The program isn't limited to Air India alone. Since the airline is part of the Star Alliance network, members can also earn and redeem Maharaja Points on eligible Star Alliance partner airlines, subject to each partner's earning and redemption rules. This makes Maharaja Club useful whether your travel is mostly within India or spread across international destinations.

If you're new to airline rewards, read our Travel Loyalty Programs Explained guide first. 

Why Maharaja Club Matters

Maharaja Club is most rewarding if you regularly fly Air India or transfer reward points from eligible bank partners. Besides Air India flights, members can also earn points with 25 Star Alliance airlines and participating banking partners, making it easier to accumulate enough points for award flights and cabin upgrades. 

Some of the key advantages include:

• Earn Maharaja Points across Air India and 25 Star Alliance partner airlines

• Redeem points for award flights and cabin upgrades

• Transfer reward points from eligible banking partners

• Unlock additional benefits as you move up through elite membership tiers

Like every airline loyalty program, Maharaja Club also has rules around award seat availability, redemption pricing and fare eligibility. Understanding these conditions before redeeming points can help you get significantly better value from the program.

Maharaja Club Membership Tiers Explained

Every new Maharaja Club member starts at the Red tier and can progress to Silver, Gold and Platinum by earning Tier Points or completing eligible Air India flights during a membership year. As you move up the tiers, you'll unlock additional benefits such as priority services, complimentary upgrades, extra baggage allowance and lounge access.

It's important to understand that Maharaja Club uses two different types of points:

• Maharaja Points: Used to redeem award flights, cabin upgrades and other eligible rewards.

• Tier Points: Used only to qualify for a higher membership tier. They cannot be redeemed.

Red Tier Benefits

Everyone who joins Maharaja Club is automatically enrolled in the Red tier. While it's the entry-level membership, it still gives you access to the program's core benefits, including earning and redeeming Maharaja Points.

Silver Tier Benefits

Silver is the first elite tier and introduces practical travel benefits that can make every trip a little smoother. Along with earning more value from your flights, members also receive priority airport services, additional baggage allowance and more flexibility when changing domestic bookings.

You can qualify for Silver status in either of the following ways during a membership year:

• Earn 15,000 Tier Points, including at least 4,500 Tier Points from Air India flights, or

• Complete 20 eligible flights, with at least 4 flights on Air India.

Once you qualify, you'll receive the following benefits:

Gold Tier Benefits

Gold is designed for frequent Air India travellers and adds several premium benefits on top of Silver membership. Besides greater flexibility for ticket changes, Gold members receive lounge access, complimentary seat selection, larger baggage allowances and additional cabin upgrade vouchers.

To qualify for Gold status during a membership year, you must meet either of the following requirements:

• Earn 30,000 Tier Points, including at least 9,000 Tier Points from Air India flights, or

• Complete 45 eligible flights, with at least 8 flights on Air India.

Gold members receive these additional benefits:

Platinum Tier Benefits

Platinum is the highest publicly available Maharaja Club tier and is aimed at Air India's most frequent travellers. Members receive the program's most generous travel benefits, including additional upgrade vouchers, greater ticket flexibility and extended privileges for an accompanying guest.

To qualify for Platinum status during a membership year, you must meet either of the following criteria:

• Earn 45,000 Tier Points, including at least 13,500 Tier Points from Air India flights, or

• Complete 60 eligible flights, with at least 12 flights on Air India.

Platinum members receive all Gold benefits, along with the following additional privileges:

Ways to Earn Maharaja Points

Flying with Air India is the primary way to earn Maharaja Points, but it isn't the only one. Members can also build their balance through eligible Star Alliance flights, direct bookings on Air India's website or app, reward point transfers from participating banks and selected travel and lifestyle partners.

The more of these earning opportunities you combine, the faster you'll accumulate enough points for award flights or cabin upgrades.

Flying with Air India

Every eligible Air India flight earns Maharaja Points based on your membership tier. The higher your tier, the more points you'll earn for every ₹100 spent on the eligible base fare, excluding taxes, fees and other non-qualifying charges. 

In most cases, Maharaja Points are credited within about two hours after completing your Air India flight. Eligible flights operated by Star Alliance partner airlines also earn points, although the earning rate depends on the partner airline and fare class.

Star Alliance Partner Airlines

Your earning opportunities aren't limited to Air India. Since the airline is a member of the Star Alliance network, Maharaja Points can also be earned when travelling with any of the 25 Star Alliance partner airlines, provided the fare is eligible under the partner's earning rules.

This makes Maharaja Club especially useful for travellers who frequently fly international routes served by Star Alliance carriers.

Direct Bookings

Booking directly through Air India's website or mobile app comes with an extra reward. Members earn an additional 2 Maharaja Points for every ₹100 spent, making direct bookings slightly more rewarding than reservations made through third-party travel portals.

If you're booking an Air India flight anyway, using the airline's own booking channels can help you earn points a little faster.

Credit Card Transfers

Several banking partners allow reward points to be transferred into Maharaja Club, including:

• HDFC Bank

• SBI Card

• HSBC

• DBS Bank

• ICICI Bank

• Fi Money

• Yes Bank

Transfer ratios, eligible cards and minimum transfer requirements vary by issuer, so it's worth checking your bank's rewards program before initiating a transfer.

If you hold eligible Axis Bank cards, see our Axis Bank Transfer Partners guide to understand eligible cards and transfer ratios. 

Lifestyle & Travel Partners

Maharaja Points can also be earned beyond flight bookings. Air India has partnered with more than 30 travel and lifestyle brands, giving members additional ways to collect points on eligible transactions.

Some of the better-known partners include:

• Marriott Bonvoy

• Hilton Honors

• World of Hyatt

• Hertz

• Avis

Depending on the partner, points may be earned by booking through Air India's partner portal or by providing your Maharaja Club membership number during the transaction.

Family Pooling Explained

If multiple members of your family regularly fly Air India, Family Pooling can help you reach reward flights faster by combining everyone's earning potential into a single account.

Before a Family Pool can be created, the Family Head and every invited member must first earn Maharaja Points from at least two paid Air India or Air India Express flights booked under two different PNRs. This requirement must be met by everyone joining the pool.

Once eligible, the Family Head can create the pool by logging into their Maharaja Club account on Air India's website and paying a one-time, non-refundable fee of ₹500 (inclusive of GST). After the pool is created, invitations can be sent to eligible family members. Each invitation remains valid for 14 days, and at least one member must accept the invitation within 60 days of creating the pool.

A Family Pool can include the Family Head and up to eight contributing members, allowing a maximum of nine members in total. Once a member joins, 100% of the Maharaja Points they earn are automatically transferred to the Family Head's account, making it easier to accumulate enough points for award flights or upgrades.

It's also worth keeping a few important rules in mind:

• Maharaja Points earned before joining a Family Pool remain in the member's own account and retain their original expiry date.

• Joining a Family Pool does not extend the validity of previously earned points.

• A member can exit the pool only after completing one year from the date of joining. Any Maharaja Points contributed to the pool while they were a member remain with the Family Head after they leave.

Redeeming & Buying Maharaja Points

The real value of Maharaja Club comes from how you redeem your points. Whether you're booking an award flight, upgrading to a higher cabin or simply topping up your balance before a redemption, understanding the available options can help you get better value from every point you earn.

Maharaja Points remain valid for 24 months from the date they're earned. Every eligible paid Air India flight extends the validity of your entire points balance by another 24 months, helping active members keep their points from expiring.

Points can be redeemed for a variety of travel rewards, including:

• Award flights on Air India

• Flights operated by eligible Star Alliance partner airlines

• Award flights on eligible Air India Express codeshare flights, where Maharaja Club redemptions are supported

• Cabin upgrades

• Cash + Points bookings on Air India-operated flights (not available for Star Alliance or Air India Express codeshare bookings)

A few redemption rules are worth knowing before you book:

• Cabin Upgrade Vouchers earned through eligible co-branded credit cards can only be used on Air India-operated flights.

• Points used for an eligible cabin upgrade are refunded if the upgraded booking is cancelled, subject to the applicable cancellation policy and fare rules.

• Benefits such as priority check-in, priority boarding, Fly Prior and tier-based cancellation or rescheduling waivers currently do not apply to Air India Express award flights or codeshare bookings.

Air India currently offers two redemption options:

Value Fare: Designed for travellers who book early. These awards require fewer Maharaja Points but are available in limited inventory.

Prime Fare: Offers greater availability, especially closer to departure, but requires more Maharaja Points than Value Fare.

Since redemption pricing is dynamic, the number of Maharaja Points required varies depending on the route, travel date, cabin class and fare selected. The latest redemption requirement is displayed while searching for award availability through the Maharaja Club booking platform.

Award Flight Cancellation & Rescheduling Policy

If you need to cancel or reschedule an award ticket, the number of Maharaja Points refunded depends on your membership tier and when you submit the request before departure. 

Note: These cancellation and rescheduling benefits apply only to the Maharaja Club member holding the eligible elite status. If multiple passengers are booked under the same PNR, other travellers will not receive these benefits unless they also hold the required Maharaja Club status. 

If you fail to cancel before departure and the booking is treated as a no-show, the standard no-show rules apply and the redeemed points may not be refunded.

If your balance falls slightly short of an award, you also have the option to purchase additional Maharaja Points directly from Air India. Points are available at ₹1.50 per point, with a minimum purchase of 100 points and no maximum purchase limit. Purchased points follow the same validity rules as earned points, remaining valid for 24 months and extending with every eligible paid Air India flight.

Using Travel and Upgrade Vouchers

Cabin Upgrade Vouchers and Complimentary Ticket Vouchers are some of the most valuable benefits available to eligible Maharaja Club members. Instead of redeeming Maharaja Points, these vouchers let you enjoy premium travel benefits, provided seats are available and the booking meets Air India's eligibility rules.

Complimentary Ticket Vouchers cover only the base fare of the ticket. Taxes, surcharges and other applicable charges must still be paid separately, and these bookings can only be made through Air India's Customer Support.

These vouchers aren't limited to the member's own travel. They can also be used to book tickets for friends or family, provided the member is active under the Maharaja Club eligibility requirements.

Cabin Availability

Voucher redemptions are subject to seat availability, so getting your preferred cabin isn't always guaranteed. If the cabin you're looking for isn't available, Air India allows vouchers to be downgraded to a lower cabin by paying a convenience fee:

• ₹500 (inclusive of GST) to downgrade from Premium Economy to Economy.

• ₹750 to downgrade from Business Class to Premium Economy.

Following the Air India-Vistara merger, former Vistara-operated flights now carry AI2XXX flight numbers. Where applicable, eligible co-branded credit card travel vouchers can also be redeemed on these Air India-operated flights, subject to the voucher's terms and seat availability.

Cabin Upgrade Vouchers

Cabin Upgrade Vouchers can be used on eligible revenue tickets as well as tickets booked using Maharaja Points. Depending on availability, members can redeem these vouchers either in advance through Air India's Customer Support or at the airport check-in counter.

Upgrades processed through Air India Customer Support receive the upgraded cabin's baggage allowance, lounge access and inflight meal benefits. If the upgrade is completed at the airport check-in counter, baggage allowance and lounge access remain as per the original cabin class, while meals in the upgraded cabin are subject to availability.

Cabin Upgrade Vouchers can be used on eligible revenue tickets and award tickets booked using Maharaja Points. They cannot be used on bookings made using Complimentary Ticket Vouchers.

Making Maharaja Club Work for You

Maharaja Club is most rewarding if Air India is already your preferred airline or if you regularly fly with Star Alliance carriers. Between flight earnings, bank reward transfers, family pooling and elite tier benefits, there are several ways to build your Maharaja Points balance without relying on flights alone.

The biggest value usually comes from redeeming points for award flights or cabin upgrades rather than letting them expire. Planning your redemptions in advance, booking when award availability opens and making use of partner transfers can help you get significantly more value from the program over time.

If you're looking to maximize your credit card rewards alongside airline loyalty programs, SaveSage helps you track reward points, compare transfer partners and discover better redemption opportunities across multiple cards, all in one place.

FAQs

1. What is Air India Maharaja Club?

Maharaja Club is Air India's official frequent flyer program. Members earn Maharaja Points on eligible Air India and Star Alliance partner flights, as well as through selected banking and travel partners. These points can be redeemed for award flights, cabin upgrades and other eligible travel benefits.

2. How do I join Air India Maharaja Club?

Joining Maharaja Club is free. You can register through Air India's website or mobile app using your email ID and mobile number. Once your account is created, you'll start at the Red tier and can begin earning Maharaja Points on eligible flights and partner transactions.

3. Do Maharaja Points expire?

Yes. Maharaja Points are valid for 24 months from the date they are earned. However, every eligible paid Air India flight extends the validity of your existing points balance by another 24 months, helping active members keep their points from expiring.

4. Can I transfer credit card reward points to Maharaja Club?

Yes. Several banking partners allow reward points to be transferred to Maharaja Club, including HDFC Bank, SBI Card, HSBC, DBS Bank, ICICI Bank, Fi Money and Yes Bank. Transfer ratios, eligible cards and minimum transfer requirements vary by issuer.

5. Is Air India Maharaja Club worth joining?

If you fly Air India even a few times a year or regularly earn transferable credit card rewards, Maharaja Club is worth joining because membership is free. The program lets you redeem Maharaja Points for flights and cabin upgrades while also giving frequent travellers access to additional benefits through Silver, Gold and Platinum membership tiers.