Award flight · one-way
Mumbai to Osaka is a one-stop — Air India flies Tokyo, not Kansai, so there's no Maharaja here. Asia Miles on Cathay via Hong Kong (20,000/60,000) is the value play, KrisFlyer via Singapore the fixed alternative at the Zone-6 Japan rate, and AA books Cathay cheaper in business if you're Bonvoy-fed. Emirates and Qatar price dynamically.
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 | 20,000 | — | ₹20,000 | the play |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | Star Alliance metal (SQ/TG partner metal — CA itself flies only Delhi from India), India→Japan — Air China PhoenixMiles | ~22,000 est. | — | ₹19,800 | 1.0× |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | Cathay via HKG, or Malaysia Airlines via KUL | 22,500 | — | ₹22,500 | 1.1× |
| Aegean Miles+Bonus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Aegean Miles+Bonus | 30,000 | — | ₹30,000 | 1.5× |
| Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards | Cathay Pacific via HKG (oneworld partner award), India→Japan — Alaska Atmos | 30,000 | — | ₹30,000 | 1.5× |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Avianca LifeMiles | ~32,000 est. | — | ₹32,000 | 1.6× |
| United MileagePlus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — United MileagePlus | ~32,500 est. | — | ₹32,500 | 1.6× |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Copa ConnectMiles (fixed region chart) | 35,000 | — | ₹35,000 | 1.8× |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | Star Alliance metal (SQ/TG — EVA itself serves no Indian city; the award rides partner metal), India→Japan — EVA Infinity MileageLands | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 2.0× |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — TAP Miles&Go | 50,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 2.0× |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Singapore Airlines via SIN (Saver) — Zone 6 → Japan, asterisked cell | 42,000 | — | ₹46,200 | 2.3× |
| Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles | Vietnam Airlines via SGN (BOM–SGN–KIX) — 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 business via HKG (oneworld partner award), or Malaysia Airlines via KUL | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | the play |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | Star Alliance metal (SQ/TG partner metal — CA itself flies only Delhi from India), India→Japan — Air China PhoenixMiles | ~40,000 est. | — | ₹36,000 | 0.9× |
| Aegean Miles+Bonus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Aegean Miles+Bonus | 45,000 | — | ₹45,000 | 1.1× |
| United MileagePlus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — United MileagePlus | ~55,000 est. | — | ₹55,000 | 1.4× |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — TAP Miles&Go | 70,000 | — | ₹56,000 | 1.4× |
| Cathay Asia Miles | Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong (oneworld), Standard award | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | 1.5× |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Avianca LifeMiles | ~60,000 est. | — | ₹60,000 | 1.5× |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | Star Alliance metal (SQ/TG — EVA itself serves no Indian city; the award rides partner metal), India→Japan — EVA Infinity MileageLands | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | 1.5× |
| Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards | Cathay Pacific via HKG (oneworld partner award), India→Japan — Alaska Atmos | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | 1.5× |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Copa ConnectMiles (fixed region chart) | 65,000 | — | ₹65,000 | 1.6× |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Singapore Airlines via SIN (Saver) — Zone 6 → Japan, asterisked cell | 88,000 | — | ₹96,800 | 2.4× |
| Emirates Skywards | Emirates via Dubai (one stop) — Classic Rewards, calculator-priced | ~120,000 est. | — | ₹1,08,000 | 2.7× |
| Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles | Vietnam Airlines via SGN (BOM–SGN–KIX) — Vietnam LotusMiles | 190,000 | — | ₹1,90,000 | 4.8× |
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 Emirates Skywards state that a carrier-imposed surcharge is charged on an award. American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards, 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. 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. 6 other programmes priced here publish nothing the desk could read.
Cathay Pacific oneworld
Cathay flies Hong Kong–Osaka, so India–HKG–KIX is one Standard award at 20,000 — the cheapest way to Osaka on points. SBI feeds Asia Miles 1:1.
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: 27,500 HSBC Reward Points (1.25:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 60,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.73:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 120,000 RBL Reward Points (5.45:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Cathay PacificMalaysia Airlines oneworld
22,500 AA miles Indian Subcontinent → Japan, routed on Cathay via Hong Kong (or Qatar via Doha); Bonvoy 3:1 is the Indian feed.
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)
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 Pacific oneworld
Alaska Atmos bands the TOTAL DISTANCE FLOWN, not the nonstop great circle: the cheapest Atmos routing is Cathay Pacific via HKG, ~4,193 flown miles against a 3,930-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)
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: 96,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 192,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 64,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1)
Star Alliance
United went fully dynamic in 2020 (no fixed chart), so ~32,500 is a typical Saver partner level to Japan. But Aeroplan often prices the same Star seat lower, so compare before burning United miles.
Estimate United MileagePlus Saver partner level, India→Japan 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: 16,250 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 81,250 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 67,500 Amex Membership Rewards (2.08:1 via 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: 90,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.57:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 180,000 RBL Reward Points (5.14:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 60,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.71:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Singapore 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)
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
SQ flies Singapore–Osaka, so India → KIX prices at the Zone-6 Japan cell, 42,000 Saver via Singapore — the same number as Tokyo. Fed 1:1 by four Indian issuers. ASTERISKED, re-read off the chart PDF on 2026-08-02: every Zone 6 → Zone 7 cell carries SIA's *, and the footnote says the combination "includes certain backtracking routes and routes exceeding the maximum permitted mileage between two zones, to which the reference fare will not apply". India–SIN–Japan is that dogleg, so read 42,000 as the published reference and a floor and confirm the exact mileage with KrisFlyer Membership Services.
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, and no SkyTeam carrier flies BOM–KIX nonstop — so the price is a SUM. Cheapest sane verified build is Vietnam Airlines BOM–SGN–KIX — per-segment: BOM–SGN 50,000 (SW Asia × SE Asia) + SGN–KIX 50,000 (SE Asia × NE Asia 2) = 100,000. Cheaper on paper and DECLINED on routing: Etihad BOM–AUH–KIX sums to 80,000 economy / 200,000 business, but it flies 1.53x the great circle — 1,900–3,000 km WEST to the Gulf before doubling back east to Japan. The desk refused exactly this shape on blr-icn/hyd-icn/bom-icn (2026-08-01), where the same India–AUH–Korea build undercut the Vietnam Airlines price and lost anyway. Overpricing is the safe error direction on a board that crowns THE PLAY by cheapest VERIFIED row. India is South West Asia on that table and Japan is Northeast Asia 2 — the row Vietnam Airlines prices on a different curve entirely (Tokyo/Osaka business is DEARER than Hong Kong at 100,000 a segment, while economy is cheaper at 30,000). 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 PacificMalaysia Airlines oneworld
40,000 AA miles for Cathay business to Osaka via Hong Kong — cheaper than Asia Miles books the same jet, if you can build AAdvantage from Bonvoy.
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: 50,000 HSBC Reward Points (1.25:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 105,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.63:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 210,000 RBL Reward Points (5.25:1 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: 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)
Star Alliance
United went fully dynamic in 2020 (no fixed chart), so ~55,000 is a typical Saver partner level to Japan. But Aeroplan often prices the same Star seat lower, so compare before burning United miles.
Estimate United MileagePlus Saver partner level, India→Japan 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: 27,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 137,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 120,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.18:1 via Marriott Bonvoy)
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 business on Cathay via Hong Kong — the value play to Kansai, a fixed chart where everything else here is dynamic or dearer.
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)
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: 180,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 360,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 120,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1)
Singapore 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)
Cathay Pacific oneworld
Alaska Atmos bands the TOTAL DISTANCE FLOWN, not the nonstop great circle: the cheapest Atmos routing is Cathay Pacific via HKG, ~4,193 flown miles against a 3,930-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)
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: 165,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.54:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 330,000 RBL Reward Points (5.08:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 110,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.69:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Singapore Airlines Star Alliance
88,000 Saver business via Singapore, both legs SQ metal — a lot of points, but a fixed number where the Gulf carriers are dynamic. ASTERISKED, re-read off the chart PDF on 2026-08-02: the Zone 6 → Zone 7 business cell prints 88* and the footnote says the combination "includes certain backtracking routes and routes exceeding the maximum permitted mileage between two zones, to which the reference fare will not apply". India–SIN–Japan backtracks by roughly 5 hours, so 88,000 is the published reference and a floor — confirm the exact mileage with KrisFlyer Membership Services before you transfer.
Feed it: 88,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 44,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 176,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1)
Emirates
Emirates flies Dubai–Osaka, calculator-priced with heavy surcharges. Qatar via Doha is the other dynamic one-stop; both need a quote check.
Estimate Emirates Skywards Saver calculator estimate for ~4,720 mi ex-India (India-DXB + DXB-destination summed); dynamic - no published chart, Saver space thin, peak/demand move it +-~20%.
Feed it: 240,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 600,000 RBL Reward Points (5:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 240,000 SBI Travel Credits (2:1)
Vietnam Airlines SkyTeam
LotusMiles deducts miles PER FLIGHT SEGMENT, and no SkyTeam carrier flies BOM–KIX nonstop — so the price is a SUM. Cheapest sane verified build is Vietnam Airlines BOM–SGN–KIX — per-segment: BOM–SGN 80,000 (SW Asia × SE Asia) + SGN–KIX 110,000 (SE Asia × NE Asia 2) = 190,000. India is South West Asia on that table and Japan is Northeast Asia 2 — the row Vietnam Airlines prices on a different curve entirely (Tokyo/Osaka business is DEARER than Hong Kong at 100,000 a segment, while economy is cheaper at 30,000). 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)
Or take the whole region: every corridor we price into East Asia — 273 of them. Or pick any two hubs — 2,450 corridors priced.