BOBCARD doubles Etihad welcome miles as India's only Etihad co-brand
For cards issued 1 July to 31 August 2026, BOBCARD Etihad Guest Premium pays up to 15,000 welcome miles and the base card up to 7,500 — both on ₹50,000 of spend plus the joining fee. SBI's exit left BOBCARD alone in the segment.
BOBCARD has put a limited-period doubling on both Etihad co-brands, for cards issued 1 July to 31 August 2026.
Etihad Guest Premium: the standard 7,500-mile construct doubles — 10,000 miles on ₹25,000 of spend in 60 days (plus the joining fee paid), and 5,000 more at ₹50,000 cumulative in the same window = up to 15,000. Etihad Guest (base): same gates, doubling to up to 7,500. Bonus miles credit after the 60-day window, in the following statement cycle. No cash-out.
The context is what makes this interesting. SBI shut down both its Etihad Guest co-brands earlier this year and Amex cut Etihad Guest as a Membership Rewards transfer partner on 30 June. BOBCARD is now the only issuer in India putting Etihad miles directly on a credit card. A promo run from a monopoly position is not generosity — it is BOBCARD noticing that everyone who wanted Etihad miles just lost their other options.
Our take: 15,000 Etihad miles for ₹50,000 of spend is a fine first-year haul if Abu Dhabi is genuinely on your map — Etihad’s own metal out of India is where these miles work hardest. It is not a reason to open a card for a program you have never flown. Take the promo if you were already applying; do not let a doubled welcome bonus pick your airline for you.