Vistara flies its last: Club Vistara becomes Maharaja Club
4.5 million Club Vistara members fold into Air India's Maharaja Club at 1:1. The favourite transfer target for Indian card points just moved house.
Vistara operated its final flight on 11 November 2024, and from the next day every operation folded into Air India. On the loyalty side, Club Vistara and Flying Returns merged into a single programme, Maharaja Club, with over 4.5 million members carried across and points transferred 1:1. Transferred balances stay valid for at least a year, and tier status maps straight over — Base to Red, Silver to Silver, Gold to Gold, Platinum to Platinum.
This matters far beyond frequent flyers. Club Vistara was, for years, the most-loved place to send Indian credit-card points — the transfer target behind countless premium-cabin redemptions. Overnight, that target changed its name, its award chart, and its operator. Everyone holding an HDFC, Axis or Amex balance earmarked for a Vistara business seat now has to relearn the map.
Our take: the merger isn’t a devaluation on paper — 1:1 is fair — but concentration is its own risk. India’s premium-cabin points now lean on a single programme’s award chart and availability. Watch Maharaja Club’s pricing closely; when there’s only one game in town, the house sets the odds.