Award flight · one-way
Melbourne → San Francisco on points: 12 options across the alliance backbones our cards can reach. Aeroplan books Star partner metal at a fixed 12,653 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 — via LAX, or Cathay Pacific via HKG, or Fiji Airways via NAN, or Japan Airlines via NRT | 40,000 | — | ₹40,000 | the play |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — via LAX, or China Airlines via TPE, or China Eastern via PVG, or Delta Air Lines via LAX | ~45,000 est. | — | ₹45,000 | 1.1× |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | Qantas own metal via SYD (MEL–SYD–SFO), Classic Flight Reward Zone 8 on 7,863 one-way miles | 48,200 | — | ₹48,200 | 1.2× |
| United MileagePlus | United Airlines own metal from SFO, dynamic award — nonstop | ~55,000 est. | — | ₹55,000 | 1.4× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (12,653 km) — nonstop — or Air New Zealand via AKL | 65,000 | — | ₹65,000 | 1.6× |
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 — via LAX, or Cathay Pacific via HKG, or Fiji Airways via NAN, or Japan Airlines via NRT | 80,000 | — | ₹80,000 | the play |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (12,653 km) — nonstop — or Air New Zealand via AKL | 102,500 | — | ₹1,02,500 | 1.3× |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — via LAX, or China Airlines via TPE, or China Eastern via PVG, or Delta Air Lines via LAX | ~120,000 est. | — | ₹1,20,000 | 1.5× |
| United MileagePlus | United Airlines own metal from SFO, dynamic award — nonstop | ~120,000 est. | — | ₹1,20,000 | 1.5× |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | Qantas own metal via SYD (MEL–SYD–SFO), Classic Flight Reward Zone 8 on 7,863 one-way miles | 130,100 | — | ₹1,30,100 | 1.6× |
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 — via LAX, or Cathay Pacific via HKG, or Fiji Airways via NAN, or Japan Airlines via NRT | 110,000 | — | ₹1,10,000 | the play |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (12,653 km) — nonstop — or Air New Zealand via AKL | 140,000 | — | ₹1,40,000 | 1.3× |
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 and United MileagePlus 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. 1 other programme priced here publishes nothing the desk could read.
Cathay PacificFiji AirwaysJapan 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)
China AirlinesChina EasternDelta Air Lines 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 35k–65k; award space and travel date drive the real number.
Estimate Dynamic program — estimate is the typical one-way level for this region-pair (range 35k–65k); not a fixed chart price, and never crowned THE PLAY.
Feed it: 45,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 22,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 45,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
Qantas oneworld
There is no Qantas Melbourne–San Francisco nonstop; San Francisco is a Sydney route. The Trip connects at Sydney and its mileage is the sum of the sectors — 438 + 7,425 = 7,863 miles — which lands in the same Zone 8 as the 7,862-mile straight line, so the price is unchanged at 48,200. (Routing it the other way, MEL–LAX–SFO, sums 8,265 miles and is also Zone 8.) Classic Rewards are points + taxes, fees and carrier charges; Qantas publishes no surcharge table, so no numeric value is asserted here.
Feed it: 38,560 HSBC Reward Points (1:1.25 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 24,100 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 48,200 SBI Travel Credits (1:1)
United Airlines Star Alliance
United Airlines own-metal Melbourne→San Francisco. United MileagePlus is fully dynamic — no award chart. Levels below are the typical one-way per person; ranges are the honest low/high seen across dates and demand. A valid United Airlines routing is assumed.
Estimate Dynamic/unpublished-chart program — estimate is the typical one-way economy level Melbourne→San Francisco (range 40k–95k); not a fixed chart price, never THE PLAY.
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)
Air New Zealand 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: 32,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 65,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 162,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Cathay PacificFiji AirwaysJapan Airlines oneworld
AAdvantage prices partner awards on a fixed region-to-region chart. A valid oneworld routing is assumed.
Feed it: 240,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 480,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 160,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Air New Zealand 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: 51,250 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 102,500 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 256,250 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
China AirlinesChina EasternDelta Air Lines 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 90k–160k; award space and travel date drive the real number.
Estimate Dynamic program — estimate is the typical one-way level for this region-pair (range 90k–160k); not a fixed chart price, and never crowned THE PLAY.
Feed it: 120,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 60,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 120,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
United Airlines Star Alliance
United Airlines own-metal Melbourne→San Francisco. United MileagePlus is fully dynamic — no award chart. Levels below are the typical one-way per person; ranges are the honest low/high seen across dates and demand. A valid United Airlines routing is assumed.
Estimate Dynamic/unpublished-chart program — estimate is the typical one-way business level Melbourne→San Francisco (range 88k–250k); not a fixed chart price, never THE PLAY.
Feed it: 60,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 300,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 240,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1 via Marriott Bonvoy)
Qantas oneworld
There is no Qantas Melbourne–San Francisco nonstop; San Francisco is a Sydney route. The Trip connects at Sydney and its mileage is the sum of the sectors — 438 + 7,425 = 7,863 miles — which lands in the same Zone 8 as the 7,862-mile straight line, so the price is unchanged at 130,100. (Routing it the other way, MEL–LAX–SFO, sums 8,265 miles and is also Zone 8.) Classic Rewards are points + taxes, fees and carrier charges; Qantas publishes no surcharge table, so no numeric value is asserted here.
Feed it: 104,080 HSBC Reward Points (1:1.25 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 65,050 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 130,100 SBI Travel Credits (1:1)
Cathay PacificFiji AirwaysJapan Airlines oneworld
AAdvantage prices partner awards on a fixed region-to-region chart. A valid oneworld routing is assumed.
Feed it: 330,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 660,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 220,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)
Air New Zealand 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: 70,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 140,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 350,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)
Flying back? San Francisco to Melbourne on points (SFO–MEL). Or take the whole region: every corridor we price into North America — 510 of them. Or pick any two hubs — 2,450 corridors priced.