Award flight · one-way
Istanbul → Delhi on points: 41 options, the board now symmetric with Delhi → Istanbul. Award charts price the zone pair or the distance band, not the direction, so every program that prices the reverse heading is mirrored here — a mirror still flagged as an estimate never takes the crown. The cheapest verified business seat on the board is 40,000 via Air Canada Aeroplan, and economy starts at 20,000. 18 rows are first-hand chart reads.
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 Qatar Airways via DOH, or Oman Air via MCT | 20,000 | — | ₹20,000 | the play |
| IndiGo BluChip | IndiGo nonstop — BluChip, dynamic (revenue-priced) | ~32,000 est. | — | ₹16,000 | 0.8× |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | Turkish Airlines own metal from IST, region award | 25,000 | — | ₹25,000 | 1.3× |
| Avios (BA / Qatar / Finnair) | Qatar Airways via DOH (oneworld) — two segments, band-priced | ~25,000 est. | — | ₹25,000 | 1.3× |
| Air Europa SUMA | SkyTeam partner metal (AF/KLM/KE/VN), Europe→India — Air Europa SUMA | ~32,000 est. | — | ₹25,600 | 1.3× |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | Star Alliance metal (LH — CA itself flies only Delhi from India), Europe→India — Air China PhoenixMiles | ~30,000 est. | — | ₹27,000 | 1.4× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — Saudia via JED | ~27,500 est. | — | ₹27,500 | 1.4× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (4,565 km) — or EgyptAir via CAI | 30,000 | — | ₹30,000 | 1.5× |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, Europe→India — Copa ConnectMiles (fixed region chart) | 30,000 | — | ₹30,000 | 1.5× |
| Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards | Qatar Airways via DOH (oneworld partner award), Europe→India — Alaska Atmos | 30,000 | — | ₹30,000 | 1.5× |
| Aegean Miles+Bonus | Star Alliance partner metal, Europe→India — Aegean Miles+Bonus | 35,000 | — | ₹35,000 | 1.8× |
| China Eastern Miles | SkyTeam metal (MU own + AF/KLM/KE/VN), Europe→India — China Eastern Eastern Miles | ~45,000 est. | — | ₹38,250 | 1.9× |
| United MileagePlus | Star Alliance partner metal, Europe→India — United MileagePlus | ~40,000 est. | — | ₹40,000 | 2.0× |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, Europe→India — Avianca LifeMiles | ~40,000 est. | — | ₹40,000 | 2.0× |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | Star Alliance metal (LH — EVA itself serves no Indian city; the award rides partner metal), Europe→India — EVA Infinity MileageLands | 44,500 | — | ₹44,500 | 2.2× |
| SAS EuroBonus | SkyTeam metal (Saudia), Europe→India — SAS EuroBonus | ~54,000 est. | — | ₹48,600 | 2.4× |
| Delta SkyMiles | SkyTeam partner metal (AF/KLM/KE/VN/MU), Europe→India — Delta SkyMiles (dynamic) | ~55,000 est. | — | ₹55,000 | 2.8× |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | Star Alliance partner metal, Europe→India — TAP Miles&Go | ~80,000 est. | — | ₹64,000 | 3.2× |
| Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles | Saudia via JED (IST–JED–DEL) — Vietnam LotusMiles | 65,000 | — | ₹65,000 | 3.3× |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada Aeroplan the play | Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (4,565 km) — or EgyptAir via CAI | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | the play |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | oneworld partner metal, AAdvantage region award — or Qatar via DOH, or Qatar Airways via DOH, or Oman Air via MCT | 42,500 | — | ₹42,500 | 1.1× |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, Europe→India — Copa ConnectMiles (fixed region chart) | 45,000 | — | ₹45,000 | 1.1× |
| Avios (BA / Qatar / Finnair) | Qatar Qsuite via DOH (oneworld) — two segments, band-priced | ~49,000 est. | — | ₹49,000 | 1.2× |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | Star Alliance metal (LH — CA itself flies only Delhi from India), Europe→India — Air China PhoenixMiles | ~55,000 est. | — | ₹49,500 | 1.2× |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | Turkish Airlines own metal from IST, region award | 50,000 | — | ₹50,000 | 1.3× |
| Air Europa SUMA | SkyTeam partner metal (AF/KLM/KE/VN), Europe→India — Air Europa SUMA | ~64,000 est. | — | ₹51,200 | 1.3× |
| Aegean Miles+Bonus | Star Alliance partner metal, Europe→India — Aegean Miles+Bonus | 55,000 | — | ₹55,000 | 1.4× |
| Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards | Qatar Airways via DOH (oneworld partner award), Europe→India — Alaska Atmos | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | 1.5× |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, Europe→India — Avianca LifeMiles | ~63,000 est. | — | ₹63,000 | 1.6× |
| China Eastern Miles | SkyTeam metal (MU own + AF/KLM/KE/VN), Europe→India — China Eastern Eastern Miles | ~80,000 est. | — | ₹68,000 | 1.7× |
| Etihad Guest | Etihad via Abu Dhabi (one stop) — Saver Award seats, dynamic | ~70,000 est. | — | ₹70,000 | 1.8× |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | Star Alliance metal (LH — EVA itself serves no Indian city; the award rides partner metal), Europe→India — EVA Infinity MileageLands | 71,000 | — | ₹71,000 | 1.8× |
| Emirates Skywards | Emirates via Dubai (one stop) — Classic Rewards, calculator-priced | ~86,000 est. | — | ₹77,400 | 1.9× |
| United MileagePlus | Star Alliance partner metal, Europe→India — United MileagePlus | ~80,000 est. | — | ₹80,000 | 2.0× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — Saudia via JED | ~85,000 est. | — | ₹85,000 | 2.1× |
| SAS EuroBonus | SkyTeam metal (Saudia), Europe→India — SAS EuroBonus | ~108,000 est. | — | ₹97,200 | 2.4× |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | Star Alliance partner metal, Europe→India — TAP Miles&Go | ~125,000 est. | — | ₹1,00,000 | 2.5× |
| Delta SkyMiles | SkyTeam partner metal (AF/KLM/KE/VN/MU), Europe→India — Delta SkyMiles (dynamic) | ~140,000 est. | — | ₹1,40,000 | 3.5× |
| Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles | Saudia via JED (IST–JED–DEL) — Vietnam LotusMiles | 170,000 | — | ₹1,70,000 | 4.3× |
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 Qatar Airways via DOH, or Oman Air via MCT | 62,500 | — | ₹62,500 | the play |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (4,565 km) — or EgyptAir via CAI | 75,000 | — | ₹75,000 | 1.2× |
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. Avios (BA / Qatar / Finnair), Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Etihad Guest and Emirates Skywards state that a carrier-imposed surcharge is charged on an award. American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards, China Eastern Miles, United MileagePlus and Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles make you liable for one if the operating airline levies it, without saying whether it does. Air Canada Aeroplan states it adds none on its own metal. Government taxes and airport charges are payable in every case. Almost no programme publishes the amount, so the desk carries each one’s policy in its own words — on its programme hub — rather than a number nobody published. 11 other programmes priced here publish nothing the desk could read.
Open this corridor in British Airways’ Flight Finder → It fills in your search — IST to DEL 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.
Qatar AirwaysOman Air oneworld
AAdvantage prices partner awards on a fixed region-to-region chart. A valid oneworld routing is assumed.
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 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
IndiGo
IndiGo flies DEL–IST nonstop on its long-range narrowbodies, priced off the live fare — ₹0.40–0.80 per BluChip, min 500 chips. On a 6-hour sector where cash fares swing wildly, a fare-linked program swings with them; Turkish's 25,000-mile chart is the fixed anchor.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — IndiGo BluChip's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading. The del-ist row it mirrors is itself an assumption-stated estimate (IndiGo BluChip publishes no fixed price for this pair).
Feed it: 48,000 HSBC Reward Points (1.5:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 160,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:1) · 96,000 HDFC Reward Points (3:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
Turkish Airlines Star Alliance
Region 4 (India/Central Asia) ↔ Region 1 (Türkiye) on the Miles&Smiles own-metal chart: 25,000 standard one-way, 20,000 on the promotion award when Turkish releases it. Turkish passes heavy carrier-imposed surcharges on its own metal — cheap in miles, not in cash. Turkish-operated awards price PER SEGMENT, so a connection costs more than this nonstop cell. Best fed by Axis Atlas at 1:2; HDFC, HSBC and SBI all haircut to 2:1.
Feed it: 12,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 62,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 60,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.4:1 via Marriott Bonvoy)
Qatar Airways oneworld
Both legs are Zone 3 on the post-Dec-2025 partner chart: DEL–DOH (1,584 mi) 12,500 + DOH–IST (1,712 mi) 12,500 = 25,000 Avios — the same two-Z3 arithmetic as Cairo. Turkish's own 25,000 flies it nonstop for identical miles, so the Avios case is purely which currency you hold; nine Indian issuers feed Avios, few feed TK.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — Avios (BA / Qatar / Finnair)'s chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading.
Feed it: 25,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 50,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 25,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
Air FranceKLMKorean AirVietnam Airlines SkyTeam
Air Europa SUMA prices SkyTeam partner metal off a five-band ONE-WAY distance chart: 0–600 mi 6k/12k · 601–1,250 12k/24k · 1,251–1,750 15k/30k · 1,751–3,500 32k/64k · over 3,500 48k/95k (economy/business). This corridor reads the 1,751–3,500 mi band. The 2020 chart that made India→Europe a 51k business steal is gone — the short Gulf hops are where SUMA is now cheap. Partner awards are SUMA call-centre only, paid entirely in Miles, and non-refundable.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — Air Europa SUMA's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading.
Feed it: 32,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 64,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 160,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
Lufthansa 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 Reverse of del-ist — Air China PhoenixMiles's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading. The del-ist row it mirrors is itself an assumption-stated estimate (Air China PhoenixMiles publishes no fixed price for this pair).
Feed it: 37,500 HSBC Reward Points (1.25:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 75,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.5:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 150,000 RBL Reward Points (5:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Saudia 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 20k–35k; award space and travel date drive the real number.
Estimate Dynamic program — estimate is the typical one-way level for this region-pair (range 20k–35k); not a fixed chart price, and never crowned THE PLAY.
Feed it: 27,500 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 13,750 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 27,500 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
EgyptAir 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: 15,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 30,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 75,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
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: 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)
Qatar AirwaysOman Air oneworld
Alaska Atmos bands the TOTAL DISTANCE FLOWN, not the nonstop great circle: the cheapest Atmos routing is Qatar Airways via DOH, ~3,296 flown miles against a 2,837-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
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. That chart is a single upper-triangular ZONE-PAIR matrix — 45 published cells for 9 zones, exactly one per unordered pair — so IST → DEL and DEL → IST resolve to the same cell. Re-read against the chart and promoted from mirror-estimate to chart read on 2026-08-06. 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: 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)
Air FranceKLMKorean AirVietnam AirlinesChina Eastern SkyTeam
China Eastern prices its own metal (India→Shanghai/Kunming nonstop) plus SkyTeam partners. North Asia is its genuine ex-India strength; other regions estimate off the nearest published China-anchored band (Eastern Miles publishes no India-origin matrix). All one-way.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — China Eastern Miles's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading. The del-ist row it mirrors is itself an assumption-stated estimate (China Eastern Miles publishes no fixed price for this pair).
Feed it: 300,000 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 1,125,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors) · 225,000 Axis EDGE Miles (5:1 via Hilton Honors)
Star Alliance
United went fully dynamic in 2020 (no fixed chart), so ~40,000 is a typical Saver partner level to Europe. But Aeroplan often prices the same Star seat lower, so compare before burning United miles.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — United MileagePlus's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading. The del-ist row it mirrors is itself an assumption-stated estimate (United MileagePlus publishes no fixed price for this pair).
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)
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 Reverse of del-ist — Avianca LifeMiles's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading. The del-ist row it mirrors is itself an assumption-stated estimate (Avianca LifeMiles publishes no fixed price for this pair).
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 HDFC Reward Points (2:1)
Lufthansa 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: 44,500 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 296,667 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 1,112,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors)
Saudia SkyTeam
SAS joined SkyTeam on 1-Sept-2024, so EuroBonus now prices SkyTeam metal. Ex-India sweet spot: intra-"CESA" business to North Asia/Japan at ~30k. Watch the ×2 multiplier on Air Europa/China Airlines/Vietnam Airlines (UX/CI/VN) metal. One-way = 60% of round-trip.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — SAS EuroBonus's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading.
Feed it: 378,000 HDFC Reward Points (7:1 via Radisson Rewards) · 378,000 SBI Travel Credits (7:1 via Radisson Rewards) · 945,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (17.5:1 via Radisson Rewards)
Air FranceKLMKorean AirVietnam AirlinesChina Eastern SkyTeam
Delta has had no award chart since 2015 — fully dynamic, so ~55,000 is a representative saver-ish partner level to Europe; peak dates and 2026 partner hikes can swing business 1.5–3×. Kenya Airways (NBO) and Korean (ICN) are the strongest ex-India SkyTeam value.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — Delta SkyMiles's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading. The del-ist row it mirrors is itself an assumption-stated estimate (Delta SkyMiles publishes no fixed price for this pair).
Feed it: 165,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 330,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 110,000 HSBC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
Star Alliance
TAP's 4 May 2026 devaluation lifted India→Europe (its "Europe and North Africa" zone) from 70k/115k to 80k/125k one-way. TAP's own metal and the Lufthansa group carry the heaviest fuel surcharges of any Star program into Europe; Turkish, EgyptAir and Ethiopian routings dodge most of the YQ. Keep the itinerary inside two TAP zones — anything touching a third is billed segment by segment and summed.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading.
Feed it: 195,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.44:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 390,000 RBL Reward Points (4.88:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 130,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.63:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Saudia SkyTeam
LotusMiles deducts miles PER FLIGHT SEGMENT on its SkyTeam partner table (official chart, effective 1-Aug-2025), and no SkyTeam carrier flies DEL–IST nonstop — so the price is a SUM, not one cell. Cheapest verified SkyTeam build is Saudia DEL–JED–IST — per-segment: DEL–JED 35,000 (SW Asia × Middle East) + JED–IST 30,000 (Middle East × Europe) = 65,000. India is SW Asia on that table; LotusMiles' own SGN/HAN metal runs off a separate chart (25k/60k one-way). One-way.
Feed it: 65,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 65,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 65,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1)
EgyptAir 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)
Qatar AirwaysOman Air oneworld
AAdvantage prices partner awards on a fixed region-to-region chart. A valid oneworld routing is assumed.
Feed it: 127,500 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 255,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 85,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 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: 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)
Qatar Airways oneworld
Two Zone-3 legs at 24,500 = 49,000 Avios, with Qsuite on the DEL–DOH widebody rotations. Aeroplan's 40,000 books Turkish's own nonstop for 9,000 fewer miles and no detour — Avios wins only if the Qsuite leg or your currency mix says so. No peak/off-peak on partners.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — Avios (BA / Qatar / Finnair)'s chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading.
Feed it: 49,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 98,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 49,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
Lufthansa 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 Reverse of del-ist — Air China PhoenixMiles's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading. The del-ist row it mirrors is itself an assumption-stated estimate (Air China PhoenixMiles publishes no fixed price for this pair).
Feed it: 135,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.45:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 270,000 RBL Reward Points (4.91:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 68,750 HSBC Reward Points (1.25:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
Turkish Airlines Star Alliance
50,000 standard / 35,000 promotion in business one-way on the Region 4 ↔ Region 1 own-metal cell — the promo rate is one of the cheapest lie-flat awards to Europe’s doorstep, when Turkish releases it. The catch is Turkish’s award engine (phantom space, phone bookings) and a heavy fuel/tax component. Aeroplan books the same TK seat for 40,000 with neither headache. Turkish-operated awards price per segment.
Feed it: 25,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 125,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 120,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.4:1 via Marriott Bonvoy)
Air FranceKLMKorean AirVietnam Airlines SkyTeam
Air Europa SUMA prices SkyTeam partner metal off a five-band ONE-WAY distance chart: 0–600 mi 6k/12k · 601–1,250 12k/24k · 1,251–1,750 15k/30k · 1,751–3,500 32k/64k · over 3,500 48k/95k (economy/business). This corridor reads the 1,751–3,500 mi band. The 2020 chart that made India→Europe a 51k business steal is gone — the short Gulf hops are where SUMA is now cheap. Partner awards are SUMA call-centre only, paid entirely in Miles, and non-refundable.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — Air Europa SUMA's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading.
Feed it: 64,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 128,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 320,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
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. That chart is a single upper-triangular ZONE-PAIR matrix — 45 published cells for 9 zones, exactly one per unordered pair — so IST → DEL and DEL → IST resolve to the same cell. Re-read against the chart and promoted from mirror-estimate to chart read on 2026-08-06. 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: 135,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.45:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 270,000 RBL Reward Points (4.91:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 90,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.64:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Qatar AirwaysOman Air oneworld
Alaska Atmos bands the TOTAL DISTANCE FLOWN, not the nonstop great circle: the cheapest Atmos routing is Qatar Airways via DOH, ~3,296 flown miles against a 2,837-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
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 Reverse of del-ist — Avianca LifeMiles's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading. The del-ist row it mirrors is itself an assumption-stated estimate (Avianca LifeMiles publishes no fixed price for this pair).
Feed it: 189,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 378,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 126,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1)
Air FranceKLMKorean AirVietnam AirlinesChina Eastern SkyTeam
China Eastern prices its own metal (India→Shanghai/Kunming nonstop) plus SkyTeam partners. North Asia is its genuine ex-India strength; other regions estimate off the nearest published China-anchored band (Eastern Miles publishes no India-origin matrix). All one-way.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — China Eastern Miles's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading. The del-ist row it mirrors is itself an assumption-stated estimate (China Eastern Miles publishes no fixed price for this pair).
Feed it: 533,334 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 2,000,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors) · 400,000 Axis EDGE Miles (5:1 via Hilton Honors)
Etihad Airways
Etihad connects DEL–AUH–IST, dynamically priced with no published Istanbul datapoint and surcharges on top. Four fixed prices already sit on this corridor; check Guest only if the miles are already in the account and expiring.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — Etihad Guest's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading. The del-ist row it mirrors is itself an assumption-stated estimate (Etihad Guest publishes no fixed price for this pair).
Feed it: 35,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 70,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 175,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Lufthansa 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: 71,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 473,334 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 1,775,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors)
Emirates
DEL–DXB–IST on Emirates both legs — calculator-priced, no chart, premium cabins ~15% dearer since May 2026, surcharges on top. With Turkish's own chart at 50,000 and Aeroplan at 40,000 both printing fixed numbers on the nonstop, the Dubai detour is for stranded Skywards balances only.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — Emirates Skywards's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading. The del-ist row it mirrors is itself an assumption-stated estimate (Emirates Skywards publishes no fixed price for this pair).
Feed it: 172,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 426,000 RBL Reward Points (4.95:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 172,000 SBI Travel Credits (2:1)
Star Alliance
United went fully dynamic in 2020 (no fixed chart), so ~80,000 is a typical Saver partner level to Europe. But Aeroplan often prices the same Star seat lower, so compare before burning United miles.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — United MileagePlus's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading. The del-ist row it mirrors is itself an assumption-stated estimate (United MileagePlus publishes no fixed price for this pair).
Feed it: 40,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 200,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 180,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.25:1 via Marriott Bonvoy)
Saudia 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 63.75k–90k; award space and travel date drive the real number.
Estimate Dynamic program — estimate is the typical one-way level for this region-pair (range 63.75k–90k); not a fixed chart price, and never crowned THE PLAY.
Feed it: 85,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 42,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 85,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
Saudia SkyTeam
SAS joined SkyTeam on 1-Sept-2024, so EuroBonus now prices SkyTeam metal. Ex-India sweet spot: intra-"CESA" business to North Asia/Japan at ~30k. Watch the ×2 multiplier on Air Europa/China Airlines/Vietnam Airlines (UX/CI/VN) metal. One-way = 60% of round-trip.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — SAS EuroBonus's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading.
Feed it: 756,000 HDFC Reward Points (7:1 via Radisson Rewards) · 756,000 SBI Travel Credits (7:1 via Radisson Rewards) · 1,890,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (17.5:1 via Radisson Rewards)
Star Alliance
TAP's 4 May 2026 devaluation lifted India→Europe (its "Europe and North Africa" zone) from 70k/115k to 80k/125k one-way. TAP's own metal and the Lufthansa group carry the heaviest fuel surcharges of any Star program into Europe; Turkish, EgyptAir and Ethiopian routings dodge most of the YQ. Keep the itinerary inside two TAP zones — anything touching a third is billed segment by segment and summed.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading.
Feed it: 300,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.4:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 600,000 RBL Reward Points (4.8:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 200,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Air FranceKLMKorean AirVietnam AirlinesChina Eastern SkyTeam
Delta has had no award chart since 2015 — fully dynamic, so ~55,000 is a representative saver-ish partner level to Europe; peak dates and 2026 partner hikes can swing business 1.5–3×. Kenya Airways (NBO) and Korean (ICN) are the strongest ex-India SkyTeam value.
Estimate Reverse of del-ist — Delta SkyMiles's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. Mirrored from the priced direction, not separately verified on this heading. The del-ist row it mirrors is itself an assumption-stated estimate (Delta SkyMiles publishes no fixed price for this pair).
Feed it: 420,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 840,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 280,000 HSBC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))
Saudia SkyTeam
LotusMiles deducts miles PER FLIGHT SEGMENT on its SkyTeam partner table (official chart, effective 1-Aug-2025), and no SkyTeam carrier flies DEL–IST nonstop — so the price is a SUM, not one cell. Cheapest verified SkyTeam build is Saudia DEL–JED–IST — per-segment: DEL–JED 70,000 (SW Asia × Middle East) + JED–IST 100,000 (Middle East × Europe) = 170,000. India is SW Asia on that table; LotusMiles' own SGN/HAN metal runs off a separate chart (25k/60k one-way). One-way.
Feed it: 170,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 170,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 170,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1)
Qatar AirwaysOman Air oneworld
AAdvantage prices partner awards on a fixed region-to-region chart. A valid oneworld routing is assumed.
Feed it: 187,500 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 375,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 125,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
EgyptAir 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)
Flying back? Delhi to Istanbul on points (DEL–IST). Or take the whole region: every corridor we price into South Asia — 380 of them. Or pick any two hubs — 2,450 corridors priced.