Air India and IHG Hotels & Resorts have announced a new loyalty partnership connecting Air India’s Maharaja Club with IHG One Rewards, giving travelers additional ways to earn and use points across flights and hotel stays.
The partnership combines IHG’s portfolio of more than 7,100 hotels in over 100 countries with Air India’s network spanning India and five continents.
Under the agreement, Maharaja Club members can earn Maharaja Points when staying at participating IHG properties worldwide, while IHG One Rewards members can convert their hotel loyalty points into Air India Maharaja Points.
Maharaja Club Members Can Earn Points at IHG Hotels
Maharaja Club members will earn 2 Maharaja Points for every US$1 spent at most IHG Hotels & Resorts properties.
A lower rate of 1 Maharaja Point per US$1 spent will apply at Candlewood Suites, Staybridge Suites, IHG Residences and IHG Army Hotels.
The arrangement significantly expands opportunities for Air India customers to collect Maharaja Points outside flights and other airline-related spending.
IHG One Rewards currently has more than 160 million members worldwide.
IHG One Rewards Points Can Be Converted Into Maharaja Points
The partnership also introduces points transfers between the two loyalty programmes.
IHG One Rewards members can exchange 1,000 IHG One Rewards Points for 200 Maharaja Points, equivalent to a 5:1 conversion ratio.
The minimum transfer is 1,000 IHG One Rewards Points.
The feature gives IHG members another option for using their hotel points, particularly for customers who also travel regularly with Air India.
“Our partnership with Air India brings together two leading travel brands and creates greater value for members across their journeys,” said Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, South West Asia at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
“By connecting IHG One Rewards with Maharaja Club, we are giving our members more choice and flexibility in how they use their rewards, while strengthening the reach and relevance of IHG One Rewards in India.”
Triple Maharaja Points Launch Promotion
Air India and IHG are also introducing a special promotion to mark the launch of the partnership.
Maharaja Club members who register for the promotion can earn 3x Maharaja Points on qualifying IHG stays between September 15 and December 31, 2026.
There are no blackout dates during the promotional period.
“Maharaja Club is evolving alongside Air India’s transformation, with a strong emphasis on creating richer experiences for our members beyond the flight itself,” said Sunil Suresh, Head of Marketing, Loyalty and E-commerce at Air India.
According to Air India, more than 100 brands were added to the Maharaja Club partnership network between FY2023 and FY2026. Members completed more than 4.2 million transactions with partner brands during FY2026.
IHG Continues Expansion in India
The loyalty partnership comes as IHG continues to expand its hotel portfolio in India.
IHG currently operates 53 hotels across seven brands in the country, including Six Senses, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Vignette Collection, Crowne Plaza, voco Hotels, Holiday Inn Resort and Holiday Inn Express.
The hospitality group also has a pipeline of 110 hotels expected to open in India over the next three to five years.
The new Air India agreement adds another travel partnership to IHG One Rewards while supporting Air India’s strategy of developing Maharaja Club into a broader travel and lifestyle loyalty programme.
