Cleartrip Elite launch: ₹9 flight date change, 20% hotel discount and more | Personal Finance

Cleartrip, a Flipkart company, has launched Elite, a new loyalty programme that offers members benefits including domestic flight date changes for ₹9, hotel discounts and holiday vouchers.

 

The programme is designed around what Cleartrip describes as some of the biggest sources of anxiety for travellers — the possibility of having to change travel plans and the need to compromise on hotels or experiences after spending more on flights.

 

Unlike conventional loyalty programmes with multiple membership tiers and annual fees, Cleartrip says Elite has no membership fee and no tiers. Travellers can unlock Elite benefits after making two bookings within 12 months.

 

What does Cleartrip Elite offer?

  

One of the key benefits is the ability to change the date of an eligible domestic flight booking for ₹9.

 

This could be particularly useful for travellers whose plans are uncertain. Instead of paying the usual applicable airline change charges and fare differences alone, an eligible Elite member can use the ₹9 date-change benefit, subject to the programme’s terms and conditions.

 

For example, if a traveller books a domestic flight for December but later needs to move the trip by a few days, the ₹9 benefit could make the date-change component significantly cheaper. However, travellers should check the applicable terms, including whether any fare difference or other airline charges remain payable.

 

Hotel discount of up to 20%

 

Elite members can also get up to 20% off on three eligible hotel bookings.

 

This is aimed at helping travellers spend less on accommodation after paying for flights.

 

For instance, if an eligible hotel booking costs ₹10,000 and the full 20% discount applies, the saving would be ₹2,000. Across three bookings, the maximum discount would depend on the eligible booking value and the programme’s terms.

 

₹5,000 holiday voucher

 

Elite also comes with a ₹5,000 voucher on holiday packages, subject to eligibility and the applicable terms.

 

For a family planning a holiday package, such a voucher could reduce the overall cost of the trip.

 

However, the ₹5,000 should not be treated as an unconditional cash benefit. Travellers will need to check the conditions attached to the voucher, including the qualifying booking and redemption requirements.

 

Up to 100 SuperCoins cashback

 

Members can receive up to 100 SuperCoins cashback on eligible flight and hotel bookings.

 

The SuperCoins benefit links Cleartrip’s loyalty proposition with the wider Flipkart ecosystem, potentially giving customers another way to use the rewards earned from their travel bookings.

 

Priority 24×7 support

 

Elite members will also receive priority customer support 24×7, according to Cleartrip.

 

For travellers, this could be useful when dealing with changes or problems outside normal business hours, although the exact level of priority and the services covered will depend on the programme’s terms.

 

How do you qualify for Cleartrip Elite?

 

The programme does not require customers to pay a separate membership fee.

 

Instead, Cleartrip says customers can unlock Elite after making two bookings within a 12-month period.

 

This makes the programme different from loyalty programmes that require customers to pay an annual membership fee or reach increasingly higher spending thresholds to unlock additional benefits.

 

There are also no membership tiers under the programme.

 

Flipkart Gold and Myntra Insider members get Elite automatically

 

There is a separate route to Elite membership for existing members of Flipkart’s and Myntra’s loyalty ecosystems.

 

According to Cleartrip, Flipkart Gold and Myntra Insider members will receive Elite benefits by default, without having to complete the two-booking eligibility requirement.

 

This means eligible members of those programmes can access the Cleartrip Elite proposition without first making two qualifying bookings.

 

Why is Cleartrip launching Elite?

 

Cleartrip says the programme is aimed at addressing two common problems faced by travellers.

 

The first is uncertainty around changing travel plans. Travellers may hesitate to book flights because they are worried that a change in plans could make the booking expensive to modify.

 

The second is compromising on hotels and experiences after spending heavily on airfare.

 

Cleartrip’s Chief Growth and Business Officer, Manjari Singhal, said the company’s aim was to reduce these pain points and help travellers make fewer compromises on hotel and travel choices.

 

The company also said it plans to make Elite more personalised over time, using customers’ travel behaviour and preferences to provide support before, during and after trips.

 

Is Elite a conventional loyalty programme?

 

Cleartrip is positioning Elite somewhat differently from traditional airline or travel loyalty programmes.

 

There is no membership fee, no tier structure and no requirement to accumulate points to unlock the core programme. Instead, the basic eligibility milestone is two bookings in 12 months.

 

The benefits are also focused on reducing the cost and friction associated with travel — particularly flight flexibility and hotel spending.

 

For frequent Cleartrip users, the value proposition will therefore depend on whether they are likely to make at least two bookings within a year and whether their bookings qualify for the various benefits.

 

What should travellers check before using the benefits?

 

The headline ₹9 flight date-change benefit and other offers come with terms and conditions.

 

Travellers should check:

 

Which domestic flight bookings qualify for the ₹9 date-change benefit

Whether fare differences have to be paid separately

Which hotels are eligible for the discount

Whether there are maximum discount limits

The validity and redemption conditions for the ₹5,000 holiday voucher

The terms governing SuperCoins cashback

How the two-booking eligibility period is calculated

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