·
Revisions to Maharaja
Points requirement for Award Flights
and Cabin Upgrades
·
~30% fewer points
requirement in Economy Class on 80% of domestic
routes and 75% of
international routes
·
Faster tier progression with reduced flight
count- thresholds
·
Tier-based free cancellation/rescheduling windows
GURUGRAM : Air India today announced significant enhancements to its Maharaja Club loyalty programme, delivering
substantially greater value, flexibility, and recognition to members.
Rolling out progressively from 1
April 2026, the enhancements are shaped by insights gathered from over a
year of active listening of member feedback.
Key enhancements at a glance:
·
Reduced Maharaja Points requirement for Award Flights and Cabin Upgrades across at
least 90% of routes served by Air India.
·
A new simplified,
tier-based structure for rescheduling and cancellation of Award Flights to provide greater booking flexibility to members.
·
Reductions to the flight count
thresholds to accelerate tier progression for members.
·
Extension of travel
privileges to companions travelling along with members.
Nipun Aggarwal, Chief
Commercial Officer, Air India, said: “Our Maharaja Club members are at the heart of Air India’s ongoing
transformation. These enhancements are designed to ensure that every Maharaja
Point they earn carries more meaning, more flexibility, and more possibility.
They reflect months of listening
to our most frequent flyers,
who were candid about what worked well and where the
programme needed to evolve. We’ve taken that feedback seriously and made changes
that matter most to them, ensuring that Maharaja Club
remains relevant, rewarding, and future-ready.”
More value
than ever on Award Flights
·
Maharaja Club members will now enjoy lower
redemption levels across domestic and international routes, making both quick getaways
and long-haul travels
more rewarding. Award Flights on domestic routes
now start from 1,500 Maharaja
Points, while Cabin Upgrades
begin at 4,000 Maharaja Points.
·
Redemption levels for international travel have been
standardised across regions, making Award Flights more accessible. For example,
one-way Award Flights to anywhere in Europe (including the UK) start from 35,000
Maharaja Points, U.S. and Australia
from 40,000 Maharaja Points, and Canada from 50,000
Maharaja Points.
· Economy Class redemption fares have reduced by ~30% on average across 80% of domestic routes and 75% of international routes.
· Business Class redemption fares have reduced by ~15% on average across 70% of domestic routes and by ~25% on average across 35% of international routes.
·
Premium Economy redemption fares have reduced
by ~13% on average across
30% of domestic routes and by
~12% on average across 17% of international routes.
“By lowering and standardising redemption levels across the network,
we’re ensuring that Maharaja Points deliver far greater value than before”,
said Aggarwal.
While most routes see meaningful reductions in points required, a
small number of routes see no change or a marginal increase. Overall, more than
90% of the network now offers better value than before. These reductions mean
members can access Award Flights more often, redeem points more confidently,
and enjoy greater value from every trip.
Greater flexibility on managing
Award Flights
Cancellations and rescheduling fees for Award Flights (both domestic
and international) will follow a simplified tier-based structure, offering the
maximum flexibility to members. The new structure is designed to provide
greater comfort to frequent travellers when travel plans change.
·
Platinum members can cancel or reschedule free of charge
up to 2 hours before departure
·
Gold members can do so up to 7 days before departure
·
Silver members can do so up to 30 days before departure
Within these windows,
no fees apply and Maharaja
Points will be fully redeposited. Outside the specified windows, a flat 25% fee will apply (charged
in cash for rescheduling or deducted in Maharaja Points for
cancellations). No-show bookings will continue to follow the existing policy
with no refunds permitted.
Additionally, cancellations of upgrades made using Maharaja
Points will now see those points refunded to the member, no questions asked. This change gives members
the confidence to upgrade more freely,
knowing their points remain protected if plans change.
Faster progression through
membership tiers
Air India has now made it easier and quicker
to earn and retain status by reducing
flight-count thresholds for
tier qualification, though the spend-based requirement for tier qualification
remains unchanged:
·
Platinum Tier: Now requires 60 flights (previously 90) including a minimum of 12 Air India Flights
·
Gold Tier: Now requires 45 flights (previously 60) including a minimum of 8 Air India Flights
·
Silver Tier: Now requires 20 flights (previously 30) including a minimum
of 4 Air India Flights
The Tier Points qualification criteria remain unchanged. Flights
taken over the past 365 days will be retrospectively assessed under the new
thresholds, with eligible members automatically upgraded to their qualifying
tier.
Aggarwal added: “We recognise that many of our loyal customers may have found progressing through tiers to be harder than it should
be, especially those flying frequently on domestic or short-haul international
routes. By easing the flight count thresholds, our valued members now have a
more achievable path to the privileges they’ve earned.”
Extending travel privileges to companions of members
Air India will now accord the same travel privileges to companions of Maharaja Club Platinum and Gold
members as they receive as valued members. One co-passenger, if travelling on a
single PNR along with a Platinum or Gold member, will receive priority
check-in, boarding, and baggage handling, in addition to lounge access.
Crediting Maharaja Points
within 2 hours of flight
or sooner
Air India will credit Maharaja
Points earned on Air India flights or those with Star Alliance
partner carriers within 2 hours of flight or sooner. Mahara Club members
now see their Maharaja Points reflected almost instantly, making it easier to
track progress and plan future redemptions.
Continuing the transformation of Maharaja Club
These latest improvements build on the transformation Maharaja
Club has undergone
since its redesign in 2024. Moving from a legacy
miles-based system to a fairer,
spend-based earning structure, Maharaja Club today counts over 10 million members across the
world, offering a simplified and globally benchmarked programme structure, a
slew of member-friendly features, and a rapidly expanding portfolio of
partnerships with world-leading brands across the banking, retail, hospitality,
travel and lifestyle ecosystem, providing members with even more opportunities
to earn and redeem Maharaja Points.