Vistara’s recent partnership with ITC brings two clear advantages: the potential to transfer points and a temporary tier match opportunity between Club Vistara and Club ITC.
Points transfer is an option worth exploring, though it doesn’t look especially attractive right now — I may be wrong, and it deserves a deeper look in the future.
The tier match, however, is compelling. Here are the details.
Tier Match: Club Vistara – Club ITC
Eligible Club Vistara members can apply for an exclusive tier match with Club ITC based on their current Club Vistara tier. This offer applies to members with status through 30-Nov-2020.
Club ITC’s Gold and Silver tiers come with useful benefits. The most notable perks for Gold and Silver include complimentary upgrades to the next room category and, for Gold, no extra charge for an accompanying spouse on certain benefits.
Once you achieve Club ITC Gold, the status remains valid through Dec 2021, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the benefits.
ITC’s portfolio of properties is smaller than some global chains, but their hotels are present in several prime Indian cities and include some standout resorts and heritage properties.
While browsing ITC’s collection I came across an extraordinary property that felt almost otherworldly — certainly a standout compared with typical domestic hotels.
Take a look and judge for yourself.
It’s the Welcomhotel The Savoy, Mussoorie, part of the ITC group. Imagine enjoying upgrades and Gold-tier benefits at a property like this — that’s the main appeal of pursuing the tier match.
The exterior and grounds look stunning, and I’ve added it to my travel wish list, hoping travel becomes easier again soon.
Tier Match Experience
My Club Vistara Gold was due to expire in early October, so I reached out to Club ITC by email in late September and followed up with a phone call to expedite the process.
The initial service response was blunt: they reported receiving over a thousand requests and could not prioritize individual applications.
That curt reply felt jarring after the courteous support I’ve experienced from other premium programmes, but I persisted. I even tried to involve the Amex concierge, though that didn’t accelerate things.
A couple of days later I received a follow-up asking for a physical membership card; apparently, they were not accepting a digital card as proof.
At that point it seemed likely I might miss the tier-match window. However, there was a positive turn of events.
Update:
I ultimately received the Club ITC Gold upgrade along with welcome vouchers.
Bottomline
If you feel your Axis Vistara Infinite card or Vistara benefits are underwhelming — for example, if complimentary flight vouchers have simply had their validity extended — this Club Vistara to Club ITC tier match can provide tangible value.
At present, Axis Vistara Infinite remains a straightforward way to obtain Club Vistara Gold, though that card carries an annual fee of over ₹10,000 plus GST.
What do you think of the Club Vistara to Club ITC tier match? Share your experience or thoughts in the comments below.