FAB Travel Card
A free return flight, then 12% back on travel
at FAB's secure site
See rates & fees.
Rewards rate
This is the rare UAE travel card whose headline perks survive the fine print: the welcome flight is real, the 12% travel rate is real, and the 0% FX fee has no asterisk. What doesn't survive is everyday value — away from flights and hotels the card earns sub-1%, so it belongs in a two-card setup, not alone in your wallet.
Earning and redeeming FAB Rewards
Flight and hotel spend — airline, hotel and accommodation MCCs, home or abroad — earns 41 FAB Rewards per 1, which FAB markets as 12% cashback. Two conditions gate it: you must have spent 5,000 on the card in the previous month, and earning stops at 1,800 of value (562,500 Rewards) per month across all categories. Other domestic spend earns 3 Rewards per (about 0.9%), while supermarkets, fuel, telecom, education, government, utilities, insurance and fast food earn a token 0.5.
The sharpest edge: international spend outside flights and hotels earns no Rewards at all — you shop abroad fee-free, but rewards-free too. Redemption runs through the FAB Mobile app, with cashback among the options and values varying by redemption type. The free flights sit outside the points system entirely: one welcome economy return ticket on activation, and another each year you clear 300,000 in spend.
Rates and fees
- Annual fee
- 1,575 incl. VAT; supplementary cards free
- Minimum salary
- 20,000 per month
- Interest rate
- 3.99% per month on retail purchases (47.88% APR)
- Foreign transaction fee
- 0% — no international transaction fee and no scheme charges
- Cash advance
- Up to 3.15% plus VAT, minimum 157.50
- Late payment / overlimit
- 241.50 / 303.18
Rates per FAB's Schedule of Fees, inclusive of VAT unless noted; verified August 2026 and subject to change by the bank.
Card benefits
Free return flight
One economy return ticket to 15+ destinations on activation, and again every year you spend 300,000+. Fulfilled by Mastercard via SMS code.
12% back on travel bookings
41 FAB Rewards per on flights and hotels, up to 1,800/month, after 5,000 spend the previous month.
True 0% FX fees
No international transaction fee and no hidden scheme charges on foreign-currency spend, abroad or online.
1,000+ airport lounges
14 DragonPass/Travel Pass visits a year shared with your first guest, plus 6 second-guest visits in 5,000+ spend months.
USD 500,000 travel cover
World Elite medical, evacuation and accident insurance, baggage and trip disruption cover, plus rental car collision waiver.
Airport extras and concierge
4 Careem airport rides, 3 fast-track passes and 3 Flexiroam roaming GB per year, with 24/7 WhatsApp concierge.
Pros and cons
- Free economy return flight on activation, and yearly with 300,000 annual spend
- 12% back in FAB Rewards on flight and hotel bookings is a market-leading travel rate
- Genuine 0% international transaction fee — no hidden scheme or bank charges
- World Elite package: 14 lounge visits, Careem airport rides, fast-track, Flexiroam data and USD 500,000 travel medical cover
- 1,575 annual fee and a steep 20,000 minimum salary
- The 12% travel rate needs 5,000 spend in the previous month and caps at 1,800/month
- Everyday earning is weak — about 0.9% domestically and near-zero on fuel, groceries-adjacent and bills
- No rewards at all on international spend other than flights and hotels
- The renewal free flight demands 300,000 a year — most cardholders will only ever get the welcome ticket
Is it right for you?
Get this card if
- You fly several times a year and book flights and hotels on your own card
- You spend heavily in foreign currency and want a genuine 0% FX card
- You earn 20,000+ and can reliably spend 5,000 a month to keep the 12% rate live
Consider skipping it if
- You want one card for everything — daily earn is under 1% and essentials earn almost nothing
- Your travel is mostly on one airline where a co-brand card's status perks pay better
- You can't justify 1,575 a year against one welcome flight and capped travel cashback
Alternatives to consider
Emirates NBD's Skywards Infinite converts spend into Skywards Miles with airline status perks the FAB Travel Card can't match.
Best Emirates Skywards cards →
FAB's Etihad Guest Signature earns Etihad Guest Miles at the same fee level, trading flexibility for airline-specific value.
Best Etihad Guest cards →
The FAB Cashback Card pays 5% on groceries, fashion and dining at a fraction of the fee — the natural everyday partner to this card.
Best cashback cards →Not sure which way to go? Put them side by side in our card comparison tool or browse the full ranked list.
Frequently asked questions
How does the FAB Travel Card free flight work?+
On activation you get one free economy return ticket to a choice of 15+ destinations (including London, Paris, Istanbul, Baku, Tbilisi and Mumbai), subject to paying the annual membership fee. FAB sends a unique code by SMS 45 days after activation and you must register it within 30 days. After that, you earn one free return ticket each year you spend more than AED 300,000 on the card in the previous calendar year.
What does the FAB Travel Card earn on spending?+
Flight and hotel spend earns 41 FAB Rewards per AED 1 — marketed as 12% cashback — provided you spent at least AED 5,000 on the card the previous month, capped at AED 1,800 per month across categories. Other domestic spend earns 3 FAB Rewards per AED 1, and categories like supermarkets, fuel, telecom, education, government and utilities earn just 0.5. International spend outside flights and hotels earns no rewards.
Does the FAB Travel Card really have no foreign transaction fees?+
Yes. FAB's Schedule of Fees confirms the Travel Card is a true 0% on international transaction fees, with no added scheme or bank charges — unusual even among UAE premium cards.
What lounge access does the card include?+
Access to 1,000+ lounges through the DragonPass/Mastercard Travel Pass program: 14 visits per calendar year shared between you and your first guest, plus 6 visits for a second guest in months where you spend AED 5,000+. Mastercard also requires a small cross-border transaction (USD 1+) to unlock access, managed through the Travel Pass app.
What are the annual fee and minimum salary?+
AED 1,575 including VAT per year (the page displays AED 1,500 before VAT), with free supplementary cards, and a minimum monthly salary of AED 20,000.
What insurance comes with the card?+
World Elite Mastercard travel insurance: up to USD 500,000 each for personal accident, medical emergency expenses and evacuation, USD 100/day hospital cash, baggage loss up to USD 3,000, trip cancellation or curtailment up to USD 7,500, and rental car collision/loss damage waiver. Visiting parents and children are covered when trips are paid on the card.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank or card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.