One of the best methods to fly to India with factors and miles

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

• Financial 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 out there 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 for those who fly one-way. So you may solely wish to think about ANA Mileage Membership for those who plan to guide a round-trip award.

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

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

If it’s essential earn ANA miles to guide 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’ll be able to redeem for flights on Virgin Atlantic, though the taxes and charges 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 bounce increased for Virgin Atlantic-operated awards on peak dates, although. Mixed with the excessive taxes and charges, these awards will not attraction to most vacationers.

It’s also possible to redeem Virgin factors based on off-peak and peak zone-based charts for long-haul flights operated by Air France and KLM. This is the pricing it’s best to see for one-way awards between the U.S. and India operated by Air France or KLM:

• Financial system: 28,000 factors off-peak to/from japanese U.S., 38,000 factors peak to/from japanese 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 japanese U.S., 76,000 factors peak to/from the japanese 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 japanese U.S., 120,000 factors peak to/from japanese 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 apply, the charges you may see for awards operated by Air France and KLM on the Flying Membership web site could 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 guide Delta awards with Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership

Flying Blue

For instance, we might guide 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 may be difficult. However you possibly can simply examine award pricing by cabin round your required journey dates by wanting on the bar above the outcomes. Sadly, as you may see within the one-way enterprise class award instance under, the taxes and charges are fairly 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

• Financial 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 provided 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, for those who mix Air Canada-operated flights with flights operated by associate airways, you might even see completely different pricing.

Aeroplan’s charges are increased than what you may discover with different applications, particularly when you think about the associate 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 in your journey to India. I had little bother discovering associate awards pricing as anticipated from main cities within the U.S. to main cities in India.

If it’s essential earn Aeroplan factors for an award, you possibly can use the Aeroplan® Credit score Card. Nevertheless, for those who 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

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

It’s also possible to guide a one-way promotional award for half the 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.

It’s also possible to discover some availability on Star Alliance companions. For instance, here 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 guide an award, you possibly can switch Capital One miles at a 1:1 ratio, Citi ThankYou Rewards factors at a 1:1 ratio (when you’ve got 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 fascinating a part of the Avianca LifeMiles program is the way it costs combined cabin awards. For instance, you possibly can pay simply 3,330 miles extra to fly Air India enterprise class as a substitute 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 (when you’ve got 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 quit till you do this trick

United MileagePlus

You will doubtless find yourself on Air India for those who’re searching for the least-expensive one-stop routing:

However maintain an eye fixed out for different Star Alliance carriers, comparable to LOT Polish:

United MileagePlus awards between the U.S. and India are sometimes costly in premium cabins. So except you may have lots of United miles, you may doubtless wish to make the most of different applications if you wish to fly in premium cabins. This is an instance of a number of the least costly enterprise and top notch awards I discovered between New York and Delhi:

If you wish to earn United miles, you may have a number of choices. For instance, you need to use 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 essential learn about United Airways MileagePlus

Alaska Mileage Plan

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

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

And here 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 guide 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 charges.

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 by way of 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

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

You will normally see affordable taxes and charges for those who keep away from British Airways-operated flights. Additionally, American’s giant community inside the U.S. makes it simple to attach inside the U.S. firstly or finish of your award.

It is comparatively simple to seek out financial system awards involving American’s companions for 40,000 miles every means. For instance, here 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 here 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 by way of 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 numerous methods to redeem factors and miles for flights to India. One of the best program for you’ll depend upon numerous components, together with award availability, what factors and miles you at present have and the way you wish to fly.

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