Award sweet spots · from India
We don't index Etihad Guest, and Amex just closed its transfer route (30 Jun 2026) — so this currency now arrives via HSBC, SBI or Axis only. The short-haul story is genuinely good: Delhi/Mumbai to Abu Dhabi in business from ~30,000 miles clears ₹2/mile against 2026 cash fares. The long-haul story is a trap dressed as a chart: "from 75,000 miles" to Europe that reality prices at 100,000+ with ₹44,000 of surcharges. Judge every row against the ₹1/mile community standard.
| Redemption | Points | Surcharge | Typical cash | ₹ / pt | vs index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEL/BOM → AUH, business Saver (one-way) | 30,000 | ₹17,000 | ₹85,000 | ₹2.27 | 2.3× |
| BOM → LHR via AUH, business (one-way) — the trap | 1,00,005 | ₹44,000 | — | — | — |
| DEL/BOM → AUH, economy Saver (one-way) | 13,000 | — | — | — | — |
₹/pt = (typical cash − surcharge) ÷ points, computed only from sourced numbers — the build fails if a row's arithmetic doesn't. A dash means no honest cash anchor exists; the row's note below says why. Dynamic-priced programs are framed as “typical”, never guaranteed.
Chart band (1,001–1,500 mi) prices business at 30,000 miles; a Live From A Lounge booking cleared at 28,000 + ₹17,000 in taxes. 2026 cash J fares on Delhi run $1,000–2,000 one-way — cpp computed at the $1,000 end. A350 Business with a door, 3.5 hours, ₹2.3/mile. Saver space is the catch.
Feed it: HSBC TravelOne 1:1 · SBI MILES ELITE 1:1 · Axis Atlas 1:2 · HDFC 2:1 (Amex route closed 30 Jun 2026)
The chart says 75,000 miles; PointsDojo found nothing below 100,005 in six months of searching, plus ₹44,000+ in surcharges to London (₹72,000+ to New York). Dynamic pricing with a brochure chart on top. We publish it so the "from 75k" marketing doesn't get your points.
Feed it: Don't route long-haul through Etihad Guest; use KrisFlyer or Maharaja instead
13,000 miles by the band, but taxes and surcharges on India–Gulf awards run to a five-figure rupee number that cash economy fares barely exceed. No cpp claimed because no honest anchor survives contact with it. Burn miles on the front of the plane or not at all.
Feed it: Same corridors — but taxes on Gulf awards gut economy value
Live ratios from our transfer data — our points : partner points, exactly as tracked in data/transfer-partners.yaml.