That IHG Hotel Stay Can Now Earn You Air India Maharaja Points
Air India and IHG Hotels & Resorts partnership connects Maharaja Club with IHG One Rewards, allowing members to earn and convert points across flights and hotel stays as both companies look to deepen engagement beyond their core products.
By SOH Edit Team
Air India and IHG Hotels & Resorts bring their loyalty ecosystems closer together in a partnership that reflects a broader push by travel companies to capture a larger share of the traveller journey.
Under the tie-up, members of Air India’s Maharaja Club will be able to earn Maharaja Points when staying at IHG properties worldwide, while IHG One Rewards members will be able to convert their hotel loyalty points into Maharaja Points.
The partnership connects Air India’s network across India and five continents with IHG’s portfolio of more than 7,100 hotels across over 100 countries.
For both companies, the significance goes beyond reciprocal points. The partnership gives Air India another way to make Maharaja Club relevant outside airline spending, while IHG gains a new avenue to engage Indian travellers as it expands in one of its key growth markets.
Air India expands Maharaja Club beyond flying
Maharaja Club members will earn two Maharaja Points for every US$1 spent at most IHG hotels and resorts worldwide. Stays at Candlewood Suites, Staybridge Suites, IHG Residences and IHG Army Hotels will earn one Maharaja Point per US$1 spent.
IHG One Rewards members can also transfer their points into Air India’s programme at a rate of 1,000 IHG One Rewards Points for 200 Maharaja Points, with 1,000 points set as the minimum conversion threshold.
The arrangement broadens the earning ecosystem around Maharaja Club at a time when Air India is repositioning its loyalty programme as part of the airline’s wider transformation.
Sunil Suresh, Head of Marketing, Loyalty and E-commerce, Air India, “Maharaja Club is evolving alongside Air India’s transformation, with a strong emphasis on creating richer experiences for our members beyond the flight itself.”
He said the airline wants Maharaja Points to become increasingly relevant across its members’ travel and lifestyle journeys, with more opportunities to earn and redeem across categories and markets.
Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, South West Asia, IHG Hotels & Resorts.
IHG looks to deepen loyalty engagement
For IHG, the partnership adds another layer to its India growth strategy by connecting its global loyalty platform more closely with customers of the country’s flag carrier.
IHG One Rewards has more than 160 million members globally, giving the hotel group a sizeable loyalty base through which to drive repeat stays and direct customer relationships.
Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, South West Asia, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said, “India continues to be one of IHG’s most important growth markets, and we are focused on expanding our presence while building deeper and more meaningful engagement with our guests.”
He said connecting IHG One Rewards with Maharaja Club would give members greater flexibility while strengthening the reach and relevance of IHG’s loyalty programme in India.
For the hotel company, such partnerships can also support preference for its brands as it expands its portfolio in the country, linking physical hotel growth with a larger base of loyalty members.
Triple points to kick-start the partnership
The tie-up illustrates how airline and hotel loyalty programmes are increasingly evolving from product-specific reward schemes into broader travel ecosystems.
For Air India, hotel stays create another touchpoint through which members can accumulate points even when they are not flying. For IHG, the airline partnership potentially brings its brands closer to a pool of frequent and international travellers originating from India.
The companies are using a limited-period promotion to encourage early adoption. Maharaja Club members who register for the offer can earn three times the Maharaja Points on qualifying IHG stays from September 15 to December 31, 2026, with no blackout dates during the promotional period.
Beyond the launch offer, the partnership points to a larger strategic objective: making loyalty currencies more useful across the end-to-end travel journey.
