India’s flagship carrier Air India has announced a major expansion of its loyalty ecosystem, enabling members of its frequent flyer programme, Maharaja Club, to earn and redeem Maharaja Points on flights operated by Air India Express. The move significantly broadens the programme’s reach across more than 55 destinations spanning South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Asia.
The integration marks another step in the ongoing consolidation and transformation strategy of the Air India Group under the Tata Group, aimed at creating a more seamless travel experience across its full-service and low-cost carriers. The enhancement is expected to strengthen customer engagement by allowing travellers to derive greater value from flights booked across the group’s growing domestic and regional international network.
According to the airline, Maharaja Club members can now earn both Maharaja Points and Tier Points on eligible Air India Express-operated flights booked through Air India and Air India Express websites, mobile applications, and leading travel agents. The eligible flights will also contribute towards tier progression, including minimum flight requirements and Tier Points accumulation for Silver, Gold, and Platinum status levels.
Loyalty Programme Integration Gains Momentum
The latest development comes as Air India continues to reposition Maharaja Club as a unified and lifestyle-oriented loyalty platform following the merger of Flying Returns and Club Vistara into a single programme. The airline had earlier introduced multiple enhancements to the programme in 2026, including lower redemption thresholds, faster tier progression, and expanded partner benefits.
Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer at Air India and Chairman of Air India Express, stated that the expansion responds to a long-standing expectation from frequent flyers seeking greater utility from Maharaja Points across the Air India Group network.
He noted that the increasing scale of the Air India Express network made the introduction of accruals and redemptions both timely and strategically important, while also reinforcing the airline’s ambition to make Maharaja Points a more valuable and widely usable travel currency.
How Members Can Earn Maharaja Points
Under the newly launched framework, members can earn Maharaja Points on all Air India Express flights by entering their Maharaja Club ID during the booking process. At present, the airline clarified that retrospective claims for Air India Express flights are not available during this phase of rollout.
The earning structure applies across several fare categories, including special fares for students, senior citizens, and armed forces personnel. Reward accrual is calculated on the base fare and fuel surcharge component of the ticket.
The points earning model has been aligned closely with Air India’s existing structure to simplify the customer experience.
Maharaja Points Earn Structure for Air India Express Flights
| MAHARAJA POINTS EARN STRUCTURE FOR AIR INDIA EXPRESS FLIGHTS (PER INR 100 SPENT)Bookings made viaRedSilverGoldPlatinumAir India Express website and mobile app8101112Other channels including Traditional and Online Travel Agents (OTAs)68910 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
The airline added that members can currently add or modify their Maharaja Club ID during bookings made through Air India and Air India Express digital platforms, as well as select online travel partners. However, changes to membership IDs are presently not available at airport counters or contact centres.
Award Flight Redemptions Now Available
Maharaja Club members can also redeem points for Air India Express-operated flights through codeshare services carrying Air India’s “AI” flight code. These redemptions are available via the Air India website and mobile application.
For example, travellers searching for routes such as Delhi–Guwahati on Air India’s booking platform may now find Air India Express-operated services listed under Air India flight numbers and redeem Maharaja Points for those journeys.
The airline confirmed that redemption pricing for Air India Express award flights begins at 1,500 Maharaja Points.
Sample Redemption Pricing
| SectorStarting Redemption Price Economy Super Value Fare (in Maharaja Points)Bengaluru-Chennai1,500Dimapur-Guwahati1,500Bengaluru- Kozhikode2,000Bengaluru-Goa2,500Mumbai-Goa2,500Bengaluru-Mumbai4,000Ahmedabad-Kolkata4,500Delhi-Bengaluru7,000Amritsar-Dubai12,000Mumbai-Abu Dhabi12,000Kochi-Bahrain12,000Bengaluru-Bangkok12,000 | |
|---|---|
The new redemption structure aligns with Air India’s broader overhaul of Maharaja Club announced earlier this year, which reduced points requirements across a majority of domestic and international routes while making tier progression easier for frequent travellers.
Additional Benefits Planned in Future Phases
Air India also revealed that subsequent phases of the integration will introduce additional tier-based privileges for Maharaja Club members travelling on Air India Express services. Planned benefits include priority check-in, priority boarding, Fly Prior services, complimentary or discounted seat selection, and increased flexibility through cancellation and rescheduling fee waivers on eligible bookings.
Industry observers view the move as part of Air India’s broader strategy to unify customer experience standards across its network while improving loyalty retention in India’s increasingly competitive aviation market. The expansion of Maharaja Club onto Air India Express also enhances the attractiveness of the programme for domestic and regional travellers who frequently fly short-haul routes.
The integration further strengthens Air India’s efforts to position Maharaja Club as a comprehensive travel rewards ecosystem spanning premium international journeys, domestic connectivity, and low-cost regional travel.
