The handbook
The guides that don't expire.
News tells you what changed this week; the Handbook is the standing answer. Long-form, opinionated, and wired to the same data files as the rest of the desk — when a ratio or a cap moves, the guide moves with it. The date on each entry is the last time we re-checked the ground, not the last time we felt like publishing.
The Infinia endgame
HDFC Infinia at ₹12,500 in 2026: the SmartBuy math after the July caps, the ₹18L retention rule, the 1:1 transfer plays, and who should walk away.
The KrisFlyer bible from India
Every route into Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer from Indian cards — exact ratios, the Nov-2025 devaluation math, the saver sweet spots, and the traps.
UPI on a credit card: the RuPay route to travel points
UPI credit runs on RuPay rails only. Which of 21 RuPay-variant cards actually earn, the ₹2,000 interchange quirk, and the three routes to real miles.
Amex Membership Rewards in India, completely
All five MR cards and their milestone engines, the ₹0.50 house value, ShopWise and Reward Multiplier mechanics, the eight transfer routes, and the traps.
The Avios playbook from India
Every Indian route into Avios with exact ratios, the Finnair 1:1 trick, pooling mechanics, the BOM–LHR band math, Qsuite economics, and BA's YQ problem.
Maharaja Club, the post-merger guide
Air India's Maharaja Club after Vistara: the Apr-2026 award cuts and hikes, nine bank routes with real ratios, the 24-month expiry trick, and the sweet spots.