Travel loyalty programs have become essential tools for savvy travelers. Why? Because they help you maximize travel rewards from every journey.

 

Here’s an interesting fact: 72% of travelers choose brands that offer loyalty rewards. This means understanding that these programs can transform your travel experiences. Plus, you’ll save significant money.

 

Read on to learn about the best travel rewards in India and tips to maximize them.

Best Airline Loyalty Programs in India for Travelers

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1. Air India Maharaja Club

Following the merger of Vistara with Air India, completed on November 12, 2024, both airlines’ loyalty programs have combined into the enhanced Maharaja Club. This creates India’s largest frequent flyer program with significant advantages. 

 

Key Benefits:

  • You can earn points flying with Air India or any of the 24 Star Alliance Partner Airlines
  • There are multiple ways to earn points. These include 50+ loyalty partners such as Axis Bank, FNP, IGP, and Zoomcar
  • You can pool points across family members. Plus, extend expiry by 24 months with any Air India flight
  • Four membership tiers offer increasing benefits. These include lounge access and priority services

 

Use the “Claim Missing Points” feature to retroactively claim points for flights taken in the past 12 months, making this program valuable even for existing travelers.

2. IndiGo 6E Rewards

IndiGo and Accor have partnered to integrate their loyalty programs, allowing members to earn and redeem points across both airlines and hotels. This cross-platform earning makes 6E Rewards particularly attractive for frequent domestic travelers.

 

Key Benefits:

  • Earn and redeem points across both IndiGo flights and Accor hotel stays
  • Access to India’s largest domestic airline network with 90+ destinations
  • Seamless integration with international Accor properties for global travel
  • Exclusive member-only deals and personalized offers tailored to travel preferences
  • Priority booking and customer service for 6E Rewards members

3. Emirates Skywards

Emirates Skywards offers excellent connectivity from India to global destinations. The program is particularly valuable for Indian tourists traveling to Europe, America, and Australia via Dubai.

 

Key Benefits:

  • Earn Skywards Miles on Emirates and flydubai flights
  • Four membership tiers: Blue, Silver, Gold, and Platinum
  • Access to Emirates lounges and priority services
  • Miles never expire as long as you earn or redeem every 18 months
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4. Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

KrisFlyer consistently ranks among the world’s best frequent-flyer programs that Indian travelers can access. Singapore serves as an excellent hub for those heading to Southeast Asia and beyond.

 

Key Benefits: 

  • Excellent award availability and reasonable redemption rates
  • Strong partnerships with Star Alliance and other carriers
  • KrisFlyer miles can be earned through various Indian credit card programs
  • Access to Singapore Airlines’ premium cabin experiences

5. British Airways Executive Club

The Executive Club program offers Indian tourists access to Europe and beyond through London. The distance-based award chart can provide exceptional value for short-haul flights.

 

Key Benefits:

  • Avios points with no expiry as long as you earn or redeem every 36 months
  • Excellent partner network, including American Airlines and Iberia
  • Off-peak awards offer significant savings
  • Strong presence in India with direct flights from major cities

6. Etihad Guest

Etihad Guest provides another Middle Eastern option for Indian travelers, with Abu Dhabi serving as a strategic hub for global connections.

 

Key Benefits:

  • Miles and Cash option for flexible redemptions
  • Four membership tiers with increasing benefits
  • Strong partnerships with airline and non-airline partners
  • Access to premium Etihad lounges and services

Premium Hotel Rewards Programs for Indians

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1. Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy consistently ranks among the top travel loyalty programs in India, with NerdWallet valuing Bonvoy points at 2.2 cents each. For Indian tourists, this program offers exceptional value:

 

Point Earning Opportunities:

  • India launched its first hotel co-branded credit card travel rewards program in August 2023. It’s the Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card
  • When you spend Rs. 15 lakhs annually on the card, you get 4 4-night stays at Marriott hotels
  • Travel points can transfer to major credit card programs

2. ITC Club ITC

Club ITC has been one of India’s most transparent, flexible, and easy-to-use loyalty programs for over thirty years, covering 145+ hotels.

 

Point Earning Opportunities:

  • You can earn 2%-8% of eligible spends as Green Points. Here’s the conversion: 1 Green Point = Re. 1 at participating Hotels
  • You can convert Green Points to Marriott Bonvoy Points at a 2:3 ratio
  • You can redeem for International Travel House (ITH) vouchers. These work for flights and car rentals
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3. Taj NeuPass & Epicure

The NeuPass program offers delightful rewards across Taj, Vivanta & SeleQtions hotels. It has thoughtfully curated 4 membership tiers. 
Meanwhile, the paid Epicure membership provides enhanced luxury benefits. This is perfect for frequent Taj guests.

 

Point Earning Opportunities:

  • NeuCoins earnings for stays across all Taj properties
  • Dining and spa bonuses for additional point accumulation
  • Member-exclusive rates and early promotion access
  • Epicure premium earnings for paid membership holders
  • Partner earning through credit cards and lifestyle brands

4. Accor Live Limitless (ALL)

Accor‘s expansion in India through partnerships with Treebo and InterGlobe, targeting 300 hotels by 2030, makes this European hotel giant increasingly relevant for Indian travelers.

 

Point Earning Opportunities:

  • Global network earning across 5,500+ properties worldwide
  • Premium brand bonuses for luxury hotel stays
  • IndiGo partnership for cross-platform earning
  • Lifestyle partner earning through dining and entertainment
  • Credit card partnerships with Indian banks for accelerated earnings

Best Credit Card Travel Rewards in India for Maximizing Rewards

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1. Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card

The Atlas card offers 2.5X EDGE Miles on travel spends. Plus, you get 1:2 redemption across 20+ travel partners.

 

How to optimize your points: 

  • First, earn 5 EDGE Miles per Rs. 100 on Travel EDGE portal, direct airlines, and hotels
  • Next, understand the ti
  • er-based benefits. Gold tier needs Rs. 7.5L spend. Platinum needs Rs. 15L spend
  • Finally, you can achieve up to 20% returns on travel spending when converted to Accor

2. HDFC Bank Premium Cards

The HDFC Infinia Credit Card stands out for international travel. Its foreign currency markup fee is just 2%, and you get 5 reward points for every ₹150 spent.

 

How to optimize your points: 

  • Use the SmartBuy portal for enhanced rewards. You can earn up to 10X points on select categories. These include flights, hotels, and shopping
  • Convert reward points to Air Miles at a 1:1 ratio

3. American Express Cards

American Express Platinum Travel card maintains its reputation. It’s considered the best travel credit card in the country for premium users.

 

How to optimize your points: 

  • Buy Amazon gift cards first
  • Then, load them into the Amazon Pay balance 
  • Finally, use this for bill payments to maximize points. This works despite the limited acceptance of Amex cards

Travel Hacks for Indian Tourists to Maximize Travel Rewards

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1. Strategic Spending Allocation

First, focus on hitting milestone spends. Then, use accelerated earning categories. Finally, leverage high transfer ratios to airline and hotel partners.

 

Here are specific spending strategies:

  • HDFC Infinia: Spend ₹55,000 per month. Break it down like this: ₹25,000 on base spends, ₹15,000 on SmartBuy Flights, ₹7,500 on SmartBuy Hotels
  • Axis Atlas: Focus on travel spends up to Rs. 2 lakh monthly. This maximizes accelerated earning

2. Cross-Program Partnerships

Take advantage of growing partnerships between programs. Here are the most valuable ones:

  • IndiGo-Accor partnership allows earning across flights and hotels
  • ITC-Marriott point conversion provides flexibility

3. Timing Your Redemptions

The timing of your point transfers and redemptions can significantly impact their value. Here’s how to optimize:

  • Monitor transfer bonuses and promotional rates
  • Use credit card reward points during promotional transfer bonuses. This boosts value
  • Plan redemptions during off-peak seasons. You’ll find better availability

4. Status Matching and Challenges

Achieving elite status doesn’t always require starting from scratch. You can leverage existing status or fast-track your way up:

  • Leverage elite status across Star Alliance through the Air India Maharaja Club
  • Pursue hotel status matches between international chains

Takeaway

The key to successful loyalty program participation is simplicity and ease. Complex programs often confuse customers about earning and redeeming points. Start with one airline and one hotel loyalty program, along with a strategic credit card. As you grow more comfortable, you can expand your portfolio.

 

By following these guidelines and staying updated on program changes, Indian travelers can reduce travel costs and enhance their experiences. Sign up for OneAir to help you find the best flight deals and optimize your travel bookings to maximize reward-earning potential.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Start with Air India Maharaja Club since it’s free and covers the largest domestic network. As India’s flag carrier with Star Alliance membership, it offers the most comprehensive benefits for domestic and international travel.

Many Indian credit cards allow point transfers. For example, Axis Atlas offers 1:2 transfer ratios to 20+ partners, while HDFC cards can transfer to various airline and hotel programs. However, transfer ratios and available partners vary by card.

Most programs have expiry policies. Air India Maharaja Club points can be extended by 24 months with any flight. Emirates Skywards and British Airways Avios don’t expire with activity every 18-36 months. Always check specific program terms.

For travel-focused spending, Axis Atlas offers 5 EDGE Miles per Rs. 100 on travel purchases. For general spending with travel benefits, HDFC Infinia provides up to 10X points on SmartBuy platform purchases.

Many programs allow family pooling. Air India Maharaja Club allows point pooling across family members. Marriott Bonvoy and most hotel programs offer similar features. Check individual program terms for specific rules.

Yes, especially Emirates Skywards, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, and British Airways Executive Club. These programs offer excellent connectivity from India and can provide better award availability than purely domestic programs.

Focus on one primary hotel chain for status benefits. Use hotel co-branded credit cards like Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank card. Take advantage of cross-program partnerships like ITC-Marriott point conversions.

Tier points (or elite qualifying points) determine your membership status and benefits. Reward points are used for redemptions like free flights or hotel stays. You typically earn both types simultaneously, but in different quantities.

Calculate the value of lounge access, insurance coverage, and reward-earning potential to gauge if the benefits exceed the fees. Cards like Axis Atlas (Rs. 5,000 fee) can provide 20%+ returns on travel spending for frequent travelers.

Choose credit cards with low forex markup fees (2% or less). HDFC Infinia offers a 2% markup, while some cards like RBL World Safari offer 0% forex fees. This is crucial for optimizing international travel rewards.