San Francisco to Bengaluru on points

Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong (oneworld), Standard award

Cathay Pacific oneworld

SFO–HKG–BLR totals 9,372 miles — 7,501+ band, 38,000 Standard one-way with layovers counted, 2,000 under the Air India price on India's longest nonstop. Post-May-2026 reconstructed chart, capped Standard space, SBI 1:1 feed; a genuine economy alternative when Value space is gone.

Feed it: 76,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 38,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 198,000 RBL Reward Points (5.21:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)

Air India via DEL (SFO–DEL–BLR all-mainline; the BLR nonstop ended Feb-2026), Value tier

Air India Star Alliance

Sampled at 40,000 after the April-2026 repricing — the North America tier floor, identical to Delhi–SFO despite 1,600 more kilometres. ₹32,000 at house value for 17 nonstop hours is the single best economy ratio in the program.

Estimate Air India publishes no award chart. Its own Points Calculator states that “Fares indicated above are dependent on the time of booking and seat availability”, and Maharaja Club prices every award either as a Value fare (the discounted rate for booking well in advance) or as a higher Prime fare closer to departure. This number is the Value-fare floor as sampled after the April-2026 repricing — not a published chart cell: Value space is not always available on a given flight, and the same seat prices higher once it is gone. Pricing model re-verified against Air India’s Maharaja Club T&C and Points Calculator on 2026-08-09. This direction is additionally mirrored from the reverse corridor — Maharaja prices the zone pair, not the direction of travel — and has not been sampled separately.

Feed it: 40,000 IndusInd Reward Points (1:1) · 20,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 40,000 ICICI Reward Points (1:1)

SkyTeam partner metal (AF/KLM), India→North America — Air Europa SUMA

Air FranceKLM 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 over-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 blr-sfo — Air Europa SUMA's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. The blr-sfo row is a verified chart read at this price; this direction is mirrored from it, not separately re-read, so it is flagged an estimate and never crowned THE PLAY.

Feed it: 48,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 96,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 240,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))

oneworld partner metal, AAdvantage region award — via NRT, or Qatar via DOH, or Cathay Pacific via HKG, or Qatar Airways via DOH, or British Airways via LHR

Qatar AirwaysJapan AirlinesCathay PacificBritish Airways 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)

Star-partner award on the Air India routing — one-way bookable since 24-Jun-2025

Air India Star Alliance

ANA's partner chart prices the whole Zone 4 ⇄ Zone 6 pair — India to anywhere in North America, Canada and Mexico included — at 40,000 one-way in economy and 68,000 in business (80,000 / 136,000 round-trip), season-blind and distance-blind, with the one-way cell published since 24-Jun-2025. It wants a single Star partner end to end (Air India here); ANA's own metal via Tokyo is dearer in business at 71,500. The cell is written "to/from" — the same number in both directions. Fuel surcharges apply and Marriott Bonvoy 3:1 is the only Indian road in; miles expire in 36 months.

Feed it: 105,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.63:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 210,000 RBL Reward Points (5.25:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 70,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.75:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)

Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — Copa ConnectMiles (fixed region chart)

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: 105,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.63:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 210,000 RBL Reward Points (5.25:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 70,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.75:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)

Star Alliance metal (LH/SQ partner metal — CA itself flies only Delhi from India), India→North America — Air China PhoenixMiles

LufthansaSingapore Airlines 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 blr-sfo — Air China PhoenixMiles prices the zone pair, not the direction, so the blr-sfo row is mirrored here rather than re-read. That row is itself an 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: 56,250 HSBC Reward Points (1.25:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 120,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.67:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 240,000 RBL Reward Points (5.33:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)

Japan Airlines via NRT (oneworld partner award), India→North America — Alaska Atmos

Japan AirlinesCathay PacificQatar Airways oneworld

Alaska Atmos bands the TOTAL DISTANCE FLOWN, not the nonstop great circle: the cheapest Atmos routing is Japan Airlines via NRT, ~9,276 flown miles against a 8,692-mile nonstop, which reads the Asia-Pacific chart's 7,001-10,000 mi band — 42,500 economy / 85,000 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: 112,500 Amex Membership Rewards (2.65:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 225,000 RBL Reward Points (5.29:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 75,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.76:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)

SkyTeam metal (AF/KLM), India→North America — China Eastern Eastern Miles

Air FranceKLM 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 blr-sfo — China Eastern Miles prices the zone pair, not the direction, so the blr-sfo row is mirrored here rather than re-read. That row is itself an estimate: Eastern Miles publishes no India-origin award matrix — this level estimates off the nearest published China-anchored band, as the row note states, not a verified chart price.

Feed it: 366,667 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 1,375,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors) · 275,000 Axis EDGE Miles (5:1 via Hilton Honors)

Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — Avianca LifeMiles

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 blr-sfo — Avianca LifeMiles prices the zone pair, not the direction, so the blr-sfo row is mirrored here rather than re-read. That row is itself an 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: 141,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 282,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 94,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1)

SkyTeam metal (AF/KLM), India→North America — SAS EuroBonus

Air FranceKLM 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 blr-sfo — SAS EuroBonus's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. The blr-sfo row is a verified chart read at this price; this direction is mirrored from it, not separately re-read, so it is flagged an estimate and never crowned THE PLAY.

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)

Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — Aegean Miles+Bonus

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 SFO → BLR and BLR → SFO 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: 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)

Japan Airlines via Tokyo (oneworld) — JMB partner distance chart

Japan Airlines oneworld

Bengaluru–Tokyo–San Francisco totals ~9,300 miles — the 8,001–10,000 partner band, 47,000 one-way. JL lands from India at Narita; check which Tokyo airport the SFO leg departs before booking. Direct-fed (HSBC 1:1, Axis 1:2, SBI 2:1), 7,000 over the Air India nonstop price.

Estimate Reverse of blr-sfo — Japan Airlines Mileage Bank's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. The blr-sfo row is a verified chart read at this price; this direction is mirrored from it, not separately re-read, so it is flagged an estimate and never crowned THE PLAY.

Feed it: 23,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 47,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 117,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)

Air France / KLM / SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — via AMS, or Virgin Atlantic via LHR

Air FranceKLMVirgin Atlantic 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 45k–75k; award space and travel date drive the real number.

Estimate Dynamic program — estimate is the typical one-way level for this region-pair (range 45k–75k); not a fixed chart price, and never crowned THE PLAY.

Feed it: 55,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 27,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 55,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)

Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — United MileagePlus

Star Alliance

United went fully dynamic in 2020 (no fixed chart), so ~60,000 is a typical Saver partner level to North America. But Aeroplan often prices the same Star seat lower, so compare before burning United miles.

Estimate Reverse of blr-sfo — United MileagePlus prices the zone pair, not the direction, so the blr-sfo row is mirrored here rather than re-read. That row is itself an estimate: United MileagePlus Saver partner level, India→North America 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: 30,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 150,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 120,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1 via Marriott Bonvoy)

Star Alliance metal (Air India/LH/SQ — EVA itself serves no Indian city; the award rides partner metal), India→North America — EVA Infinity MileageLands

Air IndiaLufthansaSingapore Airlines 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)

Singapore Airlines via SIN (Saver) — incl. the SIN–SFO ultra-long-haul nonstop

Singapore Airlines Star Alliance

Official Zone 6 ⇄ Zone 12 (USA West Coast) Saver, 1-Nov-2025 chart: 55,000 one-way, BLR–SIN plus the 8,400-mile SIN–SFO nonstop. (Community chart pages print 44,000 — that's the ex-Singapore table.) Four Indian issuers feed KrisFlyer, but Air India's 40,000 keeps the economy crown.

Feed it: 55,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 27,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 110,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1)

Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — TAP Miles&Go

Star Alliance

TAP's 4 May 2026 devaluation lifted India→North America (its "Canada, USA, Mexico and the Caribbean" zone) from 70k/115k to 80k/125k one-way. That is ONE chart cell, and it holds only while the itinerary stays inside two TAP regions — an Asian gateway onto the transpacific hop. Any build that also crosses Europe spans a third region, and TAP then bills flight by flight and sums: 80k/125k plus 65k/120k = 145k/245k. Lufthansa-group metal carries the heaviest surcharges on Star.

Estimate Reverse of blr-sfo — TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. The blr-sfo row is a verified chart read at this price; this direction is mirrored from it, not separately re-read, so it is flagged an estimate and never crowned THE PLAY.

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)

Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (13,988 km) — via DEL, or Lufthansa via FRA, or Singapore Airlines via SIN, or Air India via DEL

Air IndiaLufthansaSingapore Airlines 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)

SkyTeam partner metal (AF/KLM), India→North America — Delta SkyMiles (dynamic)

Air FranceKLM SkyTeam

Delta has had no award chart since 2015 — fully dynamic, so ~75,000 is a representative saver-ish partner level to North America; 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 blr-sfo — Delta SkyMiles prices the zone pair, not the direction, so the blr-sfo row is mirrored here rather than re-read. That row is itself an estimate: Delta SkyMiles is fully dynamic (no chart since 2015); ~75,000/230,000 is a representative SkyTeam partner saver level India→North America on AF/KLM/KE/VN/MU metal — peak dates and the 2026 partner hikes swing business 1.5–3×.

Feed it: 225,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 450,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 150,000 HSBC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))

KLM via AMS (SFO–AMS–BLR) — Vietnam LotusMiles

KLM SkyTeam

LotusMiles deducts miles PER FLIGHT SEGMENT on its SkyTeam partner table (official chart, effective 1-Aug-2025), and no SkyTeam carrier flies SFO–BLR nonstop — so the price is a SUM, not one cell. Cheapest verified SkyTeam build is KLM SFO–AMS–BLR — per-segment: BLR–AMS 35,000 (SW Asia × Europe) + AMS–SFO 50,000 (Europe × North America) = 85,000. 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: 85,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 85,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 85,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1)

Star-partner award on the Air India routing — one-way bookable since 24-Jun-2025

Air India Star Alliance

ANA's partner chart prices the whole Zone 4 ⇄ Zone 6 pair — India to anywhere in North America, Canada and Mexico included — at 40,000 one-way in economy and 68,000 in business (80,000 / 136,000 round-trip), season-blind and distance-blind, with the one-way cell published since 24-Jun-2025. It wants a single Star partner end to end (Air India here); ANA's own metal via Tokyo is dearer in business at 71,500. The cell is written "to/from" — the same number in both directions. Fuel surcharges apply and Marriott Bonvoy 3:1 is the only Indian road in; miles expire in 36 months.

Feed it: 174,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.56:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 348,000 RBL Reward Points (5.12:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 116,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.71:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)

Star Alliance metal (LH/SQ partner metal — CA itself flies only Delhi from India), India→North America — Air China PhoenixMiles

LufthansaSingapore Airlines 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 blr-sfo — Air China PhoenixMiles prices the zone pair, not the direction, so the blr-sfo row is mirrored here rather than re-read. That row is itself an 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: 180,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.4:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 360,000 RBL Reward Points (4.8:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 93,750 HSBC Reward Points (1.25:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))

oneworld partner metal, AAdvantage region award — via NRT, or Qatar via DOH, or Cathay Pacific via HKG, or Qatar Airways via DOH, or British Airways via LHR

Qatar AirwaysJapan AirlinesCathay PacificBritish Airways oneworld

AAdvantage prices partner awards on a fixed region-to-region chart. A valid oneworld routing is assumed.

Feed it: 210,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 420,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 140,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)

Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — Aegean Miles+Bonus

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 SFO → BLR and BLR → SFO 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: 180,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.4:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 360,000 RBL Reward Points (4.8:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 120,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)

SkyTeam partner metal (AF/KLM), India→North America — Air Europa SUMA

Air FranceKLM 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 over-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 blr-sfo — Air Europa SUMA's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. The blr-sfo row is a verified chart read at this price; this direction is mirrored from it, not separately re-read, so it is flagged an estimate and never crowned THE PLAY.

Feed it: 95,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 190,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL)) · 475,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))

Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — Copa ConnectMiles (fixed region chart)

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: 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)

Japan Airlines via NRT (oneworld partner award), India→North America — Alaska Atmos

Japan AirlinesCathay PacificQatar Airways oneworld

Alaska Atmos bands the TOTAL DISTANCE FLOWN, not the nonstop great circle: the cheapest Atmos routing is Japan Airlines via NRT, ~9,276 flown miles against a 8,692-mile nonstop, which reads the Asia-Pacific chart's 7,001-10,000 mi band — 42,500 economy / 85,000 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: 210,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.47:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 420,000 RBL Reward Points (4.94:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 140,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.65:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)

SkyTeam metal (AF/KLM), India→North America — China Eastern Eastern Miles

Air FranceKLM 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 blr-sfo — China Eastern Miles prices the zone pair, not the direction, so the blr-sfo row is mirrored here rather than re-read. That row is itself an estimate: Eastern Miles publishes no India-origin award matrix — this level estimates off the nearest published China-anchored band, as the row note states, not a verified chart price.

Feed it: 666,667 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 2,500,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors) · 500,000 Axis EDGE Miles (5:1 via Hilton Honors)

Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — Avianca LifeMiles

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 blr-sfo — Avianca LifeMiles prices the zone pair, not the direction, so the blr-sfo row is mirrored here rather than re-read. That row is itself an 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: 270,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 540,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 180,000 HDFC Reward Points (2:1)

Japan Airlines via Tokyo (oneworld) — JMB partner distance chart

Japan Airlines oneworld

85,000 in the 8,001–10,000-mile band for JL business both legs — 25,000 under Aeroplan's band-cliff 110,000 from Bengaluru, with a direct bank feed no Star option here can match. ANA's 68,000 and AA's 70,000 still undercut it, but both need the Bonvoy detour; this is the best directly-fed business price on the corridor.

Estimate Reverse of blr-sfo — Japan Airlines Mileage Bank's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. The blr-sfo row is a verified chart read at this price; this direction is mirrored from it, not separately re-read, so it is flagged an estimate and never crowned THE PLAY.

Feed it: 42,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 85,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 212,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)

Air France / KLM / SkyTeam metal, Flying Blue (dynamic) — via AMS, or Virgin Atlantic via LHR

Air FranceKLMVirgin Atlantic 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. India–US business saver seats price at 95,000 miles one-way (Jul-2026 datapoint); popular dates run 120k–175k or more.

Estimate Dynamic program — estimate is the saver-level one-way for the India–North America pair (saver 95k; popular dates run 120k–175k+); not a fixed chart price, and never crowned THE PLAY.

Feed it: 95,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 47,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 95,000 HSBC Reward Points (1:1)

SkyTeam metal (AF/KLM), India→North America — SAS EuroBonus

Air FranceKLM 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 blr-sfo — SAS EuroBonus's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. The blr-sfo row is a verified chart read at this price; this direction is mirrored from it, not separately re-read, so it is flagged an estimate and never crowned THE PLAY.

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 metal (Air India/LH/SQ — EVA itself serves no Indian city; the award rides partner metal), India→North America — EVA Infinity MileageLands

Air IndiaLufthansaSingapore Airlines 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: 97,500 HSBC Reward Points (1:1) · 650,000 Amex Membership Rewards (6.67:1 via Hilton Honors) · 2,437,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (25:1 via Hilton Honors)

Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — TAP Miles&Go

Star Alliance

TAP's 4 May 2026 devaluation lifted India→North America (its "Canada, USA, Mexico and the Caribbean" zone) from 70k/115k to 80k/125k one-way. That is ONE chart cell, and it holds only while the itinerary stays inside two TAP regions — an Asian gateway onto the transpacific hop. Any build that also crosses Europe spans a third region, and TAP then bills flight by flight and sums: 80k/125k plus 65k/120k = 145k/245k. Lufthansa-group metal carries the heaviest surcharges on Star.

Estimate Reverse of blr-sfo — TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go's chart prices the zone pair, not the direction. The blr-sfo row is a verified chart read at this price; this direction is mirrored from it, not separately re-read, so it is flagged an estimate and never crowned THE PLAY.

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 India via DEL (SFO–DEL–BLR all-mainline; the BLR nonstop ended Feb-2026), Value tier

Air India Star Alliance

Bengaluru–SFO business isn't separately published; every documented India–North America business route in the April-2026 chart floors at 130,000. ANA's partner chart does the same seat for 68,000 a direction — round-trip strings attached.

Estimate Air India publishes no award chart. Its own Points Calculator states that “Fares indicated above are dependent on the time of booking and seat availability”, and Maharaja Club prices every award either as a Value fare (the discounted rate for booking well in advance) or as a higher Prime fare closer to departure. This number is the Value-fare floor as sampled after the April-2026 repricing — not a published chart cell: Value space is not always available on a given flight, and the same seat prices higher once it is gone. Pricing model re-verified against Air India’s Maharaja Club T&C and Points Calculator on 2026-08-09. This direction is additionally mirrored from the reverse corridor — Maharaja prices the zone pair, not the direction of travel — and has not been sampled separately.

Feed it: 130,000 IndusInd Reward Points (1:1) · 65,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 130,000 ICICI Reward Points (1:1)

Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (13,988 km) — via DEL, or Lufthansa via FRA, or Singapore Airlines via SIN, or Air India via DEL

Air IndiaLufthansaSingapore Airlines 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: 55,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 110,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 275,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)

Star Alliance partner metal, India→North America — United MileagePlus

Star Alliance

United went fully dynamic in 2020 (no fixed chart), so ~110,000 is a typical Saver partner level to North America. But Aeroplan often prices the same Star seat lower, so compare before burning United miles.

Estimate Reverse of blr-sfo — United MileagePlus prices the zone pair, not the direction, so the blr-sfo row is mirrored here rather than re-read. That row is itself an estimate: United MileagePlus Saver partner level, India→North America 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: 55,000 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 275,000 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2) · 240,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2.18:1 via Marriott Bonvoy)

Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong (oneworld), Standard award

Cathay Pacific oneworld

119,000 Standard in the 7,501+ band, CX business both legs. On a corridor where ANA books the nonstop for 68,000 and AA's Qsuite runs 70,000, paying 119,000 to connect in Hong Kong is a product choice, not a points strategy. SBI 1:1 feeds it.

Feed it: 238,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 119,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 594,000 RBL Reward Points (4.99:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)

Virgin Atlantic via LHR (both legs VS metal) — dynamic since Oct 2024

Virgin Atlantic SkyTeam

Virgin serves Bengaluru, so SFO–LHR–BLR rides VS metal both legs — chartless since October 2024, each leg tracking cash (India Upper from ~75,000 on quiet dates, the eleven-hour Atlantic-plus leg on top), UK APD and carrier charges twice. Amex MR 2:1 only. On the board for completeness; off it for value.

Estimate Reverse of blr-sfo — Virgin Atlantic Flying Club prices the zone pair, not the direction, so the blr-sfo row is mirrored here rather than re-read. That row is itself an estimate: Virgin Atlantic is dynamic since Oct-2024 (no chart); India-LHR Upper practical off-peak 65-75k for ~8,691 mi, beyond-LHR a summed through-award. Heavy ex-UK carrier surcharges; Amex MR 2:1 is the only Indian feed.

Feed it: 168,750 Amex Membership Rewards (5:4) · 660,000 RBL Reward Points (4.89:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 220,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (1.63:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)

Emirates via Dubai — Classic Rewards, calculator-priced

Emirates

Bengaluru–Dubai–SFO prices off the calculator, +15% on premium cabins since May 2026. No published number; with four fixed-price anchors above, a Skywards quote has to clear a high bar.

Estimate Reverse of blr-sfo — Emirates Skywards prices the zone pair, not the direction, so the blr-sfo row is mirrored here rather than re-read. That row is itself an estimate: Emirates Skywards one-way Saver estimate, re-marked 01-Aug-2026 to the official miles-calculator pull of 25-Jul-2026 (post the 20-May-2026 devaluation, premium cabins +~15%; connecting corridors summed per leg); dynamic - no published chart, Saver space thin, Flex/Flex Plus price well above.

Feed it: 318,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1) · 774,000 RBL Reward Points (4.87:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 318,000 SBI Travel Credits (2:1)

Singapore Airlines via SIN (Saver) — incl. the SIN–SFO ultra-long-haul nonstop

Singapore Airlines Star Alliance

133,000 Saver for SQ business the whole way (Zone 6 ⇄ USA West Coast, official 1-Nov-2025 chart) — nearly twice AA's 70,000 Qsuite and 65,000 over ANA's partner one-way. The most buildable balance in India buys the board's dearest fixed seat; KrisFlyer is how you fly SQ, not how you save.

Feed it: 133,000 HDFC Reward Points (1:1) · 66,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 266,000 Amex Membership Rewards (2:1)

KLM via AMS (SFO–AMS–BLR) — Vietnam LotusMiles

KLM SkyTeam

LotusMiles deducts miles PER FLIGHT SEGMENT on its SkyTeam partner table (official chart, effective 1-Aug-2025), and no SkyTeam carrier flies SFO–BLR nonstop — so the price is a SUM, not one cell. Cheapest verified SkyTeam build is KLM SFO–AMS–BLR — per-segment: BLR–AMS 70,000 (SW Asia × Europe) + AMS–SFO 100,000 (Europe × North America) = 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)

SkyTeam partner metal (AF/KLM), India→North America — Delta SkyMiles (dynamic)

Air FranceKLM SkyTeam

Delta has had no award chart since 2015 — fully dynamic, so ~230,000 is a representative saver-ish partner level to North America; 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 blr-sfo — Delta SkyMiles prices the zone pair, not the direction, so the blr-sfo row is mirrored here rather than re-read. That row is itself an estimate: Delta SkyMiles is fully dynamic (no chart since 2015); ~75,000/230,000 is a representative SkyTeam partner saver level India→North America on AF/KLM/KE/VN/MU metal — peak dates and the 2026 partner hikes swing business 1.5–3×.

Feed it: 690,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 1,380,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 460,000 HSBC Reward Points (2:1 via Accor Live Limitless (ALL))

oneworld partner metal, AAdvantage region award — via NRT, or Qatar via DOH, or Cathay Pacific via HKG, or Qatar Airways via DOH, or British Airways via LHR

Qatar AirwaysJapan AirlinesCathay PacificBritish Airways oneworld

AAdvantage prices partner awards on a fixed region-to-region chart. A valid oneworld routing is assumed.

Feed it: 345,000 Amex Membership Rewards (3:1 via Marriott Bonvoy) · 690,000 RBL Reward Points (6:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy) · 230,000 RBL Reward Points (Nova/Lumière) (2:1 via Club ITC → Marriott Bonvoy)

Star Alliance partner metal, Aeroplan distance-band award (13,988 km) — via DEL, or Lufthansa via FRA, or Singapore Airlines via SIN, or Air India via DEL

Air IndiaLufthansaSingapore Airlines 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: 82,500 Axis EDGE Miles (1:2) · 165,000 SBI Travel Credits (1:1) · 412,500 Axis EDGE Reward Points (5:2)