The most effective methods to fly to India with factors and miles

You possibly can redeem ANA miles to fly round-trip between North America and Asia (which incorporates India) on the following charges:

• Economic system: 55,000 to 70,000 miles on ANA-operated flights; 80,000 miles on companions.
• Premium financial system: 84,000 to 99,000 miles on ANA-operated flights; not obtainable on companions.
• Enterprise: 100,000 to 115,000 miles on ANA-operated flights; 136,000 miles on companions.
• First: 195,000 to 210,000 miles on ANA-operated flights; 240,000 miles on companions.

You will nonetheless pay these charges even should you fly one-way. So you will solely wish to think about ANA Mileage Membership should you plan to ebook a round-trip award.

For instance, this is an financial system round-trip award operated by Singapore Airways which you could ebook for 80,000 ANA miles plus 84.30 Singapore {Dollars} (about $64):

Nevertheless, taxes and costs are rather a lot increased on ANA-operated awards. Here is a premium financial system round-trip award operated by ANA which you could ebook for 94,000 ANA miles plus 817.90 Singapore {dollars} (about $618):

If it’s worthwhile to earn ANA miles to ebook your award, you possibly can switch American Categorical Membership Rewards factors at a 1:1 ratio or Marriott Bonvoy factors at a 3:1 ratio (with 5,000 bonus miles for each 60,000 factors transferred).

Associated: Fast Factors: E book mixed-cabin awards with ANA Mileage Membership to stretch your miles

Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership

You possibly can redeem for flights on Virgin Atlantic, though the taxes and costs are sometimes too excessive for this to make sense. For instance, think about the next off-peak awards from New York to Mumbai by way of London:

The award prices soar increased for Virgin Atlantic-operated awards on peak dates, although. Mixed with the excessive taxes and costs, these awards will not enchantment to most vacationers.

You can too redeem Virgin factors in response to off-peak and peak zone-based charts for long-haul flights operated by Air France and KLM. Here is the pricing you must see for one-way awards between the U.S. and India operated by Air France or KLM:

• Economic system: 28,000 factors off-peak to/from jap U.S., 38,000 factors peak to/from jap U.S., 31,000 factors off-peak to/from central or western U.S. and 41,000 factors peak to/from central or western U.S.
• Premium financial system (solely on Air France): 56,000 factors off-peak to/from the jap U.S., 76,000 factors peak to/from the jap U.S., 62,000 factors off-peak to/from central or western U.S. and 72,000 factors peak to/from central or western U.S.
• Enterprise: 110,000 factors off-peak to/from jap U.S., 120,000 factors peak to/from jap U.S., 122,500 factors off-peak to/from central or western U.S. and 132,500 factors peak to/from central or western U.S.

However in observe, the charges you will see for awards operated by Air France and KLM on the Flying Membership web site might not match the award chart charges. For instance, these awards operated by Air France and KLM value 27,000 factors (1,000 factors lower than we might anticipate).

If you wish to earn Virgin factors, you possibly can leverage the next transferable currencies:

The knowledge for the Citi Status has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.

Associated: When and how one can ebook Delta awards with Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership

Flying Blue

For instance, we may ebook the one-way KLM-operated financial system award that prices 27,000 Virgin factors plus $219 (see the earlier part) for 35,000 Flying Blue miles plus $125.

Discovering enterprise class awards on the beginning charge of 95,000 miles will be difficult. However you possibly can simply examine award pricing by cabin round your required journey dates by trying on the bar above the outcomes. Sadly, as you will see within the one-way enterprise class award instance beneath, the taxes and costs are moderately excessive on enterprise class awards.

If you wish to earn Flying Blue miles, you possibly can switch any of the next transferable currencies:

Associated: This month’s Flying Blue Promo Rewards

Air Canada Aeroplan

• Economic system: 55,000 to 80,000 factors for Air Canada-operated flights; 55,000 factors for partner-operated flights.
• Premium financial system: 70,000 to 100,000 factors for Air Canada-operated flights; not supplied on partner-operated flights.
• Enterprise: 85,000 to 200,000 factors for Air Canada-operated flights; 90,000 factors for partner-operated flights.
• First: 120,000 to 225,000 factors on Air Canada-operated flights; 130,000 factors on partner-operated flights.

Nevertheless, should you mix Air Canada-operated flights with flights operated by companion airways, you might even see completely different pricing.

Aeroplan’s charges are increased than what you will discover with different packages, particularly when you think about the companion reserving payment.

However, if you wish to add in a stopover or have rigid journey dates, you could discover that the Aeroplan program is greatest to your journey to India. I had little bother discovering companion awards pricing as anticipated from main cities within the U.S. to main cities in India.

If it’s worthwhile to earn Aeroplan factors for an award, you possibly can use the Aeroplan® Credit score Card. Nevertheless, should you want factors extra urgently, you possibly can leverage the next transferable currencies:

Associated: Full information to Aeroplan’s stopover and routing guidelines

Turkish Airways Miles&Smiles

• Economic system: 68,000 miles.
• Enterprise: 105,000 miles.
• First: 154,000 miles.

You can too ebook a one-way promotional award for half the associated fee in miles of a round-trip award. There’s loads of financial system award availability on Turkish Airways-operated flights from the U.S. to India for 34,000 miles plus $128.80 one-way.

You can too discover some availability on Star Alliance companions. For instance, this is a one-way enterprise class award on an Air India-operated flight from New York to Delhi for 52,500 miles plus $277.90.

If you wish to earn Turkish miles to ebook an award, you possibly can switch Capital One miles at a 1:1 ratio, Citi ThankYou Rewards factors at a 1:1 ratio (you probably have the Citi Premier Card or the Citi Status Card), Bilt Rewards factors at a 1:1 ratio and Marriott Bonvoy factors at a 3:1 ratio (with 5,000 bonus miles for each 60,000 factors transferred).

Associated: 10 issues to learn about flying Turkish Airways

Avianca LifeMiles

You will normally discover one-way Star Alliance awards between the U.S. and India for 47,000 miles in financial system, 90,000 miles in enterprise and 120,000 miles in first.

However one attention-grabbing a part of the Avianca LifeMiles program is the way it costs blended cabin awards. For instance, you possibly can pay simply 3,330 miles extra to fly Air India enterprise class as an alternative of financial system class from Hong Kong to Delhi on the next award.

If you wish to earn Avianca LifeMiles, you possibly can switch American Categorical Membership Rewards factors at a 1:1 ratio, Capital One miles at a 1:1 ratio, Citi ThankYou Rewards factors at a 1:1 ratio (you probably have the Citi Premier Card or the Citi Status Card) and Marriott Bonvoy factors at a 3:1 ratio.

Associated: Cannot discover award availability with Avianca LifeMiles? Do not surrender till you do that trick

United MileagePlus

You will possible find yourself on Air India should you’re in search of the least-expensive one-stop routing:

However maintain a watch out for different Star Alliance carriers, equivalent to LOT Polish:

United MileagePlus awards between the U.S. and India are sometimes costly in premium cabins. So until you might have a number of United miles, you will possible wish to make the most of different packages if you wish to fly in premium cabins. Here is an instance of a number of the least costly enterprise and top quality awards I discovered between New York and Delhi:

If you wish to earn United miles, you might have a number of choices. For instance, you should utilize a United bank card or switch rewards from Chase Final Rewards at a 1:1 ratio, Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1.1 ratio (with 5,500 bonus miles for each 60,000 factors transferred) and Bilt Rewards at a 1:1 ratio.

Associated: 6 issues it’s worthwhile to learn about United Airways MileagePlus

Alaska Mileage Plan

• Economic system: 42,500 miles
• Premium financial system: 55,000 miles.
• Enterprise: 65,000 miles.
• First: 80,000 miles.

However in observe, you could discover less-expensive awards while you search on Alaska’s web site. For instance, this is a Japan Airways-operated financial system award from Seattle to Bangalore for 35,000 miles plus $31.

And this is a Japan Airways-operated enterprise award from New York to Delhi for 60,000 miles plus $30.

Alaska Mileage Plan could also be very interesting if you wish to construct a stopover into your one-way award. For instance, you possibly can ebook the identical Japan Airways itinerary proven above with a couple of week stopover in Tokyo for a similar variety of miles and simply barely increased taxes and costs.

The first draw back of redeeming Alaska miles is the issue you could face in incomes Alaska miles. That stated, you possibly can earn miles via Alaska bank cards, the Alaska Mileage Plan purchasing portal and by transferring rewards from Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio (with 5,000 bonus miles for each 60,000 factors transferred).

Associated: Maximizing redemptions with Alaska Airways Mileage Plan

American AAdvantage

• Economic system: 40,000 miles.
• Premium financial system: 62,500 miles.
• Enterprise: 70,000 miles.
• First: 115,000 miles.

You will normally see cheap taxes and costs should you keep away from British Airways-operated flights. Additionally, American’s giant community throughout the U.S. makes it straightforward to attach throughout the U.S. at the beginning or finish of your award.

It is comparatively straightforward to search out financial system awards involving American’s companions for 40,000 miles every manner. For instance, this is a one-way financial system award on Qatar Airways-operated flights from Los Angeles to Bengaluru for 40,000 miles plus $41.80:

And this is a one-way enterprise class award on Finnair-operated flights from Dallas to Mumbai for 70,000 miles plus $12.30:

The largest draw back of American Airways AAdvantage awards is that it may be tough to earn American miles. However you possibly can earn miles via American Airways bank cards, Bask Financial institution and the AAdvantage purchasing portal. Plus, you possibly can switch rewards to AAdvantage from Bilt Rewards at a 1:1 ratio and Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio.

Associated: Maximizing redemptions with American Airways AAdvantage

Backside line

This information mentioned varied methods to redeem factors and miles for flights to India. The most effective program for you’ll depend upon varied components, together with award availability, what factors and miles you presently have and the way you wish to fly.

In case you do not wish to plan what to do in India when you ebook your flights, Elsewhere (owned by TPG’s sister model, Lonely Planet) might be able to plan the right journey for you.