Business the play 57,000 pts Qatar Airways via DOH (one stop, oneworld) — partner chart
43,000 + 14,000 = 57,000 Avios — a published J price, and MLE–DOH frequently carries Qsuite-fitted metal for the long leg. Rich for a 4½-hour corridor; it's the seat you're buying, and the one-way works for the honeymoon routing. Re-priced 2026-07-22 to the post-15-Dec-2025 partner bands (milelion primary: Z1 6.5k/14k · Z2 10k/18.5k · Z3 12.5k/24.5k · Z4 14.5k/43k) — earlier draft used the stale pre-devaluation chart.
Feed it: 57,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 1,14,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 57,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
Emirates nonstop — Classic Rewards, calculator-priced
Premium Classic Rewards rose ~15% in May 2026, softened by new one-way J Savers at 50% of the return rate — relevant here, since honeymoons fly this leg one-way. Calculator plus surcharges; weigh it against 57,000 Avios via Doha before transferring.
Ways in: Amex Membership Rewards 2:1 · RBL Reward Points 4.8:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy · Axis EDGE Miles 1:1.25 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy
Economy the play 21,000 pts Qatar Airways via DOH (one stop, oneworld) — partner chart
Per-segment partner pricing: MLE–DOH at 2,058 mi is the 2,001–3,000 band (14,500), DOH–DXB adds 6,500 — 21,000 Avios, the corridor's only published economy price. Six Indian cards feed Qatar Privilege Club, seven feed BA; the detour costs ~3 hours. Re-priced 2026-07-22 to the post-15-Dec-2025 partner bands (milelion primary: Z1 6.5k/14k · Z2 10k/18.5k · Z3 12.5k/24.5k · Z4 14.5k/43k) — earlier draft used the stale pre-devaluation chart.
Feed it: 21,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 42,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 21,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)
Emirates nonstop — Classic Rewards, calculator-priced
No chart — the Miles Calculator prices MLE–DXB per date, and economy Savers came through the 20-May-2026 devaluation unchanged. On a leisure corridor where cash fares spike with resort season, the calculator sometimes beats the 19,000-Avios detour — check both.
Ways in: Amex Membership Rewards 2:1 · RBL Reward Points 4.8:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy · Axis EDGE Miles 1:1.25 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy
Etihad nonstop to AUH — lands Abu Dhabi, not Dubai
Demand-priced GuestSeat with a theoretical chart floor, plus Etihad's signature surcharges, landing 90 road-minutes from Dubai. Seven Indian cards still feed Etihad Guest (Amex left 30-Jun-2026); use it to drain a balance, not to plan a trip.
Ways in: Axis EDGE Miles 1:2 · HSBC Reward Points 1:1 · SBI Travel Credits 1:1