- Bank of Baroda reduced complimentary airport lounges on BOBCARD from 83 to 33 domestic lounges
- All international terminal lounges were removed from BOBCARD's complimentary access list
- Several premium lounges at Bengaluru airport and others were excluded in the revised list
Bank of Baroda has sharply curtailed complimentary airport lounge access on its BOBCARD credit cards, reducing the number of eligible domestic lounges from 83 to just 33. The revised list removes more than half of the previously available lounges, including all lounges located in international terminals.
The change could affect cardholders who have relied on complimentary lounge access while travelling, particularly those who regularly use premium airport facilities.
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"Coverage just dropped from 83 domestic lounges to 33. More than half lounges are gone. Your card may not work at lounge you used last time. Check the updated list on LoungeInsider before you fly," LoungeInsider reported.
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Among the facilities removed are several premium lounges, including O'Vectra and VIP lounges at Bengaluru airport. All international terminal lounges have also been excluded from the updated list.
The revised list currently covers 33 domestic departure lounges across airports in India. These include facilities operated under brands such as Encalm, Adani, Travel Club and Primus.
BOBCARD: Which Airport Lounges Are Still Available?
The updated complimentary domestic lounge list includes The Lounge at Ahmedabad's Terminal 1; 080 Domestic Lounge West PH 1 at Bengaluru's Terminal 1 and 080 Lounge at Terminal 2; Encalm Lounge at Bhogapuram; Primus Lounge at Bhopal and Chandigarh; Travel Club lounges at Chennai's Terminals 1 and 4; and Travel Club Lounge at Cochin.
The list also includes Blackberry Lounge at Coimbatore, Primus Lounge at Dibrugarh, Travel Club at Goa, The Lounge at Guwahati, Encalm Lounge at Hyderabad, Adani Lounge at Jaipur, Pahun Lounge at Jammu, and Travel Club at Kolkata.
READ | These Credit Cards Still Offer Free Access To Airport Lounges: Do You Own Any?
At Lucknow, the eligible facility is Adani Lounge at Terminal 3. In Mumbai, the list includes Adani Lounge and Good Times Bar at Terminal 1-B, along with Travel Club at Terminal 2. Nagpur has Mandarin Lounge, while Navi Mumbai has Adani Lounge. At New Delhi airport, Encalm lounges at Terminals 1, 2 and 3 remain on the list. Other eligible facilities include Travel Club at Noida, Uttham Lounge at Patna, Elysian Lounge at Pune, Airr Lounge at Ranchi, Pahun Lounge at Srinagar and Adani Lounge at Trivandrum.
Cardholders should check the latest eligible lounge list and the terms applicable to their specific BOBCARD before travelling, as access at a previously eligible airport lounge may no longer be available.
Airport Lounge Access Benefits Face Wider Changes In 2026
The BOBCARD revision comes amid a broader trend of banks tightening complimentary airport lounge access through minimum spending requirements, quarterly visit limits and changes to participating lounge networks. Several issuers have revised their programmes during 2026, linking lounge access more closely to card usage rather than offering it solely on the basis of card ownership.
HDFC Bank introduced a minimum quarterly spending requirement for domestic lounge access on its Regalia Gold credit card from July 1, 2026. Cardholders need to spend at least Rs 60,000 in the preceding calendar quarter to qualify for three complimentary domestic lounge visits in the following quarter. The six annual international lounge visits through Priority Pass remain unchanged.
SBI Card revised access limits for select cards from January 10, 2026, reducing the domestic lounge allowance under the revised programme from eight complimentary visits annually, capped at two per quarter, to four annually, capped at one per quarter. The revised allowance applies to the cards specified in its programme terms.
HDFC Bank also changed its RuPay Platinum debit card lounge programme in 2026. The earlier programme was discontinued from April 1, with a revised arrangement introduced from April 20. Eligible customers can receive two domestic lounge visits annually, one every six months, after spending Rs 20,000 on the debit card during the relevant six-month period. Access is provided through vouchers instead of the earlier direct-swipe process.
Airport lounge access is a benefit for which card issuers pay participating lounge operators. As more credit and debit cards offer the facility and usage increases, the cost of providing complimentary visits also rises. Rising reward payouts also add to the cost of credit card benefits, while pointing to UPI's growing role in high-value spending as another factor influencing issuers' decisions.
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