Red
Entry tier (Maharaja Club inheritance)
- Base earning on Air India / Air India Express metal
- Free to join
airline
Air India Express
Star AllianceHUBSCOK · BLR · DEL · BOMLast reviewed May 2026
Redeems on:Air India Express
Air India Express (AIX) is the LCC subsidiary of Air India under Tata Group, with roughly 95 aircraft - primarily 737-800 / 737 MAX - operating out of COK (Kochi), BLR, DEL, and BOM after the AIX Connect merger. AIX falls under the Star Alliance umbrella via parent Air India (post-merger). The loyalty side is in active transition. Currently, AIX bookings reward Tata NeuPass / NeuCoins (the Tata wallet platform). Maharaja Club redemption on AIX flights enabled progressively from April 1, 2026, and AIX earning into Maharaja Club is scheduled to follow later in 2026.
For US readers, AIX has limited direct relevance - it is an LCC with no US service, and there is no separate AIX FFP currency to fund from US flexible programs. The strategic reading: track the parent Air India Maharaja Club program (which IS a Star Alliance member program) for transfer-partner status, and earn United MileagePlus or Aeroplan on Air India metal flights. Once AIX-into-Maharaja Club earning goes live later in 2026, AIX domestic India redemptions will become useful as cheap positioning legs onto a long-haul Air India award routing. Until then, the practical takeaway is wait-and-see: this is the kind of program page that needs a refresh as the integration completes.
Award chart
The actual numbers. Get your nerd on, memorize the cheap ones.
The cheat sheet.
See the rates →
Award chart
The actual numbers. Get your nerd on, memorize the cheap ones.
The cheat sheet.
Air India Express does not publish a separate award chart - redemptions go through Maharaja Club post-April-2026. Sample Maharaja Club pricing on AIX/AI metal:
| Route | Cabin | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic India award (post-April 2026) | Economy | from 1,500 points |
| Domestic India cabin upgrade (post-April 2026) | Upgrade | from 4,000 points |
US-India redemptions: use Star Alliance partners (United MileagePlus, Aeroplan, Turkish Miles and Smiles, ANA Mileage Club) on Air India parent metal. AIX-into-Maharaja Club earning had not gone live as of May 2026; verify status on airindia.com before relying on AIX-side accrual.
Sweet spots
Where your points punch above their weight.
Where this currency genuinely shines.
Show me the picks →
Sweet spots
Where your points punch above their weight.
Where this currency genuinely shines.
- Low direct US-flyer relevance - AIX is LCC with no US service.
- Maharaja Club domestic awards from 1,500 points (post-April-2026 enhancement) become useful as positioning legs onto a long-haul Air India redemption once AIX integration completes.
- For US-India travel, redeem Star Alliance miles (United, Aeroplan, Turkish, ANA) on Air India parent metal.
- AIX cabin upgrades from 4,000 Maharaja Club points post-April-2026 (verify on airindia.com).
- Wait-and-see: revisit AIX-specific redemptions once AIX-into-Maharaja Club earning goes live later 2026.
Tier benefits
The status ladder. 4 rungs, each unlocking better lounges, bags, and bragging rights.
4 status levels.
Climb the ladder →
Tier benefits
The status ladder. 4 rungs, each unlocking better lounges, bags, and bragging rights.
4 status levels.
Silver
Approximately 15,000 tier points; Star Silver tier
- Star Alliance Silver
- Priority check-in
- Bonus earning
Gold
Approximately 30,000 tier points; Star Gold tier
- Star Alliance Gold
- Lounge access globally on same-day Star international
- Priority boarding and baggage
Platinum
Approximately 45,000 tier points; Star Gold tier
- Star Alliance Gold
- Top mileage bonus
- Highest priority on the network
- Companion benefits expanded April 2026
Lounge access
Where to vanish before takeoff. Your status (or ticket) opens which doors.
Who gets in, who doesn't, and the carve-outs.
See the rules →
Lounge access
Where to vanish before takeoff. Your status (or ticket) opens which doors.
Who gets in, who doesn't, and the carve-outs.
AIX is LCC with limited own-brand lounge access. Star Alliance lounge access is available to Maharaja Club Gold-tier members on Air India-operated metal globally. Day-pass access is not a published program.
How to spend
The high-leverage moves. Read this before you transfer a single mile.
The smart-money plays.
Get the playbook →
How to spend
The high-leverage moves. Read this before you transfer a single mile.
The smart-money plays.
- Track the parent Air India Maharaja Club page for transfer-partner status and award chart - that is where US flexible-currency funding will land.
- Earn United MileagePlus or Aeroplan on Air India metal flights via Star Alliance reciprocity.
- AIX-into-Maharaja Club earning is not live yet (scheduled later 2026) - check before assuming credit on AIX bookings.
- NeuCoins from AIX bookings are India-wallet-only - no US-flyer utility.
- Vistara CV points migrated to Maharaja Club at 1:1 (completed) - check old Vistara balances.
Tips & quirks
Stopover rules, surcharges, the stuff nobody tells you until you've been burned once.
The fine print, decoded.
Spill the gotchas →
Tips & quirks
Stopover rules, surcharges, the stuff nobody tells you until you've been burned once.
The fine print, decoded.
- AIX falls under Star Alliance via parent Air India (post-merger) - same alliance umbrella but no separate AIX FFP currency.
- Loyalty in transition: AIX bookings currently earn Tata NeuPass / NeuCoins (India wallet platform).
- Maharaja Club redemption on AIX flights enabled progressively from April 1, 2026.
- AIX earning into Maharaja Club is scheduled later 2026 - not yet live as of May 2026.
- No major US flexible currency transfers into AIX (track parent Maharaja Club page instead).
- Vistara CV points migrated to Maharaja Club at 1:1 (completed) - old Vistara balances are now Maharaja.
- Vistara co-brand cards continue under existing terms until March 31 2026.
- No US-issued AIX co-brand.
- Domestic Maharaja Club awards start at 1,500 points post-April-2026 enhancement.
- AIX is fundamentally an LCC - this page primarily exists for cross-program-consistency until the FFP integration completes.
- Refresh recommended late 2026 once AIX-into-Maharaja Club earning is live.
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Last reviewed: May 2026
Loyalty programs change rules, fees, transfer ratios, and award pricing all the time — sometimes without warning. We do our best to keep these pages current, but the program's own site is always the final word. Always confirm specifics directly with Air India Express before transferring miles or booking an award. Treat anything on this page as a starting point, not a guarantee. Crazy4Points is not responsible for actions taken based on information here — see our Terms of Service for full details.