Air India has expanded its Maharaja Club loyalty ecosystem by integrating selected Air India Express flights into the programme, allowing members to earn and redeem reward points across the low-cost carrier’s growing domestic and international network.
The move marks a significant step in the integration of the Air India Group’s passenger offerings under the Tata Group transformation strategy, aimed at creating a more connected and competitive travel ecosystem for customers across full-service and low-cost operations.
Under the expanded programme, Maharaja Club members can now accumulate Maharaja Points and Tier Points when travelling on eligible Air India Express fares, while also redeeming points for award travel across selected routes operated by the airline.
The initiative broadens loyalty access across Air India Express’s network of more than 55 destinations spanning India, South Asia, Southeast Asia and West Asia.
Strengthening Integration Across the Air India Group
The inclusion of Air India Express into the Maharaja Club framework represents another milestone in Air India’s broader efforts to unify customer experience and loyalty benefits across its airline portfolio.
Although Maharaja Club benefits have long been available on Air India’s full-service operations, the same level of integration had not previously extended to Air India Express despite both airlines operating under the same corporate group.
Industry analysts note that integrated loyalty programmes have become increasingly important for airline groups globally as carriers seek to improve customer retention, enhance cross-network engagement and create seamless travel experiences across multiple brands.
Air India said members will now be able to earn Maharaja Points on eligible Air India Express base fares, excluding fuel surcharge and certain additional charges.
Members will also accumulate Tier Points that contribute towards progression across Maharaja Club membership tiers, enabling travellers to achieve elite status more quickly through combined travel activity across both airlines.
Expanded Earning and Redemption Opportunities
The airline stated that Maharaja Club members will earn points based on their membership tier and spending levels.
Red tier members will receive six Maharaja Points per INR 100 spent on eligible bookings, while Silver members will earn eight points, Gold members nine points and Platinum members ten points per INR 100 spent.
All membership categories will also receive six Tier Points for every INR 100 spent on qualifying fares, supporting faster advancement within the loyalty programme.
Air India further announced that passengers booking directly through the Air India Express website or mobile application will receive an additional two bonus Maharaja Points per INR 100 spent, reflecting the airline’s strategy to encourage direct digital bookings and strengthen customer engagement through proprietary sales channels.
The integration also introduces new redemption opportunities across Air India Express routes.
Award flights will begin from 1,500 Maharaja Points onwards on eligible sectors.
According to the airline, redemption examples include Bengaluru–Goa flights starting at 2,500 Maharaja Points, while Pune–Bangkok itineraries will begin from 12,000 Maharaja Points.
The expanded redemption network is expected to provide greater flexibility for leisure and regional travellers seeking value-driven travel options across the airline’s short- and medium-haul operations.
Additional Tier Benefits Planned
Air India said the integration is part of a phased expansion of Maharaja Club benefits across the wider Air India Group ecosystem.
Over the coming months, the airline plans to progressively introduce selected tier-based privileges for eligible Air India Express passengers, including priority check-in, priority boarding, complimentary seat selection and increased flexibility for cancellations and rescheduling.
Industry experts believe the alignment of loyalty benefits across Air India and Air India Express will help the group compete more effectively against both international airline alliances and rapidly expanding low-cost carriers in Asia.
The strategy also reflects growing consumer demand for unified travel experiences where loyalty benefits extend seamlessly across different airline brands within the same group structure.
Supporting Air India’s Transformation Strategy
The expansion of Maharaja Club forms part of Air India’s ongoing transformation and modernisation programme under Tata Group ownership, which has focused on fleet renewal, network expansion, digital upgrades and service enhancements.
The airline has been working to reposition itself as a globally competitive aviation group while strengthening synergies between Air India and Air India Express operations.
Industry observers note that loyalty programmes are increasingly central to airline revenue strategies, customer retention and ancillary sales growth, particularly as competition intensifies across regional and international travel markets.
Air India stated that the latest initiative reflects its commitment to making the Maharaja Club programme more flexible, rewarding and globally competitive while ensuring that a broader range of travel experiences across the Air India Group are integrated into the loyalty ecosystem.
The move is also expected to strengthen customer engagement among India’s rapidly growing outbound and domestic travel segments, particularly younger leisure travellers and frequent regional flyers who increasingly value flexible rewards and cross-network redemption opportunities.
