Booking flights through HDFC SmartBuy is still the usual way to stretch reward points, but the convenience fee on some routes is now large enough to eat a big chunk of the earn — worth checking before you book.
Offer Details
- This is a cost change on SmartBuy flight bookings, not a new bonus
- Reported Delhi–Bangkok one-way convenience fees: EaseMyTrip ₹2,499, Yatra ₹1,999, Goibibo ₹1,079, Cleartrip ₹1,550
- Reported Delhi–Mumbai one-way convenience fees: Goibibo ₹480, Yatra ₹565, Cleartrip ₹420, EaseMyTrip ₹449
- Delhi–Bangkok and Delhi–Dubai are called out as especially expensive
Eligible Cards / Who Can Avail
- Anyone booking flights on HDFC SmartBuy with an eligible HDFC card
- The fee sits on the travel site inside SmartBuy, applying before your card’s reward rate
Benefits
- No extra reward here — the value is in knowing the fee before you pay
- Comparing the four partner sites on the same route can save a few hundred to over a thousand rupees
- Domestic hops have smaller fees but still large relative to a cheap fare
How to Claim / Steps
- Open the same itinerary on each SmartBuy partner and note the convenience fee, not just the base fare
- Add the fee to the ticket price, then estimate the points you’ll actually earn
- If the fee is close to the value of the points, book outside SmartBuy or pick the cheaper partner
Validity / Important Notes
- Fees move by route, partner and date — treat these as a current snapshot
- International one-ways hurt the most
- Recheck at checkout — the final page amount is what matters
If you’ve got a SmartBuy flight in the cart, compare the partner fees today before locking the booking. Seeing similar fees on your route?