Air India loyalty guide
Air India Maharaja Club
Air India Maharaja Club is Air India's frequent flyer program. It is most useful for regular Air India and Air India Express flyers who want straightforward value through status benefits, Family Pool, award flights, cabin upgrades, and Star Alliance access.
Join cost
Free
Redeem on
Air India, Air India Express, and 25 Star Alliance partners
Status tiers
Red, Silver, Gold, Platinum
Family Pool
Up to 8 family members for INR 500
Earning
How Maharaja Points are earned
You earn both Maharaja Points and Tier Points. Maharaja Points are for redemption, while Tier Points help you move from Red to Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
Air India and Air India Express
Maharaja Points and Tier Points earned per INR 100 spent.
Red
Maharaja
6
Tier
6
6 per INR 100
6 per INR 100
Silver
Maharaja
8
Tier
6
8 per INR 100
6 per INR 100
Gold
Maharaja
9
Tier
6
9 per INR 100
6 per INR 100
Platinum
Maharaja
10
Tier
6
10 per INR 100
6 per INR 100
Other ways to earn
- Earn on Air India, Air India Express, and 25 Star Alliance partner airlines.
- Earn 2 bonus Maharaja Points per INR 100 on direct bookings through the Air India website and app.
- Retail, lifestyle, travel, cruise, and experience partners also earn Maharaja Points.
Bonus points from promotions add to Maharaja Points only. They do not increase Tier Points.
Transfer from cards and bank points
Selected source
AU Bank - Zenith
Transfer ratio
6 : 1 Ratio
Transfers to
Air India Maharaja Points
May take upto 5 days
Tier qualification
How status is earned
Everyone starts at Red. You can qualify through Tier Points or eligible flights, and each tier includes a minimum Air India or Air India Express requirement.
Use either the Tier Points path or the flight count path.
Qualification
Tier Points
Minimum Air India network Tier Points
Flights
Minimum Air India network flights
Tier benefits
What changes as you move up
The program gets more useful as you climb tiers. Silver adds meaningful priority, Gold is the strongest all-round value, and Platinum adds the highest flexibility.
Booking journey
Earn on Air India, Air India Express and Star Alliance airlines
Earn with non-airline partners
Redeem on Air India, Air India Express and Star Alliance
Priority Connect
Award flight flexibility
Seat selection
Upgrade vouchers on renewal or upgrade
Earn on Air India, Air India Express and Star Alliance airlines
Earn with non-airline partners
Redeem on Air India, Air India Express and Star Alliance
Priority Connect
Award flight flexibility
Seat selection
Upgrade vouchers on renewal or upgrade
At airport
Priority waitlist, check-in and boarding
Fly Prior
Extra baggage on Air India
Extra baggage on Star Alliance flights
Lounge access with 1 guest
Priority waitlist, check-in and boarding
Fly Prior
Extra baggage on Air India
Extra baggage on Star Alliance flights
Lounge access with 1 guest
Fare differences still apply where relevant. Upgrade vouchers are awarded on tier upgrade and re-qualification, subject to program terms.
Family Pool
One of the program's best features
If more than one person in the household flies Air India, Family Pool can make this program much easier to use in practice.
Step 1
The Family Head starts the pool from their Maharaja Club account.
Step 2
Pay INR 500 and invite up to 8 eligible family members.
Step 3
After setup, new points earned by members flow to the Family Head account for redemption.
Who can join
Spouse, children, parents, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings-in-law, spouse's parents, and other listed in-laws.
Eligibility
Each invited member must have at least 2 Air India flights with unique PNRs and credited points.
Redemption control
Only the Family Head can redeem pooled points for award flights and cabin upgrades.
Redemption
Best ways to use Maharaja Points
The program is centered on flights and upgrades, with enough flexibility to use a full award or mix cash and points when needed.
Award flights
Redeem on Air India, Air India Express, and Star Alliance partner airlines.
Cabin upgrades
Use points to move into a higher cabin instead of booking a full award ticket.
Cash + Points
Air India lets you combine cash and points when you do not want to cover the full ticket with points.
Air India Express
Redemptions can start from 1,500 Maharaja Points, depending on route and availability.
Award prices
Search sample award flight prices
Use cabin, origin, and destination to check one-way Maharaja award pricing across Air India's current route chart. Taxes and fees are extra.
Bengaluru (BLR) to Ahmedabad (AMD)
Economy Value / one-way / domestic
Points required
4,500
Taxes and fees are extra.
FAQ
Quick answers
Short answers for the questions most readers and AI systems are likely to ask about Maharaja Club.
What is Air India Maharaja Club?
It is Air India's frequent flyer program. You earn Maharaja Points on Air India, Air India Express, Star Alliance, and selected partners, then redeem them for award flights and cabin upgrades.
How do you qualify for Silver, Gold, and Platinum?
Status can be earned through Tier Points or eligible flight counts. Silver starts at 15,000 Tier Points or 20 flights, Gold at 30,000 or 45 flights, and Platinum at 45,000 or 60 flights, with Air India or Air India Express minimums built into each level.
Can families combine Maharaja Points?
Yes. Family Pool lets a Family Head invite up to 8 eligible family members for an INR 500 setup fee, and new points earned after joining are pooled into the Family Head account.
Where can you redeem Maharaja Points?
You can redeem on Air India, Air India Express, and Star Alliance partner airlines. The program also supports cabin upgrades and Cash + Points on eligible Air India bookings.
Which Maharaja Club tier feels most useful?
Gold is the most balanced tier for many travelers because it adds lounge access, guest access, free standard seat selection, upgrade vouchers, and stronger airport benefits without needing Platinum-level flying.