Air India has expanded its Maharaja Club loyalty programme to include Air India Express flights, allowing members to earn and redeem Maharaja Points across a network of more than 55 destinations in South, Southeast and West Asia. The move is designed to create a more unified loyalty ecosystem across the Air India Group and enhance the value of the programme for frequent flyers.
Under the new integration, Maharaja Club members can start earning Maharaja Points and Tier Points on eligible Air India Express-operated flights booked through the Air India and Air India Express websites, mobile apps, and major travel agents. These flights will also count toward tier progression, helping members move faster through membership levels by meeting minimum flight requirements and accumulating Tier Points.
Air India Chief Commercial Officer and Air India Express Chairman Nipun Aggarwal said the expansion reflects the airline group’s focus on making travel across its network more rewarding for loyal customers. He said the growing scale of the Air India Express network made it timely to introduce accruals and redemptions on these flights, addressing a long-standing expectation from frequent flyers.
At this stage, members can earn Maharaja Points on all Air India Express flights by entering their Maharaja Club ID during booking. However, retrospective claims for points on past Air India Express flights are not available yet. The earning rules apply to a broad set of fare types, including student, senior citizen and armed forces fares. Points are calculated on the base fare and fuel surcharge, with accrual rates aligned to Air India’s existing programme structure.
The airline has also enabled point redemptions on select Air India Express-operated codeshare flights that carry Air India’s AI designator code. Redemption starts from 1,500 Maharaja Points on select domestic routes. Example routes include Bengaluru-Chennai, Mumbai-Goa and Delhi-Bengaluru, as well as international routes such as Amritsar-Dubai, Mumbai-Abu Dhabi and Bengaluru-Bangkok.
Air India said the integration will be rolled out in phases, with future benefits for Maharaja Club members on Air India Express expected to include priority check-in, priority boarding, seat selection, and greater flexibility through fee waivers for cancellations and rescheduling on eligible services. The airline said the initiative is part of its wider strategy to strengthen customer loyalty and improve connectivity across its growing domestic and international network.
