Award flight · one-way
The corridor that vindicates the Marriott hop. ANA's zone chart sells Japan–India business at 30,000 miles one-way in regular season — half of what KrisFlyer wants via Singapore — and since 2025 you can finally book it one-way. No Indian card reaches ANA directly; Bonvoy at 3:1 (2.4:1 in 60k blocks) is the toll road, and it's still the best maths to Tokyo. JAL's 40,000 via HSBC/Axis is the no-hop consolation. 4 of the 38 rows here are mirrored from the nrt-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANA Mileage Club the play | ANA nonstop to Haneda (Star Alliance), regular season | 17,500 | — | ₹17,500 | the play |
| Japan Airlines Mileage Bank | Japan Airlines nonstop to Narita (oneworld), base award | 17,500 | — | ₹19,250 | 1.1× |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | Star Alliance metal (CA own via PEK + SQ/TG — CA itself flies only Delhi from India), India→Japan — Air China PhoenixMiles | ~22,000 est. | — | ₹19,800 | 1.1× |
| Cathay Asia Miles | Cathay Pacific via HKG (oneworld), Standard award — cumulative-distance pricing | 20,000 | — | ₹20,000 | 1.1× |
| Malaysia Airlines Enrich | Malaysia Airlines via KUL (one stop) — revenue-based Enrich pricing | ~27,500 est. | — | ₹22,000 | 1.3× |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | Japan Airlines nonstop to Narita (oneworld partner award) — or SriLankan Airlines via CMB | 22,500 | — | ₹22,500 | 1.3× |
| Air India Maharaja Points | Air India no longer flies to Narita — its Delhi–Tokyo nonstop is Haneda (HND); Maharaja prices Delhi–Japan identically, Value tier | ~30,000 est. | — | ₹24,000 | 1.4× |
| Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles | ANA nonstop to Haneda (DEL–HND) — Vietnam Lotusmiles partner award | 30,000 | — | ₹30,000 | 1.7× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — Korean Air via ICN, or China Eastern via PVG, or Vietnam Airlines via SGN | ~30,000 est. | — | ₹30,000 | 1.7× |
| Aegean Miles+Bonus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Aegean Miles+Bonus | 30,000 | — | ₹30,000 | 1.7× |
| Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards | Japan Airlines nonstop DEL-NRT (oneworld partner award), India→Japan — Alaska Atmos | 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→Japan — Sky Pearl (no partners) | 40,000 | — | ₹30,000 | 1.7× |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Avianca LifeMiles | ~32,000 est. | — | ₹32,000 | 1.8× |
| United MileagePlus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — United MileagePlus | ~32,500 est. | — | ₹32,500 | 1.9× |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Copa ConnectMiles (fixed region chart) | 35,000 | — | ₹35,000 | 2.0× |
| 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 | 2.3× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | ANA metal via Aeroplan (Star Alliance partner award) | ~40,000 est. | — | ₹40,000 | 2.3× |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — TAP Miles&Go | 50,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 2.3× |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Singapore Airlines via SIN (one stop), Saver | 42,000 | — | ₹46,200 | 2.6× |
The play · business
Which card mints this?
+7 more ways in — the full funnel, ratios and ₹/mile side by side →
One of your cards is in those 7 — see it in the funnel →
| Program | Metal / routing | Points | Surcharge | All-in ₹ | vs play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANA Mileage Club the play | ANA nonstop to Haneda (Star Alliance), regular season | 30,000 | — | ₹30,000 | the play |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | Star Alliance metal (CA own via PEK + SQ/TG — CA itself flies only Delhi from India), India→Japan — Air China PhoenixMiles | ~40,000 est. | — | ₹36,000 | 1.2× |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | Japan Airlines business nonstop to Narita (oneworld partner award) — or SriLankan Airlines via CMB | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 1.3× |
| Japan Airlines Mileage Bank | Japan Airlines nonstop to Narita (oneworld), base award | 40,000 | — | ₹44,000 | 1.5× |
| Aegean Miles+Bonus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Aegean Miles+Bonus | 45,000 | — | ₹45,000 | 1.5× |
| China Southern Sky Pearl Club | China Southern own metal via Guangzhou (CAN) — the Delhi nonstop resumes 21 September 2026, India→Japan — Sky Pearl (no partners) | 60,000 | — | ₹45,000 | 1.5× |
| United MileagePlus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — United MileagePlus | ~55,000 est. | — | ₹55,000 | 1.8× |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — TAP Miles&Go | 70,000 | — | ₹56,000 | 1.9× |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Avianca LifeMiles | ~60,000 est. | — | ₹60,000 | 2.0× |
| 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 | 2.0× |
| Cathay Asia Miles | Cathay Pacific via HKG (oneworld), Standard award — cumulative-distance pricing | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | 2.0× |
| Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards | Japan Airlines nonstop DEL-NRT (oneworld partner award), India→Japan — Alaska Atmos | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | 2.0× |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Copa ConnectMiles (fixed region chart) | 65,000 | — | ₹65,000 | 2.2× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | ANA metal via Aeroplan (Star Alliance partner award) | 75,000 | — | ₹75,000 | 2.5× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — Korean Air via ICN, or China Eastern via PVG, or Vietnam Airlines via SGN | ~75,000 est. | — | ₹75,000 | 2.5× |
| Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles | ANA nonstop to Haneda (DEL–HND) — Vietnam Lotusmiles partner award | 100,000 | — | ₹1,00,000 | 3.3× |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Singapore Airlines via SIN (one stop), Saver | 88,000 | ₹8,000 | ₹1,04,800 | 3.5× |
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 | Japan Airlines nonstop to Narita (oneworld partner award) — or SriLankan Airlines via CMB | 50,000 | — | ₹50,000 | the play |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | ANA metal via Aeroplan (Star Alliance partner award) | ~95,000 est. | — | ₹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, Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles, Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards, United MileagePlus and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer make you liable for one if the operating airline levies it, without saying whether it does. Air Canada Aeroplan states it adds none on its own metal. Government taxes and airport charges are payable in every case. Almost no programme publishes the amount, so the desk carries each one’s policy in its own words — on its programme hub — rather than a number nobody published. 10 other programmes priced here publish nothing the desk could read.
All Nippon Airways Star Alliance
Zone 1 ⇄ Zone 4 (India) regular season: 35,000 round-trip, halved since one-way awards arrived — 17,500 one-way (15,000 low season, 19,000 high). ANA lands at Haneda, not Narita. Fuel surcharges apply; Marriott Bonvoy is the only Indian road in.
Feed it: 52,500 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 105,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 35,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Japan Airlines oneworld
17,500 base miles one-way Delhi–Tokyo, surviving the June-2025 hikes. Unlike ANA, JAL is directly reachable: HSBC 1:1, Axis EDGE Miles 1:2, SBI 2:1. When base space is gone, dynamic "PLUS" pricing balloons past 130,000 — never pay it.
Feed it: 8,750 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 17,500 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 43,750 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Air ChinaSingapore 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 Pacific oneworld
Asia Miles prices the whole one-way journey by flown distance — DEL–HKG–NRT's ~4,161 miles land in the 2,751–5,000 band at 20,000 Standard (the India type-2 surcharge only exists below 2,750 miles). 2,500 over JAL's and ANA's own nonstops, plus a Hong Kong dog-leg: this row is completeness, not the play.
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)
Malaysia Airlines oneworld
MH flies DEL–KUL and KUL–NRT on its own metal, but Kuala Lumpur is a deep southern dog-leg for Tokyo and Enrich prices awards off the cash fare, not a chart — points clear ~0.8–1.2¢ with the RM50-per-3,000 e-voucher as the floor. No Indian bank feeds Enrich (hotel-side only: IHG 5:1, Hilton 25:3). For balances that already exist, not ones worth building.
Estimate Malaysia Enrich is revenue-linked ~Rs0.80/pt; ~= typical one-way MH economy fare / Rs0.80 for ~3,633 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)
Japan AirlinesSriLankan Airlines oneworld
22,500 AA miles Indian Subcontinent → Asia Region 1 on JAL's own nonstop — 67,500 Bonvoy at 3:1 (see /transfers/to/american-aadvantage). JMB prices the identical seat at 17,500 base with a direct HSBC/Axis/SBI feed; AA is the chain-funded fallback.
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
East Asia sits at a flat 30,000 in economy on the April-2026 chart — 1.7× ANA's and JAL's own rates for the same corridor. The business tier for East Asia isn't published route-level yet; we list what we can verify.
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)
All Nippon Airways Star Alliance
ANA prices on Lotusmiles' MAIN 11-zone table, not the unpublished non-SkyTeam grid — the chart's own caption reads "SkyTeam, China Southern Airlines (CZ) và All Nippon Airways (NH)". So Delhi–Tokyo on ANA metal is ONE segment and ONE cell: Southwest Asia × Northeast Asia 2, 30,000 economy one-way. ANA lands at Haneda, not Narita. Every SkyTeam alternative is a sum and dearer — Korean Air DEL–ICN–NRT is 55,000 (30,000 + 25,000), China Eastern DEL–PVG–NRT is 80,000. The nonstop saves 25,000 miles.
Feed it: 30,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 30,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 30,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1)
Korean AirChina EasternVietnam 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 25k–45k; award space and travel date drive the real number. Mirrored from nrt-del: the chart cell is the same in either direction, so 30,000 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 nrt-del — Air France-KLM Flying Blue prices the zone pair, not the direction of travel, so this reads the nrt-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 25k–45k); not a fixed chart price, and never crowned THE PLAY.
Feed it: 30,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 15,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 30,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
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)
Japan AirlinesKorean AirCathay Pacific
Japan Airlines flies DEL-NRT nonstop, ~3,672 miles, and Alaska Atmos bands partner awards by distance flown — 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)
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
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)
All Nippon 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. Mirrored from nrt-del: the chart cell is the same in either direction, so 40,000 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 nrt-del — Air Canada Aeroplan prices the zone pair, not the direction of travel, so this reads the nrt-del economy cell back the other way; the desk has not separately re-read the chart for this direction.
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
The economy companion to the 88,000-mile business row already on this corridor: 42,000 Saver for two SQ legs through Changi — double ANA's 17,500 nonstop and JAL's 17,500 base, for a ~5-hour detour. Exists because KrisFlyer is the balance four Indian issuers actually hold; the Japanese charts remain the smart buy. Re-read off the official SQ 1-Nov-2025 chart PDF on 2026-08-02: the Zone 6 → Zone 7 economy cell prints 42*, and the footnote drops the reference fare for routes "exceeding the maximum permitted mileage between two zones". 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)
All Nippon Airways Star Alliance
The sweet spot that makes the 2-hop worth it: 60,000 round-trip regular season (55,000 low / 63,000 high), halved for one-way — 30,000 miles for 7½ hours in a flat bed. Book the ANA site, pay the fuel surcharge, thank the Bonvoy 60k-block bonus (2.4:1) on the way in.
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)
Air ChinaSingapore 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)
Japan AirlinesSriLankan Airlines oneworld
40,000 AA miles for JAL business nonstop DEL-NRT — level with JMB's own 40,000 base, but AA needs 120,000 Bonvoy at 3:1 where JMB takes a direct 1:1 from HSBC (see /transfers/to/american-aadvantage). Same seat, worse plumbing; JMB or ANA remain the Tokyo plays.
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)
Japan Airlines oneworld
40,000 base miles one-way in business — the best chart rate any DIRECTLY-fed program posts to Tokyo. HSBC TravelOne's instant 1:1 makes this the low-friction play; ANA is cheaper only if you'll work the Marriott hop.
Feed it: 20,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 40,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 100,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
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)
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)
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
60,000 Standard for two Cathay business legs through Hong Kong — double ANA's 30,000 nonstop and 20,000 over JMB's 40,000. Exists because SBI feeds Asia Miles 1:1 with no hotel gymnastics; but on this corridor the Japanese charts win and it's not close. Standard space is capped; dynamic "Choice" takes over when it's gone.
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)
Japan AirlinesKorean AirCathay Pacific
Japan Airlines flies DEL-NRT nonstop, ~3,672 miles, and Alaska Atmos bands partner awards by distance flown — 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)
All Nippon Airways Star Alliance
Delhi–Tokyo jumped 25% to 75,000 in June 2026 — 2.5× ANA's own chart for the identical seat. Exists for one reason: Aeroplan is reachable at 1:1 from SBI and 1:2 from Atlas without touching a hotel program.
Feed it: 37,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 75,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 187,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Korean AirChina EasternVietnam 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 57k–95k; award space and travel date drive the real number. Mirrored from nrt-del: the chart cell is the same in either direction, so 75,000 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 nrt-del — Air France-KLM Flying Blue prices the zone pair, not the direction of travel, so this reads the nrt-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 57k–95k); not a fixed chart price, and never crowned THE PLAY.
Feed it: 75,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 37,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 75,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
All Nippon Airways Star Alliance
One segment, one cell — but the dearest cell on the India row. Northeast Asia 2 (Korea and Japan alone) is this chart's anomaly: 100,000 business one-way, MORE than the 80,000 it charges India–Hong Kong or India–Shanghai and 30,000 above the 70,000 to Europe. It is still the cheapest Lotusmiles road to Tokyo in a flat bed — China Eastern DEL–PVG–NRT sums to 140,000, Korean Air DEL–ICN–NRT to 150,000 — but next to ANA's own 30,000 on the same aeroplane it is a trade nobody should make. Priced because it is real, not advised. ANA lands at Haneda, not Narita.
Feed it: 100,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 100,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 100,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1)
Singapore Airlines Star Alliance
Two Saver segments through Changi for 88,000 miles — twice ANA's nonstop rate, but bookable from four Indian issuers without hotel gymnastics, and it's SQ product both legs. The detour adds ~5 hours. Re-read off SIA's own 1-Nov-2025 chart PDF on 2026-08-02: Zone 6 → Zone 7 business 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". Every award routes via SIN (no India–Japan/Korea nonstop), so this is the published reference fare and a floor — confirm the exact mileage with KrisFlyer Membership Services.
Feed it: 88,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 44,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 176,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1)
Japan AirlinesSriLankan 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)
All Nippon 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. Mirrored from nrt-del: the chart cell is the same in either direction, so 95,000 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 nrt-del — Air Canada Aeroplan prices the zone pair, not the direction of travel, so this reads the nrt-del first cell back the other way; the desk has not separately re-read the chart for this direction.
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? Tokyo to Delhi on points (NRT–DEL). Or take the whole region: every corridor we price into East Asia — 273 of them. Or pick any two hubs — 2,450 corridors priced.