Air India Expands Maharaja Club Benefits to Air India Express Flights
GURUGRAM, India — Air India has expanded its Maharaja Club loyalty program to include Air India Express flights, allowing members to earn and redeem Maharaja Points across more than 55 additional destinations in South, Southeast and West Asia.
The change gives Maharaja Club members the ability to earn Maharaja Points and Tier Points on eligible Air India Express-operated flights, in addition to Air India services. Members can begin earning points immediately when booking through Air India and Air India Express websites and mobile apps, as well as through major travel agents.
The expansion is part of Air India Group’s broader effort to make Maharaja Points more useful for frequent flyers across the group’s combined network. Eligible Air India Express flights will also count toward tier progression, including minimum flight requirements and Tier Points accumulation.
“Our focus is on continually expanding Maharaja Club in a way that ensures our loyal customers’ travel experiences across destinations contribute meaningfully to their relationship with the Air India group,” said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India, and Chairman, Air India Express. “The growing scale of the Air India Express network makes the introduction of accruals and redemptions on these flights both timely and important, addressing a long-standing expectation of our frequent flyers. It also reflects our aim to build Maharaja Points into a valuable currency over time.”
Members can earn Maharaja Points on Air India Express flights by entering their Maharaja Club ID at the time of booking. Air India said points for Air India Express flights cannot be claimed retroactively during the current phase of the rollout.
Members can add their Maharaja Club ID while booking on Air India and Air India Express platforms, as well as through select online travel partners. The addition or modification of membership IDs is not available at airport counters or contact centers during the current phase.
The accrual structure applies to several fare categories, including special fares for senior citizens, students and armed forces personnel. Reward points will be calculated on the base fare and fuel surcharge.
Members booking through the Air India Express website or mobile app will earn 8 Maharaja Points per INR 100 spent at the Red tier, 10 at Silver, 11 at Gold and 12 at Platinum. Bookings made through other channels, including traditional and online travel agents, will earn 6 points at Red, 8 at Silver, 9 at Gold and 10 at Platinum.
Maharaja Club members can also redeem points for award flights on Air India Express-operated codeshare flights carrying Air India’s “AI” designator code. These redemptions are currently available through the Air India website and mobile app.
Award flights on Air India Express start at 1,500 Maharaja Points. Sample redemption levels include 1,500 points for Bengaluru-Chennai and Dimapur-Guwahati, 2,500 points for Bengaluru-Goa and Mumbai-Goa, 7,000 points for Delhi-Bengaluru, and 12,000 points for select international routes such as Amritsar-Dubai, Mumbai-Abu Dhabi, Kochi-Bahrain and Bengaluru-Bangkok.
Air India said later phases of the integration will extend additional benefits to Maharaja Club members flying Air India Express, including priority check-in, priority boarding, Fly Prior, seat selection, and cancellation and rescheduling fee waivers on eligible flights and services. (Source: IANS)
