Award flight · one-way
Dubai → Shanghai on points: 13 options across the alliance backbones our cards can reach. Aeroplan books Star partner metal at a fixed 6,449 km distance band, AAdvantage prices the oneworld routing off its region chart, and Flying Blue covers SkyTeam dynamically. The verified charts crown THE PLAY; the dynamic row is shown as an honest estimate.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage the play | oneworld partner metal, AAdvantage region award — or Qatar via DOH, or Cathay Pacific via HKG, or Qatar Airways via DOH | 25,000 | — | ₹25,000 | the play |
| Emirates Skywards | Emirates own metal from DXB, calculator quote | ~20,000 est. | — | ₹18,000 | 0.7× |
| China Eastern Miles | China Eastern Airlines own metal from PVG, region award | 30,000 | — | ₹25,500 | 1.0× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — Korean Air via ICN | ~30,000 est. | — | ₹30,000 | 1.2× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (6,449 km) | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 1.6× |
The play · business
Which card mints this?
| Program | Metal / routing | Points | Surcharge | All-in ₹ | vs play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China Eastern Miles the play | China Eastern Airlines own metal from PVG, region award | 45,000 | — | ₹38,250 | the play |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | oneworld partner metal, AAdvantage region award — or Qatar via DOH, or Cathay Pacific via HKG, or Qatar Airways via DOH | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 1.0× |
| Emirates Skywards | Emirates own metal from DXB, calculator quote | ~69,000 est. | — | ₹62,100 | 1.6× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (6,449 km) | 75,000 | — | ₹75,000 | 2.0× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — Korean Air via ICN | ~75,000 est. | — | ₹75,000 | 2.0× |
The play · first
Which card mints this?
+7 more ways in — the full funnel, ratios and ₹/mile side by side →
One of your cards is in those 7 — see it in the funnel →
| Program | Metal / routing | Points | Surcharge | All-in ₹ | vs play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage the play | oneworld partner metal, AAdvantage region award — or Qatar via DOH, or Cathay Pacific via HKG, or Qatar Airways via DOH | 50,000 | — | ₹50,000 | the play |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (6,449 km) | 95,000 | — | ₹95,000 | 1.9× |
| Emirates Skywards | Emirates own metal from DXB, calculator quote | ~146,000 est. | — | ₹1,31,400 | 2.6× |
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. Emirates Skywards and Air France-KLM Flying Blue state that a carrier-imposed surcharge is charged on an award. American Airlines AAdvantage and China Eastern Miles 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.
Qatar AirwaysCathay Pacific oneworld
AAdvantage prices partner awards on a fixed region-to-region chart. A valid oneworld routing is assumed.
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)
Emirates
Emirates own-metal Dubai→Shanghai. Emirates passes heavy carrier-imposed surcharges on Skywards Classic Rewards — Dubai–London business runs about £945 in taxes and charges return (~£470 one-way) on top of the miles, and US routes are similar; budget the cash side before calling any of these a deal. eco/biz are Emirates' own published one-way Saver Classic Reward levels pulled from the official Skywards miles calculator on 25 Jul 2026 (post the 20 May 2026 devaluation, which raised premium cabins ~15% and introduced one-way Business Saver at 50% of the return price); the ranges span Saver → Flex Plus, the two levels Emirates actually sells. Emirates publishes no First Saver one-way, so first is an estimate at ~1.26× the one-way Business Flex Plus level, calibrated to AwardWallet's Feb-2026 published one-way First fares (YYZ/IAD–DXB 174k, LAX–DXB 198k, JFK–MXP 108k) plus the May-2026 +15%. Seattle carries no first: Emirates pulled the First cabin off DXB–SEA from 29 March 2026 when the 302-seat 777-200LR took the route. Doha, Abu Dhabi and Vancouver are absent because Emirates does not fly them. A valid Emirates routing is assumed.
Estimate Dynamic/unpublished-chart program — estimate is the typical one-way economy level Dubai→Shanghai (range 20k–35k); not a fixed chart price, never THE PLAY.
Feed it: 40,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 120,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 40,000 SBI Travel Credits (2:1)
China Eastern SkyTeam
China Eastern Airlines own-metal Dubai→Shanghai. Eastern Miles awards on China Eastern metal are generally taxes-and-fees only — MU does not add a carrier-imposed fuel surcharge (YQ) to its own award tickets, which is what makes the long-haul cells usable rather than theoretical. A valid China Eastern Airlines routing is assumed.
Feed it: 200,000 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 750,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors) · 150,000 Axis EDGE Miles (5:1 via Hilton Honors)
Korean Air 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.
Estimate 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
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.
Feed it: 20,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 40,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 100,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
China Eastern SkyTeam
China Eastern Airlines own-metal Dubai→Shanghai. Eastern Miles awards on China Eastern metal are generally taxes-and-fees only — MU does not add a carrier-imposed fuel surcharge (YQ) to its own award tickets, which is what makes the long-haul cells usable rather than theoretical. A valid China Eastern Airlines routing is assumed.
Feed it: 300,000 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 1,125,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors) · 225,000 Axis EDGE Miles (5:1 via Hilton Honors)
Qatar AirwaysCathay Pacific oneworld
AAdvantage prices partner awards on a fixed region-to-region chart. A valid oneworld routing is assumed.
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)
Emirates
Emirates own-metal Dubai→Shanghai. Emirates passes heavy carrier-imposed surcharges on Skywards Classic Rewards — Dubai–London business runs about £945 in taxes and charges return (~£470 one-way) on top of the miles, and US routes are similar; budget the cash side before calling any of these a deal. eco/biz are Emirates' own published one-way Saver Classic Reward levels pulled from the official Skywards miles calculator on 25 Jul 2026 (post the 20 May 2026 devaluation, which raised premium cabins ~15% and introduced one-way Business Saver at 50% of the return price); the ranges span Saver → Flex Plus, the two levels Emirates actually sells. Emirates publishes no First Saver one-way, so first is an estimate at ~1.26× the one-way Business Flex Plus level, calibrated to AwardWallet's Feb-2026 published one-way First fares (YYZ/IAD–DXB 174k, LAX–DXB 198k, JFK–MXP 108k) plus the May-2026 +15%. Seattle carries no first: Emirates pulled the First cabin off DXB–SEA from 29 March 2026 when the 302-seat 777-200LR took the route. Doha, Abu Dhabi and Vancouver are absent because Emirates does not fly them. A valid Emirates routing is assumed.
Estimate Dynamic/unpublished-chart program — estimate is the typical one-way business level Dubai→Shanghai (range 69k–116k); not a fixed chart price, never THE PLAY.
Feed it: 138,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 354,000 RBL Reward Points (5.13:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 138,000 SBI Travel Credits (2:1)
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.
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 Air 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.
Estimate 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)
Qatar AirwaysCathay Pacific oneworld
AAdvantage prices partner awards on a fixed region-to-region chart. A valid oneworld routing is assumed.
Feed it: 150,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 300,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 100,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
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.
Feed it: 47,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 95,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 237,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Emirates
Emirates own-metal Dubai→Shanghai. Emirates passes heavy carrier-imposed surcharges on Skywards Classic Rewards — Dubai–London business runs about £945 in taxes and charges return (~£470 one-way) on top of the miles, and US routes are similar; budget the cash side before calling any of these a deal. eco/biz are Emirates' own published one-way Saver Classic Reward levels pulled from the official Skywards miles calculator on 25 Jul 2026 (post the 20 May 2026 devaluation, which raised premium cabins ~15% and introduced one-way Business Saver at 50% of the return price); the ranges span Saver → Flex Plus, the two levels Emirates actually sells. Emirates publishes no First Saver one-way, so first is an estimate at ~1.26× the one-way Business Flex Plus level, calibrated to AwardWallet's Feb-2026 published one-way First fares (YYZ/IAD–DXB 174k, LAX–DXB 198k, JFK–MXP 108k) plus the May-2026 +15%. Seattle carries no first: Emirates pulled the First cabin off DXB–SEA from 29 March 2026 when the 302-seat 777-200LR took the route. Doha, Abu Dhabi and Vancouver are absent because Emirates does not fly them. A valid Emirates routing is assumed.
Estimate Dynamic/unpublished-chart program — estimate is the typical one-way first level Dubai→Shanghai (range varies); not a fixed chart price, never THE PLAY.
Feed it: 292,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 720,000 RBL Reward Points (4.93:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 292,000 SBI Travel Credits (2:1)
Flying back? Shanghai to Dubai on points (PVG–DXB). Or take the whole region: every corridor we price into East Asia — 273 of them. Or pick any two hubs — 2,450 corridors priced.