Award flight · one-way
Chennai → Tokyo on points: 26 options across the alliance backbones our cards can reach. Aeroplan books Star partner metal at a fixed 6,493 km distance band, AAdvantage prices the oneworld routing off its region chart, and Flying Blue — which reaches Chennai on Malaysia Airlines via Kuala Lumpur, not on SkyTeam metal — prices it 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 Malaysia Airlines via KUL, or SriLankan Airlines via CMB | 22,500 | — | ₹22,500 | the play |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | Star Alliance metal (SQ/TG partner metal — CA itself flies only Delhi from India), India→Japan — Air China PhoenixMiles | ~22,000 est. | — | ₹19,800 | 0.9× |
| Aegean Miles+Bonus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Aegean Miles+Bonus | 30,000 | — | ₹30,000 | 1.3× |
| Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards | Cathay Pacific via HKG (oneworld partner award), India→Japan — Alaska Atmos | 30,000 | — | ₹30,000 | 1.3× |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Avianca LifeMiles | ~32,000 est. | — | ₹32,000 | 1.4× |
| United MileagePlus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — United MileagePlus | ~32,500 est. | — | ₹32,500 | 1.4× |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Copa ConnectMiles (fixed region chart) | 35,000 | — | ₹35,000 | 1.6× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | Malaysia Airlines via KUL (MAA–KUL–NRT) — Flying Blue partner award (dynamic) | ~37,500 est. | — | ₹37,500 | 1.7× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (6,493 km) | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 1.8× |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | Star Alliance metal (SQ/TG — EVA itself serves no Indian city; the award rides partner metal), India→Japan — EVA Infinity MileageLands | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 1.8× |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — TAP Miles&Go | 50,000 | — | ₹40,000 | 1.8× |
| Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles | Etihad own metal (MAA–AUH–NRT) — Vietnam LotusMiles partner award | ~80,000 est. | — | ₹80,000 | 3.6× |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage the play | oneworld partner metal, AAdvantage region award — or Malaysia Airlines via KUL, or SriLankan Airlines via CMB | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | the play |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | Star Alliance metal (SQ/TG partner metal — CA itself flies only Delhi from India), India→Japan — Air China PhoenixMiles | ~40,000 est. | — | ₹36,000 | 0.9× |
| Aegean Miles+Bonus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Aegean Miles+Bonus | 45,000 | — | ₹45,000 | 1.1× |
| United MileagePlus | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — United MileagePlus | ~55,000 est. | — | ₹55,000 | 1.4× |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — TAP Miles&Go | 70,000 | — | ₹56,000 | 1.4× |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Avianca LifeMiles | ~60,000 est. | — | ₹60,000 | 1.5× |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | Star Alliance metal (SQ/TG — EVA itself serves no Indian city; the award rides partner metal), India→Japan — EVA Infinity MileageLands | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | 1.5× |
| Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards | Cathay Pacific via HKG (oneworld partner award), India→Japan — Alaska Atmos | 60,000 | — | ₹60,000 | 1.5× |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | Star Alliance partner metal, India→Japan — Copa ConnectMiles (fixed region chart) | 65,000 | — | ₹65,000 | 1.6× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (6,493 km) | 75,000 | — | ₹75,000 | 1.9× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | Malaysia Airlines via KUL (MAA–KUL–NRT) — Flying Blue partner award (dynamic) | ~75,000 est. | — | ₹75,000 | 1.9× |
| Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles | Etihad own metal (MAA–AUH–NRT) — Vietnam LotusMiles partner award | ~200,000 est. | — | ₹2,00,000 | 5.0× |
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 Malaysia Airlines via KUL, or SriLankan Airlines via CMB | 50,000 | — | ₹50,000 | the play |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (6,493 km) | 95,000 | — | ₹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. Air France-KLM Flying Blue states that a carrier-imposed surcharge is charged on an award. American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards, 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. 6 other programmes priced here publish nothing the desk could read.
Malaysia AirlinesSriLankan Airlines oneworld
AAdvantage prices partner awards on a fixed region-to-region chart. A valid oneworld routing is assumed.
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)
Singapore AirlinesThai Airways Star Alliance
Air China PhoenixMiles prices its own metal (India→Beijing, resumed Apr-2026) plus Star partners. North Asia is its only genuine strength; elsewhere it is a weak Star pricer with heavy fuel surcharges (why the currency sits at ₹0.90). India-origin levels are not published, so all values are estimated off trans-Pacific anchors. One-way (current PhoenixMiles).
Estimate PhoenixMiles' official zone division could not be reconciled with this corridor — Air China publishes no India-origin level, and its published zone tables do not map cleanly onto these city pairs. This value is extrapolated from the nearest published anchors, not a verified chart price.
Feed it: 27,500 HSBC Reward Points (1.25:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 60,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.73:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 120,000 RBL Reward Points (5.45:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Star Alliance
Aegean Miles+Bonus prices Star partner metal off one region chart published as ROUND TRIPS — its own rule is that a one-way costs exactly half, and the halved figure is what we show. India sits in the "Near East & Central Asia" zone: the Far East is a flat 30k/45k one-way (Tokyo costs the same as Bangkok), Europe 35k/55k, North America 50k/75k. No Indian card feeds it — Marriott Bonvoy 3:1 is the only road in, and awards only display once you hold the full balance.
Feed it: 75,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.5:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 150,000 RBL Reward Points (5:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 50,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.67:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Cathay PacificSriLankan AirlinesMalaysia Airlines oneworld
Alaska Atmos bands the TOTAL DISTANCE FLOWN, not the nonstop great circle: the cheapest Atmos routing is Cathay Pacific via HKG, ~4,148 flown miles against a 4,035-mile nonstop, which reads the Asia-Pacific chart's 3,001-5,000 mi band — 30,000 economy / 60,000 business one-way, plus the $20 partner booking fee per person each way (up from $12.50 on 1-Jul-2026). One-way.
Feed it: 75,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.5:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 150,000 RBL Reward Points (5:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 50,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.67:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Star Alliance
LifeMiles prices Star partner metal off an unpublished grid; India→Europe business ~63k is the headline sweet spot (beats Aeroplan). Business is the value cabin here; economy is mediocre. The chart is semi-fixed/unpublished, so some bands are estimates.
Estimate LifeMiles publishes no award chart — Avianca withdrew its public zone table in 2023 and prices Star partner awards off an unpublished internal grid. This level is extrapolated from that historical zone pricing plus dated community booking reports, not a verified chart price.
Feed it: 96,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 192,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 64,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1)
Star Alliance
United went fully dynamic in 2020 (no fixed chart), so ~32,500 is a typical Saver partner level to Japan. But Aeroplan often prices the same Star seat lower, so compare before burning United miles.
Estimate United MileagePlus Saver partner level, India→Japan on Star Alliance metal; United went fully dynamic in 2020, so this is a typical Saver that moves with availability and cabin scarcity.
Feed it: 16,250 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 81,250 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 67,500 Amex Membership Rewards (2.08:1 via Marriott Bonvoy)
Star Alliance
Copa ConnectMiles prices Star partner metal off its FIXED region chart (India sits in Copa’s "Central Asia" zone). Standout value — India→Europe 45k business, India→Sub-Saharan Africa 17.5k economy on Ethiopian (Cairo is a dearer 20k Middle East cell) — but NO Indian card feeds ConnectMiles (buy-miles or a US co-brand only), so treat it as a reference benchmark, not a wallet-reachable route.
Feed it: 90,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.57:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 180,000 RBL Reward Points (5.14:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 60,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.71:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Malaysia Airlines oneworld
No SkyTeam metal touches Chennai — Chennai's own airline table lists no Air France, KLM, Korean, Vietnam, China Eastern, Kenya, Saudia or Delta. Flying Blue's Chennai door is its non-alliance partner Malaysia Airlines, connecting at Kuala Lumpur. Only economy and business are bookable with Miles on these partners — no first. Partner awards carry the operating carrier's surcharges (the published Oman Air datapoints run US$190–390 one-way), which Flying Blue does not publish per route.
Estimate Flying Blue is dynamic and prices partner awards PER SEGMENT (One Mile at a Time, 6-Jun-2024: "you're paying the per segment pricing anyway"). No SkyTeam carrier serves Chennai at all, so this row rides Malaysia Airlines — a Flying Blue redemption partner a named Flying Blue partner — via KUL: 2,629 km + 5,410 km banded to 15,000 + 22,500 = 37,500 economy. Bands anchored on published Flying Blue partner datapoints (business one-way: Muscat–Dubai 6,100, Abu Dhabi–Kuwait 9,500, Muscat–Bangkok 42,900, Abu Dhabi–Bangkok 45,000, Muscat–Munich 45,800, Abu Dhabi–Johannesburg 48,000, Abu Dhabi–Washington 87,000); economy is half of business, the one published economy anchor. Dates and demand move the real number.
Feed it: 37,500 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 18,750 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 37,500 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)
Singapore AirlinesThai Airways Star Alliance
EVA Infinity MileageLands prices Star metal off its zone chart (India = "Central/South Asia" zone; one-way = half round-trip). EVA own metal via Taipei covers Japan/N-Asia/SE-Asia/US/Europe; Gulf/Africa/Oceania are partner-metal only. India→US business ~97.5k (possibly ~55-60k on a fully-EVA routing).
Feed it: 40,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 266,667 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 1,000,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors)
Star Alliance
TAP's 4 May 2026 chart repriced India — which sits in its "Asia" origin zone — and intra-Asia went from 40k/60k to 50k/70k one-way, still flat regardless of distance (fine to Tokyo, poor to Colombo). The Gulf was carved out into a Middle East zone of its own at 60k/80k, so Bangkok now undercuts Dubai. Heavy fuel surcharges on Lufthansa-group and TAP metal; steer via Turkish, EgyptAir or Ethiopian to dodge the YQ.
Feed it: 120,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.4:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 240,000 RBL Reward Points (4.8:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 80,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Etihad Airways
Chennai has no SkyTeam service at all — its own airport table lists British Airways, Cathay, Ethiopian, Lufthansa, Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore, Thai, SriLankan, Oman Air, Etihad, Emirates, Air India and the Indian low-costs, and not one SkyTeam member — so no SkyTeam build can lift you out of MAA at all, and Malaysia Airlines, the other plausible bilateral, is NOT on the LotusMiles partner list (the list is VN SU AM AF UX AR MU CZ CI DL GA KQ KE ME KL SV SK RO VS MF NH EY — MF is Xiamen, not Malaysia). Etihad is the only partner that touches Chennai, so this is the only LotusMiles road to Japan from MAA at any price. LotusMiles partner awards are not bookable online — Vietnam Airlines takes them through its contact centre. Vietnam Airlines' own metal never comes near Chennai: VN reaches DEL/BOM from Saigon and BLR/HYD from Hanoi, and no Indian city besides. One-way.
Estimate Etihad is a named LotusMiles redemption partner — Vietnam Airlines' own partner table lists EY with award booking classes I (business) and N (economy) — and it flies MAA–AUH–NRT end to end on its own metal. LotusMiles deducts miles PER FLIGHT SEGMENT, so this sums the published Southwest Asia x Middle East cell (35,000 economy / 70,000 business) and the Middle East x Northeast Asia 2 cell (45,000 / 130,000) = 80,000 economy / 200,000 business one-way. Estimated on two counts: LotusMiles publishes its 11-zone table for SkyTeam metal plus China Southern and ANA only, sending non-SkyTeam partners to a separate 10-zone "Award Zone Definition on Other Airlines" whose mileage table it never publishes; and it does not state whether the per-segment rule survives onto that grid. Both zone definitions put India in South West Asia and Japan in North East Asia, so only the grid, not the cell, is in question.
Feed it: 80,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 80,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 80,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1)
Malaysia AirlinesSriLankan Airlines 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)
Singapore AirlinesThai Airways Star Alliance
Air China PhoenixMiles prices its own metal (India→Beijing, resumed Apr-2026) plus Star partners. North Asia is its only genuine strength; elsewhere it is a weak Star pricer with heavy fuel surcharges (why the currency sits at ₹0.90). India-origin levels are not published, so all values are estimated off trans-Pacific anchors. One-way (current PhoenixMiles).
Estimate PhoenixMiles' official zone division could not be reconciled with this corridor — Air China publishes no India-origin level, and its published zone tables do not map cleanly onto these city pairs. This value is extrapolated from the nearest published anchors, not a verified chart price.
Feed it: 50,000 HSBC Reward Points (1.25:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 105,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.63:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 210,000 RBL Reward Points (5.25:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Star Alliance
Aegean Miles+Bonus prices Star partner metal off one region chart published as ROUND TRIPS — its own rule is that a one-way costs exactly half, and the halved figure is what we show. India sits in the "Near East & Central Asia" zone: the Far East is a flat 30k/45k one-way (Tokyo costs the same as Bangkok), Europe 35k/55k, North America 50k/75k. No Indian card feeds it — Marriott Bonvoy 3:1 is the only road in, and awards only display once you hold the full balance.
Feed it: 120,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.67:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 240,000 RBL Reward Points (5.33:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 80,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.78:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Star Alliance
United went fully dynamic in 2020 (no fixed chart), so ~55,000 is a typical Saver partner level to Japan. But Aeroplan often prices the same Star seat lower, so compare before burning United miles.
Estimate United MileagePlus Saver partner level, India→Japan on Star Alliance metal; United went fully dynamic in 2020, so this is a typical Saver that moves with availability and cabin scarcity.
Feed it: 27,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 137,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 120,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.18:1 via Marriott Bonvoy)
Star Alliance
TAP's 4 May 2026 chart repriced India — which sits in its "Asia" origin zone — and intra-Asia went from 40k/60k to 50k/70k one-way, still flat regardless of distance (fine to Tokyo, poor to Colombo). The Gulf was carved out into a Middle East zone of its own at 60k/80k, so Bangkok now undercuts Dubai. Heavy fuel surcharges on Lufthansa-group and TAP metal; steer via Turkish, EgyptAir or Ethiopian to dodge the YQ.
Feed it: 180,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.57:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 360,000 RBL Reward Points (5.14:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 120,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.71:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
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 PacificSriLankan AirlinesMalaysia Airlines oneworld
Alaska Atmos bands the TOTAL DISTANCE FLOWN, not the nonstop great circle: the cheapest Atmos routing is Cathay Pacific via HKG, ~4,148 flown miles against a 4,035-mile nonstop, which reads the Asia-Pacific chart's 3,001-5,000 mi band — 30,000 economy / 60,000 business one-way, plus the $20 partner booking fee per person each way (up from $12.50 on 1-Jul-2026). One-way.
Feed it: 150,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.5:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 300,000 RBL Reward Points (5:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 100,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.67:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Star Alliance
Copa ConnectMiles prices Star partner metal off its FIXED region chart (India sits in Copa’s "Central Asia" zone). Standout value — India→Europe 45k business, India→Sub-Saharan Africa 17.5k economy on Ethiopian (Cairo is a dearer 20k Middle East cell) — but NO Indian card feeds ConnectMiles (buy-miles or a US co-brand only), so treat it as a reference benchmark, not a wallet-reachable route.
Feed it: 165,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.54:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 330,000 RBL Reward Points (5.08:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 110,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.69:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
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)
Malaysia Airlines oneworld
No SkyTeam metal touches Chennai — Chennai's own airline table lists no Air France, KLM, Korean, Vietnam, China Eastern, Kenya, Saudia or Delta. Flying Blue's Chennai door is its non-alliance partner Malaysia Airlines, connecting at Kuala Lumpur. Only economy and business are bookable with Miles on these partners — no first. Partner awards carry the operating carrier's surcharges (the published Oman Air datapoints run US$190–390 one-way), which Flying Blue does not publish per route.
Estimate Flying Blue is dynamic and prices partner awards PER SEGMENT (One Mile at a Time, 6-Jun-2024: "you're paying the per segment pricing anyway"). No SkyTeam carrier serves Chennai at all, so this row rides Malaysia Airlines — a Flying Blue redemption partner a named Flying Blue partner — via KUL: 2,629 km + 5,410 km banded to 30,000 + 45,000 = 75,000 business. Bands anchored on published Flying Blue partner datapoints (business one-way: Muscat–Dubai 6,100, Abu Dhabi–Kuwait 9,500, Muscat–Bangkok 42,900, Abu Dhabi–Bangkok 45,000, Muscat–Munich 45,800, Abu Dhabi–Johannesburg 48,000, Abu Dhabi–Washington 87,000); economy is half of business, the one published economy anchor. Dates and demand move the real number.
Feed it: 75,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 37,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 75,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
Etihad Airways
Chennai has no SkyTeam service at all — its own airport table lists British Airways, Cathay, Ethiopian, Lufthansa, Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore, Thai, SriLankan, Oman Air, Etihad, Emirates, Air India and the Indian low-costs, and not one SkyTeam member — so no SkyTeam build can lift you out of MAA at all, and Malaysia Airlines, the other plausible bilateral, is NOT on the LotusMiles partner list (the list is VN SU AM AF UX AR MU CZ CI DL GA KQ KE ME KL SV SK RO VS MF NH EY — MF is Xiamen, not Malaysia). Etihad is the only partner that touches Chennai, so this is the only LotusMiles road to Japan from MAA at any price. LotusMiles partner awards are not bookable online — Vietnam Airlines takes them through its contact centre. Vietnam Airlines' own metal never comes near Chennai: VN reaches DEL/BOM from Saigon and BLR/HYD from Hanoi, and no Indian city besides. One-way.
Estimate Etihad is a named LotusMiles redemption partner — Vietnam Airlines' own partner table lists EY with award booking classes I (business) and N (economy) — and it flies MAA–AUH–NRT end to end on its own metal. LotusMiles deducts miles PER FLIGHT SEGMENT, so this sums the published Southwest Asia x Middle East cell (35,000 economy / 70,000 business) and the Middle East x Northeast Asia 2 cell (45,000 / 130,000) = 80,000 economy / 200,000 business one-way. Estimated on two counts: LotusMiles publishes its 11-zone table for SkyTeam metal plus China Southern and ANA only, sending non-SkyTeam partners to a separate 10-zone "Award Zone Definition on Other Airlines" whose mileage table it never publishes; and it does not state whether the per-segment rule survives onto that grid. Both zone definitions put India in South West Asia and Japan in North East Asia, so only the grid, not the cell, is in question.
Feed it: 200,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 200,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 200,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1)
Malaysia AirlinesSriLankan Airlines 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)
Flying back? Tokyo to Chennai on points (NRT–MAA). Or take the whole region: every corridor we price into East Asia — 273 of them. Or pick any two hubs — 2,450 corridors priced.