Award route card · one-way
Ahmedabad lost its own US nonstop in 2018, so New York is a Delhi connection — and Air India flies both JFK and Newark from Delhi, on the polar great circle that puts Delhi squarely on the way. Aeroplan books that AI business seat for 90,000, fixed and surcharge-free, in its 6,001–8,000-mile band — the most valuable Star redemption an Indian balance can make. Maharaja prices the same metal at 130,000 business / 40,000 economy: more points for the identical seat. Aeroplan is the whole story here.
The play · business
Feed it: 45,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 90,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 2,25,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
| Program | Metal / routing | Points | Surcharge | All-in ₹ | vs play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Air India via DEL (Star Alliance partner award) — no fuel surcharge | 90,000 | — | ₹90,000 | the play |
| Air India Maharaja Points | Air India via DEL (Star Alliance) — no AI nonstop from Ahmedabad | 1,30,000 | — | ₹1,04,000 | 1.2× |
| Emirates Skywards | Emirates via DXB (one stop) — Classic Rewards, calculator-priced | dynamic | — | — | — |
The play · economy
Feed it: 40,000 IndusInd Reward Points (1:1) · 20,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 40,000 ICICI Reward Points (1:1)
| Program | Metal / routing | Points | Surcharge | All-in ₹ | vs play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air India Maharaja Points | Air India via DEL (Star Alliance) — no AI nonstop from Ahmedabad | 40,000 | — | ₹32,000 | the play |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Air India via DEL (Star Alliance partner award) — no fuel surcharge | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | 1.9× |
All-in ₹ = points × the program's house value (valuation index) + the sourced one-way surcharge; a dash means the carrier doesn't publish it and the ranking counts it ₹0 — the row's note carries the caveat. “Dynamic” rows never compete for the play. Feed-ins come from the same transfer data as the optimizer, multi-hop chains included.
AMD-EWR routed via Delhi (~7,735 flown miles, Delhi on the polar great circle) books in Aeroplan's 6,001-8,000-mile band — 90,000 in business, fixed and with NO fuel surcharge, on Air India's own DEL-Newark widebody. The single most valuable Star redemption available to an Indian balance; 40,000 points under Maharaja for the identical seat.
Feed it: 45,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 90,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 2,25,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
US/Canada business holds at 130,000 on the April-2026 chart, booking AI's own Delhi-New York metal via a Delhi connection. 40,000 points more than Aeroplan books the same seat for — on this corridor Maharaja is simply the costlier way to fly Air India's own widebody.
Feed it: 1,30,000 IndusInd Reward Points (1:1) · 65,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 1,30,000 ICICI Reward Points (1:1)
Emirates flies AMD-DXB nonstop then DXB-Newark, but Skywards prices it off a calculator (lifted ~15% in May-2026) with heavy carrier surcharges on top. Whatever it quotes, Aeroplan's fixed, surcharge-free 90,000 on AI is the seat to beat.
Ways in: Amex Membership Rewards 2:1 · RBL Reward Points 4.8:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy · Axis EDGE Miles 1:1.25 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy
US economy sits at the flat 40,000-point tier, via a Delhi connection on AI metal (AI serves both JFK and Newark from Delhi). Cheaper on points than Aeroplan's 60,000, but AI's award stacks fuel charges Aeroplan waives — a closer call than the headline suggests. Verify the connection prices at the tier.
Feed it: 40,000 IndusInd Reward Points (1:1) · 20,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 40,000 ICICI Reward Points (1:1)
60,000 in the 6,001-8,000-mile band for economy, surcharge-free on the AI Delhi connection. A lot of points for a coach seat, but it undercuts Maharaja's 40,000-point tier only when you count that AI's own award adds fuel charges Aeroplan doesn't — price the total, not just the points.
Feed it: 30,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 60,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 1,50,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)