Award flight · one-way
Chicago, and the same southern cliff. Bengaluru–Chicago has no nonstop, and nor does anywhere else in India right now — Air India suspended Delhi–Chicago on 1-Jun-2026 and confirmed on 18-Jul-2026 it stays down past September, so every Chicago award on this board connects on somebody else's metal. At 8,516 miles every Star routing trips Aeroplan's 8,000-mile line, so business is 110,000, where the Delhi reader pays 90,000 for most of the same trip. The fixed floors hold: 70,000 AAdvantage Qsuite via Doha, 68,000 ANA on Lufthansa via Frankfurt, both gated by Bonvoy 3:1. Cathay's Asia Miles slips in at 38,000 economy via Hong Kong. KrisFlyer will sell the same Star metal for 147,500 — real, and twice the price of the seat next to it.
The play · economy
Which card mints this?
+7 more ways in — the full funnel, ratios and ₹/mile side by side →
One of your cards is in those 7 — see it in the funnel →
| Program | Metal / routing | Points | Surcharge | All-in ₹ | vs play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cathay Asia Miles the play | Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong (oneworld), Standard award | 38,000 | — | ₹38,000 | the play |
| Air India Maharaja Points | Air India via DEL (BLR–DEL–ORD, mainline one award — Star Alliance) — unbookable until Air India's Chicago service resumes: DEL–ORD suspended 1-Jun-2026 with no resumption date (widebody shortage; the airline confirmed on 18-Jul-2026 it stays down past September), Value tier | ~40,000 est. | — | ₹32,000 | 0.8× |
| Air Europa SUMA | SkyTeam partner metal (AF/KLM), India→North America — Air Europa SUMA | 48,000 | — | ₹38,400 | 1.0× |
| ANA Mileage Club | Star-partner award on Lufthansa via Frankfurt (BLR–FRA–ORD) — Air India's DEL–ORD nonstop is suspended, so Lufthansa is the one Star carrier holding both ends; one-way bookable since 24-Jun-2025 | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 1.1× |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | Qatar Airways via Doha (oneworld partner award) — or Japan Airlines via NRT | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 1.1× |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — Copa ConnectMiles (fixed region chart) | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 1.1× |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | Star Alliance metal (LH partner metal — CA itself flies only Delhi from India), India→North America — Air China PhoenixMiles | ~45,000 est. | — | ₹40,500 | 1.1× |
| Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards | British Airways via LHR (oneworld partner award), India→North America — Alaska Atmos | 42,500 | — | ₹42,500 | 1.1× |
| China Eastern Miles | SkyTeam metal (AF/KLM), India→North America — China Eastern Eastern Miles | ~55,000 est. | — | ₹46,750 | 1.2× |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — Avianca LifeMiles | ~47,000 est. | — | ₹47,000 | 1.2× |
| SAS EuroBonus | SkyTeam metal (AF/KLM), India→North America — SAS EuroBonus | 54,000 | — | ₹48,600 | 1.3× |
| Aegean Miles+Bonus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — Aegean Miles+Bonus | 50,000 | — | ₹50,000 | 1.3× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | Air France / KLM / SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — via AMS | ~55,000 est. | — | ₹55,000 | 1.4× |
| United MileagePlus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — United MileagePlus | ~60,000 est. | — | ₹60,000 | 1.6× |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | Star Alliance metal (LH — EVA itself serves no Indian city; the award rides partner metal), India→North America — EVA Infinity MileageLands | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | 1.6× |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — TAP Miles&Go | 80,000 | — | ₹64,000 | 1.7× |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Star-partner Lufthansa via Frankfurt (Saver) — Zone 6→13 — Singapore Airlines has no Chicago door of its own | 65,500 | — | ₹72,050 | 1.9× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Ethiopian Airlines via ADD (Star Alliance partner award) | 75,000 | — | ₹75,000 | 2.0× |
| Delta SkyMiles | SkyTeam partner metal (AF/KLM), India→North America — Delta SkyMiles (dynamic) | ~75,000 est. | — | ₹75,000 | 2.0× |
| Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles | KLM via AMS (BLR–AMS–ORD) — Vietnam LotusMiles | 85,000 | — | ₹85,000 | 2.2× |
The play · business
Which card mints this?
+7 more ways in — the full funnel, ratios and ₹/mile side by side →
One of your cards is in those 7 — see it in the funnel →
| Program | Metal / routing | Points | Surcharge | All-in ₹ | vs play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANA Mileage Club the play | Star-partner award on Lufthansa via Frankfurt (BLR–FRA–ORD) — Air India's DEL–ORD nonstop is suspended, so Lufthansa is the one Star carrier holding both ends; one-way bookable since 24-Jun-2025 | 68,000 | — | ₹68,000 | the play |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | Star Alliance metal (LH partner metal — CA itself flies only Delhi from India), India→North America — Air China PhoenixMiles | ~75,000 est. | — | ₹67,500 | 1.0× |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | Qatar Qsuite via Doha (oneworld partner award) — or Japan Airlines via NRT | 70,000 | — | ₹70,000 | 1.0× |
| Aegean Miles+Bonus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — Aegean Miles+Bonus | 75,000 | — | ₹75,000 | 1.1× |
| Air Europa SUMA | SkyTeam partner metal (AF/KLM), India→North America — Air Europa SUMA | 95,000 | — | ₹76,000 | 1.1× |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — Copa ConnectMiles (fixed region chart) | 80,000 | — | ₹80,000 | 1.2× |
| Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards | British Airways via LHR (oneworld partner award), India→North America — Alaska Atmos | 85,000 | — | ₹85,000 | 1.3× |
| China Eastern Miles | SkyTeam metal (AF/KLM), India→North America — China Eastern Eastern Miles | ~100,000 est. | — | ₹85,000 | 1.3× |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — Avianca LifeMiles | ~90,000 est. | — | ₹90,000 | 1.3× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | Air France via Paris / KLM via Amsterdam (one stop) — dynamic pricing | ~95,000 est. | — | ₹95,000 | 1.4× |
| SAS EuroBonus | SkyTeam metal (AF/KLM), India→North America — SAS EuroBonus | 108,000 | — | ₹97,200 | 1.4× |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | Star Alliance metal (LH — EVA itself serves no Indian city; the award rides partner metal), India→North America — EVA Infinity MileageLands | 97,500 | — | ₹97,500 | 1.4× |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — TAP Miles&Go | 125,000 | — | ₹1,00,000 | 1.5× |
| Air India Maharaja Points | Air India via DEL (BLR–DEL–ORD, mainline one award — Star Alliance) — unbookable until Air India's Chicago service resumes: DEL–ORD suspended 1-Jun-2026 with no resumption date (widebody shortage; the airline confirmed on 18-Jul-2026 it stays down past September), Value tier | ~130,000 est. | — | ₹1,04,000 | 1.5× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Ethiopian Airlines via ADD (Star Alliance partner award) | 110,000 | — | ₹1,10,000 | 1.6× |
| United MileagePlus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — United MileagePlus | ~110,000 est. | — | ₹1,10,000 | 1.6× |
| Cathay Asia Miles | Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong (oneworld), Standard award | 119,000 | — | ₹1,19,000 | 1.8× |
| Etihad Guest | Etihad via Abu Dhabi (one stop) — dynamic, the documented trap | ~120,000 est. | — | ₹1,20,000 | 1.8× |
| Emirates Skywards | Emirates via Dubai — Classic Rewards, calculator-priced | ~146,000 est. | — | ₹1,31,400 | 1.9× |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Star-partner Lufthansa via Frankfurt (Saver) — Zone 6→13 — Singapore Airlines has no Chicago door of its own | 147,500 | — | ₹1,62,250 | 2.4× |
| Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles | KLM via AMS (BLR–AMS–ORD) — Vietnam LotusMiles | 170,000 | — | ₹1,70,000 | 2.5× |
| Delta SkyMiles | SkyTeam partner metal (AF/KLM), India→North America — Delta SkyMiles (dynamic) | ~230,000 est. | — | ₹2,30,000 | 3.4× |
The play · first
Which card mints this?
+7 more ways in — the full funnel, ratios and ₹/mile side by side →
One of your cards is in those 7 — see it in the funnel →
| Program | Metal / routing | Points | Surcharge | All-in ₹ | vs play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage the play | British Airways First via London (oneworld partner award) — or Japan Airlines via NRT | 115,000 | — | ₹1,15,000 | the play |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (13,706 km) — Ethiopian Airlines via ADD | 165,000 | — | ₹1,65,000 | 1.4× |
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. That surcharge is the airline's own cash charge on an award — YQ, as the notes below call it — and it is not the fuel-surcharge waiver your credit card advertises: that one hands back a hundred rupees or two at a petrol pump, this one runs to tens of thousands and decides whether the award is worth taking at all. “Dynamic” and estimated (~… est.) rows never compete for the play — the crown is always a verified, bookable price. Feed-ins come from the same transfer data as the optimizer, multi-hop chains included.
Chart-priced, not live seats. These prices are read off each programme’s published award chart and valued at our own house ₹/point. 37% of the 39,855 priced options on the board are stated estimates for programmes that publish no chart; they are marked ~ est. and never crowned the play. Nobody here can see whether a seat exists on your date — confirm the space with the programme before you transfer. Points that leave your issuer do not come back.
The cash on top of the miles. Cathay Asia Miles, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Etihad Guest and Emirates Skywards state that a carrier-imposed surcharge is charged on an award. Air India Maharaja Points, American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards, China Eastern Miles, United MileagePlus, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles make you liable for one if the operating airline levies it, without saying whether it does. Air Canada Aeroplan states it adds none on its own metal. Government taxes and airport charges are payable in every case. Almost no programme publishes the amount, so the desk carries each one’s policy in its own words — on its programme hub — rather than a number nobody published. 10 other programmes priced here publish nothing the desk could read.
Cathay Pacific oneworld
BLR–HKG–ORD totals ~10,240 miles — the 7,501+ band, 38,000 Standard one-way with layovers counted, 2,000 under the Air India tier floor. Reconstructed post-May-2026 chart, capped Standard space, SBI 1:1 feed; the corridor's cheapest published economy when Value space is gone.
Feed it: 76,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 38,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 198,000 RBL Reward Points (5.21:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Air India Star Alliance
Region-tier award: North America 40,000 floor in economy, BLR–DEL–ORD all AI mainline (feeder included, not summed). Chicago isn't printed separately; 40k is the documented tier floor.
Estimate Air India publishes no award chart. Its own Points Calculator states that “Fares indicated above are dependent on the time of booking and seat availability”, and Maharaja Club prices every award either as a Value fare (the discounted rate for booking well in advance) or as a higher Prime fare closer to departure. This number is the Value-fare floor as sampled after the April-2026 repricing — not a published chart cell: Value space is not always available on a given flight, and the same seat prices higher once it is gone. Pricing model re-verified against Air India’s Maharaja Club T&C and Points Calculator on 2026-08-09.
Feed it: 40,000 IndusInd Reward Points (1:1) · 20,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 40,000 ICICI Reward Points (1:1)
Air FranceKLM SkyTeam
Air Europa SUMA prices SkyTeam partner metal off a five-band ONE-WAY distance chart: 0–600 mi 6k/12k · 601–1,250 12k/24k · 1,251–1,750 15k/30k · 1,751–3,500 32k/64k · over 3,500 48k/95k (economy/business). This corridor reads the over-3,500 mi band. The 2020 chart that made India→Europe a 51k business steal is gone — the short Gulf hops are where SUMA is now cheap. Partner awards are SUMA call-centre only, paid entirely in Miles, and non-refundable.
Feed it: 48,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 96,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 240,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
Lufthansa Star Alliance
ANA's partner chart prices the whole Zone 4 ⇄ Zone 6 pair — India to anywhere in North America, Canada and Mexico included — at 40,000 one-way in economy and 68,000 in business (80,000 / 136,000 round-trip), season-blind and distance-blind, with the one-way cell published since 24-Jun-2025. It wants a single Star partner end to end (Lufthansa here, via Frankfurt — Air India's Chicago service is suspended); ANA's own metal via Tokyo is dearer in business at 71,500. The cell is written "to/from" — the same number in both directions. Fuel surcharges apply and Marriott Bonvoy 3:1 is the only Indian road in; miles expire in 36 months.
Feed it: 105,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.63:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 210,000 RBL Reward Points (5.25:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 70,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.75:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Qatar AirwaysJapan Airlines oneworld
40,000 on AA's published Contiguous-48 ⇄ Indian Subcontinent chart, BLR–DOH–ORD on Qatar metal (Qatar flies Doha–Chicago nonstop). Same price as the Air India tier floor with a stop added. Bonvoy 3:1 funds it — see /transfers/to/american-aadvantage.
Feed it: 120,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 240,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 80,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Star Alliance
Copa ConnectMiles prices Star partner metal off its FIXED region chart (India sits in Copa’s "Central Asia" zone). Standout value — India→Europe 45k business, India→Sub-Saharan Africa 17.5k economy on Ethiopian (Cairo is a dearer 20k Middle East cell) — but NO Indian card feeds ConnectMiles (buy-miles or a US co-brand only), so treat it as a reference benchmark, not a wallet-reachable route.
Feed it: 105,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.63:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 210,000 RBL Reward Points (5.25:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 70,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.75:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Lufthansa Star Alliance
Air China PhoenixMiles prices its own metal (India→Beijing, resumed Apr-2026) plus Star partners. North Asia is its only genuine strength; elsewhere it is a weak Star pricer with heavy fuel surcharges (why the currency sits at ₹0.90). India-origin levels are not published, so all values are estimated off trans-Pacific anchors. One-way (current PhoenixMiles).
Estimate PhoenixMiles' official zone division could not be reconciled with this corridor — Air China publishes no India-origin level, and its published zone tables do not map cleanly onto these city pairs. This value is extrapolated from the nearest published anchors, not a verified chart price.
Feed it: 56,250 HSBC Reward Points (1.25:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 120,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.67:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 240,000 RBL Reward Points (5.33:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
British AirwaysQatar Airways oneworld
Alaska Atmos bands the TOTAL DISTANCE FLOWN, not the nonstop great circle: the cheapest Atmos routing is British Airways via LHR, ~8,942 flown miles against a 8,516-mile nonstop, which reads the Asia-Pacific chart's 7,001-10,000 mi band — 42,500 economy / 85,000 business one-way, plus the $20 partner booking fee per person each way (up from $12.50 on 1-Jul-2026). One-way.
Feed it: 112,500 Amex Membership Rewards (2.65:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 225,000 RBL Reward Points (5.29:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 75,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.76:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Air FranceKLM SkyTeam
China Eastern prices its own metal (India→Shanghai/Kunming nonstop) plus SkyTeam partners. North Asia is its genuine ex-India strength; other regions estimate off the nearest published China-anchored band (Eastern Miles publishes no India-origin matrix). All one-way.
Estimate Eastern Miles publishes no India-origin award matrix — this level estimates off the nearest published China-anchored band, as the row note states, not a verified chart price.
Feed it: 366,667 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 1,375,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors) · 275,000 Axis EDGE Miles (5:1 via Hilton Honors)
Star Alliance
LifeMiles prices Star partner metal off an unpublished grid; India→Europe business ~63k is the headline sweet spot (beats Aeroplan). Business is the value cabin here; economy is mediocre. The chart is semi-fixed/unpublished, so some bands are estimates.
Estimate LifeMiles publishes no award chart — Avianca withdrew its public zone table in 2023 and prices Star partner awards off an unpublished internal grid. This level is extrapolated from that historical zone pricing plus dated community booking reports, not a verified chart price.
Feed it: 141,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 282,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 94,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1)
Air FranceKLM SkyTeam
SAS joined SkyTeam on 1-Sept-2024, so EuroBonus now prices SkyTeam metal. Ex-India sweet spot: intra-"CESA" business to North Asia/Japan at ~30k. Watch the ×2 multiplier on Air Europa/China Airlines/Vietnam Airlines (UX/CI/VN) metal. One-way = 60% of round-trip.
Feed it: 378,000 HDFC Reward Points (7:1 via Radisson Rewards) · 378,000 SBI Travel Credits (7:1 via Radisson Rewards) · 945,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (17.5:1 via Radisson Rewards)
Star Alliance
Aegean Miles+Bonus prices Star partner metal off one region chart published as ROUND TRIPS — its own rule is that a one-way costs exactly half, and the halved figure is what we show. India sits in the "Near East & Central Asia" zone: the Far East is a flat 30k/45k one-way (Tokyo costs the same as Bangkok), Europe 35k/55k, North America 50k/75k. No Indian card feeds it — Marriott Bonvoy 3:1 is the only road in, and awards only display once you hold the full balance.
Feed it: 120,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.4:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 240,000 RBL Reward Points (4.8:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 80,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Air FranceKLM SkyTeam
Flying Blue prices dynamically — no fixed chart. Air France/KLM pass carrier (YQ) surcharges on own metal — typically €90–110 economy / €200–300 business one-way long-haul; intra-region SkyTeam ~€15–40. Typical one-way economy runs 45k–75k; award space and travel date drive the real number.
Estimate Reverse of ord-blr — Air France-KLM Flying Blue prices the zone pair, not the direction, so the ord-blr row is mirrored here rather than re-read. That row is itself an estimate: Dynamic program — estimate is the typical one-way level for this region-pair (range 45k–75k); not a fixed chart price, and never crowned THE PLAY.
Feed it: 55,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 27,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 55,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
Star Alliance
United went fully dynamic in 2020 (no fixed chart), so ~60,000 is a typical Saver partner level to North America. But Aeroplan often prices the same Star seat lower, so compare before burning United miles.
Estimate United MileagePlus Saver partner level, India→North America on Star Alliance metal; United went fully dynamic in 2020, so this is a typical Saver that moves with availability and cabin scarcity.
Feed it: 30,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 150,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 120,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1 via Marriott Bonvoy)
Lufthansa Star Alliance
EVA Infinity MileageLands prices Star metal off its zone chart (India = "Central/South Asia" zone; one-way = half round-trip). EVA own metal via Taipei covers Japan/N-Asia/SE-Asia/US/Europe; Gulf/Africa/Oceania are partner-metal only. India→US business ~97.5k (possibly ~55-60k on a fully-EVA routing).
Feed it: 60,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 400,000 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 1,500,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors)
Star Alliance
TAP's 4 May 2026 devaluation lifted India→North America (its "Canada, USA, Mexico and the Caribbean" zone) from 70k/115k to 80k/125k one-way. That is ONE chart cell, and it holds only while the itinerary stays inside two TAP regions — an Asian gateway onto the transpacific hop. Any build that also crosses Europe spans a third region, and TAP then bills flight by flight and sums: 80k/125k plus 65k/120k = 145k/245k. Lufthansa-group metal carries the heaviest surcharges on Star.
Feed it: 195,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.44:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 390,000 RBL Reward Points (4.88:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 130,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.63:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Lufthansa Star Alliance
Chicago sits in Zone 13 (USA East Coast) on the 1-Nov-2025 chart — 65,500 economy Zone 6 ⇄ Zone 13, bookable on Star-partner Lufthansa via Frankfurt (SQ has no Chicago service at all, and Air India's Delhi–Chicago nonstop is suspended). Loses badly to Maharaja's 40,000 and AA's 40,000; the four-issuer feed can't fix a 64% premium.
Feed it: 65,500 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 32,750 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 131,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1)
Ethiopian Airlines Star Alliance
Every one-stop build out of Bengaluru clears Aeroplan's 8,000-mile line — the shortest, via Delhi, is ~8,530 miles — so Bengaluru pays 75,000 where Delhi–Chicago pays 60,000. Economy at this price loses to cash; from BLR, Aeroplan earns its keep one cabin up.
Feed it: 37,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 75,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 187,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Air FranceKLM SkyTeam
Delta has had no award chart since 2015 — fully dynamic, so ~75,000 is a representative saver-ish partner level to North America; peak dates and 2026 partner hikes can swing business 1.5–3×. Kenya Airways (NBO) and Korean (ICN) are the strongest ex-India SkyTeam value.
Estimate Delta SkyMiles is fully dynamic (no chart since 2015); ~75,000/230,000 is a representative SkyTeam partner saver level India→North America on AF/KLM/KE/VN metal — peak dates and the 2026 partner hikes swing business 1.5–3×.
Feed it: 225,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 450,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 150,000 HSBC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
KLM SkyTeam
LotusMiles deducts miles PER FLIGHT SEGMENT on its SkyTeam partner table (official chart, effective 1-Aug-2025), and no SkyTeam carrier flies BLR–ORD nonstop — so the price is a SUM, not one cell. Cheapest verified SkyTeam build is KLM BLR–AMS–ORD — per-segment: BLR–AMS 35,000 (SW Asia × Europe) + AMS–ORD 50,000 (Europe × North America) = 85,000. India is SW Asia on that table; LotusMiles' own SGN/HAN metal runs off a separate chart (25k/60k one-way). One-way.
Feed it: 85,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 85,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 85,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1)
Lufthansa Star Alliance
136,000 round-trip on the partner chart, 68,000 one-way since June 2025 — 42,000 under Aeroplan's band price for the same one-stop Star build. Air India's Delhi–Chicago nonstop is suspended, so the metal here is Lufthansa's via Frankfurt. Star saver space and Bonvoy 3:1 funding are the two gates; worth both on a 15-hour flat bed.
Feed it: 174,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.56:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 348,000 RBL Reward Points (5.12:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 116,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.71:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Lufthansa Star Alliance
Air China PhoenixMiles prices its own metal (India→Beijing, resumed Apr-2026) plus Star partners. North Asia is its only genuine strength; elsewhere it is a weak Star pricer with heavy fuel surcharges (why the currency sits at ₹0.90). India-origin levels are not published, so all values are estimated off trans-Pacific anchors. One-way (current PhoenixMiles).
Estimate PhoenixMiles' official zone division could not be reconciled with this corridor — Air China publishes no India-origin level, and its published zone tables do not map cleanly onto these city pairs. This value is extrapolated from the nearest published anchors, not a verified chart price.
Feed it: 180,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.4:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 360,000 RBL Reward Points (4.8:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 93,750 HSBC Reward Points (1.25:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
Qatar AirwaysJapan Airlines oneworld
70,000 one-way in Qsuite via Doha — 20,000 under Aeroplan and 2,000 over ANA, on a better seat than either. Qatar releases partner saver J stingily; funding means 210,000 Bonvoy at 3:1 (no direct card feed — see /transfers/to/american-aadvantage).
Feed it: 210,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 420,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 140,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Star Alliance
Aegean Miles+Bonus prices Star partner metal off one region chart published as ROUND TRIPS — its own rule is that a one-way costs exactly half, and the halved figure is what we show. India sits in the "Near East & Central Asia" zone: the Far East is a flat 30k/45k one-way (Tokyo costs the same as Bangkok), Europe 35k/55k, North America 50k/75k. No Indian card feeds it — Marriott Bonvoy 3:1 is the only road in, and awards only display once you hold the full balance.
Feed it: 180,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.4:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 360,000 RBL Reward Points (4.8:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 120,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Air FranceKLM SkyTeam
Air Europa SUMA prices SkyTeam partner metal off a five-band ONE-WAY distance chart: 0–600 mi 6k/12k · 601–1,250 12k/24k · 1,251–1,750 15k/30k · 1,751–3,500 32k/64k · over 3,500 48k/95k (economy/business). This corridor reads the over-3,500 mi band. The 2020 chart that made India→Europe a 51k business steal is gone — the short Gulf hops are where SUMA is now cheap. Partner awards are SUMA call-centre only, paid entirely in Miles, and non-refundable.
Feed it: 95,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 190,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 475,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
Star Alliance
Copa ConnectMiles prices Star partner metal off its FIXED region chart (India sits in Copa’s "Central Asia" zone). Standout value — India→Europe 45k business, India→Sub-Saharan Africa 17.5k economy on Ethiopian (Cairo is a dearer 20k Middle East cell) — but NO Indian card feeds ConnectMiles (buy-miles or a US co-brand only), so treat it as a reference benchmark, not a wallet-reachable route.
Feed it: 195,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.44:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 390,000 RBL Reward Points (4.88:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 130,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.63:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
British AirwaysQatar Airways oneworld
Alaska Atmos bands the TOTAL DISTANCE FLOWN, not the nonstop great circle: the cheapest Atmos routing is British Airways via LHR, ~8,942 flown miles against a 8,516-mile nonstop, which reads the Asia-Pacific chart's 7,001-10,000 mi band — 42,500 economy / 85,000 business one-way, plus the $20 partner booking fee per person each way (up from $12.50 on 1-Jul-2026). One-way.
Feed it: 210,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.47:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 420,000 RBL Reward Points (4.94:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 140,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.65:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Air FranceKLM SkyTeam
China Eastern prices its own metal (India→Shanghai/Kunming nonstop) plus SkyTeam partners. North Asia is its genuine ex-India strength; other regions estimate off the nearest published China-anchored band (Eastern Miles publishes no India-origin matrix). All one-way.
Estimate Eastern Miles publishes no India-origin award matrix — this level estimates off the nearest published China-anchored band, as the row note states, not a verified chart price.
Feed it: 666,667 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 2,500,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors) · 500,000 Axis EDGE Miles (5:1 via Hilton Honors)
Star Alliance
LifeMiles prices Star partner metal off an unpublished grid; India→Europe business ~63k is the headline sweet spot (beats Aeroplan). Business is the value cabin here; economy is mediocre. The chart is semi-fixed/unpublished, so some bands are estimates.
Estimate LifeMiles publishes no award chart — Avianca withdrew its public zone table in 2023 and prices Star partner awards off an unpublished internal grid. This level is extrapolated from that historical zone pricing plus dated community booking reports, not a verified chart price.
Feed it: 270,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 540,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 180,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1)
Air FranceKLM SkyTeam
AF via Paris or KLM via Amsterdam to Chicago (both carriers serve Bengaluru and Chicago), dynamically priced with no India chart. India Promo Rewards discount only the Europe leg (business 63,750 one-way at 25% off); the Atlantic continuation and heavy carrier charges stack on top. Five issuers feed the widest Indian on-ramp — to its least knowable price.
Estimate Flying Blue is dynamic (no chart); typical off-peak Saver ex-India via CDG/AMS for ~8,516 mi. Reconciled 06-Aug-2026 across the whole India-North America business family: saver prices at 95,000 miles one-way (LiveFromALounge, Jul-2026), popular dates 120k-175k+. This row previously read 100,000, extrapolated from the India-Europe pre-promo baseline (biz 85k, or 63.75k in a 25%-off Promo Rewards month) plus a transatlantic continuation - an inference with no India-US datapoint behind it, and it disagreed with the 59 sibling rows already carrying the 95,000 datapoint. Heavy AF/KLM YQ on top; never crowned THE PLAY.
Feed it: 95,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 47,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 95,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
Air FranceKLM SkyTeam
SAS joined SkyTeam on 1-Sept-2024, so EuroBonus now prices SkyTeam metal. Ex-India sweet spot: intra-"CESA" business to North Asia/Japan at ~30k. Watch the ×2 multiplier on Air Europa/China Airlines/Vietnam Airlines (UX/CI/VN) metal. One-way = 60% of round-trip.
Feed it: 756,000 HDFC Reward Points (7:1 via Radisson Rewards) · 756,000 SBI Travel Credits (7:1 via Radisson Rewards) · 1,890,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (17.5:1 via Radisson Rewards)
Lufthansa Star Alliance
EVA Infinity MileageLands prices Star metal off its zone chart (India = "Central/South Asia" zone; one-way = half round-trip). EVA own metal via Taipei covers Japan/N-Asia/SE-Asia/US/Europe; Gulf/Africa/Oceania are partner-metal only. India→US business ~97.5k (possibly ~55-60k on a fully-EVA routing).
Feed it: 97,500 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 650,000 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 2,437,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors)
Star Alliance
TAP's 4 May 2026 devaluation lifted India→North America (its "Canada, USA, Mexico and the Caribbean" zone) from 70k/115k to 80k/125k one-way. That is ONE chart cell, and it holds only while the itinerary stays inside two TAP regions — an Asian gateway onto the transpacific hop. Any build that also crosses Europe spans a third region, and TAP then bills flight by flight and sums: 80k/125k plus 65k/120k = 145k/245k. Lufthansa-group metal carries the heaviest surcharges on Star.
Feed it: 300,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.4:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 600,000 RBL Reward Points (4.8:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 200,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Air India Star Alliance
Flat 130,000 North America business, connection on AI metal included (BLR–DEL–ORD, one award). Aeroplan's 110,000 on Ethiopian via Addis is the sharper buy — and, while Delhi–Chicago stays suspended, the only one of the two that flies.
Estimate Air India publishes no award chart. Its own Points Calculator states that “Fares indicated above are dependent on the time of booking and seat availability”, and Maharaja Club prices every award either as a Value fare (the discounted rate for booking well in advance) or as a higher Prime fare closer to departure. This number is the Value-fare floor as sampled after the April-2026 repricing — not a published chart cell: Value space is not always available on a given flight, and the same seat prices higher once it is gone. Pricing model re-verified against Air India’s Maharaja Club T&C and Points Calculator on 2026-08-09.
Feed it: 130,000 IndusInd Reward Points (1:1) · 65,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 130,000 ICICI Reward Points (1:1)
Ethiopian Airlines Star Alliance
110,000 in the 8,001+ band — 20,000 over the 90,000 Delhi–Chicago pays, because Bengaluru's extra southern miles trip the cliff. Fixed, SBI 1:1 / Axis 1:2 fed — but ANA books the identical Star seat for 68,000 and AA's Qsuite for 70,000.
Feed it: 55,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 110,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 275,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Star Alliance
United went fully dynamic in 2020 (no fixed chart), so ~110,000 is a typical Saver partner level to North America. But Aeroplan often prices the same Star seat lower, so compare before burning United miles.
Estimate United MileagePlus Saver partner level, India→North America on Star Alliance metal; United went fully dynamic in 2020, so this is a typical Saver that moves with availability and cabin scarcity.
Feed it: 55,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 275,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 240,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.18:1 via Marriott Bonvoy)
Cathay Pacific oneworld
119,000 Standard in the 7,501+ band, CX business both legs via Hong Kong. On a corridor where ANA books for 68,000 and AA's Qsuite runs 70,000, paying 119,000 to detour through Hong Kong is a product choice. SBI 1:1 feeds it.
Feed it: 238,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 119,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 594,000 RBL Reward Points (4.99:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Etihad Airways
Etihad connects BLR–AUH–ORD with dynamic pricing that follows the documented India–AUH–US pattern: a 110,000-mile paper floor that availability never honours ("never below 140,000") plus ₹70,000+ in carrier charges. The fixed 68–70k anchors make the calculator a rhetorical exercise.
Estimate Etihad Guest Saver Award starting level for the ~8,955-mile flown itinerary (via AUH), read off Etihad's last published one-way distance-band structure (top 6,001+ mile band). Etihad publishes no award chart today - GuestSeat became Saver Award on 13-Nov-2025 and pricing lives in the Miles Calculator - so fixed-rate space is limited and real quotes often run well above this floor.
Feed it: 60,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 120,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 300,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Emirates
Bengaluru–Dubai–Chicago prices off the Skywards calculator — no chart, +15% on premium cabins since May 2026, heavy surcharges. Measure any quote against 70,000 Qsuite and 68,000 ANA before moving a point.
Estimate Emirates Skywards one-way Saver estimate, re-marked 01-Aug-2026 to the official miles-calculator pull of 25-Jul-2026 (post the 20-May-2026 devaluation, premium cabins +~15%; connecting corridors summed per leg); dynamic - no published chart, Saver space thin, Flex/Flex Plus price well above.
Feed it: 292,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 720,000 RBL Reward Points (4.93:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 292,000 SBI Travel Credits (2:1)
Lufthansa Star Alliance
147,500 Saver, Zone 6 ⇄ USA East Coast — twice AA's 70,000 Qsuite and more than twice ANA's 68,000 for the same alliance. India's most-fed program prices Chicago, but only as the board's dearest fixed seat.
Feed it: 147,500 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 73,750 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 295,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1)
KLM SkyTeam
LotusMiles deducts miles PER FLIGHT SEGMENT on its SkyTeam partner table (official chart, effective 1-Aug-2025), and no SkyTeam carrier flies BLR–ORD nonstop — so the price is a SUM, not one cell. Cheapest verified SkyTeam build is KLM BLR–AMS–ORD — per-segment: BLR–AMS 70,000 (SW Asia × Europe) + AMS–ORD 100,000 (Europe × North America) = 170,000. India is SW Asia on that table; LotusMiles' own SGN/HAN metal runs off a separate chart (25k/60k one-way). One-way.
Feed it: 170,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 170,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 170,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1)
Air FranceKLM SkyTeam
Delta has had no award chart since 2015 — fully dynamic, so ~230,000 is a representative saver-ish partner level to North America; peak dates and 2026 partner hikes can swing business 1.5–3×. Kenya Airways (NBO) and Korean (ICN) are the strongest ex-India SkyTeam value.
Estimate Delta SkyMiles is fully dynamic (no chart since 2015); ~75,000/230,000 is a representative SkyTeam partner saver level India→North America on AF/KLM/KE/VN metal — peak dates and the 2026 partner hikes swing business 1.5–3×.
Feed it: 690,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 1,380,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 460,000 HSBC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
British AirwaysJapan Airlines oneworld
115,000 AA miles for BA First on the LHR–ORD leg (Contiguous-48 first tier) — Qatar's Qsuite is business-only, so first routes via London on BA. Heavy YQ and a 345,000-Bonvoy wall; a trophy redemption.
Feed it: 345,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 690,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 230,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Ethiopian Airlines Star Alliance
Aeroplan prices Star partner awards by total distance FLOWN. This row is the direct great-circle band; a connecting routing that flies farther can land in the next band up. A valid Star routing (nonstop or via a Star hub within the maximum permitted mileage) is assumed. DIRECTION-BLIND BY CONSTRUCTION: Aeroplan bands the DISTANCE FLOWN, so BLR–ORD and ORD–BLR read the SAME chart cell — there is no direction in the chart to get wrong. Re-read against Air Canada's published Flight Reward Chart (2026-04 edition) on 2026-08-05 and promoted from mirrored estimate to a verified chart price.
Feed it: 82,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 165,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 412,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Flying back? Chicago to Bengaluru on points (ORD–BLR). Or take the whole region: every corridor we price into North America — 510 of them. Or pick any two hubs — 2,450 corridors priced.