Flight Points: Why They Matter for Indian Travellers in 2025

 

In today’s world of flying, travelling frequently, the idea of flight points is a great idea.

Travel across the world has been on the rise for Indian travellers too and it is only increasing, making airline loyalty programs more vital than ever.

Whether you are traveling for business, leisure, or with the family, flight points can make you save money, upgrade your travel experience and earn wonderful privileges.

In the continually expanding India aviation industry, it would be wise to know how flight points work, how to earn them and how to best redeem them to maximize value.

What Are Flight Points and Why Are They Relevant in India?

Airlines run loyalty programs for which the reward scheme is in the form of flight points, or air miles, or frequent flyer miles.

For each time a passenger books a flight, whether directly or through a registered account with the loyalty scheme of the airline, they will be earning points at some of these points.

Besides flying, one can also earn points on credit card spends, hotel stays, shopping on partner platforms, and so on.

Eventually, you collect points that you can use to redeem flight tickets, seat upgrades or extra baggage, lounge access or luxury travel privileges.

Flight points have gained enormous relevance for the Indian travelers in the recent past.

Indian’s are flying more than ever, with domestic air traffic at an all time high post pandemic and international travel up and running.

In 2024, India surpassed 150 million domestic passengers, as per DGCA data, well above pre-pandemic years.

Today, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, etc. are silently growing as cities with good air connectivity with it, air travel becomes a common choice for the Tier II and III city dwellers.

Catching on to this travel boom also provides a golden opportunity for flyers to make the most out of the loyalty programs to earn flight points while riding on every journey.

Top Frequent Flyer Programs Available for Indian Travellers

However, among the multiple airline loyalty programs in India, some have succeeded in offering extensive user benefits and user friendly systems.

It is no surprise that Air India’s Flying Returns is a top choice, being that part of the global Star Alliance network.

Indian travellers are able to earn and redeem points on 26 international partner airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and United.

In addition to tier based status with additional perks such as free upgrades and bonus points, the program also brings these benefits.

InterMiles, previously known as JetPrivilege, is another popular one. Although Jet Airways is no longer operative, the rebranded InterMiles is now a full fledged travel and lifestyle rewards platform.

The InterMiles can then be earned on flights, hotel bookings, shopping, dining and fuel.

It has a number of airline and non airline partners such as Etihad and Emirates to suit the needs of modern travellers looking for value beyond just the airfare.

Other fast growth loyalty programs from India are Club Vistara by Vistara Airlines. The distinguisher here is the ticket fare points are based on rather than distance travelled.

Being an elite member of Club Vistara enables you to enjoy generous welcome benefits, vouchers and guaranteed upgrades.

This program has been chosen mainly on the back of Vistara’s expanding domestic and international network complemented with its premium service.

For people travelling on a budget, who are not ready to pay extra for no-frills airlines, 6E Rewards from IndiGo is gaining popularity.

While IndiGo does not have a classic frequent flyer program in place, its co branded credit card with HDFC Bank does the job fairly well, as they give credit card users points for every booking on the carrier and on other purchases made on a daily basis.

These can be used for discounts on IndiGo tickets, meals, seat selection, etc and are great for domestic frequent flyers.

How to Maximize the Value of Flight Points

Indian travelers, therefore, should adopt a few smart habits to make the most of flight points.

You will keep all the points when booking flights directly on airline websites or apps, often flights booked to third party platforms are not earned.

You can also check more bonus point offers, double-mile days or seasonal discounts by signing up for airline newsletters or apps.

Co branded credit cards are the best solution for accumulation of points as it lets you accumulate more points using them, especially for big purchases or travel related expenses.

Additionally, you get great availability and can find good value, if you time your redemptions during off peak traveling periods.

Redeeming for entire tickets is often happier than upgrading. If you’re travelling as a family or with a group, check if a loyalty program allows you to pool or gift points and to get collective travel benefits.

The Future of Loyalty Programs in India’s Travel Ecosystem

An even more promising future of flight in India lies ahead.

As AI and personalization take a bigger part in customer engagement, loyalty programs are anticipated to get smarter and more customized.

Services like InterMiles are quickly becoming holistic travel dune ecosystems catering to travel, banking and lifestyle, and are moving to wider categories of redemption.

Budget travellers are finding even low cost carriers like Akasa Air, SpiceJet are also exploring fintech partnerships to bring the loyalty benefits to them.

To sum up, flight points have turned out to be a point of value for Indian travelers, altering how we plan, book and relish aerial travel.

Loyalty programs are great for comfort and convenience, be it on international journeys via premium lounge access or by saving on last minute business trips.

Once a month or once a year, by doing an airline’s rewards system, you can find it as fun and cheaper.