Air India’s First Maharaja Club Overhaul – is not what it looks like.

Air India announced what they are calling a major Maharaja Club overhaul on April 1, 2026, effective immediately. The headline – lower redemption rates. Easier tier progression. More flexibility for frequent flyers.

Go ahead. Take a sniff.

The headlines write themselves – and Air India knows it. Slash the floor on enough routes, slap them on a press release and no one will bother to look deep into the closet. What nobody is writing about: on almost every route where the mininum rate came down, the maximum rate went up.

And that is just in Economy.

Step into Business Class, Premium Economy, or First Class, and it seems to look different altogether.

What Changed?

Air India made six changes in this announcement:

Redemption rates were revised across 90% of the network. Economy rates came down on most routes. Business and Premium Economy rates moved in both directions – down on some, up on others.

A new tier-based cancellation and rescheduling structure. Platinum members can cancel or reschedule award flights free up to 2 hours before departure. Gold up to 7 days. Silver up to 30 days. Outside those windows, a flat 25% fee applies.

Flight count thresholds for tier qualification have been reduced. Platinum now requires 60 flights (was 90), Gold 45 (was 60), Silver 20 (was 30). Spend-based thresholds are unchanged. Flights over the past 365 days will be retrospectively assessed – some members may find themselves auto-upgraded.

Companion travel privileges are extended to Platinum and Gold. One co-passenger on the same PNR gets priority check-in, boarding, baggage handling, and lounge access.

Maharaja Points credited within 2 hours of flight completion for Air India and Star Alliance partner flights.

Upgrade cancellations now result in a full points refund, no conditions. Members can upgrade freely knowing their points are protected if plans change.

The redemption rate overhaul is the change that matters most. Let us dig into it.

The New “Award Chart”

The most important structural change seems to be that the new international Economic rates are not entirely route-based anymore. They are flat region-based instead.

Five price points cover the major international Economy routes

• 12,000 points – Gulf, Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia
• 30,000 points – East Asia
• 35,000 points – UK and Europe
• 40,000 points – USA and Australia
• 50,000 points – Canada

Every US destination in the published table – JFK, ORD, SFO, EWR – is exactly 40,000 points. Every Gulf destination – Dubai, Doha, Jeddah, Mauritius, along with South East Asian destinations like Bangkok, Bali – is exactly 12,000 points. This is a complete architectural change from the old structure, where rates varied route by route within the same region. Delhi-San Francisco was 77,000 points. Delhi-Vancouver was 87,000 points. Mumbai-Newark was 67,000 points. All different. All now unified at 40,000-50,000.

Business Class has been similarly standardised on long-haul: 1,00,000 points to Europe and UK, 1,30,000 points to all US and Canada destinations.

Why does this matter? A flat regional rate card is simpler to communicate and easier for members to plan around.

But this is what Air India wants you to believe. To get a true clear picture of the changes you have to dive down and dirty with the data. So let’s do that.

How the New Rates Compare to Other Programmes

This comparison looks at three programmes for booking Air India metal:

Maharaja Club – Air India’s own programme. Points earned via Air India flights and partner credit cards.

Air Canada Aeroplan – Star Alliance programme. One of the most widely used Star Alliance programs in the country with sweet spots for both domestic and international travel.

Singapore KrisFlyer – Star Alliance programme. Another very popular program amongst Indians, particularly for travelling to East Asia.

All rates shown are one-way, lowest available. All Aeroplan and KrisFlyer rates are for Air India-operated flights booked as Star Alliance partner awards.

Full Data – Domestic Routes

For domestic, use the table below. Filter by origin, destination, and cabin. Old and new ranges are shown in full – along with the increase/decrease in both the floor and the ceiling.

What do the numbers tell us?

Economy is the clear winner domestically. Across 122 routes, the average minimum rate dropped by 14.7%. 66 routes got cheaper at the minimum level, 4 got more expensive, and 52 were unchanged. The average max rate however increased by 23.9%. The minimum floor has come down, but the ceiling has gone up.

Premium Economy is the only domestic cabin that got uniformly worse. Across 121 routes, the average min rate increased by 4.4%, with 49 routes more expensive and only 27 cheaper.

Business is mixed but broadly positive. The average min rate dropped 5.1% across 120 routes, with 54 routes cheaper and only 14 more expensive. Max rates moved up by an average of 6.6%.

The Full Data – International Routes

The interactive map below covers major Air India international routes from Delhi and Mumbai. Click any destination to see the full comparison across Economy, Premium Economy, Business, and First Class – with old rates, new rates, and how Aeroplan and KrisFlyer compare on the same route.

What do the numbers tell us?

Middle East

Economy to the Gulf is now tightly clustered across all three programmes. Maharaja Club new (12,000) is marginally cheaper than Aeroplan (12,500) and KrisFlyer (14,500). The reductions from old rates – some routes were as high as 23,000 – are real and meaningful.

Business to the Gulf is where the new Maharaja Club falls apart. Aeroplan prices Gulf Business at 25,000 points. KrisFlyer at 32,000. Maharaja Club new at 50,000 – and that is after an increase from 43,000-46,000.

Southeast Asia

Maharaja Club new at 12,000 Economy is dramatically cheaper than Aeroplan (30,000) and meaningfully cheaper than KrisFlyer (14,500). The Bali reduction from 25,000 to 12,000 is the standout. For anyone wanting to fly Air India Economy to Southeast Asia, this is a genuine improvement.

Japan and East Asia

The Tokyo reduction from 35,000 to 30,000 brings Maharaja Club to exact parity with Aeroplan (30,000) and just below KrisFlyer (32,000).

Europe

For continental Europe in Economy, Maharaja Club new (35,000) and Aeroplan are at near-parity – but it is not uniform. DEL-FRA and DEL-ZRH price at 25,000 on Aeroplan because the direct distance falls in the 2,001-4,000 mile band within the Atlantic zone. DEL-CDG and DEL-AMS price at 35,500 because those routes cross the 4,000 mile threshold. KrisFlyer at 52,000 is never the best option for India-Europe Economy on Air India.

For Business Class, the picture is decisively different. Aeroplan prices Air India Business to Europe at 45,000-60,000 points depending on distance. Maharaja Club prices the same seat at 1,00,000 points. That is a gap of 40,000-55,000 points – 40-55% cheaper via Aeroplan. This is the most lopsided comparison in the entire analysis.

UK – London

Economy went up from 30,000 to 35,000. Aeroplan charges 35,500 for the same route. The new Maharaja Club rate is now slightly lower than than Aeroplan. The only positive: Ahmedabad-London drops from 42,000 to 35,000.

Premium Economy: 66,000 to 85,000 is a 29% increase. Neither Aeroplan nor KrisFlyer offer Premium Economy on partner awards, so this is a Maharaja Club-only cabin.

Business: Maharaja Club at 1,00,000 versus Aeroplan at 60,000. The 40,000 point gap on London Business is the same as for continental Europe. If you are choosing between programmes for a London Business redemption on Air India, Aeroplan is the clear answer for Axis Bank card holders.

North America

North America is where the new Maharaja Club makes its strongest case.

The old rates ranged from 59,000 to 87,000 depending on the destination – an inconsistent and often uncompetitive mess. The new standardised rate of 40,000 one-way to all US destinations and 50,000 to Canada is a genuine step change.

But Aeroplan is also distance-based here, which matters. Delhi-JFK (7,300 miles) falls in the 6,001-8,000 mile band at 55,000 Economy. Delhi-SFO (8,100 miles) crosses into the 8,001+ band at 70,000 Economy. So Maharaja Club at 40,000 flat is 27-43% cheaper than Aeroplan for US Economy depending on the route.

For Business Class: Maharaja Club 1,30,000 versus Aeroplan 90,000 (East Coast/Canada) or 1,10,000 (West Coast). Aeroplan is 15-30% cheaper for Business depending on the route.

For First Class: Maharaja Club 2,70,000 versus Aeroplan 1,30,000-1,40,000. Aeroplan is roughly half the price for First Class to the US.

International – Average Change by Region and Cabin

All figures show average % change in Min (floor) and Max (ceiling) separately.

Middle East (22 routes per cabin)

Economy min improved while the ceiling moved up. Every other cabin got more expensive at both ends.

Southeast Asia (12 routes per cabin)

The most dramatic Min/Max divergence in the dataset. Economy Min dropped 27.2% but the Max ceiling shot up 69.5%.

East Asia – Japan, Korea, China (4 routes per cabin)

The one region where even Economy got more expensive at the Min level – up 34.6% on average. The new standardised 30,000 rate is higher than several old East Asia rates (HKG was 16,000, China routes were 20,000).

Europe (10 routes per cabin)

Economy Min essentially flat. Max went up 45.8% on every Europe route. Every premium cabin more expensive at both ends.

UK (7 routes per cabin)

UK Business is the only international premium cabin where the Min improved across the board – every route cheaper at the min level, down 19.4% on average. The single best premium cabin story in the entire international dataset.

North America (6 routes per cabin)

North America is the standout region. Every cabin except First got cheaper at the Min level. Economy -38.7%, Business -29.5%, Premium Economy -9.4%. First Class is the only exception, up 17.3%.

Canada (2 routes per cabin)

The only region where Economy Max also dropped (-8.6%). Economy and Premium Economy improved at both Min and Max ends.

Australia (1 route – DEL-MEL)

The Verdict – Which Programme, When

Use Maharaja Club when:

• Flying Economy to Southeast Asia, the Gulf, or North America on Air India
• Redeeming for Premium Economy anywhere (Aeroplan and KrisFlyer do not offer PE on partner awards)
• Your points are already sitting in Maharaja Club and the rate is competitive
• Flying domestically

Use Aeroplan when:

• Flying Business Class to Europe, UK, or the US on Air India – savings of 15-55% depending on route
• Flying Business or First Class to the Gulf on Air India – Aeroplan at 25,000 versus Maharaja Club at 50,000
• You are transferring Axis ER points and want flexibility across Star Alliance

KrisFlyer’s role:

KrisFlyer partner rates for Air India are rarely the best option from India. The programme works best for Singapore Airlines-operated flights. For Air India specifically, KrisFlyer sits between Aeroplan and Maharaja Club on most routes without being the clear winner on any of them.

So, finally, is this a revaluation or a devaluation?

Let’s see what the averages reveal.

Economy – improved at the floor, expanded at the ceiling

The average min rate dropped 15.5% across 71 international Economy routes – 44 routes cheaper, 11 more expensive, 16 unchanged. That is the headline Air India is selling.

But on 55 of those same 71 routes, the maximum rate went up. By 39.9% on average.

This matters because of how Air India is currently applying the new rate card. Flights close to departure are being priced at or near the ceiling. Flights booked far out are being priced at or near the floor. While this is fair at the outright, it is uncertain as to how this evolves with time.

We have seen this playbook before. It is how “dynamic” programmes work. The floor is the headline. The ceiling is the business model. Right now, Maharaja Club has a published floor – which is more than you can say for fully dynamic programmes. But the ceiling going up 39.9% on average might be a problem when fare dynamics kick in, and the airline chooses to price them based on demand instead of the departure timeline, as it is right now.

Premium Economy – a straightforward devaluation

No ambiguity here. Across 71 international Premium Economy routes, the average rate increased 35.0%. 50 routes more expensive, only 8 cheaper. The only regions where PE improved were North America and Canada. Everywhere else – Middle East, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Europe, UK, Australia – it went up. If you were hoping to use points for Premium Economy on Air India, this refresh made it significantly harder on most of the network.

Business – a tale of two programmes

The overall Business average Min went up 9.9% across 71 routes – which sounds bad but hides a regional story that cuts in two completely different directions.

Fly to North America or the UK in Business and the refresh actually helped you. North America Business Min dropped 29.5%. UK Business Min dropped 19.4% – the only international premium cabin to improve across the board in an entire region.

Fly to the Gulf, Southeast Asia, East Asia, or Europe in Business and it went the other way. Middle East Business Min up 16.7%. East Asia up 42.6%. Europe up 8.0%.

And the ceiling – the Max rate – went up on 51 of 71 Business routes, by 33.0% on average. Again: the floor moves in both directions depending on region. The ceiling almost always goes up.

First Class – an unambiguous devaluation

There is no way to dress this up. Across all 71 international First Class routes, the average rate increased 58.3%. 58 routes more expensive, zero cheaper, 13 unchanged. Every single region, every single route. Gulf up 48%. East Asia up 115%. Europe up 74%. North America up 17% – the lowest increase in the dataset, and still an increase.

If First Class redemptions were part of your points strategy – the new Maharaja Club has made it meaningfully more expensive across the board. This is not a mixed picture. It is a clean devaluation.

The verdict

Call it what it is. For Economy, it is a partial revaluation with an asterisk, and the value of that lower floor depends on how far in advance you can book (for now). For Premium Economy and First Class, it is a devaluation. For Business, it depends entirely on where you are flying. North America and UK: revaluation. Everywhere else: devaluation.

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