The three golden transfers still worth chasing in 2026
After a brutal year of cuts, these routes still turn Indian card points into premium-cabin seats.
2026 has been a devaluation bloodbath, but a few transfer routes still deliver the outsized value that got you into this hobby in the first place. Three we’d still build a strategy around:
- HDFC Reward Points → KrisFlyer (1:1). Saver business class from South India to Singapore and onward to Europe remains the cleanest way to squeeze ₹2+ per point out of the HDFC stack.
- HDFC → Avios (1:1); Amex runs 2:1. Short-haul distance bands and cross-program movement into Qatar Qsuite keep Avios one of the most flexible currencies available to Indian cardholders.
- Axis EDGE Miles → KrisFlyer (1:2 — every Mile becomes two). That doubling anchors our ₹2 EDGE Mile valuation, and premium-cabin Star Alliance redemptions through KrisFlyer make Atlas miles worth earning.
Our take: the through-line of every one of these is transfer to a specific redemption, then book. The banks have shown, repeatedly, that a program balance is a promise they’ll break. Turn points into seats while the routes are still good.