India is a high vacation spot for a lot of vacationers. You can often discover flight offers to India, particularly in case you are affected person and have versatile journey dates. If you discover a good flight deal, chances are you’ll need to use a bank card journey portal to e-book your flights.
Otherwise, chances are you’ll need to redeem factors and miles for flights to India. This information will talk about a few of the high airline loyalty packages to make use of when reserving award flights between the U.S. and India.
Whether you might be reserving paid flights or award flights, keep in mind to contemplate reserving positioning flights within the U.S. and India. Doing so might unlock extra award choices or higher pricing. Let’s get began.
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ANA Mileage Club
If you are trying to e-book a round-trip award, reserving with ANA Mileage Club could also be a superb choice. ANA is a member of the Star Alliance but in addition companions with some airways exterior Star Alliance, together with Etihad Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
You can redeem ANA miles to fly round-trip between North America and Asia (which incorporates India) on the following charges:
- Economy: 55,000 to 70,000 miles on ANA-operated flights; 80,000 miles on companions.
- Premium economic system: 84,000 to 99,000 miles on ANA-operated flights; not obtainable on companions.
- Business: 100,000 to 115,000 miles on ANA-operated flights; 136,000 miles on companions.
- First: 195,000 to 210,000 miles on ANA-operated flights; 240,000 miles on companions.
You’ll nonetheless pay these charges even if you happen to fly one-way. So you may solely need to take into account ANA Mileage Club if you happen to plan to e-book a round-trip award.
For instance, here is an economic system round-trip award operated by Singapore Airlines you could e-book for 80,000 ANA miles plus 84.30 Singapore Dollars (about $64):
However, taxes and costs are loads larger on ANA-operated awards. Here’s a premium economic system round-trip award operated by ANA you could e-book for 94,000 ANA miles plus 817.90 Singapore {dollars} (about $618):
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If you must earn ANA miles to e-book your award, you possibly can switch American Express Membership Rewards factors at a 1:1 ratio or Marriott Bonvoy factors at a 3:1 ratio (with 5,000 bonus miles for each 60,000 factors transferred).
Related: Quick Points: Book mixed-cabin awards with ANA Mileage Club to stretch your miles
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is another choice for flights between the U.S. and India.
You can redeem for flights on Virgin Atlantic, though the taxes and costs are sometimes too excessive for this to make sense. For instance, take into account the next off-peak awards from New York to Mumbai by way of London:
The award prices leap larger for Virgin Atlantic-operated awards on peak dates, although. Combined with the excessive taxes and costs, these awards will not enchantment to most vacationers.
You may redeem Virgin factors based on off-peak and peak zone-based charts for long-haul flights operated by Air France and KLM. Here’s the pricing it’s best to see for one-way awards between the U.S. and India operated by Air France or KLM:
- Economy: 28,000 factors off-peak to/from japanese U.S., 38,000 factors peak to/from japanese U.S., 31,000 factors off-peak to/from central or western U.S. and 41,000 factors peak to/from central or western U.S.
- Premium economic system (solely on Air France): 56,000 factors off-peak to/from the japanese U.S., 76,000 factors peak to/from the japanese U.S., 62,000 factors off-peak to/from central or western U.S. and 72,000 factors peak to/from central or western U.S.
- Business: 110,000 factors off-peak to/from japanese U.S., 120,000 factors peak to/from japanese U.S., 122,500 factors off-peak to/from central or western U.S. and 132,500 factors peak to/from central or western U.S.
But in follow, the charges you may see for awards operated by Air France and KLM on the Flying Club web site might not match the award chart charges. For instance, these awards operated by Air France and KLM price 27,000 factors (1,000 factors lower than we would anticipate).
If you need to earn Virgin factors, you possibly can leverage the next transferable currencies:
The data for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Related: When and e-book Delta awards with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Flying Blue
The Flying Blue program is another choice for award flights between the U.S. and India. One-way awards between the U.S. and India begin at 35,000 miles in economic system, 65,000 miles in premium economic system and 95,000 miles in enterprise.
For instance, we may e-book the one-way KLM-operated economic system award that prices 27,000 Virgin factors plus $219 (see the earlier part) for 35,000 Flying Blue miles plus $125.
Finding enterprise class awards on the beginning fee of 95,000 miles could be difficult. But you possibly can simply verify award pricing by cabin round your required journey dates by trying on the bar above the outcomes. Unfortunately, as you may see within the one-way enterprise class award instance under, the taxes and costs are reasonably excessive on enterprise class awards.
If you need to earn Flying Blue miles, you possibly can switch any of the next transferable currencies:
Related: This month’s Flying Blue Promo Rewards
Air Canada Aeroplan
Air Canada Aeroplan award costs observe region-based award charts. The U.S. is within the North America area and India is within the Atlantic area. However, most one-way awards between the U.S. and India have a distance of 6,001 to eight,000 miles and therefore are priced as follows:
- Economy: 55,000 to 80,000 factors for Air Canada-operated flights; 55,000 factors for partner-operated flights.
- Premium economic system: 70,000 to 100,000 factors for Air Canada-operated flights; not provided on partner-operated flights.
- Business: 85,000 to 200,000 factors for Air Canada-operated flights; 90,000 factors for partner-operated flights.
- First: 120,000 to 225,000 factors on Air Canada-operated flights; 130,000 factors on partner-operated flights.
However, if you happen to mix Air Canada-operated flights with flights operated by accomplice airways, you may even see totally different pricing.
Aeroplan’s charges are larger than what you may discover with different packages, particularly when you take into account the accomplice reserving charge.
But, if you wish to add in a stopover or have rigid journey dates, chances are you’ll discover that the Aeroplan program is finest to your journey to India. I had little bother discovering accomplice awards pricing as anticipated from main cities within the U.S. to main cities in India.
If you must earn Aeroplan factors for an award, you can use the Aeroplan® Credit Card. However, if you happen to want factors extra urgently, you can leverage the next transferable currencies:
Related: Complete information to Aeroplan’s stopover and routing guidelines
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles is usually a good method to e-book Star Alliance awards between the U.S. and India. You can e-book round-trip promotional awards on Turkish Airlines or its companions between the U.S. and India on the following charges:
- Economy: 68,000 miles.
- Business: 105,000 miles.
- First: 154,000 miles.
You may e-book a one-way promotional award for half the price in miles of a round-trip award. There’s loads of economic system award availability on Turkish Airlines-operated flights from the U.S. to India for 34,000 miles plus $128.80 one-way.
You may discover some availability on Star Alliance companions. For instance, here is a one-way enterprise class award on an Air India-operated flight from New York to Delhi for 52,500 miles plus $277.90.
If you need to earn Turkish miles to e-book an award, you possibly can switch Capital One miles at a 1:1 ratio, Citi ThankYou Rewards factors at a 1:1 ratio (if in case you have the Citi Premier Card or the Citi Prestige Card), Bilt Rewards factors at a 1:1 ratio and Marriott Bonvoy factors at a 3:1 ratio (with 5,000 bonus miles for each 60,000 factors transferred).
Related: 10 issues to learn about flying Turkish Airlines
Avianca LifeMiles
Avianca LifeMiles is another choice you can use if you wish to fly Star Alliance airways between the U.S. and India.
You’ll normally discover one-way Star Alliance awards between the U.S. and India for 47,000 miles in economic system, 90,000 miles in enterprise and 120,000 miles in first.
But one fascinating a part of the Avianca LifeMiles program is the way it costs combined cabin awards. For instance, you can pay simply 3,330 miles extra to fly Air India enterprise class as an alternative of economic system class from Hong Kong to Delhi on the next award.
If you need to earn Avianca LifeMiles, you possibly can switch American Express Membership Rewards factors at a 1:1 ratio, Capital One miles at a 1:1 ratio, Citi ThankYou Rewards factors at a 1:1 ratio (if in case you have the Citi Premier Card or the Citi Prestige Card) and Marriott Bonvoy factors at a 3:1 ratio.
Related: Can’t discover award availability with Avianca LifeMiles? Don’t surrender till you do that trick
United MileagePlus
United MileagePlus gives moderately priced economic system awards between the U.S. and India on most dates. On most dates, you may discover one-way economic system awards for 46,800 miles plus modest taxes and costs. For instance, here is a calendar view of economic system awards from Austin, Texas, to Delhi:
You’ll possible find yourself on Air India if you happen to’re searching for the least-expensive one-stop routing:
But maintain a watch out for different Star Alliance carriers, reminiscent of LOT Polish:
United MileagePlus awards between the U.S. and India are sometimes costly in premium cabins. So until you have quite a lot of United miles, you may possible need to make the most of different packages if you wish to fly in premium cabins. Here’s an instance of a few of the least costly enterprise and firstclass awards I discovered between New York and Delhi:
If you need to earn United miles, you could have a number of choices. For instance, you should use a United bank card or switch rewards from Chase Ultimate Rewards at a 1:1 ratio, Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1.1 ratio (with 5,500 bonus miles for each 60,000 factors transferred) and Bilt Rewards at a 1:1 ratio.
Related: 6 issues you must learn about United Airlines MileagePlus
Alaska Mileage Plan
Alaska Mileage Plan offers some good choices between the U.S. and India. Based on Alaska’s new simplified award chart, you’d anticipate to see one-way awards beginning on the following charges between the U.S. and India:
- Economy: 42,500 miles
- Premium economic system: 55,000 miles.
- Business: 65,000 miles.
- First: 80,000 miles.
But in follow, chances are you’ll discover less-expensive awards while you search on Alaska’s web site. For instance, here is a Japan Airlines-operated economic system award from Seattle to Bangalore for 35,000 miles plus $31.
And here is a Japan Airlines-operated enterprise award from New York to Delhi for 60,000 miles plus $30.
Alaska Mileage Plan could also be very interesting if you wish to construct a stopover into your one-way award. For instance, you possibly can e-book the identical Japan Airlines itinerary proven above with a few week stopover in Tokyo for a similar variety of miles and simply barely larger taxes and costs.
The major draw back of redeeming Alaska miles is the problem chances are you’ll face in incomes Alaska miles. That stated, you possibly can earn miles by Alaska bank cards, the Alaska Mileage Plan procuring portal and by transferring rewards from Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio (with 5,000 bonus miles for each 60,000 factors transferred).
Related: Maximizing redemptions with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
American AAdvantage
Finally, American Airlines AAdvantage offers some good choices between the U.S. and India. You can fly one-way awards that contain American’s companions between the U.S. and India on the following charges:
- Economy: 40,000 miles.
- Premium economic system: 62,500 miles.
- Business: 70,000 miles.
- First: 115,000 miles.
You’ll normally see affordable taxes and costs if you happen to keep away from British Airways-operated flights. Also, American’s massive community throughout the U.S. makes it simple to attach throughout the U.S. in the beginning or finish of your award.
It’s comparatively simple to seek out economic system awards involving American’s companions for 40,000 miles every means. For instance, here is a one-way economic system award on Qatar Airways-operated flights from Los Angeles to Bengaluru for 40,000 miles plus $41.80:
And here is a one-way enterprise class award on Finnair-operated flights from Dallas to Mumbai for 70,000 miles plus $12.30:
The largest draw back of American Airlines AAdvantage awards is that it may be tough to earn American miles. But you possibly can earn miles by American Airlines bank cards, Bask Bank and the AAdvantage procuring portal. Plus, you possibly can switch rewards to AAdvantage from Bilt Rewards at a 1:1 ratio and Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio.
Related: Maximizing redemptions with American Airlines AAdvantage
Bottom line
This information mentioned varied methods to redeem factors and miles for flights to India. The finest program for you’ll depend upon varied elements, together with award availability, what factors and miles you at the moment have and the way you need to fly.
Booking flights is simply the beginning of your journey planning. Luckily, you may also redeem lodge factors in India — and there are some glorious properties to contemplate. For instance, Hyatt’s Alila Fort Bishangarh close to Jaipur is spectacular. You can keep on the world’s solely Category 1 Park Hyatt in Chennai. And the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Agra gives views of the Taj Mahal from its roof-top infinity pool.
If you do not need to plan what to do in India when you e-book your flights, Elsewhere (owned by TPG’s sister model, Lonely Planet) could possibly plan the proper journey for you.