Air India Enhances Maharaja Club Loyalty Program with New Benefits
Air India Expands Maharaja Club Loyalty Program
Air India has introduced an upgrade to its Maharaja Club loyalty program, enabling members to earn and redeem Maharaja Points on Air India Express flights that serve over 55 destinations in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Asia. This enhancement significantly expands the airline group's rewards ecosystem. The integration of the Air India Express network into the loyalty program aims to provide greater value for frequent flyers. Members can now earn points and Tier Points on eligible Air India Express bookings made via the airline's official websites, mobile applications, and select travel agents.
With this new integration, Maharaja Club members can input their membership ID when booking Air India Express tickets, allowing them to start accumulating Maharaja Points right away. These flights will also contribute to tier upgrades, facilitating quicker movement through the program's status levels. The airline confirmed that eligible journeys on Air India Express will count towards both Tier Points accumulation and the minimum flight requirements necessary for status progression. However, members cannot claim points retrospectively for previous Air India Express flights during this implementation phase.
Passengers booking special fares for students, senior citizens, and armed forces personnel will also be eligible to earn Maharaja Points. The calculation of rewards will be based on the base fare and fuel surcharge.
Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India and Chairman of Air India Express, stated: “We are committed to continuously enhancing the Maharaja Club to ensure that our loyal customers' travel experiences across various destinations significantly contribute to their relationship with the Air India group. The expansion of the Air India Express network makes the introduction of accruals and redemptions on these flights both timely and essential, meeting a long-held expectation of our frequent flyers. This initiative also aims to establish Maharaja Points as a valuable currency over time.”
Varied Reward Rates
The reward structure varies based on the booking method. Members who book directly through the Air India Express website or app can earn more Maharaja Points compared to those who book through online travel agencies or traditional agents. According to the structure, Red tier members can earn 8 points for every INR 100 spent through official channels, while Platinum members can earn up to 12 points. Bookings made through third-party channels will yield slightly lower accrual rates. The airline also noted that Maharaja Club IDs can currently only be added or modified during the online booking process, as airport counters and contact centers do not yet support membership ID updates.
Redemption Options Starting at 1,500 Maharaja Points
Air India has also launched redemption options for select Air India Express-operated flights that carry Air India’s AI designator code under their codeshare agreement. Travelers can redeem Maharaja Points on these eligible flights while searching for flights on the Air India website or mobile app, alongside standard Air India services. Redemption starts at 1,500 Maharaja Points for select domestic routes, including Bengaluru-Chennai and Dimapur-Guwahati. Other redemption examples include Bengaluru-Goa and Mumbai-Goa at 2,500 points, Delhi-Bengaluru at 7,000 points, and international routes such as Amritsar-Dubai, Mumbai-Abu Dhabi, Kochi-Bahrain, and Bengaluru-Bangkok starting at 12,000 points.
Air India has indicated that future phases of this integration will introduce additional benefits for Maharaja Club members flying Air India Express, including priority check-in, priority boarding, seat selection advantages, Fly Prior services, and flexibility with cancellation and rescheduling fee waivers on eligible flights.