Air India Maharaja Club: Exclusive Benefits & Membership Perks Explained
Want to fly like a royal? Air India lets you fly like a king! Air India has leveled up after its popular merger with Vistara in 2024. It carried over 60 million customers last year, making it India's largest full-service airline. The airline gets you from point A to point B, but it also offers amazing perks that frequent flyers should check out. If you are someone who travels often, then become a part of the Air India Maharaja Club and travel like a true "Maharaja (AKA King). In this blog, we will discuss the exclusive benefits of the Air India Maharaja Club and all the membership perks you can enjoy. Let's dig in.
What is the Air India Maharaja Club?
Air India has a frequent flyer loyalty program called the Air India Maharaja Club. If you sign up for this program, you can get exclusive benefits. Every time you book a flight with Air India or its 24 Star Alliance Partner Airlines, or spend with Air India's partners, you earn these points. And you can use these points to book your next flight, get cabin upgrades, or enjoy perks from Air India partner brands.
How to Join the Air India Maharaja Club?
Joining the Air India Maharaja Club is a simple and easy process. Follow the steps mentioned below to sign up for the loyalty program.
- Go to the Air India Maharaja Club section on the Air India website and scroll down.
- Click on the "Sign up option, and you will be directed to the Create an account section.
- Here, you have to enter your name, nationality, and DOB.
- Then share your email address and phone number.
- Agree to the terms and conditions and click on Submit.
A verification email will be sent to your inbox. Verify your email and your mobile number, and you are good to go.
How to Earn Air India Maharaja Points
Once you join the Air India Maharaja Club, there are various ways to earn points. We have mentioned the 5 top ways you can earn Maharaja points.
- Joining Bonus: You earn 1000 bonus Maharaja points when you sign up for the program.
- Book flights: Anytime you book an Air India flight, you earn points.
- 24 Star Alliance Partner Airlines: Anytime you book a flight with an Air India partner airline, you earn points.
- Exclusive Partner Brands: You also earn points if you shop from Air India's partner brands.
- Family points: If your family has multiple accounts, then you can all pool your points as well.
- Buy Maharaja Points: In case you are short of points, you can also buy them to get a cabin upgrade or other benefit.
| TIP: You get 2X Maharaja points if you book Air India flights through the official website or app. |
To make things easier for you, we have mentioned a few airlines from the 24 Star Alliance Partner Airlines and some popular Air India Partner Brands.
| Star Alliance Partner Airlines | Air India Partner Brands |
| Lufthansa, United Airlines, Air Canada, Brussels Airlines, Egypt Air, Shenzen Airlines, Swiss Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Air China, Air New Zealand. | Co-branded cards: SBI Card, Standard Chartered, South Indian Bank, IndusInd Bank, Yes Bank, etc |
| Car Rentals: Avis, Discover Cards, Zoomcar | |
| Stays: Onefinerate, The Grand Dragon Ladakh, The Leela Palaces Hotels and Resorts, Evolve Back, Soneva, The Roseate Hotels and Resorts | |
| Experiences: Isango, Sea Life Aquariums, iCRuise, Madame Tussauds, Legoland, Antara River Cruises, GetYourGuide, KidZania |
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| Lifestyle: Zomato, Tata 1mg, Commbitz, Kimirica, Healthians Labs, Kolet, Matrix, United Colors of Benetton, Fitpass, TruefittandHill, Apple, The Bicestor Collection, Ferns and Petals, Sherpa, igp, Tattva. |
Some banks have partnered with Air India to allow their credit card holders to transfer their credit card reward points to the Maharaja Club. These banks include: Yes Bank, AU Small Finance Bank, HDFC Bank, DBS Bank, SBI Card, ICICI Bank, HSBC, and Axis Bank.
How to Redeem the Air India Maharaja Club Points?
You can use Maharaja Points from Air India’s loyalty program to redeem a bunch of benefits. Here are the ways you can redeem your points:
Book Award Flights
Rather than booking with cash, you can use Maharaja Points to book award flights with Air India or any of the 24 Star Alliance partner airlines. To redeem the points, all you have to do is opt for Maharaja points as a method of payment.
- Log in to your Maharaja Club account on the Air India website or mobile app.
- Select your flight, and customize it accordingly.
- During checkout, choose the option to pay with Maharaja Points, Cash + Points, or entirely in points, depending on your balance.
- If you are short on points, you can also buy the points for Rs. 1.50 each.
Get Cabin Upgrades
You can use your points not only to book award flights but also for cabin upgrades. To upgrade your flight, log in to the Air India website using your account. Then start your booking. When booking your flight, choose Maharaja points to upgrade to a higher cabin class where available. As mentioned before, if you are low on points, you can buy them, but remember, points are sold in batches of 100 only.
| TIP: Try to mix cash + points to cover the fare if you don't have enough points, allowing for more flexible redemption. But if you want to buy the points, you can do so as well. Check which method offers you more value and do that. |
Star Alliance Awards and Upgrades
You can redeem your points not only to book Air India flights, but you can also redeem Award Flights with Star Alliance Partner Airlines like Lufthansa, United Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and more. Want to check if you have enough points for the flight? Use the Maharaja Club Points Calculator to check how many points you have that you can use to redeem award flights.
For upgrades, you can go from economy to business or even First Class. However, eligibility to upgrade depends on the class booking and the available upgrade seats on the flight.
Air India Maharaja Club Tiers
Air India Maharaja Club program has four tiers: Red, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Your tier is determined by the points you have (or how frequently you book with Air India). Below, we have created a tier comparison, so you can know more about the benefits that come along with the tiers:
| Tier | Qualification Criteria | Maharaja Points for Rs. 100 spent | Key Benefits |
| Red | Auto-enrollment upon joining | 6 | Earn and redeem points, 1,000 bonus points on first Air India flight, Dedicated customer support, Priority services on Air India flights, Redeem on Air India and Star Alliance Partner Airlines. |
| Silver | 15,000 Tier Points (min. 4,500 on Air India) or 30 flights (min. 4 on Air India) | 8 | All Red benefits + Lounge access, Priority check-in and boarding, Fee waiver on itinerary changes (domestic), Upgrade voucher (domestic), Extra 5 kg/11 lb baggage on Air India |
| Gold | 30,000 Tier Points (min. 9,000 on Air India) or 60 flights (min. 8 on Air India) | 9 | All Silver benefits + Complimentary seat selection, Priority waitlist clearance, “Fly Prior” earlier flight option, Cabin Upgrade (validity- 9 months), Enhanced fee waivers for changes/cancellations, Extra 20 kg/44 lb baggage on Air India |
| Platinum | 45,000 Tier Points (min. 13,500 on Air India) or 90 flights (min. 12 on Air India) | 10 | All Gold benefits + Maximum upgrade vouchers, Highest excess baggage allowance, Maximum fee waivers, Flexible seat selection, Priority support |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I upgrade my Air India Maharaja Club tier?
You can move up the tiers if you earn Maharaja points. You will be enrolled in the Red tier as soon as you sign up. If you reach 15,000 tier points, then you will be upgraded to the Silver tier. It applies to the higher tiers, so on and so forth.
Is there an Air India Maharaja Club Card?
Yes, there is a digital Air India Maharaja Club Membership Card that members get. You can download it from your account. But there is no credit card available for Maharaja Club members. However, Air India has partnered with various credit card companies like Yes Bank, AU Small Finance Bank, HDFC Bank, DBS Bank, SBI Card, ICICI Bank, HSBC, and Axis Bank. You can transfer your credit card points as Maharaja Points.
What is the value of Air India Maharaja Points?
While there is currently no exact value for the Maharaja points, you can check how many Maharaja points your flight is worth and calculate it accordingly. You can find the value in the "Pay by Points section during booking. The value of Air India Maharaja points is dynamic, so check the official website for fresh info. If you want to save more on your flights, you can use Air India coupons available on GrabOn. Use these deals for cheaper flights!
Is there a special baggage allowance for Air India Maharaja Club members?
Yes, Air India offers extra baggage allowance to various Maharaja Club members according to their tiers. Red-tier members get no extra baggage. Silver, Gold, Platinum get 11 lb, 44 lb, and 44 lb extra baggage provision.
Wrapping Up
If you fly frequently and want to get frequent flyer benefits, then the Air India Maharaja Club loyalty program is a solid choice. There is no sign-up fee required. You earn bonus points for joining. Plus, you can earn extra points that you can use for popular Air India partners! So, sign up for the Maharaja Club program and start saving on your flights!
