 10,000 miles as an activation bonus, plus the regular miles you earn from spending. You also receive one complimentary Jet Airways domestic base-fare-waived ticket as part of the card benefits.
Here is how the numbers work out if you spend Rs. 1 lakh within 90 days of the card setup date:
- Joining fee: Rs. 5,000 + tax
- Bonus JPMiles: 25,000 miles total (Welcome bonus: 10,000 miles; Activation bonus: 10,000 miles; Regular earn from spending: 5,000 miles)
- Additionally, you receive a complimentary domestic base-fare-waived ticket.
Beyond these benefits, the card offers unlimited complimentary domestic airport lounge access through the Amex lounge program across India. Given these perks, the joining fee can be justified for frequent flyers.
Note: The activation bonus of 10,000 miles is credited only after you complete Rs. 1 lakh of spend within the first 90 days from the card setup date. In my case it was added to my account after roughly four months.
The Upgrade Process
I called customer care to request the upgrade to the Jet Sapphiro Amex card. On the next day I discovered they had upgraded me to a regular Sapphiro card instead. These phone-banking mistakes happen even when you clearly request the Jet version, so I called back and asked them to replace it with the correct Jet Sapphiro.
It took 2–3 days for the new card number to reflect on my account. At one point I had four cards showing on my account due to the incorrect upgrades, but the bank cleared everything over the phone and I received the correct card in about 10 days from the date of the request.
The Card: ICICI Jet Sapphiro American Express Credit Card
ICICI Bank Jet Sapphiro Credit card
The card’s design looks good at first glance, but the physical quality and embossing disappointed me. It lacks the premium feel I expected; from a distance it appears fine, but up close the materials and finish feel ordinary compared with many modern cards.
Important: Amex co-branded cards issue a PIN that cannot be changed online or via IVR. To change the PIN you must request a new PIN to be sent by post.
Redemption of JPMiles
Accumulating over 50k JPmiles with this card is achievable, so deciding how to get the maximum value for those miles is the next step. Good redemptions for JPmiles include:
- Last-minute domestic tickets
- Domestic travel during peak or festive seasons
- Long-haul international first or business class tickets
I haven’t yet finalized how I’ll redeem the JPMiles I expect to accrue. Until now I relied more on my Amex Platinum Travel card, which gives valuable Indigo vouchers that cover most of my domestic travel, so I didn’t feel the need to focus on miles. Now, with this upgrade, it’s time to explore the miles strategy.
Account Upgrade to Wealth Management
An interesting outcome of this card upgrade was that my ICICI savings account was upgraded from “Privilege” to “Wealth Management.” I’m not sure what triggered this—perhaps opting for the premium card prompted it. If you’ve experienced similar account-level upgrades after taking a premium card, it would be interesting to hear about it.
So far, the Wealth Management support has been useful: there is a dedicated toll-free number to reach phone banking without navigating a lengthy IVR, and a single relationship manager can help with both credit card and savings account queries. That convenience has been a positive change.
Overall, the ICICI Jet Sapphiro Amex credit card with the Double JPmiles offer represents a strong value proposition for those targeting JPmiles. It’s an easy way to accrue 25,000 JPmiles with the promotional bonus. How would you redeem that many miles if you had them? Share your thoughts or experiences in the comments.