Award flight · one-way
The cheapest business-class corridor in this set. Thai's zone chart still sells Royal Silk to its own hub for 27,500 miles one-way — less than some programs want for economy — while Air India's 12,000-point economy tier undercuts everyone on the cheap end. Aeroplan hiked the route 19% in June 2026 and still can't compete. Two honest plays, one corridor. 4 of the 39 rows here are mirrored from the bkk-del direction — award charts price the zone pair, not the direction of travel — and render as honest estimates that never crown THE PLAY.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thai Royal Orchid Plus the play | Thai Airways nonstop (Star Alliance), zone chart | 17,500 | — | ₹17,500 | the play |
| Air India Maharaja Points | Air India nonstop (Star Alliance), Value tier | ~12,000 est. | — | ₹9,600 | 0.5× |
| IndiGo BluChip | IndiGo nonstop — revenue-based BluChip pricing | ~20,000 est. | — | ₹10,000 | 0.6× |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | Star Alliance metal (SQ/TG — CA itself flies only Delhi from India), India→Southeast Asia — Air China PhoenixMiles | ~15,000 est. | — | ₹13,500 | 0.8× |
| United MileagePlus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Southeast Asia — United MileagePlus | ~20,000 est. | — | ₹20,000 | 1.1× |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Southeast Asia — Avianca LifeMiles | ~20,000 est. | — | ₹20,000 | 1.1× |
| Cathay Asia Miles | Cathay Pacific via HKG (oneworld), Standard award — cumulative-distance pricing | 20,000 | — | ₹20,000 | 1.1× |
| Lufthansa Miles & More | Thai Airways nonstop — Star Alliance partner award, fixed Miles & More chart | 21,000 | — | ₹21,000 | 1.2× |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Singapore Airlines via SIN (one stop), Saver | 20,000 | — | ₹22,000 | 1.3× |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | Star Alliance metal (Air India/SQ/TG — EVA itself serves no Indian city; the award rides partner metal), India→Southeast Asia — EVA Infinity MileageLands | 25,000 | — | ₹25,000 | 1.4× |
| Avios (BA / Qatar / Finnair) | SriLankan via CMB (oneworld) — Avios partner chart, per-segment | 25,000 | — | ₹25,000 | 1.4× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Thai Airways or Air India metal (Star Alliance partner award) | ~25,000 est. | — | ₹25,000 | 1.4× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — Vietnam Airlines via SGN | ~25,000 est. | — | ₹25,000 | 1.4× |
| Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards | SriLankan Airlines via CMB (oneworld partner award), India→Southeast Asia — Alaska Atmos | ~25,000 est. | — | ₹25,000 | 1.4× |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | SriLankan via CMB (oneworld partner award), or Malaysia Airlines via KUL | 25,000 | — | ₹25,000 | 1.4× |
| Aegean Miles+Bonus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Southeast Asia — Aegean Miles+Bonus | 30,000 | — | ₹30,000 | 1.7× |
| China Southern Sky Pearl Club | China Southern own metal via Guangzhou (CAN) — the Delhi nonstop resumes 21 September 2026, India→Southeast Asia — Sky Pearl (no partners) | 40,000 | — | ₹30,000 | 1.7× |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Southeast Asia — Copa ConnectMiles (fixed region chart) | 35,000 | — | ₹35,000 | 2.0× |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Southeast Asia — TAP Miles&Go | 50,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 2.3× |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thai Royal Orchid Plus the play | Thai Airways nonstop (Star Alliance), Royal Silk | 27,500 | — | ₹27,500 | the play |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | Star Alliance metal (SQ/TG — CA itself flies only Delhi from India), India→Southeast Asia — Air China PhoenixMiles | ~27,000 est. | — | ₹24,300 | 0.9× |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Southeast Asia — Avianca LifeMiles | ~37,000 est. | — | ₹37,000 | 1.3× |
| Lufthansa Miles & More | Thai Airways nonstop — Star Alliance partner award, fixed Miles & More chart | 37,500 | — | ₹37,500 | 1.4× |
| United MileagePlus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Southeast Asia — United MileagePlus | ~40,000 est. | — | ₹40,000 | 1.5× |
| Air India Maharaja Points | Air India nonstop (Star Alliance), Value tier | ~50,000 est. | — | ₹40,000 | 1.5× |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | SriLankan business via CMB (oneworld partner award), or Malaysia Airlines via KUL | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 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→Southeast Asia — EVA Infinity MileageLands | 42,500 | — | ₹42,500 | 1.5× |
| Aegean Miles+Bonus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Southeast Asia — Aegean Miles+Bonus | 45,000 | — | ₹45,000 | 1.6× |
| China Southern Sky Pearl Club | China Southern own metal via Guangzhou (CAN) — the Delhi nonstop resumes 21 September 2026, India→Southeast Asia — Sky Pearl (no partners) | 60,000 | — | ₹45,000 | 1.6× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Thai Airways or Air India metal (Star Alliance partner award) | 47,500 | — | ₹47,500 | 1.7× |
| Avios (BA / Qatar / Finnair) | SriLankan business via CMB (oneworld) — Avios partner chart, per-segment | 49,000 | — | ₹49,000 | 1.8× |
| Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards | SriLankan Airlines via CMB (oneworld partner award), India→Southeast Asia — Alaska Atmos | ~50,000 est. | — | ₹50,000 | 1.8× |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Singapore Airlines via SIN (one stop), Saver | 47,500 | — | ₹52,250 | 1.9× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — Vietnam Airlines via SGN | ~55,000 est. | — | ₹55,000 | 2.0× |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Southeast Asia — TAP Miles&Go | 70,000 | — | ₹56,000 | 2.0× |
| Cathay Asia Miles | Cathay Pacific business via HKG (oneworld), Standard award — cumulative-distance pricing | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | 2.2× |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Southeast Asia — Copa ConnectMiles (fixed region chart) | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | 2.2× |
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 | SriLankan via CMB (oneworld partner award), or Malaysia Airlines via KUL | 50,000 | — | ₹50,000 | the play |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Thai Airways or Air India metal (Star Alliance partner award) | ~55,000 est. | — | ₹55,000 | 1.1× |
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, Lufthansa Miles & More, Avios (BA / Qatar / Finnair) and Air France-KLM Flying Blue state that a carrier-imposed surcharge is charged on an award. Air India Maharaja Points, United MileagePlus, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards and American Airlines AAdvantage 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. 9 other programmes priced here publish nothing the desk could read.
Open this corridor in British Airways’ Flight Finder → It fills in your search — DEL to BKK on 29/12/2026, which you change there. It does not show award space, and no link on this page can. It is the only carrier handoff the desk ships: Qatar returns CASH fares under award-looking parameters, Aeroplan discards them behind a login, KrisFlyer’s search has no URL to link to, and the Flying Blue template in circulation has never been verified.
Thai Airways Star Alliance
Zone 3 (India) → Bangkok on the direct-flight chart. At ₹8–14k cash fares this rarely clears ₹0.7/mile — Royal Silk two rows down is where the same chart gets interesting.
Feed it: 8,750 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 17,500 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 17,500 SBI Travel Credits (1:1)
Air India Star Alliance
Same flat 12,000-point SE Asia tier as Singapore — down from 16,000 before April 2026. The cheapest way to Bangkok on points, full stop.
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: 12,000 IndusInd Reward Points (1:1) · 6,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 12,000 ICICI Reward Points (1:1)
IndiGo
IndiGo's nonstop plus a revenue-based burn: ₹0.40–0.60 a BluChip against ₹8–14k fares. It will never beat Thai's 27,500 Royal Silk for drama, but for a cheap seat to BKK it's the program most Indians already hold.
Estimate IndiGo BluChip is revenue-linked ~Rs0.50/pt; ~= typical one-way IndiGo economy fare / Rs0.50 for ~1,815 mi - a rupee offset that moves 1:1 with the live fare. Own-metal only, no partners.
Feed it: 30,000 HSBC Reward Points (1.5:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 100,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:1) · 60,000 HDFC Reward Points (3:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
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: 18,750 HSBC Reward Points (1.25:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 45,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 90,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Star Alliance
United went fully dynamic in 2020 (no fixed chart), so ~20,000 is a typical Saver partner level to Southeast Asia. But Aeroplan often prices the same Star seat lower, so compare before burning United miles.
Estimate United MileagePlus Saver partner level, India→Southeast 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: 10,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 50,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 60,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via 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: 60,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 120,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 40,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1)
Cathay Pacific oneworld
DEL-HKG-BKK is ~3,378 flown miles (2,328 + 1,050) — the 2,751-5,000 band at 20,000 Standard, no India Type-2 premium up there. But it's a Hong Kong dog-leg: you fly east past Bangkok's longitude to HKG, then southwest back (~1.9x the 1,815-mile nonstop). Air India's 12,000 nonstop economy wins outright; this is completeness on CX metal for SBI-1:1 balances.
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)
Thai Airways Star Alliance
The same fixed partner chart — the one the 3-Jun-2025 dynamic switch left alone — prices India↔South East Asia economy at 42,000 miles RETURN, halved to 21,000 one-way by Miles & More’s published one-way rule (General terms and conditions for Award Flights, §1.1: a single leg costs “50% fewer miles than a standard Award Flight”). It does not win here: Air India Maharaja Points prices the same cabin at 12,000. What it buys is a FIXED number and a partner-metal cash bill. Thai Airways flies it nonstop. Burn a stranded Miles & More balance here if you must; the business cell at 37,500 is where this chart actually earns its keep. The chart is miles-only: the PDF still makes you pay “taxes, fees, airline surcharges payable to the respective airlines”, so the cash bill follows the OPERATING carrier — which is exactly why partner metal escapes the EUR 395–885 one-way that Lufthansa and SWISS own metal carries.
Feed it: 52,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 21,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:1) · 105,000 HDFC Reward Points (5:1 via Wyndham Rewards)
Singapore Airlines Star Alliance
20,000 Saver miles for two SQ legs through Changi — Zone 6 → Zone 3 on the official 1-Nov-2025 chart. Above Air India's flat 12,000-point nonstop already on this corridor, and it adds a southbound Singapore detour Thai and AI fly around. The asterisk: SQ concedes the routing can exceed maximum permitted mileage, so 20,000 is the published reference and a floor — the calculator may price it higher on the actual DEL-SIN-BKK MPM. Exists because KrisFlyer takes points from more Indian issuers than any other airline program; the nonstop charts are the buy.
Feed it: 20,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 10,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 40,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1)
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: 25,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 166,667 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 625,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors)
SriLankan Airlines oneworld
DEL-CMB (Z3, 12,500) + CMB-BKK (1,486 mi, Z3, 12,500) = 25,000 Avios via Colombo — the priceable oneworld routing (Qatar via Doha dies, DOH-BKK is 3,281 mi). Thai flies the nonstop for 27,500 miles in business one row over.
Feed it: 25,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 50,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 25,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
Thai AirwaysAir India 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. Mirrored from bkk-del: the chart cell is the same in either direction, so 25,000 is that corridor's number read back the other way — an estimate until this direction is re-read, and never crowned THE PLAY.
Estimate Mirrored from bkk-del — Air Canada Aeroplan prices the zone pair, not the direction of travel, so this reads the bkk-del economy cell back the other way; the desk has not separately re-read the chart for this direction.
Feed it: 12,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 25,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 62,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
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. Mirrored from bkk-del: the chart cell is the same in either direction, so 25,000 is that corridor's number read back the other way — an estimate until this direction is re-read, and never crowned THE PLAY.
Estimate Mirrored from bkk-del — Air France-KLM Flying Blue prices the zone pair, not the direction of travel, so this reads the bkk-del economy cell back the other way; the desk has not separately re-read the chart for this direction. 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)
SriLankan Airlines oneworld
No Atmos partner flies DEL-BKK nonstop, so the 1,832-mile great circle never reaches the chart. Alaska bands what you actually fly: SriLankan Airlines via CMB is ~2,974 flown miles — the Asia-Pacific chart's 1,501-3,000 mi band, 25,000 economy / 50,000 business one-way, plus the $20 partner booking fee per person each way (up from $12.50 on 1-Jul-2026). One-way.
Estimate Priced at the flown-routing distance, not the nonstop great circle: SriLankan Airlines via CMB = ~2,974 mi summed great-circle (1.62x the 1,832-mi nonstop), which reads the Atmos Asia-Pacific partner chart's 1,501-3,000 mi band (25,000 economy / 50,000 business one-way). Atmos prices partner awards on total distance flown; the exact routing Alaska sells on this pair is not calculator-verified (alaskaair.com blocks automated reads). KNIFE-EDGE: the routing measures ~2,974 mi, just under the 3,000-mile band boundary, and our great-circle geometry is city-level - the fare engine's own mileage could land the itinerary in the neighbouring band.
Feed it: 60,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.4:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 120,000 RBL Reward Points (4.8:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 40,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
SriLankan AirlinesMalaysia Airlines oneworld
25,000 AA miles Indian Subcontinent → Asia Region 2 (Thailand) — 75,000 Bonvoy at 3:1 (see /transfers/to/american-aadvantage). Thai's nonstop is the corridor's answer; AA is the fixed region backstop.
Feed it: 75,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 150,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 50,000 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)
China Southern
China Southern left SkyTeam in 2020, so Sky Pearl books CZ metal ONLY, and Delhi is its only Indian station: the Guangzhou nonstop resumes 21 September 2026 (CZ359/360 daily) after a six-year gap. The onward leg then backtracks through CAN and prices on summed distance (rarely optimal vs an alliance carrier).
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)
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)
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)
Thai Airways Star Alliance
27,500 miles one-way in Royal Silk to TG's own hub — the standout published business rate on any India corridor. HDFC (2:1), Axis (1:2), HSBC (1:1) and SBI (1:1) all feed ROP; mind the hard 3-year mile expiry and book TG-operated flights only.
Feed it: 13,750 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 27,500 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 27,500 SBI Travel Credits (1:1)
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: 66,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.44:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 132,000 RBL Reward Points (4.89:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 33,750 HSBC Reward Points (1.25:1 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: 111,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 222,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 74,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1)
Thai Airways Star Alliance
Miles & More's PARTNER chart is the one thing the 3-Jun-2025 switch to dynamic pricing did not touch, and the official Award Flight chart (correct as of 3 March 2026) gives INDIA its own region, separate from South East Asia and from Central Asia/Far East. India↔South East Asia in business is 75,000 miles RETURN. The halving is published, not assumed: Miles & More's General terms and conditions for Award Flights, §1.1 One-way Award Flight, reads “One-way Award Flights allow you to book an Award Flight for a single leg for 50% fewer miles than a standard Award Flight”, and carves out only Lufthansa/SWISS/Austrian metal, where the saving tracks the dynamic online offer. That puts this corridor at 37,500 one-way, fixed and published — the single best use of a Miles & More balance from India. It does not win here: Thai Royal Orchid Plus prices the same cabin at 27,500. What it buys is a FIXED number and a partner-metal cash bill. Thai Airways flies it nonstop. Thai releases partner Saver business far more freely than Singapore Airlines does, which is what makes this cell bookable rather than theoretical. The chart is miles-only: the PDF still makes you pay “taxes, fees, airline surcharges payable to the respective airlines”, so the cash bill follows the OPERATING carrier — which is exactly why partner metal escapes the EUR 395–885 one-way that Lufthansa and SWISS own metal carries.
Feed it: 93,750 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 37,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:1) · 187,500 HDFC Reward Points (5:1 via Wyndham Rewards)
Star Alliance
United went fully dynamic in 2020 (no fixed chart), so ~40,000 is a typical Saver partner level to Southeast Asia. But Aeroplan often prices the same Star seat lower, so compare before burning United miles.
Estimate United MileagePlus Saver partner level, India→Southeast 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: 20,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 100,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 90,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.25:1 via Marriott Bonvoy)
Air India Star Alliance
The 50,000-point SE Asia business tier looks steep against Thai's 27,500 — even Maharaja's cheaper ₹/point can't close a 1.8× points gap. Fly TG up front on this one.
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: 50,000 IndusInd Reward Points (1:1) · 25,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 50,000 ICICI Reward Points (1:1)
SriLankan AirlinesMalaysia Airlines oneworld
40,000 AA miles business via Colombo — 120,000 Bonvoy at 3:1 (see /transfers/to/american-aadvantage). Well above Thai's 27,500 nonstop; completeness only.
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)
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: 42,500 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 283,334 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 1,062,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors)
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)
China Southern
China Southern left SkyTeam in 2020, so Sky Pearl books CZ metal ONLY, and Delhi is its only Indian station: the Guangzhou nonstop resumes 21 September 2026 (CZ359/360 daily) after a six-year gap. The onward leg then backtracks through CAN and prices on summed distance (rarely optimal vs an alliance carrier).
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)
Thai AirwaysAir India Star Alliance
CardExpert prices Delhi–Bangkok explicitly: the 0–2,500-mile Atlantic–Pacific band rose 19% to 47,500 in June 2026. But 1.7× Thai's own chart for the same cabin — only for points already stranded in Aeroplan.
Feed it: 23,750 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 47,500 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 118,750 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
SriLankan Airlines oneworld
DEL-CMB (Z3, 24,500 J) + CMB-BKK (Z3, 24,500 J) = 49,000 Avios via Colombo. Nearly double Thai's 27,500 Royal Silk nonstop already on this corridor — a completeness row, not the buy.
Feed it: 49,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 98,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 49,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
SriLankan Airlines oneworld
No Atmos partner flies DEL-BKK nonstop, so the 1,832-mile great circle never reaches the chart. Alaska bands what you actually fly: SriLankan Airlines via CMB is ~2,974 flown miles — the Asia-Pacific chart's 1,501-3,000 mi band, 25,000 economy / 50,000 business one-way, plus the $20 partner booking fee per person each way (up from $12.50 on 1-Jul-2026). One-way.
Estimate Priced at the flown-routing distance, not the nonstop great circle: SriLankan Airlines via CMB = ~2,974 mi summed great-circle (1.62x the 1,832-mi nonstop), which reads the Atmos Asia-Pacific partner chart's 1,501-3,000 mi band (25,000 economy / 50,000 business one-way). Atmos prices partner awards on total distance flown; the exact routing Alaska sells on this pair is not calculator-verified (alaskaair.com blocks automated reads). KNIFE-EDGE: the routing measures ~2,974 mi, just under the 3,000-mile band boundary, and our great-circle geometry is city-level - the fare engine's own mileage could land the itinerary in the neighbouring band.
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
47,500 Saver miles in business via Changi — 1.7× Thai's 27,500 Royal Silk nonstop on the very same corridor, and it ties Aeroplan's 47,500 for a seat you'd fly with an extra stop and a southbound detour. Zone 6 → Zone 3, asterisked: the printed fare is a reference that a backtracking / over-MPM routing recalculates above. A completeness row — Thai's own chart wins outright.
Feed it: 47,500 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 23,750 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 95,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1)
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. Mirrored from bkk-del: the chart cell is the same in either direction, so 55,000 is that corridor's number read back the other way — an estimate until this direction is re-read, and never crowned THE PLAY.
Estimate Mirrored from bkk-del — Air France-KLM Flying Blue prices the zone pair, not the direction of travel, so this reads the bkk-del business cell back the other way; the desk has not separately re-read the chart for this direction. 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 for two Cathay business sectors through Hong Kong — 2.2x Thai's 27,500 Royal Silk nonstop already on this corridor, on the cheapest-business-in-the-set board. A row for stranded Asia Miles balances only; the backtrack adds ~3 hours and Standard space must line up on both legs.
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
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)
SriLankan AirlinesMalaysia Airlines oneworld
AAdvantage prices partner awards on a fixed region-to-region chart. A valid oneworld routing is assumed. That region-to-region cell is the PAIR, not the direction: every Indian-Subcontinent cell reads identically from either origin chart, so this heading has one published number.
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 AirwaysAir India 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. Mirrored from bkk-del: the chart cell is the same in either direction, so 55,000 is that corridor's number read back the other way — an estimate until this direction is re-read, and never crowned THE PLAY.
Estimate Mirrored from bkk-del — Air Canada Aeroplan prices the zone pair, not the direction of travel, so this reads the bkk-del first cell back the other way; the desk has not separately re-read the chart for this direction.
Feed it: 27,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 55,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 137,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Flying back? Bangkok to Delhi on points (BKK–DEL). Or take the whole region: every corridor we price into Southeast Asia — 191 of them. Or pick any two hubs — 2,450 corridors priced.