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Air India and IHG link loyalty programmes, with triple points until 31 December
Maharaja Club members now earn Air India points on stays at IHG hotels worldwide, and IHG One Rewards points convert to Maharaja Points. A 3x launch promotion runs 15 September to 31 December 2026.
What has changed
IHG Hotels & Resorts and Air India announced a loyalty partnership on 4 September 2026. Members of Air India’s Maharaja Club earn 2 Maharaja Points per US$1 spent at most IHG hotels, and 1 point per US$1 at the group’s extended-stay brands (Candlewood Suites, Staybridge Suites, IHG Residences and IHG Army Hotels). In the other direction, IHG One Rewards members can convert points to Maharaja Points at 1,000 IHG points to 200 Maharaja Points, with a minimum of 1,000 points per conversion.
To launch the partnership, registered members earn 3x Maharaja Points on qualifying IHG stays between 15 September and 31 December 2026, with no blackout dates. IHG says it has 53 hotels open in India across seven brands and 110 more in its pipeline for the next three to five years. Brands named in the release include Six Senses, InterContinental, Vignette Collection, Crowne Plaza, voco, Holiday Inn Resort and Holiday Inn Express.
What it means for Indian travellers
For anyone flying Air India long-haul this winter, an IHG stay at either end of the trip now feeds the same balance as the flight. The promotion window covers the Diwali, Christmas and New Year travel peak, and the earn applies worldwide, not only in India. Registration is required before the stay counts, so enrol in both programmes and link them before you check in.
Sudeep Jain, IHG’s managing director for South West Asia, said the partnership supports the group’s ambition to grow its loyalty base; Sunil Suresh, Air India’s head of marketing, loyalty and e-commerce, said it extends the Maharaja Club’s reach. The release does not state whether award redemptions will be possible in the reverse direction beyond the points conversion.
Sources
This report is based on the following published sources. Rules and schedules change — confirm with the issuing authority before you travel.
- Air India and IHG Hotels & Resorts announce landmark loyalty partnership — IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG plc), 04 September 2026
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