Award flight · one-way
Korean Air doesn't touch Mumbai, so the Delhi trophy — a Korean Prestige seat — simply isn't bookable here. What's left is Cathay metal via Hong Kong, priced three ways. Asia Miles is the economy floor at 20,000 Standard, SBI-fed 1:1 and the outright cheapest here; AAdvantage's region chart owns business at 40,000, the cheapest flat bed; JMB matches the metal at 23,000 / 42,000 on a clean HSBC 1:1 feed. Whichever ledger you hold, the fixed play is Cathay. First carries two real numbers now: AAdvantage's 50,000 region cell — re-read off aa.com's live calculator 2026-08-06 — is the cheapest published first-class price on this board, with Aeroplan's 95,000 distance band the alternative; both charts are blind to direction, so the cells read the same coming home. Every other first-class row is still an estimate, and estimates never headline.
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 HKG (oneworld), Standard award — cumulative-distance pricing | 20,000 | — | ₹20,000 | the play |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | Star Alliance metal (SQ/TG partner metal — CA itself flies only Delhi from India), India→North Asia — Air China PhoenixMiles | ~17,000 est. | — | ₹15,300 | 0.8× |
| Malaysia Airlines Enrich | Malaysia Airlines via KUL (one stop) — revenue-based Enrich pricing | ~27,500 est. | — | ₹22,000 | 1.1× |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | Cathay Pacific via HKG (oneworld partner award), or SriLankan Airlines via CMB, or Qatar Airways via DOH | 22,500 | — | ₹22,500 | 1.1× |
| Air India Maharaja Points | Air India via Delhi (Star Alliance), Value tier — one award, BOM-DEL-ICN | ~30,000 est. | — | ₹24,000 | 1.2× |
| United MileagePlus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North Asia — United MileagePlus | ~25,000 est. | — | ₹25,000 | 1.3× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — Vietnam Airlines via SGN | ~25,000 est. | — | ₹25,000 | 1.3× |
| Japan Airlines Mileage Bank | Cathay Pacific via HKG (oneworld) via JAL partner chart | 23,000 | — | ₹25,300 | 1.3× |
| China Eastern Miles | SkyTeam metal (VN), India→North Asia — China Eastern Eastern Miles | ~30,000 est. | — | ₹25,500 | 1.3× |
| Air Europa SUMA | SkyTeam partner metal (VN), India→North Asia — Air Europa SUMA | ~32,000 est. | — | ₹25,600 | 1.3× |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North Asia — Avianca LifeMiles | ~27,000 est. | — | ₹27,000 | 1.4× |
| SAS EuroBonus | Vietnam Airlines via SGN (BOM–SGN–ICN) — EuroBonus’s only redeemable metal on this pair, ×2 VN partner multiplier | 30,000 | — | ₹27,000 | 1.4× |
| Aegean Miles+Bonus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North Asia — Aegean Miles+Bonus | 30,000 | — | ₹30,000 | 1.5× |
| Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards | Cathay Pacific via HKG (oneworld partner award), India→North Asia — Alaska Atmos | 30,000 | — | ₹30,000 | 1.5× |
| Delta SkyMiles | SkyTeam partner metal (VN), India→North Asia — Delta SkyMiles (dynamic) | ~32,000 est. | — | ₹32,000 | 1.6× |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North Asia — Copa ConnectMiles (fixed region chart) | 37,500 | — | ₹37,500 | 1.9× |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | Star Alliance metal (Air India/SQ/TG — EVA itself serves no Indian city; the award rides partner metal), India→North Asia — EVA Infinity MileageLands | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 2.0× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (5,547 km) — or Thai Airways via BKK | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 2.0× |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North Asia — TAP Miles&Go | 50,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 2.0× |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Singapore Airlines via SIN (one stop), Saver | 42,000 | — | ₹46,200 | 2.3× |
| Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles | Vietnam Airlines via SGN (BOM–SGN–ICN) — Vietnam LotusMiles | 100,000 | — | ₹1,00,000 | 5.0× |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage the play | Cathay Pacific business via HKG (oneworld partner award), or SriLankan Airlines via CMB, or Qatar Airways via DOH | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | the play |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | Star Alliance metal (SQ/TG partner metal — CA itself flies only Delhi from India), India→North Asia — Air China PhoenixMiles | ~30,000 est. | — | ₹27,000 | 0.7× |
| China Eastern Miles | SkyTeam metal (VN), India→North Asia — China Eastern Eastern Miles | ~45,000 est. | — | ₹38,250 | 1.0× |
| United MileagePlus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North Asia — United MileagePlus | ~45,000 est. | — | ₹45,000 | 1.1× |
| Aegean Miles+Bonus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North Asia — Aegean Miles+Bonus | 45,000 | — | ₹45,000 | 1.1× |
| Japan Airlines Mileage Bank | Cathay Pacific business via HKG (oneworld) via JAL partner chart | 42,000 | — | ₹46,200 | 1.2× |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North Asia — Avianca LifeMiles | ~50,000 est. | — | ₹50,000 | 1.3× |
| Air Europa SUMA | SkyTeam partner metal (VN), India→North Asia — Air Europa SUMA | ~64,000 est. | — | ₹51,200 | 1.3× |
| SAS EuroBonus | Vietnam Airlines via SGN (BOM–SGN–ICN) — EuroBonus’s only redeemable metal on this pair, ×2 VN partner multiplier | 60,000 | — | ₹54,000 | 1.4× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — Vietnam Airlines via SGN | ~55,000 est. | — | ₹55,000 | 1.4× |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North Asia — TAP Miles&Go | 70,000 | — | ₹56,000 | 1.4× |
| Cathay Asia Miles | Cathay Pacific business via HKG (oneworld), Standard award — cumulative-distance pricing | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | 1.5× |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | Star Alliance metal (Air India/SQ/TG — EVA itself serves no Indian city; the award rides partner metal), India→North Asia — EVA Infinity MileageLands | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | 1.5× |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→North Asia — Copa ConnectMiles (fixed region chart) | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | 1.5× |
| Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards | Cathay Pacific via HKG (oneworld partner award), India→North Asia — Alaska Atmos | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | 1.5× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Air India via Delhi (Star Alliance partner award) | 75,000 | — | ₹75,000 | 1.9× |
| Delta SkyMiles | SkyTeam partner metal (VN), India→North Asia — Delta SkyMiles (dynamic) | ~85,000 est. | — | ₹85,000 | 2.1× |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Singapore Airlines via SIN (one stop), Saver | 88,000 | — | ₹96,800 | 2.4× |
| Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles | Vietnam Airlines via SGN (BOM–SGN–ICN) — Vietnam LotusMiles | 190,000 | — | ₹1,90,000 | 4.8× |
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 | oneworld partner metal, AAdvantage region award — or Qatar via DOH, or Cathay Pacific via HKG, or Malaysia Airlines via KUL, or SriLankan Airlines via CMB, or Qatar Airways via DOH | 50,000 | — | ₹50,000 | the play |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (5,547 km) — or Thai Airways via BKK | 95,000 | — | ₹95,000 | 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. 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 and Air France-KLM Flying Blue state that a carrier-imposed surcharge is charged on an award. American Airlines AAdvantage, Air India Maharaja Points, United MileagePlus, China Eastern Miles, Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards, 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. 11 other programmes priced here publish nothing the desk could read.
Cathay Pacific oneworld
Cathay's own ledger sums BOM–HKG–ICN to ~3,950 flown miles — the 2,751–5,000 Standard band at 20,000, no India premium above 2,750. The outright cheapest published economy to Seoul from Mumbai, SBI-fed 1:1. Standard space is capped per flight; dynamic "Choice" pricing takes over when it's gone.
Feed it: 40,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 20,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 120,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Singapore AirlinesThai Airways 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: 21,250 HSBC Reward Points (1.25:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 51,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 102,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Malaysia Airlines oneworld
MH connects BOM–KUL–ICN on its own metal (KUL–ICN is active per MH's destination table), but Enrich prices off the cash fare — ~0.8–1.2¢ a point, no chart, no Indian bank feed (IHG 5:1, Hilton 25:3 only). A dog-leg south for a balance-dump; every fixed chart above beats it.
Estimate Malaysia Enrich is revenue-linked ~Rs0.80/pt; ~= typical one-way MH economy fare / Rs0.80 for ~3,448 mi; moves with the live fare. MH own-metal Value redemptions only.
Feed it: 152,778 Amex Membership Rewards (5.56:1 via Hilton Honors) · 343,750 Axis EDGE Reward Points (12.5:1 via IHG One Rewards) · 137,500 HDFC Reward Points (5:1 via IHG One Rewards)
Cathay PacificSriLankan AirlinesQatar Airways oneworld
Korea is AA's Asia Region 1 — 22,500 one-way from the Indian Subcontinent on Cathay via Hong Kong, the cheapest published economy on the corridor. 67,500 Bonvoy at 3:1 (see /transfers/to/american-aadvantage); with Korean Air absent from Mumbai, AA's region chart is what a fixed price looks like here.
Feed it: 67,500 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 135,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 45,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Air India Star Alliance
Seoul sits on the April-2026 chart's flat 30,000-point East Asia economy tier, and the zone chart prices a BOM–DEL–ICN connection on one Air India award at the same rate as Delhi's nonstop. Dearer than AA and Asia Miles — but direct-fed from Air India's own cards, no chains. Business still isn't published route-level.
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: 30,000 IndusInd Reward Points (1:1) · 15,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 30,000 ICICI Reward Points (1:1)
Star Alliance
United went fully dynamic in 2020 (no fixed chart), so ~25,000 is a typical Saver partner level to North Asia. But Aeroplan often prices the same Star seat lower, so compare before burning United miles.
Estimate United MileagePlus Saver partner level, India→North Asia 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: 12,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 62,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 60,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.4:1 via Marriott Bonvoy)
Vietnam Airlines 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 18k–40k; award space and travel date drive the real number.
Estimate Reverse of icn-bom — Air France-KLM Flying Blue prices this pair off its zone/distance grid, not the direction of travel, so the forward number mirrors here; not a direction-specific chart read. Dynamic program — estimate is a distance-band estimate (this region-pair is not separately anchored) (range 18k–40k); not a fixed chart price, and never crowned THE PLAY.
Feed it: 25,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 12,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 25,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
Cathay Pacific oneworld
BOM–HKG–ICN totals ~3,950 flown miles — 50 inside JMB's 2,001–4,000 partner band, so economy books at 23,000 where Tokyo (past 4,000) jumps to 37,000. Effectively AA's price with a real bank feed: HSBC 1:1, Axis EDGE 1:2, SBI 2:1. One-ways allowed.
Feed it: 11,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 23,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 57,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Vietnam Airlines 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: 200,000 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 750,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors) · 150,000 Axis EDGE Miles (5:1 via Hilton Honors)
Vietnam Airlines 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 1,751–3,500 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.
Estimate Priced off the corridor's own great-circle distance (~3,448 mi, inside the 1,751–3,500 band) — but Air Europa never publishes how a connecting award measures distance; if SUMA sums the flown segments this corridor tips past 3,500 mi into 48,000/95,000. Call-centre-only booking, no calculator to probe.
Feed it: 32,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 64,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 160,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
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: 81,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 162,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 54,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1)
Vietnam Airlines SkyTeam
Re-metalled 2026-08-01 by the multi-metal phantom sweep. The five carriers this row used to name — Air France, KLM, Korean Air, Saudia and SAS — cannot build Mumbai–Seoul between them: Korean Air’s only Indian station is Delhi, SAS has never served India at all, Saudia’s network turns west at Jeddah, and an Air France or KLM build would backtrack through Paris or Amsterdam. Vietnam Airlines via Ho Chi Minh City is the one EuroBonus-REDEEMABLE carrier that covers both ends (China Eastern and Singapore Airlines are earn-only on EuroBonus, and the Etihad carve-out is Europe↔Abu Dhabi), and VN metal carries EuroBonus’s ×2 partner multiplier — so the intra-“Central, East & South Asia” cell (25,000 economy / 50,000 business round-trip, one-way 60% = 15,000 / 30,000) doubles to 30,000 economy / 60,000 business one-way.
Feed it: 210,000 HDFC Reward Points (7:1 via Radisson Rewards) · 210,000 SBI Travel Credits (7:1 via Radisson Rewards) · 525,000 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: 75,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.5:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 150,000 RBL Reward Points (5:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 50,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.67:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Cathay PacificSriLankan Airlines oneworld
Alaska Atmos bands the TOTAL DISTANCE FLOWN, not the nonstop great circle: the cheapest Atmos routing is Cathay Pacific via HKG, ~3,940 flown miles against a 3,447-mile nonstop, which reads the Asia-Pacific chart's 3,001-5,000 mi band — 30,000 economy / 60,000 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: 75,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.5:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 150,000 RBL Reward Points (5:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 50,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.67:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Vietnam Airlines SkyTeam
Delta has had no award chart since 2015 — fully dynamic, so ~32,000 is a representative saver-ish partner level to North Asia; 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); ~32,000/85,000 is a representative SkyTeam partner saver level India→North Asia on AF/KLM/KE/VN/MU metal — peak dates and the 2026 partner hikes swing business 1.5–3×.
Feed it: 96,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 192,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 64,000 HSBC Reward Points (2:1 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: 97,500 Amex Membership Rewards (2.6:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 195,000 RBL Reward Points (5.2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 65,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.73:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Air IndiaSingapore AirlinesThai Airways 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: 40,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 266,667 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 1,000,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors)
Thai Airways 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 BOM–ICN and ICN–BOM 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: 20,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 40,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 100,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Star Alliance
TAP's 4 May 2026 chart repriced India — which sits in its "Asia" origin zone — and intra-Asia went from 40k/60k to 50k/70k one-way, still flat regardless of distance (fine to Tokyo, poor to Colombo). The Gulf was carved out into a Middle East zone of its own at 60k/80k, so Bangkok now undercuts Dubai. Heavy fuel surcharges on Lufthansa-group and TAP metal; steer via Turkish, EgyptAir or Ethiopian to dodge the YQ.
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)
Singapore Airlines Star Alliance
Zone 6→7 — Mumbai prices like Delhi: 42,000 Saver via Changi in economy. 15,000 over Asia Miles' Hong Kong routing, and Singapore is a real detour for Seoul; the case is the funding, with four Indian issuers minting KrisFlyer directly. Corrected 2026-07-22 to the official SQ 1-Nov-2025 chart (Zone 6→7). Every award routes via SIN (no India–Japan/Korea nonstop), which backtracks and may recalculate higher — this is the published reference fare and a floor.
Feed it: 42,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 21,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 84,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1)
Vietnam Airlines SkyTeam
LotusMiles deducts miles PER FLIGHT SEGMENT on its SkyTeam partner table (official chart, effective 1-Aug-2025), and no SkyTeam carrier flies BOM–ICN nonstop — so the price is a SUM, not one cell. Cheapest verified SkyTeam build is Vietnam Airlines BOM–SGN–ICN — per-segment: BOM–SGN 50,000 (SW Asia × SE Asia) + SGN–ICN 50,000 (SE Asia × NE Asia 2) = 100,000. 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: 100,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 100,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 100,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1)
Cathay PacificSriLankan AirlinesQatar Airways oneworld
40,000 AA miles for Cathay business BOM–HKG–ICN — 5,000 under SKYPASS's off-peak Prestige, and unlike SKYPASS it's actually bookable from Mumbai. 120,000 Bonvoy at 3:1; JMB two rows down books the identical seats at 42,000 with a direct HSBC feed — price your chain before picking.
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)
Singapore AirlinesThai Airways 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: 37,500 HSBC Reward Points (1.25:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 75,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.5:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 150,000 RBL Reward Points (5:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Vietnam Airlines 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: 300,000 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 1,125,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors) · 225,000 Axis EDGE Miles (5:1 via Hilton Honors)
Star Alliance
United went fully dynamic in 2020 (no fixed chart), so ~45,000 is a typical Saver partner level to North Asia. But Aeroplan often prices the same Star seat lower, so compare before burning United miles.
Estimate United MileagePlus Saver partner level, India→North Asia 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: 22,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 112,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 105,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.33:1 via 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: 120,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.67:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 240,000 RBL Reward Points (5.33:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 80,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.78:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Cathay Pacific oneworld
42,000 one-way business on Cathay metal, squeaking under the 4,000-mile band edge — 2,000 over AA for the same seats but fed directly by HSBC at 1:1, no hotel chain required. The best bank-funded flat bed to Seoul from Mumbai; book both sectors as one partner award.
Feed it: 21,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 42,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 105,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
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: 150,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 300,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 100,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1)
Vietnam Airlines 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 1,751–3,500 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.
Estimate Priced off the corridor's own great-circle distance (~3,448 mi, inside the 1,751–3,500 band) — but Air Europa never publishes how a connecting award measures distance; if SUMA sums the flown segments this corridor tips past 3,500 mi into 48,000/95,000. Call-centre-only booking, no calculator to probe.
Feed it: 64,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 128,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 320,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
Vietnam Airlines SkyTeam
Re-metalled 2026-08-01 by the multi-metal phantom sweep. The five carriers this row used to name — Air France, KLM, Korean Air, Saudia and SAS — cannot build Mumbai–Seoul between them: Korean Air’s only Indian station is Delhi, SAS has never served India at all, Saudia’s network turns west at Jeddah, and an Air France or KLM build would backtrack through Paris or Amsterdam. Vietnam Airlines via Ho Chi Minh City is the one EuroBonus-REDEEMABLE carrier that covers both ends (China Eastern and Singapore Airlines are earn-only on EuroBonus, and the Etihad carve-out is Europe↔Abu Dhabi), and VN metal carries EuroBonus’s ×2 partner multiplier — so the intra-“Central, East & South Asia” cell (25,000 economy / 50,000 business round-trip, one-way 60% = 15,000 / 30,000) doubles to 30,000 economy / 60,000 business one-way.
Feed it: 420,000 HDFC Reward Points (7:1 via Radisson Rewards) · 420,000 SBI Travel Credits (7:1 via Radisson Rewards) · 1,050,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (17.5:1 via Radisson Rewards)
Vietnam Airlines 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 business runs 45k–75k; award space and travel date drive the real number.
Estimate Reverse of icn-bom — Air France-KLM Flying Blue prices this pair off its zone/distance grid, not the direction of travel, so the forward number mirrors here; not a direction-specific chart read. Dynamic program — estimate is a distance-band estimate (this region-pair is not separately anchored) (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
TAP's 4 May 2026 chart repriced India — which sits in its "Asia" origin zone — and intra-Asia went from 40k/60k to 50k/70k one-way, still flat regardless of distance (fine to Tokyo, poor to Colombo). The Gulf was carved out into a Middle East zone of its own at 60k/80k, so Bangkok now undercuts Dubai. Heavy fuel surcharges on Lufthansa-group and TAP metal; steer via Turkish, EgyptAir or Ethiopian to dodge the YQ.
Feed it: 180,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.57:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 360,000 RBL Reward Points (5.14:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 120,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.71:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Cathay Pacific oneworld
60,000 Standard in business — 18,000 to 20,000 over JMB and AA on the identical Cathay seats. The May-2026 restructure left Asia Miles expensive above 2,750 miles; hold it for the sub-2,750 nonstops where its 33,000 shines and fund this corridor elsewhere.
Feed it: 120,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 60,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 300,000 RBL Reward Points (5:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Air IndiaSingapore AirlinesThai Airways 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
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: 150,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.5:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 300,000 RBL Reward Points (5:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 100,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.67:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Cathay PacificSriLankan Airlines oneworld
Alaska Atmos bands the TOTAL DISTANCE FLOWN, not the nonstop great circle: the cheapest Atmos routing is Cathay Pacific via HKG, ~3,940 flown miles against a 3,447-mile nonstop, which reads the Asia-Pacific chart's 3,001-5,000 mi band — 30,000 economy / 60,000 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: 150,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.5:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 300,000 RBL Reward Points (5:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 100,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.67:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Air India Star Alliance
BOM–DEL–ICN flies ~3,600 miles — the 2,501–5,000 Atlantic–Pacific band, 75,000 business post-June-2026 on Air India metal. Nearly double AA's 40,000 for a worse-reviewed seat; the row exists because SBI feeds Aeroplan 1:1. Stranded balances only.
Feed it: 37,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 75,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 187,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Vietnam Airlines SkyTeam
Delta has had no award chart since 2015 — fully dynamic, so ~32,000 is a representative saver-ish partner level to North Asia; 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); ~32,000/85,000 is a representative SkyTeam partner saver level India→North Asia on AF/KLM/KE/VN/MU metal — peak dates and the 2026 partner hikes swing business 1.5–3×.
Feed it: 255,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 510,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 170,000 HSBC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
Singapore Airlines Star Alliance
88,000 Saver for two SQ business legs through Changi — the easiest-funded flat bed to Seoul from Mumbai, 18,000 to 20,000 over the Cathay charts that need a Bonvoy chain or an HSBC balance. The ~4-hour detour is the toll; SQ metal both legs is the consolation. Corrected 2026-07-22 to the official SQ 1-Nov-2025 chart (Zone 6→7). Every award routes via SIN (no India–Japan/Korea nonstop), which backtracks and may recalculate higher — this is the published reference fare and a floor.
Feed it: 88,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 44,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 176,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1)
Vietnam Airlines SkyTeam
LotusMiles deducts miles PER FLIGHT SEGMENT on its SkyTeam partner table (official chart, effective 1-Aug-2025), and no SkyTeam carrier flies BOM–ICN nonstop — so the price is a SUM, not one cell. Cheapest verified SkyTeam build is Vietnam Airlines BOM–SGN–ICN — per-segment: BOM–SGN 80,000 (SW Asia × SE Asia) + SGN–ICN 110,000 (SE Asia × NE Asia 2) = 190,000. 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: 190,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 190,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 190,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1)
Qatar AirwaysCathay PacificMalaysia AirlinesSriLankan Airlines oneworld
AAdvantage prices partner awards on a fixed region-to-region chart. A valid oneworld routing is assumed.
Feed it: 150,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 300,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 100,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Thai Airways 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 BOM–ICN and ICN–BOM 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: 47,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 95,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 237,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Flying back? Seoul to Mumbai on points (ICN–BOM). Or take the whole region: every corridor we price into East Asia — 273 of them. Or pick any two hubs — 2,450 corridors priced.